3 Liberal Party members and an ally are stripped of their committee chairmanships in the Senate

MANILA, Philippines – Vice President Leni Robredo on Monday, February 27, lashed out against the Duterte administration for being "obsessed with monopolizing power and intent on marginalizing those who have opposing views."

This was after senators belonging to or affiliated with the Liberal Party (LP) were stripped of their committee chairmanships. (READ: Liberal Party senators see Palace hand in ouster)

On Monday afternoon, senators Franklin Drilon, Francis Pangilinan, Paolo Benigno Aquino IV, and Akbayan Senator Risa Hontiveros were removed from key posts in the Senate following a motion by key administration ally, neophyte Senator Manny Pacquiao.

The 4 were once part of the PDP-Laban-led majority bloc. They have since moved to the minority bloc. Akbayan is an ally of the once-ruling LP.

"When we were given the mandate by the people, we were determined to work with this administration to put national interest before politics. But despite our sincere efforts, it is now clear that the Duterte administration is incapable of tolerating dissent, no matter how constructive," said Robredo in a statement released to the media.

"What happened in the Senate today is characteristic of an administration obsessed with monopolizing power and intent on marginalizing those who have opposing views," added Robredo, who was once a member of the Duterte Cabinet.

She resigned as housing chief last December after she was told to stop attending all Cabinet meetings.

The Vice President, a staunch critic of authoritarian rule and of Ferdinand Marcos' dictatorship, noted that the Philippines has seen moves to monopolize power in the past.

"This has happened before. In the past, this paved the way for a one-man rule. We will not be silenced. Our nation deserves no less," said Robredo, who defeated Marcos' only son, Ferdinand Marcos Jr, for the vice presidency during the 2016 elections.

As the LP's highest elected official, Robredo is also the party's chairperson.

"Democracy demands dissent," added Robredo. (READ: Robredo to Duterte: 'Mr President, we call you to task')

The shift among the Senate blocs came days after Senator Leila de Lima, an LP member and among President Rodrigo Duterte's staunchest critics, was arrested for alleged ties to illegal drugs on February 24.

On February 25, all 4 senators attended the 31st anniversary celebration of the EDSA People Power Revolution. They were all clad in black.

On the same day, Duterte supporters staged a rally in support of the President at the Luneta.

Last week, the Senate was also divided over a vote to reopen a probe into the so-called Davao Death Squad (DDS), a vigilante group that was supposedly founded and utilized by Duterte when he was Davao City mayor.

The LP bloc voted to allow Arturo "Arthur" Lascañas, a self-confessed DDS hitman, to testify before the Senate.

When we were given the mandate by the people, we were determined to work with this administration to put national interest before politics.

But despite our sincere efforts, it is now clear that the Duterte administration is incapable of tolerating dissent, no matter how constructive.

What happened in the Senate today is characteristic of an administration obsessed with monopolizing power and intent on marginalizing those who have opposing views.

This has happened before. In the past, this paved the way for a one-man rule.

We will not be silenced. Our nation deserves no less. </s> EXPOSE. President Rodrigo Duterte says he will make an 'expose' against the Philippine Daily Inquirer at the 50th founding anniversary of Davao del Norte in Tagum City on July 1, 2017. Photo by Joey Dalumpines/Presidential Photo

MANILA, Philippines – As President Rodrigo Duterte embarked on his second year in office, he launched fresh attacks against a major newspaper, accusing its owners of not paying proper taxes for a property whose ownership is still the subject of a court battle.

In a speech during the Davao del Norte’s 50th founding anniversary on Saturday, July 1, the Chief Executive warned that he would "make an exposé" against the Philippine Daily Inquirer whose owners he accused of incorrect tax payment.

"One of these days, I will come up with an exposé," he said.

The President claimed that the "Inquirer" owed P8 billion in taxes, though he was apparently referring to the newspaper's owners, the Prietos, who owned the property in question.

“They occupy Mile Long ang contract ana, 50 years, extension kausa. Why extension? Ang kita ng mga tindahan diha, sila’y ga kolekta (The contract is only for 50 years but it was extended. Why extension? They collect revenues from the stores there),” Duterte said.

“Ila pa ang taxes. Kanang mga tag-iya ng Inquirer kaya…pero kung magsalita kayo kontra sa akin, akala 'nyo sino ang malinis. Kayo ang mga tulisan (The taxes are theirs. The owners of Inquirer. But when you speak against me, it’s like you’re the ones who are clean. You are the thief),” he added.

