BASILAN, Philippines – In the very stomping ground of the Abu Sayyaf, President Rodrigo Duterte pleaded for peace and an end to hatred among all groups, including the Abu Sayyaf.

"Ako ay nakikiusap sa lahat (I am asking everyone). I am pleading for peace, pati sa (even with the) Abu Sayyaf kasi (because) you have committed so many crimes, killing people unnecessarily," Duterte said at a military camp in Isabela, Basilan on Thursday, July 21.

This is a change in tune from the last time Duterte spoke publicly of the Abu Sayyaf. In a gathering of Muslim leaders in Davao City, he said the Abu Sayyaf does not fit his definition of criminality as their actions were "driven by desperation."

Presidents before him have considered the group as bandits because of their involvement in criminal activities including kidnap for ransom, carnapping, bank robbery, and even the illegal drug trade.

Duterte, whose main audience was composed of military and police, defended military actions in the strife-torn island.

"Ang tropa ng gobyerno dadating dito kasi may kinikidnap; may pinapatay. Reaction ng gobyerno 'yan (Government troops come here because people are being kidnapped; killed. That's the government reaction)," he said.

He said the military are only in the island "so that things won't spin out of control."

"They have a mission to do and 'yan ang intindihan 'nyo (and that's what you should understand). There's no intent to oppress you," said the President, addressing civilians in the audience.

He called on all sides to stop hatred from controlling their actions. "Alisin 'nyo yung galit, 'yung hate, kasi (Get rid of your anger, your hatred, because) hate would drive you to kill," he said.

To applause, Duterte said he would find a way to bring peace to Basilan, a known breeding ground of terrorists and bandits, especially in its southern, mountainous parts.

"Maasahan 'nyo na gagawa ako ng paraan para itigil natin ang away dito (Rest assured that I will find a way to stop the fighting here)," he said.

{source} <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PresidentDuterte?src=hash">#PresidentDuterte</a> says plea for peace and call to stop hatred will be part of his SONA. <a href="https://twitter.com/rapplerdotcom">@rapplerdotcom</a> <a href="https://t.co/7hm5CSjdoZ">pic.twitter.com/7hm5CSjdoZ</a></p>&mdash; Pia Ranada (@piaranada) <a href="https://twitter.com/piaranada/status/756043890382151680">July 21, 2016</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> {/source}

SONA message

Duterte said he would reiterate his plea in his first State of the Nation Address on Monday, July 25.

"If we cannot stop it, at ulitin ko ito sa SONA ko, do not hate more. Kung hindi tayo makatigil ng away dito, huwag mong dagdagan sa puso yung galit (If we cannot stop it, and I will repeat this in my SONA, do not hate more. If we cannot stop fighting, don't continue to fill your heart with anger)," said Duterte.

He pitched federalism as one way to address the "historical wrongs" done to Muslims in Mindanao, which he claims fuels rebellion and terrorist acts.

"Sa mga kapatid kong Moro, alam ko napabayaan kayo. Alam ko na oppressed kayo. That is why we're having these talks. Baka magkaroon tayo ng federalism," he said.

(To my Moro brothers, I know you've been neglected. I know you're oppressed. That is why we're having these talks. We might have federalism.)

Earlier that day, Duterte met with some local government officials who supposedly told him their desire for a federal form of government.

Lamitan Vice Mayor Roderick Furigay told Rappler that he supports federalism and even prefers it to the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law. 

"Walang gobyernong makikialam sa inyo. Kayo lang ang magtatakbo ng gobyerno 'nyo (The national government will not meddle in your affairs. You will be the one to run your own government)," Duterte said, in pitching for federalism.

Duterte's visit to Basilan and Zamboanga City is his second sortie as president outside of Metro Manila and Davao City where he divides his week.

It was marked by heavy security. Media were not allowed to take video footage or make audio recordings. 

Even local governments were only informed about the President's visit just a day ahead. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – 36-year old Julius Camarce braved life as an overseas Filipino worker (OFW) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to provide for his wife and 5 children living in Iloilo. 

Like many other OFWs, Camarce felt leaving the Philippines was his only choice.

“Hindi naman po mataas ang pinag-aralan ko. Diyan po sa Pilipinas, para maging cost controller, kailangan pang may lisensya ka. Sa Saudi, basta alam mo work, hindi nila papansinin kung ano man background mo,” Camarce said.  (I didn't receive a high education. In the Philippines, to work as a cost controller, you need a license. In Saudi, they don't care about your background as long as you know how it's done.)

He is now on his 9th year in the kingdom and his 2nd year working for Saudi Oger, a private construction company. 

“Makikipagsapalaran ako dito, maitaguyod ko lang pamilya ko." (I will face the challenges here to provide for my family.)

All was going well until the price of crude plummeted to one of its lowest in the past 12 years, pushing the oil-rich kingdom’s government to cut spending and put up austerity measures.

By 2015, Camarce and his colleagues were already feeling its impact. According to him, their salaries then were delayed by 2 to 3 months. 

Since January 2016, he had stopped receiving even a single cent from his employer.

This is the same case for all his colleagues who were supposed to received 5,000 SR and below every month. Those whose salary amounts to more than 5,000 SR, meanwhile, haven’t been paid for 9 months now, he said.

The reason remains unclear. "Ang dami nilang dahilan kung bakit hindi daw kami nakakasahod. Kesyo hindi daw nagbabayad ang gobyerno ng Saudi, kesyo mismanagement daw,” Camarce said. 

(They give so many reasons for not giving us our salaries. They say the government of Saudi is not paying, sometimes they blame mismanagement.)

Because of this, many of his colleagues have already resigned from Saudi Oger. Even so, they remain stranded in Saudi because they cannot afford the airfare and are yet to receive their end-of-service benefits.

Violent protests

Chaos ensued in the camp as employees started protesting in their camp, according to Camarce. Some protests turned violent, with protesters burning company vehicles and vandalizing office properties. 

Camarce says he and other Filipinos, despite their frustrations, opted not to join these protests. “Alam ng mga Pinoy na bawal, mas lalo po kaming malalagay sa alanganin,” he said. (Filipinos know that's not allowed, it will only put us in worse situations.)

According to Camarce, the protesters are mostly employees from other countries such as Senegal and Pakistan.

Help

Receiving no salary for months, Camarce worries about his family back in the Philippines. His wife’s salary as a teacher is not enough to sustain their children’s needs, 3 of whom are already studying. 

"Lugmok na rin po kami sa aming mga pinagkakautangan kung buti sana po ang aming mga sahod ay nagiinterest din na kagaya ng mga utang naming dyan sa Pilipinas,” he shared.  

Thousands of other OFWs in Saudi are facing similar problems.

