Author: r7c451n0

Despite rumors of another leadership change in the Senate—just one week after Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano’s election—a member of the prosecution team believes any further shake-ups would not affect the impeachment trial against Vice President Sara Duterte.

In an online interview on Monday, Bicol Saro party-list Rep. Terry Ridon said he would not like to comment on something that has not happened yet. However, Ridon said that the only change that would happen, should a new Senate President be elected, is that he or she would have to take an oath as the presiding officer.

When the Senate convenes as an impeachment court, the Senate President takes an oath as the presiding officer. Cayetano did this earlier, taking his oath before Sen. Camille Villar when the Senate transitioned into an impeachment court.

“Well I don’t want to respond to the hypotheticals at this point, but just relating to the process itself, when there is a change in the leadership of the Senate, the only thing that would change is with regards to who the presiding officer is,” Ridon, a lawyer, said.

“The new presiding officer just needs to take an oath, if that will be the case at the future time,” he added.

The provincial government of Samar officially launched “Pamatron”, a localized fiesta-stay tourism program designed to immerse visitors in the province’s cultural traditions, with the kickoff held in Matuguinao on Monday, ahead of the town’s fiesta celebration on Tuesday.

The program, derived from the phrase “patrons of culture,” aims to transform tourists from passive observers into active participants in local fiesta celebrations by allowing them to experience firsthand the customs, food traditions, religious observances, and everyday community life in Samar’s municipalities.

Provincial tourism officials said the initiative is part of a broader effort to strengthen cultural tourism by packaging local fiestas into immersive travel experiences that highlight the province’s heritage while generating income opportunities for host communities.

Under the program, visitors may stay for three days up to one week, covering the pre-fiesta, fiesta proper, and post-fiesta phases.

The tourism experience is divided into three segments: “Ante and Vesperas,” which showcases community preparations and traditional cooking; “Kaadlawan,” the core of the fiesta featuring religious and cultural celebrations; and “Liwas,” which extends the experience through heritage tours, local crafts, and nature-based activities after the main festivities.

The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) volunteer driver, who was recently named a “suspect” in the recent shooting incident in the Senate shooting, could only have tested positive in paraffin test since he may have gotten the gunpowder in the Senate premises, NBI Director Melvin Matibag said on Tuesday.

Matibag said this in Machra’s Balitaan news forum after asserting that the NBI volunteer was not carrying a gun when the shooting happened.

“In the chain of custody, in that ballistic order, in the chain of custody, you should get the gun, then have him paraffined. So, that’s where you’ll see it. That’s the possibility that the gun was fired. That’s the initial thing that comes to mind right away,” Matibag, speaking Filipino, explained when asked why the NBI driver tested positive when he did not carry a gun.

“When he was arrested, from GSIS [premises], he was taken to the Senate grounds on the second floor, he was laid down right where the OSAA was shooting when the gun was fired,” Matibag pointed out.

“So, you will see, there is definitely gunpowder there. So that is a possibility. I’m not saying there is, but that is a possibility. Which is reasonable. A reasonable man would be able to do that. Because he still doesn’t have it. There was a video taken on the fifth floor. He was there when he was going to put the gun in and he didn’t have it in his hand,” he said.

A Quezon City court has convicted a Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) member for violating the Public Assembly Act over a highway blockade staged during the 2024 police operations against televangelist Apollo Quiboloy. 

The Metropolitan Trial Court Branch 39, Quezon City found Eduardo Corda guilty of violating Section 13(a) of Batas Pambansa Bilang 880, or the Public Assembly Act of 1985, in connection with protests conducted during the August 2024 standoff at the KOJC compound in Davao City.

In its ruling, shared by former Philippine National Police (PNP) chief and now Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) general manager Nicolas Torre III on his social media account on May 1, the court sentenced Corda to four months’ imprisonment.

Torre, in his caption, said, the decision is “not a celebration” nor “revenge,” but a reminder that “the law is the law.”

A barangay tanod (village watchman) and a vendor were killed in a shooting incident in Dasmariñas City, Cavite, on Monday, police said.

In a report released Tuesday, the Police Regional Office 4A identified the primary victim only as “Rody,” 51, a barangay tanod from Barangay Sta. Cruz 1.

Police said the victim was walking to buy food in Barangay Emmanuel Bergado 1 at 8:43 a.m. when an unidentified man who had allegedly been following him from behind suddenly drew a handgun and repeatedly fired at him.

The victim sustained multiple gunshot wounds in different parts of the body and died on the spot.

A vendor in the area, identified only as “Annalinda,” 48, was reportedly hit by stray gunfire during the attack and also died at the scene.