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Impeachment complaint against President Duterte – legally clever with a lot of thought

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Analysis by Raïssa Robles

I was quite surprised by the timing of the filing of the impeachment complaint – just one day before Congress adjourns for a break of seven weeks.

Congress resumes May 2.

Why time an impeachment complaint now and not wait for June – the month when previous impeachment complaints against previous sitting Philippine presidents were filed?

Did the Magdalo group, which is behind the complaint, make a big mistake by filing now instead of July?

When I examined what the Magdalo group represented by Congressman Gary Alejano had done, it turns out that the timing was just right for the following reasons:

First, it caught everyone off guard.

Second, it preempted the Duterte administration from “inoculating” any impeachment complaint against him. What do I mean by that?

During the presidency of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, she escaped impeachment by having someone file a defective complaint against her – one that could easily be thrown out by the Justice Committee for being “insufficient in form and substance”. Remember Oliver Lozano?

Former members of the Davao Death Squad like Arturo Lascanas, Edgar Matobato and others who still wish to come forward can also file their own joint SUPPLEMENTAL AFFIDAVITS OF COMPLAINT.

The Constitution is very clear on that. Its Section 3 (2) of Article XI on the Accountability of Public Officers states that “A verified complaint for impeachment may be filed by any Member of the House of Representatives or by any citizen upon a resolution of endorsement by any Member” (of the House).

The verified impeachment complaint then becomes an avenue for the thousands of documents, photos and other evidence to ENTER INTO CONGRESSIONAL RECORDS PERMANENTLY.

It won’t be that easy to throw out this complaint. The complaint against Arroyo did not prosper because the complainants did not have direct knowledge of the circumstances of the alleged impeachable offenses.

But in this case, relatives of the fatalities and survivors of the failed killings can come forward and file SUPPLEMENTAL AFFIDAVITS OF COMPLAINT. The sound bites of President Duterte himself advocating killings could be entered as evidence. This is the first case of a sitting president being accused of multiple murder, after making an election promise to do just that.

Even the supplemental affidavits of the self-confessed perpetrators will continue to be relevant in this case, because President Duterte had used what he did in Davao as a template for what he would do if elected president. The whistle-blower members of the “Davao Death Squad” or “DDS” have actually used the argument that the “DDS” is being replicated nationwide in Duterte’s “Operation Tokhang”.

And even if the impeachment complaint is thrown out, the same body of evidence can now be used in filing before the International Criminal Court.

In fact, the throwing out of the impeachment complaint could be used as the very justification for filing with the ICC, since an impeachment is really the last legal resort given by the Constitution to hold a sitting Philippine President accountable.

Now, let me explain about the impeccable timing of the Magdalo group.

I had assumed that the best time to file an impeachment complaint was shortly before Congress starts sessions in July and that only one impeachment complaint can take place every year. I was wrong on both counts.

Apparently, the best time to file an impeachment complaint is when nobody is expecting it. When the “Garci tapes” surfaced in 2005, lawyer Oliver Lozano beat everyone by filing a highly insubstantial impeachment complaint first against then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. (The “Garci tapes” contained wiretapped conversations between a woman who sounded like Mrs. Arroyo, lisp and all, and Comelec Commissioner Virgilio Garcillano discussing ways to win the 2004 presidential race by cheating.)

For more on the Garci tapes, pls read –

Part 1: GARCI TAPES -Let’s refresh our memories

Since Lozano beat everyone by filing a very scant impeachment complaint in 2005, the complaint was easily killed in the House committee.

See – Impeachment complaints filed against President Arroyo in 2005

I was wrong in thinking that the Constitution restricts to once every year the filing of an impeachment complaint. In fact, the Constitution does not bar the filing of many impeachment complaints. But it restricts impeachment proceedings being initiated against the same official to once a year.

So you could actually have many impeachment complaints consolidated and heard in ONE IMPEACHMENT PROCEEDING.

The Constitution is also very precise about when impeachment proceedings should start.

First, the VERIFIED COMPLAINT has to be included in the Order of Business within ten “session days”, and referred to the proper Committee within three session days thereafter. Or 13 days in all.

