News Roundup 21 September 2024
Sep 21, 2024 • 6 min Read
Bato dela Rosa urged to explain role in Duterte ‘drug war’ before ICC | INQUIRER.NET – MANILA, Philippines — Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa should explain before the International Criminal Court (ICC) his alleged role in the Duterte administration’s “drug war,” according to at least two lawmakers of the House of Representatives.
House Deputy Majority Leader Jude Acidre and House Assistant Majority Leader Jil Bongalon said dela Rosa must “face the music” and clarify his alleged involvement in the brutal war on drugs under the previous administration, in which the senator served as Philippine National Police (PNP) chief.
“Sana harapin na lang ni Sen. Bato ang asunto niya sa ICC, para makaharap niya na din at madinig ang malulungkot na kwento ng mga naulila ng mga napatay noong drug war. (I hope Sen. Bato would just face his case at the ICC, so he can also confront and hear the heartbreaking stories of the families left behind by those killed during the drug war),” Acidre said in a joint statement with Bongalon released Saturday.
“He keeps distancing himself from the thousands of deaths during the war on drugs, but he was the PNP Chief during that time.”
“He cannot deny that he played a central role in the implementation of the bloody drug war,” he added.
Bongalon, for his part, expressed wonder why dela Rosa “continues to evade responsibility” despite his position as police chief when the brutal anti-drug campaign was implemented.
Full Story at: Bato dela Rosa urged to explain role in ‘drug war’ before ICC (inquirer.net)
Robredo: No political color in pols’ visits during Peñafrancia Festival | INQUIRER.NET – MANILA, Philippines — Former Vice President Leni Robredo said that no political color is given to visits of politicians during the Peñafrancia Festival.
In an interview with reporters, Robredo addressed conjectures regarding the visit of some current government officials and politicians – some with apparent plans to run in next year’s midterm elections – to her home in Naga City during the religious celebration.
Among Robredo’s visitors on Friday and Saturday were Vice President Sara Duterte, Interior Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr., and Sen. Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. This year’s weeklong Peñafrancia Festival, which marks the centenary of the canonical coronation of Our Lady of Peñafrancia, started on September 13.
“’Pag Peñafrancia [Festival] dito sa amin, wala namang kulay ng pulitikang tinitingnan. (During Peñafrancia festival here in our place, we don’t look at political colors),” she said.
“Walang partido, politically neutral dito lahat, lahat ng pumupunta para kay Ina [Our Lady of Peñafrancia] ay welcome dito sa amin,” Robredo also said.
(No political parties, everyone here is politically neutral. Everyone who comes for Ina [Our Lady of Peñafrancia] is welcome here with us.)
“Mula nung naging mayor ang asawa ko nung 1988, every time na may bisita ang Naga na si Ina ang sadya, very much welcome dito sa amin,” she added.
(Since my husband became mayor in 1988, every time Naga has visitors coming for Ina, they are always very much welcome here with us.)
Full Story at: Robredo: No political color in pols’ visits during Peñafrancia (inquirer.net)
PNP probes Quiboloy’s alleged gifting of KOJC women to Duterte, others | PHILSTAR.COM – MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine National Police (PNP) said it is investigating reports that Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) leader Apollo Quiboloy gifted women from his congregation to former President Rodrigo Duterte and other officials.
PNP spokesperson Col. Jean Fajardo said they are looking into the revelation of former KOJC worker Arlene Stone that Quiboloy offered women who were members of his “pastoral” or inner circle to people close to him, including Duterte.
Stone is now the spokesperson for former KOJC members residing in the United States.
Asked if Duterte and other officials who received women as gifts from Quiboloy could be held liable, Fajardo said investigators should coordinate first with the alleged victims and secure from them sworn statements for purposes of filing more criminal cases against Quiboloy and other personalities.
Fajardo said the allegation, if proven true, is serious as this would fall under qualified human trafficking which is a non-bailable offense.
“We are now in the process of documenting all these allegations and revelations and we’re ready to file cases against anyone who may have violated the law, regardless of whoever he is,” Fajardo said at a briefing in Camp Crame.
Asked if there is already a move to reach out to Duterte, Fajardo said she has no information from their people on the ground.
“All our efforts right now will depend on information coming from victims,” she said.
Full Story at: PNP probes Quiboloy’s alleged gifting of KOJC women to Duterte, others | Philstar.com
Ex-Cebu Mayor Osmeña told: ‘Don’t touch Duterte’s women’ | PHILSTAR.COM – MANILA, Philippines — Immediately after complaining about the appointment of then police colonel Royina Garma as Cebu City police chief, then mayor Tomas Osmeña received a terse warning: “Don’t touch the president’s women.”
According to the former mayor, he received the warning after he personally complained to then president Rodrigo Duterte at Malacañang in 2018 about Garma’s appointment.
Osmeña did not say how he received the warning.
He bared the warning he received from a source, whose identity he declined to reveal, during an interview with “Storycon” on One News yesterday, during which he also indicated that Garma was so influential in the previous administration that Duterte was practically “eating out of her hand.”
“When she was going to be appointed to Cebu City as chief of police, of course I have a natural interest. Somebody gave me a report from a PCSO (Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office) official that stated that when Garma was CIDG (Criminal Investigation and Detection Group) chief in Bohol, she was suspected of collecting P1 million a week from illegal gambling,” Osmeña recalled.
“That’s why I didn’t want to accept her, because of course, I just want to protect the people of Cebu,” he added.
Despite the mayor’s opposition, Garma still assumed the post, prompting Osmeña to reach out to Duterte.
“President Duterte told me, ‘why don’t you just tell Bong Go … everything, and we’ll look into it.’ I prepared documentation for Bong Go and of course nothing happened,” said the former mayor.
“And then somebody told me, ‘don’t touch the president’s women.’ I said, ‘what?’” he added.
Full Story at: Ex-Cebu Mayor Osmeña told: ‘Don’t touch Duterte’s women’ | Philstar.com
