News Roundup 01 February 2024
Feb 01, 2024 • 5 min Read
Duterte trying to escape ICC through Mindanao secession — lawmaker | PHILSTAR.COM – MANILA, Philippines — A House minority lawmaker said on Thursday that former President Rodrigo Duterte may be pushing for Mindanao to secede from the country to stay out of the clutches of the International Criminal Court.
Rep. Raoul Manuel (Kabataan Partylist) raised doubts over the timing of the former president’s “out-of-the-blue” call for a Mindanao secession, which was echoed by his ally Rep. Pantaleon Alvarez (Davao del Norte, 1st District).
The ICC in 2023 authorized the resumption of its investigation into Duterte’s so-called “war on drugs” during his term as president, and earlier, as Davao City mayor.
The Mindanao secession proposal — which Duterte floated earlier this week amid an explosive feud with his successor, President Marcos — carries a “hidden agenda” in light of the ICC’s probe, Manuel said.
“In fact, the Dutertes just want to turn Mindanao into an escape bunker at a time when they are being hunted by the ICC when the investigation progresses and they are convicted of their crimes against the Filipino people,” Manuel said in a mix of English and Filipino.
The lawmaker added that Duterte did not make the same call during his six-year term as president — a time when Congress was largely dominated by his allies — and is doing so now in light of the “crumbling” Marcos-Duterte alliance.
“With all due respect, you don’t own Mindanao,” Manuel added.
Full Story at: Duterte trying to escape ICC through Mindanao secession — lawmaker | Philstar.com
Human rights panels urged to hear out Lascañas testimonies vs Dutertes | PHILSTAR.COM – MANILA, Philippines — Lawmakers heading the human rights committees of the Senate and the House of Representatives should investigate the claims by a self-confessed hitman from the so-called “Davao Death Squad” against the Duterte family, a human rights group said on Thursday.
Cristina Palabay, secretary-general of Karapatan, said that there is a need for the House and the Senate, as well as the Commission on Human Rights, to “seriously investigate” the allegations by retired police officer Arturo Lascañas that former President Rodrigo Duterte and Vice President Sara Duterte both had a hand in the drug war killings in Davao City and, later, the entire nation.
Palabay added that with several whistleblowers like Lascañas coming forward with their revelations, the government’s rights commission and the congressional human rights committees should exercise their mandate in “getting to the bottom” of drug-related killings under Rodrigo Duterte’s terms as Davao City mayor until his presidency.
“It is high time that these revelations not only be seriously investigated through Philippine domestic mechanisms. For the sake of the victims, who number in the tens of thousands, the investigations must exact justice and accountability from the perpetrators,” Palabay said, adding that the Dutertes must be punished to the full extent of the law.
“They owe this to the thousands of victims who have long been seeking justice and accountability,” she added.
On Wednesday, Lascañas said that it was the vice president who, as Davao City mayor, approved and devised the “Oplan Tokhang” campaign in Davao City — an anti-illegal narcostics initiative by the Davao Death Squad that led to an unconfirmed number of missing persons and deaths.
Full Story at: Human rights panels urged to hear out Lascañas testimonies vs Dutertes | Philstar.com
Tulfo questions Pagcor’s P500 million confidential fund in 2023 | INQUIRER.NET – MANILA, Philippines — A P500 million confidential allocation was given to the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor) in 2023, and P120 million from the total allocation was spent and liquidated in just seven days, Senator Raffy Tulfo disclosed.
Tulfo, in a Senate hearing on Thursday, questioned the Governance Commission for Government-Owned or Controlled Corporations (GCG) why there was a need to grant such a budget.
GCG Chairperson Atty. Marius Corpus defended this by saying that there’s an existing joint circular for the guidelines on the grant and authorization for intel or confidential funds.
“I know, Atty. Corpus. Ang tinatanong ko bakit kinakailangan na magkaroon ng confidential fund ang Pagcor?” asked Tulfo.
(I know, Atty. Corpus. What I am asking is: why is it necessary for Pagcor to have a confidential fund?)
According to Tulfo, Pagcor earlier justified their confidential budget for monitoring illegal gambling and groups terrorizing casinos.
The senator, however, pointed out that the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) are already doing these tasks as part of their mandate.
Full Story at: Tulfo questions Pagcor’s P500 million confidential fund in 2023 (inquirer.net)
Bodyguard of 4 Chinese illegally detained by cops surrenders to House | INQUIRER.NET – MANILA, Philippines — The bodyguard of the Chinese nationals who were supposedly arrested and detained illegally by police officers in a September 2023 operation in Parañaque City has surrendered to the House of Representatives.
During an ambush interview on Thursday, ACT-CIS party-list Rep. Erwin Tulfo presented the bodyguard to Santa Cruz City Rep. Dan Fernandez, who chairs the House committee on public order and safety.
Fernandez’s committee is investigating the possible culpability of 44 police officers from the Southern Police District (SPD) who allegedly took money from Chinese nationals in a condominium in Parañaque.
According to the bodyguard, he surrendered to the House because he saw his photo being flashed during the committee hearing last Tuesday. Fernandez then said that the photo was shown because the bodyguard was accused of being the link between the Chinese nationals and the police officers.
“Ang reason kasi kaya namin nilabas ‘yong ano, kasi siya ‘yong pinaka-kasama no’ng mga Chinese nationals doon sa Solemare, so basically siya ‘yong nakaka-alam sa kung anong pera meron do’n. So kung ano ‘yong mga negosyo,” Fernandez told reporters.
(We showed the photos because he accompanied the Chinese nationals in Solemare, so basically he knows what happens in there, and how much money is available, even the businesses.)
Full Story at: Bodyguard of 4 Chinese illegally detained by cops surrenders to House | Inquirer News
