MANILA, Philippines – A group of archaeologists unearthed remains of a butchered, ancient rhinoceros in Rizal, Kalinga in 2014. It seems nothing out of the ordinary, as finding ancient animal remains is not really earth-shattering in the world of science.

But it turns out, the bones date back all the way to 709,000 years ago – a time where textbooks say a time that humans did not exist in any Philippine island.

The bones had cut marks, indicating that humans slaughtered the rhino using sharp stone tools.

It was long believed that humans first set foot in the Philippines 67,000 years ago, based on the uncovered human remains in the Callao Cave, in Cagayan. The team’s discovery may dispute that by over tenfold.

It was a glorious day for the team led by professor Thomas Ingicco of the Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, and Clyde Jago-on and Marian Reyes of the Philippine National Museum.

Archaeologist Kathryn Manalo first saw a tooth one meter deep in the excavation area. 

"The local people who were working for us said bato lang 'yan [that is only a rock], but then I said, let's wait for it, and when we finally got the confirmation, it was an amazing moment because that was the first part of rhino that we found," Manalo said.

“We had warm beer after the excavation,” said Mylene Lising, another archaeologist who was part of the team.

Researchers got their hands even dirtier, digging inch by inch, being very careful not to damage other potential finds. The team eventually unearthed the rhinoceros fossil that was 75% intact. They also found some 50 stone tools near the fossil.

"Rhino remains, plus stone tools, plus butchery marks, equals indirect evidence [of] presence of ancient humans," said Jeremy Barns, director of the National Museum.

So, who killed the rhino?

The exciting discovery just led to more questions.The team is now more motivated to search for the ancient humans or "archaic hominis" that butchered the rhino.

Lising says they have a likely suspect: the Homo erectus. 

Homo erectus were the most mobile among the hominis, reaching various lands coming from ancient Africa. They lived some two million years. Homo sapiens, our species, came to be only around 300,000 years ago. Lising said, "Clearly, we're babies compared to them."

"We’re going to have the direct evidence because we found smaller bones of lizards. So if small bones can survive, what more for the much larger human bones?” Lising explained.

We will have to wait for archaeologists to find human remains before history books are changed.

LGUs committed to protect the area

The buzz over Kalinga being an archaeological goldmine has motivated the local government to further protect the area.

"Because of the discovery, people had more jobs, the local economy is alive," said a joyful Kalinga Mayor Marcelo dela Cruz.

With the help of the archaeologists, there are now local tour guides that can explain what transpired in the area.

"'Yung mga tao ko, kaya magsabi na '36,000 years ago, ganito, ganyan ang nangyari," Dela Cruz said. (My people can say, "36,000 years ago, this and that happened.")

Dela Cruz passed a local ordinance banning any agricultural activity around the excavation site. However, he hopes the national government would enact stiffer laws to further protect the area.

The golden age of Philippine museums

Some of the rhino's bones can be viewed by the public at the National Museum of Natural History. Doors will open on May 18, in time for international museum day.

The new museum is stylish and boasts of architectural intricacies. The heart of the museum is a dome, where a modern elevator mimics a tree.

"The previous and current administration really poured funds for the museums in the country. Before, going to museums was dull and boring. That's all in the past now," said Barns.

Meanwhile, Manalo hopes the discovery would encourage the youth to take up archaeology.

"There is no undergrad in archaeology. There is a certificate, masters, and Phd in UP Diliman. The field helps you understand you and the society around you by revisiting the past," said Manalo. – Rappler.com

WASHINGTON, DC, USA – Thousands of Facebook and Instagram advertisements taken out by a Russian internet group were released on Thursday, May 10, in a database that illustrates how a concerted effort was made to foment anger and split US society around the 2016 election.

Democrats of the House Intelligence Community released records of more than 3,000 ads from 2015-2017 that were allegedly placed by the Kremlin-linked Internet Research Agency, a Saint Petersburg operation that allegedly spreads disinformation and political propaganda across the internet and social media in Russia and in countries where Moscow wants to influence politics.

The ads and postings show a pattern of stirring up anger among different groups, encouraging support for then-candidate Donald Trump in the 2016 presidential race, and discouraging support for his rival Hillary Clinton.

There were ads placed on conservative Facebook pages highlighting attacks on police and the dangers of immigration, and linking African-American activists to Muslims.

And, conversely, ads placed on African American-oriented pages focused on police brutality and white supremacist groups, often linking to articles that would stoke black anger. 

Some were just cute or funny, seemingly designed to get likes and forwards that would draw users to a page that had other more political material.

Others were cleverly designed just to slightly tweak voter motivation, such as one aimed at conservative voters in key states which featured a quote from former president Ronald Reagan: "If we ever forget that we are One Nation Under God, then we will be a nation gone under."

Many of the ads have been made public over the past year, but the database provides a fuller picture of an effort that cost the Russians barely $100,000 to reach 126 million Americans and arguably impact the race that sent Trump to the White House over favored Clinton.

"The only way we can begin to inoculate ourselves against a future attack is to see first-hand the types of messages, themes and imagery the Russians used to divide us," said Representative Adam Schiff, the senior Democrat on the Intelligence Committee.

"Ultimately, by exposing these advertisements, we hope to better protect legitimate political expression and discussions and better safeguard Americans from having their information ecosystem polluted by foreign adversaries."

Facebook has said the 3,000 ads were linked to 470 "inauthentic accounts and pages" that have now been closed down. 

It announced in April that it will require political ads on its platform to state who is paying for the message and that it would verify the identity of the payer. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines (UPDATED) – Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno will face on Friday, May 11, her fellow justices and listen to them vote on her possible ouster.

Sereno arrived at the tightly guarded Supreme Court (SC) just before 8 am on Friday.

Sereno’s camp had earlier said that she will participate in the deliberations of the special en banc session, except for the quo warranto petition to remove her.