The Department of Foreign Affairs, in response to the crisis, formed and sent a Rapid Response Team (RRT) to assist OFWs stranded in work camps in Saudi Arabia. 

According to a report they submitted last month, at least 11,000 OFWs in several large Saudi contruction and maintenance companies and their sub-contractors were not paid their salaries on time, ranging from 2 to 6 months. Some were also no longer receiving food allowances and were threatened with eviction from their accommodations.

The DFA said the RRT already provided immediate humanitarian assistance to these OFWs, and brought their situation to the attention of the senior officials of the concerned companies, and with the Saudi government authorities.

Meanwhile, Migrante International also identified the following problems:

• Non-payment of salaries and benefits affecting thousands of OFWs
• Expiration of Iqamas (residence permits for expatriates)
• Lessening or withholding of benefits and ‘idling’ of workers
• Extensive retrenchment
• Extortion of Philippine posts 

Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III, in a radio interview with dzMM, said he ordered the recall of two labor attachès in Saudi Arabia for failing to do their duties.

“We laud the bold move of Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello. The recall of the two Labor Attaches in Saudi Arabia is a good step to resolving the problems of stranded OFWs in Saudi and attaining change in the ill-treatment of migrant workers,” said Garry Martinez, chairperson of Migrante International.

On Thursday, July 21, Bello is also set to fly to Saudi Arabia to check the situation and give aid to the stranded OFWs.

A day before his flight, Migrante International and #SaudiOFWsforChange, a network of returned Saudi OFWs and their families, organized a send-off for the labor secretary, wishing him luck and sharing their issues and problems. 

The group raised the following demands: 

• Negotiate with employers for the payment of salaries and benefits, and issuance of exit visas.
• Emergency mass repatriation for stranded OFWs. Government to shoulder immigration penalties and other repatriation related costs.
• Provide legal assistance and other support (free translations fees, transportation expenses) for distressed OFWs who filed labor cases against their companies, and facilitate the provision of subsistence allowances through the OFW’s recruitment agencies.
• Ban the deployment of workers to bankrupt and crisis-ridden companies.
• Emergency financial assistance to returned OFWs and families of distressed OFWs.
• Speedy resolution of cases of repatriated OFWs lodged at the POEA and NLRC.
• Comprehensive reintegration program for returning OFWs.

DFA Secretary Perfecto R. Yasay Jr, also just recently approved the release of funds for the repatriation of 171 OFWs stranded in Dammam, Saudi Arabia and promised to provide them with legal assistance.

Camarce and his colleagues see the labor secretary’s visit as their last hope. 

"Umaasa po kami na sana malutas na ng gobyerno ang aming suliranin dito sa Saudi Arabia hindi lang para samin [in Saudi Oger] kundi para sa lahat,” he said. (We sill hope that the government will solve our problems here in Saudi Arabia, not just for us, but for all.)

He still doesn’t know what the future holds for him, his family, and his fellow OFWs. But one thing’s for sure: he badly wants to come home. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – Former Solicitor General Florin Hilbay on Thursday, July 21, defended the legal strategy that he chose, but which was aborted, in the Philippines’ case against China over the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea).

Hilbay and his predecessor, now Supreme Court Associate Justice Francis Jardeleza, didn’t want to include a key issue in Manila’s pleading or memorial against Beijing.

This issue involves Itu Aba, an area in the West Philippine Sea which, if declared an island by an arbitral tribunal in The Hague, would have compromised the Philippine case. 

Owing to technical issues, a declaration that Itu Aba is an island would mean that the tribunal lacks jurisdiction over the Philippine claim. 

The tribunal on July 12 classified Itu Aba as a rock, not an island. It ruled in favor of the Philippines in general.

Rappler reported on Wednesday, July 20, that it "would have been a miscalculation, if not a tactical error, on the part of the Philippines" had Hilbay and Jardeleza gotten their way.

We sought his comment around noon Tuesday, July 19, about his initial position on the Itu Aba issue, but he did not reply. Hilbay instead chose to give his side by posting it online Thursday, July 21.

No to 'selling out'

In the statement that he posted on Squarespace on Thursday, Hilbay said: "I saw the Itu Aba issue as belonging to the baskets where there was a need to reduce the impact of a potential loss and protect the President. By now, people should be aware that the Itu Aba issue is one where the entire team’s level of confidence was not at its highest. This explains why that feature was not included in our 'complaint' in the first place."

He also showed his "discomfort with the treatment of Itu Aba" in a memo sent in 2014 to then Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr and then Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Alfredo Benjamin Caguioa.

Hilbay recounted, as well, a "problematic" proposal in the Philippine case.

This proposal stemmed from a hypothetical question that the tribunal raised in a hearing on November 2015: What happens if a feature (Itu Aba) "were declared an island" under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea?

Hilbay said, "The original, proposed answer was that the Tribunal would retain jurisdiction to control, by some means, the conduct of the parties 'pending agreement on delimitation or joint development arrangements.'"

Hilbay also said he repeatedly emphasized two points:

• "Commit to the wave. I did a short lecture on how surfers are able to catch big waves. Itu Aba is a wave we absolutely needed to catch, and we should not signal to the Tribunal that we think we might lose. We needed to focus our firepower on winning that issue instead of sheepishly offering 'joint development arrangements' for when we lose. We should not, therefore, telegraph our punches."

• "Avoid impression of selling out. The Philippines, in this litigation, should not be seen as offering 'joint development arrangements' as a second option or a compromise. For myself, I was particularly worried about being seen as inserting a very specific economic incentive as trade-off for losing the Itu Aba question. I told everyone, 'I will not be the Solicitor General who sold this case to China.'"

"In the aftermath of that meeting, foreign counsel strengthened (even more) the arguments on Itu Aba, dropped 'joint development,' and recast the Philippines' post-loss scenario to not make it appear we were not confident about winning Itu Aba," the former solicitor general said.

Hilbay said: "I think we won the Itu Aba issue because everyone from the Philippine side and the foreign counsel’s side was professional enough to realize that our occasional disagreements in this case could lead, rather thankfully, to compromises over our strongly held opinions. Fortunately, the brew was sufficient to convince the Tribunal that our arguments on the various submissions were correct."

Hilbay hits Rappler editors

At the same time, the former solicitor general criticized the writers of the story, Rappler editors Chay Hofileña and Marites Dañguilan Vitug.

Hilbay said: "I do not suppose the writers consider themselves experts in the law of the sea, much less official participants with personal knowledge of the West Philippine Sea litigation. I am therefore amused at the accusatorial tone they have taken on previously undisclosed legal strategy which, in fact, resulted in an overwhelming victory."

He added: "Ms Hofileña and Ms Vitug have a wildly mixed-up sequencing of events, which is to be expected from those who do not have official documents or had no direct and personal knowledge of events."

