Old, new claims on Sammy Uy bank deposits to Dutertes
Metro Manila, Philippines – It has been a decade since former Senator Antonio “Sonny” Trillanes IV first brought Samuel “Sammy” Uy into public scrutiny, claiming the Davao businessman deposited millions of pesos into bank accounts linked to former President Rodrigo Duterte and his family that form part of alleged undeclared wealth. Trillanes revived these allegations during the House impeachment hearing of Vice President Sara Duterte on Wednesday, April 22. This time, Trillanes explicitly and repeatedly described Uy as a “drug lord” who gave a total of ₱181.65 million to members of the Duterte family, including the vice president, the former president and his partner Honeylet Avanceña and daughter Kitty, as well as Rep. Paolo Duterte and Davao City Mayor Sebastian Duterte. The Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) said in a report that the vice president was “identified as the beneficiary” of check purchases made by Uy and two more people with…
Duterte to face ICC trial, first Asian leader charged with crimes against humanity
Metro Manila, Philippines – Former President Rodrigo Duterte will face trial before the International Criminal Court after judges confirmed all charges against him, making him the first Asian former head of state to be tried by the tribunal for crimes against humanity. In a decision released Thursday, April 23, the ICC Pre-Trial Chamber unanimously confirmed three counts of crimes against humanity, including murder and attempted murder, in connection with Duterte’s drug war. The chamber said there were “substantial grounds to believe” that the alleged crimes were committed “as part of a widespread and systematic attack against a civilian population on the territory of the Republic of the Philippines between 1 November 2011 and 16 March 2019 in the context of the ‘war on drugs’ campaign.” The ruling committed Duterte to trial, with the case now set to be transferred to a Trial Chamber that will handle the next phase of…
Wealth declared in SALN, bank transactions false – Duterte
Metro Manila, Philippines – Vice President Sara Duterte maintained that she declared the correct information in her statement of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALN), and that the purported billions of pesos in bank transactions are false, while confronting relevant government entities that presented documents in the impeachment hearing. In a statement on Thursday, April 23, Duterte said her service records remain clean, in response to what she called moves to ruin her name. “Hindi ako kailanman nagkaroon ng kaso sa paggamit ng pondo ng bayan. Lahat ng aking ari-arian at pera ay idineklara ko sa aking SALN. Ang bawat sentimo ay mula sa lehitimong pinanggalingan at may kaukulang dokumento,” she said. [Translation: I never had a case about fund misuse. All my assets and net worth were declared in my statement of assets, liabilities, and net worth. Each centavos came from legitimate sources and proper documents.] The Office of…
Duterte changes travel plans over late issuance of authority, flags security concerns
Metro Manila, Philippines – Vice President Sara Duterte said she has changed her overseas travel plans after the Office of the President approved her trip authorization only hours before her intended departure. In a statement Thursday, Duterte criticized the timing of the approval for her planned travel from April 23 to May 15, saying it created uncertainty over whether she would be allowed to leave. “Thank you for the last-minute issuance of the travel authority. I regret to inform you that the plans have since changed due to uncertainty whether I will be permitted to depart,” she said. Duterte said she would submit a new request and urged authorities to process such documents earlier. “You will be receiving a new request soon. Please ensure that the necessary documents be processed and issued promptly, allowing sufficient time for travel preparations rather than only a few hours before the intended departure,” she…
1,161 Filipino seafarers safely exit Persian Gulf, 412 others marked safe – DMW
Metro Manila, Philippines – The government reported that 1,161 Filipino seafarers have safely exited the Persian Gulf, ground zero of the Middle East conflict. Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac said that the safe passage was from the first week of April until the 18th. Palace press officer Claire Castro said in a briefing on Thursday, April 23, that the seafarers were on board 22 vessels including five crew ships. Meanwhile, Cacdac said 412 other seafarers in the Persian Gulf are safe. In a press release, the Migrant Workers Department said its officials had met with Zamil Offshore, a leading marine service provider in Saudi Arabia, which confirmed that the seafarers have sufficient food and other necessities. “Tiniyak din ng kumpanya na ang lahat ng kanilang crew, kabilang ang mga Pilipino, ay maayos na inaalagaan,” the agency said. [Translation: The company also assured that all crew, including Filipinos, are well cared…
