Menardo Guevarra said the Department of Justice (DOJ) would expand its review to include the more than 6,000 killings during police operations, after which many officers were cleared of wrongdoing in internal police investigations.

"Time and resources permitting, the DOJ will review these thousands of other cases too," Guevarra told Reuters.

The decision indicates a shift from the Philippines' vehement defence of the drugs war, which has seen the government scold critics and activists who alleged there were systematic executions of drug suspects by police.

Read More

Duterte said on March 3 that the move was to lessen the country's dependence on non-renewable coal, which contributes 57 percent of the country's power.

"The energy department is hereby mandated to develop and implement the nuclear energy programme as part of the Philippine Energy Plan by utilizing the nuclear power plant," he said in an executive order.

The facility in question is the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant in Bataan province, central Luzon. It was built in the 1980s at a cost of US$2.2 billion to generate 623 megawatts of electricity. It was never commissioned, however, because of anti-nuclear protests.

Read More

More than 13 million people in the national capital region went into lockdown on August 6 as the hyper-contagious Delta variant helped drive a resurgence in infections that has strained hospitals.

A Covid-19 task force agreed on Thursday to allow more businesses to open their doors from Saturday. But a stay-at-home order for non-essential workers would remain in place and restaurant dining banned.

The decision to ease COVID-19 restrictions set off apprehension among overstretched healthcare workers.

The Philippines health department confirmed on Friday a total of 17,231 new COVID-19 infections. This was the highest daily number of infections since the pandemic began last year. In addition, there were 317 fatalities on the same day, the highest daily death toll in four months.

With more than 1.8 million cases and 31,198 deaths, the Philippines has one of the highest coronavirus tolls in Asia.

The health ministry urged more people to identify infections sooner and get vaccinated to boost protection.

"Early consultation and testing would help to cut infections in homes, communities, and workplaces," it said in a statement.

More than 26% of samples taken tested positive, the country's highest positivity rate so far, while active cases hit 123,251, a four-month record.

Hospitals were filling up, with 73% of the country's intensive care capacity already utilised and 61% of isolation beds occupied, government data showed.

But, President Rodrigo Duterte said the country could not afford more lockdowns after coronavirus measures shattered the economy and threw millions out of work.

Manila Barber Joel Carino is eager to get back to normal life.

"Ever since the start of lockdown, we felt hunger. I'm not in favour of it since a lot of Filipinos are struggling. There are no jobs given most establishments are closed," he said.

But with a long way to go with vaccinations and record highs for daily infections, active case numbers and the positivity rate, the virus problems are far from over in the Philippines, hurting its poorest the most.

"A lot are feeling the weight especially in businesses similar to ours. We have no sales, there are no people," said restaurant manager Ely Cundangan.

Sources

UCA News

Aljazeera

David, 62, has served as the conference's vice president for the last four years. He will begin the two-year term as head of the conference on December 1.

The bishop is well known as a staunch critic of President Rodrigo Duterte's war on illegal drugs. In 2017, he likened the thousands of victims to "slaughtered sheep."

Ucanews.com reported the bishop was also among several priests accused of sedition after videos surfaced online accusing Duterte's family of being involved in illegal drug operations.

In return, David received the ire of President Duterte in 2019: "You know if you are a priest and you want to attack me. Listen, you son of a whore, get out of your pulpit.

"Don't use religion.

"Come here. In the church, you attack me.

"When I fight back, this will be hit."

As a young man, David attended Jesuit-run San Jose Seminary and Ateneo de Manila University. He studied theology with former Manila archbishop Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, now prefect of the Vatican Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples.

David was ordained as a priest for the Archdiocese of San Fernando in 1983 where he was appointed as the auxiliary bishop for 14 years until he was transferred to the Caloocan diocese in January 2016.

He previously chaired the Episcopal Commission on Biblical Apostolate of CBCP, and was also among the five Filipino bishop delegates to the Synod of Bishops on the Word of God in the Vatican in 2008.

David also holds a doctorate in theology from the Catholic University of Louvain in Belgium.

Sources

• National Catholic Reporter
• Inquirer

"I'm planning to invite the Russian Orthodox missionaries to come to the Philippines so that we can look for a place where we can build the Orthodox Church," Duterte said during the question and answer portion of the Valdai Forum in Sochi city on Thursday.

