Latest news with #RisaHontiveros
Japan Times
2 days ago
- Politics
- Japan Times
Philippines' Sara Duterte questions impeachment trial under new congress
Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte has questioned whether her impeachment trial on charges that include a suspected plot to assassinate President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. can go forward when a new set of lawmakers takes office next month. Duterte said in a video of a doorstep interview Tuesday that procedural issues may arise for her trial in the Senate due to the current body adjourning next week. If the trial does go ahead in July, Duterte would face public scrutiny over her actions related to the impeachment charges, although her allies' strong performance in a May midterm election has bolstered her chances of acquittal. On Wednesday, Sen. Ronald Dela Rosa, a Duterte ally, said he drafted a resolution to dismiss the impeachment against the vice president that he hopes to file in the coming days, according to an ABS-CBN News report. Senate Majority Leader Francis Tolentino earlier this week also called for a dismissal, saying the current Congress can't pass on its business to the next one. "If we cannot conclude the trial before June 30, 2025, we must recognize this impeachment case is functionally dismissed,' said Tolentino, who lost a bid for reelection last month. Other lawmakers, including opposition Sen. Risa Hontiveros, have said, however, the impeachment trial can carry over to the next Congress. Marcos' press officer Claire Castro said at a briefing on Wednesday that the president will not meddle with the impeachment process. Duterte was impeached by the House of Representatives in February on seven charges that include graft, sedition and "plotting to murder or assassinate the incumbent president, the first lady, and speaker of the House of Representatives,' according to the official complaint. Duterte has denied the accusations. Marcos and Duterte ran on a successful presidential ticket in 2022, before falling out over several policy differences including a proposal to change the constitution that Duterte's camp saw as a ploy to keep Marcos in office beyond his single, six-year term. Relations reached a nadir this year after Marcos allowed the arrest of her father, ex-President Rodrigo Duterte, who awaits trial at the International Criminal Court for alleged crimes against humanity during his deadly drug war. Sara Duterte made her comments from the Netherlands, where she went to visit her father. Duterte delivers a statement following her impeachment by the lower house of Congress, in her office at Mandaluyong City, Metro Manila, on Feb. 7. | REUTERS
GMA Network
2 days ago
- General
- GMA Network
Senate OKs anti-POGO bill on second reading
The Senate approved on second reading a bill banning Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO) in the country. Senate Bill 2868 or the Anti-POGO Bill, declared offshore gaming operations in the Philippines as unlawful. 'I look forward na ma adopt na ito ng Senado yung batas po at yung committee report, I really felt na ito ay one-two power punch against POGO,' said Senator Risa Hontiveros, chair of the Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender Equality. Among the amendments in the measure are the Bureau of Immigration's mandate to deport foreign nationals directly back to their country. Meanwhile, maximum penalties were imposed on government officials found engaging in POGO-related activities. In 2024, authorities discovered some POGO hubs engaging in human trafficking and physical and sexual abuse. This includes POGO hubs in Bambam, Tarlac and Porac, Pampanga. This led to the arrest of dismissed Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo, also identified as Guo Hua Ping, Guo, for alleged involvement in the illegal activities of a POGO hub in her town. —Mariel Celine Serquiña/LDF, GMA Integrated News
Straits Times
28-05-2025
- Politics
- Straits Times
Philippines' liberal opposition eyes 2028 after midterm wins
Senator Risa Hontiveros (left) takes a selfie on the campaign trail with House lawmaker candidates Chel Diokno (2nd from left) and Leila de Lima (3rd from left), and senatorial bets Bam Aquino (in pink) and Kiko Pangilinan (3rd from right). PHOTO: SENATOR RISA HONTIVEROS/FACEBOOK MANILA – Most observers had been bracing for a slugfest in the run-up to the Philippine midterm elections on May 12 between candidates backed by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr and those loyal to his erstwhile ally, Vice-President Sara Duterte. The race was expected to deepen the rift between two rival dynasties. Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
GMA Network
21-05-2025
- Politics
- GMA Network
Hontiveros 'open' to possibility of running in 2028 presidential race
