State of Affairs

This Week in Power and Politics (January 12-18)

From the unfurling impeachment raps against VP Sara Duterte, to a Chinese “monster” ship, here are the most important stories in power and politics this week

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iglesia ni cristo peace rally
A peace rally, attended by of 1.5 million, held by Iglesia ni Cristo at the Quirino Grandstand to protest impeachment raps against Vice President Sara Duterte. Photo from Bong Go/Facebook

This week in stories across power and politics, we saw members of Iglesia Ni Cristo rally behind Vice President Sara Duterte as she faces three impeachment complaints — which Congress might not tackle after all, according to Manila Representative Benny Abante. While Duterte expresses her interest in the 2028 presidential race, Chavit Singson has dropped his senatorial bid for the upcoming midterm elections.

In case you missed it, here are some of the most important State of Affairs stories this week.

Chavit Singson Withdraws from the Philippine Senate Race

chavit singson speech
Photo from Luis Chavit Singson/Facebook

On Sunday, January 12, Former Ilocos Sur Governor Chavit Singson announced he was dropping out of the midterm elections, citing a bout of pneumonia that resulted in his hospitalization.

In his speech at the Mall of Asia Arena, he told supporters he would continue providing electric vehicles to transport groups.

On Thursday, January 16, Singson formalized his withdrawal from the senate race.

Earlier, the Commission on Elections said it cannot remove Singson’s name from the ballots since printing started. But printing has now been suspended due to the removal of five other candidates, against whom the Supreme Court had filed temporary restraining orders. Singson’s name will no longer be on the ballot, once printing restarts next week.

Iglesia Ni Cristo Peace Rally Reaches 1.5 Million Attendees

Iglesia ni Cristo peace rally in Quirino Grandstand. Photo from Bong Go/Facebook

On Monday, January 13, members of Iglesia Ni Cristo (INC) gathered at the Quirino Grandstand to hold their “National Rally for Peace” in protest of the impeachment raps against Vice President Sara Duterte. The Manila Police District estimated that 1.5 million people attended the rally.

Former Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque, Senate President Chiz Escudero, and Senator Sherwin Gatchalian spoke out in support of the rally, lauding INC for pushing for peace and unity within the government amid tensions between the vice president and President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

Chinese ‘Monster Ship’ Redeployed in West Philippine Sea

china coast guard monster ship
Amid escalating tensions in the West Philippine Sea, the China Coast Guard’s largest vessel returned to keep hold of disputed territory. Photo from Philippine Coast Guard/Facebook

On January 11, the “monster ship” — formally known as China Coast Guard (CCG) vessel no. 5901 — returned to Philippine waters after a temporary departure.

The vessel was first spotted 54 nautical miles away from Capones Island, Zambales earlier this month, prompting the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) to deploy BRP Cabra and two aircraft on January 4 to patrol Scarborough Shoal.

By Sunday, January 12, it was 95 nautical miles off the coast of Zambales.

On Thursday, however, the Philippines and China agreed to implement a provisional agreement that would let the Philippines execute rotation and reprovisioning (RORE) missions to BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin Shoal without intervention from China.

VP Sara Duterte ‘Seriously Considering’ Presidency in 2028

sara duterte vice president philippines
Having previously said that she would not announce a decision until 2026, the vice president now says she’s considering running for president next national election. Photo from Inday Sara Duterte/Facebook

In a meet-and-greet with overseas Filipino workers in Japan over the weekend, Vice President Sara Duterte said she is “seriously considering” running for president in the 2028 national elections.

“I really believe our country will be great,” she said. “Mahirap siyang ipaintindi sa ating mga kababayan and mahirap ‘yong kailangan natin gawin kasi you really have to stand firm especially with government policies para maayos siya. Pero paniwala ko, kung magkaisa lang ‘yong mga tao, alam natin kung saan tayo papunta, magagawa ng ating bayan.”

Philippine Safe Spaces Act Amended to Address Grooming, AI

safer campuses ph protest rally signage
Safer Campuses PH, a student-run coalition advocating for the amendment of the Safe Spaces Act, mobilize to have the professional licenses of “campus predators” revoked on March 10, 2024. Photo from Safer Campuses PH

The Senate voted unanimously to approve a bill amending the Safe Spaces Act (Republic Act No. 11313) in its third and final reading on Tuesday, January 14. The legislation will see new provisions to address gender-based online sexual harassment arising from the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and other emerging technologies.

Other provisions of the bill include the expansion of the definition of public spaces to include streets and alleys in rural areas, fields, farms, coastal areas, and multi-purpose halls. It also includes “grooming” in the definition of terms, defined as “a predatory conduct, act or pattern of acts of establishing a relationship of trust, or emotional connection by another with a child or someone who is believed to be a child and/or family guardian, and/or caregivers, whether in person or via electronic and other similar devices, for the purpose of perpetrating sexual abuse or exploitation.”

Nickel Mining Polluting Air, Water in Palawan, Zambales, Says Amnesty

A long stretch of belt conveyors transport nickel ores to mineral processing plant in Surigao del Norte province. Photo by Ryan Dael

Non-government organization Amnesty International released a report on January 9 detailing the struggles of indigenous peoples and rural communities living close to mining sites in Brooke’s Point Palawan and Santa Cruz, Zambales.

Amnesty found that the locals are not adequately informed of the health and environmental hazards that come with nickel mining, and that companies and government agencies like the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) are lax in obtaining these communities’ free, prior, and informed consent to mining projects.

The organization reports that DENR denied community members access to environmental impact reports, “preventing them from making an informed decision” regarding the use of their lands for mining.

Impeachment Raps Versus VP Sara Duterte Pressures Congress

vice president sara duterte budget congress
Vice President Sara Duterte at the House committee on appropriations’ budget deliberation in September. Photo from House of Representatives Facebook

Members of Congress admit they are reluctant to process impeachment complaints against Vice President Sara Duterte, due to lack of time and preparation.

Manila Representative Bienvenido Abante Jr. told reporters on Thursday, January 16, that the House only has 10 session days left before the session is adjourned for the election period — “too short” to carry out a process that involves transmitting the complaints to the Office of the House Speaker before and then to the House Committee on Rules, before the House of Representatives could turn the complaints over to the Senate.

Congress adjourns on February 8 to make way for the election period. It will resume on June 2 before adjourning again on June 14 as the legislature transitions into the 20th Congress, the members of which will depend on the results of the election in May.

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