Ian Mico

⚖️ 🇵🇭

[DFA Philippines 🇵🇭 @DFAPHL]

READ #DFAStatement: Joint Statement on the Tenth Anniversary of the Philippines-China South China Sea Arbitral Tribunal Award

Also found in this link 👉 https://t.co/RXU1OeR8e8
#DFAForgingAhead

[Philippine Supreme Court Public Information Office @SCPh_PIO]

Ang isang duplicate o photocopy ng mga orihinal na dokumento, maging sa papel o electronic form, ay maaaring tanggapin bilang ebidensya sa korte, basta’t walang duda o kwestiyon tungkol sa pagiging tunay o pagiging patas sa paggamit ng kopya.

Sa Desisyon na isinulat ni Chief Justice Alexander G. Gesmundo, pinagtibay ng Unang Dibisyon ng #KorteSuprema ang hatol kay Ybo Lastimosa para sa pagpatay kay Ildefonso Vega, Jr. Gumamit ang prosekusyon ng photocopy ng death certificate ni Vega bilang pangunahing ebidensya sa kaso.

Sa paglilitis, tumestigo ang mga saksi na binaril ni Lastimosa si Vega sa ulo sa labas ng isang sabungan sa Cebu City. Tumestigo din ang asawa ni Vega na patay na siya nang madatnan sa ospital. Para suportahan ito, ang prosekusyon ay nagprisinta ng photocopy ng death certificate ni Vega na nagkumpirma na namatay siya dahil sa mga tama ng bala sa ulo at leeg.

Guilty sa kasong homicide ang hatol kay Lastimosa ng Regional Trial Court na binigyan ng timbang ang photocopy ng death certificate at eyewitness accounts. Sa apela, inangat ng Court of Appeals ang hatol sa murder.

Umapela si Lastimosa at nangatwiran na nabigo ang prosekusyon na patunayan na nangyari ang krimen dahil ang orihinal na death certificate ay hindi iprinisinta sa paglilitis. Dagdag niya, ang isang photocopy, nang walang paghahambing sa orihinal para sa pagpapatunay, ay hindi dapat tinanggap bilang ebidensya.

Pero tinanggihan ng Korte Suprema ang argumentong ito. Paliwanag ng Korte, sa ilalim ng Rule 130, Section 4(c) ng 2019 Revised Rules on Evidence, na nagkabisa noong 2020, ang isang duplicate ay tinatanggap bilang orihinal maliban kung may genuine na tanong tungkol sa pagiging tunay ng orihinal o kung magiging hindi patas ang paggamit ng duplicate. Nalalapat ang panuntunang ito sa parehong papel at elektronikong mga dokumento, na nagpapakita ng kasalukuyang realidad kung saan ang mga duplicate ay kadalasang maaasahan tulad ng mga orihinal.

Sa kasong ito, binanggit ng Korte na ang photocopy ng death certificate ay tinatanggap dahil walang pagtatalo sa pagiging tunay ng orihinal na dokumento, at walang anumang pag-aangkin na hindi patas sa pag-rely sa duplicate.

Gayunpaman, binigyang-diin ng Korte na habang ang isang photocopy ay maaaring tanggapin, ang bigat o halaga nito ay nakasalalay sa kung gaano ito kahusay na nagpapatunay o sumusuporta sa iba pang magagamit na ebidensya. Sa kasong ito, suportado ng testimonya ng asawa ng biktima at ng ibang mga testigo ang pagkamatay ni Vega.

Pinagtibay ng Korte ang sentensiya ni Lastimosa na reclusion perpetua o pagkakakulong ng hanggang 40 taon at inutusan siyang magbayad ng PHP 275,000 bilang civil indemnity at danyos, na may interes.

Basahin ang buong teksto ng press release sa https://t.co/MUJURnjxJt.

Basahin ang buong teksto ng Desisyon sa https://t.co/i34VIdPNaz.

#SupremeCourtPH
#SCPh_Translations

[ABS-CBN News @ABSCBNNews]

BREAKING: Naaresto na ng awtoridad si Senador Rodante Marcoleta na nahaharap sa kasong plunder kaugnay ng P75 milyong campaign donations na tinanggap niya noong Halalan 2025 na hindi nakadeklara sa kanyang SALN.

