The explosive testimony on Friday of one of Rodrigo Duterte’s trusted police aides is the “start of the reckoning” for the former president and his brutal war on drugs, but “more smoking guns” are needed to pin him down and others for the crimes against humanity case they are facing at the International Criminal Court...
Author: Christine O. Avendaño (Christine Avendaño)
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Barbers on Roque: ‘What goes around comes around’
“What goes around comes around.” This was what Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert “Ace” Barbers said in describing the path that lawyer and former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque, now again facing detention for defying a subpoena of the House of Representatives’ quad committee, appears to be treading. Barbers, who heads the quad committee looking into,...
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Fugitive Quiboloy now in government custody
Fugitive televangelist and ex-President Rodrigo Duterte’s spiritual adviser Pastor Apollo Quiboloy is now in government custody. Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos Jr. announced on Facebook around 6.30 p.m. on Sunday that the self-appointed “Son of God” had been caught: “Nahuli na si Apollo Quiboloy.” Abalos also posted a photo of Quiboloy wearing a black beanie, a...
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Quad committee’s upcoming hearings will be a ‘blockbuster’
More witnesses want to testify and some quarters have tried to stop others from appearing at the joint public inquiry into the possible links among illegal Philippine offshore gaming operators (Pogos), illegal drugs, and extrajudicial killings (EJKs) during then President Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs. These are among the challenges facing the powerful quad committee...
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Marcos urged to appoint ‘anti-Pogo czar’
Senate Minority Leader Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III wants President Marcos to name a “czar” to ensure that the government enforces his new policy to ban Philippine offshore gaming operators (Pogos) now deemed hotbeds of crime and other illegal activities. In an interview with CoverStory, Pimentel raised the need for the President to “designate” an anti-Pogo...
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‘Sigh of relief’ for high court ruling on grave threat posed by Red-tagging
The Marcos administration should declare that it has no Red-tagging policy following the Supreme Court ruling that deems such action as a threat to the life, liberty and security of those being labelled as communist insurgents. And to further ease the fears of activists and human rights defenders, the government should also abolish the controversial...
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Edcel Lagman sees smooth sailing of divorce bill in 19th Congress
The prime mover of the divorce bill in Congress is making a bold prediction: The predominantly Catholic Philippines will soon and finally join the rest of the world in making divorce possible for troubled married couples. “I’m confident that as the sun rises tomorrow this bill will be enacted into law,” said Albay Rep. Edcel...
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The original ‘Eat Bulaga’ will go on
The show will go on even if Tito, Vic and Joey (TVJ) have yet to reclaim the name “Eat Bulaga” from their former producer. Vicente “Tito” Sotto, one of the three original hosts of the country’s longest-running television variety show (the other two being his brother Vic Sotto and Joey de Leon), said on Sunday...
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Where will ‘Eat Bulaga’ make a new home?
By June 7, “Eat Bulaga” hosts Vicente “Tito” Sotto III, his brother Vic Sotto, and Joey de Leon would have “formally” decided on the media network to air their 44-year-old noontime television show that was shut down by its erstwhile producer last May 31. Sotto, a former Senate president, told CoverStory.ph on Saturday that he...