oleh admin | Mar 27, 2025 | government, news, politics, politics and government, politics and law
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Former Chief Justice David Maraga nearly found himself in hot water following comments he made at Rongo University that were misconstrued.
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A media outlet broadcasted his statement as support for President William Ruto being described as a listener, which drew the notice of the disruptive X users who have been protesting against Ruto’s administration.
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Nevertheless, Maraga promptly moved to clarify his stance, suggesting that his comments were intended as guidance for the president rather than an expression of support.
Kai Eli, a journalist with SANGGRALOKA.co.ke, has over three years of expertise in reporting on politics and contemporary issues within Kenya.
Former Chief Justice David Maraga aims to debunk the claim that he has become more lenient towards President William Ruto, who leads an administration increasingly disliked by the public.
A media organization, via its X account, cited Maraga as praising Ruto for acting like an attentive president, indicating that the previous chief of the judicial system might be softening his position on proper governance.
It was claimed that he made these comments on Thursday, March 27, during a public address about good governance, constitutional principles, and legal fairness at Rongo University.
The post caught the eye of Twitter users, who promptly started criticizing Maraga for contradicting himself.
They were curious about how the ex-CJ would transition from advocating for good governance to aligning himself with the president, who is criticized for poor leadership.
The temperature was rising, with Maraga having climbed to the top of the trending topics list.
He quickly stepped forward to clarify his stance, indicating that what was perceived as support for the president was actually just advice.
“However, if I were to provide guidance, I would urge him to hear out Kenyans…” said Maraga in a public lecture at Rongo University this morning.
oleh admin | Mar 27, 2025 | crime, news, politics, politics and government, politics and law
Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa encouraged ex-President Rodrigo Duterte, who is presently held at The Hague in the Netherlands, to stay resilient and continue battling as he approaches his 80th birthday on March 28, this coming Friday.
Dela Rosa, who is seeking another term and has been a long-time supporter of Duterte, mentioned that he plans to reach out to the ex-president on his birthday to convey his backing.
“Sa kanya lang po masasabi ko: Lahat ng mga hamon na ito ngayon, tatapusin natin yan. Tatapos talaga ito. Wala namang forever dito sa mundo. Lahat ng bagay ay pansamantalang lamang. Kaya siguro panatilihing matatag kami, patuloy ang pakikipagsapalaran, at huwag magsuko,” ani ang miyembro ng kapulis.
(I wish to convey to him that together we can surmount all these obstacles. We shall prevail over this situation. No circumstance on Earth lasts forever; everything is fleeting. Hence, let us remain resilient, continue our struggle, and never yield.)
“Huwag niyang ipinabaya ang pagsibak ng digmaan. Digmaan lamang dahil… ang malaking bahagi ng populasyon ng mga Pilipino, pati na rin yung iba na wala sa bansa o partikular sa ubanging bahaging ng buong universo ay naroon at kasama-samahan siya habang nanunuod para sana’y mapabalik niya ang sarili rito sa Pilipinas,” dagdag pa niya.
(Do not surrender in your struggle. Continue fighting as most Filipinos, including those residing abroad, empathize with him and wish for his return to the Philippines.)
The Filipino national police force, known as the PNP, has been
preparing
For the safety of the birthday rally for Duterte in Davao del Norte on Friday.
As per PDP Laban, they plan to organize gatherings and processions across different regions of the Philippines as well as in multiple international locations to mark President Duterte’s 80th birthday celebration.
On March 11, authorities helped the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) serve an arrest warrant issued by the ICC against Duterte related to his bloody anti-drug campaign, which has been labeled as crimes against humanity.
Following his detention, Duterte was taken to The Hague in the Netherlands.
On March 13 (in Philippine time), Duterte arrived at the Hague Penitentiary Institution, also known as the Scheveningen Prison, where he will remain detained pending his trial.
The scheduled date for the next hearing regarding the verification of the accusations is September 23, 2025.
—RF, GMA Integrated News
This article
Bato during Duterte’s 80th birthday: ‘Always ready’
was originally published in
GMA News Online
.
oleh admin | Mar 27, 2025 | elections, government regulations, politics, politics and government, politics and law
As the 45-day local campaign period began, the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) issued a warning about potential disqualification for both national and local candidates who provide aid (ayuda) without obtaining appropriate approval from the election commission.
“Whenever you use ayuda or distribute ayuda without exemptions from Comelec, it could either be vote-buying or an abuse of resources. We will immediately disqualify such cases right away, with no ifs and buts,” said Comelec Chairperson George Erwin Garcia to reporters on Thursday.
