Covering the week’s most noteworthy news stories in Metro-Manila for the Filipino-American and Global Filipino community.
The House of Representatives and the Senate have broken the impasse after agreeing to “momentarily set aside” their differences on the Charter change issue. According to Senate Presidential Leader Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III, Congressional leaders have decided to focus first on finalizing “specific constitutional amendments or revisions that will be proposed and presented to the…
The House of Representatives and the Senate have broken the impasse after agreeing to “momentarily set aside” their differences on the Charter change issue. According to Senate Presidential Leader Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III, Congressional leaders have decided to focus first on finalizing “specific constitutional amendments or revisions that will be proposed and presented to the…
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has pledged to “uncover the truth” behind the botched operation in Mamasapano, Maguindanao that claimed lives of 44 police commandos three years ago. While admitting that justice remains “elusive” for the fallen Philippine National Police – Special Action Force (PNP-SAF), Malacañang assured that the president will find a “just closure” for…
The Supreme Court (SC), sitting as the Presidential Electoral Tribunal (PET), has begun the retrieval of ballot boxes in the province of Camarines Sur on Tuesday, January 23. Camarines Sur is among the three pilot provinces tagged by former Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. in his electoral protest against Philippine Vice President Maria Leonor “Leni”…
Malacañang on Tuesday, January 23, has defended its earlier decision allowing China to carry out research in the Philippine Rise, formerly referred to as Benham Rise, which is located off Eastern Luzon. In a press briefing, Palace Spokesperson Harry Roque pointed out that “you do not need a permit for any Filipino corporation to conduct…
Former Philippine President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III has admitted that he made a “mistake” when he claimed that former Health Secretary Enrique Ona was present during his meeting with Sanofi Pasteur executives four years ago. During a Senate hearing last month, Aquino confirmed that Ona was present during his meeting with officials of Sanofi Pasteur,…
House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez has dismissed his recent threat to cut the budget of lawmakers who will oppose the proposed shift to a federal form of government as a mere “joke.” In a television interview on Monday, January 22, Alvarez clarified that he was “not serious” when he previously warned solons that they may receive…
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has denied that he had anything to do with the allegations tagging Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon in the multibillion-peso Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF), also known as the pork barrel scam. Speaking before his departure to India on Wednesday, January 24, Duterte said he would not plot against Drilon as…
NBI also investigating site’s reported violation of cybercrime law The Philippine Department of Justice (DOJ) has maintained that the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI)’s probe into the alleged foreign ownership of news website Rappler is neither a “fishing expedition” nor an attack on press freedom. Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II said such an insinuation is…
The current human rights situation in the Philippines is at its “worst” since the dictatorship of late President Ferdinand Marcos, New York-based Human Rights Watch (HRW) has claimed. In its World Report 2018, HRW said that President Rodrigo Duterte has “plunged” the country into “its worst human rights crisis,” citing, in particular, the deaths of…
Fulfilling a campaign promise made by President Rodrigo Duterte, the Philippine government on Thursday, January 18 launched the new Overseas Filipino Bank (OFB)—a bank that caters specifically to Filipinos abroad. This comes about four months since Duterte signed Executive Order (EO) 44 on September 28, which approves the Land Bank of the Philippines’ (LBP) acquisition…
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte raised the possibility of a war in Mindanao should Congress fails to pass the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL). In his speech during the launch of the Overseas Filipino Bank (OFB) in Manila on Thursday, January 18, the president stressed that it was about time to address what he called the “historical…
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday, January 16 vowed to continue his drive to cleanse the government ranks from corruption by dismissing more corrupt officials. “I am on a purging spree. And I will continue to do this, I suppose, I’ll do it tomorrow. I’ll be firing more people from government,” Duterte said during a…
Philippine media outlet Rappler is facing closure after the Philippine Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) en banc revoked the company’s registration for allegedly violating the country’s Constitution. The watchdog has also accused them of violating the Anti-Dummy Law, the Corporation Code and the Securities Regulation Code. “The En Banc finds Rappler, Inc. and Rappler Holdings…
