BEIJING, China – The top US navy commander vowed on Wednesday, July 20, to continue patrols in the South China Sea which have angered Beijing, after an international tribunal dismissed the Asian giant's vast maritime claims.

"The US Navy will continue to conduct routine and lawful operations around the world, including in the South China Sea," John Richardson said while visiting a navy base in northern China.

The sea has become a stage for rivalry between the two powers, with Washington in recent months sending navy vessels close to islands and outcrops claimed by China, provoking anger in Beijing.

"US forces will continue to sail, fly and operate wherever international law allows," Richardson said, according to an account released by Washington.

The remarks came a week after the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague ruled there was no legal basis for Beijing's claim to nearly all the Sea, embodied in a "nine-dash line" dating from 1940s maps.

China rejected the verdict as "waste paper" and asserted its right to establish an Air Defence Identification Zone (ADIZ) controlling flights over the sea.

Unlike Beijing, Washington has not ratified the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) under which the tribunal ruled. But it has urged China to respect the verdict.

Chinese navy commander Wu Shengli told Richardson on Monday that Beijing would press ahead with construction in the disputed Spratlys, where it has built artificial islands on top of reefs and outcrops.

Washington has sailed warships within 12 nautical miles of some of them – the normal territorial limit around natural land – with Beijing citing the operations to accuse the US of "militarising" the region.

Last month China's President Xi Jinping took an apparent stab at the US patrols, saying: "We will not show up at other people's front doors to flex our muscles. That does not show strength or scare anyone." – Rappler.com

CEBU, Philippines – A Chinese national who arrived at the Mactan Cebu International Airport (MCIA) on Wednesday, July 20, was detained by airport police for allegedly smuggling 11 packs of methamphetamine hydrochloride, locally known as shabu.

Liming Zhou, 27, told airport police that she didn't know that there were drugs in her bag.

"Customs noticed she was fidgety on her way out," Superintendent Ritchie Medardo Posadas and director of the Aviation Security Group at the MCIA told Rappler.

Posadas said the suspect was carrying 4052.1 grams of shabu with a street value of P6.2 million. It was discovered when a K9 dog of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) agents sniffed her bag.

Zhou was aboard Cathay Pacific flight CX 921 from Hong Kong and arrived around 12 noon.

According to the Bureau of Immigration (BI) in Cebu, Zhou would come to the Philippines through Cebu every two months.

Posadas said an unidentified contact of Zhou was waiting to pick her up at the airport, but took off when she was detained.

"We will look into who her contacts are here," Posadas said.

Zhou told police investigators that a Canadian man, who is a friend of her cousin, is the one who would tell her when she should go to the Philippines.

Zhou does not speak English and is being interrogated with the help of a translator.

Posadas said BI officials would alert the Chinese embassy of Zhou's arrest.

Lapu-Lapu City prosecutors will charge Zhou for violating Republic Act 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002. 

She is being held at the PNP Aviation Security Group office at the airport.

The arrest comes a day after Chinese embassy officials reiterated their support for President Rodrigo Duterte's war on drugs. Duterte had threatened to go after drug lords allegedly involved in drug trafficking from China. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – "The next 6 years will be the golden age of Philippine construction."

Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno remarked on Wednesday, July 20, that the Philippines will see this golden age of construction due to government ramp-ups of infrastructure projects.

According to Diokno, the projects will be rolled out "simultaneously and not sequentially" in all regions, adding that major government construction projects will be done full-time, 24/7.

President Rodrigo Duterte campaigned on a promise of reducing crime, solving traffic and running after drug lords. The previous Aquino administration was criticized for its slow action on infrastructure and traffic woes.

Diokno has said that the Duterte administration plans to spend P890.9 billion for infrastructure projects across the country next year. This would include airports, bridges, farm-to-market roads, post-harvest facilities, and seaports, and will be equivalent to 5.2% of the gross domestic product (GDP) of the country.

Diokno earlier mentioned that the infrastructure-to GDP ratio could increase to 7%, depending on effects of the proposed tax reform program. However, he added that it will take 10 years of "continuous buildup" of projects in order to manage the infrastructure gap of the country.

"Right now, we have the MRT, LRT, LRT2, and then we have the MRT 7. Maybe (eventually) we will need 3 or 4 more lines, and then we need the PNR modernized," he said.

"The airport, within the year, we have to make up our minds, we have to decide where it will be. Clark or Sangley. I think those are the options, unless someone will come up with unsolicited advice. In the meantime, there should be a dedicated highway from Clark to Makati, I think that's possible," he added. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – While admitting that he too wants to resort to shortcuts in the police force’s “all out war” against drugs, Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Ronald dela Rosa said on Wednesday, July 20, that instances of extrajudicial killings “have to stop.” 

“Yes, it has to stop. Ako mismo, ayoko. Ayoko. Gusto ko man, kung tutuusin with the frustrations that we are getting right now...gusto kong gagawin, but I will not do it because that is against the law,” Dela Rosa told reporters on the sidelines of a visit to the New Bilibid Prison. 

(I don’t want that. I don’t. But considering the frustration we’re getting right now, I want to do it myself, but I will not do it because that is against the law.)

Dela Rosa was asked about instances of extrajudicial killings, perceived to be a consequence of the police force’s campaign against illegal drugs, crime, and corruption.

Vice President Leni Robredo, a member of President Rodrigo Duterte’s Cabinet, earlier made a statement condemning the “spate of extrajudicial killings that occurred recently.”

Since Duterte assumed his post on July 1, close to 200 alleged drug suspects have died in police operations. The figure does not include those killed in apparent killings by non-police forces. 

The 4-star police general said: “I am a police officer. I am the chief of the PNP. So I must uphold the law kahit na dito, kumukulo na dibdib ko, napipigilan ko pa rin (despite the anger I feel, I’m able to stop myself),” he said after overseeing the deployment of elite cops to the high-security prison in Muntinlupa City. 

Dela Rosa, who had said he “leads by example,” said police personnel should toe the line and take the cue from him. 

He also denied allegations the police were letting violence on the streets, saying all incidents of crime are being investigated.

“Although masaya tayo sa nangyayari, hindi pa rin natin mapabayaan dahil trabaho natin yan eh, 'di ba? ” said Dela Rosa, reacting to criticism that the police were letting drug syndicates kill each other and corrupt cops kill their own assets in the illegal drug trade.