Senator Risa Hontiveros said Wednesday that she is not dismissing the possibility of being the opposition's standard bearer in the 2028 presidential elections. Hontiveros made the remark during the Kapihan sa Senado forum when asked if she would consider seeking the presidency three years from now. 'I'm not saying no. I'm open to all possibilities. At yun yung hinihingi ko din sa lahat na mga kasama sa oposisyon or independent bloc na maging bukas kami sa lahat ng possibilities at sa isa't isa, alang-alang sa oposisyon at alang-alang sa ating mga kababayan,' Hontiveros said. (I'm not saying no. I'm open to all possibilities. And that's what I'm asking to those belonging to the opposition or independent bloc to be open to all possibilities and to one another for the sake of the opposition and to our countrymen.) As the 2025 midterm polls just concluded, Hontiveros said her focus is not on the 2028 polls, but more on uniting the allies that supported Akbayan, and senators-elect Francis Pangilinan and Bam Aquino in the next nine months. ''Yung natural competition about it naturally will come somewhere up the road pa. Pero ang priority ko sa ngayon, at sinasabi ko yun sa lahat ng mga kasama at ka-alyado, lalo na itong unang siyam na buwan after the election, pag-isahin talaga. Hamigin. I-consolidate to a greater degree than we were able to do after 2022. Mag-consolidate kami,' Hontiveros said. (My priority right now is unite, consolidate during the first nine months after election. We should consolidate to a greater degree than we were able to do after the 2022 elections.) Now that she has Pangilinan and Aquino in the next Congress, Hontiveros said they will serve as a 'center of gravity that will serve as check and balance' and fiscalizers. While there are newly elected allies, Hontiveros said that they may still have different decisions and stands on various issues. 'Kami lahat ng mga senador dito, we have our own decision-making process, we have our own pananaw. At nagre-respetuhan kami dyan kahit at lalo na sa loob ng tinatawag kong oposisyon…ang optimal senaryo ko ay magsama-sama kami either sa minority or sa independent bloc, sa loob at sa labas ng Senado' she added. (We senators have our own decision-making process, we have our own perspectives. We respect each other, especially those in the opposition. The optimal scenario is we remain together either in the minority or in the independent bloc, in and out of the Senate.) 2026 General Appropriations Act At the same press conference, Hontiveros aired concern on the statement of Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman stating that President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr. will sit in the budget process for the 2026 General Appropriations Act. 'Kahit willing si Presidente, he cannot. He should not. Hindi pinapayagan niyan ng Constitution. Hindi pinapayagan niyan ng Konstitusyon. The power of the purse is wielded by Congress and Congress alone, not the executive, not any member of the executive, not even the chief executive,' she said. (Even if the President is willing, he cannot. He should not ... that is not allowed by the Constitution.) 'Sapat na na yung executive ay magpadala ng national expenditure program sa House. From then on, it is in the legislature's hands and in our hands alone. Paglabas sa bicam na dalawang panel lang ang uupo, saka lang magkakapapel ulit ang Office of the President to either sign or line item veto,' she added. (It's enough that the executive sends the National Expenditure Program to the House (of Representatives). From then on, it is in the legislature's hands and in our hands alone. After the bicam, it is only then that the Office of the President acts up again, either to sign or line item veto [the budget bill].) Meanwhile, the opposition senator vowed to refile bills on SOGIESC, dissolution of marriage, and anti-teenage pregnancy in the 20th Congress should it fail to be approved before the end of the 19th Congress on June 13. She will also seek retaining the chairmanship of the Senate committee on women, children, family relations and gender equality in the next Congress. — RSJ, GMA Integrated News
South China Morning Post
13-02-2025
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
‘Pogo personalities' still linger in Philippines despite ban, critics warn
Published: 9:52pm, 13 Feb 2025 The emergence of high-profile figures in the Philippines tied to crime-linked offshore gaming hubs (Pogos) may result in a 'complicated web of syndicate rings' that may hinder government crackdown efforts, observers warn. Philippine opposition senator Risa Hontiveros, who heads the Senate committee on Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender Equality that investigated alleged human trafficking and scam operations connected to Pogos, said on February 5 there remained 'evil elements' from the banned gambling firms and stressed the need to stay vigilant. The Senate panel also recommended filing criminal charges against those that Hontiveros called 'Pogo personalities'. Filipino Senator Risa Hontiveros has led an investigation into the massive online gambling and scam operations in the country. Photo: AP These included town mayor Lisandro Calugay of Sual in Pangasinan, who allegedly helped former mayor Alice Guo , an alleged Chinese spy, escape the country; Chinese businessman Tony Yang, whom Hontiveros called the 'architect of Pogos' and was involved in several raided Pogo operations; along with other officials implicated in Guo's unnoticed departure. Hontiveros also mentioned Wan Kuok-Koi, nicknamed 'Broken Tooth', who is said to be one of Asia's most notorious gangsters and a 14K Triad leader. He is believed to have created the 'pig-butchering scam,' where fraudsters gain their victims' trust, 'fattening them up' before convincing them to invest in cryptocurrency. 06:18 'It's scary': Asian cryptocurrency scams bilk tens of thousands of 'brainwashed' victims 'It's scary': Asian cryptocurrency scams bilk tens of thousands of 'brainwashed' victims The senator noted that a subsequent photo showed Broken Tooth with Li Duan Wang, a Chinese businessman seeking Filipino citizenship. The Senate voted 19-1 in favour of his citizenship, with only Hontiveros dissenting. Hontiveros raised concern over Li's identity and association with the Philippine Jinjiang Yu Shi Association, rumoured to be affiliated with the Chinese Communist Party 's United Front Work.
