Abbey M.

Manila – Malacañang responded to the latest allegations of Vice President Sara Duterte claiming that the International Criminal Court or ICC is a "puppet" of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

The Palace also challenged the Vice President to release data regarding the alleged serious cases of gun violence in the country.

Speaking to reporters, Vice President Sara Duterte accused President Marcos and Senator Antonio Trillanes of being behind the ICC's actions.

"How do we characterize Trillanes and Marcos in relation to ICC, yes they are traitors to the Filipino and to the country, but more than that ang ICC ay tuta ni Trillanes at Marcos."

[How do we characterize Trillanes and Marcos in relation to ICC, yes they are traitors to the Filipino and to the country, but more than that, the ICC is a puppet of Trillanes and Marcos.)]

Vice President Sara Duterte called President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. a traitor over his alleged coordination with the International Criminal Court to have former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte arrested.

According to the Vice President, who is currently in The Hague, Netherlands, PBBM appeared to have made an arrangement with the ICC to have his father arrested. She said one proof of this is the presence of ICC investigators in the country. She added that she had spoken with the President regarding the information she had been receiving about the matter.
"I wrote the president, why is the ICC continuing the investigation inside the Philippines, what did he say? We will not cooperate in any shape or form with the ICC because it is an infringement in our sovereignty, on that point he is correct, because our judicial court is functioning... that is the only correct thing that Marcos did or Marcos said about the ICC... but, his left hand was doing other negotiations. He was doing exactly the opposite. He was allowing the investigation to happen supported by the HOR and Antonio Trillanes."

Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Claire Castro responded that these accusations of the Vice President have no basis.

"Ang lahat po halos ng sinasabi ng Bise Presidente sa ngayon ay walang basehan, walang saysay, useless at nonsense. Maaaring ito ay kaniyang nasasabi out of frustration dahil ang kaniyang ama ngayon ay nililitis sa ICC."

[Almost everything the Vice President is saying right now has no basis, makes no sense, and is useless and nonsense. She may be saying this out of frustration because her father is now being tried at the ICC.]

Malacañang also stressed that the case against former President Duterte was filed with the ICC as early as 2017, at a time when President Marcos was still a private citizen. She said PBBM was merely complying with the law.

"Kung mayroong dapat sisihin, walang iba kung hindi ang kaniyang sariling ama dahil sa mga pag-amin nito na siya mismo ay pumatay at nagpapatay, kasama ang ibang mga co-perpetrators."

[If there is anyone to blame, it is no other than her own father because of his own admissions that he himself killed and ordered killings, along with other co-perpetrators.]

Usec. Castro also challenged VP Sara to release data regarding her claims of serious cases of gun violence in the country. This is in connection with VP Duterte's earlier statement that it is not certain whether the actual victims of the drug war are the ones on the list held by the ICC, since gun-related violence is widespread in the Philippines.

According to the Palace official, the administration's fight against criminality continues.

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The public should not be satisfied until everyone involved in the flood control corruption scandal is held accountable.

This is the warning of a Makabayan lawmaker.

According to House Deputy Minority Leader and ACT Teachers Partylist Rep. Antonio Tinio, the public should not be satisfied with the statement made by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. during his fifth State of the Nation Address (SONA) regarding the flood control corruption scandal.

The lawmaker said the corruption is rooted in an alleged collusion between the executive and legislative branches of government.

In his SONA, the President revealed that multiple cases will soon be filed against his cousin and former House Speaker, Leyte 1st District Rep. Martin Romualdez.
"At dumating na tayo sa punto na ayon sa ombudsman, ay malapit na ang paghahain ng patong-patong na kaso laban sa dating speaker. Masakit man sa akin ito, ngunit kailangan nating gawin ang tama. Hindi ako pangulo ng aking pamilya. Hindi ako pangulo ng aking kaibigan. Ako ay pangulo ng Pilipinas at ang tungkulin ko ay sa inyo, ang aking mga kapwa Pilipino." President Marcos Jr. said.

[And we have reached the point where, according to the Ombudsman, multiple cases are about to be filed against the former speaker. This is painful for me, but we need to do what is right. I am not the president of my family. I am not the president of my friend. I am the president of the Philippines, and my duty is to you, my fellow Filipinos.]

Reacting to the President's SONA statement, Rep. Antonio Tinio said the process should not stop with the former speaker alone.
"Hindi tayo maaaring magkasya roon at hindi maaaring tumigil doon. Lalo pa, hindi pwedeng palusutin yung executive branch. yung flood control corruption, nangyari yan dahil may sabwatan ng executive at saka ng legislative. So paano na yung mga cabinet officials, members ng cabinet ng Pangulo, hanggang ngayon hindi iniimbestigahan." Tinio said.
[We cannot be content with that, and we cannot stop there. Furthermore, the executive branch cannot be let off the hook. The flood control corruption happened because there was collusion between the executive and the legislative. So what about the cabinet officials, members of the President's cabinet, who up to now have not been investigated?]

