News Roundup 11 May 2023
May 11, 2023 • 4 min Read
SC stops disqualification of Legazpi mayor Rosal | PHILSTAR.COM – MANILA, Philippines — The Supreme Court issued Thursday a status quo ante order in relation to the disqualification case against Carmen Geraldine Rosal as candidate for mayor of Legazpi City in Albay in the 2022 elections.
The Supreme Court said the en banc “deemed it necessary and proper” to issue a status quo ante order requiring the parties to observe the status quo prevailing before the issuance of the Commission on Elections resolutions dated Octo. 4, 2022 and May 4, 2023.
This means that Rosal will be reinstated as the mayor of Legazpi City for now, blocking the move of the Comelec to disqualify her from the 2022 mayoral race.
The case stemmed from a resolution issued by the Comelec en banc on May 4 that affirmed the ruling of its second division disqualifying Rosal and holding her accountable for “giving money to influence, induce or corrupt the voters” in violation of Section 68(a) of the Omnibus Election Code.
It also proclaimed second-placer Alfredo Garbin Jr. as the duly elected mayor of Legazpi City.
The poll body on Wednesday affirmed with finality the disqualification of Rosal for her involvement in the payout of cash assistance that coincided with the 45-day election spending ban.
Full Story at: SC stops disqualification of Legazpi mayor Rosal | Philstar.com
Report: ‘Alternative pathways’ for activism, monitoring human rights offer hope | PHILSTAR.COM – MANILA, Philippines — Emerging ways of activism and human rights defending can be an opportunity to keep human rights intact amid shrinking civic spaces in the Philippines, a new study showed.
Among these new initiatives include using art and forming “communities of care,” which Civic Futures noted to be some of the promising opportunities to reshape civic spaces in a country transformed by an administration’s weaponization of security.
“These alternatives present pathways to reshape activism for human rights and offer possible levers of change that donors and other stakeholders can pay attention and direct resources to in the next few years,” Civic Futures noted.
Civic Futures is a venture founded by the Funders Initiative for Civil Society and the Fund for Global Human Rights. It aims to “keep civic space everywhere open” as it tracks “repressive NGO laws and the persecution of activists for more than a decade.”
The research noted that the previous administration headed by President Rodrigo Duterte waged three “wars”—most notably, against drugs, counterinsurgency, and the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic that elicited a militarized pandemic response from the government.
The study also said red-tagging, or accusing someone to be part of the insurgency without basis, “emerged as one of the most pervasive and harmful ways” the government as well as police and military personnel curtailed freedoms of individuals.
Activists in the Philippines have repeatedly been “red-tagged” either by individuals in power or by state forces themselves.
Full Story at: Report: ‘Alternative pathways’ for activism, monitoring human rights offer hope | Philstar.com
Hontiveros seeks probe on DA memo on biofertilizer to prevent another scam | INQUIRER.NET – MANILA, Philippines — Senator Risa Hontiveros has called on the Senate to investigate a memorandum issued by the Department of Agriculture (DA) on the use of biofertilizer “to prevent another fertilizer fund scam.”
She filed Senate Resolution No. 608 on Thursday, directing the blue ribbon panel to probe the DA’s issuance of Memorandum Order No. 32 – which sets guidelines for the use and distribution of biofertilizer.
“There is a need to investigate the basis for the issuance of Memorandum Order No. 32 on whether the price of fertilizer and cost of urea per bag are indeed high to warrant the insistence of the DA to use biofertilizer,” it read.
In a separate statement, Hontiveros said farmer organizations are concerned by the proposal to buy biofertilizers “since it may end up being another fertilizer fund scam.”
“We must look at this situation. It is their livelihood that would be affected by this, and we should listen to what they have to say,” Hontiveros said.
Full Story at: Hontiveros seeks probe on DA memo on biofertilizer to prevent another scam | Inquirer News
Makabayan solon: Sara Duterte can control more intel funds as NTF-Elcac vice chair | INQUIRER.NET – MANILA, Philippines — Makabayan lawmaker France Castro on Thursday slammed the appointment of Vice President Sara Duterte as the vice chair of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-Elcac), saying that she would have more control over confidential and intelligence funds (CIF).
Duterte also serves as the Secretary of the Department of Education (DepEd) on top of being vice president. She was granted a budget of P150 million for her CIF.
“With her appointment as the co-vice chairperson of the [NTF-Elcac] Vice Pres. Sara Duterte could have discretion over more confidential and intelligence funds aside from the Department of Education and Office of the Vice President that she already controls,” said Castro, who represents the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) partylist.
According to Castro, the CIF allows government agencies to move secretly without accountability from the public.
Full Story at: Makabayan solon: Sara Duterte can control more intel funds as NTF-Elcac vice chair | Inquirer News