Hilbay did not specify which parts of the story show a "wildly mixed-up sequencing of events." 

Instead, he said, "Let me take the cudgels for them on one critical decision point."

Here he recounted the hearing in November 2015 where the tribunal asked a hypothetical question about Itu Aba being classified as an island under the UNCLOS. This hearing was not mentioned in Rappler’s story on Wednesday.

Hilbay ended his statement by saying: "Moving forward, I think the wise attitude here is to celebrate the victory, not malign anybody’s contribution. Justice Jardeleza, always fond of quoting JFK, would usually remind me that victory has a thousand fathers, but defeat is an orphan."

He said, "I couldn’t care less if this victory had a million parents." – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – As directed by President Rodrigo Duterte, Cebu businessman Peter Lim appeared before the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI)  Task Force on Illegal Drugs on Thursday, July 21, to disprove allegations that he is the alleged drug lord with same name.

Lim’s lawyer, Ramon Esguerra, told reporters that his client’s presence at the NBI headquarters that day should give weight to the businessman’s repeated assertion that he was willing to cooperate with authorities to clear his name.

“We brought Mr Lim here based on his own decision pursuant to the instruction of the President to have himself investigated by the bureau,” Esguerra said.

He said Lim submitted a two-page letter addressed to NBI Director Dante Gierran, but refused to divulge the contents of the letter, which became the basis of the NBI’s initial questions to Lim.

Esguerra declined to give any more details of the letter, but said Lim “promised…his utmost cooperation.”

NBI spokesperson Ferdinand Lavin said the NBI National Task Force on Illegal Drugs headed by National Capital Region Assistant Regional Director Juan Roel Bolivar will investigate the allegations against Lim. 

Lavin added that the investigation will consider the findings of the congressional inquiry on illegal drugs in 2001 where Lim and his brother, Wellington, appeared as resource persons. 

Lim’s appearance at the NBI came 5 days after the businessman sought a meeting with Duterte in Davao City to personally disprove allegations that he’s involved in illegal drugs. (READ: Duterte to Peter Lim: Go to NBI to prove you're not a drug lord)

Duterte had claimed in a speech aired on national television that "Peter Lim" is a drug lord. (READ: Is he top 'drug lord' Peter Lim? 9 things about the Cebu businessman) – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – Two of the justices who were supposed to sign former President Gloria Arroyo's release order were not around on Thursday afternoon, July 21.

Efren N. de la Cruz – the First Division chairman – was present when the process orders for the release of Gloria Arroyo and Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office budget and accounts manager Benigno Aguas arrived.

This prompted the anti-graft court to appoint special members of the First division in their stead to complete the 3 required signatories. 

Two last minute administrative orders were needed to facilitate the signing of the order for the release of Arroyo.

De la Cruz, along with Presiding Justice Amparo M. Cabotaje-Tang and Associate Justice Geraldine Faith A. Econg, signed the order.

Econg was appointed special member of the First Division through Administrative Order No. 255-2016.

Two regular members of the First Division – Associate Justices Associate Justices Reynaldo P. Cruz and Michael Frederick L. Musngi – reported for work in the morning but had apparently left before the copy of the SC ruling could reach the Sandiganbayan Judicial Records Division. 

Cruz, Musngi, and Econg belong to a batch of 6 justices appointed by former President Benigno S. Aquino III. They joined the special anti-graft court on January 20, 2016.

Both Arroyo and Aguas waited two days to be released following the SC order of dismissal of the plunder case against them.

After the SC ruling was received by the Sandiganbayan Docket, a draft of the release order was prepared by the Clerk of Court and sent to the justices for signing.

The order was officially released by the First Division at 3:55 p.m. It was then sent to the Sheriff and Security Services Office for delivery from Camp Crame, Quezon City to the Police Security and Protection Group (PSPG) which has custody over Arroyo. The order was also sent to the PNP Custodial Center that has jurisdiction over Aguas.

Arroyo was released at around 6:20 p.m. from the presidential suite of the Veterans Memorial Medical Center (VMCC). The VMMC has served as her detention facility ever since she turned herself in on October 4, 2012 following the Sandiganbayan's issuing of a warrant for her arrest. – Rappler.com

BEIRUT, Lebanon – At least 43 civilians, including 11 children, were killed in a bombardment of several rebel-held areas across Syria on Thursday, July 21, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor said.

The group said at least 13 people, including 3 children, were killed in government air strikes and shelling on the Eastern Ghouta area outside the capital Damascus.

Among the areas targeted was Douma, where the central market was hit, an AFP photographer said.

Government bombardment also hit two neighborhoods of the rebel-held east of Aleppo city, where 15 people were killed, among them 6 children, the Observatory said.

Opposition-held neighborhoods of Aleppo have been effectively under siege for the past two weeks, after government forces advanced to within firing range of the only remaining supply route into the east of the city.

Since then, government forces have seized part of the road, completely severing the east of the city from the outside world.

The Observatory also reported 15 civilians dead in air strikes in the town of Tal Manas in the northwestern province of Idlib.

But it was unable to confirm if the strikes were carried out by the Syrian government or its Russian ally.

The monitor – which relies on a network of sources inside Syria for its information – says it determines what planes carried out raids according to their type, location, flight patterns and the munitions involved.

A key ally of the Syrian government, Russia began carrying out air strikes in the country in late September.

More than 280,000 people have been killed in Syria, and more than half the country displaced, since the conflict began with anti-government protests in March 2011. – Rappler.com

ANKARA, Turkey – Turkey imposed a three-month state of emergency on Thursday, July 21, strengthening state powers to round up suspects behind the failed military coup and suspending a key European rights convention.

The moves came in defiance of growing global alarm over the extent of legal retribution after the coup that unsuccessfully tried to unseat President Recep Tayyip Erdogan but ended with some 50,000 alleged sympathisers in state offices losing their jobs and around 9,200 suspects detained.

After marathon meeting of his national security council on Wednesday, Erdogan declared Turkey's first state of emergency since 2002, the year before he first came to power as prime minister.

It came into force on Thursday, almost a week after the rebel soldiers surged into the streets with tanks, bombing parliament and shooting protesters on a bloody night of turmoil that left 265 people dead.

Erdogan said it would allow Turkey to be cleared of "terrorists" linked to US-based Muslim preacher Fethullah Gulen, whom he accuses of orchestrating the failed coup from his leafy compound in Pennsylvania.

But Erdogan insisted democracy would "not be compromised" and lashed out at critics of the sweeping purge that has raised deep concerns about democracy and human rights in the key NATO member.

The extra powers, to restrict freedom of movement and other rights, were needed "to remove swiftly all the elements of the terrorist organisation involved in the coup attempt," Erdogan said.

Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus said the special measures may only last up to 45 days, insisting that "we want to end the state of emergency as soon as possible".

