VP Sara secures court, Palace clearance for Hong Kong trip
Metro Manila, Philippines — Vice President Sara Duterte has secured the necessary clearances for her scheduled trip to Hong Kong from Nov. 6 to 8, the Office of the Vice President (OVP) said in a statement on Friday. The OVP said Duterte received an order dated Nov. 3 from the Quezon City Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 98 granting her request to travel abroad. The Office of the President has also issued a corresponding travel authority. “The Vice President shall cover the cost of her travel using personal funds. No government money, resources, or facilities shall be used in connection with her travel,” the OVP said. Duterte is set to visit Hong Kong for various personal engagements and community activities, including an event organized by the Filipino community. On Monday, Nov. 9, the Senate, sitting as an impeachment court, is slated to resume Duterte’s trial, with her defense team presenting…
Romualdez has personal staff in jail – BJMP
Metro Manila, Philippines – Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez has a personal staff member staying inside the Quezon City Jail to attend to his needs, the facility’s warden told the Sandiganbayan on Thursday, Nov. 5.JSupt Maria Lourdes Pacion said she personally approved the arrangement on humanitarian grounds, citing her assessment of Romualdez’s mental state. She said the arrangement was necessary because the jail could not provide someone to assist the former House speaker around the clock. Romualdez’s personal staff member has stayed with him since his detention on Sept. 14. Defense lawyer Ade Fajardo, meanwhile, told reporters that he was unfamiliar with the details of the staff member’s arrangement with the jail management, but said his client’s mental health is monitored regularly. Asked if other detainees received similar arrangements, Pacion said none other had such privileges, but she recalled that the facility previously allowed bedside assistance for a patient who needed…
Mon Tulfo retracts allegations that Romualdez sneaked out of detention
Metro Manila, Philippines – Media personality Ramon Tulfo admitted on Thursday, Nov. 5, that he made a mistake when he alleged that Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez could go in and out of jail. Tulfo said he received wrong information and posted the allegations on social media without verifying their authenticity, prompting a court hearing with officials of the Quezon City Jail in Payatas. Despite Tulfo’s retraction, the Sandiganbayan Third Division still ordered jail officials to review closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage of Romualdez’s transfer to the facility. The court also directed them to submit a report on Monday, Nov. 9. “One of the most embarrassing and humiliating experiences as a journalist is to admit that nakuryente ako [I was misled],” Tulfo said, adding that none of his claims happened. As of posting, however, Tulfo had not taken down his social media post, despite a request from Romualdez’s lawyers. In his Nov.…
Bangsamoro chief names 19 cabinet members
Metro Manila, Philippines – Bangsamoro Chief Minister Abdulraof Macacua named his cabinet members on Thursday, Nov. 5. The cabinet, composed of 16 ministers and three heads of offices under the Office of the Chief Minister, will lead the ministries and key offices under the new Government of the Day. The ministers are: Basir Ibrahim – Ministry of Public Works MP Naguib Sinarimbo – Ministry of Basic, Higher and Technical Education Alirakim Munder – Ministry of Social Services and Development MP Jimael Salam Salliman – Ministry of Health MP Ishak V. Mastura – Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Agrarian Reform Jordan Bayam – Ministry of the Interior and Local Government Jomar Midtimbang – Ministry of Public Order and Safety MP Kitem Kadatuan, Jr. – Ministry of Labor and Employment Faizal M. Padate – Ministry of Trade and Investment, and Tourism MP Jo Genna Jover – Ministry of Indigenous People’s Affairs Ubaida…
OSG calls for administrative cancellation of foreign national late registration
Metro Manila, Philippines – The Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) has pushed for a law creating an administrative process for the cancellation of foreign nationals’ late registration of birth certificates during a Senate hearing on Thursday, Nov. 5. Speaking at the Committee on Justice and Human Rights, Assistant Solicitor General James Cundangan said the OSG should be supported by quick actions to address issues on fraudulent birth registrations of foreigners. “The absurdity of the situation: a late registration is an administrative process, but to cancel (it), you need a judicial process,” he said. According to the Rules of Court, a cancellation petition must be filed with a judicial court and undergo hearings. Cundangan cited former Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo’s case, in which the OSG filed for her record cancellation on July 4, 2024 and the favorable decision of the regional trial court was only issued on Sep. 24,…
