First of all, congratulations are in order. 

Congratulations to Senator Alan Peter Cayetano for his triumphant victory yesterday, and for making me realize that a committee chairmanship is not the end of everything for me as a Senator. No committee chairmanship is worth it, if it means sacrificing my principles and surrendering the causes that I pledged my life to fight for. Many friends and colleagues have told me, if only I did not call out the President on the murderous consequences of his War on Drugs, and decided to be as meek as a sheep, I would not be in this trouble, and I would still have the Committee chairmanship. As the Bible says, what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose his soul?

I choose to keep my soul.

Mr. President, it would take more than a Committee chairmanship, a House inquiry intended to pillory and crucify me, an Ethics Committee complaint based on hearsay, a baseless election protest, everyday tirades from the Secretary of Justice and the Solicitor General, and vicious personal attacks from the President, to take me down. I guess it would take two magazines of an Uzi machine pistol to take me down. As the saying goes, everything has been thrown at me except the kitchen sink. I am still waiting for the kitchen sink.

Mr. President, I did not expect you or the Senators to defend me from the vicious attacks of Malacanang as a person and as an incumbent Senator of the Republic. The least I expected of course is you allow me to defend myself, by myself, without any support whatsoever from the Senate. But for this body to strip me of my Committee in an unprecedented fashion at this point when we have categorical testimony establishing an uncanny similarity between the current phenomenon of the nationwide EJKs and the Davao City EJKs as perpetrated by the Davao Death Squad, was unimaginable. I now resolve to imagine more of what the President’s allies are capable of.

Sinabi naman po ng Pangulo, hindi siya titigil hangga’t ako ay kanyang madurog at mapadapa. With the House inquiry now ongoing, I already warned him, “Huwag na po ninyong ituloy Mahal na Pangulo, dahil mapapahiya lamang kayo”. DOJ Secretary Aguirre has also recently pronounced that he is ready to file the criminal complaints against me this week. But these are all based on false and fabricated evidence.

Sino naman po ang mga testigo nila? Mga preso sa Bilibid, mga convicted criminals, DOJ or NBI officials and others who have an axe to grind against me, or those who have skeletons in their closet and are now being pressured to do Malacanang’s bidding at the risk of being charged themselves.

Sa puntong ito, gusto kong iparating ang aking pagpapatawad sa lahat ng tumatayo at tatayong witness laban sa akin sa House hearing. Alam ko na kayo ay napilitan at napuwersa lamang para idawit ako sa kung anumang anomalya sa Bilibid, gamit ang panggigipit, blackmail, o marahil pati torture. Ang hindi ko mapapatawad ay ang mga nasa likod nitong pag-imbento ng ebidensiya laban sa akin. May araw din po kayo.

What is the situation now in the Bilibid? I have received reports of inmates and gang leaders being taken by the Special Action Force deployed at the Bilibid for overnight interrogation sessions, which can also be a euphemism for psychological torture, all in an effort to fabricate testimony that I received bribes from drug lords. The National Bilibid Prison under this Administration is now a tropical Gulag. Prisoners are being selected and isolated just to be intimidated into implicating me and to fit the President’s narrative that I am a drug lord coddler, aside from being the most evil woman in the planet.

Pero ano naman po talaga ang ginawa ko? Wala naman po talaga akong ginawa kung hindi gawin ang trabaho ko. Kahit ang Pangulo minsan na niyang sinambit na kahit siya ang nasa kalagayan ko, ganoon din ang gagawin niya, dahil ginagawa ko lang ang trabaho ko.

Mr. President, I am not the problem. I am not the one giving a bad image to this country before the international media, contrary to the accusation and belief of Senator Cayetano. The problem of this country and this Administration is the extra-judicial killing of more than 3,000 of our countrymen in the past three months, or more than a thousand per month.

Sinabayan pa ito ng bunganga ng Pangulo na walang patumangging magmura ng mga opisyales ng UN at ng mundo, katulad ng Santo Papa, ni Pangulong Obama at ni Sec. Gen. Ban Ki Moon, sa kabila ng pagnanais lang nila na kausapin siya sa kanilang mga agam-agam tungkol sa polisiyang giyera sa droga ng Pangulo. And may I add, the President has already proven that he is more than capable of single-handedly giving a bad image of this country to the whole world in the short span of three months in office. He does not need any help from anybody on that aspect, least of all from me.

Kaya huwag po ninyong baligtarin ang mundo, na ako ang nagbibigay ng masamang imahe sa Pilipinas dahil hindi ako ang nagmura kay Obama at Ban Ki Moon. Minsan ay tanggalin naman ninyo ang mga tapaloda ng kabayo sa inyong mga mata at medyo punahin naman ninyo kahit konti ang walang kontrol na bunganga ng inyong Pangulong pinagtatanggol.

Mr. President, ito pong mga patayan na ito ang nagbibigay ng masamang imahe sa Pilipinas ngayon. Ganoon na ba tayo kakitid mag-isip para maniwala na hindi papansinin ng mundo o ng international media ang nangyayari sa ating bansa kung wala ang isang Leila De Lima? Ang pagpatay ng mahigit 30 katao araw-araw ay pagpatay pa rin sa mata ng mundo, nandiyan man si Leila De Lima o wala. Sa tingin ba ni Senator Cayetano na sa kanyang tagumpay na matanggal sa akin ang Committee on Justice ay gaganda na antimano ang imahe ng Pilipinas sa mundo? Maari, hindi naman bawal na managinip si Senator Cayetano.

Hindi po ako ang pumapatay sa mga kababayan natin para maibalita sa international media. Hindi po ako ang nag-ra-riding-in-tandem at tumitira sa mga maralitang drug suspects. Hanggang ngayon po ay nandiyan pa rin ang mga salarin na umiikot sa kadiliman ng gabi para itumba ang mga pinagbibintangan na mga kriminal, totoo man silang kriminal o hindi. Maaring iilan sa kanila ay ang mga dating kasamahan ng ating witness na si Edgar Matobato sa Davao Death Squad. Gusto lang nating malaman kung may katotohanan sa haka-haka na ito, upang sila ay tuluyan ng madakip at mahinto na ang patayan. 

There are criticisms from Senator Lacson and Senator Cayetano that I should have vetted the witness first before presenting him in the hearing.

Mr. President, the vetting process of witnesses on the DDS has started since 2009, when as CHR Chairperson I conducted the inquiry on the Davao Death Squad. At that time, we were able to interview and get statements from several DDS members who chose to talk but not to testify for fear of their lives. In fact, as early as 2009, Edgar Matobato has already been identified by one DDS witness as a companion of said witness in one of his DDS operations.

Nagtutugma po ang ilang mga kuwento sa kuwento ng ating witness na si Edgar Matobato. Katunayan, noong 2009, may mga pangalan nang mga opisyales ng Davao City Police ang lumabas na mga miyembro ng DDS sa heinous crime section ng DCPO, mga pangalan na binanggit na rin ni Matobato sa kanyang testimonya. Ang ilan po sa mga pangalan na ito ay ang mga sumusunod: SPO4 Arthur Lascanas, P/CInsp Jacy “Jay”

Francia, P/CInsp Fulgencio Pavo, P/CInsp Ronald Lao, SPO3 Jim Tan,

SPO4 Sanson “Sonny” Buenaventura, SPO1 Reynante B. Medina, SPO1 Bienvenido Furog, SPO1 Vivencio “Jun” Jumawan, SPO2 Enrique “Jun” Delos Reyes Ayao, SPO3 Jun Laresma, SPO2 Rizalino “Bobong” G. Aquino, SPO3 Donito “Pogi” Ubales, SPO1 Jun Bisnar,

SPO1 Gaston Aquino, P/SSupt Isidero “Dick” Florivel/Florobel, P/SSupt. Rey Capote, P/SSupt Tony Rivera, P/SSupt Dionisio Abude, Bienvenido Laud, Alvin Laud, Roly Engalia, Arnold Ochavez.

Mr. President, those names compose the core group of the Davao Death Squad. 

Malakas pong ebidensiya ang testimonya ni Edgar Matobato. Hindi ito katulad ng drug matrix na nilabas ng Pangulo na walang gustong umamin sa NBI, PNP, o PDEA kung kanino galing sa kanila ang impormasyon na laman nito. Kung ang pamantayan ng ebidensiya ni Senator Cayetano ay katulad ng drug matrix ng Pangulo na parang dinrawing ng isang dose anyos na bata, di hamak na lampas lampas naman ang testimonya ni Matobato sa pang-dose anyos na standard ng kanyang mahal na Pangulo. Kung minsan po talaga, ang pinakamahirap gisingin ay ang mga nagpapanggap na tulog.