The en banc session is expected to start at 10 am.

A court insider said the quo warranto is Number 7 on the agenda. Election matters are expected to be tackled first.

If SC justices vote against Sereno, it will be the first time for the SC to remove its own chief via quo warranto, as it decides on a petition widely criticized for violating Sereno's constitutional right to an impeachment process.

It will push the Constitution to its bounds, and lawyers are worried about a crisis resulting from a potential clash of branches of government.

Senate President Aqulino “Koko” Pimentel III  had raised the possibility of questioning the validity of an SC ouster, and asserting the Senate's jurisdiction as an impeachment court.

But statements such as those are inadequate for Sereno supporters, as they call on the Senate to make its stand stronger in asserting its jurisdiction over the impeachment process. 

Constitutional law professor Dan Gatmaytan said the Senate could have already challenged the petition before the Supreme Court, but that they may have lost the chance on Friday.

Former Ateneo School of Government dean and lawyer Tony La Viña wrote on Wednesday, May 9: "In the pending quo warranto case, a simple majority of 8 members of the Supreme Court could decide to remove a sitting Chief Justice. That lowers the bar for removing an impeachable official. This effectively judicially amends the Constitution."

Supporters of Sereno gathered early Friday morning in front of the Supreme Court building in Manila to show their support for the Chief Justice.

One of the supporters in Friday’s protests included former education secretary Brother Armin Luistro.

“Ang mga senador ay puwedeng mag-assert ng kanilang constitutional duty, duty ng mga senador to make sure that the impeachment process will see its final end,” Luistro said. (Senators can assert their constitutional duty, it's the duty of senators to make sure that the impeachment process will see its final end.)

Sereno has been the target of criticism of her own colleagues in the Supreme Court, with some of them appearing before the House justice committee to air their grievances. She has been accused of not filing all her Statements of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth as required by law. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – The Philippines on Friday, May 11, congratulated Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad on his election victory, and looked forward to "enhanced" ties with Malaysia under his rule.

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said the election of Mahathir bodes well for  continued strong bilateral ties between the Philippines and Malaysia.

“We wish to congratulate Mahathir Mohamad on his return as Prime Minister of Malaysia. Prime Minister Mahathir is an old friend of the Philippines and his fresh mandate augurs well for the deep relations between the Philippines and Malaysia,” Roque said.

The Palace spokesman also cited Malaysia’s role as a “dependable” neighbor, as shown by its facilitation of the peace negotiations between the Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), which was done under the leadership of Mahathir's predecessor, Najib Razak.

“Malaysia, as we all know, is a brother nation and dependable partner of the Philippines for having played a constructive role towards the attainment of peace and stability in Mindanao,” Roque said.

“We are thus confident that the strong partnership between our countries would continue to be enhanced in the years to come,” he added. 

The 92-year-old Mahathir took his oath as Prime Minister Thursday night, May 10, making him in the world's oldest elected leader.

Mahathir previously held office for 22 years, from 1981 to 2003, making him the longest serving prime minister of Malaysia.

Ties between the Philippines and Malaysia went through a rough patch during the administration of President Joseph Estrada, who personally protested Mahathir’s actions towards his “good friend” former deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim in 1998.

The jailed opposition leader teamed up with Mahathir  during the recent polls to oust the government of Najib Razak.

Mahathir was in Manila in October 2017 for the ASEAN Leaders' Forum. At the time, he admitted that he was "working very hard to get rid" of Najib Razak, whom he called a dictator. 

During his Manila visit, he was also invited as the keynote speaker at the annual conference of the Financial Executives of the Philippines (Finex).

During a press conference on the sidelines of the Finex conference where he was asked about the Duterte administration's bloody campaign against illegal drugs, Mahathir stressed the need for rule of law to prevail in running after suspects as is the case, he said, in his country. (READ: Mahathir stresses need for rule of law amid EJKs in PH) – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines (4th UPDATE) – In an unprecedented and historic move, the Supreme Court (SC) ousted Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno on Friday, May 11.

Voting 8-6, the SC en banc granted the quo warranto petition to remove Sereno from office on the basis of an invalid appointment. The decision is "immediately executory without need for further action," SC Spokesperson Theodore Te said during Friday's press briefing.

Sereno attended the en banc session where 8 justices voted for the quo warranto. They are: Associate Justices Teresita Leonardo De Castro, Diosdado Peralta, Lucas Bersamin, Francis Jardeleza, Noel Tijam, Samuel Martires, Andres Reyes Jr, and Alexander Gesmundo.

The 6 dissenters are as follows: Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio and Associate Justices Presbitero Velasco Jr, Mariano del Castillo, Estela Perlas Bernabe, Marvic Leonen, and Benjamin Caguioa.

Nine of the justices said she violated requirements on the Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN). The same number of justices ruled that quo warranto was the proper remedy in the ouster of Sereno.

Velasco, according to sources, also agreed it was the proper remedy but thought it was premature. He voted with the dissenters.

While Sereno attended the en banc, she was asked to step out of the room when the other justices deliberated on the quo warranto petition.

The decision, penned by Associate Justice Noel Tijam, was expected from the en banc, whose members had made their negative sentiments towards Sereno known. 

This is the first time that the SC removed its own chief, in a petition widely slammed for violating Sereno's constitutional right to an impeachment process.

What happens now?

Sereno will have a chance to file a motion for reconsideration. 

During the appeal period, the focus shifts to the House of Representatives which is yet to vote on Sereno's impeachment. Senate President Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III has raised the possibility of the Upper House questioning the validity of the quo warranto ouster.

Constitutional Law professor Dan Gatmaytan said that the Senate can already assert its jurisdiction even without the articles of impeachment from the House. Gatmaytan said they can just invoke their constitutional mandate as an impeachment court.

If the Senate chooses to assert jurisdiction, it will result in a constitutional crisis, he said.