[Wimbledon @Wimbledon]

A grand statement. 🇵🇭

Alex Eala defeats defending champion Iga Swiatek 7-6(9), 6-2 with a stunning display on Centre Court

#Wimbledon

[Ian Mico @ianmicortez]

When we treat and label children as criminals, we absolve the adults and institutions who failed to protect and guide them from accountability.

And if we fail to recognize and understand why children commit crimes and what drive them to do so, then we become part of the problem.

[Ian Mico @ianmicortez]

Lowering the MACR is not the solution to deter crimes committed by minors.

The JJWA and its provisions already cover the liability and responsibility of minors and their guardians. It also provides prevention, intervention and rehabilition of children in conflict with the law.

[Ian Mico @ianmicortez]

The question now is not whether the law is insufficient but whether government policies and programs address the underlying causes of why minors commit crimes, such as lack of education,poverty, exposure to violence and abuse, negative influences from family and community.

[Angat Buhay @angatbuhay_ph]

Angat Buhay is coordinating with the Angat Bayanihan Volunteer Network to extend immediate assistance to communities affected by the earthquake in Mindanao to monitor developments, assess urgent needs, and prepare for any necessary response efforts.

[Integrated Bar of the Philippines @IntegratedBarPH]

[Reposted with Corrections]

Official Statement On What Constitutes A Legitimate Quorum For The Senate To Conduct Official Business

[Kiko Pangilinan @kikopangilinan]

SENATE BACK TO WORK FOR THE FILIPINO PEOPLE

We express our deep appreciation and commend the courageous decision of Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero to take the floor today and confront the issues facing the institution. His action sent a clear message: that his commitment to the country, to the Senate, and to the Constitution would prevail above all else.

His presence enabled the Senate to proceed with the discussion of matters that are too important to be left unresolved and too consequential to be set aside.

On the issue of quorum, this is not an uncharted matter. The Supreme Court, in Avelino v. Cuenco, recognized the principle that a quorum of 12 is determined based on the number of members who are legally able to discharge the functions of the Senate.

There is likewise an institutional precedent. In 2015, the Senate recognized a quorum of 12 senators who were within its jurisdiction. The Senate continued to perform its constitutional duties because the work of government could not be placed on hold.

At a time when the nation faces pressing challenges, the Filipino people expect their Senate to work, deliberate, and fulfill its constitutional mandate. The institution cannot remain stalled by disagreements or uncertainty. Our duty is clear: to legislate, provide oversight, and serve the public interest.

The Filipino people deserve a Senate that shows up, does its job, and places public service above politics.

It is time for the Senate to move forward and get back to work for the Filipino people.

[Win Gatchalian @WinGatchalian74]

Today, I take my oath as Senate President Pro Tempore.

Nagpapasalamat ako sa tiwala at kumpiyansang ipinagkaloob sa akin ng aking mga kasamahan sa Senado.

Buong pagpapakumbaba kong tinatanggap ang responsibilidad na ito. Patuloy tayong magtatrabaho at tutupad sa ating tungkulin para sa sambayanang Pilipino.

[Human Rights Watch @hrw]

Pride is not a threat; hate is.

At Human Rights Watch, we work for a world where all people can enjoy their rights fully. We must not stay silent — LGBT rights are human rights.

Happy #Pride! 🏳️‍🌈

[UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency @Refugees]

During #Pride and every day: LGBTIQ+ refugee rights are human rights. No exceptions, no compromises, no discrimination.

[Ian Mico @ianmicortez]

a sense of hiya

on a personal level, can the social, business and legal circles that these majority senators belong to shame them for their actions or inactions that affected the Filipino people and the country

may their amigas, compañeros and compadres hit them with some sense

[Inquirer @inquirerdotnet]

‘ANG SENADO AY HINDI DAPAT MAGING KANLUNGAN NG ABSENTEEISM AT PAGTATAKIPAN’

READ: Mayors Vico Sotto, Joy Belmonte, and Benjamin Magalong, along with other local chief executives of the group Mayors for Good Governance (M4GG), issued a statement on the recent developments in the Senate involving Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa.

