UN to boost Manila’s investigative capacity

THE PHILIPPINE Justice department has invited a forensic expert from the United Nations (UN) to improve local capacity in investigating extrajudicial killings in connection with the government’s war on drugs. In a statement on Sunday, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin C. Remulla said Morris Tidball-Binz, the UN’s special rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, had […]

IBP denounces an attack on Abra lawyer 

THE PHILIPPINES’ official organization of lawyers has condemned an armed attack on its chapter president in Abra, calling it another indication of the culture of impunity against legal professionals in the country.  In a statement on Wednesday, the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) urged law enforcement agencies to probe the incident in the northern […]

Police: ICC probe violates Philippine sovereignty

PHILIPPINE police on Monday accused the International Criminal Court (ICC) of violating the country’s sovereignty by reopening its investigation into the government’s deadly war on drugs. The Hague-based tribunal should “give due respect to the judicial processes that we have in our country because we are a sovereign country,” national police chief General Rodolfo S. […]

DoJ junks murder raps vs cops in 2021 activist raid

PHILIPPINE government prosecutors have cleared 17 cops in connection with the murder of a labor activist in a series of police raids where nine activists died in March 2021. In a resolution dated Jan. 16, a panel of Department of Justice (DoJ) prosecutors found no probable cause against the police officers for the death of […]

Rights abuses continue under Marcos, says HRW

HUMAN rights abuses continued in the first six months of Philippine President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr.’s rule, according to Human Rights Watch (HRW). In a global report released on Thursday, the global watchdog said drug war killings, communist tagging and attacks against journalists continue to damage the country’s democratic institutions. “President Marcos has sought to […]

QC trial court acquits 10 human rights workers of perjury 

By John Victor D. Ordoñez, Reporter  A QUEZON City trial court has acquitted 10 human rights workers from perjury charges filed by a former national security adviser in 2019.   In a 45-page decision released on Monday, the court said government prosecutors failed to prove beyond reasonable doubt that the respondents deliberately lied in their petitions […]

Justin Bieber nears $200-million deal to sell music rights

POP star Justin Bieber is nearing a deal worth about $200 million to sell his music rights to Blackstone Inc.-backed Hipgnosis Songs Capital, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the matter. The potential deal includes the Canadian artist’s interest in both his publishing and recorded music catalog, according to the […]

Rights group asks government to help families of drug war victims

THE GOVERNMENT of President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. should do more to protect the families of victims of extralegal killings and prosecute officials for the wrongful deaths, according to a human rights group. In a statement sent on Monday evening, the Initiatives for Dialogue and Empowerment through Alternative Legal Services said the government should also […]

Senate bill seeks to further strengthen consumer rights

A SENATOR has filed a bill that seeks to shut down establishments that sell, make, produce or import substandard and hazardous products to protect consumers. “This bill aims to further strengthen consumer rights in the country and promote fair trade standards for the entire economy,” Senator Sherwin T. Gatchalian, who filed Senate Bill 942, said […]

On Bonifacio Day: Workers rally for wage hike as Marcos hails them as ‘modern-day heroes’ 

A SENATOR on Wednesday urged the government to develop a comprehensive labor and compensation plan, backing workers and activists who held a rally on Wednesday to push for better wages as the Philippines commemorated the birth anniversary of revolutionary hero Andres Bonifacio.   President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr., meanwhile, hailed workers as the country’s “modern-day heroes” […]

DoJ chief vows to prosecute top cops in drug war

By John Victor D. Ordoñez, Reporter HIGH-RANKING policemen responsible for wrongful deaths in the Duterte government’s war on drugs would be prosecuted, according to the Philippine Justice chief. “That will happen,” Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin C. Remulla told BusinessWorld in a Viber message on Sunday night in response to calls for the government to hold […]

Philippine police arrest 13,391 suspects in Marcos drug war

THE PHILIPPINES accepted 200 recommendations from the United Nations Human Rights Council, including investigating extralegal killings during its anti-illegal drug campaign. — PHILIPPINE STAR/ MIGUEL DE GUZMAN PHILIPPINE police arrested 13,391 drug suspects in the first 100 days of President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr.’s term, according to the national police chief, who called it a […]