This simply means that the VERIFIED COMPLAINT cannot be ignored by the House even if most of the congressmen are currently pro-Duterte.

Then, within 60 session days after the verified complaint is referred to a House Committee, the members have to vote on the matter (a simple majority wins) and submit the result of its voting in the form of a House Resolution.

Looking at the congressional calendar this year, it appears that the House would have to refer the Verified Complaint to the proper House committee by May 15 at the latest (pls correct me if I’m wrong. I based this on the Senate calendar which should be the same as the House calendar – see http://senate.gov.ph/17th_congress/resolutions/scr-2.pdf )

The Committee then has “60 session days” to vote on the complaint and come up with the corresponding House Resolution. Notice that the Constitution stated “60 session days” and not “60 days”. The phrase “60 session days” refer to the period when Congress is actually in session.

Since Congress breaks for its yearly sine die adjournment from June 3 to July 23, 2017 this year, then those “60 session days” could mean that the impeachment complaint could be voted on by the House Committee before or after Congress resumes on July 23.

I can’t be sure because it is up to the House Committee to decide whether or not to meet during its sine die adjournment. In any case the Constitution gives the Committee until roughly around September 26 (or “60 session days”) within which to scrap or not the impeachment complaint.

The Magdalo group, by the timing of its impeachment complaint, has just robbed President Rodrigo Duterte of his moment of triumph and glory – his first ever State of the Nation Address on July 24 after one year in office, which will be clouded over by that complaint.

Will Duterte have the numbers in Congress to crush the complaint?

Right now, we can assume that he does.

However, we cannot assume that his almost total control over the House of Representatives will continue until July because of what House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez just did. Alvarez stripped 14 lawmaker-allies in the rainbow coalition off their committee chairmanships.

And the presidential palace, through spokesman Ernesto Abella, supported the move.

A committee chairmanship is a perk given to an important political ally and is accompanied by discretionary sums of money as well as the power to decide which proposed legislation should live or die. Removing that power from a lawmaker could reap some ill consequences.

It’s quite interesting that among those who were stripped off chairmanships was the popular actress Vilma Santos-Recto, whose husband is currently the Senate President Pro-Tempore (or Number 2 in the Senate). The three lawmakers of the Bayan Muna Party were also stripped as well as Buhay Party Representative Mariano Michael Velarde, Jr. (son of El Shaddai founder Mariano “Mike” Velarde).

Think of all the pissed off followers and supporters of Bayan Muna and El Shaddai.

It bears watching how this move by Alvarez and vocal support from the Palace would affect the fate of the impeachment complaint and the administration’s rainbow coalition.

The presidential palace has branded the impeachment complaint as part of a destabilization plot.

I beg to disagree. Impeachment is the only constitutional method to hold a sitting president accountable.

Comments

  1. Legally clever? With a lot of thought?

    Who are you trying to impress with those words Robles? You’re all fabrication, never believed any of the facts you present. It’s like talking to gossipers in a barber shop.

    Try harder Robles. Nobody believes you anymore. Or better still try home economics or fashion as your bread and butter articles. They may find a fit for your writing style and investigative skills.

    Good luck sistah! Lol.

  4. Mom of David Lim called Bong Go!

    Astig talaga ang mga Lim sa Davao!

    May nakasagutan lang sa lansangan, binaril agad yung Nurse!

    Nagtago pero dahil nakuhanan ng videocam at saka yung plaka ng kotse eh nalitratuhan, madaling nabisto na si David Lim ang gunman!

    Nagtago, pero ng lumabas na ang identity eh bisto na.

    Kaya si Mommy eh tawag agad kay kumpaleng Bong Go!

    Kumpale pala ni Digong si Peter Lim na uncle ni David Lim kaya madali na lang ayusin!

    Dati ang sabi ni Duterte eh papatayin nya si Peter Lim, eh noong nagkaayos eh parang wala lang. Malakas talaga at mga siga ang pamilya Lim sa Davao kaya lakas mambaril dahil malakas ang kapit dahil kumpale ni Tito Peter si Presidente Duterte!

