Rodrigo duterte

MANILA -- Some politicians want to "capitalize" on President Rodrigo Duterte's supposed rejection of using government funds for the rehabilitation of Marawi, the head of the government housing council said Tuesday.  Duterte was recently quoted as saying, "I don’t think that I should be spending for their buildings," referring to those destroyed when state forces retook the southern city from Islamic State sympathizers who held it for 5 months in 2017.  The President only meant that the government will not provide assistance for the construction of businessmen's "personal houses and buildings", said Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council chairman Eduardo Del Rosario.  "The statement might be misconstrued... But the reality is (government) will continue the rehabilitation. The government will provide house and lots to those informal settler families," he added.  Thousands of houses were destroyed when state forces retook Marawi from Islamic State … [Read more...] about News Leave Marawi rehab to tycoons? Politicos ‘capitalizing’ on Duterte remark, says aide

MANILA - Legal luminaries slammed Monday a government matrix linking the National Union of Peoples' Lawyers and some lawyers to an alleged plot to unseat President Rodrigo Duterte.  The track record of NUPL, an organization of pro bono human rights lawyers, "is beyond question," said several prominent colleagues and the law schools of the University of the Philippines and Ateneo.  "The red tagging of NUPL is contrary to basic rules of evidence, due process and fairplay," read their statement of solidarity.  "Labeling, discrediting, threatening, and attacking lawyers are against the basic principles of lawyering, the State’s duty to protect them and the delivery of justice," it added.  Among the statement's signatories were several foreign lawyers, Adamson law dean Ada Abad, former University of the Philippines law dean Pacifico Agabin, De La Salle University College of Law founding dean Chel Diokno and former Solicitor General Florin Hilbay.  Aside from … [Read more...] about News Legal luminaries hit ‘oust-Duterte’ matrix tagging NUPL

MANILA -- Malacañang said Monday it respects Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio's position on federalism, a key campaign promise of his father, President Rodrigo Duterte. Duterte-Carpio earlier said Mindanao areas held by "warlords" were not yet ready to be given wider powers. "Lagi kong sinasabi I am not for federalism, but I say decision iyan ng Congress, decision iyan ng president natin," Duterte-Carpio told reporters on the sidelines of Hugpong ng Pagbabago’s campaign sortie in Bongao, Tawi-Tawi last week. (I always say that I am not for federalism, but that’s up to Congress and the President.) Asked to comment on Duterte-Carpio's statement, Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo said: "Everyone has his or her ideas on how to solve certain problems. Mayor Sara has her own concept, and we respect that." The President had argued that changing the form of government would benefit local government units who have long been relying on the central government for … [Read more...] about News Palace respects Sara Duterte’s stand on federalism