Category Archives: Law Enforcement

Government, Law Enforcement, Politics, Social Media

Maria Ressa Next In Line For Presidential Pardon

Leave a comment

MANILA, Philippines (The Adobo Chronicles, Manila Bureau) – The absolute pardon granted by  Rodrigo Duterte to convicted murderer, American Scott Pemberton, is fueling speculation on who’s next in line for this Constitutional prerogative granted to the President of the Philippines.

Pemberton is the U.S. marine convicted of killing Filipino transgender woman Jennifer Laude in 2014.

Duterte supporters have supported the President’s move, citing geo-politics and many other justifications for his action.

Sources close to Malacañang Palace say that Duterte is seriously considering Rappler CEO Maria Ressa as the next beneficiary of absolute pardon.

Ressa, a fierce critic of Duterte, was convicted of cyber libel by a Philippine court.  The conviction is currently on appeal. 

Political and legal analysts believe that a pardon for Ressa is quite likely on the same grounds of geo-politics, not to mention the fact that her conviction is for cyber libel, a much lesser offense than Pemberton’s murder.

If all goes well, and Ressa is pardoned, the American citizen will no longer have reason to accuse the Philippine government of “weaponizing the law” to curtail her freedom of speech or to silence her online news business.

The ball is now in the court of Duterte.

Law Enforcement, Media, Travel

Maria Ressa Is Not Leaving On A Jet Plane

Leave a comment

MANILA, Philippines (The Adobo Chronicles, Manila Bureau) – The Court of Appeals has decided that Rappler CEO Maria Ressa is not leaving on a jet plane because it does not know if and when she’ll be back again.

Sounds like that famous song by the late John Denver?

The Court on Wednesday junked a petition by Ressa, a dual Filipino and American citizen,  to travel to the United States.
 
In a seven-page Resolution dated August 18, 2020,  the Court denied Ressa’s petition for failure to prove that her travel abroad was necessary and that she was not a flight risk. Ressa was convicted of cyber libel early this year.
Ressa has a penchant for mouthing template soundbites like “weaponizing the law,” “we will hold the line,” “suppression of press freedom” and “death by a thousand cuts.”
May we suggest that she add: “weaponizing the law to curtail my Freedom of Movement?”
Health & Medicine, Law Enforcement, Religion

Filipino Catholics Urged To Pray 10 Hail Mary’s, 10 Our Tatay’s For Covid Healing

Leave a comment

MANILA, Philippines (The Adobo Chronicles, Manila Bureau) – The Catholic Church has urged Filipinos to turn to daily prayer for the country’s healing from the Covid-19 pandemic.

As of this writing, the country has seen well over 100,000 confirmed Covid cases and more than 2,000 deaths.  It is also now in its 5th month of lockdowns.

Catholic bishops are asking the Catholic Faithful to pray 10 Hail Mary’s at noon every day starting August 15 to ask that the Philippines be healed from the scourge brought about by the coronavirus.

In addition, the bishops also asked Filipinios to pray 10  Our Tatay’s (Our Father) for an end to all community quarantines and lockdowns across the country. It was in reference to Philippine President Rodrigo Roa Duterte who is fondly called ‘Tatay Digong’ by many.

The power of prayer.

’Our father, who art in Malacañang…’