    Common knowledge naman talaga yan sa Davao City na mga Intsik na tulad ni Peter Lim at ni Charlie Tan!

    Kasali kaya itong info na ito na ibinigay ng US Intel kay Trilla Kung na ang role ni Bong Go as bagman ni Duterte at special liaison sa mga Chinese Drug Lords!

    Mapagbiro talaga ang tadhana, dahil kay David Lim mas lalong lumilinaw ang koneksyon ni Duterte sa mga Chinese Drug Lords!

    Parekoy
    03-21-17

    • the bastard david lim is out on bail, has no intention kuno of killing the nurse. why then did david lim raise the gun, squeeze the trigger and fire? he could have fired in the air, or taken his shoes and threw it at the nurse, or fire at the gulong of the car na menamaneho ng nurse. but no, david lim fired at the chest of the nurse, and hit good.

      pinakiusapan pa si lim ng girlfried, ayaw makinig. gustong gumanti, gustong pumatay, wanted to subjugate and harm the nurse dahil sinagot siya.

      sabing self defence kuno, yeah right, david lim’s pride was hurt so much that it must be avenged, the nurse must be made to pay for david’s hurt pride. junior pa naman siya, mayaman pa naman siya. at home, he is center of the universe, lahat na gusto nasusunod, he is special!

      out in the world, lim is no more special than you and me. he has to share the road with other road users, must obey the same traffic rules as we all do.

      • the gun david lim used was unlicensed kuno. porbida,if not coddling drug lords, digong is surrounding himself with undesirables.

        now that digong is facing impeachment, he should keep his promise and step down. dati sabi niyan, if someone ask him to step down, he would, no need for coup kuno. he’d step down, no problem.

        kaso, digong answers to higher man, alvarez is the name, he, he, he. and alvarez does not want digong to step down, for who else will watch alvarez’s back?

  5. Does anybody in Mainstream Media have the balls to ask Duterte about Peter Lim?

    Eto ang suggestion ko kung gusto nyong ma-rattle si Digong:

    1. Kung gusto nyong lumabas ang temper ni Digong, banggitin nyo lang sa kanya kung ano na ang nangyari sa pomise nya na papatayin si Peter Lim?

    2. Tanungin din kung totoo bang takot si Digong sa mga inakusahan nyang Narco-General?

    3. Bakit ba duwag si Digong na maghain ng protesta sa UN laban sa panibagong pag-aangkin ng China sa ating mga contested territories?

    4. Kumusta na yung pupulbusin nyang mga bundok para lang mabigyan ng katarungan yung mga inambush ng mga NPA?

    5. Sa paningin ba ni Duterte eh hindi pa rin Terrorista ang Abu Sayyaf, kasi lagi syang may simpatya sa mga ito lalo na sa mga speeches nya.

    6. Ano baa ng hawak ni Marvin Marcos at grupo nito kay Duterte at protektadong maiigi ni Duterte kahit na an buong Senado at sambayanan ay naniniwala na ‘salvage’ o EJK ang ginawa nila Marcos?

    7. Pwede sigurong i-follow up yung claim ni Sara Duterte na na-rape din sya dati at ano ang ginagawa ng Presidente tungkol dito? Di ba galit-na-galit si Duterte sa mga rapists at papatayin nya raw ang mga ito, eh bakit yung rapist ng anak nyang si Sara eh wala lang namang pagtutugis?

    8. Magkano ba ang kontribusyon sa kampanya ni Duterte ng gobyerno ng Tsina?

    9. Bakit untouchable si Charlie Tan sa Davao City? Business partner nga ba sya ni Paolo Duterte?

    10. Totoo bang napakayaman na ni Bong Go at nakapangalan sa kanya ang malaking bahagi ng mga naisubi ni Duterte?

    May mga sagot na daw at ebidensya na naibahagi na ng Amerika sa hanay nila Trillanes at naghihintay lang ng tamang panahon sa gripong paglabas sa taumbayan.

    Bugtong bugtong, ano ang sagot ng mga Gunggong?