Asked about whether the government may impose curfews, Kurtulmus said: "very clearly no. This is not a declaration of martial law."

But he also said Turkey will suspend the European Convention on Human Rights, saying France had done the same after being targeted by a string of jihadist attacks.

"The road to arbitrary rule, unlawful behaviour, feeding on violence, has been chosen," complained the opposition Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP).

"Society has been forced to choose between a coup or an undemocratic government."

'Own the squares'

Erdogan, warning that his opponents may launch new provocations, has urged his supporters to remain in squares across the country in what he calls a "vigil" for democracy.

He spoke by video link at midnight to the flag-waving and jubilant crowds of supporters still filling squares nationwide.

Meanwhile, mobile phone users across Turkey received text messages sent by "RTErdogan" urging people to stay in the streets to resist "the terrorists."

"The owners of the squares are not the tanks. The owners are the nation," said the message.

Kurtulmus said the coup had claimed a total of 265 lives, including 24 plotters and 241 citizens and members of he security forces who opposed them. Previously, the military had said over 100 coup plotters were killed.

Erdogan suggested there would be further detentions in the crackdown, which has already netted several widely known figures.

Late Wednesday, a court remanded in custody Ali Yazici, the president's aide-de-camp who looked after military protocol on state occasions and was regularly seen by Erdogan's side, on charges of supporting the coup.

Courts have remanded in custody 109 out of 125 generals and admirals detained so far. Some been seen bruised and wounded in images published by state media.

"Of course that does not mean we have come to the end of it," Erdogan told Al-Jazeera.

'Mind your own business'

The Turkish leader has fired back at critics of the government actions, telling France's Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault -- who had warned Erdogan not to use the failed coup as a carte blanche to silence his opponents -- to "mind his own business".

"If he wants a lesson in democracy, he can very easily get a lesson in democracy from us," Erdogan told Al-Jazeera.

German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier stressed it was "vital that the state of emergency is limited for the required time and then immediately lifted".

"Only acts which are legally punishable can be targeted, not political opinion."

Austria said it will summon Turkey's ambassador to discuss Ankara's "increasingly authoritarian" behaviour while the OSCE said a crackdown on pro-Gulen media was the latest challenge to press freedom in the country.

Even before the coup bid, critics had voiced mounting concern about Erdogan's efforts to to silence his opponents and clamp down on the press.

Turkey has stepped up pressure on Washington to extradite Gulen, sending several "dossiers" it says are packed with evidence about his alleged involvement.

Gulen has urged Washington to reject the extradition call and dismissed as "ridiculous" the claim he was behind the botched coup.

Erdogan, asked if other countries could have been involved in the coup, told Al-Jazeera: "There could be." – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – Senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III filed a Senate resolution commending former president Benigno Aquino III and other members of the Philippine delegation for the country's historic win in the arbitration case against China.

Pimentel, ally of President Rodrigo Duterte and who's being eyed as the next Senate president of the 17th Congress, filed Senate Resolution No. 16 on Friday, July 22.

Aside from Aquino, the resolution seeks to laud former Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario, Supreme Court Associate Justices Antonio Carpio and Francis Jardeleza, and former Solicitor General Florin Hilbay for their “major role” in the country’s historic victory.

Giving credit to his ally’s predecessor, Pimentel said the landmark decision would not have been possible without “the vision, foresight, diligence, and courage” of Aquino. After all, Pimentel said it was the former leader who made the “critical decision” of filing the case.

“It is just fitting and right that the Philippine Senate should recognize the heroic efforts made by those involved in achieving the historic legal victory over areas in the West Philippine Sea,” Pimentel said in a statement on Friday, July 22.

Pimentel's resolution doesn’t include former Justice Secretary Leila de Lima and Philippine Consul General Henry Bensurto Jr, who, according to government insiders, also played crucial roles in the Philippines' case.

The roles of Hilbay and Jardeleza, on the other hand, have become questionable because they initially refused to include the Itu Aba issue in the pleading or memorial filed by the Philippines against China.

The Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) on July 12 said an arbitral tribunal has ruled in favor of the Philippines in its historic case against China over the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea).

The PCA said the tribunal "concluded that, as between the Philippines and China, there was no legal basis for China to claim historic rights to resources, in excess of the rights provided for by the Convention, within the sea areas falling within the '9-dash line.'"

The tribunal said that "all of the high-tide features in the Spratly Islands (including, for example, Itu Aba, Thitu, West York Island, Spratly Island, North-East Cay, South-West Cay) are legally 'rocks' that do not generate an exclusive economic zone or continental shelf." (READ: FAST FACTS: South China Sea dispute) – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – A Korean who was barred from entering the country allegedly committed suicide at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 on Thursday, July 21.

The body of An Sang Kwan, 50, was found at the airport washroom. (READ: Understanding suicide)

Airport authorities said Kwan turned out to be on the Bureau of Immigration's blacklist, so he was barred from exiting the airport when he arrived at around 4:30 am.

Kwan arrived onboard Cebu Pacific flight 5J - 311 from Taipei. He was held at immigration exclusion room while waiting for his flight back to Korea.

Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) general manager Ed Monreal said Kwan was the holder of Korean passport number M21656215.

A witness told investigators that Kwan asked to go to the toilet, where he was later found to have hanged himself.

Probers are verifying reports that Kwan was a fugitive in his country. – Rappler.com 

The Natasha Goulbourn Foundation has a depression and suicide prevention hotline. Call are 804-4673 and 0917-558-4673. More information is available on its website. It’s also on Twitter @NGFoundationPH and Facebook.

BEIJING, China – A fire forced a flight from North Korean flag-carrier Air Koryo to land in the northeastern Chinese city of Shenyang on Friday, July 22, China's official Xinhua news agency reported.

In a brief dispatch from Pyongyang, Xinhua said the scheduled flight from the North Korean capital to Beijing was forced to divert and land in Shenyang "because the plane caught fire."

The report, which was sourced to a passenger on board who had spoken to the news service, gave no further details and offered no information regarding damage to the plane or possible passenger injuries.

Although Air Koryo regularly occupies bottom spot in the Skytrax star rating system for commercial airlines, it has a decent safety record with just one fatal accident in more than 30 years.

However, critics point out that the record is built on an extremely limited service which currently comprises regular flights to just 3 destinations in China, and Vladivostok in Russia.

The Pyongyang-Beijing service uses a Russian Tupolev Tu-204 – a twin-engine medium-range jet airliner that carries about 140 passengers. – Rappler.com

CLEVELAND, USA – A fractious Republican convention wrapped up Thursday, July 21, with Donald Trump accepting the party's White House nomination. Here are some key moments from the four-day gathering in Cleveland.

