Former Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago, 71, succumbed to cancer on Thursday morning, according to her husband Atty. Jun Santiago.
"She died peacefully in her sleep this morning," Santiago said.
The former lawmaker passed away while confined at the St. Luke's Medical Center in Bonifacio Global City. She shocked everyone when she divulged in 2014 that she had stage 4 lung cancer.
Born in Iloilo City on June 15, 1945, the former senator ran for president in the May 2016 elections but lost to President Rodrigo Duterte. She also sought the presidency in 1992 (won by Fidel Ramos) and 1998 (won by Joseph Estrada).
Sen. Grace Poe announced the passing of Sen. Miriam Santiago and offered a prayer in the middle of FOI hearing | via @adrianayalin
Senator Leila de Lima did an emotional press conference to hit back at President Rodrigo Duterte. Here's a transcript on what she said:
De Lima: The alleged drug matrix is nothing but trash.
De Lima: No amount of apologies from the president will bring back the dead to life. He is not Jesus Christ.
De Lima: President Duterte's apology is a clear admission that there is really nothing in that ridiculous matrix that links me to drug trade
De Lima: It is tragic that the highest official of the land has not only been fed lies but also has listened to rumors and intrigues.
On the Bilibid Riot that resulted to the death of Drug lord Tony Co. Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II confirmed that a certain Tony Co, an inmate at Bilibid, died after the riot at Building 14. Other high-profile inmates which includes Peter Co, Vicente Sy, Jaybee Sebastian and retired police Chief Inspector Clarence Dongail were also injured, according to Aguirre. Co, Sy, and Sebastian were taken to the Medical Center Muntinlupa. While Dongail was also hurt, he did not want to be brought to a hospital and chose to be treated at Bilibid, said Aguirre.
De Lima: The official statement of the DOJ is that this is a riot. Of course, we do not know yet at this point.
De Lima: I am not discounting the possibility that this is Malacañan's way of sending messages to inmates who refused to implicate me in the Bilibid drug trade as part of Aguirre and Malacañan's 'teleseryes'.
De Lima: I plead to Malacañang to stop these desperate and despicable actions.
De Lima: Pinipilit po ang isang gang leader na mag-testify against me.
De Lima: It makes the government an assassin state. A state that promotes murder and summary execution as weapon vs enemies.
De Lima: Sila ang nanggigipit sa akin. Masyado na nila akong ginigipit, inaapi. Tapos ganyan pa gagawin nila. Lahat nalang sinisisi sa akin
De Lima: And they call themselves men. Ganyan ba ang mga lalaki? They're cowards, fools and liars.
De Lima: Tama na po Pangulo. Para siraan niyo ako, hindi niyo na iniisip kung ano ang nagiging hitsura nyo sa mata ng bayan at mundo.
De Lima: Kayo na ang pinagtatawanan, hindi ako. Inosente ako. Nagkakamali kayo.
De Lima: I cannot escape this country because I have nothing to escape from.
De Lima: I want to fight here in my country, hindi po ako duwag dahil wala po akong kasalanan.
De Lima: Duwag lang ang umaatras. Hindi si Leila de Lima. Hindi ako pinalaki para maging duwag.
De Lima: Matagal na pong may serious threats sa akin pero isinasantabi ko lang.
De Lima: Nakikiusap ako sa kay Aguirre, pangulo na huminto na kayo sa madness. There are forces, elements, and personalities surrounding the president na alam kasi nila kung gaano kagalit sa akin ang pangulo gawa noong 2009 dahil dyan sa DDS
De Lima: All of a sudden, I'm now the Bilibid drug queen because of these lies these personalities are feeding
De Lima sa mga inmates sa NBP na ayaw umanong tumestigo laban sa kanya: Kahit mga drug convicts 'yan, marunong naman makonsensya siguro.
De Lima: Right now I'm just trying to do my job. Nakakatulog naman po ako, nakakakain naman po ako.
De Lima: Alam niyo ba how do I feel? No one can imagine kung ano ang dinadala ko dito.
