Category Archives: Law Enforcement

International, Law Enforcement, Politics, The Media

TOTAL GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN LOOMS IN THE PHILIPPINES

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Malacañang Palace, the Philippines' White House
Malacañang Palace, the Philippines’ White House

Manila, Philippines (The Adobo Chronicles) – A government shutdown is not that uncommon. It has happened in the U.S. when legislators failed to pass a budget, and it has happened in other countries when citizens declared a no-confidence in their duly-elected government.

But a looming total government shutdown in the Philippines has nothing to do with the budget or a no-confidence citizenry vote. It’s all about the pork barrel scandal involving the siphoning of 10 Billion pesos of taxpayer money into ghost projects and into the pockets of politicians and private citizens.

Recent investigation and revelations have confirmed that:

  • More than half of sitting senators are involved in the scam
  • More than 150 current and past members of the House of Representatives are linked to the scam
  • Top officials of the Aquino government have been implicated in the scam
  • Prominent members of the media have benefited from the scam

Political analysts have concluded that the one last resort to dealing with this scandal is for President Aquino to declare a total government shutdown and appoint a caretaker government to fully revamp the government.

The U.S. government, which recently signed an agreement with the Philippines to increase American military presence in this ally country, has volunteered to facilitate a speedy recovery should the total government shutdown occur. The U.S. fell short of saying that it will work towards making the Philippines its 51st state.

 

Health & Medicine, International, Law Enforcement

TOP PHILIPPINE HEALTH OFFICIALS PROPOSE MANDATORY HIV TESTING FOR FILIPINO HETEROSEXUAL MARRIED MEN

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Filipino activists protesting mandatory HIV testing (Photo: Rappler.com)
Filipino activists protesting mandatory HIV testing (Photo: Rappler.com)

Manila, Philippines (The Adobo Chronicles) – The Philippine Department of Health (DOH) is seriously pushing for the amendment of Republic Act 8504 or the Philippine AIDS Prevention and Control Act of 1998 in order to allow for the implementation of mandatory human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) screening, particularly for high-risk groups.

In a press briefing, Dr. Lyndon Lee, spokesman for the DOH clarified that the mandatory HIV screening they have been pushing would not be for the general public. “There are talks going around that mandatory HIV screening means requiring all Filipinos to submit themselves to test, we don’t mean it that way,” he said.

Lee said the proposed mandatory testing will only be for heterosexual Filipino married men who he said are at the highest risk for HIV because of  their secret rendezvous during their out of town ‘business trips.’

“In our ‘macho society,’ ” Lee said, “it is the male heterosexual Filipino men who least practice protected sex with their spouses, mistresses and out-of-town flings because they feel they are less vulnerable to HIV exposure than the traditional high-risk groups like men who have sex with men, injection drug users and sex workers.  Lee added that these men are the least likely to use condoms for fear that if they do, their spouses would suspect that they are cheating on them or are having an extra-marital affair.

Meanwhile, the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines, still feeling betrayed by the passage of the Reproductive Health (RH) Law, has refused to comment on the DOH proposal.  The RH law provides for the distribution of condoms and birth control devices at government clinics.

 

 

 

 

Business, Festivals, Film and TV, International, Law Enforcement, Politics, Technology, The Media

MERYL STREEP TO PLAY LEILA DE LIMA IN NEW HOLLYWOOD FILM, ‘THE DE LIMA LIST’

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imageHollywood, California (The Adobo Chronicles) – Hollywood Productions announced today that it has begun filming its latest blockbuster movie, ‘The De Lima List,’ based on the true story of Philippine Secretary of Justice Leila de Lima, considered the country’s ‘Iron Lady.’

De Lima is known to be holding a signed affidavit from suspected pork barrel scandal mastermind Janet Lim-Napoles, containing a list of Philippine senators and other high-ranking politicians who have participated in the ten billion-peso scheme to divert taxpayer money to ghost projects and unsuspecting nongovernmental organizations (NGOs). Allegedly, the funds eventually went into the pockets of the politicians.  To this day, de Lima has refused to make the list public and many suspect that more than half of the sitting senators are on that list.

The Hollywood film is directed by Steven Spielberg, the same Academy Award winning director responsible for the 1993 film ‘The Schindler’s List.’ Multi Oscar Award winner Meryl Streep, best known for her role as Margaret Thatcher in ‘Iron Lady,’ will play de Lima.

Streep, Spielberg and the production crew arrived in Manila Sunday.