Latest news with #SONA
GMA Network
2 days ago
- Politics
- GMA Network
Escudero: Sara Duterte impeachment trial up to 20th Congress
Senate President Francis 'Chiz' Escudero said Monday that senators in the 20th Congress will get the final say on whether or not the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte will push through. The 20th Congress will open on July 28, on the day of the fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA) of President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr. With only six plenary sessions remaining before the 19th Congress adjourns on June 13, Escudero said the next Congress will be the one to handle the trial proper, if pursued, once it convenes a day after SONA or on July 29. He explained that regardless of the decision of the 19th Congress regarding impeachment matters, it cannot bind the subsequent Congress. Meaning, the 20th Congress needs to decide again if it will reconvene as an impeachment court and proceed with the trial 'either by an affirmative vote or by their silence and acquiescence.' 'Pwedeng pagbotohan 'yun ng plenaryo ng 19th Congress pero anuman ang desisyon namin, hindi pwede i-bind 'yung 20th Congress. So pwedeng magkaroon ng ibang pananaw 'yung 20th Congress. Halimbawa, pwedeng sabihin ng 19th Congress, tatawid 'yan pero ang pasya ng 20th Congress, hindi tatawid 'yan at idi-dismiss nila, so depende,' the Senate President said. (The 19th Congress can vote on it, but regardless of our decision, the 20th Congress cannot be bound. So the 20th Congress can have a different decision. For example, the 19th Congress can say that the impeachment trial will proceed, but the 20th Congress can say otherwise, so it depends.) 'Sa dulo, you have to understand in Congress, plenary is supreme. It's not the decision or the voice of one member even if he or she is the Senate President or an officer of the Senate or the House. Desisyon palagi ng plenaryo ang mangingibabaw sa anumang usapin,' he added. (In the end, you have to understand that in Congress, plenary is supreme. It's not the decision or the voice of one member even if he or she is the Senate President or an officer of the Senate or the House. The decision of the plenary will always prevail no matter what.) Five senators in the 20th Congress were endorsed by PDP-Laban, chaired by Sara's father former president Rodrigo Duterte, during the 2025 midterm elections: Ronald 'Bato' Dela Rosa, Bong Go, Rodante Marcoleta, Imee Marcos, and Camille Villar. They will join Senator Robin Padilla, who sits as the party's president. Other senators in the next Congress are either independent or are allied with other political parties. Escudero urged incoming senator-judges, regardless of who they are affiliated with, to remain impartial regarding the impeachment. 'Desisyon at pasya nila 'yon hindi para sa akin na husgahan 'yon. Pero nakalagay sa aming rules hangga't maaari ay maging impartial sana ang bawat senator-judge hangga't hindi pa naririnig 'yung kaso mismo. Maging ganun pa man ang pag-inhibit ay voluntary decision sa parte ng sinumang hukom. Hindi ito pinagbobotohan ng mga miyembro ng hukom mismo,' he said. (They have their own decision and it's not for me to judge. But it is stated in our rules that every senator-judge should be impartial as much as possible until the case has been heard. Even so, inhibition is a voluntary decision on the part of any judge. It is not voted upon by the members of the senator-judges themselves.) Asked if the impeachment trial will proceed as scheduled on July 30, Escudero said that it should "in the ordinary course of events," unless the senators decide otherwise. Based on the proposed schedule, the oath-taking of newly elected senator-judges before the Senate, sitting as an impeachment court, will take place on July 29 at 9 a.m., followed by a plenary session in the afternoon. The trial proper will then begin on July 30 from 9 a.m. until 2:00 pm. Last week, Escudero announced that the reading of impeachment raps against Duterte would be moved from June 2 to June 11, as the Congress needs to prioritize the passage of the items in the administration's legislative agenda before the 19th Congress adjourned sine die on June 14. House Speaker Martin Romualdez agree that convening the impeachment court for the trial of the Vice President is up to the Senate 'The Senate President's letter to me is pretty straightforward. Kaya 'yung impeachment complaint ay nasa Senado na. So we leave it to their sound discretion as to how they want to proceed and conduct [the impeachment trial],' Romualdez told reporters. "The Senate President outlined the priority measures that they would like to prioritize first, so we have to respect the decision of the Senate President,' he added. Duterte was impeached by the House of Representatives on February 5, with over 200 congressmen endorsing the complaint against her. She was accused of betrayal of public trust, culpable violation of the Constitution, graft and corruption, and other high crimes mainly over alleged misuse of around P612.5 million worth of confidential funds and threatening to kill President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr., his wife Liza and the President's cousin and Speaker Romualdez. The Vice President, for her part, said she is looking forward to her impeachment trial in the upcoming 20th Congress because she 'wants a bloodbath." She clarified over the weekend that she meant her own blood, even likening the impeachment trial to a crucifixion. —with a report from Llanesca Panti/AOL, GMA Integrated News