Gatmaytan likened the situation to the Marcos period when the Supreme Court was accused of enabling a dictatorship.

"When they started doing that, ignoring what the law says for a political outcome, it diminishes itself, and I think that's what the Court is walking into right now," Gatmaytan said. – Rappler.com

BARCELONA, Spain – Ousted Catalan president Carles Puigdemont on Thursday, May 10, rejected being re-appointed as leader of the region, following pressure from Spain's government and months of political turmoil over its independence bid.

Puigdemont's announcement from exile in Germany came a day after the Madrid government stepped in to block him from once again becoming president of Catalonia, pressuring the separatist camp to pick another candidate and form a regional government.

Separatist allies had said they would try to have Puigdemont back in the role by next week after the regional parliament voted through reforms allowing him to be re-appointed without being present.

Madrid, however, successfully requested the Constitutional Court to cancel the reform and in a video message Puigdemont said he was now willing to step aside.

"The intolerance and the lack of respect of the state towards the will of the citizens of Catalonia have appeared clearly in the eyes of the world," he said in the video.

He proposed political newcomer Quim Torra as his successor, urging the next regional executive to build an independent country.

The region has been in political limbo since Spain's conservative central government imposed direct rule on the region after it unilaterally declared independence in October.

Separatists won regional elections in December, but fresh polls will be triggered if a new leader is not elected by May 22.

Puigdemont, who first fled to Belgium, was detained in Germany in March after Spain issued a European arrest warrant against him.

Madrid wants to extradite him to Spain to try him on charges of rebellion and misuse of public funds for staging an independence referendum in Catalonia on October 1 even though the courts had ruled it unconstitutional.

'Rebellion'

A German court last month dismissed the extradition request for Puigdemont on the rebellion allegations and released him on bail.

Spanish prosecutors have since handed over new information to Germany they hope will prove the use of violence, to justify the rebellion charge and their extradition request.

Only last month, hundreds of thousands of people marched in Barcelona to protest the jailing of 9 Catalan separatist leaders who are facing trial on "rebellion" charges in Spain.

The protest came 6 months after the first incarcerations of the leaders for misuse of public funds, sedition and rebellion – which carries a prison sentence of 30 years and implies that a "violent uprising" took place – over their separatist push.

They include the heads of Catalonia's two largest pro-independence groups – Jordi Sanchez of the ANC and Jordi Cuixart of Omnium Jordi Cuixart.

Prosecutors say the two men played central roles in orchestrating pro-independence protests in September in Barcelona during which national police were trapped inside a government building for several hours and their vehicles were destroyed.

They are also accused of mobilizing thousands of pro-independence supporters to prevent police from stopping the October 1 independence referendum from going ahead.

Sanchez was elected as a lawmaker in snap polls in Catalonia in December and has twice been proposed as a candidate to lead a new Catalan regional government, but a judge refused both times to allow him to leave jail to be sworn in. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – What can she do now?

Maria Lourdes Sereno is looking at several scenarios after the Supreme Court (SC) ousted her on Friday, May 11. The SC en banc voted 8-6 in favor of the quo warranto petition that sought to declare her appointment in 2012 invalid.

There are possible scenarios after this ouster, and many of them spell crisis.

Rappler lists them down with the help of constitutional law professor Dan Gatmaytan.

1. She can accept the decision and leave

Simple, Sereno can accept the decision, leave the Supreme Court, and never look back.

2. File an appeal

A sober scenario is the procedural one. She can file a motion for reconsideration, and use the appeal period to think of the next strategies.

"But if she has no new argument, then typically the Supreme Court will dismiss it," Gatmaytan said.

Gatmaytan added that Sereno remains the chief justice during the appeal period.

"But it's not going to be a long time," he said.

3. She can defy the decision outright

Sereno can play the extemes and defy the decision. 

"She would have a constitutional basis because she would say she wasn’t removed according to the provisions of the Constitution. But on a practical level, she probably won’t do that," Gatmaytan said.

It would put the Supreme Court under more stress because then the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) will have to start the search for her replacement while she's still there.

"That's not a smart political move, she will appear as a nuisance more than anything else. Morally, she would be correct, legally she might even be, but on a practical level, it might not be smart to hold the fort," Gatmaytan said.

4. Congress can assert jurisdiction

Between the two houses, it's the Senate that's more interested in asserting its jurisdiction as the constitutionally mandated body to handle an impeachment. The thing is, the articles of impeachment have not been transmitted by the House of Representatives to the Senate yet. The House resumes session on May 15.

That doesn't matter, said Gatmaytan, as the Senate can always invoke its constitutional mandate as an impeachment court.

But when that happens, it would result in a constitutional crisis.

Gatmaytan said the Senate could have challenged it before the SC earlier. Now that Sereno has been ousted, Gatmaytan said the Senate may have lost its chance.

What the Senate can do is just completely ignore the quo warranto ouster. "It won't look good, but it won't be the first time because lately we have been seeing a lot of that," Gatmaytan said.

"When other branches of government, as it is now, are ignoring the Supreme Court, that’s a bad sign. That means that the courts are not equal, they are regarding the Supreme Court as a lesser branch, they’re calling it names now. It’s something that would not have happened 10 years ago, 5 years ago," he added.

5. Sereno can leave for now, and seek reversal later

"I think the premise is that the SC can always review its decisions, there’s this possibility that they can reverse the decision at some point in the future," Gatmaytan said.

That will have to depend on who the next appointees to the Supreme Court are.

Is it upon Sereno now to avoid all these potential crises and quietly leave?

“If we want to avoid crisis, then the Supreme Court should follow the law. I disagree that Sereno has the ball. If there really is an issue about the chief justice, they should be threshed out in an impeachment trial,” Gatmaytan said. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) filed its first case against an official it named in its controversial drug list.