(Although we’re happy over what’s happening, we can’t just let it be because it’s our job [to stop it], right?)

The police general advised PNP personnel to “turn to the Lord” and “pray” to avoid temptation. “

“Tao lang ako, nagagalit ako, naiinis ako, napu-frustrate ako. But because of my connection to the Lord Almighty, naga-guide ako ano'ng tamang decision na gagawin kaya napipigilan ko ang frustration,” he said.

(I’m only human. I get angry, annoyed, frustrated. But because of my connection to the Lord Almighty, He guides me on the right decisions to make so I’m able to control my frustration.)  added. – Rappler.com

WASHINGTON, USA – The US Justice Department said on Wednesday, July 20, it is moving to seize more than $1 billion in assets linked to Malaysia's 1MDB state investment fund.

The assets are "associated with an international conspiracy to launder funds misappropriated" from 1Malaysia Development Berhad, which was established by Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak to support economic investment, the Justice Department said.

US Attorney General Loretta Lynch will reveal details of the seizure effort later Wednesday.

The scandal around the embezzlement of billions of dollars from the fund, much of them borrowed, has battered Najib's government.

Authorities from Singapore to Switzerland and the United States have joined in tracking down missing funds of 1MDB, which is owned by the Malaysian Finance Ministry also headed by Najib. He also chaired the company's advisory board until it was dissolved in May.

Switzerland and Singapore have frozen millions of dollars worth of assets on suspicion of 1MDB-related embezzlement and money-laundering, but so far no major figures have been brought to justice.

In July 2015, The Wall Street Journal revealed that Najib had received payments totaling $681 million in his personal bank accounts in 2013. Subsequent reports said the money originated from 1MDB and may have exceeded $1 billion, which 1MDB denies.

The government later acknowledged the payments, but called them a "personal donation" from the Saudi royal family. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – A comprehensive peace roadmap has been approved by President Rodrigo Duterte, the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) announced on Tuesday, July 19.

In a statement, peace adviser Jesus Dureza said that Duterte “approved in its entirety” the formula for peace he presented during a closed meeting on Monday, July 18.  

The roadmap aims to provide peace and development by addressing the issue on the Bangsamoro and resumption of peace talks with the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF).

The 17th Congress, he added, will pass a law to enable the peace road map of the new administration. 

Duterte also gave the go signal on Dureza’s proposal of aiming for a massive on-ground development together with implementing the agreements entered into with rebel groups. This can be achieved through enabling OPAPP to implement and oversee developmental projects related to peace.

"I can sign a hundred peace agreements but if those on the ground do not immediately feel the dividends of peace, those agreements will not be sustainable," Dureza emphasized. 

Years of conflict specifically hindered development in the ARMM, leaving huge parts in poverty. As of the first half of 2015, ARMM registered a poverty incidence of 59% or at least 6% higher than 2012’s 52.9%.

‘Implementation stage’

While peace talks with the CPP-NPA-NDF are set to resume on August 20 to 27, negotiations with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) are defined to be “over.”

The government, OPAPP said, will focus on the implementation of the agreements with the MILF. (READ: Dureza vows to honor agreements with MILF)

However, instead on the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL), the road map now requires that “an all-Moro body will be tasked to draft anew a more inclusive proposed enabling law.”

The BBL, was based on the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) which outlined mechanisms for peace in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.  

Signed in 2014, the agreement was the outcome of 17 years of negotiations with the Philippine government and the MILF. The proposed bill’s passage, however, was halted notably after the Mamasapano clash in January 2015. (READ: The Bangsamoro peace deal at a glance)

Work on the new law that will replace the BBL, according to OPAPP, "will be done simultaneous with the moves to shift to a federal set-up."

The Bangsamoro Transition Committee (BTC) will also be mandated to propose amendments to the 1987 Philippine Constitution over matters in relation with their region.  

ARMM Governor Mujiv Hataman on Wednesday, July 20, lauded the “sense of urgency” of the Duterte administration. He called that the promise of “continuity” regarding the agreements with the MILF “a step forward in the right direction.” 

Deciding to coincide the work on the new proposed law with actions toward federalism, he added, is an acknowledgement that the “shift will take time relative to pursuing a legislation affirming the gains of a peace process that has been in motion for more than a decade.” – Rappler.com

MIAMI, USA – SpaceX's unmanned Dragon cargo ship arrived Wednesday, July 20, at the International Space Station, carrying nearly 2.5 tons of gear and supplies for the astronauts living in orbit, NASA said.

US space agency astronauts Jeff Williams and Kate Rubins reached out and grabbed the spacecraft, using the space station's 57.7-foot (17.5 meter) long robotic arm known as the Canadarm2, at 6:56 am (1056 GMT).

"We have confirmed capture," a NASA commentator said.

The Dragon was brought in closer and bolted on to the station about 3 hours later, at 10:03 am (1403 GMT) while the orbiting lab was flying about 250 miles (400 kilometers) over the California and Oregon border, NASA said.

The key piece of equipment on board is the first of two international docking adapters, which will allow commercial crew spacecraft to latch onto the research outpost in the coming years.

The first such docking adapter was destroyed in June last year when the SpaceX rocket exploded about two minutes after launch.

The current supply trip is the ninth for SpaceX under a $1.6 billion NASA contract to ferry science experiments, food, machinery and other gear to space.

The Dragon spaceship launched Monday from Cape Canaveral, Florida atop a Falcon 9 rocket.

Astronauts plan to open the hatch to the cargo ship and begin unpacking on Thursday. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – Former president now Manila Mayor Joseph “Erap” Estrada said former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo was a "likely" victim of political persecution after the Supreme Court cleared her of plunder charges. 

Estrada made the statement in an interview with reporters on Wednesday, July 20, where he welcomed the High Court’s verdict on Arroyo.

Asked if Arroyo’s detention was politically motivated, Estrada said: “Malamang, ganun lang ‘yun, eh. Napatunayan na wala siyang kasalanan. Mabuti naman at napalaya na siya (It’s likely the case. It’s been proven that she’s not guilty. It’s good that she has been [ordered] released).”

He said that he was “happy that she is also free,” apparently referring to his own experience of detention and eventual release, though in Estrada's case, he was convicted of plunder but freed after getting a presidential pardon from Arroyo.

