The House of Representatives’ quad committee announced on Thursday that it has uncovered a “grand criminal enterprise” centering on former president Rodrigo Duterte in the course of conducting 13 hearings on the connections of illegal drugs, illegal offshore gambling hubs, and extrajudicial killings during the bloody “war on drugs.” “Ladies and gentlemen, the quad committee has started...
Category: News
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Who can dislodge political dynasties?
(Last of two parts) For political clans that dominate local politics, the tactics to keep the capitol, the seat of power for local political kingpins, are almost the same nationwide. Sitting governors seek reelection and max out the allowable three terms for a total of nine years. If they are not seeking reelection, they are...
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Nearly 9 out of 10 governors belong to political families
(First of two parts) Political dynasties continue to hold a tight grip on provinces in the Philippines. By the count of the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ), at least 71 of the country’s 82 provincial governments, or 87%, are led by members of political dynasties. This dominance underscores a system where power is frequently...
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VP’s impeachment can be quick ‘if House wants to’
If it wants to, the House of Representatives can impeach Vice President Sara Duterte anytime over her alleged misuse of confidential funds because the evidence is in its possession, lawyer and former lawmaker Neri Colmenares said on Saturday. “They can’t say our evidence is lacking. The evidence came from them,’’ Colmenares said in reference to...
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To help those with special needs navigate life
“What will happen when we’re too old [to take care of them] or when these children age out of the school system? They need places to go, employment, housing, and friends.” “They need a structure that helps them navigate life.” These are the sentiments and concerns commonly expressed by parents and family members of children...
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Impeaching the VP is ‘the right thing to do’
Filing an impeachment complaint against Vice President Sara Duterte is “the right thing to do,” according to former senator Leila de Lima, spokesperson of the 16 individuals who filed the complaint at the House of Representatives on Monday. The last straw for Francis Joseph Aquino Dee was Duterte’s profanity-laden rant late last month that she...
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Timely and necessary conversations
To write our literary and intellectual history is a significant undertaking, one that scholars of the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) have embraced with dedication. Building on the successes of conferences honoring the late Edel Garcellano in 2018, 2019, and 2023, we organized a fourth iteration aimed at preserving his legacy as PUP’s foremost...
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Proposals to delay BARMM polls also seek to change makeup of interim gov’t
It’s not a simple postponement proposal. The identical bills filed in the Senate and the House of Representatives do not just seek to delay again the schedule of the first regular elections in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM). They also seek to change the composition of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) as...
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House legislators chide ‘passive’ Anti-Money Laundering Council
Members of the House of Representatives’ quad committee on Wednesday expressed frustration at the seeming passiveness of the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) in seeking a freeze on the assets of Chinese nationals who had illegally acquired land and other properties in the country, including a warehouse in Mexico, Pampanga, which is under investigation since 2023...
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Fishermen dive for sunken coal as clean-up resumes
SAN SALVADOR ISLAND, Zambales—At first glance, 60-year-old Fernando Avilla looked like he had been spearfishing for some time as he rested with his gear in his wooden boat. It was not fish in his net though but bits of coal he had retrieved underwater. Avila and most fishermen on San Salvador Island off Masinloc, Zambales,...