Category Archives: Law Enforcement

Immigration, International, Law Enforcement

San Francisco: Visas Not Needed For Foreign Nationals From Manila And Other Sister Cities

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SAN FRANCISCO, California (The Adobo Chronicles, San Francisco Bureau) – While the U.S. Federal Government under Donald Trump seems to be clamping down  on immigration from Muslim and other countries, the City and County of San Francisco is  going the opposite direction.

If you are a citizen of Manila, Barcelona, Seoul, Paris or other sister cities of the City by the Bay, you’re in luck!

Today, the San Francisco City Council unanimously approved a resolution that would automatically grant visa-free status to foreign nationals of SF’s sister cities. The City Mayor is expected to sign the resolution

(San Francisco is one of the so-called sanctuary cities, defying Federal immigration laws and policies to provide refuge  to undocumented immigrants.)

To qualify for the no-visa policy, foreign nationals must provide documentation that they are legal residents of the sister city concerned and that they must fly directly into the San Francisco International Airport.

The foreign nationals will be allowed to stay in San Francisco for a maximum of six months or until Federal immigration agents arrest and deport them, whichever comes first. They can travel to other U.S. states and cities at their own risk.

Currently, San Francisco has established sister city relationships with 18 cities across the globe. See list here.

 

 

Entertainment, Film and TV, Government, Law Enforcement, Media, Politics

ABS-CBN’s Line-up Of Defense Lawyers In Quo Warranto Case

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QUEZON CITY, Philippines (The Adobo Chronicles, Quezon City Bureau) – ABS-CBN is not taking the quo warranto case filed against it sitting down.

The network has announced its top-of-the-line, all-star  panel of defense lawyers that will defend its franchise before the Supreme Court.  (Solicitor General  Jose Calida filed the petition before the High Court this week.)

The ABS-CBN defense panel:

  • Vice Ganda
  • Dingdong Dantes
  • Coco Martin
  • Regine Velasquez
  • Anne Curtis
  • Lorna Tolentino
  • Karen Davila

Meanwhile, the Office of the Vice President told The Adobo Chronicles that Leni Robredo , a lawyer, wil file an amicus curiae (a brief as a “friend of the court”) to support ABS-CBN.  Robredo earlier said that the quo warranto case filed by the government is an “abuse of power.”

Government, International, Law Enforcement, Politics

Master Protester Convenes Huge Rally To Support Duterte

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MANILA Philippines (The Adobo Chronicles, Manila Bureau) – He’s known in  socio-political circles as the “master protestor.” It has been his full-time job to organize and lead rallies, mostly against the establishment, the Duterte administration included.

Renato Reyes is calling for a huge rally on Friday, January 31, this time to express all-out support for Rodrigo Duterte.  The call was prompted by the President’s recent move to begin the process of canceling the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) with the United States of America.

The VFA allows the use of military and other facilites in the Philippines by U.S. forces and their entry into the country without the need for permits or visas.

Duterte has said he now wants to cancel the agreement in the light of the cancellation of the U.S. visa of Senator Ronald Bato, his close ally and former chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP) which has led operations under the war on drugs.

Reyes is confident he can gather more than one million Filipinos for this rally to support Duterte’s decision.

Reyes and his allies in the Opposition have long been clamoring for the termination of the VFA, but their call have fallen on deaf ears.

With the impending termination by Duterte of the VFA, Reyes couldn’t be more proud, and shall we say, is claiming credit for it.