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 …
Come To Think Of It
Misleading scare tactics?
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 …
A stronger Ombudsman
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 …
Anti-corruption bodies must be protected from politicians
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 …
Is Madriaga credible?
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 …
Fireworks in Congress
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 …
Asserting RP sovereignty
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 …
Mini-trial at the House?
By Ade S. Fajardo Former Chief Justice Ma. Lourdes Sereno was targeted for impeachment in August 2017, or a little more than one year after Rodrigo Roa Duterte ascended to the presidency. The impeachment complaint against Sereno was anchored on her supposed failure to file certain statements of net worth (SALN) when she was a …
Bank deposits will steer impeachment
By Ade S. Fajardo Reception of evidence on the impeachment complaints against Vice President Sara Duterte will commence tomorrow. It is all systems go for House of Representatives Committee on Justice chair and Batangas Representative Gerville Luistro, after her panel declared the two petitions lodged against Duterte “sufficient in grounds.” There will be three more …
Kalayaan issue in the Senate
By Ade S. Fajardo Last February 4, the Commission on Appointments (CA) had a hearing on the ad-interim appointment of 35 senior officials of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. In that hearing, Senator Rodante Marcoleta proposed to give up the Kalayaan Island Group (KIG) because its features are outside the Philippine exclusive economic zone. …