sona-2020 | ABS-CBN News

Why Gatchalian gave up justice panel seat to Dela Rosa

ABS-CBN News
Updated as of Jul 31 11:44 AM

Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian said Friday he gave up his membership at the Senate justice committee so that his colleague Sen. Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa could join deliberations on the revival of the death penalty. Read more »

Palace explains why Marawi rehab left out of Duterte's fifth SONA

Arianne Merez, ABS-CBN News
Posted at Jul 30 04:33 PM

The rehabilitation of war-torn Marawi City was left out of President Rodrigo Duterte's penultimate State of the Nation Address.   Read more »

Angara wants 'compelling evidence' death penalty deters crimes

ABS-CBN News
Posted at Jul 30 01:07 PM

Sen. Sonny Angara on Thursday said he needed "compelling evidence" that the death penalty could deter crimes and that "miscarriages of justice" could be avoided before he votes for its revival, which President Rodrigo Duterte sought again this week.    Read more »

Telcos should get chance to improve, gov't takeover 'very drastic': senator

ABS-CBN News
Posted at Jul 30 12:03 PM

President Rodrigo Duterte's threat to close down or expropriate telecommunication firms if their services do not improve is too "drastic", a senator said Thursday.    Read more »

Duterte's 5th SONA had no plan vs COVID-19 pandemic, group says

Willard Cheng, ABS-CBN News
Posted at Jul 30 12:19 AM

Ramota said there was no assurance for frontliners in the health sector on how their needs are going to be addressed.  Read more »

SONA nasayang dahil sa mga paglihis sa isyu: Lagman

ABS-CBN News
Posted at Jul 29 09:41 PM

Nasasayangan ang ilang taga-minorya sa Kamara sa ika-5 SONA ni Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte. Puna nila, hindi natutukan sa SONA ang mga totoong problema na kinakaharap ng bansa.  Read more »

Sen. Villar 'confident' Duterte will not veto 'revised' coco levy bill

Katrina Domingo, ABS-CBN News
Updated as of Jul 29 03:06 PM

Senate Committee on Agriculture chair Cynthia Villar said Tuesday she is "confident" that President Rodrigo Duterte will not veto anew a "revised" version of the coco levy bill being tackled in the Senate. Read more »

Police chief tells UP: Don't practice your chartered independence too much

Jamaine Punzalan, ABS-CBN News
Updated as of Jul 29 12:49 PM

The head of the Philippine National Police on Wednesday urged the University of the Philippines to refrain from exercising its chartered independence too much after its Diliman campus hosted one of the biggest protests for President Rodrigo Duterte's State of the Nation Address this week.  Read more »

Filipinos need jobs, not death penalty, during pandemic: Manila bishop

ABS-CBN News
Updated as of Jul 29 12:00 PM

Filipinos need jobs during the COVID-19 pandemic instead of death penalty measures, a Manila bishop said Wednesday after President Rodrigo Duterte urged lawmakers to pass a bill reinstating capital punishment. Read more »

PNP claims cops seized placards from Mass-goers on Church request

ABS-CBN News
Updated as of Jul 29 12:20 PM

The Philippine National said Wednesday its officers seized placards and other protest materials from activists during a Mass in Manila this week "in accordance to the request of the church."    Read more »

50 grams of drugs ‘enough’ to merit death penalty: PNP chief

ABS-CBN News
Updated as of Jul 29 02:07 PM

The head of the Philippine National Police on Wednesday backed President Rodrigo Duterte’s call for the revival of death penalty, saying it should be meted out to those caught with at least 50 grams of narcotics.  Read more »

Duterte urged: Set deadline for Marawi rehabilitation

ABS-CBN News
Updated as of Jul 29 07:56 AM

President Rodrigo Duterte should set a deadline for the rehabilitation of the southern city of Marawi that a terrorist siege left in ruins 3 years ago, an issue that he failed to mention in his State of Nation Address this week, a lawmaker said Wednesday. Read more »

Gordon on Duterte: 'Parang he has to ingratiate himself with China all the time'

Sherrie Ann Torres, ABS-CBN News
Posted at Jul 28 11:45 PM

MANILA - Senator Richard Gordon on Tuesday criticized President Rodrigo Duterte's stand when it comes to the West Philippine Sea dispute involving China. Read more »

Duterte's threat to shut down, take over telcos will spook investors: Pangilinan

Katrina Domingo, ABS-CBN News
Posted at Jul 28 10:03 PM

President Rodrigo Duterte's threat to shut down and take over two major telecommunications company in the Philippines will spook investors who plan to do business in the country, Sen. Francis Pangilinan said Tuesday. Read more »

Internet signal gaganda lang kung magdadagdag ng cell sites: eksperto

ABS-CBN News
Posted at Jul 28 08:56 PM

Iginiit naman ni Sen. Panfilo "Ping" Lacson na nabigong warning-an ng Pangulo ang mga local government official na nanghuhuthot ng pera sa telcos kapalit ng permit at lisensiya.   Read more »

OPINION: 'Inutil'

Ellen T. Tordesillas
Posted at Jul 28 06:23 PM

Yesterday, Chinese President Xi Jinping must have been happy listening to “ínutil” Duterte giving him more ammunition to demolish the Philippines’ win in The Hague. Read more »

'Siguro bingi sila': Palace slams critics who say gov't lacks COVID-19 recovery plan

Arianne Merez, ABS-CBN News
Posted at Jul 28 06:10 PM

While Duterte discussed the COVID-19 crisis in his SONA, he did not provide any new plan, prompting critics to claim that there was no recovery roadmap. Read more »

Agri dept says projects outlined for use of coco levy fund

ABS-CBN News
Posted at Jul 28 05:34 PM

The Department of Agriculture said Tuesday it has outlined projects for the use of the interest earnings of the coconut levy fund for the "strengthening" of the industry as President Rodrigo Duterte urged lawmakers to pass a measure for the fund's implementation. Read more »

'9/10': Roque says Duterte's 5th SONA could have used more 'quotable quotes'

Arianne Merez, ABS-CBN News
Posted at Jul 28 04:48 PM

For Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque, the penultimate State of the Nation Address on Monday of President Rodrigo Duterte could have had more "quotable quotes" to earn him a perfect score.   Read more »

Bishop Pabillo sa mga pulis, nagsisimba: Respetuhin ang mga simbahan, misa

ABS-CBN News
Updated as of Jul 28 06:48 PM

Pinaalalahanan ni Manila Auxiliary Bishop Broderick Pabillo ang mga taong dumadalo sa mga misa at mga pulis na respetuhin ang "place of worship" at misa. Read more »