News Roundup 18 March 2023
Mar 18, 2023 • 4 min Read
Putin’s ICC arrest warrant a warning to those denying justice to drug war victims — Hontiveros | INQUIRER.NET – MANILA, Philippines — Senator Risa Hontiveros on Saturday expressed hope that the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) arrest warrant against Russian President Vladimir Putin would serve as a lesson to those who deny justice for the victims of former president Rodrigo Duterte’s bloody war on drugs.
This follows the ICC issuing an arrest warrant over Putin’s alleged war crimes against Ukraine.
“I can only hope that there is something to be learned from this. To those who continue to deny justice to victims of State-sponsored abuses, including the excesses of a failed Drug War, consider this fair warning,” said Hontiveros in a statement.
According to the senator, Putin’s arrest warrant serves as a reminder that the world is watching.
“The arrest warrant for President Putin is a strong message to the global community that the world will not idly watch while war crimes, genocide and crimes against humanity are being committed within territories of individual countries,” she said.
Hontiveros said that while Moscow, Russia may deny the validity of the warrant, it still ensures that ICC member countries can arrest Putin.
Full Story at: Putin’s ICC arrest warrant a warning to those denying justice to drug war victims — Hontiveros | Inquirer News
Zubiri warns of exodus of Filipino workers | INQUIRER.NET – Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri on Friday warned about the possible exodus of more Filipinos to seek greener pastures abroad should Congress decide not to pass a legislated wage increase for workers in the private sector.
“We have two choices: Raise the salaries of our workers or watch them leave the country to seek better-paying jobs in other countries,” Zubiri said in a statement.
He pointed out that the minimum daily wage of workers in the National Capital Region were almost the same as the basic hourly pay of employees in the United States.
“They will really leave the country if they do not receive a living wage,” the Senate leader said.
“We cannot afford to treat our workers badly. Without them, our industries will shut down and our economy will plummet. So they really deserve to make a living wage,” he said.
Full Story at: Zubiri warns of exodus of Filipino workers | Inquirer News
SolGen to ICC: Don’t rush us on drug probes | PHILSTAR.COM – MANILA, Philippines — The International Criminal Court (ICC) is rushing the Philippine government into prosecuting suspects in the killing of thousands of alleged drug offenders in the so-called war on drugs of the previous Duterte administration, according to Solicitor General Menardo Guevarra.
In an interview with “The Chiefs” on One News Thursday night, Guevarra said his office has made it clear to the ICC that it is “interfering” in the country’s domestic affairs by ordering its prosecutors to resume their investigation on the drug war killings.
“We showed (in our appeal) the general situation that we are conducting our own investigation in accordance with the rules of procedure. What is happening is the ICC is rushing us into filing cases in court for trial,” Guevarra said in Filipino.
“That is not our process here. We need to undergo the process of fact-finding and investigation because we are giving respondent police officers due process,” Guevarra said.
Full Story at: SolGen to ICC: Don’t rush us on drug probes | Philstar.com
Residents affected by Mindoro oil spill rise to 147,300 — NDRRMC | PHILSTAR.COM – MANILA, Philippines — Residents affected by the recent oil spill in Oriental Mindoro continue to swell as progressive groups push for proper compensation to tens of thousands of fisherfolk whose livelihood were affected within the area.
According to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) on Saturday, around 147,293 have already been affected by the oil spill brought about by the sunken MT Princess Empress. It includes:
- 196 injured
- 13,658 affected fisherfolk/farmers
- 117,067 MIMAROPA residents
- 30,226 Western Visayas residents
Around P3.85 million worth of production losses or damages have already been recorded in the agricultural sector. In connection to this, a total of 10 cities and municipalities have already declared a state of calamity.
Basic commodities undergo an automatic “prize free” within areas under said state of calamity.
Full Story at: Residents affected by Mindoro oil spill rise to 147,300 — NDRRMC | Philstar.com