"It was built many years ago by the Russians, 1922. This was destroyed, It's an old dilapidated…," he added.

Before this, Duterte lamented how bishops have criticized his administration's brutal war against illegal drugs. Read more

After calling the country's Catholic bishops "useless fools" who should be "killed," Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has now warned anyone against harming priests and prelates.

The president made the warning after being told that people close to his family have threatened bishops and priests critical of his administration's policies. Read more

Human rights groups claim more than 20,000 suspected drug users and dealers have been killed in President Rodrigo Duterte's two-and-a-half year drug war. Read more

In a speech last week, Duterte accused bishops of being useless because they criticised his administration, which came to power in 2016.

Besides deriding Church leaders as "useless fools" who worship a "stupid" god, Duterte called the Church "the most hypocritical institution" for casting doubt on his extrajudicial drug war.

He also claimed 90 percent of priests are homosexuals who lack any standing to "postulate" on his morality.

The bishops have hit back, with one branding him a murderous madman.

Several bishops say the president's call for them to be killed is dangerous.

"This is worrisome coming from a psychotic mind," Bishop Arturo Bastes says, adding provocation should not be taken lightly.

"This should no longer be taken as joke."

Auxiliary Bishop Broderick Pabillo says anyone who asks for others to be killed is not a real leader.

"He is instigating people to go against the law," Pabillo says.

"I hope he is joking or he is really out of his mind."

Bishop Ruperto Santos says the president lost moral authority with his "heartless, hateful and harmful call for the killing of bishops".

The Philippines Council of the Laity has come out in support of the bishops.

The influential lay organisation is calling on Catholics "to stand up for God and defend our faith in Him ... [and] renew our commitment to go and fill our churches.

"More than ever, [Catholics] are called upon to live a life worthy of our Christian vocation," he says.

Source

• UCA News
• RT.com
• UCA News
• Image: Philippine Star

"When someone is baptised, you have to pay…when someone dies, you have to pay," he says.

"Build your own chapel in your own house and pray there. You don't have to go to church to pay for these idiots," he is reported to have said.

Duterte's slighting comments follow months of putdowns targeting the Church and senior clergy.

Last week, for example, Duterte accused Filipino Bishop Pablo Virgilio David (a vocal critic of Duterte-sanctioned drug-related killings in the Philippines) of giving church donations to his own family. He offered no supporting evidence for his accusation.

David denies Duterte's accusations. "People who are sick sometimes do not know what they are talking about," he says.

This week, Duterte says he thinks David might be into drugs.

"I'm telling you, David. I wonder why he goes around in the evening. I suspect that he might be into drugs," he said.

Reacting to Duterte's statement, David posted on Facebook: "No sir, I'm not into drugs of any sort, whether legal or illegal. Never been.

"I only help in rehabilitating people addicted to drugs … Thank God I am not even taking any maintenance drugs yet.

"I only take vitamins with fruit shake blended (with moringa) in the morning. You might want to try it, sir. It will do you a lot of good. God bless you."

Filipino Bishop Arturo Bastes says people should disregard the president's statement.

"Every Filipino with the right mind should only ignore this nonsense," Bishop Bastes said. "I don't want to comment on this crazy idea. I am tired of his stupid remarks."

Bishop Ruperto Santos of Balanga said the president's statement is "very irresponsible and heartless" and could sow division.

Earlier this week Duterte lambasted the bishops for believing in an "archaic" church that is good only at making money.

"The Catholic Church and Bishop David are clinging to a belief 3,000 years ago," he said. "How can people 3,000 years ago predict what is happening today?"

Auxiliary Bishop Broderick Pabillo of Manilla said Duterte's ranting "will have no effect."

Source

• Catholic News Agency
• The Catholic Register
• Catholic Philly
• Image: UCAN Directory

"What the (immigration service) did, in this case, is beyond what the law provides, that is why it has to be struck down," said a statement from Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra, who oversees immigration matters.

It added that Sister Fox "may continue to perform her duties as a missionary" until her visa expires in September or "until a final resolution" in her deportation proceedings is reached.

A spokesman for President Rodrigo Duterte said the 71-year-old nun is "not yet off the hook" and still has to face the deportation case.

Harry Roque said the Justice Department upheld the validity of Fox's visa only "without prejudice to the deportation proceedings."

"The issue in the deportation proceedings is, was she involved in political activities?" said Roque.