Mr. President, may mga binanggit na pong mga opisyal ng kapulisan ang ating witness. Nasaan na po ang mga opisyal na ito ngayon? Masarap pa ba ang kanilang tulog sa kabila ng mga binitawang testimonya ni Edgar Matobato? Kung nakakatulog pa sila, marahil sila ay inosente. Pero papaano kung sila ay hindi inosente?

The implication is that we have a group of serial killers and mass murderers right within the ranks of the organization which is supposed to protect and serve the people. I might be jumping to conclusions, but what if it is true? Was the action of the Senate yesterday stripping me of my Committee going to help to uncover the truth, or was it part of the plan to hide the truth? I hope it is not the latter.

I still bear a great amount of respect for my colleagues. I believe that their action yesterday was borne out of an honest desire to diffuse the unnecessary political complexion of the investigation by choosing a more, shall we say, “neutral” and non-controversial Senator to lead the investigation.

At this point I would like to congratulate Senator Richard Gordon for having been vested with the vote of confidence of the Senate and for accepting the burden of investigating the current phenomenon of extra-judicial killings. I believe in his capability to carry out a serious probe into these incidents and get to the bottom of the killings. I watched his career as a Senator for several terms and I am convinced that he possesses the integrity and the courage not to be cowed by the Executive and act as a mere lackey of Malacanang.

I believe that he is also capable of exercising that impartiality that Senator Cayetano has repeatedly drilled into our heads I am not capable of. I believe that Senator Gordon bears more fortitude and strength than I did, to be able to call out and censure any colleague who transgresses the boundaries of unparliamentary speech when he accuses Liberal Party senators of conspiring to overthrow the President without presenting a single piece of evidence, while accusing me of having pre-judged the EJK investigation on the basis of an eyewitness account coming from a man who claims to have been an original member of the Davao Death Squad, until he was betrayed and framed up by his own comrades for a crime he did not commit.

I am fervently convinced that with his experience and no-nonsense personality, Senator Gordon will be more able to throw out any attempt to badger, harangue, abuse, or otherwise malign a witness by misleading and forcing him to admit that the reason he is testifying is because he was recruited by the Senators of the Liberal Party to trigger the ouster of the President and to put in Malacanang Vice President Leni Robredo whom the witness admitted he barely knows.

This is the kind of pretentious and hypocrite objectivity coming from Senator Cayetano that Senator Gordon will be facing. I wish you good luck, sir. I can tell you it was not a pleasant experience for me. Not at all. You can have the Justice Committee as well as the offensive and unparliamentary antics of Senator Cayetano. Package deal po yan. On the other hand, you will still have me as a member of the Justice Committee. I promise to behave and not give you a hard time. A Senator Cayetano is enough. I will not bother you with another obnoxious personality in your hearings in the Justice Committee.

May nakausap po akong taxi driver noong isang araw. Ang sabi niya ay parang magulo na naman sa bansa natin, katulad ng pagkagulo ng bansa sa ilalim ng ilang mga nakaraang administrasyon. Patayan dito, bombahan doon, mga bangkay na naglipana sa daan, mga barilan ng mga riding-in-tandem, mga abuso ng mga kapulisan sa mga pag-raid at pag-Tokhang sa mga urban poor areas, etcetera, etcetera.

Sa totoo lang po, wala akong nakausap na taxi driver. Ginaya ko lang po ang istilo ng pagkwento ni Senator Cayetano para patunayan niya na ang Pilipinas ay kasing-safe na ng bansang Singapore. Sa totoo lang po, medyo nabilaukan ako sa sinabi na iyon ni Senator Cayetano kahit nandoon na ako sa katahimikan ng aking opisina. Kasing-tahimik at kasing-ligtas na raw tayo katulad ng Singapore.

Hindi pa po ako nakapunta sa Singapore. Pero kung kasing-tahimik ng Singapore and Pilipinas, kailangan din bang may bumubulagta na mahigit 30 tao kada araw sa Singapore para sila ay maging ligtas? Kailangan din ba nilang mag-Tokhang para malipol ang mga mapanganib na mga pusher at addict at malinis ang mga komunidad ng masasamang elemento? Kailangan ba nilang padanakin ang dugo sa kanilang mga kalsada upang mapanatag ang mga tao na may ginagawa ang gobyerno para mapuksa ang kriminalidad? Kailangan din bang may mamatay na apat o limang-taong gulang na Singaporean sa kamay ng mga vigilante dahil ang lolo o tatay nila ay mga markadong pusher o adik?

O ibang pamamaraan ba ang ginawa ng Singapore para mapanalig ang tao sa respeto sa kaayusan at sa pag-hahari ng batas? Ang pamamaraan ng patayan para magkaroon ng katahimikan ay magdudulot lang ng katahimikan ng sementeryo. Papunta na po tayo doon, dahil unti-unti ng pinupuno ng Administrasyong ito ang ating mga sementeryo sa kanyang pagkibit-balikat kung hindi man tahasang pang-enganyo sa isang marahas na landas tungo sa pagpuksa ng literal sa mga kriminal.

The point is, Senator Cayetano wants to impress upon us the Singapore-like safety of our communities in the middle of all these killings with anecdotes. His proof that we are safe consists of anecdotal taxi driver stories. In the meantime, his President has just declared a State of National Emergency due to the existence of Lawless Violence. For the first time since the eve of the declaration of Martial Law 44 years ago to the day today, the country has not come close to such an admission by the State that it is incapable of enforcing order in society, that the President has to resort to his extraordinary commander-in-chief powers under the Constitution in order to maintain public safety, peace and order.

So are we in a State of Safety, as claimed by Senator Cayetano? Or are we in a State of Lawlessness, as declared by the President?

Safe lawlessness, or lawless safety? Ang tawag po doon sa salitang Inggles ay “oxymoron”, with emphasis on moron.

Senator Cayetano’s anecdotes will not pass any known academic standard to prove his proposed thesis that our countrymen feel safe. I for one do not feel safe, what with the President unleashing the might and power of the whole Executive Branch, the other half of Congress, and 1/24 of the Senate to go after me and destroy me, a single Senator from Bicol who wants nothing else in the world but to be and play with her dogs at home and to see that the killings stop and justice be done to those who already fell during the night. 

The next time Senator Cayetano recites his now famous anecdotes about how safe we are, maybe he can include my own story. Definitely it is not a story of being safe. It is the story of being the first target of a new McCarthyism in our time, of being singled out by the powers-that-be for daring to think differently and to advocate passionately for what one believes in.

Matagal na po itong linya ng kanyang mga bayarang trolls sa social media. Kapag hindi ka Pro-Duterte, ikaw ay drug lord coddler, ikaw ay pusher, ikaw ay isang adik. Ito po ang bagong komunistang panakot sa ating panahon ngayon: Ang Adik. Kapag hindi ka sumamba kay Poong Duterte, ikaw ay adik, dahil adik lang ang hindi sumasamba kay Poong Duterte.

Bakit po tayo nahantong sa ganito? Na ang mga nagnanais ng maayos at naayon sa batas na laban sa kriminalidad ay mga nababansagan na mga adik, at nawawalan ng kalayaan na sumalungat sa pamamaraan ng tinatawag na pagbabago sa pamamagitan ng kaliwat kanang patayan? At ngayon na napapalapit tayo sa paghubad ng katotohanan na ang ganitong pangyayari ay naganap na sa Davao City, ay biglang idedeclare na vacant ang Komiteng dumidinig sa paksa ng patayan dahil lang sa sinabi ng pinakadakilang tagapagtanggol ng Pangulo sa Senado, at sinegunduhan ng isang Senador na galing sa mga mahihirap, mga mahihirap na ngayon ay walang tigil na Tinotokhang ng mga pulis.

On a personal note, I do not know where all of this will end for me, in the midst of the House inquiry, the Ethics Committee complaint, the election protest, the DOJ persecution, and the President’s attacks. Honestly, this is all the fault of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, when she appointed me as Chair of the Commission on Human Rights, where I learned the value of human life and human dignity, regardless of one’s station in life. This is also the fault of President Benigno S. Aquino III, when he appointed me as Secretary of Justice, where I learned to fight the abuse of power, corruption, and have taken to heart the principle that peace is the work of justice. 

Ang kapayapaan ay bunga ng hustisya. Walang kapayapaan kung walang hustisya.

Pasensiya na po ang ating mga kababayan kung natuto ako sa CHR at sa DOJ na pahalagaan ang buhay ng bawat tao, ang karapatan na magkaroon ng paglilitis bago patawan ng karampatang kaparusahan, at ang seguridad ng lahat na maging tahimik sa loob ng kanilang tahanan.

