150K sign petition vs divorce in Cebu By Kaiser Jan Fuentes July 29,

2024 CEBU CITY — Over 150,000 people have shown their support to
the Archdiocese of Cebu's campaign against the Absolute Divorce Bill
by affixing their signatures.
The Archdiocese of Cebu posted on its Facebook account that as of July
21, 2024, 157,840 individuals have signed the "Yes to Marriage, Yes to
the Family, and No to Divorce" petition.
"The signatures are not mere ink on paper but the heartbeats of a
community that believes in the transformative power of the family," the
archdiocese said. ‌
According to the archdiocese, Fr. Carmelo Diola, core committee
member of the campaign, has handed over the signatures to the Senate,
which is yet to tackle the proposed measure.
House Bill 9349, also known as the Absolute Divorce Act, was authored
by Albay 1st District Rep. Edcel Lagman and passed by the House of
Representatives last month. It is now awaiting Senate approval.
The bill allows either spouse to file for absolute divorce after being
legally separated for more than two years. It also includes grounds for
annulment specified in Article 45 of the Family Code, as amended by the
bill, as valid reasons for seeking absolute divorce.
Additionally, the bill recognizes psychological and emotional violence,
sexual violence, or economic abuse as grounds for divorce.
Various advocacy groups, including women's rights organizations,
support the legalization of divorce. The Gabriela party list, a women's
group, has endorsed the bill, stating that it offers hope for women and
victims of domestic abuse who seek to escape toxic relationships.
Cebu 3rd District Rep. Pablo John Garcia, during an appearance on a
news media forum, said that divorce would not harm children of
separated couples.
He suggested that divorce could provide relief from toxic family
environments and added that remaining in dysfunctional marriages could
negatively affect children's emotional and psychological well-being.
Be proud of anti-divorce PH
The head of the Roman Catholic Church in Cebu said Filipinos must be
proud that they belong to the lone nation that opposes divorce in order to
preserve marriage and family.
Archbishop Jose Palma led thousands of faithful in an anti-divorce
march and prayer rally from the Basilica Minore del Sto. Niño on
Saturday.
He said the stand of Filipinos against divorce is rooted in history as
Cebu was the cradle of Christianity in Asia starting in 1521.
"Don't be ashamed that we don't have divorce in the Philippines. We
should not be apologetic. We should not feel sorry," Palma said in his
homily during the Holy Mass for the family at the basilica's Pilgrim
Center to culminate the first prayer rally.
According to Palma, the absolute divorce bill that offers a resolution to
couples with irreconcilable differences is "superfluous" since the country
has existing laws that sever marriage bonds.
Palma said divorce will favor an "adulterous" individual who will be
given numerous times to seek divorce and marry again and again.
Msgr. Raul Go, head of the Archdiocese of Cebu's matrimonial tribunal,
said divorce would bolster the vicious cycle of marriage.
In his talk during the prayer rally, Go said divorce would change the
meaning of marriage from its original concept of committing to being
together "until death" to becoming a "contract until further notice."
"Divorce will create a cycle of divorce, destroying the sanctity of
marriage. ... Marriage is the foundation of the family; family is the
foundation of society. Divorce will destroy family, divorce will destroy
society," he said.
Former Supreme Court chief justice Hilario Davide Jr. also urged the
faithful to continue the fight until the measure is "buried forever."
"Our prayer rally this afternoon is a great crusade against all and any
move to destroy, demonize, and make mockery of the inviolable
institution of marriage, sanctity of family and our nation founded on
family. Let us continue this crusade until absolute divorce is buried
forever," he said.
Palma said the signature campaign in different parishes in the province
will continue.
WITH REPORTS FROM PNA
Walang Pasok: Class suspensions on Monday, July 29 By: Faith
Argosino - 12 hours ago
INQUIRER FILES
MANILA, Philippines — Classes were suspended in Pasig City and
some areas outside Metro Manila for Monday (July 29) due to the
damage from typhoon Carina (international name: Gaemi) and the
southwest monsoon, locally called habagat.
“The suspension of classes is meant to give way to the ongoing clearing
operations and to give students and their families more time to recover
from the onslaught of Hanging Habagat, intensified by Typhoon Carina
the past days,” the Pasig City Public Information Office said in a
Facebook post on Sunday evening.
Below is the list of other areas that have called off classes at all levels,
both public and private schools: La Union Bacnotan Balaoan Luna
Cavite Naic Maragondon.
In its latest data, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management
Council said typhoon Carina, tropical depression Butchoy and habagat
affected 3,628,500 individuals or 971,667 families.
READ: Carina, habagat and a tropical depression killed 28 people –
NDRRMC
Of the affected people, 1,069,354 were displaced, with 168,933 staying
inside 1,025 evacuation centers nationwide and 900,421 taking shelter
elsewhere.
Carina exited the country’s area of responsibility last July 25. However,
its damage prompted the national government to place the National
Capital Region and other Luzon areas under a state of calamity.
OSG files quo warranto petition vs Alice Guo Third Anne Peralta-
Malonzo Published:29th Jul, 2024 at 9:52 AM.
THE Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) filed on Monday, July 29,
2024, a quo warranto petition against suspended Bamban, Mayor Alice
Guo that could lead to her removal from office.
The petition was filed by state lawyers before the Manila Regional Trial
Court indicating Guo Hua Ping, also known as Alice Leal Guo, as
respondent.
