Politics
While the prosecution spent Day 1 quoting Duterte's own words, his lead defense counsel Nicholas Kaufman came out swinging with a counter-narrative: this case is built on "political demagoguery" and cherry-picked evidence, not facts that meet judicial standards. It was the most detailed look yet at
Politics
Senator Erwin Tulfo emerged from his meeting with Chinese Ambassador Jing Quan on Monday with a potentially game-changing claim: China is willing to sign the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea, and the Philippines — as this year's ASEAN chair — could have the framework finalized by December
Politics
The ICC didn't just come for Duterte on Day 1 — they named names. Senior Trial Lawyer Julian Nicholls identified five co-perpetrators who allegedly helped the former president run the Davao Death Squad and carry out thousands of extrajudicial killings across the Philippines. The five named in open court:
Politics
Former International Criminal Court Judge Raul Pangalangan — the first and only Filipino to ever sit on the ICC bench — dropped a take on Monday that might surprise both Duterte's supporters and critics: the confirmation of charges hearing that kicked off this week is actually designed to protect the
Politics
Filipino human rights lawyer Joel Butuyan stood before the ICC judges on Monday and delivered one of the most emotionally charged moments of Day 1: speaking on behalf of 497 victims authorized to participate in the proceedings, he warned that if the charges against Rodrigo Duterte are not confirmed, the
Politics
While ICC prosecutors were busy quoting Rodrigo Duterte's own words against him in The Hague on Monday, his supporters were marching to the Philippine Supreme Court in Manila to file a petition demanding the former president be "brought home." It was a split-screen moment that captured
Politics
The first day of Rodrigo Duterte's ICC confirmation of charges hearing was brutal — and the former president wasn't even there to hear it. ICC Deputy Prosecutor Mame Mandiaye Niang told the court that Duterte was "at the very heart" of a systematic plan to
Politics
Before President Marcos Jr. took office, February 25 — the anniversary of the 1986 EDSA People Power Revolution that toppled his father's dictatorship — was observed as a special non-working holiday every year. Schools closed, offices shut down, and the nation paused to remember. Not anymore. Since 2024, Marcos Jr.
Politics
Senator Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa has been a ghost in the Senate — literally nowhere to be found since November 2025, and his colleagues are starting to lose patience. Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo "Ping" Lacson confirmed on Saturday that senators are now "talking about what
Politics
The Palace wasn't having it. Malacañang on Monday fired back at Nicolas Kaufman, former President Rodrigo Duterte's lead defense lawyer at the ICC, after he suggested during the pre-trial hearing that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. had conspired with unnamed individuals to funnel witnesses to the international
Politics
The House of Representatives officially referred all four impeachment complaints filed against Vice President Sara Duterte to the Committee on Justice on Monday, formally kicking off what could become one of the most politically charged proceedings of 2026. The latest — and fourth — complaint was filed just last Wednesday by lawyer
Politics
Senator Erwin Tulfo is scheduled to sit down with Chinese Ambassador Jing Quan on Monday to try and ease the escalating war of words between Philippine senators and Chinese embassy officials over the West Philippine Sea. The meeting, set for 11 a.m. at a hotel in Manila, comes after