Gaano man kaliit ang dampa, ang bawat tahanan ay palasyo ng namamahay doon. Iyan ang itinuro sa atin sa batas. Kung gaano kabuo ang respeto ng mga pulis na nagTotokhang sa Forbes Park at sa Dasmarinas Village, ganoon din dapat ang respeto na pinapakita nila sa mga Tinotokhang nila sa mga maralitang nakatira sa mga tabing-ilog at estero. Mayaman man o mahirap, kapag Tinokhang mo, dapat ay pantay-pantay. Huwag yung mga berdugong pulis ang ipapadala sa mga dampa sa estero, at mga pulis na sumasali sa modelling contest ang ipapadala sa Forbes Park.

Sasabihin na naman ni Senator Cayetano na hindi naman mga nagmomodel na pulis ang pinapadala sa Forbes Park. Figure of Speech lamang po iyon, hindi dapat intindihin ng literal.

I became CHR Chair and DOJ Secretary not because I sought those positions to which I was appointed. One can say that these were all accidents of history. It is only this position that I hold now that I chose to work hard for to get by tirelessly campaigning and eventually being elected by more than 14 million Filipino voters. 

Kaya mahalaga po sa akin ang posisyon na ito, dahil katulad ninyo mga kapwa ko senador, pinagsikapan at pinaghirapan ko itong ipagkatiwala sa akin ng mga botanteng Pilipino. Ginagampanan ko lamang ang aking tungkulin bilang isang kandidato na humarap sa mga tao ng may plataporma ng karapatang pantao at hustisya, dahil minarapat nila na iboto ako sa pag-asang ang programang iyon ang aking dadalhin dito sa Senado. 

Ito po ang programang dala ko ngayon, mga mahal kong kababayan na bumoto sa akin. Ninais ninyo na ito ang programang dalhin ko. Kung sa pagnanais kong isulong ang programang ito ay tatanggalin ako sa pagka-pinuno ng Komite ng Hustisya at Karapatang Pantao, ay parang hinubad na rin nila sa akin ang mahalagang bahagi ng mandatong iyon.

Pero tatalima ako sa desisyon ng Senado. Hindi naman dito natatapos ang laban. Nag-iba lang ang anyo at posisyon ng mga magkakatunggali, pero malinaw pa rin ang adhikain at pananalig na sa bandang huli, ang hustisya at karapatan ng bawat mamamayan ang mananaig, hindi ang dikta ng kapangyarihan. 

Sa Roma, noong unang panahon, pinagdiriwang ang mga heneral na matagumpay na sumakop ng mga ibang bayan sa pamamagitan ng isang parada, kung saan nakasakay ang Heneral sa isang karyote na hila ng apat na puting kabayo habang papasok sa siyudad ng Roma. Sa likod niya ay isang alipin, na may hawak na ginintuang koronang laurel sa itaas ng ulo ng Heneral. Sa kahabaan ng prusisyon, walang ibang ginawa ang alipin kung hindi bumulong sa tenga ng Heneral ng mga katagang “Respice post te! Hominem te memento!”

“Tumingin ka sa likod mo, at huwag kalimutan na ikaw ay isa lamang tao.”

Hindi Diyos, tao.

Tao ka lamang.

Mr. President, my fellow Senators, on the eve of the 44th Anniversary of the Declaration of Martial Law, we must remember that all power, no matter how seemingly absolute, is fleeting. What is permanent is truth and justice.

Ang lahat ng kapangyarihan, gaano man kalawak ang nasasakupan, ay naglalaho rin sa panahon. Ang tanging nagtatagal sa habang panahon ay katotohanan at katarungan. 

Iyan po ang sumpa ng mga may hawak sa kapangyarihan, katulad natin. Maglalaho din yan sa daloy ng panahon. Pero ang katotohanan at katarungan ang mananatili. Katulad po ng sinapit ng Rehimeng Marcos noong 1986, ang lahat ng diktadura ay may hangganan din. Marahil hindi ngayon, pero ang panahon ng lahat ng may kapangyarihan ay may hangganan.

Marami po sa atin ang pamilyar sa kwento na ito ng Roma tungkol sa alipin na nasa likod ng matagumpay na Heneral na mananakop. Ang hindi pa alam ng marami, na ang kinakatakutan ng Heneral ay si FORTUNA, na kung tawagin ay ang berdugo ng lasing na tagumpay: THE BUTCHER OF GLORY.

Iubetque eosdem respicere similis medicina linguae, ut sit exorata a tergo Fortuna gloriae carnifex. 

“Binabadya ng mga kataga ang matagumpay na Heneral: tumingin ka sa likod, upang mapaamo mo si Fortuna, ang berdugo ng lasing na tagumpay.”

Sa mga Heneral ng tagumpay at kapangyarihan sa ating panahon: si Fortuna ay inyong kapalaran, nagbabadya na ang lahat ng hawak ninyo ngayon ay maglalaho sa panahon. Mapaamo nyo man siya, siya at siya pa rin ang kikitil sa inyong pagkalasing sa panandaliang kapangyarihan at tagumpay.

Maraming salamat po.– Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – A day after being ousted as the chairperson of the Senate committee on justice and human rights, neophyte Senator Leila De Lima slammed President Rodrigo Duterte anew for attacking those who oppose him, including herself.

De Lima, in a privilege speech, called the President “Poong Duterte” or Lord Duterte because of his inability to tolerate criticism. (READ: FULL TEXT: De Lima's privilege speech on her ouster)

“Matagal na po itong linya ng kanyang mga bayarang trolls sa social media. Kapag hindi ka Pro-Duterte, ikaw ay drug lord coddler, ikaw ay pusher, ikaw ay isang adik. Ito po ang bagong komunistang panakot sa ating panahon ngayon: Ang Adik. Kapag hindi ka sumamba kay Poong Duterte, ikaw ay adik, dahil adik lang ang hindi sumasamba kay Poong Duterte,” De Lima said on Tuesday, September 20.

(It you are not pro-Duterte, you are a drug coddler, you are a pusher, you are an addict. This is the new communist scare of our times: The Addict. If you do not worship Lord Duterte, you are an addict, because only addicts do not worship Lord Duterte.)

De Lima and Duterte have long-standing differences stemming from the former's investigation of the Davao Death Squad – a vigilante group reportedly sanctioned by the Davao City government when Duterte was mayor – when she headed the Commission on Human Rights. 

De Lima again drew the ire of the President when she raised concern over the spate of killings related to the Duterte administration's war on drugs. She pushed for a Senate inquiry into the killings which began in late August.

Duterte, in turn, accused her of links to illegal drugs and being in a relationship with his alleged married driver. His House allies on Tuesday began an investigation into De Lima’s alleged role in the proliferation of drugs inside the national penitentiary, where witnesses took turns testifying against the former justice secretary.

At the Senate, De Lima said she was ousted as chair of the Senate justice committee  when the panel was about to get clear details on what transpired in the extrajudicial killings in Davao City. De Lima earlier presented witness Edgar Matobato, a self-confessed hitman of the Davao Death Squad, which supposedly carried out killings on Duterte's orders.

“At ngayon na napapalapit tayo sa paghubad ng katotohanan na ang ganitong pangyayari ay naganap na sa Davao City, ay biglang idedeclare na vacant ang Komiteng dumidinig sa paksa ng patayan,” she said.

(Now that we are closer to uncovering the truth about this kind of incident in Davao City, the committee [position] was suddenly declared vacant.)

In apparent reference to neophyte Senator Manny Pacquiao who moved for her ouster, De Lima said: “Dahil lang sa sinabi ng pinakadakilang tagapagtanggol ng Pangulo sa Senado, at sinegunduhan ng isang Senador na galing sa mga mahihirap, mga mahihirap na ngayon ay walang tigil na Tinotokhang ng mga pulis,” she said.

(Just because it was declared by the greatest defender of the President at the Senate, and seconded by a senator who came from the poor, the poor are now the ones being rattled to no end by the police.)

All dictatorships end

On the eve of the 44th anniversary of the declaration of Martial Law, De Lima warned those in power that nothing is permanent.

"Mr President, my fellow Senators, on the eve of the 44th Anniversary of the Declaration of Martial Law, we must remember that all power, no matter how seemingly absolute, is fleeting. What is permanent is truth and justice," she said.

De Lima earlier said Duterte's war on drugs is already a martial law minus the formal announcement. The senator also criticized Duterte for allowing the hero's burial of former president Ferdinand Marcos, saying such move is meant to make the sins of the past "acceptable" to the present generation, she said, to usher in a new dictator. (READ: Duterte war on drugs 'martial law without declaration')

She also hit Duterte following his declaration of a state of national emergency on the basis of lawless violence. 