Floor fight

When the convention was gaveled in on Monday, July 18, it didn't take long for tensions over Donald Trump's nomination to bubble to the surface.

What should have been a routine floor vote on arcane party rules erupted into a public revolt by anti-Trump Republicans.

Having lost the primary and several behind-the-scenes battles the "Never Trump" movement showed it was not going to roll over and die – even if it meant a damaging public brawl.

"We deserve to be heard, this is the people's convention!" said Diana Shores, a delegate from Virginia, while pro-Trump delegates tried to drown out the rebels with shouts of "Shame! Shame!"

Echoes of Michelle

Melania Trump's debut in the political big league Monday was a speech full of earnest warmth, except the words weren't entirely hers.

It transpired that Trump's third wife, an ex-model, had included sections from a speech given by First Lady Michelle Obama in 2008.

The Trump campaign's ham-fisted response– denying allegations of plagiarism, dismissing them as a media-generated controversy, then tacit admission, then having a speechwriter own up – only fueled the scandal and made Team Trump look inept.

Trump's kids had less problematic appearances. A string of sons and daughters gave the convention a family feel – with the tycoon's favorite daughter Ivanka proving a powerful surrogate on the final night when she painted him as a compassionate champion of women's rights.

'Vote your conscience'

When Texas Senator Ted Cruz walked onto the convention stage at prime time Wednesday, July 20, Team Trump had some hope that a unifying endorsement might be in the offing.

Fat chance. Cruz, popular on the right of the party, not only declined to endorse but actively encouraged his conservative backers not to vote for the mogul. "Vote your conscience," he said.

The Trump campaign described it as no big deal and "classless;" whatever the political fallout, it is already clear that Trump's running mate was collateral damage.

Mike Pence's speech accepting the vice presidential nomination took place outside primetime because Cruz ran well over his alloted speaking time and thoroughly eclipsed Pence's moment in the sun.

'Lock her up!'

If Republicans in Cleveland agree on nothing else, it was that Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton is bad.

Speakers lined up to denounce Clinton for the deaths of their loved ones and for putting national security at risk. On Tuesday, July 19, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, a former federal prosecutor, went as far as convening a mock trial, seeking to convict the former first lady and secretary of state.

"Is she guilty, or not guilty?" he asked half a dozen times to the assembled delegates. The response: "Guilty!"

Adding to the raised-pitchforks tone, Republicans unleashed full-throated chants of "Lock her up! Lock her up!"

Trump

Thursday night, an unsmiling Donald Trump struck a martial tone in accepting the Republican presidential nomination, vowing to restore security to an America he sees as surrounded by danger.

"I have a message for all of you: the crime and violence that today afflicts our nation will soon, and I mean very soon, come to an end. Beginning on January 20th 2017, safety will be restored," he promised.

For one hour and 17 minutes, candidate Trump reasserted many of the nationalistic themes of his campaign, often shouting his lines to the roar of a packed convention hall.

It was the most important speech of his political career and he delivered it almost exactly as it played across a teleprompter, rarely ad libbing.

At 11:34 pm, he concluded with a "God bless you, and good night. I love you," and 125,000 red, white and blue balloons floated down onto the stage. Outside a burst of fireworks marked the end of the Republican jamboree. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – The president of De La Salle Philippines, a network of educators running 16 Catholic schools across the country, slammed the spate of killings that started after the landslide victory of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte.  

In a pastoral statement on Thursday, July 21, De La Salle Philippines president Brother Jose Mari Jimenez said, "As a Catholic and a Filipino, I am deeply disturbed by the spate of killings that have attended this administration's pronouncements regarding its anti-crime and illegal-drugs campaign."

Citing media reports, Jimenez said 408 people have died in drug- and crime-related killings from May 10, the day after elections, to July 15, half a month after Duterte took office. This number continues to rise. (READ: Global group of judges, lawyers to Duterte: Probe drug-related killings)

"While these figures are alarming in themselves, what troubles me even more as an educator is the absence of a significant public outcry against the blatant contempt for the human life and the rule of law that these extrajudicial killings represent," Jimenez said.

To support his arguments, he cited a February 21 statement by Pope Francis against the death penalty: "The commandment, 'You shall not kill,' has absolute value and applies to both the innocent and the guilty....It must not be forgotten that the inviolable and God-given right to life also belongs to the criminal."

"Behind these prophetic words is the vision of a God who refuses to give up on anyone, a God whose mercy embraces all without distinction," Jimenez said.

Jimenez is one of the first high-profile Catholic leaders to speak out against the spate of killings in the face of Duterte’s anti-crime war. One of the schools under De La Salle Philippines, which he leads, is the De La Salle University in Manila, a leading university in Asia. 

Ahead of Jimenez's statement, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines on June 20 also denounced "vigilantism" in the country. 

Engage authorities 'not as adversaries'

In his statement on Thursday, Jimenez also pointed out that the recent killings show "how desperate many people have become in the face of the issues of drugs and criminality."

Jimenez, however, reminded Filipinos, "You cannot build a culture that respects life while relying principally on the instruments of death."

He added that it "is a mistake to believe that we can create a peaceful society by denying those suspected of wrongdoing their fundamental rights to life and to due legal process."

"Thus, while we resonate with our government's desire to address in a resolute way the problems of crime, drug-addiction, and corruption, we need to ensure that this is done within the framework of the law and the principles of human dignity and the common good enshrined in both our Constitution and in Catholic Social Teaching," he said. 

To achieve this, Jimenez said schools "should critically engage civil authorities to insure that effective solutions to these social ills be pursued in the just and right way."

Jimenez said, "We need to engage civil authorities, not as adversaries, but as partners in building communities that reflect the values of truth, justice, freedom, love, equality, and peace enshrined in our Constitution."

He also urged Lasallian schools to "teach young people to reflect critically and equip them with the values and skills they need to help create a society that upholds human dignity, solidarity and the common good."

"Let us not allow violence to rule us but in every circumstance be vigilant and zealous in upholding the dignity and rights of all as befits responsible citizens and followers of Christ," Jimenez said. – Rappler.com 

TOKYO, Japan – From lonely pensioners to Japanese schoolgirls with shattered dreams, Takanobu Nishimoto and his crew of middle-aged men will lend an ear to clients who would never dream of spilling their guts to a therapist or worse, their families.

Anyone in need of company can sign up to his online service to rent an "ossan" – a man aged between 45 and 55 – for 1,000 yen ($10) an hour.

"For me, the service is a hobby more than anything," says Nishimoto, who first came up with the concept 4 years ago and who now has a growing network of some 60 men across Japan.

"The initial idea was to improve the image of guys my age, people who might not be spring chickens anymore and not taken so seriously."

