News Roundup 22 May 2024
May 22, 2024 • 5 min Read
Supposed parents of Alice Guo may not even exist, Hontiveros says | INQUIRER.NET – MANILA, Philippines — The case of embattled Bamban Mayor Alice Guo has gotten even more confusing after her supposed birth parents, as stated on her birth certificate, may not even exist.
Senator Risa Hontiveros disclosed this possibility after revealing that the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) does not have Alice’s parents’ marriage or birth records.
“Noong pinacheck ko po, walang record ng kasal itong si Angelito Guo at Amelia, ang higit pang malala, walang birth record at all si Angelito Guo at Amelia,” said Hontiveros during a Senate panel on women hearing, which she chairs.
(When I checked, Angelito Guo and Amelia had no marriage record; worse, they had no birth record at all.)
“So maitatanong talaga, hindi po kaya, Angelito Guo and Amelia Leal Guo don’t even exist? Itong dalawang taong ito na according to the documentary evidence, have three children na according naman to you only have one child, apparently do not even exist?” she added.
(So it can be asked, is it possible that Angelito Guo and Amelia Leal Guo don’t even exist? These two people who, according to the documentary evidence, have three children, then according to you, only have one child, apparently do not even exist?)
Alice’s birth certificate identifies Angelito Guo, the Filipino name of Jian Zhong Guo, as her biological father and Amelia Leal as her biological mother.
Alice initially claimed that she was the only child of her parents. Still, birth certificates of a certain Shiela Leal Guo and Seimen Leal Guo also listed Angelito and Amelia as biological parents.
During the May 22 hearing, Alice admitted that Shiela and Seimen were, indeed, her siblings.
To make things even more confusing, Angelito and Amelia’s date of marriage was listed as “October 14, 1962” in Alice and Shiela’s records, while on Seimen’s, it was declared “January 21, 1967.”
Full Story at: Supposed parents of Alice Guo may not even exist — Hontiveros (inquirer.net)
House censures ex-Speaker Alvarez over ‘seditious’ remarks | INQUIRER.NET – MANILA, Philippines — The House of Representatives adopted the amended committee on ethics and privileges’ recommendations, censuring former speaker and now Davao del Norte 1st District Rep. Pantaleon Alvarez over complaints regarding allegedly seditious remarks made in a rally.
During the session on Wednesday, committee chairperson and COOP NATCCO party-list Rep. Felimon Espares presented the panel’s report — recommending that Alvarez be suspended for 60 days.
“Our colleague should have been more circumspect on his words or statements or observed the norms of conduct expected of public officials under our jurisdiction,” Espares said.
Camiguin Rep. Jurdin Jesus Romualdo, however, asked that the House reconsider this penalty as it might be too harsh — given that Alvarez admitted that he was only emotional when he uttered statements against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s administration.
Instead, Romualdo asked that Alvarez be given a penalty of censure.
“While I agree that the statements made by Rep. Alvarez were unparliamentary and distasteful, that his behavior undeniably discredited the House of Representatives, the committee acknowledged that they were emotional expressions rather than intentional calls for actual harm or further political consequences,” Romualdo said.
“The severity of a 60-day suspension appears disproportionate to the nature and context of his misconduct. I will move, Madam Speaker, therefore at the proper time, that the penalty of 60-day suspension recommended by the committee on ethics be reduced to censure,” he added.
After deliberation, Espares agreed with the amendments, prompting the plenary to proceed with the voting — where 186 lawmakers voted in the affirmative, five in the negative, and seven abstentions.
Full Story at: House censures ex-Speaker Alvarez for seditious remarks (inquirer.net)
Canadian national involved in Alitagtag drug haul indicted with drug charges | PHILSTAR.COM – MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Justice (DOJ) said that it recommended the filing of charges against the Canadian national who was implicated in a drug haul in Alitagtag, Batangas.
In a press release on Wednesday, the Justice department said that it filed charges of possession of illegal drugs and use of fictitious names against Thomas Gordon O’Quinn, who also goes by the name James Toby Martin.
O’Quinn was arrested on May 16 at a spa in Tagaytay City, following a mission order from the Bureau of Immigration prompted by an Interpol red notice.
The Tagaytay arrest followed the Alitagtag drug bust on April 15, 2024, where authorities seized 1.4 tons of crystal meth.
According to the DOJ, drugs and several identification cards under different names with the same facial photographs were seized during O’Quinn’s arrest.
Last week, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said that the evidence collected are “multiple types of narcotics, sophisticated electronic device and numerous identification documents”.
The evidence seized indicate his intention to elude detection, according to the PNP.
Full Story at: Canadian national involved in Alitagtag drug haul indicted with drug charges | Philstar.com
Divorce bill narrowly hurdles House | PHILSTAR.COM – MANILA, Philippines — The House of Representatives on Wednesday approved on final reading a bill that legalizes absolute divorce based on limited grounds and a well-defined judicial process.
House Bill (HB) 9349, which underwent a long interpellation process and was resent back to its committee before making it to plenary, clinched third reading approval with a slim margin of 126-109-20 votes.
This is the second time that a measure legalizing divorce was passed by the House, the first time being in 2018 during the 17th Congress, after which it eventually died upon reaching the Senate.
The absolute divorce bill approved by the House “does not recognize no-fault, quickie, drive-thru, email or notarial” divorces, said Rep. Edcel Lagman (Albay, 1st District), the principal author of the draft bill that formed the basis of HB 9349.
Under the measure, there are “limited and reasonable grounds for divorce and a petition will have to undergo judicial scrutiny in order to prevent abuse and collusion of the parties, which is penalized,” Lagman said.
Full Story at: Divorce bill narrowly hurdles House | Philstar.com