The Makabayan lawmaker added that the public cannot move on until everyone involved in the massive corruption in the government's anti-flood project is held accountable.

"Ang pangamba natin ay baka ang intensyon ng Pangulo ngayon ay sabihin na ito si Former Speaker Romuladez, iimbestigahan na natin, pwede na tayo mag-move on. ang publiko ay hindi rin masisiyasahan at matatahimik kung hindi iimbestigahan at pananagutin ang lahat ng sangkot kasama ang Malacañang."

[Our fear is that the President's intention now is to say, "here is Former Speaker Romualdez, we will investigate him, and now we can move on." The public also will not be satisfied and will not be at peace unless all those involved, including Malacañang, are investigated and held accountable.]

Meanwhile, a House Deputy Speaker admitted it was painful to hear the former House Speaker mentioned in the President's SONA, especially since he remains their colleague in Congress to this day.

Asked about the matter, House Deputy Speaker and Iloilo 1st District Rep. Janette Garin said it was only natural to feel that way about a colleague, but stressed the need to respect the process and move forward.
"Syempre natural lang 'yun, pag may kasamahan ka, human as we are, andoon 'yung konting kirot sa ating puso. Ngunit, nirerespeto natin ang proseso, nirerespeto natin ang sistema, we need to move on, because a bigger stake is on hand, and that is delivering for our people"

[Of course that's only natural — when you have a colleague, human as we are, there is that slight pain in our hearts. But we respect the process, we respect the system, we need to move on, because a bigger stake is on hand, and that is delivering for our people.]

Meanwhile, Rep. Romualdez has already filed a counter-affidavit with the Office of the Ombudsman, following the recommendation of special investigators to file complaints of plunder, graft, bribery, and money laundering against him.

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Senate Committee on Energy Chairman Senator Erwin Tulfo has filed two bills aimed at lowering electricity prices.

Among the measures filed by the senator is Senate Bill No. 2339, or the proposed Energy Tax Repeal Act, as well as Senate Bill No. 2340, which seeks to exempt from the 12 percent Value Added Tax the system loss being passed on to consumers.

Aside from the two bills, Senator Erwin Tulfo also filed a resolution seeking a Senate investigation into the policy that allows system loss on electricity to be passed on to consumers.

According to the Lawmaker, they will continue the hearing tomorrow, July 30, on the proposed amendment to the Electric Power Industry Reform Act of 2021, or the EPIRA Law.

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Manila, Philippines – Senate Minority Leader Senator Alan Peter Cayetano delivered his counter-State of the Nation Address or “Counter-SONA” a day after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s fifth SONA on July 27, where he described the President as the "president of the opposition."

The senator made this remark following his defense of fellow senators facing plunder cases, namely Senators Jinggoy Estrada and Rodante Marcoleta, as well as Senator Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa, who has a warrant of arrest from the International Criminal Court (ICC).

"Sabi ng Pangulo, I am president not only of my family. And it is worth [it] yung palakpak na binigay sa kaniya. But can we add, the president is also not only the president of the administration, he is also president of the opposition." Cayetano said.

[The President said, I am president not only of my family. And it is worth the applause given to him. But can we add, the president is also not only the president of the administration, he is also president of the opposition.]

In his speech, Cayetano expressed doubt over the fair implementation of the law in the country because of what is happening to his colleagues.

"Respectfully, I believe that Senator Bato is fleeing unjustly. Because he cannot get justice. I believe Senator Jinggoy and Senator Marcoleta are political prisoners. And that if it wasn't weaponized, they will be able to at least go out on bail. So Mr. President, these are things that we should talk about as a Senate."

Because of this, the lawmaker reiterated that Senators Estrada and Marcoleta should be allowed to attend the ongoing impeachment trial against Vice President Sara Duterte.

Meanwhile, Cayetano also emphasized in his counter-SONA other problems facing the country, including the Philippines' growing debt, low wages, and the lack of regulation on vapes.

He also called for the repeal of the K-12 program and for the continuation of the investigation into the widespread flood control projects scandal.

Lastly, he urged the government to work together and unite in upholding a single national vision for the country.

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Senator Panfilo Lacson has submitted several documents and testimonies to the Office of the Ombudsman regarding alleged anomalies in flood control projects in Taguig City.

In his X post yesterday, Senator Lacson said he has already turned over the evidence to the anti-graft court, which will undergo further evaluation and a possible motu proprio investigation ("posibleng moto propio investigation").

Senator Lacson had earlier disclosed alleged evidence related to reported double billing and collection in infrastructure projects in Taguig City.

Senator Lacson is linking the issue to Senate Minority Leader Allan Peter Cayetano.

However, Senator Cayetano has firmly denied this ("mariin itong itinanggi ni Senator Allan Peter") and insists that it is not only Taguig that should be investigated but also other cities in Metro Manila.

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