And while the 48-year-old professional fashion coordinator is used to renting himself out, he insists conversation is all he offers to between 30 and 40 clients a month, roughly 70% of whom are women.

"The people who rent me are just asking me to keep them company for an hour or two, mainly to listen to them," he tells Agence France-Presse (AFP) between sessions, giving the example of a woman in her 80s who would book him every week for a walk around the local park.

"I almost became like her son," he says.

Other clients include a fisherman who was sick of waiting in solitary silence for a catch, a college student with ambitions to get into show business but who lacked family support, and an awkward young employee who did not know how to behave around his direct supervisor.

Japan has struggled with problems of social isolation, most notably the phenomenon of "hikikomori" where people, often teens and young adults, refuse to leave the house or engage socially, instead opting to play video games or remain in their rooms.

'Express yourself'

But the people who come to Nishimoto do not suffer from detachment from society or challenges adjusting to it.

Rather, those who use the service say it allows them to forget the expectations of their family and friends and speak freely – an option which experts say is especially useful in Japan, where social roles can be tightly defined and expectations rigid.

"There's a different 'me' depending on whether I’m with my friends, my family, or my boyfriend," says 24-year-old Nodoka Hyodo after her session with Nishimoto.

She explains: "I create a 'me' in relation to others. Here, all that disappears because I’m talking to someone I don’t know – thanks to him, I feel like I’m understanding myself better."

Psychologist Hiroaki Enomoto stresses that in Japan there are social norms governing what can and can’t be said even with close associates.

"When you come up against something new, it might be difficult to talk about this with someone because you might not necessarily have a suitable person in your existing circles," he tells AFP.

"It’s difficult to know how to express yourself without bothering someone else."

But by renting an "ossan" the relationship becomes a commercial one and thus follows different rules.

In recent years, a number of agencies have been offering "rent-a-friend" services paid by the hour.

Customers can rent an agency employee as a fake friend, family member, or companion for various occasions such as weddings, funerals and parties. Some use them just to have a conversation partner to ease times of loneliness and isolation in old age.

The married Nishimoto says he has considered stopping the service several times, but found that he needed his clients just as much as they needed him.

"I never know exactly what they’re going to ask for when they rent me, and of course that’s a bit scary, but it’s also why it’s so interesting. Honestly, I’ve never had problems with any weird clients... I’ve had plenty of emotional experiences." – Rappler.com

PARIS, France – Five suspects have been formally charged over the truck attack in the French Riveria city of Nice that killed 84 people, the Paris prosecutor said Thursday, July 21.

Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhlel, who mowed down crowds of people enjoying a Bastille Day fireworks display, had long plotted the carnage, prosecutor Francois Molins said.

The revelations come as the French government continues to be plagued by questions over possible security failings, prompting authorities to launch an investigation into potential oversights. (READ: Killer and suspected accomplices in Nice: What we know)

Molins said photos on Bouhlel's phone showed he had likely already staked out the same July 14 event in 2015.

It also emerged that one of the  suspects in custody, a Tunisian named Mohamed Oualid G., had filmed the scene the day after the carnage, as it crawled with paramedics and journalists.

The 5 were brought before anti-terrorism judges late Thursday and charged.

They are 22-year-old Franco-Tunisian Ramzi A., 37-year-old Tunisian Chokri C., 40-year-old Tunisian Mohamed Oualid G., 38-year-old Albanian Artan H., and his wife Enkeledja Z. who holds both French and Albanian nationality.

None were known to intelligence services, and only Ramzi A., who was born in Nice, had a criminal record, for robbery and drug offenses.

He led police to discover a Kalashnikov and a bag of ammunition on Thursday, however the purpose of the weapons was unclear.

Ramzi, Chokri and Oualid were charged with being accomplices to murder by a terror group.

Ramzi and the Albanian couple faced a second charge, of breaking the law on firearms in relation to a terrorist crime. They are accused of providing Bouhlel with the gun he fired at police officers before he was shot dead.

More than 400 investigators have been poring over evidence since the grisly attack last Thursday, the third in France in 18 months, and it was analyses of Bouhlel's telephone records that led them to the 5 suspects.

While the Islamic State  (ISIS) group claimed the attack, describing Bouhlel as a "soldier," investigators have not found direct proof of his allegiance to the jihadists.

Many people interviewed by investigators described the Tunisian father of three as "someone who did not practise the Muslim religion, ate pork, drank alcohol, took drugs and had an unbridled sexual activity", Molins said earlier this week.

However initial details of the investigation revealed Bouhlel had been fascinated with jihad for a while.

In May last year, he took a photo of an article about the drug Captagon, an amphetamine used by jihadists in Syria.

'I am not Charlie'

In July 2015 he took photos of the crowd at the Bastille Day fireworks display, as well as another crowd watching a concert on Nice's Promenade Des Anglais three days later.

In April this year, Chokri C. sent Bouhlel a Facebook message reading: "Load the truck with 2,000 tonnes of iron... release the brakes my friend and I will watch."

Investigators also found a text message in Bouhlel's phone from Mohamed Oualid in January 2015 -- roughly a year after attacks on the Charlie Hebdo satirical weekly which spawned the hashtag "I am Charlie" in support of those killed.

The message read: "I am not Charlie... I am happy they have brought soldiers of Allah to finish the job."

Analyses of Bouhlel's computer and cellphone showed a wide range of images and internet searches showing a fascination with violence and jihadist movements such as Al-Qaeda and IS.

His family and friends have described him as violent and possibly suffering from mental illness.

Former FBI profiler Mary Ellen O'Toole said the majority of his reported character traits are "only seen collectively in someone who is psychopathic".

"This is probably one of the most callous crimes you and I have ever heard of, it's very cold-blooded and it's predatory," she told AFP.

State of emergency extended

French President Francois Hollande on Thursday promised "truth and transparency" from an inquiry into allegations of lax security.

"When there is a tragedy, or in this case an attack with many dead... there will naturally be questions," Hollande said during a visit to Dublin, adding that the conclusions of the police probe would be announced next week.

On Thursday, parliament finalised the adoption of a bill extending the emergency laws for a fourth time, after it was toughened up by the rightwing-dominated Senate.

The final version bans gatherings where sufficient security cannot be provided and makes it easier to shut places of worship where preachers incite hate or violence.

Since November the authorities have had emergency powers to carry out searches by day or night and place people under house arrest. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – Former interior secretary Rafael Alunan III will be President Rodrigo Duterte's envoy to China if former president Fidel V. Ramos cannot take on the task. 

Duterte announced this during a speech on Friday, July 22, in Camp Siongco in Maguindanao.

"Kung magsabi si President Ramos na hindi niya kaya, I will appoint Alunan, 'yung DILG (Department of Interior and Local Government). Mahusay 'yun," said Duterte to soldiers in the camp.

