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Hello, Rappler readers!
Can’t leave the country for now – that’s for former generals Alan Purisima and Getulio Napeñas who were involved in the deadly Mamasapano operation, according to the anti-graft court.
At the same time, there’s no stopping the war on drugs as President Rodrigo Duterte promised to rid the country of the illegal drug trade – even if it will mean more deaths. Consistent with his tough stance against the United States, Duterte also said he’s in no mood to send the Philippine ambassador to Washington anytime soon.
The State department also said that because the Philippines is not on Washington’s “countries of concern” list, Filipinos are welcome to the US. How long that’ll remain is unsure, however, given US President Donald Trump’s previous pronouncements about the Philippines being a “terrorist nation”. But the CPP-NPA remains on its terror list.
Be up to speed with the news. Here’s what you shouldn’t miss.
The Sandiganbayan has issued a hold departure order against retired police generals Alan Purisima and Getulio Napeñas, instructing the Bureau of Immigration to bar them from leaving the country. The order is in relation to criminal charges for their involvement in the Mamasapano operation in January 2015 that killed 67 Filipinos, including 44 members of the Special Action Force of the Philippine National Police.
The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and its armed wing, the New People’s Army (NPA), will remain on the terror list of the United States because it “continues to meet the criteria for such a designation,” US State Department acting spokesman Mark Toner told visiting Fillipino journalists. This means Jose Maria Sison, founder of the CPP, is still classified as a terrorist, and will risk arrest if he travels to Manila for peace talks with the government.
The Philippine National Police (PNP) was emboldened by President Rodrigo Duterte’s pronouncements he was backing them all the way in the war on drugs. This is why they dared to do “practically anything… without thinking of accountability.” The former PNP chief said Duterte failed to remind the police “they should operate within the rule of law.”
If he needs to kill more drug suspects just to rid the country of illegal drugs, he would do it. In a speech in Davao February 2, President Rodrigo Duterte vowed no let-up in his war against drugs. “You bleed for those sons of bitches? How many? 3,000? I will kill more, if only to get rid of drugs,” he said.
Nothing to worry about, said Mark Toner, acting spokesman of the US State Department, during a meeting with Filipino journalists in Washington February 1. Because the Philippines is not among those tagged as countries “of concern”, Filipinos should be “welcomed into the United States,” he said. There is growing concern Donald Trump’s travel ban will adversely affect Filipinos.
Not keen to send the Philippine envoy to the United States. That’s what President Rodrigo Duterte said Thursday, despite having picked chief Palace protocol officer Marciano Paynor as Manila’s next ambassador to Washington. Will warm ties suddenly turn lukewarm between Duterte and his counterpart Donald Trump?
After Environment Secretary Gina Lopez ordered the suspension and closure of several mining operations across the country, share prices of mining and oil stocks plunged at the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE) February 2. Lopez ordered the closure of 23 mining operations and the suspension of 6 operations. Stocks plunged by 1.65%.
Social media giant Facebook reported more than double profits in the last quarter of 2016. It made a net profit of $3.7 billion on revenue of $8.7 billion in the 4th quarter, compared to its profit of $1.6 billion on a $5.6-billion revenue during the same period the year before.
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