“Katulad din ng nangyari sa akin. Humingi na tawad ang dating Pangulong Cory Aquino, humingi ng tawad ang simbahan. Wala naman silang napatunayan na nagnakaw ako. Lahat ng mga pinirmahan kong kontrata, wala silang napatunayan,” Estrada said.

(Just like what happened to me. The late president Cory Aquino as well as the Church apologized to me. They [prosecution] did not prove that I stole [from the government]. They didn’t prove anything based on the contracts that I signed [as president],” he said.

In 2008, as the Arroyo administration continued to be rocked by corruption scandals, Mrs Aquino apologized to Estrada in a public event they both attended, for being part of the movement that ousted him in January 2001.

Estrada, who was arrested a few months after his ouster, was detained for over 6 years or until late 2007 as he awaited the verdict on his plunder case.

The anti-graft court Sandiganbayan found him guilty of plunder in late 2007 but Estrada didn’t serve even a minute of his prison term as Arroyo pardoned him.

Respect SC ruling

The Manila mayor also said there’s nothing anyone could do now but to respect the High Court’s decision.

“Wala na tayong magagawa diyan, kung talagang walang kasalanan. Korte Suprema na ‘yan. Kailangang igalang natin (There’s nothing we can do in that regard. She’s not guitly. That’s the Supreme Court decision, we have to respect it.)

Senator Francis Pangilinan said as much in a statement on Wednesday: “Due process is what former President Arroyo – and because she is a public servant, what the country’s institutions – went through the last 5 years. Her acquittal is the result of the rule of law. We may or may not like the result. That is final, and we respect the decision of the Supreme Court.”

Estrada also said in his media interview that he last saw Arroyo when he visited her at the Veterans Memorial Medical Center (VMMC), where she was under hospital arrest, last year. 

Like Estrada, Arroyo ran for public office after the presidency. She is serving her third term as Pampanga 2nd District Representative in the 17th Congress. – Rappler.com 

HONG KONG (3rd UPDATE) – Hong Kong student leader Joshua Wong was found guilty Thursday, July 21, of participating in a protest that led to mass pro-democracy rallies, in a prosecution blasted as a "chilling warning" by rights campaigners.

The verdict comes as tensions remain high in the semi-autonomous city with fears growing that Beijing is tightening its grip.

Wong has always said the various protest-related cases against him were political persecution. Rights group Amnesty International described cases against peaceful protesters as intimidation Thursday in the wake of the verdict.

Wong was convicted for taking part in an unlawful assembly after he and other students climbed over a fence into a Hong Kong government complex forecourt known as Civic Square on September 26, 2014.

That protest triggered wider rallies that exploded two days later when police fired tear gas to disperse crowds.

The verdict could see Wong jailed for up to 5 years.

Fellow student leaders Alex Chow and Nathan Law were also convicted over the same protest Thursday – Chow for taking part and Law for inciting others to do so.

"No matter what is the penalty... we will still continue to fight against suppression from the government," Wong said after the ruling.

"We know facing the largest communist regime in the world is a long-term battle for us to fight for democracy."

The 3 defendants, who smiled in resignation at the verdict, were released on bail and are due back on court on August 15 for sentencing.

Amnesty said that "vague charges" against student leaders "smacked of political payback".

"The Hong Kong authorities' prosecution of three pro-democracy student leaders sends a chilling warning for freedom of expression and peaceful assembly in the city," it said in a statement.

It added the city's public order laws failed to meet international standards and were being used "in an attempt to intimidate people from exercising their right to peaceful assembly".

Interference by Beijing

Teenage Wong, now 19, was at the forefront of the "Umbrella Movement", which brought parts of Hong Kong to a standstill for more than two months in 2014 as residents called on Beijing to allow fully free elections of future leaders.

Young campaigners were left angry and frustrated after the rallies failed to win political reform, with Wong and Law since founding a new political party, Demosisto, campaigning for self-determination for Hong Kong.

Pro-independence groups demanding a complete split from Beijing have also emerged.

Wong has been in and out of court hearings for the past year after being charged with multiple offenses linked to various protest actions.

In the ruling Thursday, magistrate June Cheung said Wong had known that climbing over the fence was "disturbing order".

Defense lawyers had argued authorities should not have fenced off Civic Square – previously a popular protest site open to the public – in the febrile months before the Umbrella Movement.

The prosecution said the fact they climbed into the square was unlawful and that the protest was pre-planned.

Both Wong and Law were acquitted in June over an anti-China protest in the first of a series of cases against him to reach a verdict.

Another student leader, Billy Fung, was charged Thursday over a protest in January where students stormed into an official meeting at Hong Kong University angered by the appointment of a pro-Beijing figure to a senior university role.

There is concern that Beijing is increasingly interfering in education and media, as well as politics.

Hong Kong was returned to China by Britain in 1997 with its freedoms guaranteed for 50 years, but there are fears those liberties are disappearing. – Rappler.com

CLEVELAND, USA (UPDATED) – Onetime presidential challenger Ted Cruz shocked the Republican convention Wednesday, July 20, by thumbing his nose at Donald Trump and urging Americans to "vote their conscience," sending the 2016 nominee's bid to unify the party careening off course.

Cruz received a standing ovation as he took the stage, but cheers turned to boos when it became clear the US senator from Texas did not come to Cleveland to endorse his former rival.

Trump himself tipped the drama needle into the red by striding into the arena shortly before Cruz finished speaking, giving a thumbs up to people in the arena and surveying the remarkable scene of delegates thrown into turmoil by the Texan's remarks, and who hounded him off the stage.

"We deserve leaders who stand for principle, who unite us all behind shared values, who cast aside anger for love," said Cruz, effectively listing criticisms leveled at Trump.

"If you love our country and love your children as much as I know that you do, stand and speak and vote your conscience," he said as the crowd erupted into yells of anger and chants of "Trump! Trump!".

The two men fought a bitter and at times deeply personal primary campaign, in which Trump mocked Cruz's wife and tarred his rival with a nasty nickname: "Lyin' Ted."

Cruz dropped out of the race in early May, finishing second to Trump in the delegate count.

Cruz is widely expected to run in 2020 should Trump lose to Hillary Clinton.

