Philippine Senate Investigations and Political Updates

Investigation of Alice Goh's Escape

• Committees Involved:
  • Senate Committee on Justice and Human Rights (Chair: Coco Pimentel)
  • Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender Equality (Chair: Risa Hontiveros)
  • Panel on Public Services (Chair: Rafi Tulfo)
• Key Points:
  • Alice Goh, dismissed Mayor of Bambantarloc, allegedly escaped the Philippines.
  • Hontiveros revealed Goh is no longer in the country and supports canceling her passport.
  • The government is reaching out to Interpol for assistance in locating Goh.
  • The issue ties into larger problems of crime related to POGO (Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators), recognized as a regional and global issue.
  • There are doubts about the effectiveness of cases against Guo due to her absence; her cases may be archived if she is not found.

Impeachment Allegations against Vice President Sara Duterte

• Duterte's Claims:
  • Allegations of an impeachment plot against her in the House of Representatives.
• House Lawmakers' Response:
  • Denied any impeachment efforts; assert that auditing her secret funds is a regular duty, not politically motivated.
  • Highlighted that discussing baseless claims is a waste of time and resources.

Controversy Over Duterte's Children's Book Project

• Project Details:
  • Vice President Sara Duterte proposed a 10 million pesos project for her children's book "Isang Kaibigan" (One Friend) aimed at public school students.
• Opposition:
  • Two lawmakers seek to block funding for the project.
  • Senator Risa Hontiveros challenged the project's cost and relevance, considering it public funding.
  • Duterte's office defends the project's goals, asserting no irregularities and readiness to answer questions.
• Project Cost Analysis:
  • OVP plans to print 200,000 copies at a ceiling price of 50 pesos each, which could be lower after bidding.

Inquiry into COVID-19 Debt Accumulation

• Call to Investigate:
  • House leaders request an investigation into how the Duterte administration accrued 7.2 trillion pesos in debt during the pandemic.
  • Former President Duterte's administration ended with over 12 trillion pesos in debt after aggressive borrowing for pandemic responses.

Recent Health Updates

• MPOC Cases:
  • Continuous surveillance ordered after detection of a case in the Philippines.
  • Patient has recovered, but 41 close contacts remain under quarantine with monitoring protocols.
• Health Chief's Assurance:
  • Emphasized that the MPOC outbreak will not lead to a new pandemic similar to COVID-19.

Environmental Concerns: Oil Spill Update

• Situation Overview:
  • Philippine Coast Guard estimates two weeks needed to fully extract oil from sunken tanker MTKR Taranova.
  • Booster pumps expected to increase extraction to 200,000 liters per day.

Commemoration of Ninoy Aquino's Assassination

• Event Overview:
  • 41st anniversary of Ninoy Aquino's assassination commemorated despite rescheduling of Ninoy Aquino Day.
• Public Response:
  • Family members and supporters gathered to honor his legacy; criticisms of changing the holiday from August 21 to August 23 for tourism purposes.
• Political Context:
  • Renewed discussions on potential alliances for the 2025 national elections, with affirmations of independence from the current administration.