Context Dispatch

The Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical Astronomical Services Administration or PAGASA has hoisted Signal 1 in 15 areas in the country’s Eastern seaboard as Tropical Depression Kristine moved into Philippine waters early Monday. With still a few days before making landfall, Kristine could still intensify and become a full blown typhoon.

Almost a quarter of a century later, a Taguig City Regional Trial Court found 17 Abu Sayyaf men guilty of kidnapping of foreign and Filipino tourists on Sipadan Island, Malaysia in April 2000. The Department of Justice said in a statement that the accused were found guilty of 21 counts of kidnapping, and serious illegal detention with ransom. The Abu Sayyaf men, including those listed in the United Nations Security Council’s Sanctioned List, were sentenced with life imprisonment for each count of the crimes.

The House Quad Committee turned over to the Office of the Solicitor General voluminous documents on sprawling properties in Pampanga acquired by Philippine Overseas Gaming Operations majority owned by Chinese nationals for proper disposition. QuadCom chairman and Surigao del Norte Rep. Ace Barbers said vast tracks of land acquired by illegal POGOs run by foreign nationals maybe subjected by the government for forfeiture proceedings since the Philippine Constitution only limits land ownership to Filipinos or companies that are at least 60 percent owned by Filipinos. Lands acquired by POGOs runs to thousands of hectares since only one POGO already hold 300 land titles.

Senate President Francis Escudero announced that outgoing Senator and Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel III has been appointed to lead the Senate investigation into the previous administration’s anti-drug campaign. The Senate’s Blue Ribbon Committee will conduct the inquiry into the “War on Drugs,” which has implicated Senators Bato Dela Rosa and Bong Go in alleged state-sanctioned extra-judicial killings. Testimonies from the House’s QuadCom hearings have linked these senators to the controversial operations. While Senator Pia Cayetano heads the Blue Ribbon panel, she will be preoccupied with her reelection campaign; thus, co-chair Senator Pimentel will oversee the hearings, as explained by SP Escudero.

On Sunday, Indonesia officially swore in a new president, former general Prabowo Subianto, a 73-year-old nationalist. He took the oath in Parliament, replacing outgoing leader Joko Widodo at a pivotal moment when Indonesia seeks to enhance its standing on the global stage as the world’s fourth most populous nation. Subianto, who has faced allegations of human rights abuses during his military career, pledged to combat corruption.