“Katulad po ng sinapit ng Rehimeng Marcos noong 1986, ang lahat ng diktadura ay may hangganan din. Marahil hindi ngayon, pero ang panahon ng lahat ng may kapangyarihan ay may hangganan,” De Lima said.

(Like what happened to the Marcos regime in 1986, all dictatorships would come to an end. Maybe not now, but the time of all those in power has a limit.)

“Iyan po ang sumpa ng mga may hawak sa kapangyarihan, katulad natin. Maglalaho din 'yan sa daloy ng panahon. Pero ang katotohanan at katarungan ang mananatili,” De Lima added.

(That is the curse of those who wield power, like us. That will diminish with time. But truth and justice will remain.)

She also warned those who are behind the "fake" evidence against her that the time would come when they would have to pay for their actions. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – Senator Leila De Lima on Tuesday, September 20, accused the Duterte administration of pressuring witnesses presented at the House probe into her alleged role in the proliferation of illegal drugs in the New Bilibid Prison.

In a privilege speech a day after she was ousted as chair of the Senate committee on justice and human rights, De Lima belittled the House inquiry held on Tuesday, saying the witnesses are drug convicts, criminals, and government officials who are hiding something. (READ: FULL TEXT: De Lima's privilege speech on her ouster)

De Lima reiterated all the evidence against her are “false” and “fabricated.” (READ: Bilibid probe witnesses: We delivered P5-M 'quota' to De Lima)

“Sino naman po ang mga testigo nila? Mga preso sa Bilibid, mga convicted criminals, (Who are their witnesses? Prisoners in Bilibid, convicted criminals), DOJ or NBI officials and others who have an ax to grind against me, or those who have skeletons in their closet and are now being pressured to do Malacanang’s bidding at the risk of being charged themselves,” De Lima said in her privilege speech.

De Lima urged the Senate to investigate reports she received on the alleged state-sanctioned torture of inmates, in an attempt to invent allegations against her.

She alleged that some members of the Special Action Force deployed to the NBP hold “overnight interrogation sessions” of inmates and gang leaders. Two inmates testified before the House committee on justice that day – Herbert Colanggo and Rodolfo Magleo.

“[W]hich can also be a euphemism for psychological torture, all in an effort to fabricate testimony that I received bribes from drug lords,” De Lima added.

“The [New] Bilibid Prison under this Administration is now a tropical Gulag. Prisoners are being selected and isolated just to be intimidated into implicating me and to fit the President’s narrative that I am a drug lord coddler, aside from being the most evil woman in the planet,” she alleged.

'You'll have your day'

De Lima has repeatedly denied allegations against her. She now warned those who “fabricate” evidence that they would have their time to pay for their acts.

“Ang hindi ko mapapatawad ay ang mga nasa likod nitong pag-imbento ng ebidensiya laban sa akin. May araw din po kayo,” she said.

(What I could not forgive are the people behind this fabrication of evidence against me. You'll have your day.)

Despite the testimonies against her, De Lima said she has already forgiven the witnesses. After all, they were just forced to do so, she claimed.

“Sa puntong ito, gusto kong iparating ang aking pagpapatawad sa lahat ng tumatayo at tatayong witness laban sa akin sa House hearing. Alam ko na kayo ay napilitan at napuwersa lamang para idawit ako sa kung anumang anomalya sa Bilibid, gamit ang panggigipit, blackmail, o marahil pati torture,” she said.

(At this point, I want to let the witnesses know that I have forgiven you. I know that you were just forced to implicate me in whatever anomalies there are in the Bilibid through pressure, blackmail or maybe even torture.)

Aside from the House probe, De Lima is facing an ethics complaint, electoral protest, and a possible filing of charges by the Department of Justice. "Everything has been thrown at me except the kitchen sink. I am still waiting for the kitchen sink," she said.

Amid all of this, De Lima said she would not back down, adding it would take more than those “harassments” to “take her down.”

“I guess it would take two magazines of an Uzi machine pistol to take me down,” she said. – Rappler.com

SANAA, Yemen – Aircraft of the Saudi-led coalition hit the UNESCO-listed Old City of Yemen's rebel-held capital Sanaa on Tuesday, September 20, after the rebels fired a missile at Saudi Arabia overnight.

The missile launched at the King Khalid air base outside the city of Khamis Mushait on Monday evening, September 19, was intercepted by the kingdom's air defenses and its launcher destroyed, the coalition said.

But it sparked intensive retaliatory air strikes in the early hours of Tuesday.

Around a dozen bombs or missiles hit the headquarters of the National Security Bureau in Sanaa's Old City, causing damage to neighboring homes which left at least one civilian dead and three wounded, witnesses said.

It was the first time that the headquarters had been targeted by the coalition, which has come under heavy criticism for previous strikes on the historic district, which is world renowned for its multi-story, rammed-earth tower houses.

The coalition also bombed the defense ministry, near one of the gates to the Old City, ministry staff and residents said.

A coalition strike on a checkpoint in the capital's northwestern suburbs killed two rebels and wounded four residents said.

Two rebel military camps in the Sanhan district, southeast of the capital, also came under attack by coalition aircraft, tribal sources said.

There has been heavy criticism of the high civilian death toll from the air campaign which the coalition launched in support of beleaguered President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi in March last year.

More than a third of coalition strikes have hit civilian sites including schools, hospitals and mosques, according to a survey by the Yemen Data Project published in the Guardian last week.

A UN report in June found the coalition responsible for 60% of the 785 deaths of children in Yemen last year.

Fighting has intensified since the collapse of UN-backed peace talks in Kuwait on August 6.

Since March last year, the conflict has killed more than 6,600 people, most of them civilians, and forced at least three million from their homes, according to the United Nations. – Rappler.com

WASHINGTON DC, USA – Donald Trump's eldest son triggered an online storm with a tweet comparing Syrian refugees to a bowl containing an assortment of tainted and untainted candies.

"This image says it all," Donald Trump Jr, 38, wrote Monday, September 19, in a tweet showing a picture of a white bowl filled with the popular, rainbow-colored Skittles candies.

Written above the image is: "If I had a bowl of skittles and I told you just three would kill you. Would you take a handful? That's our Syria refugee problem." 

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">This image says it all. Let&#39;s end the politically correct agenda that doesn&#39;t put America first. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/trump2016?src=hash">#trump2016</a> <a href="https://t.co/9fHwog7ssN">pic.twitter.com/9fHwog7ssN</a></p>&mdash; Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) <a href="https://twitter.com/DonaldJTrumpJr/status/778016283342307328">September 19, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

</center>{/source}

The Twitter post – showing the familiar "Trump-Pence 2016" logo with the presidential campaign slogan "Make America Great Again!" – was met with immediate scorn from users of the popular micro-blogging site.

"I'm not even big on Skittles but now I will buy up every single packet," wrote @SarahSahim.

"Is Donald Trump's new campaign slogan "Fear The Rainbow"? wrote Twitter user @AngrySalmond.

Donald Trump, the 2016 Republican presidential candidate, has sparked waves of criticism with comments on race, immigrants and refugees, including calling for a ban on Muslim travelers to the United States.

Equally controversial was his pronouncement last year that many Mexican immigrants were drug smugglers and rapists.

The brash businessman also is strongly opposed to plans by President Barack Obama to allow 10,000 Syrian refugees into the United States by the end of this month.

Syria is in the grip of the worst humanitarian crisis since World War II, amid an exodus of more than 4.8 million fleeing the war-torn country.

The United States, which has a long tradition of taking in refugees, has been criticized for its slow response to the Syrian crisis. – Rappler.com

GENEVA, Switzerland (3rd UPDATE) – The United Nations suspended all humanitarian convoys in Syria on Tuesday, September 20, following a deadly air strike on aid trucks, as fighting intensified after the regime declared an end to a week-long truce.

Both Syria and Russia denied they were behind the raid on the convoy near northern city Aleppo, which the Red Cross said killed "around 20 civilians" including an employee of the Syrian Red Crescent.

Air raids and shelling meanwhile pounded key battlefronts across the country – dimming hopes that the fraught ceasefire brokered by Moscow and Washington could be revived.

Key players including the United States and Russia were meeting in New York Tuesday in an effort to salvage the peace process, which US Secretary of State John Kerry had warned could be the "last chance" to end Syria's civil war.

Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov opened a meeting of the 23-nation International Syria Support Group (ISSG) in New York, where world leaders have gathered for the UN General Assembly.