Buzz Feed
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Buzz Feed
Brutally Honest Reviews Of Celebrity-Owned Restaurants
Quite a while back, I rounded up some celebrity-owned restaurant reviews from members of the BuzzFeed Community. In the comments, people shared even more interesting experiences — some more appetizing than others. Here are 32 of their top responses: "Ty Burrell has a few bars here in Salt Lake City, called Beer Bar and Bar-X, and they have the best fries I've ever had. Truly drool-worthy. Plus, they have incredible burgers and other foods. Highly recommend if you are ever in the area!" —nanarae "By far, the worst celebrity-run restaurant in Nashville is Kid Rock's Big Ass Honky Tonk & Rock N' Roll Steakhouse." —tiger24 "SUR in West Hollywood is great. Due to a weird and random series of events, I ended up on the employee patio and ran into Guillermo Zapata (Lisa Vanderpump's co-owner), and he is the nicest dude ever! He told me to come back anytime and ask for him. When I told him I no longer live in LA, he insisted that even if I came back 10 years later, he'd happily hook us up. He 'never forgets a face.' (It's more likely he just knows if someone asks for him, he's met them before. But that's still incredibly kind.) Great service. Great staff. I had so much fun and have some hilarious photos from that night." —apromisingyoungwoman "In Las Vegas, I went to the Vanderpump Cocktail Garden in Caesars Palace. Although the drinks were inventive and delicious, the service was the worst I've ever had, and the food was meh. It made me sad because I love SUR, Pump, and Tom Tom (all owned by Lisa Vanderpump)." —Th3FatPanth3r "The Jonas Brothers' family restaurant, Nellie's Southern Kitchen, in Belmont, North Carolina, is FANTASTIC! It has a cute little Southern cooking atmosphere, and the actual Southern cooking is fabulous. They're not messing around down there. They also have live music from local singers! Their tribute to the Jonas boys in the back hallway is super cute too." —Janet "SONA, Priyanka Chopra Jonas's restaurant in New York. DO NOT VISIT. Sincerely, an Indian." —ruchav[Editor's note: Priyanka parted ways with SONA in 2023, and it shut down permanently in 2024.] "I went to Machine Gun Kelly's coffee shop, 27 Club Coffee, in Cleveland, and the coffee was so good! As a current barista at Starbucks, I can definitely say the quality of the coffee is much better than Starbucks'. It's smoother and tastes better — not to mention, it costs about the same as or even a little less than a Starbucks drink. They offer a variety of coffee choices as well as some alcoholic beverages and food (with vegan options). The atmosphere is very cool and chill (they don't just play MGK's music). Because I visited on Valentine's Day, they handed out pink roses." —PianoPrince "Nic & Norman's — which is co-owned by The Walking Dead executive producer Greg Nicotero and actor Norman Reedus — in Senoia, Georgia, has a great atmosphere and food. It's in a quaint little town with a Walking Dead vibe." — "I recently went to Saints and Sinners in New Orleans, which Channing Tatum is part owner of. Let me tell you, this place has amazing service and the kindest workers you will find in the city, but the workers do not make up for the food or dirt. When I tell you I saw a ROACH crawling across the floor after I ordered my the food came, which was cold and had no seasoning. No seasoning in New Orleans?!? The bathrooms have doors that are falling off, as well as black mold. The list goes my man, if you see this, please stop by the spot and give them some money to renovate, as this place needs some serious TLC." —cml5307 "Here's an unexpected recommendation. Anyone remember the horror film director Uwe Boll? His movies, primarily based on horror video games, are legit awful. However, the man's actually a pretty good restaurateur. His restaurant, Bauhaus, in my hometown [Vancouver, BC], was a fantastic experience for us for the husband's birthday one year. I would definitely go back." —bitterowl93 "Bar Rescue host Jon Taffer's Taffer's Tavern. There's a location two minutes down the road from my job, and we have tried it a few times. The food was always bland, and service was alright. The specialty cocktails are yummy, though. Obviously, Taffer doesn't work there, but for someone who bitches about service and food, shouldn't the managers be held to a certain standard?" —deftonesforlife "Iron Chef star Masaharu Morimoto's restaurant, Morimoto, in Disney Springs. I've eaten there several times, and it always, without fail, is one of the best meals I've ever had... like, ever. It's pricey, but worth every cent." —casachess "Fat Sal's Deli in Los Angeles, which is owned by Entourage actor Jerry Ferrara, is really good! They