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Metro Manila, Philippines — Vice President Sara Duterte’s legal team said it is withholding the names of some witnesses for her impeachment trial for security reasons and pushed back against claims that it copied prosecution witnesses. Michael Poa, one of Duterte’s lawyers, made the statement in a chance interview on the sidelines of Day 3 of the pre-trial conference on Tuesday, June 23. “Meron naman talaga mga reservations, magkabilang panig. Kami din sa defense, meron din kaming na-reserve na witnesses, hindi namin pinangalanan. Bakit? Para sa kanilang seguridad,” Poa said.  [Translation: There are reservations on both sides. We in the defense also have reserved witnesses that we have not named. Why? For their security.] Senate Secretary Rey Bantug, clerk of the impeachment court, earlier said both sides are allowed to have “surprise witnesses,” subject to a three-day notice before their appearance in court. Poa said the defense will comply with…

Metro Manila, Philippines – The Philippine National Police (PNP) is determining how the suspects in the Tacloban school crime obtained weapons in the shooting spree. PNP Public Information Office chief Allen Rae Co said in a Tuesday, June 23, press briefing that a policewoman – the aunt of one of the suspects – is facing a pre-charge investigation and summary dismissal proceedings.  Her service weapon, a 9mm Glock pistol, was used in the shooting.  “Pamangkin po ng isang policewoman yung isa so at an early age he was taught, supposedly, ito po ay para maturuan siya ng responsible gun ownership,” Co revealed. [Translation: He is the nephew of the policewoman so at an early age he was taught responsible gun ownership.] Meanwhile, Co said the other weapon, a Cal.38 Armscor revolver, was registered to a Cebu City security agency. Investigators are determining how the suspect got hold of the firearm. …

Metro Manila, Philippines — Forecasters downgraded super typhoon Francisco to a typhoon on Tuesday, June 23. Francisco rapidly intensified into a super typhoon on Monday night, but quickly reduced wind speed the following morning.  In its 11 a.m.bulletin on Tuesday, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said while the cyclone is expected to remain far from land mass, its outer bands – coupled with the southwest monsoon – may bring strong to gale-force gusts over parts of the country. It said Francisco may be out of the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) on Friday, June 26. The following areas are under Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal No. 1: +Batanes +the northeastern portion of Cagayan (Gonzaga and Santa Ana) +the eastern portion of the Babuyan Islands Meanwhile, the weather bureau said the tropical depression outside the PAR has strengthened into a tropical storm.

Metro Manila, Philippines – Education Secretary Sonny Angara  assured immediate assistance to victims of the deadly school shooting in Tacloban City, saying the Department of Education (DepEd) is responding to reports that at least one victim initially faced difficulties being admitted to a hospital due to a lack of deposit. In an interview on NewsWatch Plus, Angara said senior DepEd officials were dispatched to Tacloban and instructed to prioritize the needs of affected families. “Nagdadala sila ng konting assistance doon sa mga na-hospital kasi nabalitaan namin ayaw daw tanggapin ‘yung isang biktima dahil walang ma-deposit,” he said on Monday, June 22. [Translation: They are bringing assistance to those hospitalized because we received reports that one victim was allegedly not admitted because there was no deposit.] The education chief said DepEd would shoulder the expenses to treat the victims. “Sabi namin, advance na muna ‘yung pera, kami na bahala. Huwag na…

Trigger warning: Violence Metro Manila, Philippines –  Education Secretary Sonny Angara said bullying is among the possible motives behind the deadly shooting at a public high school in Tacloban City, as authorities continue to piece together what led to the attack. In an interview on The Newsmaker, Angara said initial information reaching the Department of Education indicated that one of the student suspects may have experienced bullying, although he stressed that the report remains unverified. “Yung isang student baka na-bully daw yung sa Grade 9 but we’re still verifying this,” he said. [Translation: One of the students may have been bullied, but we are still verifying that information.] Angara also disclosed that the shooting involved two separate incidents inside San Jose National High School. According to information relayed to the department, one student allegedly opened fire on learners in a Grade 9 classroom, while another shooting occurred in a Grade…