News Roundup 07 May 2024
May 07, 2024 • 5 min Read
ICC warrant vs Duterte expected by June — Trillanes | PHILSTAR.COM – MANILA, Philippines — Former Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV anticipates that a warrant for the arrest of former President Rodrigo Duterte and others linked to the International Criminal Court (ICC) investigation will likely be handed in by the international tribunal by June.
The former senator said this in a press conference in Mandaluyong, saying that the warrant may be issued through the Interpol.
“Kung idadaan sa Interpol ‘yung warrant of arrest, kahit na hindi tayo miyembro ng ICC pero miyembro tayo ng Interpol. May international agreement tayo,” Trillanes said.
(If the warrant of arrest goes through Interpol, even if we are no longer a member of the ICC, we are still a member of Interpol. We have an international agreement.)
“Ang ICC naman may cooperation agreement kay Interpol kaya pwede silang magpasa ng red notice diyan,” he added.
(The ICC has a cooperation agreement with Interpol so they can pass the red notice to them.)
According to Trillanes, the said warrants of the ICC are expected to be issued in “batches” wherein the first batch is for former President Duterte, and the following batches will be for the other officials being investigated by the international tribunal, which include now-senator and former Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Ronald Dela Rosa.
Trillanes also claimed that there were personnel from the PNP who already cooperated with the ICC probe, implicating Duterte on the extra-judicial killings which saw thousands of deaths during his administration’s drug war.
Full Story at: ICC warrant vs Duterte expected by June — Trillanes | Philstar.com
NSC: Aerial resupply mission in West Philippine Sea eyed | PHILSTAR.COM – MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines is exploring aerial supply missions to Filipino troops at Ayungin Shoal in the West Philippine Sea, a top security official said on Tuesday.
National Security Council Assistant Director General Jonathan Malaya said there will be adjustments to the government’s resupply efforts to troops stationed at BRP Sierra Madre, the grounded warship that serves as the country’s outpost in the West Philippine Sea.
According to Malaya, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ordered for “certain adjustments.”
“There is an operational mix that is available to us. We can do other types of resupply other than a naval resupply. We can do an airdrop, we can do other just to be able to resupply our troops and keep BRP Sierra Madre in working condition,” Malaya said in an interview with ABS-CBN News Channel.
“Those adjustments, of course, are there so that we are no longer placed in a difficult position when we do our resupply missions,” he added.
Last week, the Philippines said the China Coast Guard (CCG) water cannoned and rammed vessels of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) headed to Bajo de Masinloc, also known as Scarborough Shoal, to assist Filipino fishers in the area.
Full Story at: NSC: Aerial resupply mission in West Philippine Sea eyed | Philstar.com
Zubiri to senators: Don’t turn probes into political circus, witch hunt | INQUIRER.NET – MANILA, Philippines — Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri on Tuesday cautioned his colleagues in the Senate against turning their investigations into a political circus or a witch hunt.
This, as he observed “very serious accusations” made during the hearing of the Senate committee on public order.
The committee headed by former top cop and now Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa is investigating an alleged 12-year-old Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) operational documents that supposedly linked President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr, and actress Maricel Soriano to illegal drugs.
“While certain claims were made, documentary evidence is yet to be presented,” Zubiri said in a prepared statement read before the media.
“There were no pictures, no corroborating testimonies. In other words, this was solely based on the testimony of one person based on what appears to be hearsay evidence,” he said.
The Senate chief also wondered why the drug test of the President was being brought up in the hearing “even though it does not appear to be germane or important to the subject of the motu proprio investigation.”
Full Story at: Zubiri to senators: Don’t turn probes into political circus, witch hunt (inquirer.net)
Trillanes: Active senior PNP officials recruiting for Marcos ouster | INQUIRER.NET – MANILA CITY, Philippines — There are some active senior members of the Philippine National Police (PNP) have been recruiting members to take part in the latest ouster plot against President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., former senator Antonio Trillanes IV said Tuesday.
“May na-identify na active senior PNP officials na nagrerecruit since last year,” Trillanes said.
(Some active senior PNP officials have been identified to be recruiting since last year.)
Aside from the active police senior officials, former police officials, mostly from Davao, plus a former PNP Chief, are also part of the destabilization plot, the former senator alleged.
“Davao group… and a retired PNP chief,” Trillanes said when asked if the police who are part of the so-called Davao group are also part of the ouster plot.
“Pero wala pa silang narerecruit,” Trillanes said.
(But they have not recruited anybody.)
As for the military, he said retired officials of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) are attempting to recruit active soldiers in the ouster plot.
Full Story at: Trillanes: Senior PNP officials recruiting for ouster plot vs Marcos (inquirer.net)