On Friday, May 11, the PDEA National Capital Region (NCR) filed the following drugs and administrative charges before the Office of the Ombudsman against Alvin Mañalac, Barangay Captain of Tinajeros, Malabon, for allegedly failing to report a drug den in his area and submitting incomplete drug watch lists:

• Violation of the Dangerous Drugs Act - For allegedly being a drug protector or coddler, maintaining a drug den, and manufacturing illegal drugs
• Violation of Article 171 of the Revised Penal Code - For allegedly falsifying documents 
• Violation of the Local Government Code - For alleged gross negligence

"Alvin Mañalac as Punong Barangay (Barangay Captain) miserably failed to join the government in its crusade to fight illegal drugs," the PDEA said in its 15-page complaint.

The PDEA is referring to the ecstasy laboratory it shut down in April, which was brought down thanks to a tip from Chinese anti-drug enforcers.

PDEA's proof: PDEA NCR chief Ismael Fajardo admitted they have no evidence directly linking Mañalac to the unreported drug den, but he argued that Mañalac had all the means to find out that the laboratory was rising in the village he promised to watch over.

"Kung nalaman ng PDEA at ng pulis at barangay captain ka, impossible...Ultimo tsinelas na nawala alam ng kapitan (If PDEA and police knew [before you did] and you're a barangay captain, it's impossible...Even a missing slipper a barangay captain knows)," Fajardo said.

"Kung nakita niyo 'yung drug den doon, napakalapit sa barangay hall, so it is really impossible na hindi mo ma-monitor (If you could see the drug den, you'd see that it's near the barangay hall, so it's really impossible that you couldn't monitor it)," Fajardo added. 

{source}<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">HAPPENING NOW: PDEA presents case to be filed before the Ombudsman against a Malabon barangay captain included in their drug list. <br><br>This is their first case against a name in their controversial 200-item roll. <a href="https://twitter.com/rapplerdotcom?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@rapplerdotcom</a> <a href="https://t.co/Zgt8aLf73U">pic.twitter.com/Zgt8aLf73U</a></p>&mdash; Rambo Talabong (@rambotalabong) <a href="https://twitter.com/rambotalabong/status/994751218860748801?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 11, 2018</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>{/source}

This is only the first: Mañalac is only the first to face charges of 207 barangay officials named in the PDEA's narco-list published for all to see on April 30.

Pressed to confirm when the PDEA plans to formally accuse all the others, Fajardo replied the PDEA can't issue a timeline as all the other cases are still being built up by their agents. 

Despite this, the PDEA already requested the Philippine National Police to conduct Oplan Tokhang visits against the named officials, knocking at their doors and asking them to surrender just based on the government's intelligence. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines (UPDATED) – Opposition senators on Friday, May 11, slammed the Supreme Court vote ousting Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno, and called the decision a “direct stab” to the heart of the Constitution.

"This is a black day for justice and the rule of law. The Supreme Court has fallen, and fallen hard in the eyes of the public,” Senator Risa Hontiveros said in a statement shortly after media reported the supposed 8-6 Court vote in favor of the quo warranto petition against Sereno.

“By giving its nod to an obviously unconstitutional petition, the high tribunal has surrendered its judicial independence and integrity to the whims of President Duterte, and subverted altogether our constitutional process of impeachment," Hontiveros added.

The senator said the decision supposedly reflected the inability of some justices to separate personal issues from their official duties. 

"The justices' failure to rise above their personal issues has paved the way for the rise of a black dawn in the judiciary. The Supreme Court has opened the floodgates for the removal in the future of other impeachable public officials through arbitrary means and for whimsical reasons. It is a direct stab to the heart of our Constitution," Hontiveros said.

Of the 8 justices who voted in favor of the petition, 6 were the subjects of Sereno’s  petitions to inhibit in the case: Associate Justices Teresita Leonardo de Castro, Diosdado Peralta, Lucas Bersamin, Francis Jardeleza, Noel Tijam, and Samuel Martires.

Blow to justice system, Senate

Senator Antonio Trillanes IV accused the 8 justices who favored the petition of "killing" the justice system.

"It is now the darkest hour in our democracy. The Supreme Court, which is supposed to be the cradle of our fragile Constitution, is the same body that killed it. Those SC justices who committed this heinous crime against our justice system must not and will not go unpunished," he said.

Hontiveros also described the SC decision as "a slap in the face of the Senate.”

She noted that the Constitution provides the process for the removal of an impeachable officer – the Senate, convened as an impeachment court, would deliberate on the complaint.

"With this decision, the Senate is robbed of that power and denied the obligation to fulfill its constitutional duty. There is a clear attempt to relegate the Senate to the political sidelines," Hontiveros said.

Senator Joel Villanueva also expressed dismay over the decision. "Again, I stand with our Constitution that the only means to remove the CJ is through impeachment," he said.

Senator Paolo Benigno Aquino IV said the SC ruling is the “loss” of ordinary Filipinos.

“Talo na naman ang taumbayan. Ano pa ang laban ng karaniwang Pilipino kung ang Chief Justice ay kayang tanggalin nang basta-basta at hindi batay sa tamang proseso?” Aquino said.     

(The people lose, again. If the Chief Justice can just be removed without going through the correct process, what more ordinary Filipinos?)

Follow constitutional process

Aquino maintained that the correct process is a trial before the Senate, convened as an impeachment court. 

(There was a disregard of the process provided in the Constitution. The public had been denied the right to know and scrutinize the case.  It seems that those who have power are the only ones who can dictate justice. The defenseless people are again on the losing end.)

Senator Juan Edgardo Angara said the 8-6 vote on the quo warranto petition reflected a "divided court."

"[The vote] shows a divided court on a very important constitutional issue. This means the ruling may not be a stable one and may be subject to revision going forward," Angara said in a statement.

"I do not agree with the decision because impeachment is the only constitutional route for removal of a CJ but acknowledge that the Court has spoken," he added.