    Parekoy
    03-20-17

  6. Ano daw? betrayal of public trust? according to Alvarez?

    Palagay ko may point si Alvarez… they were expecting VP Robredo to be supporting them.
    Kaya lang, it turn out to be the other way… binuking sila eh

    • Kaya nga siguro hindi na pina attend ng mga meetings noon si VP dahil di nila ma uto o ma corrupt at mabubuking sila. Hay naku…kailan kaya magigising mga nautong bumoto. Sa dinami dami na ng mga hindi natupad na pangako ay patuloy pa rin silang mga bulag. I hope hindi pa huli ang lahat bago matauhan.

      • Marcos loyalist files impeachment complaint vs Leni

        Lawyer Oliver Lozano has remained true to form, beating congressmen to the draw by filing an impeachment complaint against vp robredo

        The VACC is also planning to file a petition to disbar Leni if she fails to apologize publicly over her statement on alleged EJKs and the “palit-ulo” scheme amid the government’s war against illegal drugs

        Dante Jimenez, VACC chairman, stressed that PHL lawyers like robredo should “behave properly and be accountable for all their data and statements,” referring to the recent allegations by Leni on UN video.

        The letter to alvarez described Leni as the “termite of the government,” and that “her unfaithfulness has extended to the betrayal of public trust and culpable violation of the Constitution.”

        http://www.philstar.com/headlines/2017/03/21/1683168/marcos-loyalist-files-impeachment-complaint-vs-leni

    • pagkatapos lumabas samga pahayagan ang one-page letter of vp leni to dilg and pnp chief, biglang hugas kamay si bato “PNP chief on Robredo’s letter: It did not land on my table”. nagtuturuan na. pinadala daw kaagad sa office ni sueno. hindi daw nakita na naka courtesy copy sya. papaano yan basta nalang ba nilang tinatatakan ng received tapos hindiang binabasa lalo na from the office of VP?
      – See more at: http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/604027/news/nation/pnp-chief-on-robredo-s-letter-it-did-not-land-on-my-table/top_picks?order=1#sthash.YFNbdux2.dpuf

    • according to:
      1. anti vp – hindi tama ang ginawa ng ating vp. re: video
      2. teo ng tourism – mahirap daw ibenta ang pinas dahil sa ejk. dapat daw i tone down ng media ang kanilang reports on killings
      3. UN rapporteur – MANILA – Instead of asking the media to “tone down” its reports on killings, Tourism Secretary Wanda Teo must ask the government to stop the killings linked to the war on drugs, a United Nations rapporteur said.
      Teo urged the media Wednesday to “tone down” coverage of President Rodrigo Duterte’s deadly drug war, complaining that reports on extrajudicial killings were scaring away foreigners.
      But Agnes Callamard, UN Special Rapporteur on extra-judicial summary or arbitrary executions, said Teo was barking on the wrong tree.
      “Tourism Chief asks media to tone down #EJK report! She should ask Gov & Police to #StopEJK,” Callamard tweeted.
      On a trip to Thailand accompanying Duterte, Teo insisted the Philippines was a safe destination but said journalists were making the country a hard sell because of their focus on the killings.
      http://news.abs-cbn.com/news/03/23/17/ask-govt-to-stop-killings-un-rapporteur-urges-tourism-chief

      • si digong nga, he was palpak tourism ambassador, was recently in myanmar at saka thailand harping on about pinas and his drug war, people are really starting to think there is war in pinas. he has declared state of lawlessness, not state for happiness and friendliness, he has been threatening to declare martial law. and the beheading of the german national by abu sayyaf did not sweeten pinas to the eyes of people wanting to travel here. come to pinas and lose your head, else have plenty of money for ransom.

        cesar mansano’s tpb palpak din, nag-party pa naman sa luneta on edsa day, and all was for nothing. he could not convince the world that pinas is safe as his mother’s womb! gumasto pa naman ng husto and for what? ah, para lang kumita siya at mga kamag-anak and promoted himself and kamag-anak too, give themselves wide exposure. for future business dealings.

        digong is the root of pinas problems, well and truly. been protecting drug lords the likes of peter lim too, and now, kamag-anak ni peter lim na si david lim ay pinagtanggol din ng closest buddy ni digong na si bong go.

        leni stated what is in plain sight of everyone, also in daily newspapers, and that is the unnecessary killings of suspects.