Bishop Arturo Bastes of Sorsogon commented: "What Duterte wants, Duterte gets by hook or by crook."

Sister Elenita Belardo, national coordinator of the Rural Missionaries of the Philippines, said the ruling "gives hope to the poor who [Fox] vows to serve with her life."

Fox, who has been living in the Philippines since 1990, attracted Duterte's wrath after joining a fact-finding mission in April to investigate alleged abuses against farmers - including killings and evictions by soldiers fighting guerrillas in the southern Philippines.

Before Monday's decision was released, Fox said she would fight moves to deport her.

"It's more of looking at getting due process for myself (and) this happening to others," she told ABS-CBN television.

"I'm thinking if there's no due process when I am high profile, how much more in the provinces where people are being arrested?"

Source

• nzherald.co.nz
• channelnewsasia.com
• ucanews.com
• Image: philstar.com

It has agreed to extend her stay in the Philippines and review her appeal against an order from the Bureau of Immigration (BI) to forfeit her visa.

Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra has announced Fox now has until June 18 to leave the country if the Bureau of Immigration's order is to be implemented.

The 71-year-old nun welcomed the prompt response of Guevarra to the petition for review that she filed before the DoJ on Friday afternoon.

That was the deadline set by the BI after it accused her of participating in "partisan political activities" in the country.

The DoJ's order gave Fox "a ray of hope" that her case would be fairly reviewed and she prays that the BI's April 23 order will be reversed and set aside "for utter lack of factual and legal basis," Fox's legal counsel Robert Pahilga said.

"This also removes the anxiety and concern that she will be arrested anytime by the agents of the bureau similar to what they did last April 16."

But Fox and her lawyers are not complacent.

Pahilga said it seems that no less than the most powerful man in the country, President Rodrigo Duterte, wants her out of the country.

"If I do not contest the government's order, it could become a bad precedent," Fox told ucanews.com last week.

The Philippines' immigration bureau revoked Fox's missionary visa on April 23 for allegedly participating in "partisan political activities."

It also "deactivated" her alien certificate of registration.

On May 23, the bureau rejected her appeal for it to reinstate her missionary visa.

It had also dismissed Fox's claims of lack of due process.

Source

• ucanews.com
• manilatimes.net
• Image: gmanetwork.com

Sister Patricia Fox has been living in the Philippines for 27 years as a missionary.

Sister Fox says the Bureau of Immigration has "no right to define and delimit the scope of our missionary and apostolate works."

The bureau says it revoked her visa because she attended protest rallies of farmers and workers demanding justice from the government.

As a result, it said the Australian nun's actions violate the conditions of her visa that require no involvement in politics.

Her lawyer argues that it seems like an attempt to dilute the interpretation of the nun's religious vocation. He has submitted a 25-page rebuttal of her deportation order.

He says the order violates the country's laws as they guarantee the "free exercise and enjoyment of religious profession and worship."

The 71-year-old Australian nun says the bureau should have consulted a religious person. She demands therefore that they talk to a bishop or a priest to understand better the role of a missionary

"Wherever we are, we must become involved in the situation in which we live," she says.

Church support

Bishop Deogracias Iniguez convenes the Ecumenical Bishops' Forum. He says the church especially "defines the word 'missionary' by defining Christ's life."

"A missionary of the church is a missionary for Christ. As missionaries, we are invited to immerse ourselves with the poor."

The bureau meanwhile says the prosecutor will review the nun's arguments against deportation. The case is pending.

Sister Fox's activities appear especially to have angered the Philippines president.

Last month President Duterte admitted that he had personally ordered the investigation into her status.

"You do not have the right to criticize us.... just because you are a nun," reporters quoted him.

Source:

• UCA News
• Image: UCA News

She has been labelled an "undesirable" foreigner for what the country's Bureau of Immigration says is "her involvement in partisan political activities."

The 71-year-old Australian nun has 30 days to leave the Philippines.

An immigration spokeswoman said she can still return as a tourist, but not as a missionary.

In a one-page order, immigration bureau head Jaime Morente asked Fox to leave the Philippines after "she was found to have engaged in activities that are not allowed under the terms and conditions of her visa."

Fox said in a statement that she was surprised by the order and that she hoped authorities would change their minds before the 30 days were up.

She told Australia's ABC TV: "For me, it is part of my mission as a Catholic sister to stand beside those whose human rights have been violated, who are asking for help."

