Roque's revelation that Duterte had a "gentleman's agreement" with Xi Jinping not to repair BRP Sierra Madre two years after leaving Malacañang only shows the duplicity of the past administration because of the fact that the agreement was kept secret from the public. (1/4) Regardless, BBM is not bound by such a secret agreement. A president cannot be bound by agreements secretly entered into by a predecessor for the simple reason that he has no way of complying with an agreement the details of which are subject to the recollection of those (2/4)

Statement of the Liberal Party
20 March 2024

The Liberal Party commends the Philippine Senate, particularly Senator Risa Hontiveros, for their assertion of their institutional mandate and pursuit of truth in the case of Pastor Apollo Quiboloy. (1/4) The issuance of an arrest order underscores our commitment to a legal system that is blind to power and privilege.

Alongside the Senate's efforts, the Department of Justice's filing of criminal charges is a crucial step in ensuring justice and accountability. (2/4)

The 2nd installment of Arturo Lascañas’ interview on Vera Files is as shocking as the first part. In part 2, Lascañas goes on to describe how Duterte planned the assassination of several prominent personalities: Fr. Pete Lamata of Davao City, Ozamis Mayor Aldong Parojinog, (1/8) Clarin, Misamis Occidental Mayor David Navarro, and myself. Duterte’s attempt on my life during the 2009 CHR site investigation of the DDS dumping ground in Brgy. Maa was already revealed by Edgar Matobato during the Senate inquiry that I conducted in 2016. (2/8)

China says refurbishing our post at Ayungin Shoal is a violation of their sovereignty and int'l law. We know China is lying when it claims sovereignty over Ayungin Shoal bec. Ayungin is neither an island susceptible of a terrestrial claim nor anywhere near China to be (1/10) claimed as part of its EEZ. Ayungin is a marine feature below low tide elevation & well w/in our EEZ.

Besides, if Ayungin is truly a part of China, they won't waste time issuing public releases about their claim of sovereignty. They will just use outright force to oust us (2/10)

Are they afraid of the Truth? Why are they blocking it? DOJ’s refusal to transfer 11 inmate-witnesses in my last remaining drug case from Sablayan to NBP only shows the agency’s continuing attempt to stand by its former secretaries’ (Aguirre & Guevarra) bogus charges vs me.(1/12) Until the very last moment, this agency which I also led for five years opposed my application for bail, despite its willful and deliberate use of manufactured evidence and perjured witnesses just to sustain Duterte’s persecution cases against me.

Now, DOJ wants the (2/12)

6 years of unjust detention.

6 years that my persecutors hoped would be spent in futility, submission and silence.

Instead, it has been 6 years of fighting the good fight... perhaps the most important 6 years of my life. When they thought I would buckle under the pressure of their oppression, I proved that my commitment to the Rule of Law, to Human Rights and, specifically, to speaking up for the victims,

The inclusion of suspended BuCor Dir. General Gerald Bantag in the charge sheet for the murder of broadcaster Percy Lapid and the alleged middleman, Cristito Villamor Palana, is but expected. Otherwise, the investigation results would have been highly suspect and a letdown. Bantag must be further investigated for previous suspicious deaths, including of high-profile PDLs under his watch.

Whether it was ignorance about the complex nature of the drug problem or simply hubris, what is clear is that for all his posturing of being a veteran in the fight against illegal drugs, Duterte’s drug war was bound to fail from the very start. 1/4 His drug war was all about killing people, most of them from the poor and marginalized sectors, instead of going after the big drug lords and stopping the smuggling of drugs into the country. 2/4

The revelations of Police Master Sgt. Jose Jay Senario on how Calbayog City Mayor Ronaldo Aquino was framed for illegal drug raps by his political rival with the help of PNP officers before he was ambushed and assassinated paints a dire picture of the extent... ...political persecution has reached under the Duterte Administration.

I cannot avoid comparing my fate with that of Aquino, since like me he was framed and made a subject of bogus drug charges.

Justice for the Absalons. I strongly condemn the NPA rebels’ action that led to the death of civilians Kieth Absalon & Nolven Absalon in Masbate City.

