MANILA, Philippines (The Adobo Chronicles, Manila Bureau) – In anticipation of the release by the Supreme Court of the Philippines — acting as the Presidential Electoral Tribunal (PET) — of its ruling on the 2016 Vice Presidential electoral protest, President Rodrigo Duterte has declared October 8 a special non-working holiday.
October 8 is when PET is expected to announce its decision on the recount of pilot precints in connection with former Senator Bongbong Marcos’ protest against Leni Robredo’s proclamation as the elected Vice President in the 2016 polls.
In a statement by Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo, he said Duterte wanted to give Filipinos the time to celebrate or mourn their candidate’s win or loss.
Panelo also said that the declaration is proof that that democracy and freedom of speech and assembly are alive and well in the Philippines, contrary to what Rappler CEO Maria Ressa and the Yellow Army have been claiming. Not to mention some U.S. Senators who approved a bill amendment barring Philippine officials who had a hand in incarcerating Senator Leila De Lima from entering the United States.
MANILA, Philippines (The Adobo Chronicles, Manila Bureau) – The impending decision by the Philippines’ Supreme Court, acting as the Presidential Electoral Tribunal (PET), on the 2016 Vice Presidential electoral protest, could become moot and academic. That is, if an agreement between Leni Robredo and Ferdinand (Bongbong) Marcos, Jr. holds ground.
Marcos and Robredo are both claiming that they are the duly-elected Vice President.
But in the spirit of national unity and reconciliation, both have agreed to settle the issue once and for all — through a coin toss.
They vowed to respect the result of the coin toss.
MANILA, Philippines (The Adobo Chronicles, Manila Bureau) – A committee in the United States Senate has approved a proposal to prohibit the entry of Philippine government officials involved in the “politically-motivated” detention of Sen. Leila De Lima.
US Sen. Dick Durbin (D-ILL) lauded the US Senate’s appropriations committee for passing the amendment he proposed with Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT).
In retaliation, some Philippine Senators want to ban the U.S. Senators who approved the proposal from entering the Philippines.
But President Rodrigo Duterte has a different idea altogether. He has extended an invitation to Leahy, Durbin and other members of the U.S. Senate committee to visit Malacañang, the Philippine Presidential Palace.
Duterte however clarified that he cannot ensure that the visiting American Senators would be able to leave Malacañang or the Philippines after their visit.
The Philippine National Police (PNP) may need to build more jail cells next to that of Senator De Lima.
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