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Politics

ESCUDERO REPLACES ZUBIRI AS SENATE PRESIDENT

Senator Alan Peter Cayetano is the new chair of the Senate Committee on Accounts following a revamp of the Senate in Monday’s session that saw Senator Chiz Escudero elected as the new Senate President. It was Cayetano who nominated Escudero to the Senate leadership after Senator Migz Zubiri resigned as Senate President. “I nominate someone […]

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Politics

SENATE ON TRACK ON PASSING 2024 BUDGET – ZUBIRI

Marathon morning-to-past-midnight floor debates on the proposed P5.768-trillion national budget for 2024 ended 4:20 a.m., “proof of how the Senate takes seriously its constitutional mandate of ensuring that taxes paid by the people must be spent properly,” Senate President Migz Zubiri said. When Zubiri gaveled the adjournment of the session at dawn of November 21, […]

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Politics

JAPAN PM KISHIDA TO ADDRESS PH CONGRESS ON NOV. 4

It is all systems go for Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio’s speech before a joint session of Congress on Nov. 4, which Senate President Migz Zubiri said was an honor accorded to a foreign head of state only five times in Philippine history. Kishida’s visit, Zubiri said, will “strengthen cooperation between two allies in confronting […]

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Politics

SPANISH KING MEETS WITH PH SENATORS IN MADRID

Senate President Migz Zubiri led Philippine senators in meeting with King Felipe VI of Spain at the Palacio de la Zarzuela in Madrid recently. The King of Spain received the delegation for a private meeting at the palace to discuss how best to strengthen the friendship and partnership between the Philippines and Spain, particularly in […]

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Politics

SOLONS MEET BONGBONG MARCOS FOR LEGISLATIVE AGENDA

Senate Majority Leader Migz Zubiri and House Majority Leader Ferdinand Martin Romualdez led the contingent of lawmakers from both houses of Congress, in discussing the legislative agenda with incoming President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. during a meeting in his headquarters in Mandaluyong City. During the courtesy call, Zubiri who is rumored to be vying for […]

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Politics

ZUBIRI: PORK IMPORTATION SHOULD BE LAST RESORT

The Senate recently held a Committee of the Whole hearing to look into the food security situation brought about by the African swine fever (ASF) outbreak, and its impact on the hog raisers, particularly in light of the recently signed Executive Order No. 128, which reduces pork import tariffs from 40 percent to 5 percent. […]

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Politics

SENATE DECLARES OCTOBER AS NAT’L COOPERATIVE MONTH – ZUBIRI

The Senate has declared the month of October as “National Cooperative Month.” Senators, with 22 affirmative votes, no negative votes and no abstention approved on third and final reading Senate Bill No. 1807, under Committee Report No. 108 declaring October as National Cooperative Month. “The measure, when signed into law, would institutionalize Proclamation No. 493, […]

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Government

LOCAL GOVERNMENTS SHOULD ENSURE CONTINUED FOOD PRODUCTION AMID COVID-19 — DAR

The Department of Agriculture (DA) reiterated its appeal to local chief executives (LCEs) to reconsider policies that counter efforts of the national government to ensure continued food production, processing, transport and trade during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. “We urge the provincial governors, city and municipal mayors in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao, to allow […]

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Politics

PIMENTEL TO COMELEC: DISMISS DISQUALIFICATION CASE FOR LACK OF MERIT

Senator Koko Pimentel III has asked the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to dismiss the disqualification case filed against him by lawyer Ferdinand Topacio for lack of merit. “It is incumbent upon the Honorable Commission to dismiss the instant petition filed against the respondent for utter lack of merit,” Pimentel said in his 26-page verified answer […]

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Politics

COMELEC CAN DISMISS DISQUALIFICATION CASE VS PIMENTEL WITHOUT ANY HEARING – MACALINTAL

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) can motu proprio (on its own) dismiss the disqualification case filed by lawyer Ferdinand Topacio against re-electionist Senator Koko Pimentel III, even without requiring the senator to answer the petition, an election lawyer said. Lawyer Romulo Macalintal noted that the Supreme Court (SC) has already ruled on the issue being […]