Prominent rights advocate Katrina Legarda says charges vs Corona 'not impeachable' offenses

Lawyer Katrina Legarda in her interview with the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) as candidate for Supreme Court Chief Justice reportedly recounted how "morale of the courts plunged" and many judges and justices "were like lost sheep" following the the impeachment of former Chief Justice Renato Corona on offenses that she did not think were impeachable.

Human Rights Watch not impressed by PNoy's 2012 State of the Nation Address (SONA)

Human Rights Watch (HRW) has called out the recently-concluded State of the Nation Address (SONA) of Philippine President Benigno Simeon "BS" Aquino III for its lack of any mention of the plight of victims of alleged human rights violations perpetrated by state security forces in the Philippines. Brad Adams, HRW Asia Director, in a brief statement lamented how Aquino "did not utter one word during his 90 minute speech about the many victims of abuses by these forces". Furthermore...

Dean of Ateneo School of Government Tony La Viña defends Harvey Keh

At a time when it may be prudent for the Ateneo de Manila University to distance itself from Harvey Keh, a faculty member and Director of the Youth and Social Entrepreneurship Program of the Ateneo School of Government, the Dean of the Ateneo School of Government Attorney Tony La Viña defended Keh in an article published on the GMA Network news site.

Malacañang PR machine on damage control as 'vindictive' label sticks after Arroyo arrest

Malacañang deputy spokesperson, Abigail Valte in a recent press statement now makes out the neglect of the Aquino administration to act swiftly to file charges against former Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo for her allegedly numerous "crimes" as proof of President Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III being "not vindictive".

Under SC grilling DOJ Sec Leila De Lima et al stand down from aggressive words used in Arroyo arrest

Department of Justice officials are now back-pedalling on aggressive and pointed words they had used in describing their recent actions surrounding the arrest of former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on charges of "electoral sabotage" allegedly perpetrated in the 2007 senatorial elections...

No progress on resolution of Mendoza hostage massacre incident; HK group not happy

After a year of "investigations" the Philippine Government has so far nothing much to show as far as progress in the resolution of the August 23, 2010 Mendoza hostage massacre tragedy. Tse Chi-kin, the older brother of tour guide Masa Tse Ting-chunn who died in the incident, was quoted in The Standard as observing how "It has been almost one year and the Philippine government has done absolutely nothing to settle this case".

Duterte son follows in his father's footsteps: gives One-Finger Salute to journalists

Councilor Paul Duterte, son of now acting Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, flashed the bird at journalists who sought his reaction to his daddy's position on his sister Davao City Mayor Sara's punching court sheriff Abe Andres as he took steps to execute a court order to demolish illegally built structures in Barangay Kapitan Tomas Monteverde Sr. Suliman, Agdao. This is a son mirroring a father. The elder Duterte, the other day, also gave journalists the finger when asked to comment on the same matter.

Rodrigo Duterte threatens to shoot anyone who punches him

Seems like the elder Duterte can dish it out but cannot himself take it in the chin. Now acting Mayor of Davao City Rodrigo Duterte, in a statement to the Media, encouraged his daughter to continue resorting to violence if in the future she finds herself in a situation similar to the one that got her into trouble with the authorities this week. Then mayor Sara Duterte punched court sheriff Abe Andres in the face as he was about to execute a court order to demolish illegally-built structures in Barangay Kapitan Tomas Monteverde Sr. Suliman, Agdao.

Davao Mayor Sara Duterte turns violent in defense of illegal squatting

An imminent riot at a squatter demolition site and TV cameras on the scene. It seemed to be a perfect opportunity for a publicity stunt. Perhaps this was the motivation behind Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte's assault on court sheriff Abe Andres who was acting on orders from his superiors to proceed with a demolition of illegally-built structures that were home to 500 families in Barangay Kapitan Tomas Monteverde Sr. Suliman, Agdao.

Noynoy Aquino's KAMAGANAK Inc increasingly being placed under close scrutiny!

More light is being shed into the rampant cronyism that seems to be going on within the administration of Philippine President Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III. The latest snafu to highlight the alleged proliferation of these under-the-table handshakes in Malacañang involves the suspension of Land Transportation Office (LTO) chief Virginia Torres over anomalies surrounding a project to computerise LTO operations.

Low-quality youth: Marauding gangs of 7-12 year-old children terrorize Metro Manila motorists!