  7. For the past several days, Sen. Panfilo Lacson had several interviews, speaking about & reacting to VP L Robredo’s video message to the UN narcotics body. His main concern was mortality figures mentioned by the VP which are contrary to his.*

    In January this year, the VP Office sent letters to the PNP, DILG.**

    Robredo only stated facts in UN video, says spokesperson ***

    Who lacks attribution? Where did Sen Lacson sourced his figures that differ with the VP’s?

    An oversight in his Senate Committee hearings? Nothing as yet on proper cataloguing of data coming from inter-department resourcing, consolidating of field reports into a one official coherent source. Lacking consistency? Lack of sharing unadulterated field data between agencies/departments?

    BTW, both Senate committees (involving EJKs ) that Sen Lacson chaired or co-chaired in didn’t welcome nor accommodated the Human Rights Commission in their separate hearings. At one time, the Phils’ Human Rights Commission was invited at one Senate hearing but was not allowed to speak to shed light with their own field data and research materials.

    ———–

    * VP Robredo should correct figures in video to UN narcotics body – Lacson, http://politics.com.ph/vp-robredo-correct-figures-video-un-narcotics-body-lacson/

    ** LOOK: Robredo letter to PNP, DILG before controversial video message, newsinfo. inquirer. net/882296/look-robredos-letter-to-pnp-dilg-before-controversial-video-message

    *** Robredo only stated facts in UN video, says spokesperson, www. rappler. com/nation/164461-leni-robredo-reaction-criticism-un-video-message

    • Lacson is just trying to test the water. His credibility is questionable which side he is. WEDER WEDER LANG YAN!. kung tagilid si Digong lulukso yan sa kabilang bakod.

  8. Naysayers contemplating an impeachment complaint against Vice President Robredo? Buncombe!

    VP Robredo may use the threat for good, and return the opportunity to speak, to reveal the truth in a global forum.

    The Senate has stopped conducting two committee hearings on the mounting extra judicial killings. Public confessions of henchmen and executioners of then Davao Mayor Duterte have revealed similarities on President Duterte’s ongoing EJKs policy as his nationwide war campaign against illegal drugs.

    VP can show proof, provide evidences that are tantamount to a betrayal of public trust by none other than the President himself.

    From Senate to Executive
    Other EJK operatives seeking redemption may now seek the VP’s Office to air their public confessions. Make formal statements on their knowledge & experiences with then Davao Mayor Duterte.

    VP’s video content message for UN are mostly the victims, on statistics and the abhorrent impact EJKs has caused varying communities in the country. Discriminatory, selective and partial in the modus operandi of Duterte’s illegal drugs war policy. Most affected, if not all are only the lower echelons of this war such drug runners, peddlers & users.

    However, the real powerbrokers and bigtime suppliers behind the proliferation are narco politicians, rogue law and order enforcers, well connected coddlers and drug lords. They remain untouchables, safe & alive from Duterte’s bloody war. Although he has named some from his stacks of lists, yet they remain at large & enriched.

    Has resulted to many innocent deaths mainly from poorer communities whose human rights are disregarded, attributed as collaterals because of Duterte’s discriminatory approach.

    He can’t win his war alone. He corrupts & usurps the Law Enforcement hierarchy, as his operatives to do his battles. Rogue cops has exploited these operations; such as for kidnapping for ransom, coddling elite drug lords & eliminate their competitors.

    VP Leni Robredo has the moral ascendancy, credibility & integrity to propound more on this, nationally & internationally. It depends how tough, courageous she can be … will she go all the way to win the peoples’ trusts once more?

    • begging your pardon po, while we’re in impeachment mode, will somebody pls impeach alvarez?

      • PDu30 controls the Lower House led by Alvarez, hence the Magdalo boys’ impeachment rap against the President will die a natural death

        It is likely that Leni will be impeached as intimated by Alvarez himself due to Leni’s ill-advised video speech to UN that allegedly put the country in bad light among the community of nations.