Pinakita sa akin ng staff ko yung Posts ni Raffy Lerma tungkol sa dalawang kinse anyos ang pinatay sa Tondo nitong nakaraan. Lamog ang katawan sa tortyur, binalot sa packaging tape at itinapon sa Manila Bay. Ang isa sa mga biktima inukitan pa ng smiley ang katawan. Kasuklam-suklam na krimen!

I thank the Almighty God for my continued good health and high spirit. From the known results of the executive check-up (CT Scan, various Ultrasound, Pap Smear, X-Ray, ECG, 2D Echo, Mammogram, Colonoscopy, etc.) during my 24-hour medical furlough, I suffer from no serious or alarming health condition.

THREAD:

Ang tindi n'yo naman talaga diyan sa Malacañang. Isasalubong ninyo sa taumbayan sa bagong taon anomalya agad. Give the people a break, or at least have an iota of shame! Sobrang-sobra ng kabuktutan 'yan. [1] The PSG would not, at their own peril, inoculate themselves an untested COVID-19 vaccine, much less an unauthorized and illegal one, without the approval or explicit order from the President. [2]

The PSG should remember that their loyalty should be to the Constitution and not to Duterte. He may be your Commander-in-Chief but he is neither your king nor emperor. The law is supreme, not Duterte's whims. When state agents place their loyalty on a man and turn a blind eye to his corrupt and criminal ways, they become nothing more than lapdogs of a mafioso who tramples on the law just to get what he wants. Wake up, and stop being the Presidential Smuggling Group!

THREAD:

Dispatch from Crame No. 999: Sen. Leila M. de Lima on the 7 Billion budget cut on the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) [1] I am thoroughly disappointed and dismayed upon hearing that a Senate colleague had pushed for and succeeded in slashing ₱7billion from the 4Ps program. This cut will affect around 300k families that were anticipated to “graduate” from the program before the pandemic arrived. [2]

Duterte and his cohorts’ world is getting smaller as International Criminal Court (ICC) Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda announced yesterday that there is “reasonable basis” to believe that crimes against humanity were committed under this regime’s war on drugs. This is why Duterte is now trying very hard to backpedal on his statements regarding human rights, to make it appear that they are doing everything to address the issue of EJKs and other grave human rights violations.

It should have been over a long time ago.

As soon as the results came out on the revision of the pilot precincts in provinces chosen by Marcos himself, the election protest of Bongbong Marcos against VP Leni Robredo should have been automatically dismissed in accordance with the COMELEC & PET Rules on the effect of non-recovery of votes in pilot precincts. Non-recovery simply means that Marcos failed to demonstrate that he actually won the 2016 VP election when he was not able to recover more additional votes than VP Leni during the revision of ballots.

Way overdue, but nevertheless a welcome development. The approval by the Committee of Justice and Human Rights of the measure that will increase the age of sexual consent in our country last Oct. 1, has been a long-awaited piece of legislation to protect our youth. The Committee considered several bills including the one I filed last July 18, 2019, Senate Bill No. 622. The proposed increase in the age of statutory rape from the present 12 to 16 years old, amending the Revised Penal Code...

I support my colleagues in the Senate in urging the DOLE to present a comprehensive and long-term plan for our 478,839 OFWs affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Halos kalahating milyon. Iyan ang nakapanlulumong bilang ng OFWs nating nawalan ng trabaho. Habang marami ang napilitang umuwi ng Pilipinas, mayroon namang piniling makipagpatintero sa virus sa ibayong dagat.

Hindi natin sila masisisi lalo pa’t marami sa mga pinabalik dito ay wala pa ring tiyak na trabaho at hindi pa nakatatanggap ng ayuda mula sa gobyerno.

In her message on World Teacher’s Day, De Lima said addressing the concerns and giving the needed assistance to lessen teachers’ burden is the least that she and other public servants can do to genuinely honor and recognize their sacrifices.

READ:
leiladelima.ph/de-lima-recogn… We can never thank you enough. This is why I reiterate my support in urging DepEd to fill its vacancies in teaching positions to fully implement the blended learning modality this school year.

“No beep card, no ride” naman ngayon. Anong kabalbalan ito? Lalo pang pinaliit ang access ng ordinaryong mamamayan sa mga pangunahing serbisyo, katulad ng transportasyon. Mukhang hindi na naman napaghandaan at napag-isipan ng gobyerno ang contactless payment system na ito na bumulaga na lamang sa ordinaryong commuters.