Category Archives: Government

Thanks To Senate Republicans, U.S. Supreme Court Declares Itself Lame Duck

March 30, 2016 Pol Pinoy Leave a comment

WASHINGTON, D.C. (The Adobo Chronicles, Washington Bureau) — The Supreme Court handed organized labor a major victory on Tuesday, deadlocking 4 to 4 in a case that had threatened to cripple the ability of public-sector unions to collect fees from workers who chose not to join and did not want to pay for the unions’ collective bargaining activities.

The case the court ruled on Tuesday, Friedrichs v. California Teachers Association, No. 14-915, asked whether such workers must continue to pay for any union activities, including negotiating for better wages and benefits.

With the deadlock decision, the high court basically let stand a lower court ruling favoring organized labor.

With the sudden death of Justice Antonin Scalia, the Supreme Court is now split equally — four conservatives and four liberals. The U.S. Senate is refusing to consider President Barack Obama’s Supreme Court nominee, Judge Merrick Garland, insisting that the vacancy should be filled by the next president.

After issuing its latest deadlock decision, the Supreme Court issued another ruling — this time with a unanimous vote — declaring itself a lame duck, unable to decide on the merits of cases brought before it.

So, by considering Obama a lame duck president, the Senate Republicans have also just created a lame duck Supreme Court.

From all indications, there is now only one branch of government functioning — the Legislative Branch. Or not.

Government, International, Law Enforcement, Politics, Sports

Philippines’ Commission On Elections Will Not Stop Pacquiao Fight, Says It’s Powerless

March 30, 2016 Pol Pinoy Leave a comment

MANILA, Philippines (The Adobo Chronicles, Manila Bureau) – One of the most powerful agencies of the Philippine government says it is “powerless.”

The Commission on Elections (COMELEC) has decided that it cannot enforce its own rules that assure equal media coverage for all candidates running for elective office.

COMELEC Chairman Andres Bautista announced the decision on a query posed by former Akbayan party-list representative Walden Bello and former senator Rene Saguisag on whether the televised April 9 boxing match between senatorial candidate Manny Pacquiao and Timothy Bradley, Jr. in Las Vegas would violate election laws. The duo complained that the international and local media coverage of the fight would give Pacquiao undue advantage over other senatorial candidates.

The Pacquiao-Bradley match will happen exactly a month before the 2016 Philippine elections.

Bautista said that it is not within its power to stop the telecast. He also added that the poll body cannot act on the issue because no one has filed a formal complaint, saying it cannot act on “hypotheticals.”

This COMELEC decision is yet another proof that under the Aquino administration, government appointees are paid to do nothing, not even their mandated tasks as stated in their job descriptions.

Many will recall that during the height of the laglag bala scam, in which unsuspecting airline passengers at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) were held and questioned for planted bullets in their luggage. Manila International Airports Authority Chief Jose Angel Honrado told Senator Bongbong Marcos during a Senate hearing that it was not within his jurisdiction to remedy the matter, saying his job was merely “coordination.”

Political observers suspect that the Aquino administration and the COMELEC are scared that if they stopped the live broadcast of the Pacquiao-Bradley fight, they will face the ire of Filipino boxing fans.

Government, Technology, Travel

New Philippine Passport Will Include Automatic Tourist Visa To U.S., Canada And Europe

March 27, 2016 Pol Pinoy 1 Comment

MANILA, Philippines (The Adobo Chronicles, Manila Bureau) – The Philippine government has announced that beginning this April, it will start rolling out a fraud-proof, machine-readable e-passport which has enhanced security features that are difficult to replicate.

The new passport has an embedded chip with biometric information used to confirm the identity of the traveler, including a photo and fingerprints. Each page has illustrations that speak to the country’s history, but they’re more than just pretty: the fine-lined embossed effect on the printed surface, created by a process called intaglio printing, is exceptionally difficult to copy.

As a special bonus, the government says the new passport will include an automatic tourist visa to the U.S., Canada and countries in the European Union (EU), but it will only be extended to the first 20,000 Filipinos who will apply for the new passport.

First come, first served.