have sub sandwiches with everything but the kitchen sink in them." —Fateandtime "The Nobu [which was cofounded by Nobu Matsuhisa, Robert De Niro, and Meir Tepe] in Waikiki on Oahu is one of the best locations." —panda_13 "Cannot recommend Wolfgang Puck's Spago enough. I have not been to the one in Maui, but I have been to the one in Vegas and LA. Both were stellar experiences and definitely worth the money. From start to finish, just excellent food, staff, and environment." —chasingsmiles "Ted's Montana Grill, a chain of restaurants in the Atlanta area originally owned by Ted Turner, is amazing! Their big thing is that they serve bison, and it's incredible. Bison steaks, bison burgers, bison meatloaf, bison short ribs… they also do beef, chicken, fish, and vegetarian meals. I highly recommend the bison brisket, though. It's incredible. They also make a killer lemon drop martini!" —goblinkatie "Ted's has an excellent veg burger, but not much variety for veg meals. Good place to take your meat-loving friends, but be prepared to always order the same dish if one is looking for veg options!" —alexandriag4915d3b01 "I ate at Guy Fieri's Vegas Kitchen & Bar in 2019. It was the worst meal of my entire life. I ordered a turkey burger because nothing else on the menu sounded appealing. It was cold and dry and bland. The fries were ice cold and rock hard. The restaurant was so dark and loud, we could barely see anything and had to shout at each other at a very small table. The servers looked like they hated their lives, and our server comped our meal without us saying a word. We left her a tip because she was still a good server, minus the awful meal. Hopefully it was just a bad night, but I would never go back!" —maggiem46319e722 "Guy Fieri's Chicken Guy! How is fast food that good!?" —jessethecowgirl "I've been to Bobby Flay's Bobby's Burger Palace in Vegas, and it was fantastic!" —moswald74 "Bobby's Burger Palace in Mohegan Sun Casino has gone downhill. It used to be so delicious with some of the best burgers and fries I've ever had. When I went recently, it was bland and not what I remembered. Plus, paying $15 for a burger alone is crazy. At least include the fries for the price of a burger." —lilmoo22 "I've eaten at three of Bobby Flay's Burger Palaces. None of them is worth a second visit. I've had fresher and tastier burgers at fast-food places. Everything from the service to the food itself was eww and completely I think so-called celebrity chefs are less great restaurateurs than media hounds." —irenec6 "Every experience I have ever had at a Bobby Flay's has been bad. The food's always mediocre — not completely horrible, but not great either, like Chili's quality — and it always has a layer of...I don't know how to describe it exactly in the way it all is. It's not that every restaurant I've wound up in of his, for one reason or another, is always dirty (although, there have been some); but it always feels like he can't decide if he is a chain owner or a serial boutique owner. It's highly manufactured, but yet trying to appear like it's not. Thus, Chili's quality to me." —chasingsmiles "Bobby Flay's restaurant in Caesars Palace, Brasserie B. They have these seasoned fries that are amazing, and the margaritas are so freaking good." —beccaloni "Amalfi, Bobby Flay's other restaurant in Caesars Palace, was amazing. We got to pick our fresh fish, and they fixed it to order. I am still drooling thinking about the pistachio sundae. We also hit up his burger joint in Paris for a quick hangover breakfast. That stuff was legit amazing in that moment." —mbaggs "Restaurant Gordon Ramsay, Gordon Ramsay's flagship restaurant in London, was so delightful to eat at." —miniadmiral16 "I've been to Gordon Ramsay Hell's Kitchen in Vegas, and IDK if the burger is good, but the risotto 100 percent was a flop and a waste of money." —vravi "Gordon Ramsay's burgers are so worth the price. I have been to several of his restaurants; all were great. Gordon Ramsay Steak was the best meal I've ever had." —kathmander "Recently tried Gordon Ramsay Fish & Chips in DC. I was a little apprehensive, but it was actually one of the best chips of my life. The dirty chips with Parmesan are the bomb, and the lemonade was really nice too." —eklimen "I went to Gordon Ramsay Plane Food at Heathrow and ate fish, mac and cheese, and a brownie with marshmallow ice cream for dessert. It was all so good, I practically licked the plate. Not cheap, though." —naraniel "Recently, we went to a Wahlburgers and were similarly disappointed. Although the burgers were a bit above what we found at Flay's, the service was awful, the server himself was unpleasant, and the food was indifferent." —irenec6 "I think Wahlburgers is way overpriced for mediocre burgers. I get being fun and creative with the menu, but the patties themselves were bleh." —kathmander And finally: "Wahlburgers was good, but I think it's overpriced. They've recently taken over the major grocery store chain's in-store eating where I live, and it's not as good." —hillaryf4afff6749 If you've ever eaten at a celebrity-owned restaurant, what was your experience like? Tell us all about it in the comments!
