News Roundup 18 December 2019
Dec 18, 2019 • 2 min Read
Ombudsman decries ‘wiretapping’ by PCIJ, mum on Duterte SALN release | PHILSTAR.COM – Ombudsman Samuel Martires denied giving any interview to the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ) about President Rodrigo Duterte’s Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN). Martires, meanwhile, accused Mangahas of violating the Anti-Wiretapping Law for allegedly recording their conversation when the journalist supposedly did not ask for permission to do so. According to Martires, he was coming from a “health break” during an event at Diamond Hotel in Manila when Mangahas approached him and identified herself as a GMA reporter. “In her first question about the Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth, I directly said the issue was complicated and if we could talk about it some other day in my office,” Martires said in Filipino. Further, he said that he would not have agreed to give the interview even if Mangahas asked for permission.
PCIJ’s Mangahas denies Martires’ accusation of ‘unethical behavior’ | INQUIRER.NET – Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ) Director Malou Mangahas on Wednesday denied Ombudsman Samuel Martires’ accusation of unethical behavior. She said “Ombudsman Martires knew that as a public official with expertise and mandate on the issues raised, he was speaking face to face with a journalist with a legitimate journalistic purpose, on a matter of public interest.” “The conversation occurred in a public space and even with the full knowledge and in full view of his own personnel from the Office of the Ombudsman,” she added.
Comelec urged for speedy decision on Duterte Youth registration cancellation case | Manila Bulletin – Petitioners seeking to cancel the registration of the Duterte Youth party-list urged the Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Wednesday to speed up the resolution of their case. Poll lawyer Sixto Brillantes Jr., one of the counsels of the petitioners, said the Comelec Second Division should decide on the matter in view of the upcoming retirement of two poll commissioners next year.
Zaldy Ampatuan back in jail | The Msanila Times – Former Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) governor Zaldy Ampatuan, one of the primary accused in the Maguindanao massacre case, is back in jail. He was taken to the Quezon City Jail Annex in Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig City at 2:17 p.m. after being discharged at the Makati Medical Center. He and the more than 100 accused in the mowing down of 58 people in Maguindanao in 2009 will be sentenced on Thursday.