“Hindi dapat pinoprotektahan ang isang halal na opisyal na umiiwas sa kanyang mga responsibilidad habang patuloy na tumatanggap ng sahod mula sa taumbayan,” it reads. | 📸: M4GG/Facebook

[Cleve V. Arguelles @CleveArguelles]

Shootout o palabas? It’s the morning after… and we’re realizing more and more that some details of the incident simply do not add up.

First, why was Senate security already fully armed and media personnel reportedly informed in advance that an arrest might happen inside the Senate? Did they already anticipate the supposed shooting?

Second, why did the Senate President immediately point to NBI agents when those same agents had supposedly been barred from entering the Senate since Monday? Wasn’t Senate security tightened precisely to prevent law enforcement officers from entering the premises and arresting the fugitive senator being sheltered there?

There are more questions, and the facts don’t really add up. And if this was staged, then the script was badly written.

For instance, what exactly would have been the motive of those allegedly trying to interfere with the Senate? Almost instantly, mabilis pa sa alas kwatro, our dearest Senator-Vloggers went live to amplify the narrative that “the Senate is under attack.”

But under attack by whom? Certainly not by law enforcement agencies, according to both the NBI and the PNP. And for what purpose? To secretly and forcibly execute an ICC arrest warrant against a sitting senator while the entirety of this country’s media was present and watching?

In fact, the motive for staging, or at the very least exploiting, such a narrative appears much clearer. The story that “the Senate is under attack” conveniently generates public sympathy not only for continuing to harbor an international fugitive, but also for once again delaying the Senate’s constitutional duty to convene the impeachment trial.

Who stands to gain if the Senate is temporarily paralyzed because it is supposedly under attack, if not one of their own and their political allies?

And spare us the accusation that we are merely being conspiracy theorists or watching too many teleseryes. The smuggling of Senator Bato dela Rosa into the Senate, his marathon through the stairways, the angry but triumphant return to the session hall, and the subsequent leadership coup — these are precisely the kinds of scenes Filipino teleseryes are made of. And it seems the director and writer enjoyed the first episode enough to produce a sequel.

The public deserves a full and credible accounting of what truly happened. There must an immediate independent investigation. Especially when the new Senate President and some of his allies are not exactly known for having the healthiest relationship with the truth.

And all of this could have been avoided if the fugitive senator had simply chosen to surrender voluntarily and face the charges against him before the international court. None of those lives, neither the journalists’ nor the Senate employees’, put at risk last night if not for the unwillingness of the former police chief to face justice. After all, has he not long dreamed in his sleep, like a frustrated scriptwriter, of a tearful, cinematic reunion with Tatay Digong?

Senator Bato dela Rosa should realize that the ICC warrant will not simply disappear. It is only a matter of time before he is arrested and eventually sent to The Hague. And whatever political theater he and his allies are staging now may only make it more difficult for him to later argue for provisional release before the ICC. Flight risk, after all, is not merely about escaping arrest. It is also about demonstrating a willingness to evade accountability.

And so it is with the impeachment trial against Vice President Sara Duterte. It will not simply go away. The allegations involving billions in bank transactions and the misuse of millions in confidential and intelligence funds will not magically disappear because of procedural delays, manufactured chaos, or political spectacle. At some point, the evidence will have to be confronted. And the longer they evade accountability, the more the evasion itself begins to look like an admission of guilt. https://t.co/ISEnJOsxnX

[Mara Cepeda @maracepeda]

The Philippine Senate really out here proving that when you elect clowns, expect a circus. The country’s last bastion of democracy is no more 🤡

[raffy magno @raffymagno]

Praying for all the journalists risking their lives tonight just so the public can see the truth of what’s happening in the Senate.

There is no substitute for a free press. No alternative to people willing to stand in the middle of chaos so the country can witness the truth in real time.

[Kiko Pangilinan @kikopangilinan]

It’s a temporary setback….we didn’t give up in previous battles when the odds were far greater and yet we prevailed, we certainly will not give up now.

Para sa bayan. Walang bibitiw. Tuloy lang.

Laban!

🇵🇭🇵🇭❤️🙏🙏

[BBC News (World) @BBCWorld]

Philippine VP Sara Duterte impeached for a second time https://t.co/GLqb4ZiY1J