It was the latest in a series of attacks of Duterte against media companies he believed to be critical of his administration. (READ: Duterte tries to link Inquirer owners to ex-official with huge salary)

The President said he would make sure that the disputed property is "returned" to the government.

"But I will not allow you to do that to the Filipino people. You return the property to the Republic of the Philippines,” he said.

He reiterated that he would ask the people to “occupy” the Mile Long property because “it belongs to you.” The President had made the same threat in March.

Duterte was referring to a property in Makati City that is the subject of a court case between the Sunvar Realty Development Corporation a developer owned by the Rufino and Prieto families, and the city of Makati.

In September 2016, the Court of Appeals (CA) rejected the city government’s move to take possession of the property. This was in response to a 2015 decision by a Metropolitan Trial Court (MTC) in Makati which ordered Sunvar to vacate the 2.9 hectare property, according to a report from the BusinessMirror.

The MCT then ordered Sunvar to pay the government back rentals reaching P478.2 million then. They were also told to pay a P3.2 million monthly rent beginning June 2015.

“Kaya itong korte, kayo ring mga judges bantay kayo. Hindi, ganito eh. Pag naa gani bidding, misking si Consunji and Ayala….'pag naa’y bidding, mag-apply restraining order….Lahat ng protesta, there never was a finding that it was overpriced,” said Duterte, referring to the flurry of legal remedies that follow bidding wars.

(So those courts, those judges better watch out. No, it’s like this. When there’s bidding, even if it’s a Consunji and an Ayala…when there’s a bidding, someone applies for a restraining order. In all those protests, there never was a finding that it was overpriced.)

Aside from the Inquirer, the President also singled out major TV network ABS-CBN, which he had also accused of airing unflattering reports about his presidency.

In May, the President threatened ABS-CBN with multiple estafa charges for not airing his campaign advertisements which he had already paid for. – Rappler.com </s> The Cabinet of Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte will investigate an alleged email leak that reportedly reveals that the country’s vice president has been involved in efforts to overthrow the controversial leader.

The emails, which have been dubbed ‘LeniLeaks’ online, purportedly show supporters of Vice President Leni Robredo calling for rallies against Duterte’s administration.

Those involved in the exchanges, which were posted online by bloggers, were Filipino-American members of a Yahoo! group called Global Filipino Diaspora Council, which is allegedly plotting to oust Duterte.

Billionaire philanthropist Loida Nicolas-Lewis and her sister, former Commission on Filipinos Overseas Chair Imelda “Mely” Nicolas, were both reportedly involved in the exchanges.

“[Duterte] asked for an extension of another six months. Extension denied! Join Duterte Resign Movement,” one of the emails from Nicolas-Lewis allegedly reads, referring to Duterte’s admission that he could not solve the country’s drug problem in six months, as previously promised.

Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre said on Monday that he is convinced Robredo is connected to the group.

On Sunday, National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr. called the allegations against Robredo “serious” during a podcast of presidential communications secretary Martin Andanar.

“I need to look into it, this looks like a serious matter that needs an in-depth probe,” Esperon said, as quoted by CNN Philippines.

However, GMA News quoted Esperon as saying that a discussion of the emails is not on the agenda for the first Cabinet meeting of 2017.

“We have a Cabinet meeting. It happens that it is not one of the matters to be taken up. That just tells you that we have other more important matters [to discuss],” Esperon told reporters. He did state, however, that the administration would look into the emails at some point.

Robredo denied the allegations in an interview transcript released by her office on Monday. She went on to slam Justice Secretary Aguirre for previously accusing her of staying in Lewis’ house during her recent trip to the US. Though she admitted that Lewis supported her during her campaign for Congress in 2013, she said she has not heard from her since.

Duterte has come under fire since taking office in May of 2016 on a promise to wipe out drugs and dealers in the country.

His controversial ‘war on drugs’ has so far led to the death of almost 6,000 people, according to statistics released by the national police in December. Most of those were reportedly killed in vigilante or extrajudicial killings, while others lost their lives in police operations.

Duterte’s campaign has been sharply criticized by the US, the European Union, and the United Nations. The president has lashed out at each of his critics, calling President Barack Obama a “son of a bi**h/whore” in September. He also gave the EU a “f**k you,” telling the bloc it is only criticizing his war on drugs in “atonement” for its own sins, and called UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon a “devil.” </s> The alleged plot to unseat President Rodrigo Duterte being attributed to Vice President Leni Robredo showed how “twisted and paranoid” this administration has become, an opposition lawmaker said.

