(Quote on immunity from suits starts at 17:40 mins)
In many of his speeches , President Rodrigo Duterte flaunts his immunity from suits as an armor amid mounting concerns about the extra-judicial killings in his campaign against illegal drugs.
In a speech before troops at Camp Gen. Macario B. Peralta, JR, Jamindan, Capiz last Aug. 5, he said, “Ang Presidente, hindi mo ma-demanda. ..mag-order ako ng patay, you cannot arrest me, may immunity ako.”
It’s not only those dealing with illegal drugs that he wants killed but all those he believes pose obstructions to his desire to improve the lives of the Filipino people.
Duterte threatens to declare martial law before troops in Camp Evangelista, Cagayan de Oro.
I take him seriously because the president of the Republic of the Philippines is so powerful that with a stroke of a pen, he can save a life or send the nation to war.
Last Tuesday, President Duterte threatened to declare martial law.
“ Please, ‘wag mo akong… hindi ako gago. If this continues, pigilan mo ako eh ‘di sige. ‘Pag nagwala na...or would you rather that I will declare martial law?, he said before the Philippine Army’s 4th Infantry Division in Camp Evangelista in Cagayan de Oro.
Duterte was lashing out on Chief Justice Lourdes Sereno who stood up to him by reminding him of the separation of powers and other provisions in the Constitution which he could have violated when he read a list of alleged illegal drugs protector including seven judges. Others in more than 150 names in the list were congressmen, military officials, police officers, mayors, and vice mayors.
Proof of the greatness of a creation is the emotion that it evokes, favorable or unfavorable.
Such is the picture of Jennelyn Olaires cradling the dead body of her partner, Michael Siaron, a 30-year-old pedicab driver, who was shot dead by motorcycle-riding men while he was waiting for passengers past midnight of July 22 in Pasay City.
Inquirer captioned the heart-wrenching photo by Raffy Lerma, “La Pieta,” after the famous sculpture by Michelangelo Buonarroti of the sorrowful Mary holding the dead body of Jesus.
President-elect Rodrigo Duterte. Photo by Dana Batnag.Tomorrow, June 30, President Benigno Aquino III steps down as the 15th president of the Philippines and Rodrigo R. Duterte becomes the 16th president of the Philippines.
From now on, every pronouncement of Duterte will be official. If he curses, every putang ina will have the stamp of the presidency.
A source who was present during Duterte’s meeting with the ambassadors of the United States, United Kingdom and Germany two weeks ago, said the then president-elect was a far cry from what foul-mouthed Duterte they saw in press conferences and speaking engagements. He was “prim and proper” and uttered only pleasant statements, he said.
But he said, “It was surreal.” One can see and feel that he was not in his natural self and that something from within was raring to come out.
Duterte had promised that once he has taken his oath as president of the Philippines, “There will be a metamorphosis.”
Incoming president Rodrigo Duterte chooses anti-mining advocate Gina Lopez as environment secretary.A video of the exchange between Gina Lopez, incoming President Rodrigo Duterte’s choice as secretary of Environment and Natural Resources, and a pro-mining advocate is going the rounds of social media.
Lopez was asking the man to choose between food and minerals because she argued that mining that extracts minerals from underneath the ground destroys the land where man produce food. Apparently Lopez has not heard of responsible mining.
Apparently also, the pro-mining man mentioned the things that we use in our daily lives that came from mining such as toothpaste.
Here’s the exchange that followed:
Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo with reporters in Davao, June 8, 2016. Photo from Charie Villa.We are going to miss Atty. Salvador Panelo as presidential spokesperson.
Incoming president Rodrigo Duterte has a new spokesperson in the person for Ernie Abella, a former pastor.
In the announcement of Peter Laviña, spokesman for the Duterte transition team, of the latest cabinet appointments in his Facebook page, he did not say whether Panelo will also remain as spokesperson with the appointment of Abella.
Sources at the Department of Foreign Affairs, however, said they have been told that Panelo has expressed interest to be the Philippine ambassador to the United Kingdom, which is currently being held by Evan Ralph Garcia, a career officer.
It’s only 45 days away when Rodrigo Duterte becomes the 16th president of the Republic of the Philippines.