UN chief Ban Ki-moon opened the assembly debate with a call to end the fighting in Syria.

"I appeal to all those with influence to end the fighting and get talks started," Ban said.

Monday's strike on the aid convoy provoked outrage from UN officials, with aid chief Stephen O'Brien warning that if deliberate "it would amount to a war crime".

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said Monday night's raid destroyed at least 18 of 31 vehicles, as well as a Red Crescent warehouse in Orum al-Kubra in Syria's Aleppo province.

"Much of the aid was destroyed," the IFRC said in a statement, stressing that "the attack deprives thousands of civilians of much-needed food and medical assistance."

Omar Barakat, who headed the local Red Crescent branch, was wounded in the strike and later died, IFRC spokesman Benoit Carpentier told reporters in Geneva.

'Dark day' for aid workers

UN humanitarian agency OCHA said that the movements of all aid convoys in Syria had been suspended as an "immediate security measure" after the raid.

The attack marked a "very, very dark day for humanitarians in Syria and indeed across the world," OCHA spokesman Jens Laerke said, adding that it was "paramount that we are able to establish the facts through an independent investigation."

A Syrian military source denied any regime involvement, telling state media: "There is no truth to media reports that the Syrian army targeted a convoy of humanitarian aid in Aleppo province."

The Russian defense ministry also said that both its forces and the Syrian air force "did not conduct any strikes against the UN aid convoy."

The strike came just a few hours after the Syrian army announced the end of the truce on Monday night, accusing rebels of failing to "commit to a single element" of the US-Russia deal.

Heavy fighting almost immediately resumed, with activists and AFP correspondents on the ground in Syria reporting bombardments overnight and on Tuesday in several areas.

In the battleground city of Aleppo, air raids and artillery fire hit rebel-held districts until approximately 2:00 am (2300 GMT Monday), an AFP correspondent said.

'Ready for barrel bombs'

Residents spent the night huddled in their apartments sharing news about the collapsing truce via text messages and heard loud intermittent booms on Tuesday morning.

At least 39 civilians were killed in overnight bombardment of Aleppo and the surrounding province, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group said, and fresh clashes erupted on the city's southern edges.

In the week after the truce was declared on September 12, only 27 civilians were killed as fighting dropped significantly across the country.

In the northwestern province of Idlib Tuesday, activist Nayef Mustafa said planes circled over the opposition-held town of Salqin.

"It's calm now, but there was machinegun fire by military aircraft overnight," Mustafa told AFP.

"The ceasefire has collapsed and people are getting ready to be hit by barrel bombs."

At least four air strikes hit the central rebel-held town of Talbisseh on Tuesday morning after artillery fire throughout the night, activist Hassaan Abu Nuh said.

Kerry and Lavrov had negotiated the truce deal earlier this month, hoping to put an end to more than five years of conflict in which more than 300,000 people have been killed.

Aid to desperate civilians was a key element of the deal, but deliveries were minimal during the truce and cross-border assistance never entered Syrian territory.

The ceasefire was already under massive strain after a US-led coalition strike on Saturday hit a Syrian army post near the eastern city of Deir Ezzor, where government forces are battling the Islamic State jihadist group. – Rappler.com

GENEVA, Switzerland (UPDATED) – Fatalities among migrants attempting to cross the Mediterranean to Europe could outstrip last year's total even though total numbers fell in the first nine months of this year, the UN said Tuesday, September 20.

"The number of refugees and migrants reaching European shores this year passed the 300,000 mark today," William Spindler, spokesman for the UN refugee agency (UNHCR), told reporters.

While that is well down on last year's January to September total of 520,000, fatality rates had risen, with 2016 on track to be "the deadliest year on record in the Mediterranean Sea," the agency added.

So far, 3,211 migrants have been reported dead or missing on the Mediterranean in 2016, just 15% lower than the total number of fatalities for all of last year (3,771), a UNHCR statement said.

Different patterns have emerged in the two European countries, Greece and Italy, which receive the vast majority of migrants.

Arrivals in Italy this year stood at 130,411, on a par with the 132,000 people who landed over the same period in 2015, according to UNHCR.

But Greece has seen 165,750 migrants and refugees land on its shores this year, a 57% drop against 2015 figures.

Arrivals began falling after a March deal between the European Union and Turkey on curbing migrant flows across the Mediterranean.

Nearly half of the migrants and refugees who landed on Greek shores this year were Syrians, with 25% coming from Afghanistan and 15% from Iraq, UNHCR said.

In Italy, the majority of incoming migrants are Africans, led by Nigerians (20%) and Eritreans (12%).

While migrant traffic into Europe has eased, tensions on the continent over the issue remain high.

At a just-concluded UN summit on refugees in New York, the political fallout of the unprecedented migrant crisis took center stage.

Addressing the meeting, Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras warned that failure to confront the refugee crisis would "give space to nationalistic, xenophobic forces."

UNHCR has repeatedly urged European leaders to reject calls for harsh caps on migrants, arguing that the number of people in urgent need of resettlement can be managed if responsibility is shared across the continent. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – President Rodrigo Duterte believes that the House probe into the New Bilibid Prison drug trade is a vindication of his earlier claims linking Senator Leila De Lima to illegal drugs.

"I was correct all along because I was supplied with the intercept and the matrix,"  Duterte said on Tuesday, September 20, during a visit to a military camp in Compostela Valley.

Duterte was referring to a matrix he had bared to the public which allegedly shows how De Lima "facilitated" the drug trade with NBP officials and former Pangasinan governor now Representative Amado Espino Jr.

The President said he watched the House hearing earlier, where witnesses took turns alleging that De Lima received drug money from operations at the New Bilibid Prison, among them high-profile inmate Herbert Colanggo. 

"The investigation is ongoing right now. Lumabas na ngayon lahat sila involved. From the looks of it, tinitingnan ko kanina, it would be unfair to say that De Lima was into drug trafficking but by implication kasi she allowed them, through her driver, pati sila Baraan," he said.

(It turns out all of them are involved. From the looks of it, I was watching earlier, it would be unfair to say that De Lima was into drug trafficking but by implication she allowed them, through her driver and Baraan.)

He was referring to De Lima's former driver and bodyguard, Ronnie Dayan and former Justice Undersecretary Francisco Baraan.

In a privilege speech on Tuesday, De Lima countered the allegations at the House probe, saying the witnesses were "pressured and tortured" by the administration to fit the President's allegations against her.

In Compostela Valley, Duterte did not want to say who supplied him with the matrix and "intercepts" that became the basis of his allegations against De Lima. "Hindi galing sa atin (It did not come from us)."

As early as the 2016 campaign, Duterte was already claiming De Lima should be held responsible for the lavish lifestyles of big-time drug lords in the national penitentiary.

On Tuesday, he said the "revelations" of the House probe showed the lawlessness that reigned in the prison.

In fact, if he were President at the height of the prison drug trade, he would have declared martial law.

"Sa totoo lang, kung ganoon (In truth, if things are like that), if I were president at the time, I would have declared martial law," said Duterte.

Duterte mentioned martial law on the eve of the anniversary of the declaration of martial rule under the Marcos regime.

Duterte had earlier warned the Supreme Court that he might declare martial law if his war against drugs is hindered.

The President made the comments on developments on the House probe quickly, or before the first hearing ended. 

In comparison, Duterte took 4 days to give a reaction to the Senate hearing in which a self-confessed hitman claimed the President ordered extrajudicial killings in Davao City.

Without explicitly confirming or denying the witness' accusations, Duterte said it's a crime to lie under oath.

Duterte has said he will not intervene in events unfolding in Congress, saying they involve matters outside his official territory.– Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – In order to fight urban terrorism, President Rodrigo Duterte will revive the Philippine Constabulary (PC) and put it under the command of the military.

"I will return the Philippine Constabulary under the 4 commands – army tapos Philippine Constabulary kasi kailangan ko ng tao sa urban terrorism like the SAF (Special Action Forces)," said Duterte on Tuesday, September 20, at a military camp in Mawab, Compostela Valley. (I will return the Philippine Constabulary under the 4 commands – army and the Philippine Constabulary because I need people in urban terrorism like the SAF.)

The President was apparently referring to the old set-up in the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), when the PC was a major service command of the military along with the Philippine Army, Philippine Air Force, and the Philippine Navy.

The PC began as a police force of the American colonial government in 1901, and was eventually subsumed under the military.

As part of the military, the PC took care of peace and order concerns while the other services fought national rebel movements. The PC, for instance, took the lead in the implementation of martial law in 1972 through the arrest of activists, the takeover of key private establishments, traffic control, and even garbage collection.