Angara expressed hope that "wisdom and sobriety" would prevail, in the event that the ruling becomes final and excutory.

"The ripple effect of the decision may be felt in the coming months and years. I pray that wisdom and sobriety prevail in the future for the good of the country and our people," he said. 

Public sentiment vs ruling

Senator Panfilo Lacson said the ones who stand to gain the most from the decision are the "incompetent lawyers" who would have been fully exposed if the impeachment trial pushed through.

"Ang biggest ‘winners’ sa SC decision ay ang mga abogadong pulpol na handa sanang magkalat ng katangahan sa impeachment trial na hindi na mangyayari dahil malamang hindi na ipadala ng House ang Articles of Impeachment sa Senado," Lacson said.

(The biggest "winners" in the SC decision are the incompetent lawyers who would have been prepared to show off their stupidity at the impeachment trial that will not happen because the House is not likely to transmit the Articles of Impeachment to the Senate.)

Senator Francis Pangilinan said in another statement that the SC justices who favored the quo warranto petition “disrespected” the Constitution, as he urged the people to show their displeasure with the decision.

“Pambabastos sa Saligang Batas ang ginawa ng mayorya sa Supreme Court....Dapat mag file ng motion for reconsideration. Dapat maipamalas ng taumbayan sa korte na mali ang pasya at hindi katanggap-tanggap,” Pangilinan said.

(The Supreme Court majority disrepsected the Constitution....A motion for reconsideration should be filed. The people should show the Court that the vote is wrong and unacceptable.)

He said in Filipino what the Court vote showed is that “numbers and power overpower respect for the law," and indicated "concern" that the impeachment would not prosper in the Senate. 

"Nangangamba sila na maaring wala silang sapat na boto sa Senado kaya nila pinwersa ang bulok at basurang argumento. Hindi dito natatapos ang usapin na ito. Dapat igiit ng Kongreso ang kanyang tungkulin at obligasyon sa ilalim ng Saligang Batas na nagsasaad na tanging sa impeachment lang ang maaring paraan na patalsikin ang isang Ciuef Justice," Pangilinan said.

(They feared that they may not have enough votes in the Senate so they forced their garbage argument. This issue does not stop here. Congress would assert its duty and obligation under the Constitution which states that the Chief Justice can only be removed through impeachment.)

Senate Majority Leader Vicente Sotto III, for his part, said everyone should respect the Court's decision as it is the "supreme" interpreter of the Constitution.

"The Supreme Court is the highest interpeter of the Constitution and the laws. We respect its decision. To do otherwise is to make our personal opinion higher than what we regard as supreme," Sotto said. – with reports from Camille Elemia / Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – After ousting her as Chief Justice, the Supreme Court (SC) dealt another blow on Maria Lourdes Sereno with a show cause order on charges that can be used as basis for disbarment.

A separate vote signalled a strong declaration from the High Court that she violated the Constitution on account of her failure to file her Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth or SALNs

“Respondent Sereno is ordered to show cause within 10 days from receipt hereof why she should not be sanctioned for violating the Code of Professional Responsibility and the Code of Judicial Conduct for transgressing the sub judice rule and for casting aspersions and ill motives to the members of the Supreme Court,” the SC en banc said in its decision made on Friday, May 11.

Violations of Code of Professional Responsibility and the Code of Judicial Conduct are bases for disbarment.

The sub judice rule restricts parties from making public statements on matters that are the subject of a judicial proceeding. Sereno has made the rounds slamming the quo warranto petition as unconstitutional.

SALN rule

On the SALNs issue, 9 justices said Sereno violated the Constitution with her incomplete submissions. 

The 9 are: Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio, Associate Justices Teresita Leonardo de Castro, Diosdado Peralta, Lucas Bersamin, Francis Jardeleza, Noel Tijam, Samuel Martires, Andres Reyes Jr, and Alexander Gesmundo. 

The 5 other justices did not give an opinion.

On whether the quo warranto petition is the proper remedy, the justices voted 9-5, with the following concurrences: Velasco, De Castro, Peralta, Bersamin, Jardeleza, Martires, Tijam, Reyes and Gesmundo. 

Those who dissented were: Senior Associate Justice Carpio, Associate Justices Mariano del Castillo, Estela Perlas Bernabe, Marvic Leonen, and Benjamin Caguioa.

The show cause order reflects a strong message from the en banc that Sereno violated rules. These alleged violations can be  strong charges in an impeachment trial should there be one.

The SC’s decision is immediately executory, and the en banc has already declared Sereno’s post vacant.

“The Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) is directed to commence the application and nomination process,” SC Spokesman Theodore Te said in a news conference on Friday, May 11.

The 8-6 main decision to oust Seren was penned by Associate Justice Noel Tijam, with concurrences from De Castro, Peralta, Bersamin, Jardeleza, Martires, Reyes, and Gesmundo.

Those who dissented were: Carpio, Velasco, Del Castillo, Bernabe, Leonen and Caguioa.

The full copy of the decision is yet to be released. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – Malolos Bishop Jose Oliveros died on Friday morning, May 11, at the age of 71.

Oliveros died at around 9:12 am on Friday, said Father Nick Lalog, social communications chairman of the Diocese of Malolos.  

Oliveros was reportedly found unconscious in his room at around 9 am on Friday, Lalog said. He was then rushed to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Lalog said Oliveros had undergone treatment for prostate cancer for the past 4 years. 

His last major public appearance was on April 30, when he witnessed the ordination of his former right-hand man, Monsignor Bartolome Santos Jr, as a bishop.

Santos, former vicar general of the Diocese of Malolos, is set to be installed as bishop of Iba, Zambales.

"It's always a joy of a bishop to see one of his priests becoming a bishop," Lalog told Rappler.