        The big question is the Senate who will act as judges similar to the Corona impeachment. Remember the 15 senators who shared an “intimate dinner” at Malacanang on 3/14/17 purportedly to discuss tax reforms, etc.
        http://asianjournal.com/news/duterte-shares-intimate-dinner-asks-support-from-senators/

        Like her bosom friend Sen. De lima who committed an unexpected legal blunder of not submitting her counter-affidavit to the Mandaluyong RTC, pretty Leni’s blunder is making that controversial and unsupported UN Video

        Anyway, another impeachment is a good entertainment to the public considering the onset of summer.

      • The Speaker of the House is not an impeachable officer. Under our Constitution, the President, the Vice-President, the Justices of the Supreme Court, the Ombudsman, and the Members of the Constitutional Commissions (COA, COMELEC, CSC) are the public officers who can be removed by impeachment.

        • How then is pantalon removed?

          By the majority votes of the members of the LH with their MIDDLE FINGERS against the Spkr !

          To Hoppen soon

      • ‘Impeach pantalon?’ . . .’That’s the utterous stupid thing to do!’ says Pacckyman..

        ‘Have you rread about it?’ ask the reporter. Answeer: ‘No. Hindi pa..

        ‘Komtimtanus . ..’yan !’ Says senatorcommonsense.

        he he

        • anyhow, impeaching leni will not stop her from voicing the truth. she’ll only be more determined to expose the bad and getting worse effects of digong’s war on drugs, kapolisan replacing local dabaw death squad and doing rounds of nationwide killing na.

          pantalon is naive to think that removing leni from office will silence her, now way, pantalon. without the constraint of office, leni could be more formidable, her profile higher, in demand speaker in international stage of what went wrong in pinas under digong.

        • impeach digong! block china from acquiring more of pinas! china has gotten the shoal, gotten benham rise too, and will soon get mindanaw with promises of railways, always railways. after mindanaw has fallen, the rest of pinas is easy prey.

          impeach digong! he is worst president.

        • pantalon has not learned his lesson, leni got kicked out from digong’s admin and not allowed to attend presidential meetings, and see what happened? lalong naging campaigner of justice si leni, she has been around the country and helping grassroots people ignored by the likes of pantalon. she has become her own person, free to talk about what ails pinas and who is causing it.

          free pinas! impeach digong!

        • Diggone and his pantalons have become silk-skinned to get jitter buggies on Leni Robredo.

          When the changing of the guards takes place, these group will wear no more pantalons….diggone!

          They’ll start wearing old Tang Suits down to the ankles…no pantalons anymore.

      • The Lower House had to be divided (uproar, dissent) whereby members (belonging to majority party, or coalition or caucus) would loose confidence in their Leader/Speaker to have a leadership spill… for a new Speaker/Leader. IF this can happen, this could cause a climate change for a sunny impeachment weather against the President, and overcast to knockdown a monkey back complaint against the VP. [tag ulan sa tag init]

        Toe the line or else…
        Before the Lower House went into break, House Speaker Alvarez warned that there will be another ‘purging’ among its members who are in appointed positions with committee responsibilities. That didn’t sit well with many Representatives.

        Unhappy Representations
        Magdalo Rep. Gary Alejano had feelers from other Lower House members to his cause due to ‘virtual dictatorship’ coupled with threats again coming from their smug House Speaker. GA challenged them to sort of come out of their closet when the House resumes come what May.

        • Not kicked out, but tripped.

          On his first escorted guid, he was at the tip, at the edge during his inau walk. By himself about to hit his achilles to roll, tumble face down.

          Alas, tour guide abnoy interceded, he points to stop, look and listen to his bidding that spared him fall.

          Sana kung sana. Nagsisisi ka kaya?

    • Latest revelations from one of then Davao Mayor Duterte’s executioners –

      Lascañas: Drug lords go to Davao to ‘lie low’, http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/882306/lascanas-drug-lords-go-to-davao-to-lie-low

      “… in an hour-long interview that airs on Tuesday (March 21) on Radyo Inquirer and Facebook.

