Duterte House allies turn tables on De Lima, eye probe

Allies of President Rodrigo Duterte in the House of Representatives have sought a “comprehensive investigation” into the supposed proliferation of drug syndicates at the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) in Muntinlupa City during the term of former Justice Secretary and now Senator Leila de Lima.

Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez and 10 other lawmakers filed House Resolution No. 105 calling for a probe on the alleged involvement of government authorities “under De Lima’s leadership” in the spread of illegal drugs in the national penitentiary.

As Justice Secretary, De Lima had control of the Bureau of Corrections.

 “Now, therefore be it resolved as it is hereby resolved, that the House of Representatives direct the appropriate committee to immediately conduct a comprehensive investigation on the proliferation of drug syndicates in the NBP, including the involvement and accountability of the authorities mandated to exercise control and supervision over the national penitentiary, under the leadership of then Secretary of the Department of Justice Leila M. De Lima, and such other heads of law enforcement agencies tasked with implementing law enforcement policies particularly those in combatting the use, proliferation and trade of illegal and prohibited drugs,” the resolution read.

De Lima, chair of the Senate committee on justice and human rights, will lead the Senate investigation into the rising death toll in the administration’s war against drugs. She is facing criticisms from the President himself, who accused her of being “immoral” for her alleged affair with her driver and alleged bagman of drug money.

The lawmakers said a “continuous monitoring of the imposition of the penalties” on convicted criminals in the Bilibid was necessary to ensure that “they are totally incapacitated from engaging in any and all unlawful transactions and operations including those involved in illegal drugs.”

The House leaders noted that the operations of high-profile drug lords such as Peter Co and Herbert Colangco, who were recently named by Duterte as top drug dealers in the country, still continue in their “detention cells-turned luxury air-conditioned kubols (shelters) equipped with internet connection” despite various raids conducted by authorities in the past.

“The use of the NBP as a base for the operation of these top drug lords has been made evident during the raid operation conducted on December 2014, where makeshift “shabu” laboratories were discovered, as well as other illegal drugs and drug paraphernalia, high-powered firearms and improvised weapons, luxury watches and other smuggled items, golf carts, electric bikes, musical instruments, flat screen television sets and other appliances, sex toys and other pornographic items, as well as a stripper bar and Jacuzzi spread,” the resolution stated.

 “The proliferation of illegal drug trade and other criminal activities inside the NBP created a climate of anger, apprehension and frustration among citizens who now believe that the nation is under the grip of powerful drug syndicates coddled by high-ranking authorities of the government,” it added.

Citing data from the Philippine Center for Transnational Crime and Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, the lawmakers said illegal drugs continue to spread in more than 8,000 barangays (villages) in the country despite the police’s anti-drug policies.

“The new administration inspired an unprecedented clamor for drug policy reform and outcry for genuine public accountability and transparency among government officials and agencies mandated to enforce the law and combat criminality, in order that the people’s trust and confidence in government institutions and processes may be effectively restored,” they added.

Co-authoring the resolution were Majority Leader and Ilocos Norte Rep. Rodolfo Fariñas, Batangas Rep. Raneo Abu, Rizal Rep. Michael John Duavit, Antipolo Rep. Romeo Acop, Davao City Rep. Karlo Nograles, minority leader Quezon Rep. Danilo Suarez, Iloilo City Rep. Jerry Treñas, Cavite Rep. Abraham Tolentino, Oriental Mindoro Rep. Doy Leachon, and Valenzuela Rep. Eric Martinez.

Source : http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/

On 19:36:00

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About Rodrigo "Rody" Roa Duterte

Rodrigo "Rody" Roa Duterte (born March 28, 1945), also known by the nickname Digong, is a Filipino lawyer and politician of Visayan descent serving as the 16th President of the Philippines since 2016. He is the first Mindanaoan president of the country.

Duterte was among the longest-serving mayors in the Philippines and was Mayor of Davao City, a highly urbanized city on Mindanao island, for seven terms, totaling more than 22 years. He has also served as vice-mayor and as congressman for the city.

Nicknamed "The Punisher" by Time, an alleged vigilante group called the Davao Death Squad has been tied to Duterte by human rights organizations and are responsible for the extrajudicial killings of petty criminals and drug dealers. Over a period of 20 years, he turned Davao City from the "murder capital of the Philippines" to what tourism organizations now describe as "the most peaceful city in southeast Asia," and what numbeo.com ranks as the world's fourth safest place. Nonetheless, Duterte has drawn criticism from various sources, particularly the press and the Philippine National Police leadership in the Aquino government, which contest the effectiveness of his policies.

Duterte was urged to run for the Philippine presidency numerous times, but he refused these offers until well into 2015 on the grounds of a "flawed government system", old age and opposition from his family. Nevertheless, on November 21, 2015, he declared his candidacy in the2016 election contest for the office of the President of the Philippines, and won with a landslide victory, garnering 16,601,997 votes (39.01% of total votes cast, and 6.6 million votes ahead of closest rival Mar Roxas). Duterte took office on June 30, 2016, for a term of six years

Early life

Duterte was born on March 28, 1945, in Maasin (now the capital of Southern Leyte but was then part of the insular province of Leyte in the Philippine Commonwealth).His father was Cebuano lawyer Vicente G. Duterte and his mother was Soledad Roa, a native of Cabadbaran,Agusan, who was a school teacher and a civic leader of Maranao descent. Duterte's father Vicente, prior to being provincial governor of (the then-undivided) Davao province, was once an acting mayor of Danao, Cebu. Rodrigo's cousin Ronald, on the other hand, served as Cebu Citymayor from 1983 to 1986. Ronald’s father, Ramon Duterte, also held the position from 1957 to 1959. The Dutertes consider the Cebu-based political families of the Durano and the Almendras clan as relatives. Duterte also has relatives from the Roa clan in Leyte through his mother's side. Before they resettled to Davao, Duterte's family briefly lived in his birthplace in Maasin, Leyte, and in his father's hometown in Danao, Cebu, until he was four years old.

The Dutertes initially moved to Mindanao in 1948 but still go back and forth to the Visayas until 1949. They finally settled in the Davao Region in 1950. Vicente as a lawyer engaged in private practice, while Soledad taught in public schools as a teacher. Mrs Duterte, however, retired as a supervisor in 1952 when her lawyer-husband entered politics there.

Education

Duterte went to Laboon Elementary School in Maasin, for a year. He spent his remaining elementary days at the Santa Ana Elementary School in Davao City, where he graduated in 1956. He finished his secondary education in the High School Department of the then Holy Cross College of Digos (now Cor Jesus College) in today's city of Digos in the now defunct Davao province, after being expelled twice from previous schools, including one in Ateneo de Davao University High School due to misconduct. At the tertiary level, he graduated in 1968 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science at the Lyceum of the Philippines in Manila. He also obtained a law degree from San Beda College of Law, still in Manila, in 1972. In the same year, he passed the bar exam. Duterte eventually became Special Counsel at the City Prosecution Office in Davao City from 1977–79; Fourth Assistant City Prosecutor from 1979–81; Third Assistant City Prosecutor from 1981–83; and Second Assistant City Prosecutor from 1983–86.

Duterte claimed publicly to have shot a fellow student while in law school for allegedly bullying him because of his Visayan origins. His victim, however, survived, and although Duterte was prohibited from participating in the commencement march, he did graduate.

On 19:22:00

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