One man's liability is another man's asset. An abundance of wayward street children in Metro Manila is turning into a lucrative human resource for crime syndicates it seems. Marauding gangs of children aged 7 to 12 years now terrorise motorists stuck in Manila's renowned traffic jams...

Vice President Binay's excellent Beijing adventure - what's in it for Filipinos?

Philippine Vice President Jejomar Binay gets a big fat media-exposure-building presidential high five for "successfully securing a reprieve for the three Filipinos facing execution in China". This is a pat on the back for an "achievement" that at best hopes that "the Chinese government would eventually grant the appeal that their sentence be commuted to a penalty lesser than death".

CBCP throws in its 2 cents on the brouhaha over Filipino death row drug mules in China

It was only a short time ago that members of the Roman Catholic Clergy of the Philippines implied that people who support the Reproductive Health (RH) Bill have no right to receive Holy Communion. Then in an outstanding display of inconsistency, the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) is now calling for a "storm of prayer" to be drummed up by Filipinos in support of three convicted drug mules in China who face the death sentence.

Philippine President Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III chimed in as well, hinting that only in prayer will Filipinos find the light to guide their path to fulfilling their hopes and aspirations...

Was "senator" Antonio Trillanes IV ever a soldier?

Trillanes is "no longer a soldier", according to Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile who also excused the newbie "senator's" ignorance of Senate "rules" for his appalling behaviour in a Senate "inquiry" that is widely seen to be a factor that contributed to former Secretary and retired General Angelo Reyes's death by suicide on the 8th of February. Enrile also delved into Trillanes's inner anger from which most likely arose his inclination to treat the probe into corruption in the Philippine military as a personal matter...

The President and the Senate now seem to be distancing themselves from Antonio Trillanes

With every day that passes, mutineer-turned-"senator" Antonio Trillanes IV exposes his true character and real lack of substance. More senior members of the Senate which Trillanes had only recently joined as a conditionally free man seem to be on to him. Senators Juan Ponce Enrile and Gregorio "Gringo" Honasan are now pressing Trillanes to substantiate all of his insinuations about some sort of knowledge about corruption at the top most echelons of the military, specifically a shadowy figure supposedly behind ex-military comptroller Carlos Garcia whose unexplained wealth is the main subject of an on-going Senate "inquiry".

Fresh out of prison mutineer Antonio Trillanes fails to understand his job as Senator of the Republic

It turns out mutineer-turned-"senator" Antonio Trillanes does not really understand what Senate "inquiries" are really for. As he lashed out at what he described as the "black propaganda" supposedly being mounted by elements associated with the "past administration" Trillanes revealed his deeply-flawed regard for the true purpose of investigations conducted by legislators...

General Angelo Reyes's wake - Senator Antonio Trillanes conspicuously absent

Conspicuously absent from the wake today of former Secretary and retired General Angelo Reyes was none other than mutineer-turned-"senator" Antonio Trillanes IV. Trillanes viciously interrogated Reyes in a Senate "inquiry" into corruption in the Philippine military and made use of uncalled-for disrespectful words leading to speculation that the humiliation suffered by Reyes under what may ultimately be a pointless grandstanding exercise triggered his suicide.

Antonio Trillanes or Angelo Reyes - who between them really is the disgraced soldier?

Filipinos are in the midst of an effort to come to grips with the death of an accomplished senior soldier, Retired General Angelo Reyes, said to have resulted from a pointless grilling he received from publicity-hungry senators. Eyes are now being turned to the conduct of the people who grilled him, mutineer-turned-"senator" Antonio Trillanes IV in particular whose heavy-handed Pit Bull attack on Reyes was described by the Inquirer.net Editor as a "sophomoric put-down" and one marked by "disdain and disrespect".

Ronald Singson: a case study in swift and non-political Hong Kong justice

Congressman Ronald Singson faces life in prison, a USD 644,000 fine, and expulsion from the Philippines' House of Representatives after admitting to being a cocaine and amphetamines user and being in possession of $2000 worth of cocaine as he passed through Hong Kong airport. Trouble is, Singson tested negative for drug use -- which then sheds doubt on his claim that the drugs in his possession were for "personal use".

Philippine Intelligence: an oxymoron defended by President Aquino

Philippine President Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III is on the defensive. He insisted on an interview that the recent bus bombings were not covered by the travel advisories issued late last year by several governments warning of risks of terror activities in the country. Noynoy cited how buses were not included in the list of at-risk sites in the Philippines which included malls, airports, and conference centres among others.