Born in Quezon on September 1, 1946, Oliveros studied at Our Lady of Mt Carmel Minor Seminary in Sariaya, Quezon, and the University of Santo Tomas Central Seminary in Manila.

He also holds a master's degree in psychology from the Ateneo de Manila University, and a doctorate in sacred theology from the Universita di San Tommaso in Urbe in Rome.

Oliveros was ordained a priest by no less than Pope Paul VI at Rizal Park, Manila, on November 28, 1970.

Ordained a bishop on March 20, 2000, he was also the former bishop of Boac in Marinduque. – Rappler.com

WASHINGTON DC, USA – A NASA program that cost $10 million per year to track carbon and methane, key greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming, has been canceled, a US space agency spokesman said Thursday, May 10.

The end of the program – called the Carbon Monitoring System (CMS) – which tracked sources and sinks for carbon and made high-resolution models of the planet's flows of carbon – was first reported by the journal Science.

"Now, President Donald Trump's administration has quietly killed the CMS," the report said, describing the move as the latest in a "broad attack on climate science" mounted by the White House.

The journal said NASA "declined to provide a reason for the cancelation beyond 'budget constraints and higher priorities within the science budget.'"

It also quoted US space agency spokesman Steve Cole as saying there was no mention of the CMS in a budget deal signed in March, which "allowed the administration's move to take effect."

Cole, responding to a request for comment from Agence France-Presse (AFP), said Trump proposed cutting the CMS project and 4 Earth science missions last year.

After much deliberation, Congress decided they wanted those 4 space missions to be funded, writing them into the budget bill they passed in March 2018, he said.

But since CMS was not among them, it was cut as proposed, Cole said, describing the entire process as a joint effort by lawmakers and the executive branch.

Existing grants would be allowed to finish but no new research would be supported, he said.

Trump has already announced the US pullout from the 2015 Paris climate accord, a deal signed by more than 190 nations to slash polluting emissions from fossil fuels.

Cole told AFP that Trump has proposed canceling another Earth science mission, the Orbiting Carbon Observatory 3 (OCO-3), for next year, though it did receive funding for fiscal year 2018.

According to Kelly Sims Gallagher, director of Tufts University's Center for International Environment and Resource Policy in Medford, Massachusetts, the CMS cuts jeopardize efforts to verify the emission cuts agreed to in the Paris climate deal.

"If you cannot measure emissions reductions, you cannot be confident that countries are adhering to the agreement," she told the journal Science.

Canceling the CMS "is a grave mistake."

Cole, however, said in an email that the "winding down of this specific research program does not curb NASA's ability or commitment to monitoring carbon and its effects on our changing planet."

"In fact, GEDI, a new ecosystem carbon-monitoring instrument, is set to launch to the International Space Station this summer." – Rappler.com

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia – Malaysia's king has agreed to pardon jailed opposition icon Anwar Ibrahimj at once, newly installed Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said Friday, May 11.

"The (king) has indicated he is willing to pardon Datuk Sri Anwar immediately," Mahathir told a press conference, using a Malay honorific.

It came a day after the 92-year-old was sworn in  following a shock win that toppled the country's long-ruling coalition.

"We will begin the... proper process of obtaining a pardon for Datuk Sri Anwar," said Mahathir.

"This means a full pardon. He should be released immediately when he is pardoned."

Mahathir has promised to eventually hand the premiership over to Anwar, his former nemesis turned ally in an opposition alliance formed to take on scandal-plagued former prime minister Najib Razak.

Mahathir's reconciliation with Anwar has been one of the most remarkable aspects of an electrifying election race.

Anwar was a senior figure in government and Mahathir's heir-apparent until the pair dramatically fell out.

Mahathir sacked Anwar in 1998 over political differences, and he was subsequently jailed on charges of sodomy and abuse of power, in a case widely condemned as politically motivated.

Anwar was jailed again during Najib's rule. He was already slated to come out of prison in June. – Rappler.com

Bookmark this page to watch the interview at 3:00 pm on Friday, May 11

MANILA, Philippines – The New Bilibid Prison has a familiar face standing as its new highest guard. 

Retired Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa is now the Director General of the Bureau of Corrections, and he has a lot in store to fix the New Bilibid Prison — the Philippines' controversial national penitentiary.

The post, as Dela Rosa recounted, has been described by no less than President Rodrigo Duterte himself as a challenge that no public official has so far succeeded as illegal drugs trade inside the Bilibid has come back time and time again.

Will the President's favorite policeman emerge victorious in the job?

Rappler's Rambo Talabong speaks to Dela Rosa to ask him about his plans to end the drug trade inside the Bilbid, how he would police the country's other correction facilities, and his political ambitions as the 2019 midterm elections come closer.

Watch the interview live on Rappler.– Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) felt the need to quickly dispel on Friday, May 11, a message going around social media that a military command had supposedly withdrawn support from President Rodrigo Duterte. 

"Your AFP shall and will remain united and steadfast following duly constituted authority and under the Chain-of-Command with the President and Commander-in-Chief on top of the hierarchy," said AFP spokesman Colonel Edgard Arevalo.

Arevalo said the "fake statement" circulating on social media is "obviously" a handiwork of "individuals who intend to sow discord in and to discredit the AFP as a professional organization."

The statement comes in the wake of a controversial Supreme Court vote to remove Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno, an appointee of former President Benigno Aquino III whom Duterte called his "enemy."

Fears of a constitutional crisis gripped political observers as they awaited the reaction of the Senate, the body previously believed to have the exclusive power to remove a Chief Justice. 

The SC vote preempts moves in the House of Representatives to impeach Sereno. 

A message from "Southern Command?"

According to the message, soldiers from the "Southern Command" withdrew support from the government of Duterte.

Southern Command or "Southcom" is a now-defunct military unit, previously responsible over the entire Mindanao, that was divided into two. The Western Mindanao Command and the Eastern Mindanao Command that are focused on fighting local terrorist groups and communist insurgents, respectively. 

