Politics & Other News Features

“That is normal and natural for allies of the Vice President, but whether she can succeed President Marcos, is this serious?” Palace press officer Claire Castro asked.

Defense lawyer Peter Haynes pointed out that one of the experts did not conduct all tests necessary to determine if former president Rodrigo Duterte has the abilities needed to fully exercise his rights in the proceedings.

The Bureau of Immigration said Joselyn Serenio, personal assistant of former House speaker Martin Romualdez, left the country before a hold-departure order dated Sept. 7 was issued against them.

An official of the Commission on Population and Development said though there are still users of the traditional withdrawal as well as calendar method, the number of Filipino couples using contraceptives is going up.

Former chief justices Artemio Panganiban, Hilario Davide Jr. and Reynato Puno said the two-thirds vote required to convict an impeachable official is flexible and may depend on the number of senator-judges who participate in the trial.

Retired Supreme Court associate justice Adolfo Azcuna warned that basing the two-thirds threshold solely on actual attendance during the trial of an impeachable official invites dangerous abuse.

The Supreme Court said Congress’ failure to comply with its duty, including defining political dynasties and determining the scope of prohibition, after 39 years “constitutes grave abuse of discretion.”

Sporting a different hairstyle and dressed in a black suit and white shirt, former president Rodrigo Duterte mainly listened as the parties discussed details of his upcoming trial, currently scheduled to begin on Nov. 30.

The Duterte camp believes that the proponents of the impeachment trial do not have 16 votes to convict her amid moves to lower the voting threshold.

Two seats each are allotted to the settler community and non-Moro indigenous peoples, while one seat each is designated for women, youth, ulama or Islamic scholars and traditional leaders.