Malacañang calls resolution ‘misguided’ THE United States Senate on Wednesday, January 8 passed a resolution officially condemning the administration of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte for its detention of outspoken Philippine Senator Leila De Lima. U.S. Senate Resolution 142 argued that De Lima’s detainment was an infringement on the “legitimate exercise of her freedom of speech”…
By Anna Almendrala President Donald Trump, a self-described germophobe, has made no secret of his disgust with California’s growing homeless problem, which he has called a “disgrace” and “inappropriate” and equated to “living in hell.” “We should all work together to clean up these hazardous waste and homeless sites before the whole city rots away,”…
A third American senator has been subjected to a travel ban to the Philippines for his reported support of denying Philippine government officials entry into the U.S. if they were involved in Senator Leila De Lima’s arrest and detention. Massachusetts Senator Edward Markey on Thursday said that Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s administration had confirmed he…
President Rodrigo Duterte will officially turn down President Donald Trump’s invitation to visit the United States, Malacañang said on Friday, December 27. In a press briefing on Friday, Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said Duterte would reply to the letter invitation and decline it. He also clarified that Duterte’s decision reportedly is not related to Trump’s…
Palace condemns explosions, vows to go after culprits At least 21 people suffered injuries in a series of explosions that rocked Cotabato City on Sunday, December 22 — the eve of President Rodrigo Duterte’s visit to the city for a land distribution ceremony. According to regional military spokesperson Major Arvin Encinas, a hand grenade was…
PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte and his daughter, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio, came out as the top bets for 2022 vice president and president, respectively, in a pre-election survey conducted in Visayas and Mindanao (VisMin). The independent and non-commissioned survey entitled “Pahayag VisMin 2019,” conducted from November 15 to 19, revealed that Duterte-Carpio ranked first in…
WATER rates may increase by over 100% after the cancellation of Maynilad and Manila Water’s concession agreement extensions since President Rodrigo Duterte has all the legal options at his disposal, Malacañang reminded on Friday, December 13. The water firms’ agreements with the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) was supposed to end in 2037, but…
The country’s two biggest water concessionaires announced Tuesday, December 10, that they are no longer seeking to collect more than P10 billion in compensation claims from the government after President Rodrigo Duterte accused them of economic sabotage and threatened to jail them. “We are willing to cooperate and negotiate with the government, and we will…
MALACAÑANG on Tuesday, December 10, criticized a Filipino couple for using President Rodrigo Duterte’s human rights record as a reason to seek political asylum in the United States. Last week, Rene Flores and his wife Joy were granted asylum by a San Francisco immigration judge after claiming that they might experience political persecution from the…
Manila Water, Maynilad reported to have ‘onerous’ contracts with gov’t President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday, December 3, threatened to jail and file economic sabotage cases against Manila Water Co. and Maynilad Water Services due to their 1997 contracts with the government which was described as “the world’s largest water privatization.” “We will expose them. And…
PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte on Saturday, November 30, said he is hoping his successor will not forget about the country’s drug problem, which he described as the “everyday fight of Filipinos.” “Two more years I can get out. Maybe we can look at this drug problem,” he said during the 156th birth anniversary of Andres Bonifacio…
President Rodrigo Duterte has apologized and ordered an investigation following the rocky start to the Philippines’ hosting of this year’s Southeast Asian Games. Acknowledging the “discomfort” and “suffering of the athletes,” the president apologized for the mishaps that have unfolded leading up to the games kicking off this weekend. “I’m really apologizing for the country. They…
President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday, November 28, said he would take over the leadership of the Philippine National Police (PNP) if he cannot find the right person for the position. “If they have even a single case of corruption, I would rather not appoint anybody for that matter. Ako na ang hahawak (I’ll handle it)….