"We will file a motion for reconsideration on this order," said Jobert Pahilga, Fox's lawyer. "She has not participated in any partisan activity. She is a nun."

The left-wing activist group Bayan (Nation) condemned the expulsion order of a nun who "has done so much for Philippine farmers in her nearly three decades stay here."

"The Duterte regime is paranoid and afraid of an elderly nun working for human rights and social justice for the poor," Bayan leader Renato Reyes said in a statement.

"The deportation order of Sister Pat is indeed despicable and utterly shameful," said Mr Reyes.

Last week in a speech to soldiers, Philippines President Duterte said he ordered the immigration bureau to look into Sister Patricia's political activities in the country.

Source

• npr.org
• theaustralian.com.au
• abc.net
• Image: Twitter

His words were directed at an Australian nun, Sister Patricia Fox, who was detained by immigration authorities last week.

"You nun, why don't you criticise your own government, the way (they) handled the refugees hungry and dying and turned them back to the open sea?

"Why don't you rant there?" Duterte said during a change-of-command ceremony of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

He has personally ordered an investigation into Fox's activities for "disorderly conduct" and "violation of sovereignty."

"I ordered her to be investigated, not deported at once, not arrested, but invite her to an investigation for a disorderly conduct," Duterte said.

"It was upon my orders, implemented by the BI (Bureau of Immigration), and I take full responsibility, legal or otherwise, for this incident."

The president said only Filipinos are entitled to criticize his administration.

He said he would personally order the arrest of Fox if she is caught attacking the government in demonstrations and protest rallies.

The 71-year-old superior of the Sisters of Our Lady of Sion in the Philippines was arrested by six immigration officials on Monday last week and held for 24 hours.

She was accused of conducting illegal political activities in breach of her visa and of being an "undesirable alien".

Fox has denied the allegations and said pictures produced as evidence were actually taken of her during an international fact-finding mission into alleged abuses and displacement of indigenous people in Mindanao under the current military operation there.

Source

• ucanews.com
• theaustralian.com.au
• philstar.com
• Image: The Star/Miguel De Guzman

Harry Roque said that as of September 30, authorities have been investigating 2,243 incidents with "drug-related motives".

He added that the "President himself made a clear stance that any violation committed by the police during operations would be dealt with accordingly.

"Accountability is essential to good governance," he added.

Roque said that the government is one with the Church in the "true healing of this nation that has long been divided by politics."

He said they wanted to build a better relationship with the Catholic Church.

They would like to have the cooperation of its leaders and are calling on Catholics to pro-actively help the government in its anti-illegal drug campaign.

He added that one area in which the Chuch could help was the rehabilitation and treatment of drug dependents.

At a forum in Quezon City on Saturday, the Philippines Catholic Bishops' Conference (CBCP) and various sectoral and church groups announced their plan of a holding a 33-day period of religious activities meant to amplify their call to stop extrajudicial killings in the country.

The activities began with Mass at the Shrine of Mary, Queen of Peace, Our Lady of EDSA, in Manila on Sunday

The CBCP is asking people to pray the rosary for 33 days until the feast of the Immaculate Conception on December 8.

This new campaign follows an earlier 40-day "mourning period" that culminated on November 2, All Souls' Day, with a symbolic tolling of bells and lighting of candles for thousands of people killed in President Rodrigo Duterte's 16-month war on drugs.

Source

• Reuters
• GMA News
• GMA news
• Image: Dailypedia

They were reacting to Sunday's results of a Social Weather Stations' (SWS) survey showing Duterte's net satisfaction rating fell from June's "very good rating" to "good".

According to the third quarter survey, which was conducted from September 23 to 27, 67 percent of adult Filipinos were satisfied with Duterte's performance, 14 percent were undecided and 19 percent were dissatisfied.

Compared to June's +66 or very good rating, the recent survey showed a net satisfaction rating of +48. This is classified by SWS as good.

According to the survey the net trust in Duterte also declined.

One church leader said he had expected a lower satisfaction rating.

"I expected it to be even lower in view of the deep dissatisfaction of the people with Duterte's pro-death dictatorial administration," Bishop Arturo Bastes said.

He said social unrest is building and foreign investors are shying away from the Philippines because of human rights violations.

"Slowly the economic gains of our country are eroding because of [our] bad international reputation. I hope that we will not regress and become once again the economic basket case of Asia."

