Archive - FACT CHECK

PRESIDENT Duterte has mentioned time and again that he wants the Constitution changed. But he has flip-flopped on how he wants it done. A year ago, he favored Constitutional Convention (Con-Con) over Constitutional Assembly (Con-Ass) to revise the Constitution. His reasons for the change of heart? A softening toward members of Congress whom he says

PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte’s milestone executive order on freedom of information retains Macapagal and Marcosian relics. The repealing clause of Executive Order No. 2 issued July 23 poses a few noteworthy exceptions. “SECTION 18. Repealing Clause. All orders, rules and regulations, issuances or any part thereof inconsistent with the provisions of this Executive Order are hereby

TO PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte, they’re thugs to be stamped out. Or so he sometimes says. “There is no redeeming factor or reason for me to sit down and talk with criminals. Pareho lang rin ‘yan sa droga.” Duterte described the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) this way, during the mass oath- taking of his appointees in Malacanang,

TEN years since the Philippine legislature abolished death penalty in the country, the 17th Congress made capital punishment a buzzword once again, by filing House Bill 01 which seeks to bring it back from, er, the dead. STATEMENT: In his acceptance speech after being elected Speaker of the House on July 25, Rep. Pantaleon Alvarez made it

STATEMENT: In his first state of the nation address Monday, President Rodrigo Duterte, digressing from a prepared speech, talked about the peace process in Mindanao and the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL). Duterte said: “Iyong BBL, ibigay na natin, minus the things that you do not want. Iyong mga constitutional issues. Tanggalin muna natin. Ibigay ko yung area .Nandiyan

BY SENDING drug dependents to military camps, President Rodrigo Duterte may have ticked off yet another box on the list of policies that push the country backwards. STATEMENT: In his first State of the Nation Address, Duterte ordered the Armed Forces of the Philippines to get military camps and facilities ready for drug rehabilitation. He said:

STATEMENT: In his inaugural address on June 30, President Rodrigo Duterte claimed an “erosion” of trust in government is the real problem confronting the Philippines. “Erosion of faith and trust in government—that is the real problem that confronts us. Resulting therefrom, I see the erosion of the people’s trust in our country’s leaders; the erosion

STATEMENT: Independent senatorial candidate Greco Belgica was asked in a television interview on March 15 what his first bill would be if he won a seat in the Senate. He said he would push for a flat tax system on personal income. “Flat rate, meaning if you make P1 million, you pay P100,000. If you

STATEMENT:  Former energy secretary and Liberal Party senatorial bet Jericho Petilla said in an April 6 television interview he was “branded the father of renewable energy.” “Before I came in as secretary, wala kang maririnig na renewable (you would not hear of renewable energy),” he said. Discussing the prospects for a “good mix” of coal and

STATEMENT: During the CNN vice presidential debate on April 10, candidates were asked about their plans to ensure that the rapid economic growth of the Philippines continues. Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano responded by bringing up the issues of criminality, illegal drugs and poverty, which he said are all worsening. Cayetano said: “Ang ekonomiya po ay

STATEMENT: During the CNN vice presidential debate Sunday, candidate Bongbong Marcos, asked about his opposition to the passage of the “sin tax” law, said the measure has nothing to offer those from the affected industries. Marcos said: “Sa pagpataas ng ‘sin tax’ ay mababawasan ang ating makikita na produksyon, na wala namang kapalit para doon

By JAKE SORIANO DURING the CNN-sponsored vice presidential debate Sunday, five of the six candidates talked about their proposed plans to achieve lasting peace in Mindanao. No one mentioned how they and their running mates intend to implement the peace agreements already signed by the Philippine government. Sen. Ferdinand Marcos Jr. proposed to “continue” the peace