His none-too-subtle message landed like a political hand grenade in a convention already marred by an opening day floor revolt from anti-Trump delegates and other missteps by the campaign.

"Wow, Ted Cruz got booed off the stage, didn't honor the pledge!" Trump tweeted, referring to the pledge all 17 Republican candidates took to endorse the eventual nominee, whoever he or she would be.

"I saw his speech two hours early but let him speak anyway. No big deal!"

Steady the ship?

The political theater stepped all over Indiana Governor Mike Pence's moment in the Republican spotlight as he introduced himself to US voters as Trump's running mate.

Pence accepted the vice presidential nomination, saying he was "deeply humbled by your confidence." The delegates rose collectively for a standing ovation.

Pence, 57, said he "joined this campaign in a heartbeat" because Republicans nominated Trump, a man "who never quits, who never backs down."

The conservative evangelical Christian and former congressman could serve to steady Trump's heaving and swaying campaign ship and reassure voters alarmed by Trump's rhetoric.

But his task may have been made harder by Cruz's stunt.

'Embarrassing'

The floor drama angered some delegates including Mary Balkema, who called Cruz's speech "deplorable."

"We were really waiting for him to show unity and really get behind the candidate, which he failed to do," said the 49-year-old Michigan delegate.

"I think it was the longest boo I have ever heard publicly, it was really embarrassing."

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, a Trump friend and supporter, minced no words about Cruz, calling the senator's speech "awful" and "selfish" on CNN.

Trump's lawyer Michael Cohen was harsher, saying Cruz "committed political suicide."

The upset came hours after Team Trump moved to draw a line under a damaging plagiarism row implicating his ex-model wife – that overshadowed the opening of the Cleveland gathering.

A Trump staffer admitted to lifting quotes from a Michelle Obama speech from 2008 and slotting them into remarks delivered Monday by Trump's Slovenia-born wife, apologizing and offering to resign.

"This was my mistake, and I feel terrible for the chaos I have caused," said the staffer, Meredith McIver.

Flag burning

Trump's roller-coaster campaign defeated 16 rivals and steamrolled stubborn party opposition after being written off as a joke, the real estate tycoon having never held elected office.

His campaign defied political norms – embracing racially inflammatory policies, offending key voting blocs, eschewing big-spending advertising campaigns and relying on saturated media coverage above campaign structure.

In an interview with the New York Times Wednesday, he raised anew questions about whether, as president, he would come to a NATO ally's defense if it were attacked, saying it would depend "if they fulfill their commitments to us."

With the Trump ticket now seeking to unite Republicans, unrest flared briefly just one block from the convention site.

Eighteen people were arrested as protesters tried to set fire to American flags, police said. Two officers were "assaulted" and suffered minor injuries.

The tumult in Cleveland – both on and off the convention floor – was a reminder of the scale of the task before Trump if he is to quiet questions about his campaign's professionalism and heal crippling party divisions, let alone win a national election. – Rappler.com

PAMPANGA, Philippines – Over 10,000 self-confessed drug pushers and users on Thursday, July 21, surrendered to authorities and voluntarily joined the provincial government’s Dalan king Pamagbayu (Road to Change) program.

About 8,500 of them were presented to the Philippine National Police (PNP) in a ceremony prepared for Director General Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa at the Bren Z. Guiao Sports Complex grandstand.

Police Regional Office 3 (PRO3) director Chief Superintendent Aaron Aquino represented Dela Rosa, who was unable to attend as he had to go to another engagement.

Aquino reminded the drug suspects that the PNP is dead serious in its all-out campaign against illegal drugs.

“Tandaan 'nyo, ang kapulisan ay hindi nakikipag-bolahan sa inyo. Mabuti at nandito kayo at sumurender sa amin kasi 3 lang ang maari nyong puntahan: Mamatay kayo, sumurender kayo, o maaresto kayo,” he told them drug suspects.

(Remember, the police are not joking around with you. It's good that you surrendered to us because there are only 3 things that can happen to you: Die, surrender, or get arrested.)

Take oath seriously

He rebuked some of them for appearing to be taking things lightly when they took their “sworn affidavit of promise and change.”

“Kanina lang noong panunumpa, ang daming hindi nanunumpa sa inyo. Ngayon pa lang nakikita ko ang titigas ng ulo ninyo. 'Yung iba nakaupo lang, samantalang ang nasa harapan talagang nanumpa,” he told them.

(Earlier, at the oath-taking, many of you didn't take your oath. This early, I can see how hard-headed you are. Others were just sitting around, while those in front really took their oath.)

He reminded them that from July 1 to July 21, a total of 10,194 drug suspects have surrendered to the police and almost 30,000 in Central Luzon region. He said some 1,000 drug suspects were arrested, while 65 who resisted arrest were killed.

When Aquino asked them, “Gusto 'nyo bang mamatay rin kayo (Do you also want to die)?" the drug suspects replied, “Hindi (No)!" 

To stay alive, he said the drug suspects must stop using and selling illegal drugs. He told them that the police now have their real names, addresses and other information, making it easier to go after them should they revert back to their old habit and practice.

He said the police and the military will conduct joint anti-drug operations in the future.

“Kaya hindi lang bala ng 9mm ang tatama sa inyo, pati bala ng M16 at M14 ay tatama sa inyo (You won't only be hit by ammunition from 9mm weapons, even that of M16s and M14s),” the regional police director told the drug suspects.

Aquino also said the PRO3 has identified about 100 policemen in various parts of Central Luzon allegedly involved in illegal drugs as either drug pushers, users, or protectors.

“Itatapon namin ang mga pasaway na mga pulis na ito sa Basilan at sila ang ilalaban naming sa mga Abu Sayyaf doon. Tuwang-tuwa nga si Presidente (Rodrigo) Duterte nang malaman na itatapon ang mga pulis na ito sa Basilan,” he said.

(We will assign these rogue policemen to Basilan and let them fight the Abu Sayyaf there. President Duterte was very happy when he learned that these policemen would be sent to Basilan.)

For her part, Governor Lilia Pineda thanked the drug suspects for deciding to participate in the program. She also asked them to convince other drug pushers and users to also avail of the program.

Central Luzon campaign

On Tuesday, PRO3 reported that 60 drug personalities were shot dead and a total of 26,479 drug pushers and users surrendered to the police in the 7 provinces of Central Luzon from July 1 to 19. 

