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GMA Network
16-07-2025
- Politics
- GMA Network
Day 1 of VP Sara impeachment trial eyed on Aug. 4 —Villanueva
The impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte may begin on August 4, 2025 or a week after the First Regular Session of the 20th Congress opens, according to Senator Joel Villanueva. 'If SONA (State of the Nation Address) is (July) 28, so you're looking at the week after, August 4. We're looking at August 4 to convene,' Villanueva said at the Kapihan sa Manila Bay forum on Wednesday. Villanueva was referring to the fourth SONA of President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr., which will happen after the House and the Senate open their First Regular Session at 10 am on July 28. "It looks like we are going to wait for one week to organize ourselves... at ang House ganun din po, and then a week after we can convene the impeachment court and have the defense and the prosecution present their cases," added Villanueva. Villanueva, meanwhile, also defended the Senate's move to return to the House of Representatives the articles of impeachment against Vice President Sara Duterte without dismissing or terminating them back in June. 'If you look at the history of impeachment proceedings, the first few days, 10 to 12 days, lagi po yan about jurisdiction. Laging yan ang debate. With this, we'll be able to shorten the time na tanungin ng prosecution," explained Villanueva. —VAL, GMA Integrated News


GMA Network
09-07-2025
- Climate
- GMA Network
PCG: China maritime militia ships decreased in WPS amid bad weather
The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) on Wednesday said the number of Chinese maritime militia vessels in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) has significantly decreased due to the bad weather in the last few days. 'Dahil sa sobrang pangit na panahon sa WPS, even the Chinese maritime militia that are swarming in those areas have significantly decreased,' PCG spokesperson for WPS Commodore Jay Tarriela said at a Kapihan sa Manila Bay forum. (Due to the very bad weather in the WPS, even the Chinese maritime militia that were swarming in those areas have significantly decreased.) 'Wala na ganung karaming swarming sa Rozul Reef and also in Hasa-Hasa Shoal,' he added. (There is no more swarming in Rozul Reef and also in Hasa-Hasa Shoal.) Asked about the previous and current number of Chinese maritime militia vessels in the area, Tarriel said he does not have the numbers at the moment. On Tuesday, the Philippine Navy said the number of Chinese vessels monitored over some features in the WPS has increased in June. Philippine Navy spokesperson for WPS Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad said a total of 49 China Coast Guard (CCG) and People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) vessels were seen in the area. Trinidad said nine CCG vessels and 14 PLAN vessels were seen in Bajo de Masinloc; 12 CCG vessels and two PLAN vessels in Ayungin Shoal; and nine CCG vessels and three PLAN Navy vessels in Pagasa Island. 'These 49 ships were not there all the time but they were in and out of the different features,' Trinidad said. According to him, the June record was the highest reported number of Chinese vessels in the WPS compared to the 11 in January, nine in February, 35 in March, 31 in April, and 41 in May. Tensions continue as Beijing claims almost all of the South China Sea, a conduit for more than $3 trillion of annual shipborne commerce, including parts claimed by the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Brunei. Parts of the South China Sea that fall within Philippine territory have been renamed by the government as West Philippine Sea to reinforce the country's claim. The West Philippine Sea refers to the maritime areas on the western side of the Philippine archipelago including Luzon Sea and the waters around, within and adjacent to the Kalayaan Island Group and Bajo de Masinloc. In 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague ruled in favor of the Philippines over China's claims in the South China Sea, saying that it had "no legal basis." China has refused to recognize the decision. — BAP, GMA Integrated News


GMA Network
09-07-2025
- Politics
- GMA Network
PCG likely won't be recipient of Japanese warships —Tarriela
