Covering the week’s most noteworthy news stories in the Philippines for the Filipino-American and Global Filipino community.
THE Philippine government is not taking a soft stand on China’s reported continuous military build up in the highly disputed South China Sea, Malacañang assured on Wednesday, February 7. Palace Spokesperson Harry Roque has denied criticisms that the administration of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte is giving China leeway on its militarization activities in the region….
THE Philippine Supreme Court (SC) on Tuesday, February 6, has affirmed the constitutionality of President Rodrigo Duterte’s yearlong martial law extension in Mindanao. Ten magistrates voted to junk the petitions challenging the extension of Proclamation No. 216, which placed Mindanao under martial law and suspended the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus in the…
PHILIPPINE President Rodrigo has turned down an invitation from the European Union (EU) to attend the upcoming 12th Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) in October. Speaking at the 45th anniversary of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) on Tuesday, February 6, Duterte expressed his belief that he would only be insulted at the event. “Tingin niyo…
FORMER Philippine Health Secretary Janette Garin welcomed the civil case filed against her in connection with the controversial Dengvaxia vaccine. The Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) on Monday, February 5, filed a civil case against Garin, Sanofi Pasteur executives, and officials of distributor Zuellig Pharma for damages over the death of a child who received the…
The recent findings of an international organization stating that the rule of law in the Philippines has “deteriorated significantly” were “not based on reality,” Malacañang argued on Thursday, February 1. In the newly released World Justice Project (WJP)’s 2017–2018 Rule of Law Index, the Philippines saw its biggest decline in the rankings after plummeting 18…
PHILIPPINE President Rodrigo Duterte wants Congress to pass the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) ahead of the possible Charter change, Malacañang clarified on Tuesday, January 30. Over the weekend, reports saying that Duterte wanted the revision of the 1987 Constitution first before the BBL passage have surfaced. Malacañang, however, said that the president’s statements last…
The tourism industry in the Philippines has achieved another “milestone” after reaching an “all-time high” record of more than 6.6 million tourist arrivals in 2017. A recent data released by the Department of Tourism (DOT) showed that the number of foreign tourist arrivals in the country increased from the previous 5,967,005 in 2016 to 6,620,908…
Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales may face administrative and criminal sanctions for refusing to enforce Malacañang’s suspension order against Overall Deputy Ombudsman Melchor Arthur Carandang. President Rodrigo Duterte’s chief legal counsel Secretary Salvador Panelo made the warning on Wednesday, January 31. In a statement, Panelo noted that Duterte’s order of preventive suspension against Carandang is “presumed to…
AS the Philippine National Police (PNP) resumed its controversial “Oplan Tokhang” on Monday, January 29, the country’s top cop admitted that it is “impossible” to conduct a completely bloodless anti-illegal drugs campaign. But while saying that he cannot guarantee zero casualties, PNP Chief Director Gen. Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa vowed that the police will do…
“GOOD luck to them.” This was Malacañang’s short message to online news site Rappler on its efforts to invalidate the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)’s revocation of its license. Rappler on Monday, January 29, filed a petition before the Court of Appeals (CA) seeking to reverse an earlier SEC ruling that voided the news organization’s…
The United States is “cautiously optimistic” that the human rights situation in the Philippines is steadily improving amid the ongoing implementation of the government’s anti-illegal drugs campaign, an official said Tuesday, January 30. According to James Walsh, a senior official from the U.S. Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL), the number of…
A FILIPINO lawmaker has been charged for supposedly organizing a violent rally against United States President Donald Trump during the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit held in Manila last year. Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Zarate was accused of inciting “attack” against police officers during an anti-Trump rally held on November 13, 2017 along…
FORMER Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on Monday, January 29 presented what he claimed as “evidence” to support his electoral protest against Philippine Vice President Maria Leonor “Leni” Robredo. In a press conference, Marcos showed “highly questionable” copies of several ballot images from 12 towns in Camarines Sur and Negros Oriental, which supposedly indicate fraud…
Philippine Ambassador to the United States Jose Manuel “Babe” Romualdez has defended the decision of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to revoke the license of online news site Rappler. In a letter to the New York Times dated Wednesday, January 24, Romualdez dismissed the alleged “political motivation” behind the SEC order against Rappler. The ambassador also…
The camp of Philippine Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno on Friday, January 26 dismissed the latest criminal complaint filed against her as a “desperate stunt” by lawyer Atty. Lorenzo Gadon. Sereno’s camp expressed confidence that Gadon “will fall flat doing this latest stunt.” “Indeed, desperate times call for desperate measures. Gadon knows that he still…
Al-Haj Murad Ebrahim, chair of the Philippines’ Islamist group the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), strongly hopes that the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) will be passed to avoid the rise of extremism in the southern region. In a press conference on Thursday, January 25, Ebrahim recalled that the cancellation of the 1996 peace agreement…
The camp of Philippine Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno on Friday, January 26 dismissed the latest criminal complaint filed against her as a “desperate stunt” by lawyer Atty. Lorenzo Gadon. Sereno’s camp expressed confidence that Gadon “will fall flat doing this latest stunt.” “Indeed, desperate times call for desperate measures. Gadon knows that he still…
Al-Haj Murad Ebrahim, chair of the Philippines’ Islamist group the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), strongly hopes that the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) will be passed to avoid the rise of extremism in the southern region. In a press conference on Thursday, January 25, Ebrahim recalled that the cancellation of the 1996 peace agreement…
THE Philippine government has formally rejected assistance projects amounting to at least P380 million or 6.1 million euros being offered by the European Union (EU), according to EU Ambassador to the Philippines Franz Jessen. Jessen made the confirmation on Wednesday, January 24, during the weekly Kapihan sa Manila Bay news forum. According to him, 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 Supreme Court asked to revive homicide charges against Aquino 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) members,…
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…
A weekend getaway in Cebu quickly turned into a tragedy after seven Filipino-American medical missionaries were killed in a car crash in the nearby town of Alegria last weekend. On Saturday, January 20, a group of 10 physicians and nurses from the United States were in the town of Oslob, located 73 miles south of…
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…
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”…
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…
THE Philippine government has formally rejected assistance projects amounting to at least P380 million or 6.1 million euros being offered by the European Union (EU), according to EU Ambassador to the Philippines Franz Jessen. Jessen made the confirmation on Wednesday, January 24, during the weekly Kapihan sa Manila Bay news forum. According to him, the…