In a message to reporters, Solicitor General Menardo Guevarra said they
cited four grounds of the petition:
* Guo is unlawfully holding the position and illegally exercising the
duties and responsibilities of the office of the mayor of Bamban, Tarlac;
* She is not a Filipino citizen but a Chinese national, which makes her
ineligible to run for any elective public office;
* She has committed acts which, by provision of law, constitute a
ground for the forfeiture of her office;
* She has committed acts of serious dishonesty which, under the Local
Government Code, warrant her removal from office.
Guo was put in bad light amid the conduct of an inquiry by the Senate
committee on Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender Equality,
which questioned her failure to detect the illegal activities involving a
raided Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (Pogo) situated a few
meters away from the municipal hall of Bamban.
While she vehemently denied involvement in the illegal Pogo
operations, which was allegedly involved in illegal activities such as
human trafficking, surveillance activities and hacking of government
websites, among others, she admitted that she used to be the owner of
half of the land being leased by the Pogo firm but she divested before
she even became the town’s mayor.
The probe led lawmakers to question and dig deep on Guo’s true
nationality but she maintained that she is a Filipino national since her
mother is s full blooded Filipina.
But the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) earlier ruled, following a
fingerprint examination, that she is one and the same person as Chinese
national Guo Hua Ping.
Guo Hua Ping first entered the Philippines on July 12, 1999 together
with her mother Lin Wenyi who is also a Chinese national.
The embattled Bamban mayor is currently in hiding following the
issuance of an arrest order against her and her family by the Senate panel
for refusing to further cooperate in the ongoing investigation.
(TPM/SunStar Philippines)
Harry Roque fumes at Senate hearing, scolded for 'disrespecting'
Hontiveros MANILA (UPDATED) — Former Palace spokesperson
Harry Roque appeared livid Monday during a Senate hearing into illegal
POGOs, prompting a senator to warn him of being cited in contempt for
supposedly "disrespecting" the chairperson.
Roque attended Monday's hearing of the Senate Committee on Women,
led by Sen. Risa Hontiveros, to deny his ties to Lucky South 99, a
POGO in Porac, Pampanga raided for alleged illegal activities.
• Harry Roque skips then shows up for Senate probe into illegal POGOs
News
Harry Roque fumes at Senate hearing, scolded for 'disrespecting'
Hontiveros
Jauhn Etienne Villaruel, ABS-CBN News
Published Jul 29, 2024 04:46 PM PHT
Updated Jul 29, 2024 07:36 PM PHT
Former Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque answered queries from
senators as he attended the Committee on Women, Children, Family
Relations and Gender Equality hearing on the reported criminal
activities involving POGOs, July 29, 2024. Voltaire F. Domingo/Senate
PRIB
MANILA (UPDATED) — Former Palace spokesperson Harry Roque
appeared livid Monday during a Senate hearing into illegal POGOs,
prompting a senator to warn him of being cited in contempt for
supposedly "disrespecting" the chairperson.
Roque attended Monday's hearing of the Senate Committee on Women,
led by Sen. Risa Hontiveros, to deny his ties to Lucky South 99, a
POGO in Porac, Pampanga raided for alleged illegal activities.
• Harry Roque skips then shows up for Senate probe into illegal POGOs
Raising his voice at times, Roque took the opportunity to take a swipe at
Hontiveros, whom he accused of "insinuating" that he was connected to
the illegal POGO. Hontiveros and Pagcor had earlier presented a
document listing Roque as the "legal" officer of the Porac POGO.
But Roque said the document does not prove his ties to Lucky South 99
and went on to lecture senators of the rules of the Senate in presenting
evidence.
"You don't need to tell the committee about the rules of the Senate,"
Hontiveros said.
Roque then interrupted Hontiveros: "Ma'am excuse me."
"No, no, no, excuse me," Hontiveros said.
"I'm sorry madam, but I am a resource person invited here... I thought
we were engaged in the search for the truth," Roque said.
• Senate panel to summon Harry Roque over alleged links to Porac
POGO
Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian intervened and asked Roque to respect
Hontiveros or else be cited in contempt, which could lead to arrest and
detention at the Senate.
"Atty. Roque please be reminded to respect the chairperson," Gatchalian
told Roque, to which he replied: "I'm very respectful of madam chair."
"Panong respectful eh nagsasalita siya sinasabayan mo sya... One more
and I will cite you in contempt," Gatchalian warned.
Roque then apologized.
Roque conceded, “I apologize, Senator Gatchalian. I apologize.”
“One more, I will cite you in contempt,” Gatchalian warned.
Roque reiterated that he lawyered for Whirlwind Corporation, not Luck
South 99.
HOUSE IN TUBA
Roque, meanwhile, clarified that he does not own the house in Tuba,
Benguet where authorities found a female Chinese and male Cambodian
in a recent operation.
According to the Bureau of Immigration, the man was arrested for being
undocumented, while the woman was arrested for possibly hiding an
illegal alien.
“Ang bahay po na tinutukoy niyo sa Tuba, Benguet ay rehistrado sa
isang korporasyon. Tinirhan ko po yan nung ako po'y umalis ng
gobyerno, and I do have an interest in the corporation that owns it. Pero,
wala po sa akin ang possession ng bahay na yan. Dahil as of January of
2024, yan po'y pinaupahan ng korporasyon at ang umuupa po ay isang
Wan Yun na isang Chinese National,” Roque said.
According to Hontiveros, they received information that the Cambodian
is actually a Chinese with a fake passport.
“As per our Chinese informant, he's (an Interpol) Red Notice fugitive,
very high-level, and he has already defrauded 100,000 people,” she said.