Malacañang on Sunday, November 24, slammed singer-actress Bette Midler for describing President Rodrigo Duterte as one of the world’s most detestable leaders as well as lumping him together with the likes of U.S. President Donald Trump and Nazi leader Adolf Hitler. “She, however, has no right as she is incompetent and a gullible talking head…
Vice President Leni Robredo on Monday, November 25, posed a question for President Rodrigo Duterte a day after he fired her as co-chair of the Inter-Agency Committee on Anti-Illegal Drugs (ICAD). “What are you afraid of? What are you afraid that I might discover? What are you afraid that the people might find out?” she…
President Rodrigo Duterte said he is pushing through with his trip to South Korea despite his aversion to traveling, saying that there are many things “at stake.” “I hate traveling. I don’t want to travel. It gives me [a] headache and everything, but this is important. You know, so many things at stake. One is…
THE Philippine National Police (PNP) needs a new permanent chief by January next year to sign documents required for procurement of equipments, its spokesperson said on Tuesday, November 19. “Pagpasok ng bagong taon, para sa pagsimula ng ating procurement, ay kinakailangan na magkaroon na tayo ng bagong Chief PNP. Dahil kung may anumang bagong kontrata…
Senator Christopher “Bong” Go on Wednesday, November 13, said President Rodrigo Duterte is still looking for an honest official that would be appointed chief of the Philippine National Police. No new PNP has been appointed by Duterte after former police chief Oscar Albayalde went on terminal leave on October 14 prior to his retirement on…
The Duterte administration has supported three out of the last four United Nations resolutions to ensure the safety of journalists amid heightened risks members of the media are facing globally, including the Philippines. A report of Article 19, a British human rights organization with a specific mandate and focus on the defense and promotion of…
President Rodrigo Duterte was among the leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Leaders’ Summit that skipped a session with United States officials on Monday, November 4, after U.S. President Donald Trump decided not to attend the meeting. Of the 10-member ASEAN, only Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, Lao Prime Minister Thongloun…
President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday, November 4, told Western countries to stop shipping their garbage marked as “recyclables” to developing Asian countries, listing the Philippines, Malaysia, and Indonesia among the nations that have become dumping grounds for hazardous trash from the West. “If we are talking about improving the ecology of the place, the environment,…
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte plans on giving Vice President Leni Robredo a Cabinet secretary rank as the administration’s drug czar to show the seriousness of his previous offer, Malacañang on Thursday, October 31. Under the drug czar position, Robredo would oversee all bureaus and agencies involved with the enforcement of the law on prohibited drugs…
President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday, October 28, said that he would surrender his powers to enforce the law and hand it over to Vice President Leni Robredo for six months, following Robredo’s remark that his war against illegal drugs is “obviously, not working.” According to the president, he would send a letter to Robredo through…
PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday, October 24, told newly appointed Chief Justice Diosdado Peralta to be fair and truthful as head of the Supreme Court (SC). According to Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo, Duterte relayed his message to Peralta after he formally swore him in at Malacañang on Wednesday, October 23. in closed-door ceremonies, with no…
Malacañang on Friday, October 25, dismissed calls to release a medical bulletin of President Rodrigo Duterte’s condition since the Constitution only requires a health dispatch in case of a “serious illness.” Duterte’s visit to Japan on Tuesday, October 22, was cut short because of an “unbearable” pain in his spine and pelvic area following a…
Malacañang on Thursday, October 24, said President Rodrigo Duterte was advised by his doctor to take a rest after he underwent a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and medical evaluation on Wednesday, Oct. 23. “He was diagnosed to be having muscle spasms causing what he described to be an unbearable pain at the pelvic and spinal…
Malacañang on Wednesday, October 23, vowed that President Rodrigo Duterte will disclose to the public the result of his medical consultation after concerns were raised due to the chief executive’s motorcycle accident last week and an abbreviated trip to Japan. Duterte’s visit to Japan was cut short on Tuesday, October 22, because of an “unbearable”…
SENATOR Leila De Lima on Thursday, October 17, listed the names of the people behind her detention in 2017 at the Philippine National Police (PNP) Custodial Center after two American senators proposed to deny U.S. visas to those supposedly responsible for her imprisonment. De Lima, who is a staunch critic of President Rodrigo Duterte’s war…
Malacañang on Monday, October 14, assured the public that President Rodrigo Duterte is healthy following his revelation that he has myasthenia gravis, a chronic auto-immune neuromuscular disorder that affects the muscles in his eyes and limits his ability to control eye movement. “It’s not life threatening, it depends on the degree. Saka nag-mumura pa siya…
The number of Filipinos satisfied with President Rodrigo Duterte’s performance as chief executive saw a slight dip in the results of the latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey released this week. The survey released on Wednesday, October 9, conducted from Sept. 27 to 30, revealed that 78% of adult Filipinos were satisfied with Duterte’s performance….