(National and local candidates who will distribute ayuda without proper exemptions will be immediately disqualified, no buts and what ifs.)
“Due process should be followed, yes, but we shouldn’t dwell on that aspect since the Supreme Court has affirmed the power of the Commission on Elections,” stated Garcia.
(Due process will be followed, however, the Supreme Court has upheld our authority to proceed with this action.)
The campaign period for local bettors is scheduled to start from Friday, March 28 through May 10. For the national campaigns, they will run from February 11 till May 10, 2025.
Campaigning will not be allowed on April 17 (Maundy Thursday), April 18 (Good Friday), May 11 (the day before Election Day), and May 12 (Election Day).
Last week, the electoral commission granted exemptions to certain social welfare initiatives under the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) from the election expenditure restrictions for Eleksyon 2025. This includes approximately ₱12 billion worth of assistance.
Tulong para sa Programang Pagpapabuti ng Kitas
(AKAP) financing. This additional amount comes atop the P882 million initially sought by the DSWD back in January.
Garcia cautioned politicians and candidates about this reminder:
The DSWD directives for implementing AKAP
which involves banning them from being present along with related items when distributing financial aid.
“Let’s not compromise what our fellow citizens deserve as aid. It wouldn’t be fair for them to be denied help because of your mistakes… No politician or candidate should interfere during the distribution of assistance, and hopefully, our social workers will not sacrifice their professionalism when dealing with this situation,” the election official further stated.
(We must not jeopardize the support that the public requires. It would be unjust for them to be unable to obtain assistance due to the misdeeds of the candidates. Neither politicians nor candidates will be permitted at the time of AKAP distribution.)
According to Section 261 (v) (1) of the Omnibus Election Code, public officials, employees—including those from barangays and government-owned or controlled corporations—are barred from allocating, distributing, or using public money for infrastructure initiatives during the period starting 45 days prior to a regular election and ending 30 days before a special election. This restriction does not apply to maintaining current or finished public works projects, carrying out contracted work via open bidding processes, or responding to emergencies with urgent repairs.
According to Comelec Resolution No. 11060, a certificate of exemption must be obtained for carrying out initiatives and schemes related to social welfare projects and services during the period when public spending is restricted, which spans from March 28 to May 11, 2025.
In December 2024, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) approved the appeal made by the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) to exclude certain initiatives from the expenditure prohibition. Additionally, it provided exemptions for 48 infrastructure endeavors prior to the May midterm elections.
Similarly, the Comelec declared that it will prohibit the dissemination of various types of financial aid (ayuda) ten days before the May elections, including the contentious one.
AKAP
.
— RSJ, GMA Network News
To access additional information and updates about the Eleksyon 2025, check out
GMA News Online’s Eleksyon 2025 microsite
.
This article
Comelec cautions against disqualifications for candidates giving aid without exception.
was originally published in
GMA News Online
.
oleh admin | Mar 25, 2025 | donald trump, news, news media, politics, politics and law
Donald Trump
Prime Minister’s Cabinet is under scrutiny today as multiple high-ranking intelligence officers are scheduled to face intense questioning.
Congress
a day following a massive text message leak.
On Monday, the top editor at The Atlantic
mentioned he got included in a non-classified group chat
i
Involving multiple key cabinet members of Trump deliberating over strategies for the Yemen conflict.
Now
Democrats
are utilizing the position of Director of National Intelligence
Tulsi Gabbard
‘ previous remarks against her.
“Leaks driven by political motives erode our nation’s safety and the faith of the American citizens, and such actions will not be condoned,” she stated earlier on X.
‘Any unapproved disclosure of confidential information is against the law and will be dealt with accordingly.’
Read more
oleh admin | Mar 25, 2025 | churches, courts, government, politics, politics and law
A court in Tokyo has directed the Unification Church in Japan to dissolve, as requested by the nation’s government.
The church, officially named the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification, faced greater examination following the 2022 assassination of ex-Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
The suspected killer alleges that the church caused his mother’s financial ruin, and he holds Abe responsible for his party’s connection to it.
In 2023, Japan’s education ministry requested the disbandment of the church, alleging that it had caused harm to its members and their families via deceptive funding and enrollment practices.
In support of their submission, the governmental body presented 5,000 files and evidentiary items to the court, derived from over 170 witness interviews.