“’LeniLeaks’ again show us how twisted and paranoid the demigods under the Duterte administration has become,” Akbayan Rep. Tom Villarin said in a statement on Monday.

Villarin, an ally of Robredo, criticized the administration for spreading “hateful rumors” only to cover up their own fears.

“Why burden the public with hateful rumors? What good will it bring to put down a good person except to assuage their own fears and insecurities,” Villarin said.

Villarin appealed to the administration to call for unity of principle and decency during the new year.

“Let the new year be a chance for our country to be united along principles of decency and tolerance, not drown by lies and deceit,” Villarin said.

Robredo became a subject of online backlash after her rabid online critics and trolls on Facebook spread screenshots of supposed emails from Robredo’s known supporters calling for Duterte’s resignation and protests against the President’s support for the hero’s burial of the dictator Ferdinand Marcos.

Another viral post showed an email from the Office of the Vice President’s social media unit urging its trolls to launch a counteroffensive against Duterte; social media personalities who were Robredo’s rabid critics; and defeated vice presidential candidate Bongbong Marcos, who filed an electoral protest against Robredo.

While the Office of the Vice President has not yet issued a statement about it, Robredo denied being part of any ouster moves against Duterte.

Presidential Communications Secretary Martin Andanar said he has asked National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr. to investigate the alleged ouster plot.

Robredo had resigned from the Cabinet after she was ordered by Duterte to desist from attending Cabinet meetings due to irreconcilable differences.

Duterte later said he asked Robredo to stop attending the meetings over allegations that she joined protests against him, an accusation the vice president vehemently denied.

Robredo has criticized Duterte’s support for the burial of the dictator Marcos at the Libingan ng mga Bayani, as well as the administration’s bloody war on drugs, which has claimed over 6,000 lives already, including those killed in the crossfire. JE </s> Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday assured Vice President Maria Leonor “Leni” Robredo that there was no plot to steal the vice presidency from her.

In an interview following the groundbreaking ceremony for the planned Bicol International Airport in Legazpi City, the President said Robredo, who is from Bicol, would keep her post.

“I will assure Leni and the rest of the Bicol region that you will have her until the very end of her term,” Duterte told reporters. “There is no such thing as removing of a vice president,” he added.

The President issued the statement when asked about Robredo’s claim that there was a plot to steal her position following her resignation as housing chief last Monday.

The former Camarines Sur representative is facing an electoral protest lodged by former senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., whom she defeated in the May elections with a margin of 263,473 votes.

Robredo claimed her resignation from the Cabinet was due to the Executive branch’s apparent lack of support for housing initiatives and the President’s order that she stop attending Cabinet meetings.

Robredo as well as the Palace officials also noted that she and Duterte have opposing views on several issues, including the hero’s burial for Marcos’ father, the late strongman Ferdinand Marcos.

Duterte made the statement a day after accusing the “Yellows,” or allies of the previous Aquino administration led by the Liberal Party, of plotting to oust him.

The Liberal Party on Thursday denied it was planning to oust President Duterte.

“It’s not true. There’s no such plot and you know, I don’t know where the President gets his information, but we deny that we are plotting,” said Senate President Pro-Tempore Franklin Drilon, a party leader.

Drilon said the party was just stating its positions on various issues, some of which were opposed to the President’s positions, like the burial of former president Marcos at the Libingan ng mga Bayani.

“So these are views that we expressed as a party and they have nothing to do with any plan allegedly to oust the president. We deny that categorically,” Drilon said.

Senator Francis Pangilinan, acting Liberal Party president, also dismissed the allegation, noting that many party members have jumped ship to parties allied with Malacañang.

“Being critical of the burial of Marcos in the Libingan or being critical of the spate of extrajudicial killings does not mean we want Duterte ousted,” Pangilinan said.

Still, Liberal senators have no plans of leaving the majority bloc in the chamber, led by the Senate President Aquilino Pimentel 3rd of the ruling Partido Demokratiko Pilipno-Lakas ng Bayan. </s> Paolo Duterte, son of Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte, has denied allegations that he is connected with an international drug cartel that attempted to ship $125 million-worth of drugs into the country.

