Tag Archives: United Nations

Government, International, Law Enforcement, Politics

FORMER PHILIPPINE PRESIDENT GLORIA MACAPAGAL ARROYO FINDS AN ALLY IN MRS. GEORGE CLOONEY

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imageMANILA, Philippines (The Adobo Chronicles) – International human rights lawyer Amal Clooney, a.k.a. Mrs. George Clooney,  has filed a case against the Philippine government before the United Nations over the continued detention of former president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.

Clooney filed the case on Feb 26 before the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (UNWGAD), a body under the UN Commission on Human Rights, Philippine media reported late on Sunday.

“The case concerns Arroyo’s protracted detention by the Philippine government despite her age, health condition and the court’s continued denial to grant her bail,” one of Arroyo’s lawyers, Modesto Ticman, told GMA News Online.

In filing the case, Mrs Clooney wants the UN to persuade the Philippine government to release Arroyo, who has been under hospital arrest at the Veterans Memorial Medical Centre (VMMC) in Quezon City.

Upon hearing of the news, Janet Lim-Napoles, suspected mastermind of the Ten Billion-peso pork barrel scam and who is currently in detention, asked to meet with Clooney. Napoles wants Clooney to handle her case in the Philippines.

“My lawyers have not  done a good job in defending me in my case. That’s why I remain in detention.  I am confident Mrs. Clooney, since we are both women, can do a  better job to exonerate me from the charges against me, and  negotiate for my release from detention,” Napoles said.

“I am willing to pay Mrs. Clooney whatever amount she demands. I have enough funds from the pork barrel scam that I masterminded, so money is not going to be a problem,” Napoles added.

Meanwhile, TV host and presidential sister Kris Aquino has reportedly sent an email to Mrs. Clooney, asking if she could help her schedule a one-on-one interview with her husband, George. “I’m a fan of George, and it would be wonderful to interview him for my gossip show,” Aquino stated in her email.

International, Law Enforcement

INTERNATIONAL COURT OF JUSTICE LISTS BEST PRISONS IN THE WORLD, PHILIPPINES IS NO. 1

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imageThe Hague, Netherlands (The Adobo Chronicles) – The International Court of Justice (French: Cour internationale de justice; commonly referred to as the World Court or ICJ) has just released its 2014 list of the Top Ten Best Prisons in the World.

ICJ is the primary judicial branch of the United Nations. It is based in the Peace Palace in The Hague, Netherlands. Its main functions are to settle legal disputes submitted to it by states and to provide advisory opinions on legal questions submitted to it by duly authorized international branches, agencies, and the UN General Assembly. 

This is the first year that ICJ is releasing the best prison list, based on an international survey it has commissioned to look at prison conditions in U.N. member countries.

The Philippines ranked No. 1 on the ICJ list, followed by Great Britain and Japan.

Reacting to the good news, Philippines Secretary of Justice Leila de Lima told reporters that her efforts to rid the country’s prison system of corruption and mismanagement have finally paid off. “We should treat all prison inmates with respect and dignity by providing them comfortable accommodations during their incarceration,” de Lima said.

Rounding up the top ten list are U.S.A., China, South Africa, Australia, Switzerland, New Zealand and Singapore.

(Michael Martin Navarrete Bello contributed to this report)

 

International, Politics, Travel

PHILIPPINES LAYS CLAIM TO POLYNESIA

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Micronesian_Cultural_AreaThe Hague, Netherlands – The Philippine government has filed a formal petition with the United Nations, laying territorial claim to the countries in Polynesia.  The petition was submitted by the Philippines’ permanent representative to the U.N. Libran Cabactulan to the International Court of Justice located at The Hague in the Netherlands.

The petition came after the National Geographic published the results of a new research study on ancient chicken DNA which led to the conclusion that the Philippines could actually be the ancestral home of the Polynesians.

The researchers found that Polynesian chickens had their roots in the Philippines, making that region a candidate for the homeland of the mysterious Lapita people thought to be ancestral to Polynesians who transported the domesticated birds to the Pacific islands.

Ancient chicken DNA confirms Filipinos were the ancestors of Polynesians
Ancient chicken DNA confirms Filipinos were the ancestors of Polynesians

“We have identified genetic signatures of the original Polynesian chickens, and used these to track early movements and trading patterns across the Pacific,” said lead author Dr. Vicki Thomson of the Australian Center for Ancient DNA (ACAD). “We were also able to trace the origins of these lineages back into the Philippines, providing clues about the source of the original Polynesian chicken populations.”

Philippine President NoyNoy Aquino ecstatically briefed reporters about the petition, saying that the territorial claim could be the highlight of his presidency. He added that the Philippines will abandon its claim to the disputed Spratly Islands in the West Philippine Sea, which are also being claimed by China.

Aquino said he would rather pursue the claim to Polynesia because it would mean the Philippines’ expansion to larger territories like Hawaii, Samoa, Tonga, Cook Islands, Fiji, New Zealand , and several other islands in the Pacific. “This would make the Philippines truly a world power,” Aquino said.