News Roundup 21 May 2024
May 21, 2024 • 5 min Read
Zubiri says he lost Senate presidency for defending Dela Rosa | PHILSTAR.COM – MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri confirmed on Tuesday that his colleagues wanted to unseat him as Senate president for defending Sen. Ronald dela Rosa, who eventually ended up voting against him.
Zubiri told reporters that this was why he was “dumbfounded” after learning that one of the 15 senators who signed a resolution supporting his ouster included Dela Rosa.
Dela Rosa, chair of the Senate public order and dangerous drugs committee, has led at least four hearings into the alleged leaked Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) documents linking President Marcos Jr. to illegal drug use.
“I thought I’ve seen strange things in my political career. And this happens to be the strangest,” Zubiri said.
“At least alam niya na dinepensahan ko siya bilang isang chairman ng committee, at dahil diyan, nagkaroon ng sakripisyo. Ako po ay sakripisyo diyan. Nawala ako sa position,” he continued.
(At least he knows I defended him as chairperson of a committee, and because of that I was sacrificed. I lost my position.)
In an emotionally charged privilege speech on Monday, Zubiri announced his resignation and said he was stepping down due to his “failure to follow instructions from the powers that be”
Zubiri said he fought to keep the Senate “staunchly independent.”
In a press conference on Tuesday, Dela Rosa admitted to signing the resolution in favor of electing Senate President Chiz Escudero to replace Zubiri.
Full Story at: Zubiri says he lost Senate presidency for defending Dela Rosa | Philstar.com
Hontiveros flags Bamban Mayor Alice Guo’s ‘ties’ to Singapore criminals | PHILSTAR.COM – MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Risa Hontiveros on Tuesday welcomed the decision of the Department of Interior and Local Government to remove Bamban Mayor Alice Guo’s control over local police, citing her alleged “ties with criminals” through her company.
Citing Securities and Exchange Commission records, Hontiveros pointed out the background of two incorporators in Guo’s company. One is Chinese national Zhang Ruijin, who was convicted in April for money laundering in Singapore; while the other is Dominican national Baoying Lin, who is also facing charges.
Guo is also listed as an incorporator in the company, along with Filipino national Rachel Joan Malonzo Carreon and Cypriot national Zhiyang Huang.
Both Zhang and Baoying were described as “domestic partners” in an October 2023 Strait Times report.
Hontiveros said that Guo should no longer have access to the police if she herself is “a protector of criminals.”
Full Story at Hontiveros flags Bamban Mayor Alice Guo’s ‘ties’ to Singapore criminals | Philstar.com
Escudero admits starting plan to unseat Zubiri only few days ago | INQUIRER.NET – MANILA, Philippines — The plan to oust then-Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri only started last Thursday, May 16, his successor, Senator Francis Escudero, disclosed.
In an interview at the Senate on Tuesday, newly installed Senate President Escudero admitted initiating the move against Zubiri.
“Actually hindi ko alam kung saan n’ya nalaman ng Wednesday kasi Thursday pa lang unang may kinausap ako eh, so hindi ko alam kung sino ‘yung Wednesday,” he said.
(Actually, I don’t know where he got that last Wednesday because I only started talking to someone on Thursday.)
Escudero was reacting to Zubiri’s statement about learning of the coup plot against him on May 15.
“When I say sinimulan kong makipagusap dahil marami naman na at that time na may mga agam-agam,” the Senate chief added.
(When I say I started talking to someone is because many already had doubts at that time.)
But he refused to say the reasons why his colleagues had their misgivings on Zubiri’s leadership.
By Sunday, May 19, Escudero said his group already secured the number needed to replace Zubiri.
The following day, Escudero was elected Senate President after getting the support of 15 out of 24 senators following the resignation of Zubiri as the upper chamber’s top leader.
Escudero revealed that his group decided to no longer present the resolution signed by the 15 senators on the Senate floor since Zubiri opted to quit.
One of Escudero’s supporters, Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa, even cried while Zubiri was giving his valedictory address on Monday. Dela Rosa was also photographed hugging Zubiri’s wife, Audrey.
“There was no need,” Escudero said regarding the presentation of the resolution.
The new Senate president explained that as in the past, the change in Senate leadership is always done through a “gentlemanly conduct.”
Full Story at: Escudero admits starting plan to unseat Zubiri only few days ago (inquirer.net)
Party-list solon blames Imee over low 4Ps budget for educational grants | INQUIRER.NET – MANILA, Philippines — A lawmaker has blamed Senator Imee Marcos again for the low budget on the country’s conditional cash transfer program, after the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) said that it is facing a P3.9-billion deficit for the educational aid of beneficiaries in 2023.
During the hearing of the House of Representatives’ committee on public accounts, 4Ps party-list Rep. Jonathan Clement Abalos said that the budget cuts initiated by Senator Marcos on the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) stops the DSWD from servicing beneficiaries.
Last February, House lawmakers claimed that Marcos moved to slash allegedly P13 billion from the DSWD budget in 2023, to realign it to other programs because the utilization rate for the 4Ps was only at 45 percent. Abalos however noted that the low utilization rate was because new beneficiaries were not accounted for yet.
Senator Marcos confirmed this, but said that she only wanted to avoid unused funds under DSWD to be merely returned to the national treasury.
“We have confirmed from the previous budget season that P8 billion was removed by the DSWD budget sponsor in the Senate, which is Senator Marcos. And it wasn’t fair because the utilization rate at that time, allegedly was at 45 percent but only half of the payment cycle was considered,” Abalos said on Monday.
Full Story at: Imee blamed again over low 4Ps budget for educational grants (inquirer.net)
