Category Archives: Government

Government, Immigration, International, Politics, Travel

U.S. Senators Leahy And Durbin Banned From Entering PH, Will Maria Ressa Be Next?

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MANILA, Philippines (The Adobo Chronicles, Manila Bureau)  –  The Philippines on Friday barred from entry 2 United States Senators supportive of detained Philippine Senator Leila de Lima amid the possible US ban on Filipino officials behind her arrest.

President Rodrigo Duterte ordered the Bureau of Immigration to deny Philippine entry to Senators Patrick Leahy and Dick Durbin after they sought to ban Filipino officials involved in what they called the “wrongful imprisonment” of De Lima, a staunch administration critic.

”The U.S. can’t bully us.  We’ll bully them instead,” Duterte was overheard saying to confidants in Malacanang.

There are also rumors that Duterte will soon order the revocation of the dual citizenship of Rappler CEO Maria Ressa, deport her to the U.S, and  ban her from re-entering the Philippines.  The Duterte administration considers Ressa an “enemy of the state” for the false, exaggerated statements she and Rappler have been spreading about the Philippines’ war on drugs and the state of press freedom in the country.

(It will be recalled that an online petition asking for the revocation of Ressa’s dual citizenship has garnered more thant 54,000 signatures to date.)

As for de Lima, Duterte told The Adobo Chronicles, “Like Pontius Pilate, I wash my hands.  Her fate is now in the hands of the Philippine courts.”

 

Government, International, Law Enforcement, Politics

Senator Leila De Lima Released From Camp Crame Detention Center!

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MANILA, Phiippines (The Adobo Chronicles, Manila Bureau) – The U.S. Senators who have demanded the immediate release of incacerated Philippine Senator Leila De Lima from jail may have gotten their wish. The Senators believe that the Senator was being detained for her political beliefs  which led them to recommend the banning by the U.S. of Filipinos who were responsible for her incarceration.

On Christmas Day, De Lima was released from her detention cell  at the Philippine National Police (PNP) headquarters in Camp Crame Quezon City where she has been for almost three years.

Reacting to the news, the American Senators immediately withdrew their earlier resolution demanding De Lima’s release while rushing to cancel the travel restrictions for the Pinoys which was included in the 2020 Budget signed by President Donald Trump.

Unknownst to the Americans, De Lima was indeed released from Camp Crame only to be transferred to a more permanent kubol (jail cell) at the National Bilibid Prison (National Penitentiary).

There is no development as to the Senators’ other demand to drop all criminal charges filed against Rappler CEO Maria Ressa.

 

 

Government, Immigration, International, Politics

Duterte Open To Granting Julian Assange Asylum In The Philippines

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MANILA, Philippines (The Adobo Chronicles, Manila Bureau) – As far as we know, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is still inside London’s Ecuadorian embassy, seeking refuge from attempts to extradite him to the US where he is facing espionage charges.  (We’ll let our venerable Facebook fact checkers Rappler and Vera Files to confirm or deny that for us.)

But this story is about Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte reportedly being open to granting Assange political asylum in the Philippines.  This comes just hours after Duterte said he is open to accepting Rohingya refugees who are reportedly facing political persecution in Myanmar because of their Islam faith. Myanmar is predominantly a Buddhist country.

”Granting Assange asylym will show to the world that I am all for freedom of speech — contrary to the gossip being spread by Maria Ressa, CEO of the Yellow propaganda  blog, Rappler ,” Duterte told The Adobo Chronicles.

Duterte’s statement on Assange is also seen as a rebuke of the U.S. government’s recent move to ban Filipinos responsible for the arrest and detention of Senator Leila De Lima (on drug charges) and the filing of criminal charges against Ressa for violation of the Constitution, tax evasion and cyber libel.

We tried to seek the comment of officials of the US Embassy in Manila but they were off  for the Christmas holiday.