If Duterte makes good his election promise, Gloria Arroyo, who has won another term as representative of the second district of Pampanga, can look forward to days of freedom very soon. She has been confined at the Veterans Memorial Hospital since 2011. Duterte lawyer Salvador Panelo took a selfie when he attended Gloria Arroyo’s birthday party in La Vista last April 5.
When he campaigned in Pampanga last Feb. 7, Duterte said, “If I am elected President, I will release her. Why? Because the evidence [against her] is weak. I know that. I am a lawyer.”
Duterte’s assessment of cases against Arroyo as “weak” is supported by the dismissal by the Ombudsman of the P200 million fertilizer scam case and the alleged illegal transfer of funds of Overseas Workers Welfare Administration to Philhealth.
Neri Colmenares, main author of bill increasing pension of SSS retirees by P2,000 a month, says SSS has P325 billion uncollected revenues. From Philippine Star.At the Mercury Drugstore the other day, I overheard two senior citizens discussing about the President’s veto of the P2, 000 peso a month increase for members of the Social Security System.
One was telling the other about the commentaries of DZMM’s Ted Failon which she fully agreed. “Bakit nila binigyan ang sarili nila ng bonus na P1 milyon tig-isa kapag Pasko kung wala pa lang pera para sa mga miembro?”
The lady said bonuses are given as reward for good performance but the she cited the report of the Commission on Audit that the SSS owns many assets that are idle that have resulted in losses amounting to over a hundred million pesos yearly.
Balot na balot
Tanggap ko na na mahina talaga si Pangulong Benigno ‘Noynoy’ Aquino III bilang administrator ng bayan. Kasama na sa kanyang kahinaan na ‘yan ang pagpili ng mga tao na kasama niya sa pagpatakbo ng bayan.
Ngunit hindi ko akalain na ganu’n siya at ang kanyang mga kasamahan kawalang alam tungkol sa ordinaryong pamumuhay ng Filipino. Dito sa isyu ng tanim-bala, lumabas talaga angkawalan ng kakayahan mamuno ni Aquino.
Isa pa itong si Mar Roxas na kandidato ng Liberal Party (LP) sa pagka-presidente sa 2016. Inindorso siya ni Aquino para raw ipagpatuloy ang kayang Tuwid na Daan. ‘Yung naman ang isinusulong ni Roxas sa kanyang kampanya.
Hindi nakapagtataka.
Noong isang araw, sinabi ni Roxas sindikato raw ang may kagagawan ng tanim-bala sa NAIA na maliban sa perwisyo na binibigay sa mga kawawang biktima ay naging malaking kahihiyan para sa Pilipinas. Kailangan daw mapanagot ang mga may kagagawan nito.
Maganda pakinggan. Kaya lang, bakit ngayon ka lang nagsalita? Mag-iisang buwan na ang isyu at hindi ninyo pinansin ‘yan. Hello??
Sabi ni Press Sec. Sonny Coloma noong isang buwan nang ibinalita ang pagditene sa isang 56 taong gulang na OFW papuntang Hongkong dahil may nakitang bala sa kanyang maleta, na masyado naman daw pinapalaki ng media ang isyu samantalang libu-libo raw ang dumadaan sa NAIA. “Iilan lang naman ang ganitong mga nakitaan ng bala,” sabi niya.
Pres. Aquino with LP candidates Mar Roxas and Leni Robredo being prayed over at the Tarlac First Baptist Church. (Photo by Joseph Vidal, Malacanang)
Candidates for the 2016 May elections, especially those running for president and vice-president, should read the findings of the EON’s 2015 Philippine Trust Survey which tells that Filipinos want from their leaders to listen to and feel for them.
The PTI, which EON started in 2011, is not an easy survey to do because unlike other surveys that ask who they would vote for in the next election, trust is an abstract thing. One has to give it to EON for coming up with a formula to measure the public’s insights and opinions.
In the PTI survey, respondents were asked to share their opinions on six key Philippine institutions – the Government, the Business Sector, the Media, Non-Governmental Organizations, the Church, and the Academe.
The nationwide survey interviewed 1,620 Filipinos from July to August 2015. They are referred to in the survey as “General Public.” EON said an additional 420 screened respondents were also added to come up with 600 respondents referred to in the survey as “Informed Public.”
The Informed Public respondents “are Filipinos who are at least college graduates and who access media for news at least thrice a week,” EON said.
In the survey results, the Informed Public is less approving of the institutions than the General Public.