De Lima: Tama na po. Stop it, stop the madness. I tell you Mr. President, kasi hindi kayo nakikinig, mapapahiya kayo.
De Lima: Alam kong malalaman niyo po 'yan, na yang pini-feed nila sa inyo ay puro kabulastugan.
De Lima: Alam ko naman na inosente ako. Mauubos lang pagod ko, wala nga akong lawyers as of this point.
De Lima: I have never prepared for this, for this magnitude.
De Lima: Marami ang nagtatanong kung paano sila makakatulong. Ang sinasabi ko na lang, ipagpatuloy ang pagdarasal.
De Lima: Ipagdasal niyo ako, ang Pangulo, nang siya ay maliwanagan. Ipagdasal niyo ang bayan.
De Lima: This is unimaginable, unprecedented, all because of personal vendetta
De Lima: But I'm not accessing these former officials para wala nang masabi.
De Lima: I've been suggesting na sana ipatawag din sina Gen. Villasanta, Gen. Bucayu and other officials dahil sila ang mas nakakaalam niyan
De Lima: Sana hindi nalang ako nanalo para hindi ako pinag didiskitahan ngayon.
De Lima:Sana makinig na po ang pangulo. Wag niyo po akong sisisihin tapos later, it all blows up on your face
Saudia plane from KSA isolated at NAIA. Situation still unclear and very fluid. Passengers of aircraft should have disembarked at 1 pm. The commercial flight from Saudi Arabia was put on hold and has been placed in total isolation upon landing at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport on Tuesday afternoon.
The report said Saudia flight SVA 872 from Jeddah was isolated in a secluded portion of the Manila airport.
The Manila International Airport Authority said it is still confirming if the plane was hijacked, adding that it was isolated for security protocol.
Situation in the area remains unclear. Personnel of the Philippine National Police Aviation Security Group are seen at the site.
Saudia plane from KSA isolated at NAIA. Situation still unclear. Pax of aircraft should have disembarked at 1 pm pic.twitter.com/I0P93yUiHw
Senator Antonio Trillanes IV has issue an apology on Monday, September 19, 2016 for his demeanor and actions during the Senate hearing on extra judicial killings held last Thursday.
He sent a letter addressed to Sen. Allan Peter Cayetano, in the letter Trillanes explained his action was “brought about because of the intense passion and emotion of the moment. Nonetheless, it was uncalled for.” He assured Cayetano the “incident will not happen again.”
Cayetano for his part accepted Trillanes apology, "take his apology in good faith", he said during an interveiw.
Several sectors have urged the lawmaker to apologize to Cayetano, among them are graduates of the Philippine Military Academy
“We, the undersigned, condemn in the strongest terms your behavior as a bully and your conduct unbecoming of a people’s senator,” according to the online petition initiated by Dan Jimenez, a Philippine Military Academy (PMA) alumnus, on Friday, Sept. 16, and has since been co-handled by Abe Purugganan, likewise a PMA graduate.
Justice committee chaired by Senator Leila de Lima resumes hearings today September 15 she presented a new witness Edgar Matubato of Davao City, 57 who claimed that he is a former Lambada Boys which eventually renamed Davao Death Squad. He claimed he wants to give justice to the killings he committed.
Here are his testimony based on the senate hearing:
- Matubato: Noong 1982 pumasok ako ng CAFGU ng Scout Ranger. Matagal din ako naging CAFGU.
- Matubato: Nung nagsimula maging Mayor si Duterte kinuha ako sa Davao City, nagtatag siya ng grupo na "Lambada boys" o liquidation squad.
- Matubato: Ang trabaho po namin ay pumapatay ng kriminal kagaya ng drug pusher, rapist, snatcher. Ganyan po ang pinapatay namin araw-araw.
- Matubato: Nung 1993, dumami na kami. Sumama na samin ang rebel returnees.
- Matubato: Noong 1993, binomba ang Cathedral ng Davao City. Umorder naman si Mayor Duterte na massacre-in ang mosque ng mga Muslim.
- Matubato: Inuutos ni Mayor Duterte (ngayo'y Pres. Duterte) na bombahin ang mosque. Gumaganti siya sa pagbomba ng Cathedral.