"A Messenger post purportedly from the soldiers of the 'Southern Command' allegedly withdrawing support from Government and the President and encouraging other AFP units to follow suit is now circulating in social media. A few people sent it to me to determine its veracity," said Arevalo.

"That is a fake statement. It did not come from the military," he said.

There were proposals recently to combine the two unified commands in the military again. But a final decision has not been made over the recommendation. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – Kuwait has assured the Philippines of its "firm commitment" to give additional protection to Filipino workers in the Gulf state amid the diplomatic row of the two countries, Philippine Foreign Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano said.

"I am particularly heartened by the positive gestures of the Kuwaiti government, most especially in the past several days, that assured us of its firm commitment to help ensure the well-being of thousands of our kababayans (countrymen) who they have so generously been hosting in the past 4 decades," Cayetano said in a statement on Thursday, May 10.

Cayetano said President Rodrigo Duterte had set such commitment as "one of the preconditions" before the Philippine government considers signing the proposed memorandum of agreement for OFWs' welfare in Kuwait.

Cayetano is set to meet Kuwaiti Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah Khalid Al Hamad Al Sabah to evaluate the ties between the two countries.

He said he hoped that the memorandum would be signed after their meeting.

"It is our hope that the momentum created by the goodwill generated by our two sides during the past three weeks would lead to the signing today of the Memorandum of Agreement between our two countries," Cayetano said.

Talks on the agreement were revived earlier this year, after household service worker Joanna Demafelis was discovered dead in a freezer in Kuwait.

The proposed memorandum of agreement will cover all household service workers and skilled workers deployed in the Gulf state. Its salient features include employers allowing OFWs to keep their passports and mobile phones.

Cayetano added that the Philippine side "convinced"  Kuwait to agree to the repatriation of OFWs in shelters and those awaiting rescue, the activation of a 24/7 hotline for distressed workers in need of assistance, and the creation of a special police unit that would assist the Philippine embassy.

The meeting comes two weeks after Kuwait declared Philippine Ambassador Renato Villa "persona non grata" because of the embassy's rescue of distressed Filipino workers from private Kuwait homes without proper coordination with local authorities. The Kuwaiti government made the move after the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs posted a video of the rescue.

After the controversy broke, Duterte said that the total deployment ban of  workers to Kuwait would stay "permanently" but Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque later clarified the ban may be partially lifted after the signing of the OFW protection agreement. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – Ousted Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno does not appear like she's backing down. 

After the Supreme Court en banc voted 8-6 to remove her, Sereno emerged and spoke to her supporters on a stage aptly set for that moment. As Sereno said, this may just be her time.

“Inilagay tayo dito para sa mga ganitong panahon, ang araw na ito ay araw ng paglaban. Ang araw na ito ay hindi katapusan, kundi simula lamang (We were put here in this moment, and this day is a day to fight. This day is not the end, but just the beginning),” she said to a cheering crowd.

Aside from ousting her, the en banc also issued a show cause order, asking her to explain why she should not be sanctioned for violating the Code of Professional Responsibility and the Code of Judicial Conduct.

Those are disciplinary charges, even basis for disbarment. She has not addressed this as of posting. (READ: Senators on Sereno ouster: ‘Black day for justice’)

The majority of the en banc also said she violated the Constitution for failing to file some of her Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth or SALN). Even if they are able to push for an impeachment trial, such a pronouncement from the SC can work against her.

The ouster was expected, given word that had been circulating even days before, but it is unclear if the other pronouncements came as a surprise.

Strong message

Sereno had to maintain her composure, and keep the reputation she has built over the last months as a voice of dissent in the Duterte administration.

“Kailangang higit ang pagmamatyag natin sa panahon ng tag-dilim, buuin natin ang isang kilusang Pilipino na patuloy na ipagtatanggol ang katarungan at maniningil sa ating mga tinalagang lingkod bayan,” she said. (READ: After SC ousts her, what can Sereno do now?)

(We have to be more vigilant in this time of darkness, let’s build a movement of Filipinos who will continue to defend justice and hold our chosen public servants to account.)

She added: “Patuloy nating ikalat ang mensahe ng demokrasya at katuwiran. Magtiwala kayo, sama-sama nating titibagin ang mga kasinungalingan at pagmamalabis. Sinasabi ko sa inyo, ang mga buwan ng panalangin, paninindigan at paghihirap nating lahat ay mayroong malaking saysay.”

(We will continue to spread the message of democracy and reason. Have faith, together we will demolish these lies and abuses. I am telling you, the months of prayers, standing up for what you believe in, and sacrifices will be worth it.)

Sereno is expected to hold a separate press conference later on Friday.

Sereno’s spokesperson Jojo Lacanilao said they will file a motion for reconsideration.

Lacanilao said in an interview over ANC that an 8-6 vote is a “gap is not too big.”

“It’s not a slam dunk but there are 6 people. We will come up with new arguments. hopefully we would be able to achieve our goal of the SC giving consideration to the decision and reversing it,” he said.

“This is the fight for people who want rule of law….The chief will fight for that and the fight is just beginning,” Lacanilao added. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – Malacañang on Friday, May 11, urged the public to respect the Supreme Court decision to grant the quo warranto petition against Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno amid strong criticism and public outrage over the ruling.

“The Supreme Court is the final arbiter of the law. The High Court has spoken,” Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque said in a statement.

“Let us respect its decision granting the quo warranto petition as the proper remedy and the quo warranto petition ruling against Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno,” Roque added.

Lawmakers and various groups slammed the Court's 8-6 vote favoring the petition to oust Sereno, saying this dealt a blow to the Constitution and set a dangerous precedent. (READ: Senators on Sereno ouster: 'Black day for justice')

Senators said that the removal of an impeachable officer like the Chief Justice is the job of the Senate, convened as an impeachment court, as provided by the Constitution.