Two members of the Senate minority have expressed opposition against the possible abolition of the Office of the Vice President (OVP) under the proposed shift to a federal form of government. This was after a former lawmaker warned that Philippine Vice President Leni Robredo might be ousted before her term expires in 2022 as the…
All members of the Senate agreed that Congress must vote separately in revising the 1987 Constitution should it convene as a constitutional assembly. According to Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon, senators are “unanimously” against the proposal for them to vote jointly with the House of Representatives on the Charter change (Cha-cha). “It is the entire…
New York Times, Wall Street Journal stand in solidarity with the PH outlet AS Rappler faces closure after the Philippine Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) en banc revoked its registration for allegedly violating the country’s Constitution, some of the top media companies have voiced support for the Philippine media outlet. The company is also being…
It is legally possible for Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte to expand the scope of martial law nationwide, Supreme Court (SC) Associate Justice Antonio Carpio said on Wednesday, January 17. During the resumption of oral arguments on the consolidated petitions against the one-year extension of martial law in Mindanao, Carpio noted that the threat posed by…
Three Supreme Court (SC) magistrates appeared before the House committee on justice on Monday, January 15 to testify in the impeachment hearing against Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno. They were Associate Justices Lucas Bersamin, Samuel Martires, and Diosdado Peralta. Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio, meanwhile, declined to attend the hearing despite being invited, saying he…
As the Philippine Supreme Court (SC) this week began its oral arguments on consolidated petitions objecting the one-year extension of martial law in Mindanao, a magistrate questioned petitioners for supposedly being “paranoid” about the military rule. SC Associate Justice Samuel Martires posed the question following statements from former Solicitor General Florin Hilbay who cited the…
More Filipinos are opposed to the idea of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte declaring a revolutionary government, according to a recent survey by the Social Weather Stations (SWS). Based on the survey results released Friday, January 12, 39 percent of Filipinos opposed the proposal to establish a revolutionary government, while 31 percent supported it. The remaining…
In terms of economic growth, the World Bank (WB) expects that the Philippines will continue to outpace its neighboring countries in Southeast Asia for the next three years. In its January 2018 Global Economic Prospects report released Wednesday, January 10, the Washington-based lender said it expects the Philippines to sustain robust economic growth even as…
The Court of Appeals (CA) this week upheld its earlier decision dismissing a petition filed by a human rights group seeking an about $2 billion worth of compensation to human rights victims during the term of late strongman Ferdinand Marcos. The CA’s former Twelfth Division on Wednesday, January 3 said it has denied the motion…
PHILIPPINE Vice President Maria “Leni” Leonor Robredo has asked the Supreme Court (SC) to allow both her camp and that of former Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. to witness the inventory and transport of ballot boxes in connection with their electoral case. In a resolution dated December 5, 2017, the SC, sitting as Presidential Electoral…
The administration of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte maintained that the rich and the poor would “both benefit” from the newly enacted Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) Act. This is in contrast to IBON Foundation’s recent claim that TRAIN is “scourge, not a gift” to Filipino people. While admitting that the effects of exercising…
Impeachment complaints against Philippine Chief Justice Ma. Lourdes Sereno and Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chief Andres Bautista have been passed on to the House Committee on Rules. Earlier this week, House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez referred the complaints to the committee headed by Majority Leader Rodolfo Farinas. The speaker has ten days from receipt to refer an…
MANILA – Senator Antonio Trillanes IV and Bureau of Customs (BOC) Commissioner Nicanor Faeldon had a heated exchange during the resumption of Senate inquiry into the entry of P6.4-billion worth of smuggled shabu from China. During the Senate’s third hearing on Tuesday, August 15, Trillanes, who was the first interpellate, asked Faeldon if there is…
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte is going to support any move—including impeaching any official regardless of position—that would help in ridding the government of corruption, Malacañang said on Monday, August 14. Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella stressed that keeping the administration clean from any irregularities has been among Duterte’s major campaign promises. “Without making references to any…
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s net worth went up by over P3 million during his first six months in the office, according to his latest statement of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALN) released by the Office of the Ombudsman on Friday, May 12. In his SALN, Duterte declared a net worth of P27.43 million as…