      In the above web link news source, it attests this thread’s snippets that Duterte’s anti – illegal drugs war was and is a farce, if not a clandestine cover. What does your common sense prompt you to conclude?

      • wala po akong common sense, he, he, he, kaya, nahuna-huna nako, ang sinabi ni digong na si inday sara kuno gustong nang mag-resign as mayor of dabaw. daming problema kuno, kaliwa’t kanan, problems after problems, people asking favors, etc. people wanting this and that done. kung ordinary people lang gaya ng mamamayan, they rarely have access to sara, hindi sila napakikinggan and could not possibly ask for things to be done, else magaya sila ng dating sheriff na nabugbug ni sara ng husto at binigyan ng black eye. pero kung drug lords and drug barons with plentiful datong able to buy favors, sara cannot turn her back on them. mga kaibigan kasi yan ng ama, e.

        what problems could possibly be causing sara sleepless nights when there is no crime in dabaw? everything is swept into the quarry, baga.

        • kaya pala, palaging umuuwi si digong sa dabaw, and wasting precious time flying to and from. instead of running the country and solving traffic problems, unusually rising cost of living, the shrinking peso value, and rising criminality in the community, proliferation of guns resulting in shooting and more shooting, people raging and shooting at others, tempers flaring and illegal drugs and drug labs still very much around, aba, digong is on the plane, sitting and looking out the window, unconcern and enjoying a drink, the sod.

          digong gotta go home to dabaw regularly, see how the drugs lords and drug barons are behaving, collecting payolas, making plans with abu sayyaf, greeting npas, etc. making clandestine personal and face to face communication with them, saying things that cannot be said over the phone, texted or emailed, so very private and confidential kasi ang nature niyan.

          and if things fall into the wrong hands, baka ma-doggone si digong. kaya, dabaw it is. sa malakanyang kasi, he will get observed by staff, who he talks and sees and minutes of the meeting will be noted. whereas in dabaw, nothing gets noted.

          the military in mindanaw? digong has blinded them. told them to go to wrong directions, while he goes the other.

        • Eto ang latest INQ&A with Arturo Lascañas

          https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9YK3mjUA-uI

          Dawit ang Davao City Hall sa empleyo, pasuweldo ng mga miyembro ng Heinous Crime Unit (alias DDS), ayon kay Arturo Lascañas. Dawit din ang PDEA.

          tsk tsk tsk. mula daw sa intel funds ang mga DDS payments & allowances.

          Motu Proprio
          Nasaan ang DOJ at Ombudsman to investigate? Bakit nakikisawsaw si DOJ Sec Aguirre sa Scarborough Shoal? Hawak naman ng DFA, DND iyon.

          This involves the whole city government of Davao. This is your turf Sec Aguirre to assert your authority, that is if you really follow your oath of office and to the Constitution.

          Complicit, mayruong ‘tacit’ approval bah ang mga kaalyado ni Duterte sa Congress?

          Media has to really confront PRRD about these recent Lascañas revelations about the President.

          Is that the real reason why PRRD gave advance notice publicly that his daughter, Davao Mayor Sarah wishes to resign?

          His grandson Stonefish’s birth may be a suitable reason for Inday Sarah to resign to become a full time mother. Or the continuing burden to exert control over the whole Davao City Hall, to keep under wraps his father’s secrets in the previous administration of the city gov’t is proving far too much and stressful for Inday Sarah?

        • I am under no illusion po, that sara ay magpupuyat with midnight feeding of the screaming fishling.

          with the billions of money sara share with her father, she can very well afford to hire 7 yayas to look after the fishling, all pediatric nurses. one to burp him after feeding, one to change diapers, one to bath the scales off him, another to carry him around so he wont be crying all the time, one to feed him using the family’s many silver spoons, and lastly, head yaya to oversee the fishling’s overall welfare.

          sara has no need to lift a finger. her fishling is being cared for round the clock.

        • sara is like a queen bee, she has many worker bees working for her and catering to her many needs. and all queen bee has to do is populate the hive and make more baby bees.