Apparently addressing such concerns, Roque said: “The Supreme Court, a co-equal branch of government, is duty-bound to uphold the Constitution.  The court ruling is likewise an assertion of the supremacy of the fundamental law of the land.”

Chief Presidential Counsel Salvador Panelo said that the Court was "only performing its constitutional duty of interpreting the provisions of the Constitution and rendering a decision on cases properly brought before it."

"The assumption of jurisdiction is a triumph of the rule of law. Dura lex sed lex or 'the law may be harsh, but it is the law.' Decisions cannot be based on emotions nor on biases," Panelo said a statement. – with a report from Paterno Esmaquel II / Rappler.com

HONG KONG – Hundreds of people were evacuated on Friday, May 11, after a World War II bomb was found at a Hong Kong construction site, police said, the third such discovery in the territory this year.

Police cordoned off roads and evacuated some 1,200 people from shops, restaurants and offices in the bustling Wanchai business district as experts sought to unearth and defuse the 450-kilogram (1,000-pound) US-made bomb.

The ordnance, which laid dormant for more than 70 years before its discovery on Thursday, was of the same model as two other bombs discovered in January at the site, where work is underway to build a new metro railway station. 

"The previous two bombs were horizontally positioned and this one is vertical instead. Two thirds of the bomb is actually buried underground, we need to unearth at least part of the object before we start our operation," said bomb disposal officer Lai Ngo-yau.

"Because the bomb is not stable, we need to do it very carefully", Lai said.

Hong Kong saw fierce fighting between Japanese and Allied forces during World War II, and hikers and construction workers still occasionally discover unexploded bombs in the territory. 

Local historian Jason Wordie said Hong Kong was heavily bombed by the United States in 1941 at the outset of the war's Pacific campaign.

"What they were aiming for were the commercial docks across the harbour," he said. 

Land reclamations to expand Hong Kong's waterfront in the decades after the war turned up a number of bombs that fell in the harbour, Wordie added.

In 2016, a hiker discovered 6 unexploded World War II-era grenades and two mortar shells on a trail near the Happy Valley neighbourhood.

In 2014 police defused a wartime bomb weighing nearly one ton, the largest yet found in the city. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – From a record-high "excellent" rating in December 2017, the net satisfaction of Filipinos with the performance of the Duterte administration has declined to "very good," according to a Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey released on Thursday, May 10.

Based on the results of the survey conducted from March 23 to 27, the Duterte administration scored a "very good" net satisfaction rating of +58,  a 12-point decline from its record-high "excellent" rating of +70 in December 2017.

The March survey noted that 69% of adult Filipinos are satisfied with the general performance of the current administration, while 18% are neither satisfied nor dissatisfied, and 11% are dissatisfied, for a net rating of +58.

"The 12-point decline in the Duterte administration's general net satisfaction rating between December 2017 and March 2018 was due to declines in the net satisfaction scores in Balance Luzon, Mindanao, and Metro Manila, combined with a steady score in the Visayas," SWS said in a statement Thursday.

While the administration's net satisfaction rating in Visayas has been at a "very good" +57 from September 2017 to March 2018, it went down in Balance Luzon, Mindanao, and Metro Manila:

• Balance Luzon: +50 (very good), down by 17 points from +67 (very good) 
• Metro Manila: +58 (very good), down by 13 points from +71 (excellent)
• Mindanao: +72 (excellent), down by 15 points from +87 (excellent)

Ratings on issues

Out of 20 issues, the Duterte administration received the highest net score in helping victims of disasters ("excellent" +75), and the lowest net rating in fighting inflation, where the government suffered its biggest plunge in public satisfaction. 

Net public satisfaction in govenrment efforts to fight inflation fell to a "neutral" +6 in March from a "moderate" +24 in December 2017.

Among issues included in the survey, the Duterte administration got the second to the lowest marks in its bid to ensure that that no family will ever be hungry, where it got a net satisfaction rating of a "moderate" +22, from a "good" +33 in December 2017.

The administration obtained a "very good" rating on 6 issues: helping the poor (+68), reconstructing Marawi City (+63), building and maintenance of public works (+62), promoting the welfare of overseas Filipino workers (+59), fighting terrorism (+58), and protecting human rights (+54).

Meanwhile, Filipinos rated government performance on the following 11 issues as "good":

• Eradicating graft and corruption (+46)
• Ensuring an efficient public transportation system (+41)
• Telling the truth to the people (+41)
• Reconciling with Muslim rebels (+41)
• Fulfilling commitments in international treaties (+40)
• Fighting crimes (+40)
• Having good relations with the UN and other important international organizations (+37)
• Reconciling with communist rebels (+37)
• Foreign relations (+36)
• Defending the country's territorial rights (+36)
• Defending Philippine sovereignty in the West Philippine Sea (+34)

Satisfaction declines among 'masa'

According to the survey, Filipinos' net satisfaction with the government stayed "very good" in the well-off class ABC (+56) and the poorest class E (+54), although both groups saw a decline in ratings from December 2017, when classes ABC and E rated the government +62 and +66, respectively.

"However, it fell by one grade from 'excellent' to 'very good' in class D or the masa, at +58 in March 2018, down by 13 points from the record-high +71 in December 2017," SWS said.

The SWS terminology for net satisfaction ratings are as follows: +70 and above, "excellent"; +50 to +69, "very good"; +30 to +49, "good"; +10 to +29, "moderate", +9 to –9, "neutral"; –10 to –29, "poor"; –30 to –49, "bad"; –50 to –69, "very bad"; –70 and below, "execrable".

The SWS' March 2018 survey used face-to-face interviews of 1,200 adults (18 years old and above) nationwide: 300 each in Metro Manila, Balance Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.

The sampling error margins are ±3% for national percentages, and ±6% each for Metro Manila, Balance Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. – Rappler.com