No to 'militarized police'

The 1987 Constitution that was crafted after the EDSA People Power Revolution, however, called for the creation of a national police force that is civilian in character. The sense was that the Philippines should do away with a "militarized police."

Congress enacted a law to implement this constitutional mandate, giving birth in 1991 to the Philippine National Police – a merger of the PC with the Integrated National Police, the police force for cities and large towns.

This came a year before the former PC chief, retired general Fidel Ramos, won the presidency.

The transition has not been easy, as the PNP had to slowly let go of its military mindset, structure and training, to become an effective civilian police force. Its key leaders, for example, are still graduates of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA), such as the incumbent PNP chief, Director General Ronald dela Rosa, a 1986 graduate of the PMA.

But on Tuesday, Duterte said he needs the PC – essentially a police force under the AFP command – to suppress urban terrorism which he says is the next big threat the country faces.

To troops he said, "Most of all you, have to reinvent yourself from a soldier sa itong (in the face of this) terrorism. It will come," he said.

He told the military to improve how they profile bombers or terrorists.

"Start to profile a bomber or a terrorist. Naka cap, naka shades, ang buhok fake toupee. Malikot ang mata ng terorista (They wear caps, shades, their hair is fake, is a toupee. The eyes of a terrorist move around.)" said the President.

To address terrorism, the Duterte administration has sent thousands of additional soldiers to Sulu, the stronghold of terrorist group Abu Sayyaf.

Following the deadly Davao City bombing, Duterte declared a state of national emergency on account of lawless violence. Through the declaration, Duterte ordered that more police and military be deployed in public areas, especially in Mindanao.

Duterte has warned that there will likely be more "explosions" in cities in Mindanao or other parts of the country.

He also said that some terrorist groups in Mindanao have pledged allegiance to the Islamis State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).– Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – No one but President Rodrigo Duterte should be blamed for the Philippines’ bad image in the international community.

This was Senator Leila de Lima's statement in her privilege speech on Tuesday, September 20, as she cried foul anew over Senator Alan Peter Cayetano’s allegations that she is “misleading” international media and creating a negative image of the Philippines abroad. (READ: Who's destroying PH image? Cayetano says this 'DDS')

“And may I add, the President has already proven that he is more than capable of single-handedly giving a bad image of this country to the whole world in the short span of 3 months in office. He does not need any help from anybody on that aspect, least of all from me,” De Lima said in her privilege speech.

De Lima reiterated that the extrajudicial killings were the problem, and not herself.

“Ang pagpatay ng mahigit 30 katao araw-araw ay pagpatay pa rin sa mata ng mundo, nandiyan man si Leila De Lima o wala,” she said.

(The killing of more than 30 people every day is still a killing in the eyes of the world, whether or not Leila de Lima is there.)

De Lima said this was worsened by the President's foul mouth. Duterte earlier cursed Pope Francis over the heavy traffic in the metro when he arrived in 2015. He also insulted US President Barack Obama for criticizing the human rights stance of the administration.

Don’t twist the story

De Lima said Duterte’s allies should not twist the story. It is clear, she said, who was at fault.

“Kaya huwag po ninyong baligtarin ang mundo, na ako ang nagbibigay ng masamang imahe sa Pilipinas dahil hindi ako ang nagmura kay Obama at Ban Ki Moon,” De Lima said.

(So please don't turn the world around, that I am the one giving the Philippines a bad image, because I was not the one who cursed Obama and Ban Ki Moon.)

She urged the President’s allies to look clearly ahead of them and see who the real culprit is.

The President, she said, should be called out by his circle for his “uncontrollable mouth.”

“Minsan ay tanggalin naman ninyo ang mga tapaloda ng kabayo sa inyong mga mata at medyo punahin naman ninyo kahit konti ang walang kontrol na bunganga ng inyong Pangulong pinagtatanggol,” she said.

(You better remove the horses' blinders on your eyes and criticize, even for a bit, the uncontrollable mouth of your protected President.)

Even with her ouster as Senate justice committee chairperson, De Lima said Cayetano – one of Duterte’s staunchest allies in the Senate – could not expect the improvement of the country’s international image in an instant.

If Cayetano still would insist on that, he must be “dreaming,” De Lima said. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – Vice President Leni Robredo met with Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) president Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas to discuss drug rehabilitation programs, both parties said. 

Villegas told Rappler that the meeting took place on September 12. 

Robredo requested the meeting, the archbishop said in a text message on Tuesday, September 20.

In an earlier speech in Leyte, Robredo also said she met with Villegas, and "discussed again how we can revive the partnership between the government, the private sector, and the Catholic Church."

Robredo and Villegas, also known by his nickname "Soc," tackled the possibility of crafting more drug rehabilitation programs.

"Fortunately Bishop Soc, representing the CBCP, said the Catholic Church will be very glad to take on being a partner of the government in crafting a community rehabilitation program," the Vice President said.

Villegas, for his part, said Robredo "asked about successful Church programs," both institutional and community-based, when it comes to drug rehabilitation. 

He said this is "so we can replicate" these in other areas where there is no drug rehabilitation program yet.

Asked if the CBCP made any commitment to Robredo regarding drug rehabilitation programs, and about how he responded to Robredo's initiative, Villegas said, "She only asked for information about our programs. Success stories."

Their meeting comes as President Rodrigo Duterte wages a war on drugs, with 1.8 million Filipinos or 1.8% of the population classified as drug users. 

Rehab for 630,000 surrenderees

This war on drugs has resulted in at least 3,295 deaths since July 1, or a day after Duterte took office.

Of this number, 1,167 have been killed in legitimate police operations as of September 20.

On the other hand, 2,128 have been slain in extrajudicial or vigilante-style killings as of September 18. 

Both Robredo and the CBCP have criticized the recent extrajudicial killings. 

The two parties, however, have also spoken out against illegal drugs.

Robredo, for one, is concerned about rehabilitating drug users.

In her speech in Leyte, Robredo pointed out that around 700,000 drug users have already surrendered. 

She cited a report by the Department of Health that of this number, only 10% or 70,000 have been deemed "eligible for institutional rehabilitation."

"Sabi po namin, ano mangyayari sa 630,000? Wala pang programa," she said. (We said, what will happen to the 630,000? There’s no program yet.)

In July, several government agencies formed an inter-agency task force to craft and implement a nationwide drug rehabilitation program that would follow a community-based approach. 

In a recent statement on extrajudicial killings, Villegas also urged drug users "to turn to the Lord and receive new life." – Rappler.com

RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil – A Brazilian court has ordered the seizure of goods and assets belonging to the broadcast-arm of the International Olympic Committee amid allegations of labor violations during the Rio Games, prosecutors said in a statement.

The Olympic Broadcast Services, set up in 2001 by the IOC to provide Olympic TV coverage, subjected thousands of workers to "abusive" labor conditions, including work days of longer than 10 hours during the Rio Games from 5-21 August, and the Paralympics Games which followed from 7-18 September, the statement said.

The court on Monday, September 19, ordered the seizure of vehicles, broadcast equipment, furniture as well as assets of the organization held by Brazilian banks.

OBS said in a statement that it had been informed of the case against it and was preparing a legal defense.

"OBS takes pride in ensuring that regardless of where the Games take place the professionals participating in the operation are provided with working conditions which are in line with the best practices of the industry at an international level," the company said. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – After several hours of testifying before a legislative probe on the alleged ties of former justice secretary Leila de Lima to the supposed drug lords of the New Bilibid Prison, convict Herbert Colanggo denied that he himself was a drug lord. 

“Mr Colanggo, are you are drug lord?” asked 1-Pacman party-list Representative Michael Romero on Tuesday, September 20, during the House of Representatives’ probe into the alleged proliferation of illegal drugs operations inside the high-security prison when De Lima was at the helm. 

Colanggo, other convicts detained at the NBP, and officials from the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) had earlier alleged that De Lima coddled drug lords inside the prison and even collected millions from them to raise funds for her senatorial bid. 

The NBP is maintained by the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor). Both the BuCor and the NBI are under the justice department. 

De Lima was former president Benigno Aquino III’s justice secretary from 2010 until October 2015, when she resigned to focus on her senatorial campaign. 

“Hindi po. Ako po’y may negosyo ng lending, magpautang. Ang kaso ko po ay robbery (I’m not a drug lord. I own a business that has to do with lending, lending debts. My case is for robbery),” said Colanggo, among the star witnesses during the probe.

Colanggo claimed that beginning October 2013, he remitted P3 million monthly to De Lima through her aides. The money supposedly came from the convicts inside the prison. 

In his signed affidavit and testimony, Colanggo also said he was asked by a certain Joenel Sanchez to "sell drugs... for De Lima's plans." 