In its decision regarding the case, the Tokyo District Court declared on Tuesday that it would be rescinding the official recognition of the religious group based in South Korea, commonly referred to as Moonies by its adherents. The term “Moonies” originates from the surname of the church’s founder and self-declared Messiah, Sun Myung Moon.
If the group fails to overturn this ruling effectively, they stand to lose their tax-free status and will be required to sell off all their holdings within Japan.
The church, which has expressed consideration for filing an appeal, described Tuesday’s ruling as “totally unacceptable,” asserting that the court provided “an incorrect legal interpretation.”
For the first time, a religious group in Japan is facing the consequences of a revocation order as per the nation’s civil code.
The Unification Church, established in Seoul in 1954, gained official recognition in Japan during the 1960s. This development is believed to have received backing from Abe’s grandfather, ex-Prime Minister Nobusuke Kishi.
After Abe’s murder during a political event, attention was drawn to the connections between the church and Japan’s governing Liberal Democratic Party.
In 2022, former Prime Minister Fumio Kishida conducted a cabinet reshuffle that led to the removal of seven officials associated with the church. Prior to this, Economy Minister Daishiro Yamagiwa stepped down due to his connections to the same group.
oleh admin | Mar 25, 2025 | antisemitism, controversies, judaism, news, politics and law
A lecture scheduled for Tuesday by ADL head Jonathan Greenblatt at the University of Hong Kong has been marked as “Cancelled.”
following a backlash
.
Greenblatt — who serves as the CEO of the ADL — was scheduled to
speak
on the “dangers of antisemitism and online hate speech” at the art faculty’s School of Modern Languages and Cultures. However, an online
petition
urging the university to rescind the invitation garnered over 1,000 signatures.
It remains uncertain whether the discussion is taking place in private sessions or through an online platform. Despite multiple attempts at inquiry, neither the faculty, the department, nor HKU have provided any responses to HKFP.
The petition alleged that Greenblatt — who previously served as a special assistant to ex-US President Barack Obama — equated opposition to Israel with white supremacy as a root cause of anti-Semitism, which has angered numerous grassroots activists and Jewish advocacy organizations opposed to Israeli policies.
In 2022, Greenblatt asserted that “anti-Zionism is antisemitism” during a discussion.
speech
To ADL leadership. Israeli philosopher Chaim Gans
describes
Zionism, aimed at establishing a Jewish state, has been described as “inherently an ethnic cultural nationalism.” Other academics
call
Zionism “is the colonization of Palestine.”
Gaza’s Health Ministry
said
Last week, it was reported that more than 50,000 people have died within the enclave since the recent clash with Israel started in 2023. Nevertheless, The Lancet medical journal has
said
The real number of deaths could be as much as 41% greater.
The most recent attack on the Palestinian region has occurred.
sparked
When the militant organization Hamas seized approximately 250 hostages and claimed over 1,139 lives on October 7, 2023.
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Headquartered in New York, the ADL has faced criticism for defending what appeared to be a Nazi salute performed by U.S. businessman Elon Musk at a political gathering in January.
calling
It was “a clumsy act born out of excitement.”
The petition additionally highlighted that the organization’s previous leader had criticized Greenblatt for not denouncing Donald Trump’s “disturbing display of antisemitism, racism, xenophobia, and sexism” during a campaign event as a presidential nominee back in October.
The petition stated that ‘[the ADL] has largely abandoned its traditional role in combating antisemitism in favor of advocating for Israel.’ Therefore, we firmly request HKU to revoke their invitation due to his divisive viewpoints, one-sided support for Israel, and hateful rhetoric.
Open letter
An open letter was additionally published on aHKU subreddit.
forum
Accuses Greenblatt of drawing parallels between anti-Zionism and antisemitism, as well as likening the Arab keffiyeh – a traditional headscarf worn in many Arab nations – to the Nazi swastika.
The ADL failed to reply to HKFP’s queries on Monday.
Greenblatt is scheduled to address attendees at the Ohel Leah Synagogue in Mid Levels on Wednesday evening during a ticketed gathering.
chat
However, the web page promoting the event was taken down by Tuesday, and calls to the synagogue remained unanswered.
Last year, the International Court of Justice — the main judicial organ of the United Nations — determined that Israel’s actions in Gaza might constitute genocide. However, Israel has rejected these allegations.
Last November, the United Nations-supported International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, former Defence Chief Yoav Gallant, along with a previous Hamas military leader, on charges alleging war crimes and crimes against humanity.
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