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"We'll Cross That Bridge": PNP Chief's Chilling Words on Bato Dela Rosa's Looming ICC Arrest

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  A storm is brewing. Just as the dust settled from the arrest warrant issued against former President Rodrigo Duterte by the International Criminal Court (ICC), a new wave of fear and uncertainty is washing over the Philippines. The chilling words of the new Philippine National Police (PNP) chief, Gen. Nicolas Torre III, regarding the potential ICC arrest of Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa have sent shivers down the spines of many: “We’ll cross that bridge when we get there.” This seemingly nonchalant response, delivered at a recent press briefing after his assumption of command, speaks volumes. It hints at a preparedness, a quiet acknowledgment that the ICC’s gaze has firmly locked onto Dela Rosa, the architect of the controversial “Oplan Tokhang,” Duterte's bloody war on drugs. Remember the sheer scale of it? An estimated thousands perished under the banner of this campaign. Now, the ICC, through the words of assistant to counsel Kristina Conti, signals that Dela Rosa and his su...

Shockwaves Hit Manila: Duterte's Arresting Officer, Nicolas Torre III, Named New PNP Chief

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He arrested a former President. Now, he leads the police. Police Major General Nicolas Torre III , the man behind the recent shocking arrest of former President Rodrigo Duterte, has been named the new chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP). This is a dramatic shift at the very top of Philippine law enforcement. Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin made the big announcement at a Palace press conference on Thursday. General Torre will take over the PNP on June 2nd . He replaces General Rommel Marbil, who is set to retire next year. Torre is no stranger to the spotlight. As head of the PNP Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) , he oversaw many high-profile cases. This included the arrest of alleged sex offender Apollo Quiboloy. But his most talked-about action was surely the arrest of former President Rodrigo Duterte in March 2025. This was based on an International Criminal Court (ICC) warrant. Duterte was then quickly sent to The Hague. This arrest alone cast a long sh...

Impeachment Case Against Sara Duterte Doomed Due to Time Constraints

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  A whisper of doubt has become a roar of skepticism surrounding the impeachment case against Vice President Sara Duterte. Election lawyer Romulo Macalintal has sounded the alarm, warning that time, not political maneuvering, may be the biggest obstacle to the case's success. "If the impeachment case against Sara Duterte starts being heard on June 2, that case is already dead," Macalintal said in a recent interview. The case, filed on February 5, alleges misuse of confidential funds and issuing threats against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., first lady Liza Araneta Marcos, and House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez. With 215 lawmakers endorsing the complaint, far surpassing the required one-third of the House, the case was expected to swiftly proceed to the Senate for trial. However, the transition has been stalled, and Senate President Francis Escudero's invitation to the House prosecution panel to present the articles on June 2 may be too little, too late. ...

Philippines Impeachment Drama Explodes: “We Lost Mindanao Because of This”

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The bombshell admission came like a thunderclap.  “We shot ourselves in the foot,”  said Navotas Rep. Tobias Tiangco, campaign manager for the Alyansa alliance. His verdict? The push to impeach Vice President Sara Duterte wasn’t just a misstep—it was a  “self-inflicted wound”   that cost them crucial votes in Mindanao. “ The moment the impeachment hit Congress, Mindanao turned against us ,” Tiangco told radio DZBB. Voters, he claimed, abandoned Alyansa candidates to protect Duterte.  “They chose leaders who’d block her removal. We never saw it coming.” The numbers sting. Over 200 House members backed impeaching Duterte—the first VP in Philippine history to face such a trial. But Tiangco insists the move backfired:  “Why force it? The Senate won’t act until June. Now they blame ME for our losses?” “No Public Demand for Impeachment” Tiangco refused to sign the February 5 impeachment articles.  “This was avoidable,”  he argued.  “Who created thi...

Duterte Allies' Impeachment Bid vs Marcos Stalls at the House

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  Allies of former President Rodrigo Duterte made a bold move on Thursday, attempting to file an impeachment complaint against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. at the House of Representatives. The complaint alleges that Marcos allowed the "illegal arrest and transfer" of Duterte to face trial at the International Criminal Court (ICC). However, their efforts were thwarted when they were unable to file the complaint due to the Office of the Secretary General's unavailability. The would-be complainants, former party list Rep. Ronald Cardema and his wife, Duceille Marie Cardema , arrived at the Office of the Secretary General at 3:20 p.m. but were told that only House Secretary General Reginald Velasco could receive the complaint. Despite waiting until the end of business hours, they left without filing the complaint. According to the Cardemas, the Rules of Procedure in Impeachment Proceedings state that a verified complaint for impeachment can be filed with the Office of the...

Ombudsman Orders Remullas and 4 Others to Respond to Duterte Arrest Complaint

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  Ombudsman Orders Remullas and 4 Others to Respond to Duterte Arrest Complaint In a shocking development, the Office of the Ombudsman has ordered five high-ranking government officials to respond to a complaint filed by Senator Imee Marcos' Committee on Foreign Relations regarding the legality of former President Rodrigo Duterte's arrest and transfer to the International Criminal Court. The officials, including Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla, Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla, PNP chief Gen. Rommel Marbil, PNP-CIDG chief Nicolas Torre III, and Special Envoy for Transnational Crimes Markus Lacanilao, have been given 10 days to file a counter-affidavit . According to Marcos, her panel's investigation uncovered acts by these officials that "very likely constitute criminal and administrative offenses." The complaint alleges that the officials played a role in Duterte's arrest and transfer to The Hague, which may have violated Philippine laws and interna...

Marcos Senate Probe Becomes Key Evidence in Duterte's ICC Defense Battle

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  The once-solid Marcos-Duterte alliance now stands fractured as former President Rodrigo Duterte fights for freedom from an ICC cell. His legal team's surprising new weapon? Senator Imee Marcos' own investigation findings. In a dramatic twist that has shocked the Philippines political landscape, lawyers defending former President Rodrigo Duterte have cited Senator Imee Marcos' Senate probe as crucial evidence in their challenge against the International Criminal Court's jurisdiction. The 38-page defense document reveals how quickly political alliances can crumble. Just months ago, President Marcos promised Vice President Sara Duterte that his government would "not assist the ICC, in any way, shape or form." Today, the former president sits detained in The Hague. "The jurisdictional framework of the Rome Statute is clear: A State must be a State Party at the time of the exercise of jurisdiction," Duterte's legal team argued in their May 1 filing...