Herbert Colanggo, alias “Ampang,” is among the more prominent personalities who used to be detained at the Maximim Security Compound inside NBP. He was one of the “high-profile” detainees targeted during a surprise inspection led by De Lima when she was justice secretary.

But Colanggo alleged that while several detainees, including himself, were temporarily moved to the NBI following the raid, De Lima allowed Jaybee Sebastian to stay and “strengthen” the drug operations inside. 

Sebastian is supposedly among the drug lords De Lima coddled. 

No less than President Rodrigo Duterte has accused Colanggo (earlier named as "Colangco") of being a drug lord despite his incarceration. He was named, alongside Peter Lim and convict Peter Co, in a drug matrix Duterte presented to media early July. 

Colanggo claimed that he was able to bring in beer inside Bilibid because he had the “blessing” of De Lima herself. He claimed they spoke on the phone in January 2014 and met in person in December that same year, following the Bilibid raid. 

He was arrested in 2009 and sentenced to life imprisonment. Colanggo has been tagged as the leader of a notorious robbery group. 

While in prison, he was apparently able to record and produce an album, which reached gold and platinum status. He even shot a music video for one of his singles inside Bilibid. – Rappler.com

OLONGAPO CITY, Philippines – A high-ranking official of the local government of Subic died by suicide after accidentally shooting his son with a gun early Tuesday, September 20.

Olongapo City Police Office (OCPO) director Senior Superintendent Jerry Sumbad said the victim was identified as Subic municipal administrator Ricardo “Dick” Otero, 69, and his son Richard, 38, of 1608 Rizal Avenue, East Tapinac, Olongapo City.

In a joint investigation conducted by OCPO Police Station 3 and Scene of the Crime Investigators, the incident occurred around midnight at the Oteros' home.

The elder Otero had asked his son, who was sitting in front of a computer, to give him his caliber 45 pistol. 

Knowing that his father was allegedly experiencing depression due to severe illness, Richard refused to give the gun to his father. This resulted in a scuffle over the gun, which went off and hit Richard in the chest.

Richard’s elder brother Arnold Victor tried to help bring his wounded brother to the hospital while their father went upstairs with the gun. Moments later, two gunshots were heard by the relatives. They found the elder Otero dead inside the bathroom with two gunshot wounds to the chest.

Otero was declared dead on arrival while his son, Richard, is presently undergoing treatment at the hospital.

SOCO team recovered from the scene a caliber 45 Armscor pistol with loaded magazine and 3 spent bullet shells. – 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.

MANILA, Philippines – President Rodrigo Duterte said Senator Leila De Lima has yet to prove he is behind the extrajudicial killings in Davao City, one of the accusations of witness Edgar Matobato during a Senate investigation De Lima helmed. 

"Maraming namatay dito, totoo 'yan, but prove na ako ang pumatay at kung sino," said Duterte on Tuesday, September 20, during an event in Davao City.

Though he did not name De Lima explicitly, he spoke of a "Delilah," a nickname he has used before to refer to her.

"Si Delilah, 1,000. Sabihin ko sa kanya (I'll tell her), name the 10th victim. Isang question ko lang (I just have one question): so there have been about 500, who was the guy, the 500th who was killed and on what day and how it was done?" said Duterte.

The President even invited witnesses to go to Davao City so he can cross-examine them.

"Pumunta sila dito, ako ang mag cross-examine sa kanila (They go here so I can cross-examine them). Who was the first victim? Who was the second? What was the name? Where did it happen?" he said.

Fault of 'enemies'

Duterte claimed his "enemies" in Davao City are responsible for portraying him as behind the extrajudicial killings.

"Meron dito, mga kalaban ko for whatever reason – kung sino pumatay, it does not really matter – kukunan ng picture and then it was made into a folder with so many folders there, victims of crimes against persons, nasali lahat doon," he said.

(Here I have enemies who, for whatever reason – it does not really matter who killed them – they will take a picture of the body and then it was made into a folder, victims of crimes against persons, all were included there.)

Duterte said he chose to respond to these past accusations with sarcasm.

"'Napaka gago naman ninyo. Eh kung talagang killer ako, I've been mayor here 23 years, 'yan lang ipakita ninyo sa akin? Karami kong tinapon diyan sa Samal Island na Davao Gulf 'yan lang nakita mo?' I raised it to the level of sarcasm," he said.

('You are insane. If I were really a killer, I've been mayor here for 23 years, that's all you can show? I've dumped so many bodies in Samal Island, Davao Gulf.' I raised it to the level of sarcasm.)

But Duterte admitted he has ordered the deaths of certain criminals. Previously, he had already admitted to ordering that criminals be shot if they posed a threat to law enforcers.

"Sinabi ko, umalis kayo dito if you're into drugs, murder for hire. Umalis kayo kasi 'pag hindi, papatayin ko kayo and in the process marami akong pinatay upon my direction, walang problema 'yan," he said.

(I said, get out if you're into drugs, murder for hire. Get out because if you don't, I'll kill you and in the process I had many killed, no problem there.)

Just threats?

Duterte also cautioned people from equating his colorful threats against criminals to actual acts of extrajudicial executions.

Specifically, he criticized members of the European Parliament for using his threats as proof that he is behind the recent spate of extrajudicial killings.

"Putang ina ka, istorya mo lang 'yan. Kung ginawa ko, ibang storya 'yan," he said. (Son of a whore, that's just your story. If I really did it, that's another story.)

Simply threatening criminals is not a crime, Duterte added.

"Look at these idiots, they’re using a phrase, a narrative of my speeches before threatening criminals. Now let me ask you stupid lawyers of the other countries, is there a law in the Philippines that would make it illegal for a mayor, president, or governor to threaten criminals?" he said.

Duterte chose to issue his challenge to De Lima the day after she was ousted as chair of the Senate committee on justice. As such, she will not be presiding over future hearings on extrajudicial killings.

Senators who voted to oust her said she was too "anti-administration", thus supposedly compromising the impartiality of the investigation.

Senator Richard Gordon, the new justice committee chairperson, has promised an objective investigation.

Duterte's challenge also comes on the first day of a House probe into De Lima's alleged involvement in the Bilibid prison drug trade. De Lima claimed the probe, launched by Duterte's allies in the House, is meant to discredit her.– Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – The Catholic Church on Tuesday, September 20, launched a weeks-long prayer campaign for peace in the face of widespread killings and political bickering in the Philippines. 

On Tuesday morning, Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) president Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas led the launching of "A Million Roses for the World: Filipinos at Prayer for the Nation."

In this campaign, the Catholic Church is requesting Filipinos to pray 5 mysteries of the rosary every day from September 20 to December 23. 

"You cannot imagine what prayer can do," Villegas told reporters after the launch at the Colegio de San Juan de Letran in Intramuros, Manila.

Villegas was responding to a question on what prayer can do in the face of around 3,000 deaths in the Philippine government's war on drugs.

The archbishop continued: "I'm a priest, and I believe that the most important thing that we must do is to pray. And even if prayer looks very impractical or prayer looks like there is no connection to the present situation, believe me, prayer can change hearts and prayer can change everybody."

In an earlier statement on this prayer campaign, Villegas explained that the Philippines is "now a nation wounded and torn by socio-cultural and political issues, divided by opposing, bickering, quarrelling, and even hating factions."

"We must stop the hate. We must stop the lies…Let us the resist the culture of terror and fear with the balm of prayer and mercy," Villegas said.

'Pray as a united nation'

He then pointed out: "We have forgotten to pray. We have neglected to pray. We have been too busy with ourselves building our towers of Babel."

"Let us pray for the whole nation. Let us pray as a united nation," he added.

The start of the prayer campaign coincides with the World Day of Prayer for Peace proclaimed by Pope Francis.

The "Million Roses for the World" prayer campaign is spearheaded by the CBCP, the Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines, the Live Christ, Share Christ Movement, Aid to the Church in Need, Couples for Christ FFL, the Family Rosary Crusade, and the Mother Butler Mission Guilds. 

The prayer campaign comes as President Rodrigo Duterte wages a war on drugs that has killed at least 3,295 people since July 1, a day after he took office.

Of this number, 1,167 have been killed in legitimate police operations as of September 20.

On the other hand, 2,128 have been slain in extrajudicial or vigilante-style killings as of September 18. 

The CBCP has condemned this spate of killings in the Philippines. – Rappler.com 

UNITED NATIONS – UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon used his farewell address to the General Assembly on Tuesday, September 20, to urge world leaders to end the war in Syria and bring the Paris climate deal into force this year.