(If President Ramos says he cannot do it, I will appoint Alunan, the DILG Secretary, he's good.)

Duterte had previously asked Ramos to represent him in bilateral talks with China. But Ramos had hinted he might decline, citing his age and other commitments.

"'Yun na lang ang pampalit (He is the substitute), he knows his business," said Duterte about Alunan.

Alunan was interior secretary under the Ramos administration. Before that, he was Ramos' tourism secretary.

He ran for senator in the 2016 national elections and was among the group of senatorial candidates Duterte endorsed. Alunan was often seen at Duterte's sorties and gave speeches before Duterte's arrival.

It will be interesting to see how Alunan fares as Philippine envoy to begin bilateral talks with China when he has participated in protests against China's "bullying" in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea).

"There’s nothing China is holding on to except the fiction that they own the South China Sea and nobody believes them,” he said in one interview.

A lead convenor of the West Philippine Sea Coalition, he was at the forefront of a 2015 protest “aimed at mobilizing Filipinos in general, and cause-oriented groups in particular, to resist and counter China's continued territorial expansion in the West Philippine Sea.”

In comparison, Ramos, who served as president from 1992 to 1998, is known to favor close ties with China.

Ramos recently said he may accept Duterte's offer if he is in good enough health to carry out the task.

"Basta kung 'di pa ako about to conk out, eh di tatanggapin ko (As long as I'm not about to conk out yet, then I'll accept the task)," said Ramos as quoted in an Interaksyon article.

He also said he needed to consult with his family and get a medical clearance.

Duterte and Ramos are scheduled to meet this weekend to discuss the matter. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – If you hate drugs as much as President Rodrigo Duterte does, you will be able to tell your friends so on Viber using special Duterte stickers to be released after his first State of the Nation Address on Monday, July 25.

Called #ViberForChange stickers, they feature an illustration of the President's face in various moods paired with some of his well-known phrases (i.e., "I hate drugs!").

In the stickers, a barong-wearing Duterte strikes familiar poses such as putting his hand to his forehead out of frustration ("May Gad!"), crossing his arms in seriousness, or putting a finger to his chin as if in deep thought.

Of course, there's also a Duterte sticker showing him with his signature balled fist.

The stickers were launched on Thursday, July 21, but will only be available to Viber users after the SONA, according to a Malacañang press release.

Other sticker messages are "#PartnerForChange", "Bawal ‘Yan", "May Gad!", "I Hate Drags!", "Ambot", "Uwian Na", and "Daghang Salamat".

The messages are inspired by Duterte's "leadership personality," the press statement said.

For example, the sticker message "Uwian Na" (Time to go home) is reminiscent of Duterte's pitch for curfews for minors.

Communications Secretary Martin Andanar said his agency, the Presidential Communications Operations Office, thought of making Duterte Viber stickers to reach out to more citizens.

“Part of our role is to reach out directly to the people which Viber allows us to do.  We believe that when citizens engage with the government, they become partners for change,” Andanar added.

On top of the stickers, there will also be a Viber Public Chatroom “to make this government a part of Filipinos’ daily conversations.”

“Anything goes in the world of social media,” Andanar said when asked about the advantages and disadvantages of this new development in exploring social media communication. “But we encourage citizen engagement, making them part of the process for positive change in the country.”

Viber has 25 million registered users in the Philippines and 754 milion users worldwide.

Elad Kojocaru, Viber's vice president for marketing, cited SimilarWeb for ranking Viber the third communication app in the world, next to Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp. 

Filipinos send kisses, hugs, hearts, love, the feeling of sadness, and good morning and night greeting stickers on Viber the most, said Viber regional head for Southeast Asia Crystal Gonzalez.

Follow the Rappler Public Chat for behind-the-scenes conversations from Rapplers. Click on the link, or scan the code for Android & iOS users. – with reports from the Rappler Social Media Team/Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – Three days before the 17th Congress opens, presumptive House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez urged the members of the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) to work hard to bring the people's faith back in the legislature.

"If I am elected as speaker, I hope that under my leadership, we will work together to raise the trust rating of Congress. Let's improve the people's trust in the House of Representatives," Alvarez said in Filipino.

He hosted a luncheon meeting for around 80 of the 100 PDP-Laban lawmakers at the Makati Diamond Residences on Friday, July 22.

"That's why we should focus on legislation that will help people," added the congressman of Davao del Norte's 1st district.

In the Pulse Asia Ulat ng Bayan survey released on April 4, the House of Representatives registered the lowest approval rating among the top 3 government institutions at 41%. The Supreme Court got 52% while the Senate received 49%."

Alvarez said he wants Congress to once again pass into law the bill seeking a P2,000-pension hike for Social Security System (SSS) members. It was passed by the previous Congress but then-President Benigno Aquino III vetoed it.

The bill's proponents tried to convince the 16th Congress to overturn Aquino's veto but to no avail.

Alvarez also wants the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act's passage, even as President Rodrigo Duterte plans to issue an executive order on it by next week.

Duterte's PDP-Laban endorsed Alvarez's bid for the speakership, prompting several lawmakers to jump ship or for other parties to sign coalition agreements with PDP-Laban to join the "supermajority" bloc. 

The legislative agenda

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In his speech, the presumptive House Speaker called on his party mates to support the President's legislative agenda as well.

"We have priority bills that we need to pass at the soonest possible time. They include addressing the traffic crisis in Metro Manila and Metro Cebu," said Alvarez.

He was referring to Duterte's intent to request from Congress emergency powers to address the perennial problem of urban traffic congestion.

Another priority measure is Alvarez's joint resolution calling for a Constitution Convention (Con-Con) to amend the Constitution for a shift to a federal form of government.

"It's going to be a Constitutional Convention because Duterte doesn't want people to suspect that he is trying to influence Congress," said Alvarez.

A Con-Con is a body separate from the incumbent lawmakers that will decide which parts to amend in the Constitution. They are usually elected through popular vote but they may also be appointed. (READ: How do you want to elect your Con-Con delegates?)

PDP-Laban representatives were also called to support Alvarez's bills seeking to restore the death penalty for heinous crimes as well as to lower the minimum age of criminal responsibility from 15 to 9 years old.

At least two senators opposed these bills, saying a scenario may arise in the future when a 9-year-old is convicted with life imprisonment or even death. 

"'Di naman ibig sabihin na 'binaba natin 'yung age responsibility ng youth offenders, 'pag na-convict sila, isasama mo sa hardened criminals. Iba dapat 'yung kulungan, 'yung parang ipapa-rehab mo sila," explained Alvarez.

(Lowering the minimum age of responsibility for youth offenders does not mean that when they are convicted, they will be imprisoned with hardened criminals. They will be rehabilitated.)

"We have to make them realize that they have a responsibility to society.... They need to understand that what they did was wrong," he said.

