Dispatch from Crame No. 923: Sen. Leila M. de Lima on the proposed US House’s Philippine Human Rights Act
Barely a week after the European Parliament passed a resolution calling on the European Commission to immediately suspend EU trade preferences to the Philippines due to its dismal human rights record, the US House of Representatives introduced the Philippine Human Rights Act bill which, if passed into law by the US Congress, will also terminate […]
Dispatch from Crame No. 922: Sen. Leila M. de Lima on the 2022 No-El scenario
Ano na naman itong pinalulutang na no elections sa 2022? Kunwari pa silang nag-aalala sa kaligtasan ng Pilipino, eh halata namang gusto lang nilang pahabain ang kanilang termino. If other countries such as South Korea were able to hold their elections amid the pandemic, why can’t we do the same when we have more time […]
Dispatch from Crame No. 921: Sen. Leila M. de Lima’s Comments on PRC’s response to her dispatch on MOA between PRC and PhilHealth
“They’re just towers,” says National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon, Jr., on fears of espionage if China-owned Dito is allowed to build cell towers inside our military camps. “Ginagamit lang ang SALN para siraan ang opisyal ng pamahalaan,” says Ombudsman Samuel Martires, defending his decision to restrict access to SALN of public officials. “So where is […]
Dispatch from Crame No. 920: Sen. Leila M. de Lima’s Statement on the Shut Down of Duterte-China Fake Accounts by Facebook
Hindi na ako nagulat na nagkalat na naman ang mga pekeng account at pro-Duterte Facebook page na mga basura ang laman. Dahil kaya naman tatay ang tawag kay Duterte, ay dahil siya ang bumubuhay sa mga pakawalang tiyanak at maligno diyan sa social media! Alam natin na kumukubra ng bayad sa gobyerno itong mga pekeng […]
Dispatch from Crame No. 919: Sen. Leila M. de Lima’s Statement on Ombudsman Martires’s New Policies on SALNs and Lifestyle Checks
Unbelievable! This Ombudsman is undermining his own office. If Ombudsman Martires is averse to the disclosure of SALNs and lifestyle checks, how does he intend to fulfill his mandate? Nakakabahala at nakakamangha ang desisyon ni Ombudsman Martires na ipatigil ang pagsilip sa SALN at ang pagsagawa ng lifestyle check sa mga opisyales ng gobyerno. Binaliktad […]
Dispatch from Crame No. 918: Sen. Leila M. de Lima on Duterte’s Address to the UNGA
It is almost unbelievable that Duterte was able to behave in his pre-recorded address to the UN General Assembly last night and stuck to his written speech. But inasmuch as he did not have a live audience during recording, we all know that this is not the Duterte that we watch in his late night […]
Dispatch from Crame No. 917: Sen. Leila M. de Lima’s reaction re: 2021 budget for social welfare programs
Food security. Quality and accessible healthcare. Decent employment and livelihood. Given the current health and economic crisis, these three (3) key concerns should be guaranteed in the 2021 national budget. The Duterte administration does not however know its priorities. For proof, look no further than the proposed DSWD budget under the National Expenditure Program (NEP). […]
Dispatch from Crame No. 916: Sen. Leila M. de Lima’s Statement on the Extension of the State of Calamity
In the absence of a comprehensive plan six months since the lockdown, Duterte chose to extend the state of calamity to one year. He seemed to have developed a habit of pushing for extensions whenever he hits a dead end – martial law extension sa Mindanao, extension ng lockdown, puro extension na walang konkretong plano […]
Dispatch from Crame No. 915: Sen. Leila M. de Lima on the threatened EU trade sanctions and Malacañang’s claim that Joma Sison is responsible therefor
The resolution passed yesterday by the EU Parliament with an overwhelming majority asks the European Commission to temporarily suspend the grant of trade preferences to the Philippines. This is the expected consequence of the Duterte Administration’s refusal to heed the EU Parliament’s earlier calls for the former to end the summary executions conducted by PH […]
Dispatch from Crame No. 914: Sen. Leila M. de Lima’s reaction on depriving 91,000 Senior Citizens of their Social Pension
It pains me to learn that the DBM slashed ₱816.065 million from the budget of DSWD’s Social Pension (SocPen) program thereby depriving 91,000 indigent senior citizens, under the DSWD’s “wait-listed” beneficiaries, of their monthly pension assistance. Sa gitna ng pandemya at krisis, tila ba napakadali sa gobyernong Duterte na iwanan sa ere ang nasasantabi na […]