Paolo Duterte testified before a Senate inquiry Thursday and claimed he had no links to multimillion-dollar shipment of shabu (slang for crystal methamphetamine in parts of southeast Asia) from China to Manila in May, describing such allegations as "baseless."

"My presence here is for the Filipino people and for my fellow Davaoeños whom I serve," Duterte said, as cited by Reuters, referring to the people of Davao, where his father served as mayor for more than 20 years before his election as president in 2016.

Senator Antonio Trillanes, one of President Duterte's most vociferous opponents, showed photographs of the president's son beside the businessman alleged to be responsible for importing the shipment of drugs.

He also cited unspecified foreign intelligence that Paolo Duterte is a member of a crime syndicate while alluding to a "dragon-like" tattoo on his back as proof.

"I cannot answer allegations based on hearsay," Paolo Duterte, the vice mayor of the southern city of Davao, told the Senate as cited by Reuters.

When asked if a photograph could be taken of the tattoo and sent to the US Drug Enforcement Agency for analysis, he simply replied, "No way."

His sister, and Davao City Mayor, Sara Duterte took to Facebook to ridicule the line of questioning.

Trillanes also pressed alleged co-conspirator Maneses Carpio and his wife Sara Duterte, daughter of the president, about their private bank accounts which he alleges contain over $2.3 million. Both declined to answer questions citing the right to financial privacy.

“Anyway, if I am wrong the whole world will laugh at me,” Trillanes said, as cited by The Philippines Inquirer.

One of the hallmarks of President Duterte’s time in office has been the extremely violent crackdown on both drug users and drug dealers. Official records show that more than 3,800 people have died in police raids since July 2016, though Human Rights Watch claims the figure is closer to 7,000.

President Duterte has vowed to resign if his critics could prove any of his family members were involved in corruption. However, he is known to have made about turns on controversial statements made in the past.

READ MORE: ‘We cannot destroy mosques’: Duterte makes a U-turn on his controversial mosque bombing statement </s> VICE PRESIDENT Maria Leonor “Leni” Robredo and her Liberal party mates on Tuesday denied a plot to oust President Rodrigo Duterte, with Robredo calling the accusation that came from the President himself “misinformation.”

Duterte on Monday said the “yellows” were out to discredit and impeach him, claiming they were behind the international media play-up of his expletive-laden outburst against the United States and US President Barack Obama amid last week’s Association of Southeast Asian Nations summits in Laos.

Yellow is the color associated with the Liberal Party (LP) of former President Benigno Aquino 3rd.

Robredo, the LP’s highest-ranking elected official who was given the Social Welfare and Development portfolio by Duterte, said in a statement: “There are no moves from the Liberal Party to unseat the President.”

“In fact, the leadership of the party has been consistently demonstrating its support to this administration. Members of the party coalesced with the majority in the House and the Senate,” she added.

Robredo was referring to the LP lawmakers who belong to the “Super Majority” bloc led by Duterte’s allies from PDP-Laban, the Nationalist People’s Coalition, Nacionalista Party, National Unity Party and Lakas-CMD in both the House of Representatives and the Senate.

Rep. Romero Quimbo of Marikina, a Liberal, is one of the 12 deputy speakers of the House.

Robredo said she would “clarify” the “misinformation” on the supposed impeachment plot with the President and assure him of the party’s commitment to his reform measures, particularly on poverty and the fight against illegal drugs.

“We’ve offered the anti-poverty programs and policies that I’ve been pushing for to complement the government’s priorities on poverty alleviation. We’ve been coordinating with the relevant government agencies so that our office can help in the rehabilitation effort that needs to accompany the campaign against illegal drugs,” she added.

Liberal congressmen Feliciano Belmonte Jr. of Quezon City, Edcel Lagman of Albay, Raul Daza of Northern Samar and Edgar Erice of Caloocan City echoed Robredo.

Belmonte said it would be hard to impeach Duterte, who controls Congress.

“He (Duterte) is overwhelmingly popular which amounts to a public approval of his programs. Secondly, he has overwhelming majority in the House where impeachment starts,” Belmonte said.

Daza agreed that impeachment was definitely off the table.

“As you already know, 28 of the 33 LP members are with the Super Majority [bloc]. We [in the LP]have not even talked about impeachment. Impeachment, under the Constitution, begins in the House and I am sure there has not been any talk about that,” Daza said.

‘Impeaching himself’

 For Lagman, a Liberal stalwart who chose to be part of the House minority, the President had no one to blame but himself for what happened last week.