The JS Abukuma (DE-229) is the leader of a class of destroyer escorts capable of anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare. JMSDF website The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) is unlikely to be an alternative recipient of the Japanese warships in case the assets are not suitable for the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), an official of the agency said Wednesday. 'Even before we respond kung tatanggapin namin, ang tanong diyan is will the Japanese government also give that to the Coast Guard?' PCG spokesperson Commodore Jay Tarriela said at the Kapihan sa Manila Bay forum. (Even before we respond if we accept it, the question is will the Japanese government give that to the Coast Guard?') Tarriela pointed out that the Japanese government is strict in transferring military and coast guard assets to other countries. 'Mas sensitive pa ang Japan pagdating sa defense articles at saka sa Coast Guard equipment. Kapag pinag-usapan ng defense for the Japanese government, they will really stick it out to the Defense department,' he said. (Japan is more sensitive when it comes to defense articles and Coast Guard equipment. When it comes to defense for the Japanese government, they will really stick it out to the Defense department.) 'So hindi siguro mako-consider ang Coast Guard as an alternative to receive those six destroyer retired vessels ng Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force,' he added. (So the Coast Guard is unlikely to be considered as an alternative to receiving those six destroyer retired vessels of the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force.) On Tuesday, the Philippine Navy said a team of experts in August will inspect the Japanese warships that are planned to be transferred to the country. 'A delegation of naval experts from the Philippine Navy will be dispatched to conduct an in-depth assessment of the ships. The outcome of this inspection will guide further deliberations on the potential acquisition and its alignment with the Philippine Navy's modernization efforts,' the Philippine Navy said. Based on a report from Japanese media on Sunday, Tokyo and Manila have agreed to the export of six used Abukuma-class destroyer escorts that were commissioned from 1989 to 1993. Classified as general-purpose destroyer escorts employed primarily for anti-submarine warfare (ASW), the 2,550-ton Abukuma class ships have been in service for over 30 years. Due to a shortage of navy personnel, they are being gradually retired and will be replaced by new ships that require fewer crew to operate, according to the Japanese media. 'If the export of these used destroyers is realized, it will be the first such case. The export of the destroyers aim to improve interoperability with the Philippine military and jointly strengthen deterrence and response capabilities against China, which is unilaterally advancing into the ocean,' the Shimbun report said. — BM, GMA Integrated News


The Star
26-06-2025
- Business
- The Star
Watchdog renews push to limit SIM registration in Philippines to fight scams
MANILA: Internet security watchdog Scam Watch Pilipinas has renewed calls to limit the number of registered subscriber identity modules (SIMs) per person as part of a bid to fight online scams. 'In terms of legislation [as part of efforts to combat online scams], the first thing to do is to fix the holes in the SIM Registration Law,' Scam Watch Pilipinas founder Jocel De Guzman said mostly in Filipino during the Kapihan sa Manila Bay forum on Wednesday (June 25). 'A person can register an unlimited number of SIM cards under his name. That's the first thing. The people being arrested by General Yang, one person can have 600 registered SIMs,' he added. De Guzman was referring to Philippine National Police Anti-Cybercrime Group (PNP ACG) Director Brig. Gen. Bernard Yang. Antipolo City 2nd District Rep. Romeo Acop said that choosing not to pursue the impeachment of Vice President Sara Duterte would convey the wrong message—that justice is selective and only applies to the poor and powerless. Signed into law in 2022, Republic Act 11934 to the SIM Registration Act required Filipinos to register their SIM cards in an effort to reduce cyber crimes. The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) previously proposed allowing only three or four registered SIMs per person. However, De Guzman proposed a limit of 10 registered SIMs per person to give leeway for businesses and to allow parents to give SIMs to their children, if they are minors. At the same forum, Yang said the PNP ACG arrested 608 individuals from December 2024 to June 20, 2025 for various cyber crimes, including selling pre-registered SIM cards, a violation of RA 11934. Also at the forum, tech firm Gogolook Philippines reported that its content checker application detected around 7,200 scams and nearly 2,900 potential scams out of over 20,800 reports of suspicious content online from March to mid-June this year. Following the enactment of the law, the DICT warned that new scams were developing, such as people selling pre-registered cards and charging a fee to get users registered. - Philippine Daily Inquirer/ANN


GMA Network
28-05-2025
- Politics
- GMA Network
Tito Sotto attests to Marcos' objection to VP Sara impeachment
