All posts by Pol Pinoy

Business, Government, Law Enforcement, Media, Social Media

BREAKING: SEC Clears Rappler, Says It’s Not A Media Company After All (Yellow Edition #3)

1 Comment

MANILA, Philippines (The Adobo Chronicles, Manila Bureau) –  There’s bad news and there’s good news.

The bad news: The Department of Justice has indicted Rappler, Maria Ressa and several others for tax evasion.

The good news: The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has cleared Rappler from charges of violating the Philippine Constitution that prohibits foreign ownership of media companies.

The new SEC order means that Rappler and its parent company Rappler Holdings Corporation can continue to do business with or without foreign investment.

A spokesperson for SEC told The Adobo Chronicles that after careful review of the documents provided by Rappler, as well as tons of its previously published stories, SEC concluded that the online news source is actually not a media company and as such is not coverecd by the Constitutional requirement of 100% Filipino ownership.

“It has become quite clear that the “news stories” published by Rappler over the years are actually personal opinions of Ressa and her corps of Rapplerettes,” the spokesperson said.  Just like personal blogs, published opinions such as those of Rappler’s are not covered by media ownership regulations.”

Champagne flowed at Rappler’s headquarters soon after the SEC news broke.

As for the tax evasion indictment of Rappler? Well that’s a different opinion, uhm, we mean news story.

Government, Law Enforcement, Politics

Senator Leila De Lima Excited About Future Roommates, Imelda Marcos And Maria Ressa

Leave a comment

5EA33C07-ABDE-46FA-A6B6-C4EAC6282B28QUEZON CITY, Philippines (The Adobo Chronicles, Quezon City Bureau) – Life in jail can be quite lonely, as Senator Leila De Lima can attest. It helps to have a jailmate that one can talk to on a daily basis just to help keep one’s sanity.

So one can imagine how excited De Lima was yesterday upon hearing that Former First Lady Imelda Romualdez Marcos was convicted of seven counts of Graft by the Sandigang Bayan (Graft Court), and that Maria Ressa of Rappler, could soon be charged of tax evasion, as announced by the Department of Justice.

Speaking to The Adobo Chronicles, De Lima said either or both ladies would make perfect roommates in her otherwise solitary jail cell.

”I look forward to daily discussions about Philippine History— especially during the Marcos years — as well as matters concerning free speech, social media and taxation,” she said.

However, De Lima may have to wait a little while longer as Marcos’ case is sure to go through the long appeals process and Ressa’s case will still need to have its day in Court.

But it’s the thought that counts.

Politics

Mar Roxas Turns His Back On The Opposition Coalition Party, Will Now Run Under PDP-Laban

Leave a comment

MANILA, Philippines (The Adobo Chronicles, Manila Bureau) – When the Opposition Coalition launched its Senatorial Slate in Marikina recently, one of its candidates — Mar Roxas — was visibly absent.  Now we know why.

Roxas has been secretly negotiating with the ruling Party, PDP-Laban for him to join the Administration’s slate in order to increase his chances of winning.

Well, it happened.  Today, President Duterte all but endorsed Roxas, encouraging Filipinos to vote for him for Senator, like they should vote for singer Freddie Aguilar.

So, it has become official.  Mar Roxas.  PDP-Laban.

Vice President Leni Robredo, who has declared that she will lead the Opposition against Duterte, is devastated, and called Roxas a ‘balimbing’ (turncoat).