According to police reports, the suspects gunned down by the police either allegedly drew their guns or fired shots at authorities as they resisted arrest or a search of their residences in compliance with  court-issued warrants. 

Some 596 persons were also arrested in anti-drug operations in different parts of the region from July 1 to 19.

Deadly weapons confiscated from drug suspects and suspected criminals for the same period include 14 high-power firearms, 59 low-power guns, two hand grenades, and several hundred pieces of bullets.

On Monday, Aquino said the PNP’s targets in the war against drugs include local government officials who are alleged financiers or protectors of drug traders. 

He refused to disclose the names of local officials in Central Luzon suspected to be involved in illegal drugs, but said some mayors and several village chiefs are among the suspects.

Central Luzon has 16 cities, 116 towns, and 3,102 villages.

A 2014 Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) report showed that 27% of Central Luzon’s villages were drug-infested. It said 193 of these villages are in Pampanga, 189 in Nueva Ecija, 159 in Tarlac, 97 in Bulacan, 94 in Bataan, 72 in Zambales, and 42 in Aurora. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – Find the "missing link."

Senate President Franklin Drilon on Thursday, July 21, urged Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales to find former Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office general manager Rosario Uriarte to testify against former President Gloria Arroyo over the questionable PCSO intelligence funds.

Had Uriarte been presented as evidence, Drilon said the case would have been "stronger."

“Rosario Uriarte, being the general and vice chairman of the board at the time, is the missing link in the evidence presented by the prosecution. To my knowledge, and I can be corrected, Rosario Uriarte was never presented as a a witness in the criminal case because she disappeared,” Drilon said on Thursday, July 21.

Uriarte, whose public location remains unknown, was a "key witness" in the Senate investigation in 2011. She earlier testified, according to Drilon, that it was Arroyo who personally approved the questionable PCSO intelligence budget. (READ: TIMELINE: Gloria Arroyo – from plunder to acquittal)

“I urge the Ombudsman at this point to check whether or not Uriarte has left the country or her whereabouts,” Drilon said.

If Uriarte is abroad, Drilon said the Ombudsman could track her and determine if she is in a country with existing extradition treaty with the Philippines. 

Her disappearance is a sign of guilt "as a principle of evidence," said the senator.

“That can easily be checked….Then if she is in a country where we have an extradition treaty, the Ombudsman should take the effort now to bring her back to the country so she can be justified as a state witness or be confronted with her documents, testimony in the Senate hearing,” he added.

'Disappointed'

Drilon – a party mate of former President Benigno Aquino III – expressed dismay over the SC decision freeing Arroyo.  

"What was required was appreciation of evidence presented. I cannot pass judgment because I haven’t seen the decision. I was saddened and disappointed. As an officer of the court, a lawyer, and former justice secretary, I respect the decision of the Supreme Court," he said.

Asked about the prosecution and the quality of evidence presented, Drilon refused to comment. After all, he said, he has neither seen nor read any documents on the case.

While the High Court has already dismissed the plunder case against Arroyo, the Ombudsman is not keen on backing down.

The anti-graft body is still investigating the former president for a similar complaint– this time, the alleged misuse of PCSO funds from 2004 to 2007. – Rappler.com

SINGAPORE (UPDATED) – Singapore said Thursday, July 21, it had seized nearly $180 million linked to scandal-tainted Malaysian state fund 1MDB, raising the pressure a day after Washington moved to grab more than $1 billion in assets over "enormous" fraud.

The back-to-back announcements are the clearest and most damning steps yet taken in more than a year of Malaysian tumult over 1MDB, which was founded and overseen by Prime Minister Najib Razak.

The US Justice Department filed lawsuits Wednesday, July 20, to seize assets including luxury real estate in Beverly Hills, New York and London, artworks by Monet and Van Gogh, and a Bombardier business jet, saying they were purchased with money stolen from 1MDB.

The US filings made thinly-veiled references to Najib as a beneficiary in the alleged theft of a total of more than $3.5 billion by his stepson, a family friend and various other figures.

"The Department of Justice will not allow the American financial system to be used as a conduit for corruption," US Attorney General Loretta Lynch said in announcing the move.

Singapore followed up by revealing it had seized Sg$240 million ($177 million) worth of bank funds and other assets over suspected fraud and money-laundering related to 1MDB.

The joint statement by Singapore's central bank, police and attorney-general marked the first time authorities in the city-state revealed detailed findings since launching investigations last year.

It added that half those assets were linked to Low Taek Jho, a Malaysian businessman close to Najib's family.

'Fraud on an enormous scale'

The US Justice Department filing accused Low of laundering hundreds of millions of dollars in diverted 1MDB money to fund US luxury purchases.

The targeted US assets also include royalties from the 2013 financial crime caper "The Wolf of Wall Street" starring Leonardo DiCaprio.

The film was produced by a company owned by Najib's stepson Riza Aziz using more than $100 million syphoned from 1MDB, the Justice Department said.

Both Najib and 1MDB have consistently dismissed allegations of wrongdoing as false political attacks by his opponents.

The US seizure would be the largest yet under Washington's 2010 Kleptocracy Asset Recovery Initiative targeting ill-gotten gains parked in US assets by foreign leaders.

"The Malaysian people were defrauded on an enormous scale," said FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe.

1MDB, or 1Malaysia Development Berhad, was launched by Najib in 2009 to invest in economic development projects. He closely controlled it in his concurrent role as finance minister.

Najib has moved to suppress information, neuter Malaysian investigations, and oust officials questioning 1MDB's activities.

His spokesman stressed Thursday that Malaysian authorities had previously found no wrongdoing, while pledging to cooperate with any international inquiries.

"As the Prime Minister has always maintained, if any wrongdoing is proven, the law will be enforced without exception," the spokesman said.

'Malaysian Official 1'

Najib is not named directly in the US filings.

But they refer to "Malaysian Official 1," described as a "high-ranking official" with control over 1MDB and who was the "ultimate beneficiary" of a Malaysian bank account full of allegedly misappropriated funds.

The filings are widely believed to refer to Najib, who has admitted receiving at least $681 million in mysterious deposits to his personal accounts in 2013. He calls them "personal donations" from the Saudi royal family.

