Come To Think Of It

By Ade S. Fajardo The Integrated Bar of the Philippines and other civic organizations have issued public statements declaring Senator Win Gatchalian’s ascension as Senate president pro tempore, and thus acting Senate president, as valid and legal under the Constitution and the rules of the Senate. There is a real chance, however, that this issue …

By Ade S. Fajardo The Supreme Court has published the individual opinions of the justices who agreed with the majority to deny Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa’s bid for a temporary restraining order (TRO) against his impending arrest. Five justices dissented. They voted to enjoin the threatened arrest in the meantime that the court is …

By Ade S. Fajardo Last week, the Supreme Court denied Senator Bato dela Rosa’s urgent motion for a temporary restraining order against his possible arrest by agents of the law in accordance with a warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC). Dela Rosa bolted the Senate premises at the break of dawn last May …

By Ade S. Fajardo Alan Peter Cayetano, when he was Foreign Relations secretary, was the “principal architect” of the Philippines’ withdrawal from the International Criminal Court (ICC). The solicitor general minced no words in her comment to Bato dela Rosa’s urgent motion seeking relief from the Supreme Court against his impending arrest as directed by …

By Ade S. Fajardo Why is there a subpoena all of a sudden against Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa? Last Sunday, no less than Secretary Jonvic Remulla of the Department of the Interior and Local Government announced the issuance of the subpoena. “It’s all related to the 100-plus complaints of EJK [extrajudicial killings] that occurred …

By Ade S. Fajardo The Supreme Court, writing through Justice Filomena Singh, has upheld the independence of the Office of the Ombudsman by confirming that the president does not have the power to remove a deputy ombudsman. To recall, despite prevailing case law that he could not do so, former President Rodrigo Duterte entertained a …

By Ade S. Fajardo In August 2018, Overall Deputy Ombudsman Arthur Carandang was ordered dismissed from the service. It was the Office of the President that issued the dismissal order despite prevailing jurisprudence at the time that the president has no power to dismiss a deputy ombudsman. The ombudsman, and by extension his or her …

By Ade S. Fajardo Ramil Madriaga’s testimony at the House of Representatives committee on justice last week may be synthesized as follows: He helped establish ISIP, a non-profit organization intended to propel Sara Duterte to the presidency in 2022. ISIP stands for Inday Sara Is My President movement. *** When Duterte slid to the vice …

By Ade S. Fajardo Vice President Sara Duterte faces evidence to be presented by complainants on the impeachment raps she was able to dodge last year. She had secured a favorable decision from the Supreme Court after the Senate dilly-dallied on holding a trial last year. The House of Representatives committee on justice is set …

By Ade S. Fajardo Sometime ago, the committee on national defense of the Commission on Appointments discussed the ad interim appointments and nominations of generals and other senior officers of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. Among those appointees was Colonel Jacquelyn Cloma. Her husband is a great-grandson of Cloma fishing magnate Tomas Cloma, who …