Militant groups, civil society organizations, and members of religious congregations will mount a three-day major rally and vigil from June 9 (Monday) to June 11, (Wednesday) to call on the Senate to proceed with the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte.
The language of Hegseth’s press conference in Manila is indicative of the openly aggressive face of US imperialism under Trump. Gone was any reference to what had been the political shibboleth of Washington in the Asia Pacific region: the defense of “freedom of navigation.” Hegseth spoke rather of “preparing for war,” using the phrase more than once. Every time Hegseth mentioned China he termed it “Communist China,” and spoke of its “aggression.” Hegseth referred to US Seventh fleet commander Admiral Samuel Paparo “and his war plans. Real war plans.”
The recent release of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations’ preliminary report on the arrest of former President Rodrigo Duterte has sent ripples through the Philippine legal and political landscape. Chaired by Senator Imee Marcos, the report outlines what it calls “glaring violations” of constitutional rights, procedural lapses, and questionable coordination between the Philippine government and the International Criminal Court (ICC).
As for President Marcos, he may have a solid plan to neutralize the Dutertes but it is the anguish of ordinary citizens reeling from high prices and low wages that he should be worried about. Even Vice President Sara Duterte is aware that the concern of the average voter is the economic crisis, which is why her arrival statement at The Hague when she visited her father focused on the need to address poverty, hunger, and joblessness in the Philippines. In other words, the most serious threat to the Marcos presidency is its own failure to fulfill the campaign promise of bringing down the price of rice and other goods, uplift the conditions of working families, and provide adequate and affordable services to the people.
Three years ago, the most powerful political families in the Philippines joined hands to secure the nation’s biggest election victory in four decades. Now they are locked in a feud that threatens to derail one of Asia’s economic growth stars.
In dramatic events on Tuesday, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s government arrested and deported his predecessor Rodrigo Duterte to face the International Criminal Court in The Hague. The move came just over a month after the impeachment of his daughter, Vice President Sara Duterte, by allies of Marcos. A Senate trial, which would determine whether she gets removed from office, is scheduled to begin in July.
Sara Duterte, left, with Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in 2022. Photographer: Ezra Acayan/Getty ImagesRead More »
The Philippine STAR reported that presidential press officer Claire Castro brought up the idea at the tri-committee hearing on fake news, saying that forming another regulatory body for such could help fight the proliferation of fake news on the Internet.
The Universal Health Care (UHC) Act of 2019, a landmark legislation for equitable healthcare access, places PhilHealth at the forefront of its implementation. However, recent controversies—ranging from the unlawful transfer of funds to the National Treasury to Congress denying PhilHealth a budget for 2025—have exposed systemic failures and raised serious questions about accountability and leadership.
“After that meeting with the Makabayan bloc and Martin Romualdez, they started destroying my name, pummeling me in the media with the multi million PR campaign. They even insulted me by lying that I was a traitor, a corrupt, an abusive person. Your motherfucker, who is corrupt?” she said during an online press briefing early Saturday.
“Those congressmen who are holding hearings, what do they say when the hearing is over, when the mic is off, when the media is gone- ‘Excuse me, we need money because the election is coming up. Please tell Sara, I don’t like what I’m doing,’” she said.
The country’s veep then directed her fury at Manila Rep. Joel Chua, head of the House panel probing the confidential funds use, accusing him of hypocrisy.
“You motherfucker, you don’t like what you’re doing, why are you ruining my name, Joel Chua?”
MANILA (Reuters) – The United States has no immediate plans to withdraw a mid-range missile system deployed in the Philippines, despite Chinese demands, and is testing the feasibility of its use in a regional conflict, sources with knowledge of the matter said.
Ms. Cat’s Chronicles 
You must be logged in to post a comment.