No Emergency Powers Needed: Duterte Mulls Closing EDSA For Six Months

September 24, 2019 Pol Pinoy Leave a comment

MANILA, Philippines (The Adobo Chronicles, Manila Bureau) – He has done it before when he ordered the closure of Boracay Island for six months for rehabilitation. It worked, and he didn’t even need emergency powers to do it.

Well, President Rodrigo Duterte is doing it again. He’s seriously considering closing EDSA for six months to finally solve Metro Manila’s main thoroughfare’s unsolvable traffic problem.

”There’s really nothing to rehabilitate about EDSA,” Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo told The Adobo Chronicles. “The idea is to get motorists accustomed to using side streets to get to and from their destinations. Once they get used to the routine, they won’t even bother to drive on EDSA even after it reopens,” he added.

Talk about mind-conditioning!

Duterte’s move is seen by many as a mockery of the incompetence of the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) in coming up with a permanent solution to the traffic problem.

It is also seen as a slap on the face for Senator Grace Poe who refuses to grant Duterte emergency powers to deal with EDSA traffic.

Diversity, Government, LGBT, Politics

COMELEC Approves New Party-lists

September 23, 2019 Pol Pinoy Leave a comment

MANILA, Philippines (The Adobo Chronicles, Manila Bureau) – The next time Filipino voters go to the polls to vote for party-lists, there will be new accredited groups to choose from.

The Commission on Elections (COMELEC) today announced that it has unanimously approved the following:

The Kabataan party-list has been abolished. In its place, two new party-lists have been accredited: the Youth party-list and the Borderline party-list. The poll body said this would end all controversy and debate on who qualifies as ‘youth.’
Two new groups representing the Filipino transgender community have also been certified: the Pre-Op party-list and the Post-Op party-list. COMELEC says this move will be better reflect the diversity within the community.

Government, Law Enforcement

Leni Robredo Cries ‘Foul’ Over Duterte’s Suggestion To Require IQ Test For Driver’s License

September 23, 2019 Pol Pinoy Leave a comment

MANILA, Philippines (The Adobo Chronicles, Manila Bureau) – Vice President Leni Robredo is crying ‘foul’ over President Rodrigo Duterte’s suggestion to require an IQ test for the issuance of a Philippine driver’s license.

’Why is the President targeting me? It is my right to have a driver’s license,” Robredo told The Adobo Chronicles.

It will be recalled that one of Duterte’s cabinet members, Foreign Affairs Secretary Teddy Boy Locsin, had called Robredo ‘boba’ (dumb) in a post on his Twitter account.

The Adobo Chronicles asked Robredo if she was willing to take an IQ test to prove Duterte and Locsin wrong, she simply replied, “Magmerienda na lang tayo.” (Just join me for a snack)