“It is the President who is … impeaching himself with ill-conceived statements that are unmindful of adverse effects and compromising consequences,” Lagman told reporters, referring to the President’s tirades against the US, expletives against world leaders, and controversial statements against political opponents.

At least five LP members belong to the House opposition bloc that has called itself the “Legitimate 8” following the installation of Quezon Rep. Danilo Suarez as minority leader.

Lagman’s group, which claims the Suarez-led minority is friendly to the Super Majority, includes Daza, Erice, Teodoro Baguilat of Ifugao and Emmanuel Billones of Capiz.

Erice clarified that being in the opposition did not mean support for Duterte’s ouster.

“We don’t talk about impeachment because it is bad for our country and for our economy. We do not wish impeachment for the President,” Erice said.

“We want President Duterte to succeed, and our role [in the opposition]is to provide check and balance. The President should also try to appreciate that what we are doing here [as opposition lawmakers]is also good for the country,” Erice added. </s> MALACAÑANG on Thursday was elated at the inclusion of President Rodrigo Duterte on the list of the “World’s Most Powerful People” by Forbes magazine.

Duterte ranked 70th on the annual list, just behind US Vice President-elect Mike Pence.

Russian President Vladimir Putin topped the Forbes list for the fourth consecutive year. He was followed by US President-elect Donald Trump, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Pope Francis.

Forbes cited Duterte’s tough stance on illegal drugs and crime, as well as his tough talk.

“The former mayor of Davao City was elected president of the Philippines in May 2016 on the strength of a campaign that promised the swift execution of drug users and other criminals, and his war on crime has already resulted in the killing of thousands of people,” Forbes said.

“Duterte’s tendency to say what he thinks, no matter how raw, also keeps him in the headlines,” it added.

Forbes mentioned Duterte’s expletive-laden tirade against US President Barack Obama in which the Philippine leader uttered the Filipino cuss word that translates to “son of a whore.” </s> Senator Antonio Trillanes IV became the second lawmaker in less that two years to be arrested in the Philippines Tuesday in what human rights groups say is a “relentless campaign” to silence the critics of President Rodrigo Duterte.

Trillanes handed himself over to authorities shortly after a regional trial court issued a warrant for his arrest, the Philippine reports. He had been holed up in the Senate building for three weeks following a presidential proclamation ordering the immediate revocation of amnesty granted under a previous administration.

While some 40 police and soldiers arrived at the Senate the morning the proclamation was made public, authorities declined to detain Trillanes without a court ordered warrant.

Read more: The Senate Standoff: How Duterte’s Attempt to Arrest Another Critic Is Testing Philippine Democracy

Trillanes had long provoked Duterte’s ire, condemning his drug war — which human rights groups say is responsible for at least 12,000 deaths — accusing him, his son, and members of his administration of corruption, and supporting the International Criminal Court’s preliminary examination into alleged extrajudicial killings.

His arrest is “the latest in the relentless campaign to silence those who dared to challenge the president’s murderous ‘drug war,'” Carlos Conde, a researcher at Human Rights Watch’s Asia Division, said in a statement. Trillanes’ detention could have a “chilling affect” on other critics, Conde wrote.

It follows the jailing of fellow critic, Sen. Leila de Lima in February 2017, threats to impeach Vice President Leni Robredo after she criticized Duterte’s drug war, threats to arrest the Ombudsman after she launched an investigation into Duterte’s family finances, and the ouster of Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno from the Supreme Court.

For de Lima, the persecution of Trillanes feels familiar. “Trillanes is a threat as I am a threat, as free speech and democracy are a threat to Duterte,” she wrote TIME from her cell days after the president revoked his amnesty.

Police arrested de Lima on drug-related charges more than 18 months ago, following an investigation she launched into alleged extrajudicial killings during the drug war. “As president, [Duterte] cannot outrightly murder political opponents without creating a national crisis,” De Lima added, so instead he resorts to “jailing us as common criminals.”
President of the Philippines Rodrigo Duterte threatens the Philippine Daily Inquirer with an exposé. The newspaper has been a long-time ally of the politically prominent Aquino family (ever since the 1986 EDSA People Power Revolution), as well as the minority opposition Liberal Party (of which the Vice President of the Philippines Leni Robredo is its prominent member); both have been consistent in their criticisms of the Duterty presidency and its policies since its inauguration in 2016.