Category Archives: Law Enforcement

International, Law Enforcement, Politics

Disbar Teddy Boy Locsin!

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Ah, the delightful spectacle of Philippine politics is once again gracing us with its absurdity. 

This time, the disbarment case against Ambassador Teddy Boy Locsin takes center stage, and one can’t help but marvel at the sheer audacity of it all. 

Locsin’s reckless tweets may have all but endorsed the genocidal killing of Palestinian children, but who needs lengthy arguments and rhetoric to make a case? We’re talking about the same Supreme Court that previously disbarred Larry Gadon for his colorful outbursts, after all.

It’s almost comical how Locsin’s main defense, sarcasm, is supposed to save the day. Well, in a world where words no longer carry weight, why not try sarcasm, right? Surely, the honorable justices will see the humor in this, and one, short, en banc meeting should suffice to clear this matter up.

In the grand tradition of Philippine politics, we can only trust that our justices will navigate this circus with the grace and dignity it deserves. After all, what’s a little disbarment case compared to the daily spectacle of our political landscape?

Government, Law Enforcement, Politics

Philippine Supreme Court: No Check, No Balance

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The Philippine Supreme Court has wowed the nation by dismissing the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee’s audacious petition challenging the legality of former President Rodrigo Duterte’s memorandum which placed a gag order on his cabinet when called to the Senate chamber.

This groundbreaking memorandum essentially said, “You can’t sit with us,” to members of the executive department when it came to discussing the government’s procurement of Covid-19 supplies. 

It appears that the Supreme Court has executed a perfect pirouette on the thin tightrope of constitutional interpretation. On one hand, they championed the principle of the separation of powers, arguing that the executive branch should be free to twirl around in its own corner without being disturbed by those pesky senators and their questions. After all, why should anyone be bothered by checks and balances?

It’s almost as if they believe that the Constitution is a high-stakes game of tug-of-war, where each branch of government competes to see who can hold the rope of power the tightest.

Bravo, Supreme Court! Your performance has left us all in awe, wondering just how much contortionism can be squeezed into a single legal decision.

Law Enforcement, Politics

OPINION: Why We Think Rodrigo Duterte Did Not Directly Threaten Rep. France Castro

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(NOT a legal opinion

House Deputy Minority Leader and ACT Teachers party-list Rep. France Castro is preparing to file charges against former president Rodrigo Duterte for allegedly making threats towards the progressive lawmaker.

Duterte, who no longer enjoys immunity from suit, may potentially face charges related to direct and serious threats made against Castro.

But was there really a “DIRECT and SERIOUS” threat in Duterte’s statement on live TV?

We examined the video tape of Duterte’s interview with SMNI. To put everything in context, the former president was relating a conversation he had with his daughter, VP Sara Duterte. That was very clear when he said “intelligence fund mo,” referring to Sara’s confidential intelligence fund which the House of Representatives slashed from the OVP’s budget.

Then, as far as the “threat” was concerned, the older Duterte was telling his daughter to say it (sabihin mo) to the “communists and France.” In other words, it was not a DIRECT threat, but merely a suggestion for his daughter.

Under Philippine law, issuing death threats can be prosecuted as “Grave Threats” under Article 282 of the Revised Penal Code. If the threat is written or in verbal form and the person making the threat has the ability to carry it out, a case can be filed against them.

Here is the video clip of that interview on SMNI. We leave it to our readers to form their own opinion. We’d like to hear from you!