Malaysia's hyperactive social media users on Thursday hammered Najib as a thief and a liar, and #MalaysianOfficial1 became the country's top-trending Twitter hashtag.

"The Wolf of Malaysia, cheating the people out of their money. Wait for the karma!" said a posting on Najib's Facebook page.

Najib faced new calls to step aside.

"I believe the Malaysian people want Najib to go on leave as prime minister so as not to create the perception of abuse of power... or to hinder a full and transparent investigation on this very serious issue," opposition leader Wan Azizah Wan Ismail said.

Switzerland also has frozen millions in assets and several other countries are investigating.

The production company controlled by Najib's stepson said it was unaware of any funding shenanigans.

A 1MDB statement stressed that the company was not a party to the US suit while offering no comment on the alleged embezzlement of its funds. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – There was no evidence that former President and now Pampanga Representative Gloria Macapagal Arroyo accumulated any amount of illegal wealth from intelligence funds of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office from 2008 to 2010.

The Supreme Court declared this in its decision promulgated on Thursday, July 21. On Tuesday, in its en banc session, the SC voted 11-4 to acquit Arroyo of plunder and ordered her immediate release from detention after 4 years.

The SC ruled that the Sandiganbayan “acted capriciously” and “committed grave abuse of discretion” when it denied the demurrers to evidence filed by the former president and co-accused Benigno Aguas, former accounts manager of the PCSO.

The decision highlights the "lack of evidence" to prove plunder.

The High Court said the prosecution failed to present witnesses that Arroyo and Aguas had “amassed, accumulated or acquired ill-gotten wealth of any amount.”

It also said there was no proof that the questioned intelligence funds were funneled to the former President.

Arroyo and 9 co-accused were alleged to have misappropriated P365 million in the state charity office's intelligence fund. A minimum of P50 million in ill-gotten wealth is required for the charge of plunder to be filed.

"The Majority found that the prosecution failed to prove these elements which are indispensable for a successful prosecution for plunder. The Majority noted that there were no witnesses presented to show that petitioners Arroyo and Aguas had amassed, accumulated or acquired ill-gotten wealth of any amount and there was also no evidence to show that the CIFs of the PCSO had been diverted to either petitioner Arroyo or petitioner Aguas or accused Uriarte."

The SC also ruled that the prosecution failed to prove the predicate act of raiding the public treasury.

This is contrary to the earlier finding of the Sandiganbayan, which found that the prosecution had established the predicate act even without proof that the accused had benefitted from the act.

“The Majority disagreed with this, holding that proof of where the money went and proof that petitioners Arroyo and Aguas benefitted were essential ingredients of the proof of the predicate act of 'raiding the public treasury.'"

No proof of conspiracy

Majority of the justices said Arroyo’s “OK” in additional requests for intelligence funds – one of the main evidence presented by the prosecution – is insufficient to prove that she conspired to commit plunder.

“[B]ecause the affixing of the unqualified 'OK' could not be considered an 'overt act' for purposes of plunder because this act was a common, legal and valid practice of signifying approval of a fund release by the President and there was no causal relation to the intended crime,” the decision said.

More importantly, the High Court said, the prosecution failed to identify the main plunderer – something that the law requires to establish the crime. With no direct allegations and strong evidence, the SC said the prosecution only “implied a conspiracy.”

“It ruled this to be a fatal flaw for the prosecution because the law on plunder requires that a particular public officer, among several individuals, must be identified as a main plunderer and co-conspirators…. According to the Majority, it then became very difficult, if not impossible, to establish plunder by virtue of the inadequacy of the averments of the crime charged.”

The High Court said the Sandiganbayan’s earlier finding that there was conspiracy was not “sustainable.”

“Thus in the absence of such a conspiracy alleged or proven, petitioners Arroyo and Aguas could only be held criminally liable for their own actions, if any,” it added. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – The French embassy in the Philippines recently observed a minute of silence for the victims of the terror attack in Nice, France.

The minute-long moment of silence was observed on Monday, July 18, in a memorial ceremony at the Alliance Française de Manille. 

French Ambassador to the Philippines Thierry Mathou said the Nice attack is against "our common civilization."

"We have been deeply touched by messages of sympathy and solidarity from all over the world, including the Philippines, after this heinous attack," the French embassy said in a statement sent to reporters on Tuesday, July 19.

The embassy added: "We thank President Rodrigo R. Duterte, who assured the Philippines’ support in fighting terrorism. We also thank the national and local authorities, the people of the Philippines, the foreign embassies and organizations, and all those who are standing with us in upholding the values of democracy and human rights."

This comes nearly a week after a man zigzagged a truck through a crowd celebrating Bastille Day in Nice, France, killing at least 84 and injuring dozens of children. French President Francois Hollande called the incident a "terrorist" attack.

Duterte on Saturday, July 16, condemned “the brutal and violent” attack in Nice. 

In a separate statement, the Episcopal Commission on Migrants and Itinerant People (ECMI) of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) said they mourn this attack in France.

Balanga Bishop Ruperto Santos said: "We, at CBCP-ECMI, share deeply in the sorrow and grief of the people of France over the deaths that followed the senseless act of terrorism that happened on Bastille Day in Nice. We pray for them, commending them to our good Lord, that He may grant them strength, healing, and comfort."

"We are praying for peace and harmony in their country and in the world. We beg our God for conversion, a change of heart, a broadening of mind of those who nurture false and violent ideologies," Santos added.

The bishop also advised overseas Filipino workers "to be more cautious of their safety and to be a ‘brother’s keeper’ to one another.'" – with reports from Agence France-Presse/Rappler.com

PARIS, France – Five people detained after last week's massacre in Nice are due to appear before a judge Thursday, July 21, as France is set to pass a law extending the state of emergency.

The government is scrambling to reassure a jittery population after the country's third major attack in 18 months killed 84 people out celebrating Bastille Day.

Four men and one woman aged between 22 and 40 are due to appear before the court for links to Tunisian Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhlel who ploughed a truck into the crowded promenade in Nice.

They include a 40-year-old whom Bouhlel had known for a long time and a 38-year-old Albanian, detained along with his girlfriend and suspected of providing the attacker with an automatic pistol.

A 22-year-old man who received an SMS from Bouhlel shortly before he began his rampage will also appear in court, as well as another man who had been in contact with Bouhlel over weapons.