Bastes said even foreign leaders are "jeering" at the Philippines because of the present administration's policies.

He said the survey result should serve as a "wake-up call" to the president and his supporters, especially as the poorest Filippinos surveyed had expressed the deepest disappointment with Duterte's administration.

Another Catholic priest, Father Jerome Secillano, thinks the president's net satisfaction and trust rating will continue to go down unless Duterte makes changes.

"It will continue to go down unless he shapes up especially on issues of corruption, extrajudicial killings and police impunity," he said.

Source

• Manila Bulletin
• Inquirer.net
• Image: ibon.org

Bishop Jose Oliveros of Malolos, where 32 of last week's 81 victims died, says: "We are all concerned about the number of drug related killings in the province because they are mostly, if not all, extra-judicial killings,".

When he found out about the 32 deaths, Duterte is said to have commented: "That's beautiful. If we can only kill 32 every day, then maybe we can reduce what ails this country."

Oliveros can only guess at the reason for the deaths. "We do not know the motivation of the police, why they had to do the killings in one day … maybe to impress the president, who wanted more," he says.

Bishop Pablo Virgilio David, who is Vice President of the Philippines Catholic Bishops' Conference, has been comparing Duterte's human rights abuses and authoritarianism with those of Ferdinand Marcos in the 1970s and 80s.

"During Marcos's time, ‘communist' was used as a ‘label and justification' for abductions and killings," David says.

"Now, it's ‘drug suspects.' I don't know of any law in any civilized society that says a person deserves to die because he or she is a ‘drug suspect'."

David is warning his fellow Filipinos who agree with Duterte's approach that their turn could be next.

"You might be surprised to find your name in the list one of these days," he says. "Anyone can be listed as a ‘drug suspect'."

"A victim's mother told me they know they are ‘unworthy' people, and that no one would stand up for them," he adds.

"It is as if we have accepted the narrative that people who use drugs deserve to die."

The Catholic Church in the Philippines also opposes suggestions that Duterte's party could legalise divorce (the Philippines is presently the only state in the world with no divorce law, other than the Vatican) and same-sex unions.

Source

• Aljazeera
• Crux
• Image: canadianinquirer.net

Further atrocities are emerging as news reports filter out of the region.

The militants have raised the black ISIS flag in the town.

Exactly where the priest and others were when they were kidnapped is not clear.

One report from Bishop Edwin dela Peña said the terrorists broke into the priest's house inside the Cathedral's compound.

Another, from Philippines Bishops' Conference president Archbishop Socrates Villegas, said the hostages were in St. Mary's Cathedral when a Maute fighting group forced its way in and kidnapped them.

"They have threatened to kill the hostages if the government forces unleashed against them are not recalled," the archbishop added.

The attack on Tuesday follows government forces raiding a militant leader's hideout. Isnilon Hapiloa is a commander of the Abu Sayyaf militant group that has pledged allegiance to ISIS.

Hapiloa is on Washington's list of most-wanted terrorists with a US$5m reward for information leading to his capture.

President Rodrigo Duterte has declared a state of martial law in the south of the Philippines.

"We are in a state of emergency," Duterte said on Wednesday.

"I have a serious problem in Mindanao and the Isis footprints are everywhere."

Thirteen extremists have died in fighting since martial law was declared.

Fears are growing that the Philippines, which is the largest Catholic state in Asia, could join the countries grappling with the spread ISIS.

Source

• ABS CBN News
• The Guardian
• Express
• Image: Yahoo

Their concern follows months of killings as Filipino President, Rodrigo Duterte, fights a war against drugs.

In their letter, which was read at all Masses on Sunday, the bishops recounted the passage of a House of Representatives bill that would restore the death penalty.

The death penalty was abolished in the Philippines in 2006. Duterte has advocated its restoration.

"It was Ash Wednesday when members of the lower House, on the second reading of the death penalty bill, outvoted by voice-voting the nays with their ayes.

"Ironically, they were captured on television shouting in favor of death with their foreheads marked with crosses made of ashes," the bishops said.

"Could they have forgotten what that cross meant?"

Thousands of "drug war" victims are estimated to have died so far.

"To the people who use the Bible to defend the death penalty, need we point out how many other crimes against humanity have been justified, using the same Bible?" the bishops asked.

Source

• Crux
• Image: Malay Mail Online