Lastly, Alvarez asked his party mates to explore bills that would simplify taxation procedures to avoid corruption, as well as review the "exorbitant" bonuses of Social Security System, Government Insurance Service System, and possibly even Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation directors.

"'Yan 'yung mga favorite agencies na gustong magpa-appoint 'yung mga aplikante," he said. (Those are the favorite agencies of those who want to get appointed.)

"So sana magtulungan tayo at magkaisa para suportahan 'yung ating Pangulo," Alvarez said. (So let's help each other and become united in supporting the President.) – Rappler.com

NEW DELHI, India – An Indian Air Force plane carrying 29 people went missing on Friday, July 22, on its way to Port Blair, capital of the Andaman and Nicobar islands, an air force spokesman told AFP.

"A search operation is on. The plane was airborne at 8:30 am (0300 GMT) and was supposed to land at Port Blair at 11:30," Wing Commander Anupam Banerjee said.

The last contact with the plane, which was carrying service personnel and six crew members, was made around 15 minutes after take-off from the southern Indian city of Chennai, the spokesman said.

Surveillance aircraft and navy and coastguard ships have begun searching for the Russian-built AN-32 military transport aircraft, which is believed to have disappeared over the Bay of Bengal.

The Press Trust of India news agency reported AN-32s can fly for 4 hours without refuelling.

Last year, an Indian Coast Guard plane crashed south of Chennai, killing all 3 on board. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – A newly created youth organization asked the Supreme Court (SC) on Friday, July 22, to end the curfews imposed on minors in Manila, Quezon City, and Navotas – all in the national capital region.

Calling the local curfew ordinances “vague, unjust, and repressive,” the Samahan ng Progresibong Kabataan (Spark) said these are also unconstitutional. The group was represented by lawyer Jesus Falcis III.

According to the 34-page petition, curfews “result in arbitrary and discriminatory enforcement” and have become an excuse for “proscribing or impairing legitimate activities” for minors.

These ordinances are curtailing a person’s right to liberty and travel, and the parents’ right to rear their children, it said.

"We are filing for and on behalf of the all young citizens who also have the right to be contributing members of society without being threatened by undue punishment and possible instances of overreaching from authorities like the police," said Spark spokesperson Joanne Lim.

Almost arrested

In a press release, Spark cited the case of Clarissa Villegas of the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila. She almost got arrested by the local police because she was said to be violating the imposed curfew in Quezon City.

Villegas, a minor, was enrolled in classes that ended at 9 pm, forcing her to commute for two hours from Manila to Quezon City during late nights.

Spark also cited the case of Ronnel Baccutan of Navotas who, despite being of legal age, was made to do at least 50 squats when 10 barangay tanods (watchmen) apprehended him and his friends during a dance practice. 

Baccutan recalled that the tanods threatened to frame them up by planting drugs and knives if they refused to perform the punishment. They underwent medical inspection and were taken to the barangay hall.

Early in July Spark also camped outside the Quezon City hall to protest “Oplan Rody” (Rid the Streets of Drunkards and Youths), which was launched by the authorities after the inauguration of President Rodrigo Duterte on June 30. 

Children’s rights group Balay Tuluyan also condemned the implementation of the curfews as it “poses unacceptable dangers to children, and is reactive, short-sighted, and superficial.”

Not an isolated case

The implementation of curfews for minors in not an isolated case in Metro Manila. Other local government units have passed ordinance for this policy .

Cagayan de Oro started its own curfew in June, while the Cebu provincial board also expressed support for a similar regulation. 

Shortly after winning the presidential race in May, President Duterte announced his plans to impose a nationwide curfew for the youth, and the prohibition of late-night karaoke singing.

Duterte said that the imposition of the curfew is one step toward restoring public order and security in the country. – Rappler.com

Adrian Jimenea is a Rappler intern. He studies communication and media in UP Visayas, where he writes for Pagbutlak, the official student publication of the College of Arts and Sciences. 

MANILA, Philippines – Davao del Norte 1st District Representative Pantaleon “Bebot” Alvarez plans to file a House resolution calling for an investigation into the proliferation of drug use at the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) when Senator Leila de Lima was still justice secretary.

Alvarez made the statement when asked about his opposition to the resolutions of De Lima and Ifugao Representative Teddy Brawner Baguilat Jr to probe the rising number of drug suspects killed under the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte. (READ: Duterte's drug war in numbers)

“Kung meron man dapat imbestigahin dito, ito, in aid of legislation, let us investigate why during the term of now Senator De Lima nag-proliferate ang illegal drugs sa loob mismo ng Bilibid. Iyan ang dapat imbestigahan,” said the incoming House Speaker on Friday, July 22.  

(If there is something we should investigate in aid of legislation, let us investigate why drugs proliferated inside Bilibid during the term of now Senator De Lima. That's what we need to investigate.)

The NBP is under the supervision of the DOJ.

Alvarez finds no need to probe the rise in killings of drug suspects since the Duterte administration assumed office, saying Congress does not have any prosecutorial powers, and extrajudicial killings are already illegal under the law.

Meanwhile, he said his own resolution calling for a congressional probe will determine if illegal activities were intentionally allowed by De Lima when she was still justice secretary.

“Alam mo, pagka secretary ka tapos under your watch e ‘yung illegal activities doon sa agencies ay nagproliferate, e we have to be more strict on that (You know, when you are a secretary and illegal activities in your agencies proliferated, we have to be more strict on that),” the lawmaker argued.

During the campaign, Duterte had warned De Lima that he would have her investigated for the presence of illegal drugs in the Bilibid, which authorities led by De Lima, then justice secretary, discovered during surprise inspections of the maximum security prison.

The NBP has long been the subject of controversies due to the proliferation of drugs, violence, and corruption among the inmates and prison guards. (READ: DOJ under Duterte admin: Reform BuCor, New Bilibid Prison)

Under De Lima, the DOJ conducted over 30 inspections at the NBP under its surprise inspections initiative callled “Oplan Galugad."

Prior to heading the DOJ, De Lima chaired the Commission on Human Rights.

De Lima and Baguilat are not the only ones alarmed by the rise in killings in drug-related police operations.

Vice President Leni Robredo and groups including the International Commission of Jurists have called for an investigation of the incidents. The ICJ has also asked Duterte to counter the "recent wave of unlawful killings" in the country.

Last month, the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines denounced "vigilantism" in the country. On Thursday, De La Salle Philippines president Brother Jose Mari Jimenez slammed the spate of killings under the Duterte administration.

"While these figures are alarming in themselves, what troubles me even more as an educator is the absence of a significant public outcry against the blatant contempt for the human life and the rule of law that these extrajudicial killings represent," Jimenez said. – Rappler.com