News Roundup18 August 2024
Aug 18, 2024 • 5 min Read
No information on ICC warrant — DOJ | PHILSTAR.COM – MANILA, Philippines — The Supreme Court said it has not received any information regarding a potential warrant of arrest by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for former President Rodrigo Duterte and other officials.
This has been confirmed by Justice Undersecretary Raul Vasquez in a message to Philstar.com on Sunday.
“We don’t have any information on that matter as we are no longer part of the ICC and thus, not bound by any of its processes,” Vasquez said.
In an interview with political analyst Richard Heydarian on Tuesday evening, former Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonio Carpio said that the international tribunal might issue a warrant of arrest against the former president and other individuals next month.
“I think the day of reckoning is coming closer, because what I’m hearing is that a warrant of arrest will be issued by the ICC sometime in September,” Carpio said in a vlog interview with Heydarian.
In response to these reports, Sen. Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa, who previously served as the Philippine National Police Chief and was instrumental in the former administration’s drug war, said he would seek assistance from the Supreme Court to prevent any action by the Marcos administration to enforce such an arrest order.
“The Supreme Court would only act on it once a warrant of arrest is issued. The ICC is beyond our jurisdiction and control, so we have to wait if they will indeed issue a warrant,” Dela Rosa said, according to a report by The STAR.
On July 28, former Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV disclosed an ICC prosecutor’s document listing names of former Philippine National Police officials “under suspicion” for allegedly ordering the killings of drug suspects and users from 2011 to 2019. Dela Rosa was among those mentioned.
Full Story at: No information on ICC warrant — DOJ | Philstar.com
PNP chief requires 3-minute response time to 911 calls | PHILSTAR.COM – MANILA, Philippines — All police officers are now required to respond to 911 emergency calls within three minutes, according to Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Rommel Marbil.
Marbil announced the directive in a statement on Sunday, saying that it is a part of the police’s “commitment to enhancing public safety” and ensuring effective police assistance.
“Every Filipino deserves a quick and efficient police response, regardless of their location or status. The revitalized 911 hotline is not just a technological improvement; it is a crucial component of our mission to make every community feel secure and supported by the PNP,” Marbil said.
“Our citizens rely on us during emergencies, and we must ensure that every 911 call receives the swift and effective response it deserves. This directive is more than just a procedural requirement—it reflects our unwavering commitment to serve and protect the Filipino people, ensuring peace and safety across the nation,” he added.
The 911 system, which replaced the Patrol 117, is the government’s emergency call system.
According to the PNP, the system incorporates advanced technology designed to “reduce response times and improve coordination among emergency services.”
Full Story at: PNP chief requires 3-minute response time to 911 calls | Philstar.com
PH to China: Escoda Shoal is ours, PCG ship has right to operate there | INQUIRER.NET – MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) on Sunday told China that the Escoda Shoal where its ship BRP Teresa Magbanua has been stationed is within the Philippine exclusive economic zone so the agency has “the right to operate” there.
PCG spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea Commodore Jay Tarriela issued his statement after China lodged a diplomatic protest against the “illegal anchoring” of BRP Teresa Magbanua at the Escoda Shoal in the West Philippine Sea.
“Escoda Shoal is located within the exclusive economic zone of the Philippines, in accordance with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and the 2016 arbitral award,” Tarriela posted on X (formerly Twitter).
“Our Philippine Coast Guard vessels have the right to operate within the lagoon of Escoda Shoal for as long as necessary, without requiring permission from any other country,” he added.
Tariella also said that China should stop citing the 2002 Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea “as they have not honored or followed a single provision of that declaration.”
Full Story at: PH to China: Escoda Shoal is ours, PCG ship has right to operate there | INQUIRER.net
Dela Rosa criticized for saying there is conspiracy vs. him, ex-Pres. Duterte | INQUIRER.NET – MANILA, Philippines — Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa’s statement alleging a conspiracy against him and former President Rodrigo Duterte is “baseless and diversionary,” according to House Deputy Minority Leader and ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. France Castro.
Castro was referring to the August 16 statement of dela Rosa saying he felt that people from the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. are working with the “leftists” and “yellows” to pin down Duterte and his allies.
For instance, dela Rosa mentioned how the administration allegedly used the Makabayan bloc to call out the Office of the Vice President on the Department of Education’s proposed intelligence funds.
“Senator Dela Rosa is jumping out of his skin every time he is being made to account for his role in the extra-judicial killings during the fake drug war of the Duterte administration,” Castro said in a statement on Sunday.
“First, he played nonchalant on the issue. Second, when he felt the ICC heat is increasing, he begged Marcos Jr. to protect him from the International Criminal Court (ICC). Third, he tried to divert the issue by launching red-tagging hearings, and now he is saying that there is a conspiracy to nail him and former Pres. Rodrigo Duterte and his ilk,” she noted.
Full Story at: Dela Rosa hit for saying there’s a conspiracy against him (inquirer.net)