- Matubato: Inutos rin niya na hulihin 'yung mga Muslim na suspek at patayin. Inabangan namin 'yung mga Muslim.
- Matubato: Pagkatapos patayin, inililibing namin sa isang quarry (site).
Matubato also tags PNP Chief DG Ronald Dela Rosa in the kidnapping of a certain Sali Makdum.Matubato says they killed Makdum and buried his body in a quarry site.
- Matubato on Makdum: Binigti muna tapos pinutol-putol ang katawan, hiniwa-hiwalay
- Matubato: Pinakidnap din ni Mayor Duterte ang apat na tao ni Prospero Nograles.
- Matubato identifies Sonny Buenaventura and a certain Lascanas as one of Mayor Duterte's men
- Matubato: May kagalit si Vice Mayor Paulo Duterte, sinalvage namin, kami ni Arthur Lascanas, nilagyan ng .38-caliber para masabing lumaban.
- Matubato: May pinapatay na fixer ng LTO si Mayor Duterte noong 2013. Pinalabas namin na holdaper.
- Matubato: Marami kaming pinapatay, pero hindi namin nalalaman ang pangalan.
- Matubato: Sa Davao, kapag napapatay 'yan, may baril 'yan. Nilalagyan ng baril para ebidensya na nanlaban. Ang pulis may reserba na baril.
- Matubato: May 3 hinihinalang pusher na babae, doon namin kinuha sa apartment nila, pinatay namin.
- Matubato: Dinala namin yung 3 babae sa San Rafael Village, doon namin pinatay, iniwan namin sa kalsada. 2013 'yun.
- Matubato: 2007, mayroon kaming operasyon, nanghuli kami ng kidnapper sa Sarangani. Dinala namin 'yung tao tapos pinakain namin sa buwaya.
- Witness: 1993, mayroon kaming pinatay na religious group leader. Sa pagkakaalam ko lang, nang-aagaw ng lupa ang mga tao niya.
- Witness: 5 mayor ang nag-finance sa pagpatay sa kanya.
- Witness: 2014, pinatay ang pinakabilyonaryo sa Cebu na si Richard King doon sa Davao City. Ang nag-utos nyan si Paulo Duterte.
- Witness: Pinapatay si King dahil rival sila ni Paulo sa 1 babae na may-ari ng McDonald sa Davao.
- Witness: Rebel-returnees ang tumira kay Richard King.
- Witness: Nagpaalam na ko noong Sept. 2013 na 'di na ko magtatrabaho kasi matanda na ko
- Witness: Nakokonsensya na ko kaya gusto ko na magtrabaho ng marangal. Ayaw nila ako magsalita, ako ang ginawa nila fall guy sa kaso ni King.
- Witness: Tinorture ako ng 1 linggo. Gusto nila akong patayin para hindi na ako magsalita. Pasalamat ko na lang na hindi ako sinalvage.
- Witness: Noong nalaman kong nanalo si Duterte na Pangulo, kusa akong lumabas. Umalis ako sa Witness Protection Program
- Witness: Nagtago ako sa Cebu, Leyte, Samar. August 21, 2014, sumurrender ako sa CHR.
- Witness: Simula 1988 hanggang 2013 ang patayan sa Davao, siguro ang napatay namin higit isang libo na sa Davao City lang
- Witness: Ipinapatay ni Duterte ang broadcaster na si Jun Pala noong 2013
- Witness: In-ambush si Jun Pala pauwi sa kanilang bahay. Pinalabas na NPA.
- Witness: Inutos ni Mayor Duterte na patayin 'yung dance instructor na kasintahan ng kapatid niya.
- Witness: Binigti namin, sinaksak. Kinuhaan namin ng damit, sinunog namin, pinutol-putol ang katawan, binuhusan ng used oil para di sumingaw
- Matobato says policeman Arthur Lascanas, who leads the killings, is very powerful in Davao, can even order generals
- Witness: Sa pag-umpisa ko mula 1988 hanggang 2013, siguro nasa 50 katao ang napatay ko.
