By Junex Doronio
MANILA — Barely 13 months before the midterm elections, the popular Tulfo brothers — ACT CIS party-list Representative Erwin and his tough-talking sibling radio personality Ben — and former president Rodrigo Roa Duterte are among the top senatorial candidates in the 2025 elections.
This was revealed in the first quarter Tugon ng Masa survey by OCTA Research from March 11 to 14, 2024, which had 1,200 respondents with a national margin of error of plus or minus three percent.
Based on the latest survey, ACT-CIS Party-list Rep. Tulfo who’s also the House of Representatives’ deputy majority leader, is ahead of the pack with 58.4 percent preference, followed by former Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III at 51.7 percent.
Re-electionist Sen. Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go, broadcaster Ben Tulfo, Duterte and former senator Panfilo Lacson were also in the top six.
Meanwhile, the so-called “Magic 12” are Sen. Ronald “Bato” de la Rosa, former senator Manny Pacquiao, Sen. Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr., Sen. Imee Marcos and Sen. Pia Cayetano.
Former Manila mayor and defeated 2022 presidential candidate Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso also managed to squeeze into the “Magic 12.”
Reelectionist Senators Francis Tolentino, Lito Lapid, popular YouTube personality Dr. Willie Ong, and Interior Secretary Benjamin “Benhur” Abalos Jr. are also statistically included in the potential top 12 senatorial bets.
(el Amigo/MNM)
Ni Liezelle Soriano
MANILA — Ibinasura ng Quezon City Prosecutor’s Office ang kasong grave threat na isinampa ni ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. France Castro laban kay dating Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte.
Sa isang resolusyon na may petsang Enero 9, 2024, sinabi ng prosecutor na walang sapat na ebidensiya para kasuhan si Duterte sa korte.
Ayon sa resolusyon, hindi mapatutunayan ang banta, na sinabi umano ni Duterte sa telebisyon at livestream.
“[T]he Office finds it quite unusual, if not ridiculous for a person to make a public pronouncement of death threats…especially so considering that such individual, like [the] respondent, is already in an advanced age and not any more immune from criminal prosecution,” ayon sa resolusyon.
Dalawang beses hindi dumalo si Duterte sa imbestigasyon.
Sa kanyang orihinal na complaint-affidavit, sinabi ni Castro na binantaan ni Duterte ang kanyang buhay sa kanyang mga pahayag sa October 11 episode ng kanyang TV program na Gikan sa Masa, Para sa Masa sa SMNI News Channel.
(el Amigo/MNM)
By Junex Doronio
MANILA — Amid the mystery shrouding the presence of investigators from the International Criminal Court, former Senator Antonio “Sonny” Trillanes IV has revealed that the investigation on the primary suspects are nearly complete and that the ICC is in the process of building a case against the alleged co-conspirators.
Political pundits told Maharlika NuMedia on Saturday that in case the ICC has wrapped up its investigation on the “crimes against humanity” filed primarily against former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte, an arrest warrant can be issued anytime soon.
According to Vera Files, Vice President Sara Duterte-Carpio and two incumbent senators were named in documents submitted to the ICC investigating the killings related to the drug war during the previous administration and when Duterte was mayor of Davao City.
“The vice president’s name was mentioned as knowing and approving the killings when she was city mayor, a post that her father held for more than 20 years. Sara was mayor from 2010 to 2013, and from 2016 to 2022,” Vera Files said in its July 17, 2023 report.
Trillanes argued that despite ex-president Duterte’s cancellation of ICC membership, ICC still has potential jurisdiction for incidents pre-dating the withdrawal.
He claimed that the ICC has gathered the statements of the witnesses as early as February 2023 and that they will be put on record as soon as the trial begins.
“Ang aking tantsa ay finishing touches na ‘yung kaso for some of the principals. Yung iba naman, yung mga nasa secondary level ay bini-build up na o patapos na,” Trillanes revealed.
It can be recalled that then President Duterte cancelled the Philippines’ membership with the ICC following an announcement that a preliminary examination on the thousands of deaths involving the bloody war on drugs was underway.
Human rights advocates claimed that the 30,000 individuals who were victims of extra-judicial killings (EJKs) in line with Duterte’s drug war were not all drug addicts or drug pushers.
(el Amigo/MNM)
Photo from PTV
By Junex Doronio
SAYING THAT HIS FATHER FIGURE PREFERS ACTION THAN to debates, Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa has revealed that former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte is not really “too interested” in running for senator in the upcoming midterm elections in 2025.
This developed after news broke out that FRRD’s son Davao City’s 1st district Representative Paulo “Pulong” Zimmerman Duterte has been consistently included in the Magic 12 list of senatorial candidates, ranking 9 to 12, in recent surveys.
Octa Research fellow Guido David earlier said that Pulong could be a viable candidate in the next Senate elections.
Acknowledging the former president’s advanced age, Dela Rosa said that he wanted Duterte to take a rest from government service.
“On the personal note, pagpahingahin na natin. Kawawa naman ang tao. Matanda na, pagpahingahin na natin, para mag-enjoy siya sa buhay niya,” Dela Rosa said in an interview with Radyo 630 on Sunday, November 5.
To recall, Duterte once served as a representative of Davao City’s 1st district, from June 30, 1998, to June 30, 2001.
Nothing significant can be heard of Duterte’s performance as a congressman during his three-year term.
“Mukhang hindi naman sarado, pero kulang lang talaga siya ng interes as of now,” Dela Rosa admitted.
He added: “Galing na siya Presidente. Napagod na siya, at ngayon hanap ka na naman trabaho. Si PRRD ayaw niya ng buhay legislator. Ayaw niya puro debate. Gusto nya aksyon.”
(ai/mnm)
By Junex Doronio
WITHOUT MENTIONING THE NAME of former president Rodrigo Roa Duterte, Speaker Martin Romualdez has disputed the allegation that the House of Representatives “enjoy unlimited pork barrel” which only came out after the lower chamber thrashed the P650-million confidential funds for 2024 for the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and the Department of Education (DepEd).
On Saturday, Nov. 4, Romualdez stressed that the House of Representatives has “categorically abolished the pork barrel system”.
“Honoring the Supreme Court’s (SC) directive, we have instituted reforms to categorically abolish the pork barrel system. Our commitment to upholding transparency, accountability, and exemplary governance remains stronger than ever,” Romualdez said.
On Saturday, the House of Representatives also submitted the P5.768-trillion General Appropriations Bill (GAB) to the Senate.
“We have undertaken rigorous measures to ensure judicious and lawful allocation of funds. Our reforms echo our unwavering commitment to serving our people with utmost integrity,” said Romualdez, who represents Leyte’s 1st district.
Many Visayans are now rooting for MR, as Romualdez supporters call the Speaker, to run for president in 2028.
They said they would like to see another Visayan — and this time, a Waray — to become the country’s Chief Executive after Sergio Osmeña Sr. of Cebu, Manuel Acuña Roxas of Capiz, and Carlos Polistico Garcia of Bohol.
(ai/mnm)
By Junex Doronio
THE WARRIOR is now back in his fighting form, so to speak.
Senator Bong Go has assured the public that there is nothing to worry about the health condition of 78-year-old former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte who accidentally slipped at his house in Davao City on Friday, November 3.
“Salamat sa Diyos, ok naman ang X-ray ni Tatay Digong,” Go said in a Facebook post.
The senator who’s been a close friend of FPRRD also shared some details about Duterte’s medical emergency via social media.
Go accompanied Duterte to the Davao Doctors Hospital for a quick checkup.
“Aksidenteng nadulas sa kuwarto ng kanyang bahay si dating pangulong Rodrigo Duterte, kaya naman sinamahan siya ni Senador Bong Go sa Davao Doctors Hospital nitong Biyernes, November 3, para magpa-check-up,” the senator said.
(ai/mnm)
By Junex Doronio
ADMITTING THAT HE WAS SURPRISED AND OVERWHELMED by his constant inclusion in the so-called “Magic 12” in the 2025 senatorial race, Davao City Rep. Paolo “Polong” Duterte has expressed reservations, citing his capacity to wage a national campaign and his inclination to retire early for the sake of his children.
Octa Research fellow Guido David earlier said that Polong could be a viable candidate if he runs in the next Senate elections as he has been consistently included in the Magic 12 list of senatorial candidates, ranking 9 to 12, in recent surveys.
“First of all, I would like to express my gratitude to my fellow Filipinos for continuing to place their trust and confidence in me. I started in politics serving Dabawenyos and I would like to retire doing the same,” Duterte said.
In a recent interview on “PolitiSkoop,” David noted that Polong will have “good chances” of landing in the Magic 12 if he decides to run for senator.
Polong’s father, former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte also hinted earlier for a possible senatorial run in 2025 in his bid to lead an anti-Marcos Jr. opposition.
“Besides the fact that I cannot finance a nationwide campaign, what little I have saved is allotted for my retirement and the education of my children,” the younger Duterte added.
(ai/mnm)
A member of the House of Representatives lodged a complaint against former President Rodrigo Duterte with the Office of the City Prosecutor in Quezon City.
ACT Teachers Representative France Castro accused Duterte of issuing serious threats under Section 6 of the Cybercrime Prevention Act.
These allegations stemmed from remarks Duterte made earlier in the month during an SMNI program, where he discussed Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte’s plans for confidential funds.
The former president was quoted as saying: “I told her to be straightforward. This intelligence fund, I will use for the benefit of the Filipino people’s interests because my target is the communists in Congress.”
He added, “But your initial target for your intelligence fund is France, the communists I want to eliminate. You can relay this to her,” in Filipino.
In the 2024 national budget bill, the House redirected P1.23 billion originally allocated for confidential funds of various government agencies.
Marikina City 2nd District Representative Stella Quimbo explained that these funds were reassigned “to safeguard the West Philippine Sea.”
Of the total P1.23 billion, P1.05 billion came from the Office of the Vice President (OVP), Department of Education (DepEd), Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), and Department of Agriculture (DA).
Notably, these agencies would receive no confidential funds in the 2024 national budget bill.
(ai/mnm)
By Junex Doronio
STRESSING THAT THE DECISION to strip Vice President Sara Duterte’s P650-million confidential funds for 2024 was made “in the best interest of national security,” lawmakers crossed party lines to rally behind Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez and castigated former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte for making threats or insinuating harm against members of the Makabayan bloc in Congress.
Ironically, the older Duterte who once served as representative of Davao City’s first district from 1998 to 2001 is now facing House leaders who also cried foul over his claim that pork barrel funds still exist in the lower chamber.
“It is critical to remember that the ‘pork barrel’ system, which former President Duterte alluded to, has been deemed unconstitutional by the Supreme Court.
Our Members are firmly committed to respecting and upholding this ruling. Rather than making sweeping allegations in the media, we advise the former president, if he has tangible evidence of wrongdoing, to present it to the appropriate authorities,” the House party leaders said in a joint statement on Saturday, October 14.
Leaders of political parties in the House of Representatives are now rallying behind Romualdez after former President Duterte accused him of “wallowing” in funds that he should be publicly accounted for.
In his earlier interview on SMNI, Duterte dared Romualdez to account for public funds that the House has been spending under him.
He also charged the Speaker of masterminding the attacks against his daughter, Vice President Sara Duterte, whose popularity has dived based on recent surveys that political analyst Ronald Llamas said to have occurred way before the public outrage on the issue of confidential funds.
The House party leaders pointed out that the decision to realign P1.3 billion in confidential funds—including the P650 million requested by the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and Department of Education (DepEd) —was made “in the best interest of national security.”
“It is essential to understand that this decision was made for the nation’s benefit and not as a personal affront to any individual, including Vice-President Sara Duterte-Carpio,” the House leaders said.
The Vice President no longer uses her marital surname Carpio for unknown reasons.
They also noted that the request for confidential funds from at least three other civilian agencies, including the Department of Agriculture (DA) headed by President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., was also rejected.
“Casting these decisions in a light of personal vendettas is a disservice to the diligent members of the House of the People and the very essence of our democratic process,” the party leaders chided FPRRD.
They said no less than the Commission on Audit (COA) attested to the House’s proper spending of its funds without any notice of disallowance. (ai/mnm)