The Office of the Ombudsman confirmed Friday that Sen. Robin Padilla submitted a counter-affidavit responding to an obstruction of justice complaint against him over his alleged role in helping Sen. Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa leave the Senate to avoid arrest.
Vice President Sara Duterte again invoked a hypothetical scenario involving the hiring of a gunman, drawing renewed scrutiny from House prosecutors as she faces an impeachment trial over, among other allegations, her previous remarks about a supposed assassination plot.
The Office of the Ombudsman has started a preliminary investigation into plunder and graft complaints against Sen. Loren Legarda, her son, Batangas Rep. Leandro Leviste, and former Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi over alleged irregularities involving solar energy service contracts.
Sen. Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan has filed a bill seeking to raise the annual income exempt from tax from P250,000 to P350,000, citing the rising cost of living and the erosion of Filipinos’ purchasing power.
Lawyer Benjamin Tolosa Jr., counsel for the House prosecution panel, said the video could create a false impression about Akbayan party-list Rep. Chel Diokno’s statements during oral arguments on the prosecution’s request for Duterte’s bank and tax records.
BIR representatives submitted the requested documents to the Office of the Clerk of Court before the 9 a.m. deadline set by the impeachment court.
An ethics complaint was filed Wednesday against Sen. Pia Cayetano over her social media post featuring a video of House prosecutor Rep. Chel Diokno that complainants said was deliberately spliced to mislead the public during the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte.
House prosecutors on Wednesday presented two former Land Bank of the Philippines branch managers who testified that the Office of the Vice President and the Department of Education made unusually large cash withdrawals.
In a statement, Jurado said he tendered his resignation on June 22. Sen. Robin Padilla accepted the resignation, which takes effect at the close of office hours on July 31.
Rep. Joel Chua, the lead House prosecutor for the first article of impeachment, said the prosecution is prepared to present documents, witnesses and other evidence supporting the allegation against Duterte.