Dispatch from Crame No. 845: Sen. Leila M. de Lima’s statement on Roque’s admission of failed early response to the pandemic
Recently, no less than Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque admitted, in a rare moment of clarity, how our belated response has led us to over 50,000 positive cases of COVID-19, good for 2nd in Southeast Asia. For once, I agree with him when he said “we could have done better” had we broadened our testing capacity […]
Dispatch from Crame No. 844: Sen. Leila M. de Lima on the denial of ABS-CBN’s franchise renewal
What more can be said that hasn’t been said on the saga of ABS-CBN? The Sellout-70 did exactly as expected: forego reason in order to accommodate the wishes of Mr. Duterte. They may deny it, but the circumstances and logic clearly point to it. How else can one explain the fact that they disregarded the […]
Dispatch from Crame No. 843: Sen. Leila M. de Lima’s comment on Sen. Bato’s advice to ABS-CBN employees
Sen. Bato’s telling ABS-CBN employees to just look for other jobs smacks of insensitivity and callousness, if not downright arrogance. Paano sila makakahanap ng trabaho eh may pandemya nga? Sen. Bato should be reminded that his President failed miserably in his promise to address labor woes such as providing decent and regular jobs to Filipino […]
Dispatch from Crame No. 842: Sen. Leila M. de Lima’s Call for Reckoning of the Sins of Duterte and his Enablers
Ang pagbalahura, slut-shaming at pagpakulong kay De Lima. Ang pagpatalsik kay Sereno. Ang guilty verdict kay Maria Ressa. Ang pagpasa ng Anti-Terror Law. At ngayon naman, ang pagbasura sa ABS-CBN franchise renewal. Hangga’t may mga mambabatas tayong nagpapagamit, Korte Sumpremang sunud-sunuran lamang, militar na nagbubulag-bulagan at business community na walang pakialam, lalong lalaki ang ulo […]
Dispatch from Crame No. 841: Sen. Leila M. de Lima’s Quick Reaction to the Denial of ABS-CBN’s Franchise Renewal
Tinokhang. Ganito ang ginawa sa pagpatay sa prangkisa ng ABS-CBN. Walang laban, walang katarungan, walang konsensya!
Dispatch from Crame No. 840: Sen. Leila M. de Lima on the DOJ-led panel to “review” police killings in the drug war
Too late, too little and too weak. That’s how I describe the DOJ-led panel that purportedly reviews the police killings in Duterte’s so-called war on drugs. The formation of that inter-agency team was announced by Justice Secretary Guevarra, as the representative of the Philippine government, in response to the reports and statements made during the […]
Dispatch from Crame No. 839: Sen. Leila M. de Lima’s Further Thoughts on the Signing of the Anti-Terror Bill within the Context of the Jolo Rubout
On the same day that Duterte signed the Anti-Terror Bill into law, he flew to Zamboanga City to try to appease the officers and enlisted personnel of the AFP on the matter of the summary execution of Major Marvin Indammog and his men by elements of the Jolo Municipal Police last Monday. In his familiar […]
Dispatch from Crame No. 838: Sen. Leila M. de Lima’s Supplemental Dispatch on the Signing of the Terror Bill by Mr. Duterte
The enactment of the Terror Bill is like giving a gun to a schoolyard bully. That Mr. Duterte signed R.A. No. 11479, otherwise known as “The Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020”, is no surprise. He advocated for it, he certified it as urgent, and it certainly fits his autocratic rule. It is only fitting that he […]
Dispatch from Crame No. 837: Sen. Leila M. de Lima’s Initial, Quick Reaction to the Signing of the Anti-Terror Bill into Law
Ngayong batas na, ang Anti-Terror Law ay ipatutupad ng parehong institusyong nagtanim-droga, tanim-baril, at tanim-ebidensya sa Oplan Tokhang. Parehong grupo na gumawa ng pekeng drug matrix at ouster plots sa ilalim ng parehong gobyernong ang tingin sa demokrasya at karapatang pantao ay sagabal at dapat durugin. Paano n’yo ngayon sasabihing iba ito at hindi maaabuso, […]
Dispatch from Crame No. 836: Sen. Leila M. de Lima on public accountability of the unprecedented loans of the Duterte Administration
As an old saying goes, “debt is the worst poverty”. Even before this pandemic, Mr. Duterte and his administration had already gone on an unprecedented borrowing spree to fund its ‘Build, Build, Build’ program. Three years into its implementation and the returns have been abysmal, with only 9 out of the 75 flagships projects having […]