Like Bouhlel, none of those detained were known to French intelligence prior to the attack.

France's National Assembly and Senate are also set to pass a bill extending the state of emergency – which gives police extra powers to carry out searches and place people under house arrest – for 6 months.

It is the fourth time the security measures have been extended since Islamic State (ISIS) jihadists struck Paris in November, killing 130 people at restaurants, a concert hall and the national stadium.

On Wednesday, July 20, MPs also voted to allow authorities to search luggage and vehicles without prior approval from a prosecutor and to allow the police to seize data from computers and mobile phones.

The legislation also makes it easier for authorities to shut down places of worship where calls for violence and hate are made.

The Islamic State (ISIS) group has said the Tunisian driver was one of its "soldiers" but investigators say that while he showed a recent interest in jihadist activity, there was no evidence he acted on behalf of the extremist group.

The group Wednesday posted a video apparently shot in Iraq, where ISIS holds swaths of territory, showing two French-speaking jihadists threatening more attacks against France.

French Prime Minster Manuel Valls had warned earlier in the week that the country will face more attacks as its struggles to handle extremists returning from jihad in the Middle East and those radicalized at home by devouring propaganda on the internet.

Political tensions

As part of the government's reaction to the Nice assault – which has exposed it to tough questions over security failures – a call has gone out for volunteers in the reserve forces.

"We can say that France, with you, is forming a National Guard," Hollande said Wednesday on a visit to a military training complex in southwest France.

France's reserve force comprises civilian volunteers in the police, army and paramilitary police, who can be deployed for specific missions.

With elections due next year, the cross-party solidarity seen after last year's attack on satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo and a Jewish supermarket has all but evaporated.

The government has defended its response to the jihadist threat, pointing to a raft of new anti-terror laws and the deployment of thousands of troops to patrol the streets.

A recent parliamentary commission of inquiry said however the new laws had had a "limited impact" on security.

On Thursday, the Liberation newspaper reported that the place where Bouhlel had entered the Nice promenade at the beginning of his deadly rampage had only been guarded by one municipal police car.

Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve has criticized the article as false and Valls has accused opponents who suggest the Nice attack could have been thwarted of "lying to the French". – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno and Associate Justice Marvic Leonen dissented from the majority opinion on the plunder case against former president Gloria Macapagal- Arroyo, and asserted conspiracy was established by the prosecution.

Voting 11-4, the Supreme Court dismissed for lack of evidence the plunder case against the former president and incumbent Pampanga Representative Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and her co-accused, and ordered their immediate release from detention.

The 4 justices who dissented or voted against Arroyo are Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno, Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio, and Associate Justices Marvic Leonen and Benjamin Caguioa. Of the 4, only Carpio is an appointee of Mrs Arroyo; the rest were appointed by former president Benigno Aquino III.

Sereno’s dissent was based on 5 major points:

• The stark irregularities in the Confidential/Intelligence Fund disbursement process that were ignored in the majority decision and the excuse of the breach in budget ceilings brought about by the commingling of funds.
• The introduction of two additional elements in the prosecution of plunder – the identification of a main plunderer and personal benefit to the plunderer, which is an effect not contemplated in the law.
• The denial of “efficacy” to the concept of implied conspiracy.
• The creation of unwarranted review precedent caused by ignoring evidence in the form of Commission on Audit reports.
• Gross error in describing evidence as not showing “even the remotest possibility that the CIFs [Confidential and Intelligence Funds] of the PCSO [Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office] had been diverted…” when one of the petitioners Benigno B. Aguas reported to COA that P244 million of close to P366 million of PCSO funds had been diverted to the Office of the President.

Sereno also said the prosecution was able to establish conspiracy, citing the repeated approvals by then president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo of additional CIF requests in a span of 3 years – from 2008 to 2010. The fund releases would not have been possible without the approval of the former president.

The same funds could not have been released without the participation of Aguas, who was PCSO budget and accounts manager, and former PCSO general manager Rosario Uriarte. Part of the scheme too were former PCSO official Sergio Valencia and Nilda Plaras, former head of the COA’s Intelligence/Confidential Fund Fraud Audit unit.

CJ Sereno_Dissenting Opinion_G.R. No. 220598 and G.R. No. 220953

Arroyo knew

In his dissent, Associate Justice Marvic Leonen asserted that “The scheme to amass and accumulate ₱365,997,915.00 in cash of CIF required the indispensable participation of the President in its approval and its actual disbursement in cash by the General Manager of the PCSO. The raid on public coffers was done in a series or combination of acts. The use of the funds was not properly accounted.”

Arroyo and Aguas, according to Leonen, participated in a “protracted scheme of raiding the public treasury aimed at amassing ill-gotten wealth.”

Even assuming that evidence to show plunder is insufficient, Leonen said she committed “malversation of public funds”, which is a lesser offense subsumed under plunder.

Where the close to P366 million in funds went and why it was disbursed was not adequately explained. The sums were disbursed through the repeated approval of Arroyo, who bypassed the layers of supervision over the PCSO.

“The former president cannot plead naivete. She was intelligent and was experienced. The scheme is plain except to those who refuse to see,” Leonen argued.

In his dissent, he also said the Court diminishes the rule of law “when we deploy legal interpretation to obfuscate rather than to all out what is obvious.”

J. Leonen_Dissenting Opinion_G.R. No. 220598 and G.R. No. 220953

Proof of personal benefit?

Associate Justice Estela Perlas-Bernabe, on the other hand, concurred in part and dissented in part. She disagreed with the Sandiganbayan’s findings that Arroyo’s “OK” notations to Uriarte’s requests for confidential funds do not amount to her assent to any irregularity.

She also disagreed with the majority opinion that the prosecution needs to prove that the accused personally benefitted from the funds by proving that these sums went to a plunderer’s bank account.

She warned that the majority decision now “requires the State to submit direct proof of personal benefit for an accused plunderer, as well as those who have conspired with him to be convicted.” Those who have raided government coffers would, “in great likelihood, had already hidden the money they stole through ingenious schemes and means,” Bernabe said.

J.Bernabe_Separate Concurring and Dissenting Opinion_G.R. No. 220598 and G.R. No. 220953

– Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – Senate President Franklin Drilon has given the go signal to neophyte senator and world boxing champion Manny Pacquiao to return to the ring but with one condition.

