Content about Law

It has been more than 30 years when the average Bikolano took a train ride to Manila. Those who saw the heyday of the Bicol Express, now in their late 40s and beyond, have the chance to travel through memory lane. For a whole young generation who has not experienced a train ride, lucky for them - Bicol Express is back for them to cherish.

MANILA, Philippines (Jan 5, 2012) - Former Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr. disclosed yesterday that he is willing to testify against former President and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in her Sandiganbayan trial in connection with the botched NBN -ZTE deal.

The Ombudsman has filed graft charges against Arroyo in connection with the aborted $329-million national broadband network (NBN) contract her administration awarded to Chinese firm ZTE Corp. in 2007.

MANILA, Philippines - Feeling the heat after the impeachment of Chief Justice Renato Corona, two justices Supreme Court (SC) who were appointed by former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo are reportedly contemplating of early retirement even if their term at the highest court go beyond that of Philippine President Benigno C. Aquino III, according to three separate sources of the Philippine Star.

The Philippine Star, however, is withholding the names of the two magistrates and the circumstances under which they would be retiring early by way of resignation.

MANILA, Dec. 31, 2011–The crusade for a culture of life is an advocacy of truth, and based on the goings-on in 2011 alone, the pro-life advocacy has covered a lot of ground and, inadvertently, saw much success in promoting the truth.

Though reproductive health (RH) legislation in the Philippines is not new — being proposed, discussed, rejected and resurrected for decades now — 2012 saw significant developments in its promotion as well as in its opposition. The year ended with the RH bill reaching the period of interpellation in both chambers of Congress, heated debates in progress when legislative sessions went on adjournment on the final month of the year. Mass actions such as rallies and prayer vigils to express opposition to the bill happened not just in the country’s capital, but in many other cities in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. Civil society seemed to wake up to the folly of the legislative measure and wanted to be heard loud and clear.

Heartbreaking tragedies and heartwarming tales of generosity and heroism.  Crippling crises and empowering developments.  Shameful scandals and inspiring comebacks.

All these characterized the news of 2011, a year that started with so much optimism and potential, yet would end with the country in a state of calamity. 

ILIGAN City, Dec. 26, 2011—A Catholic bishop urged people to look deeply into the issue of environmental destruction that contributed greatly to the tragedy that struck the cities of Cagayan de Oro and Iligan.

Iligan bishop Elenito Galido called for a communal action to protect and preserve the environment from further destruction.

MANILA, Philippines (Dec 22, 2011) – In one fell swoop Pasay City Regional Trial Court (RTC) Judge Jesus Mupas denied the motions of detained former President Gloria Macapal-Arroyo for a Christmas furlough and use of cellular phones and laptop.

The former president had requested the court to allow her to spend Christmas in her Quezon City residence from Dec. 23 to Jan. 2 and to use a laptop and her mobile phone while detained at the government-run Veterans Memorial Medical Center (VMMC) in Quezon City. All these were denied as the court in effect sustained the stroung objection of the Commission on Elections  to Arroyo’s requests.

LEGAZPI CITY (Dec 18, 2011) – The government’s policy of witholding infrastructure spending has taken its toll on thousands of construction workers whose employers are highly dependent on government projects in the Bicol region.

Elizabeth Del Castillo, owner of the Garcia Construction and concurrent vice-president of the Association of Bicol Contractors (ABC), said that 300 government-accredited contractors belonging to their organization that used to employ 6000 workers on aggregate have been forced to lay off 90 percent of their workforce because of scarcity of government infrastructure projects being implemented by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) .

MANILA, Philippines (Dec 12, 2011) - With swiftness that suprised many including the senators, congressmen-allies of President Aquino moved yesterday to impeach Chief Justice Renato Corona for alleged betrayal of public trust, violation of the Constitution, and graft and corruption.

In a dizzying turn of events, 188 congressmen – almost twice the minimum 95 signatures required for trransmittal to the Senate -  signed an impeachment complaint drafted by the committee on justice, leveling eight charges against Corona.

ANTIPOLO City, Dec. 13, 2011—While it voted “yes” for the Chief Magistrate’s impeachment complaint, Kabataan partylist forewarned his fellow legislators not to make the Impeachment Tribunal against Supreme Court chief justice Renato Corona to be an “Aquino court.”

“The blind support of Chief Justice Renato Corona to former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and by extension to the crimes of the latter against the people warrants an impeachment case on the basis of betrayal of public trust. But I stress my vote for Corona’s impeachment with a caveat against Palace machinations to establish an Aquino court,” said Kabataan Rep. Raymond Palatino in a statement sent to media.

NAGA CITY (Dec. 9, 2011) - “Riding in tandem” armed robbers struck again, taking away at gunpoint P1.7 million from 2 bank employees of Rural Bank of Peñafrancia in Calabanga, Camarines Sur who withdrew the money from a branch of Banco de Oro in Magsaysay Avenue,  Naga City.

According to the Naga City Police Office, the armed robbers could have tailed the two employees and ambushed their service vehicle after they withdrew the money in a relatively isolated area along Liboton St., less than a kilometer away from Banco de Oro.

President Aquinos’ continued tirades against our Supreme Court have hugged the headlines anew with the latest at the 1^st National Criminal Justice Summit on Dec.5. But the president for his part has yet to report to his Boss his own responsibility for “executive justice.”

The administration of justice is not the exclusive domain of the courts. In fact, it is equally the job of the executive branch of our government. And if the president laments delayed justice, he might want to look first at his own executive agencies.