The Standard
6 days ago
- General
- The Standard
Philippines' Marcos expected to announce more cabinet changes
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. gestures as he delivers his second State of the Nation Address (SONA), at the House of Representative in Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines, July 24, 2023. REUTERS/Lisa Marie David/File Photo
The South African
6 days ago
- Politics
- The South African
Colleen Makhubele replaces Manyi as MK Party Chief Whip
The uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party has appointed Colleen Makhubele as the new chief whip of the party in parliament. Makhubele takes over the reins from Mzwanele Manyi, who was the party's chief whip for nine months. The party highlighted Makhubele's experience and leadership as a contributing factor to her appointment. 'As a respected leader and seasoned parliamentarian, her appointment reflects the Party's confidence in her ability to provide disciplined coordination, strengthen parliamentary oversight and champion the interests of our movement in the National Assembly,' the party said. MK Party Deputy President John Hlophe, in a letter, relieved Manyi of his duties with immediate effect. In the letter, he said: 'I am writing to inform you that, with immediate effect, you are hereby relieved of your duties. This decision was made with careful consideration and in the interest of advancing the collective goals and objectives of our party.' Speculations are suggesting that Manyi's removal was due to an altercation between him and Hlophe. In February this year, Manyi and Hlophe were at loggerheads over Hlophe's SONA speech. Manyi allegedly told Hlophe to discard his speech and take the one that was purportedly prepared by party leader Jacob Zuma. However, it emerged that the speech was not prepared by Zuma, making Hlophe furious. He confronted Manyi, leading to an alleged physical altercation. Manyi disputed that his removal was due to his fallout with Hlophe. He explained, 'I do not believe that my removal had anything to do with what happened during the SONA. My relationship with Hlophe as our caucus leader is fine. We talk a lot, so I can't say he removed me for that. I will continue with my role as an ordinary MP, so there is no big deal in my removal.' Manyi stated that he remains a party member and his relationship with Zuma will remain intact. Additionally, he will continue to be the spokesperson of the Jacob Zuma Foundation which he was appointed while still with the EFF. He joined the MK Party in August 2024, along with other EFF former members including Floyd Shivambu. Manyi's removal shocks many, given his long-standing, close ties with Zuma. Manyi has consistently praised Zuma's strategic thinking, likening it to a game of chess. 'Chess is a game of thinkers. Calmness is key, thinking is central, seeing the bigger picture is fundamental, and understanding the moves of your opponent is the main ingredient.' 'You can't play chess if you are permanently angry, emotional and impulsive. MK Party is led by a thinker,' said Manyi when he joined the MK Party. Let us know by leaving a comment below or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 0211. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X, and Bluesky for the latest news.
IOL News
6 days ago
- Politics
- IOL News
Mzwanele Manyi says fallout with Hlophe not the reason behind MKP axing him as chief whip
The MKP parliament has sacked Mzwanele Manyi as the party's Chief Whip in Parliament. Image: Chris Collingridge/Independent Newspapers Axed Umkhonto weSizwe Party parliament chief whip Mzwanele Manyi said his rift with the party's caucus leader Dr John Hlophe was not behind his removal from the senior party position. The MKP announced that Manyi was removed as a chief whip on Tuesday to be replaced by Colleen Makhubele, with party sources saying this was the outcome of conflict that had developed during the State of the Nation Address (SONA) earlier this year. Manyi reportedly coerced Hlophe to deliver a speech Manyi had given him at the last minute instead of the one Hlophe had prepared. Hlophe, as the official opposition leader was responding to President Cyril Ramaphosa SONA speech. Manyi was alleged to have told Hlophe that the speech was from party founder, Jacob Zuma, however, after it emerged later that Zuma was unaware of the speech and Hlophe was reportedly furious and confronted Manyi in a caucus meeting. On Wednesday Manyi denied claims of a fallout with Hlophe, saying that it would be difficult to reach that conclusion and this was not the reason provided by the party for his removal. 'I do not believe that my removal had anything to do with what happened during the SONA. My relationship with Hlophe as our caucus leader is fine. We talk a lot so I can't say he removed me for that. I will continue with my role as ordinary MP so there is no big deal in my removal. This was just an administrative role,' said Manyi. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ He said his removal as chief whip will not affect his political standing in the party since the position is an administrative role, adding that he still has a good relationship with Zuma and remains spokesperson of the Jacob Zuma Foundation. However, a senior MKP member in KwaZulu-Natal, who is close to Zuma, said more significant changes are coming as Zuma has returned to the country after a trip to China. The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said although Hlophe had written to Manyi informing him that he was no longer chief whip, this would not have happened without Zuma's approval. 'This is not the end of the shake up, in fact it is the beginning since the president (Zuma) had indicated that he would announce big changes when he comes back from overseas. In a couple of days you will hear a big political announcement by the MKP and people will be shocked,' said the source. Manyi's removal shocked many as he had been close to Zuma before the establishment of the MKP. Zuma entrusted him with the position of spokesperson of his foundation while Manyi was still with the ATM and Manyi continued with this role even after joining EFF. He dumped the EFF in August last year for the MKP and was immediately appointed chief whip, replacing the former party secretary Sihle Ngubane.