With just three months to go before he steps down as UN chief, Ban also made a final plea to end the "madness" of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and gave world leaders advice on good governance.

"My message to all is clear: serve your people. Do not subvert democracy, do not pilfer your country's resources, do not imprison and torture your critics."

The former South Korean foreign minister is stepping down on December 31 after 10 years in what has been widely described as the world's most impossible job.

Now in its sixth year with over 300,000 dead, the war in Syria is dominating this year's gathering of world leaders and stands out as the unfinished business of Ban's tenure.

"I appeal to all those with influence to end the fighting and get talks started," Ban said.

Denouncing the "sickening, savage and apparently deliberate attack" on an aid convoy in Syria, Ban said: "Just when you think it cannot get any worse, the bar of depravity sinks lower."

The UN chief hailed the aid workers on the convoy to Aleppo province as "heroes" and said "those who bombed them were cowards" before calling for accountability for crimes committed in the war.

He blamed all sides for killing innocent people, but "none more so than the government of Syria, which continues to barrel bomb neighborhoods and systematically torture thousands of detainees."

Taking a swipe at "powerful patrons" fueling the conflict, Ban said these governments "in this hall today" had "ignored, facilitated, funded, participated in or even planned and carried out atrocities" in Syria.

No time to lose on climate

The Paris climate deal on curbing greenhouse gas emissions stands out as Ban's crowning achievement, an ambitious accord that he defended early on in the global push to address climate change.

"We have no time to lose," Ban told the gathering. "I urge you to bring the Paris Agreement into force this year."

The push for early entry into force of the Paris deal got a shot in the arm this month when the United States and China, the world's top two polluters, ratified the deal.

Describing climate change as the "defining challenge of our time," Ban said only 26 countries representing 15 percent of emissions must join the agreement for it to enter into force.

Addressing the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Ban said it pained him that the past decade had been "lost to peace" with Israel building more settlements and the Palestinians facing growing hopelessness.

"This is madness. Replacing a two-state solution with a one-state construct would spell doom," he warned.

After North Korea carried out its fifth nuclear test on the back of a series of missile launches, Ban urged Pyongyang to "change course" and fulfil its obligations to scrap its military programs.

Switching to French, the UN chief expressed regret over the "despicable" sexual abuse and rape committed by UN peacekeepers and for the cholera epidemic in Haiti that has killed thousands since it broke out in 2010 near a UN peacekeepers' base.

The United Nations will put forward a package of assistance for cholera victims and help Haiti build sound water, sanitation and healthy systems, he said.

On a more personal note, Ban said he was stepping down as the world's number one diplomat with the conviction that the United Nations can help improve peoples' lives.

"After ten years in office, I am more convinced that ever that we have the power to end war, poverty and persecution," he said. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – Senator Leila de Lima slammed lawmakers for victimizing her "over and over again" when they publicly disclosed her mobile phone number and home address during a legislative hearing on the alleged drug trade inside the New Bilibid Prison on Tuesday, September 20.

De Lima, a staunch critic of the administration, faces accusations of receiving payouts from drug lords inside the prison when she was justice secretary. During the Tuesday hearing, witnesses – convicts and inmates – claimed that she used a mobile number issued by the justice department to communicate with drug lords inside the prison.

The mobile number was publicly disclosed during the hearing.

In a statement, De Lima condemned what she called the "sheer indecency and foulness" of such a move, adding that the House probe was a "blatant exercise in harassment and persecution."

The senator said that as of 8 pm on Tuesday, she has received almost 2,000 text messages and phone calls from unknown individuals, threatening and harassing her.

"They have basically destroyed my right to privacy and security in my communications and in my abode. I am now literally a persecuted person displaced from my home. Worse, they have turned people into weapons of destruction," she said in a statement.

"They have victimized me over and over again, and just when I thought I could not feel more betrayed, they have once again proven that I have underestimated their audacity and evilness," De Lima added.

A day earlier, De Lima was ousted as the chairperson of the Senate committee on justice after she presented as witness a self-confessed hitman who claimed that President Rodrigo Duterte ordered extrajudicial killings when he was mayor of Davao City.

De Lima said that the moves against her showed the consequences of daring to go against those in power.

"They are making me into an example of what will happen to those who dare criticize and call out the abuses of those in power. Who would dare stand up for others now? The real victim here is the people, the oppressed," she said. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II denied Senator Leila De Lima’s allegation that Malacañang harassed the witnesses presented during the House probe on the illegal drugs trade inside the New Bilibid Prison (NBP). 

“Kayo naman ang makakasaksi. Kita ba ninyo ‘yung mga testigo na may itsurang hinarass ng Palace?… Kita mo kanina, ang mga witnesses ay talagang very relaxed, parang nagkukuwento kasi totoo ang sinasabi,” Aguirre told reporters at the end of the 10-hour hearing of the House committee on justice on Tuesday, September 20. 

(You were able to watch it. Did you see if the witnesses looked like they were harassed by the Palace?… Earlier, the witnesses were very relaxed, as if they’re just narrating a story because they’re telling the truth.)

Despite being invited by the House panel, De Lima refused to appear at the hearing, which she called a “sham inquiry” designed by President Rodrigo Duterte and his allies to discredit her name.

Duterte said in a speech at a military camp in the Compestella Valley on Tuesday that the House probe is a vindication of his earlier claims linking De Lima to illegal drugs. 

Aguirre also rejected De Lima's claims against the President. 

“At hindi totoo ‘yung kanyang akusasyon na kaya itong ginaganap, itong House investigation na ito ay dahil sa utos ng ating Pangulong Duterte. Hindi po, hindi po totoo yan. Ako mismo ang makakapagsabi na kahit minsan ako ay hindi kinausap ni Presidente Duterte na imbestigahan itong kanyang (De Lima) involvement sa illegal drug trade sa loob ng Bilibid,” said Aguirre. 

(Her accusation that the House investigation was ordered by President Duterte is not true. I’m personally saying that President Duterte never talked to me to investigate her involvement on the illegal drugs trade inside Bilibid.) 

The 4 witnesses, who were granted immunity from suit by Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez, gave their testimonies on how drugs allegedly proliferated inside the NBP during De Lima’s term as Department of Justice (DOJ) chief:

• Former police chief inspector turned kidnapping convict Rodolfo Magleo, who said the NBP turned into a “Little Las Vegas” during De Lima’s term as justice secretary
• High-profile convict Herbert Colangco, who said he gave De Lima P3 million worth of drug money monthly 
• Former Bureau of Corrections officer-in-charge Rafael Ragos and National Bureau of Investigation agent Jovencio Ablen Jr, who claimed they delivered a P5 million “quota” to De Lima’s residence on two occasions in 2012

In a privilege speech on Tuesday, De Lima belittled the House investigation and said the witnesses were drug convicts, criminals, and government officials who were hiding something. (READ: De Lima: Witnesses in House probe 'pressured, tortured’) 

She also alleged that some members of the Philippine National Police Special Action Force, who are currently guarding the NBP, hold “overnight interrogation sessions” of inmates and gang leaders.  

Aguirre denied this, saying he only had the chance to personally talk to the witnesses early this week. 

“Ang totoo nito, the first time na makausap ko ang mga testigong ito ay noon lamang nakaraang Linggo. Last Sunday lang… So 3 araw lang a ng nakakaraan (The truth is, I only talked to them for the first time last Sunday… So only 3 days has passed),” said the DOJ secretary.

Each of the witnesses executed signed affidavits ahead of their testimonies at the House of Representatives. – Rappler.com

WASHINGTON DC, USA – The United States officially labelled the Syrian jihadist rebel group Jund al-Aqsa a "Specially Designated Global Terrorist" organization Tuesday, September 20, as talks continued on securing a ceasefire in the war-riven country.

The US State Department said the four-year-old group was originally a unit of the al-Nusra Front, the Al-Qaeda arm in Syria, before splitting off to carry out operations independently.

Today Jund al-Aqsa operates primarily in Idlib and Hama provinces, but remains "openly allied" with al-Nusra, already designated a terror group two years ago, the State Department said.

It said Jund al-Aqsa was behind two suicide bombings in Idlib in March 2015 and a February 2014 "massacre" of 40 civilians in Maan in central Hama.

The designation, and parallel sanctions by the US Treasury Department, forbid US entities and individuals from any transactions with the group.

The designation came as US Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov led talks in New York Tuesday aimed at preserving a ceasefire in Syria after the Syrian military declared the week-old truce over and launched new bombardments on rebel-held cities.

"The ceasefire is not dead," Kerry insisted following the brief meeting of the International Syria Support Group, which one person in attendance described as "tense." – Rappler.com