Senator-elect Vicente 'Tito' Sotto III on Wednesday attested to the previous statement of President Ferdinand 'Bongbong Marcos Jr. emphasizing his objection to the impeachment of Vice President Sara Duterte. 'I will attest to the fact that in number of times that in those moments that we are able to talk with the President… Bongbong Marcos during the course of the campaign, he was really inclined not to support the impeachment,' Sotto shared during the Kapihan sa Manila Bay forum. Sotto ran his 2025 campaign under the Marcos administration's Alyansa Para sa Bagong Pilipinas senatorial slate. 'I believe, yung sinabi niya nung una baka raw makagulo sa takbo ng ekonomiya, ng gobyerno. He is reiterating it now. I agree because narinig ko sa kanya yun. I can attest the fact that he really means that he is not in favor of the impeachment process at this point,' the senator-elect added. ('I believe, what he said at first is that how the economy, the government being run might suffer. He is reiterating it now. I agree because I heard it from him. I can attest the fact that he really means that he is not in favor of the impeachment process at this point.) In a recent interview, Marcos said he does not think the impeachment trial of Vice President Duterte, his running mate in the 2022 presidential elections, will result in political turmoil, but reiterated he didn't want the impeachment in the House of Representatives. Asked if the views of the President should be followed by his allies in the Senate, Sotto emphasized the upper chamber's independence. 'Yes, in the political world, but as far as the Senate world is concerned, the Senate has never been fully controlled by any President,' Sotto said. The returning senator cited his experience from his previous terms, particularly on the President's preference for the Senate presidency. 'Hindi lahat ng pagkakataon ang Presidente ay nakikialam sa Senado at pwedeng makialam... Merong may mga nag-attempt na makialam pero hindi rin nasusunod eh,' he said. (It's not all the time that the President interferes with the Senate and is not allowed to… There were previous attempts but they did not succeed.) Among the instances that he recalled was the time of former president Fidel Ramos when he asked the upper chamber to elect someone from his party, Lakas-CMD, as Senate president. 'He was a Lakas party stalwart, but we elected an LDP president, Senator Neptali Gonzales. We do not follow the wishes of President Fidel V. Ramos who (had) only three members of Lakas in the Senate during that time,' he said. The same happened during the time of late former president Benigno Aquino III, when the latter wished for a Senate president from the Liberal Party, but the senators elected former Senator Juan Ponce Enrile instead. During the time of former president Joseph Estrada, Sotto said they 'acceded' to the latter's wish to elect his preferred Senate president. Former presidents Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and Rodrigo Duterte did not interfere with the election of the Senate presidents during their terms, Sotto said. ''Di ko na-experience na ang presidente ay nakikialam sa Senado,' he said. (I did not experience a President interfering with the Senate.) Meanwhile, Sotto said that there are no so-called independent blocs in the Senate. 'In the 20th Congress, I know there'll be a majority and a minority. I don't foresee what I heard from another colleague who said merong independent bloc. There's no such thing. Why? You're either with the majority or not. So, therefore, if you're not in the majority, you're in the minority,' he said. 'If you vote to elect a Senate president, you are in the majority. Ganoon kasimple lang naman 'yun. Walang ibang interpretasyon doon. Personal na interpretasyon nila siguro… you are either in the majority or the minority,' he explained. (It's that simple. There is no other interpretation there. Perhaps it's their interpretation.) Recently, Senate Deputy Minority Leader Risa Hontiveros mentioned forming an independent bloc with senators-elect Francis 'Kiko' Pangilinan and Bam Aquino should they not get the minority bloc due to the group of senators allied with former president Duterte who branded themselves as the opposition to the Marcos administration. Senate presidency In the same forum, Sotto expressed doubt that incumbent Senate President Francis 'Chiz' Escudero, his supposed partymate in the Nationalist People's Coalition (NPC), will toe the party line as the race for the Senate presidency for the 20th Congress heats up. According to Sotto, Escudero filed a leave from NPC. He did not mention when Escudero left the party. Asked if they expect the NPC to have the highest number of seats in the 20th Congress, Sotto said, 'Kung susunod [si Chiz Escudero]. Alam mo naman, sabi ko nga sa'yo, hindi na natin alam yung alliances (Like what I said, we don't know of these alliances) ngayon ng party sa Senado because we don't know how the relationship of my former colleagues or my colleagues there are situated.' Several senators of the 20th Congress have confirmed that Sotto and Escudero were discussing with them their bid for the Senate's top post, namely Senators Bong Go, Erwin Tulfo, and Ronald 'Bato' dela Rosa. Apart from Sotto and Escudero, Senator Imee Marcos recently said that some of their colleagues offered their support if she will run for the Senate presidency. —RF, GMA Integrated News