The outgoing Senate President said Pacquiao had asked his permission to fight again.

“He asked me whether he can box. I said there is nothing to prevent you but you can do it in a manner that will not interfere with your job as a senator because you will be severely criticized. I said you can box during the break,” Drilon said in a press conference on Thursday, July 21.

Drilon said he fully supports the boxing champion’s comeback, saying lawmakers can still exercise their respective professions alongside legislative work.

“I am a lawyer and I can exercise my profession as a lawyer. A businessman can continue running his/her business while being a member of the legislature. An entertainer can continue his or her profession while being a member of the Congress. Why should we impose a different standard to a professional boxer?” Drilon said.

The Senate leader said Pacquiao promised him that the latter would not neglect his duties as a senator.

If Pacquiao fails to deliver on his promise, Drilon vowed to be the first person to criticize the neophyte senator.

“But I hold him to his commitment that it will not be at the price of neglecting his duty as a senator. I’ll be the first one to criticize him if he does that,” he added.

Pacquiao’s promoter, Top Rank CEO Bob Arum, said that the senator is eyeing a boxing match in November 5.

But Pacquiao earlier denied it as well as talks he plans to take a leave from the Senate to focus on his next fight. He then vowed to prioritize his legislative responsibilities and agenda.

The former Sarangani representative had the most absences in the House of Representatives primarily due to his fights. Records showed that he only attended one session during the last year of the 16th Congress. – Rappler.com

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan – Pakistan's parliament will on Thursday, July 21, debate bills aimed at tackling so-called honor killings and amending its rape law, officials said, following the murder of a social media star last week.

Rights groups and politicians have for years called for tougher laws to tackle perpetrators of violence against women in Pakistan and the debate follows a slew of high-profile killings in the country.

Lawmakers from both lower and upper houses of parliament will take up proposed bills Thursday afternoon, parliament official Hasan Murtaza Bukhari said, and votes on the suggested changes are expected within weeks.

"After discussion and approval of these bills by this committee, the drafts will be tabled in a joint sitting of the house which is likely to promptly take it up," he said.

"But we are not sure that how much time this process will take. The salient features of these drafts will also be known only after being presented in the committee," added Bukhari.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's ruling PML-N party has a large majority of seats in the lower house and the bills are believed to have enough backing from opposition parties to pass in the senate too.

The proposed bills could seek to close a loophole that allows those who kill in the name of honor – usually a relative of the victim – to evade punishment by seeking clemency from other family members.

Pakistan amended its criminal code in 2005 to prevent men who kill female relatives pardoning themselves as an "heir" of the victim.

But punishment is left to a judge's discretion when other relatives of the victim forgive the killer – a loophole which critics say is exploited.

Social media starlet Qandeel Baloch was strangled to death by her brother on Friday, July 15, once again casting a spotlight on the custom of "honor killings", which claims around a thousand lives in Pakistan every year.

Held up by many of the country's youth for her liberal views and forthrightness, Baloch – who posed with mullahs and courted controversy in plunging dresses – was also reviled by many and frequently subject to misogynist abuse online.

Rights group Amnesty International this week called on the country to "undertake structural reforms that end impunity for so-called 'honor' killings, including by passing legislation that removes the option of clemency for such killings". – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – Two days after the ruling, former president Benigno Aquino III hit the Supreme Court for acquitting his political nemesis and predecessor, former president and now Pampanga 2nd District Representative Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, of plunder charges.

In a 4-page statement, Aquino expressed dismay over the decision, which was promulgated barely a month after he left Malacañang.

The ruling, which clears Arroyo of plunder charges involving P365 million in questionable Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office intelligence funds, seemingly brought more questions than answers to the former Philippine leader. (READ: Gloria Arroyo walks free after nearly 4 years)

“Now I ask: By ordering the release and exoneration of Mrs Arroyo, what is the Supreme Court saying: That nothing anomalous transpired? That no crime happened? That no one should be held to account? That the funds were used properly?” Aquino said.

He added: “What is the recourse now of the Filipino people, when it is clear that a substantial amount of public funds did not go to the intended services, which would have alleviated the suffering of many of our countrymen?”

Aquino recalled how the PCSO, at the start of his term in 2010, had millions in debt. In fact, he said, many hospitals then stopped accepting PCSO promissory notes and guarantee letters, which poor patients have relied on to finance or subsidize their medical bills.

Citing data from 2003 to 2010, Aquino said P71.39 million was needed for 1,920 cases that had guarantee letters.

“One cannot help but think: If P365 million was used for its intended purpose, how many of our countrymen could have been afforded the basic and necessary service that they deserve?” he asked.

PCSO law very clear

Aquino, in his response, used the very law that created the PCSO to counter the ruling.

Citing Republic Act 1169 or the PCSO Charter, the former president said the office shall be “the principal government agency for raising and providing for funds for health programs, medical assistance and service, and the charities of national character.”

There is no provision in the law, he added, that allows reallocation of funds for national security purposes, as shown by the reports by former PCSO officials and Arroyo’s co-accused, Rosario Uriarte and Benigno Aguas.

From 2008 to 2010, Aquino said a total of P365 million was transferred from the PCSO to the Office of the President, the bulk of which, he said, were used for activities not sanctioned by the PCSO Charter.

“Nowhere does it state that the funds of the agency charged to manage sweepstakes and provide charity can be reallocated for actions related to 'bomb threat, kidnapping, destabilization and terrorism' or for 'bilateral and security relation' to justify the transferring of additional funds from PCSO to the Office of the President, during the time of Mrs Arroyo.”

Aquino also questioned why Arroyo supported her subordinates who incurred losses for the government instead of penalizing them.

“In the case of the PCSO funds, instead of penalizing those who failed to prepare the right budget, it seems that Mrs Arroyo actually supported and encouraged poor managerial performance, to the extent that transfers were repeatedly allowed,” Aquino said.

“I wonder: What kind of superior espouses such practice? How does one justify mismanagement to such a degree? With Mrs Arroyo giving acquiescence and approval, doesn’t this make her also accountable?” he said.

The camp of Arroyo maintained that the High Tribunal’s acquittal proves “political persecution” by Aquino for 4 years. – Rappler.com