Teddy Casiño: Leftist but not communist?

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Nancy Binay jumps to 3rd place in 'popularity' ranking along with Cynthia Villar

According to an April "pre-election survey" conducted by research firm Social Weather Stations (SWS) senatorial candidates Cynthia Villar (LP) and Nancy Binay (UNA) now share third place up from ninth and 12th respectively in January. The survey reportedly covered 1,800 "representative voters" across the nation.

Malacañang on all-out damage control over public perception of Sereno bias for Hacienda Luisita interests

Amid widespread cynicism among Filipinos over the ability -- or intentions -- of newly-appointed Supreme Court Chief Justice to run an independent judiciary, Malacañang was recently compelled to issue a statement insisting that Sereno is "not a puppet"...

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.

President BS Aquino reportedly schmoozes with INC over pro-Corona lobby

Speculation runs high in the wake of what looked liked a courtesy call made by Philippine President Benigno "Noynoy" Simeon Aquino III (BS Aquino) to Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) head Eduardo Manalo on Monday. According to an Inquirer.net report, the meeting was for the President to "talk about the impeachment trial of Chief Justice Renato Corona, among others". And presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda insists that this was really a meeting that was "supposed to have taken place during the Holy week" but was conducted much later owing to a prior lack of a common schedule for this meeting.

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.

World Bank denies link to 'leaked' report on Supreme Court Judicial Reform Support Project

The World Bank (WB) disassociated itself from a so-called report on the Supreme Court’s Judicial Reform Support Project (JRSP). The report supposedly "leaked" to the media was touted as having contained findings showing the Supreme Court's use of WB loaned funds to deliver the intended reforms being "unsatisfactory". An Inquirer.net “report” went as far as qualifying that rating further as being applicable "under the watch of Chief Justice Renato Corona".

House signatories to impeachment vs Chief Justice Corona not allowed to read complaint contents

Lawmakers who signed an impeachment complaint against Philippine Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona reportedly admitted to doing so without being fully informed about the content of the complaint. According to one of them, they were not allowed to read the document articulating the complaint...

Fury of Noynoy fast-tracks impeachment vs Corona despite claim Malacañang not privy to it

Earlier, Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte was quoted by ABS-CBN News as saying that the Palace was "not privy to the discussions of the Liberal Party in the House" referring to what at the time were preparations being mounted in the House of Representatives to lodge an impeachment complaint against Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona.

Philippine President Noynoy Aquino hints at future call on Filipinos to join him in defying the Supreme Court

Philippine President Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III continues to back an emerging 500-day old tradition of defying and vilifying the Philippine Supreme Court when he issued veiled threats of a "people power" uprising and alluded to some kind of special place in the eyes of God that gives him and his administration a mandate to pursue their goals at all costs -- even, presumably, at the cost of compromising the institutional integrity of the Philippines' governance systems...

Filipino Americans favour re-election of US President Barack Obama because of his perceived racial preferences

The multi-million body strong Filipino American community is reportedly gearing up for a campaign to re-elect US President Barack Obama on the basis of a "strong" view on the racial composition of America's government offices...

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...

World continues to watch a restive Philippine Military in the aftermath of a mad rush to charge GMA for alleged electoral fraud

Both foreign and local watchers of Philippine politics have their eyes fixed on the military establishment of that country. Last week Zosimo Paredes, spokesman of the Philippines' Department of National Defense (DND), hinted at the possibility that the government of President Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III might go down the path of declaring a "revolutionary government" to mitigate the risk of instability and threats to "national security".

Revolutionary government can restore order in the Philippines according to top defense official

According to a Philippine Star report, the threat to national security in the Philippines could be grounds for President Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III to set up a "revolutionary government". Going further, Department of National Defense (DND) spokesman Zosimo Paredes said that...

[...] the President is empowered to declare “his own government.”

... when said security and order is "at stake".

Constitutional crisis brewing in the Philippines as Aquino Government defies Supreme Court ruling

Legal expert Fr Joaquin G. Bernas SJ speaks out about the travel ban implemented by the Philippine Government on former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo (GMA) in a piece dated the 17th Nov 2011:

By this morning, however, it became evident that the nonreception of the official copy of the [temporary restraining order (TRO) against the travel ban] was not the real reason [GMA was not allowed to leave the country]. The justice secretary [Leila De Lima] simply does not want to lift the ban.
[...]
What I seem to be seeing in all these and in some public reaction is that anger and hatred of GMA has taken over and reason seems to be consigned to the sidelines. That this seems to affect even the highest executive authorities is a sad, sad thing.

President Aquino explains omission of the RH Bill from his July 25, 2011 SONA

In an interview with Jessica Soho of GMA News, Philippine President Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III explains the absence of any mention of the controversial Reproductive Health (RH) Bill in his State of the Nation Address delivered to Congress on the 25th July 2011:

Philippine Army and police on full alert to guard Noynoy against the voices of his 'Boss'

Philippine security forces are reportedly on full alert to guard against "untoward" incidents during delivery of President Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III's State of the Nation Address (SONA) today. A "no-permit, no-rally" order will be "strictly" enforced according to National Capital Region Police Office chief Alan Purisima...

President Noynoy Aquino's SONA delivered in Tagalog causes unnecessary hassles

Despite the reality that the southern Luzon dialect Tagalog is not as widely-spoken across the Philippine archipelago as most Filipinos would like to believe, President Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III is pressing on with its use in the delivery of today's State of the Nation Address (SONA) in a joint session of Congress which will include members of the diplomatic corps. Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Herminio “Sonny” Coloma took effots to assure non-Tagalog speakers that facilities will be available for them.

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.