- Witness: Si Paolo Duterte ay naghahawak ng smuggle na bigas, langis na krudo.
- Witness: Si Mayor Duterte ang tumapos sa isang NBI agent na si Amisola
- Witness: Kilalang-kilala ako (ni Pres. Duterte). Sa bahay niya, doon ako nagse-security minsan.
- Witness: Si Alvin Laud ang pinaka-tirador sa Davao Death Squad.
- Witness: Na-assign si Alvin Laud sa NAIA. Expert sa bomb si Laud.
- Witness: Ang trabaho ng rebel-returnees ay pagpatay sa rugby boys, magnanakaw na mga bata pa. 15-17 anyos. 'Yan ang trabaho nila.
- Witness: Ang humahawak sa mga rebel returnees ay mga kapitan ng barangay. Nagsasahod din sila sa City Hall.
- Witness: Umaabot kami [Davao Death Squad] sa 300. Meron pa ring DDS hanggang ngayon.
- Witness: Walang nahuhuli na DDS kasi mga pulis 'yan. Hindi mga sibilyan ang DDS.
- Witness: Meron kaming ibang pinaglilibingan, sa Gaisano property. Nasa 100 ang nailibing sa Gaisano.
- Witness: Mas marami ang dinudukot kaysa binabaril.
Charges were filed against former President Benigno Aquino III and ex-Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima for alleged failure to collect some P100 billion in taxes from Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corp. (PSPC) for gasoline shipments from 2004 to 2009. It was filed by two former officials of the Bureau of Customs and a newspaper publisher, former Customs Commissioner Napoleon Morales, former BOC district collector Juan Tan, and Headlines News Today publisher Lourdes Aclan.
Aquino and Purisima were charged with violation of Section 3(e) and 4 of Republic Act 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, Section 10 of RA 9851 in relation to Executive Order No. 226 or the Institutionalization of the Doctrine of Command Responsibility in all government offices, and Sections 3601 and 3604 of the Tariff and Customs Code, which pertains to smuggling.
The complainants said Aquino deserves to be held liable for the mess under the concept of command responsibility, since he has direct control and supervision over government officials.
Also included in the charges were PSPC Chairman and President Edgar Chua, Vice President for Communications Robert Kanapi, Country Tax Manager Nigel Avila and other John Does.
This is the fifth case filed against Aquino since he stepped down from office on June 30. He is facing three other complaints in connection with the botched Mamasapano raid and another one over the Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP).
TAYABAS CITY, Quezon – Another members of a political clan in the Quezon province were arrested by police during an illegal drug operation last Sunday. The anti-drugs police unit arrested Maria Fe Abutin Alcala and daughter Toni Anne at a house in Leveriza Subdivision, Barangay Isabang according to Sr. Supt. Antonio Yarra, Quezon provincial police chief.
Maria Fe is the wife of alleged Quezon drug lord Cirilo “Athel” Alcala who surrendered last month along with his son Sajid to the police because his name is in the list of drug personalities in Quezon province. Cerilo is the brother of Quezon 2nd District Rep. Vicente and former Agriculture secretary Proceso Alcala (serve in the Aquino Administration).
Proceso Alcala with NoyNoy Aquino
The police confiscated some 24 pieces of medium sealed transparent plastic sachet containing “shabu” with approximate weight of 115 grams and estimated street value of P212,750, P10,000.00 marked money and cash amounting to P6,100.00 in different denomination and assorted drug paraphernalia. Toni Anne is on the local police’s list of drug personalities, but her mother is not.
Bogs Obuyes who is a former staff of Senator Leila De Lima uploaded a video on Facebook that may give ex-DOJ Secretary and now a senator another headache and another controversy. It shows in the video De Lima singing in an event. It was said that the mini concert was held inside the Bilibid Prison and the band that singing with her are the group of Herbert Colangco.
However, the senators supporters said the video was not taken inside the prison.
Bogs Obuyes is the person who was introduced by Department of Justice as a money courier of the Senator, but denied it. On his Facebook page he reiterated that he denied all the accusation against him and against De Lima:
