14 M poor families

of the poor to tide them over until they can rise above adversity.

But obviously these moves are palliative at best, and cannot be sustainable in the long run as this would deplete already limited government resources.

What’s more important is a whole-ofsociety approach to the poverty problem. Various frontline departments and agencies, or those directly dealing with economic concerns, should work closely together to give the poor the tools to improve their quality of life.

The presentation of rebuttal evidence is left to the sound discretion of the court. The court may allow or disallow the request for presentation of rebuttal evidence. However, if the court grants the presentation of rebuttal evidence to the plaintiff or prosecution, the defendant will be given a similar chance to present sur-rebuttal evidence.

Trial courts have ample discretion to determine whether or not the parties should be allowed to introduce evidence in rebuttal.

Judicial discretion, however, is not unlimited.

It must be exercised reasonably, with the view of promoting the ends of justice, one of which is to ascertain the truth. (People v. Hon. Felino Abalos, et al., G.R. L-29039, November 28, 1969).

The party cannot ignore the orders of the court when the latter is setting the presentation of rebuttal evidence.

Failure of a party to timely avail itself of the opportunity to present rebuttal evidence will amount to the waiver of such right.

Rebuttal evidence as a procedural tool is expressly provided in the 2017 Guidelines for Continuous Trial of Criminal Cases.

As paraphrased: If the court grants the motion to present rebuttal evidence, the prosecution shall immediately proceed with its presentation after the accused had rested his case (Number 13[e]).

However, despite the opportunity for rebuttal, the complainant failed to overturn the numerous circumstances shown by the accused’s witnesses that there was no rape and the parties actually engaged in consensual sexual intercourse (G.R. 106274, September 28, 1993).

“Where the defense tried to establish, not only that the accused did not commit the acts alleged in the information, but, also, that another person committed them, a new matter not covered directly by the evidence for the prosecution, the testimony of the rebuttal witness tending to show that the acts charged were indeed committed by the accused… should not be stricken from the record…” (People v. Hon. Felino Abalos, et al., G.R. L-29039, November 28, 1969).

There being new matters raised by the accused, “[t]he prosecution was entitled, as a matter of strict legal right, to introduce positive evidence on such new matter, instead of relying upon a mere inference from its evidence in chief.”

However, “[i]n directing that the testimony of such rebuttal witness [to] be stricken from the record… respondent Judge had committed a grave abuse of discretion…”

(G.R. L-29039, November 28, 1969).

Rebuttal evidence is not utilized to change a legal strategy, rehabilitate a witness, or to present newly discovered evidence.

Its specific function is to reply to new matters raised by the other party in his or her presentation of evidence.

ICC cannot order Duterte’s arrest

the ICC issued the warrant for Putin’s arrest.

According to the ICC, the warrant of arrest will be enforced against Putin once he steps into the territory of a country that is a signatory to the Rome Statute, the treaty that created the ICC.

That, of course, is easier said than done.

Russia has responded with a terse statement consisting of two parts.

It’s the latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey, conducted from March 26 to March 29, that found more than half of Filipino families rating themselves as “poor” while 39 percent considered themselves “food poor.”

The survey result found that 51 percent or 14 million Filipino families consider themselves “poor,” similar to the 51 percent or 12.9 families in December 2022.

Meanwhile, 30 percent of Filipino families rated themselves as “borderline” poor, placing themselves on a horizontal line dividing “poor” and “not poor.”

Only 19 percent rated themselves as “not poor.”

The survey also revealed that 35 percent of Filipino families rated themselves as “borderline food poor,” placing themselves on a horizontal line dividing “food poor” and “not foodpoor,” and 26 percent rated themselves as “not food poor.”

The steady nationwide self-rated poverty scores between December last year and this March indicate that government must intensify efforts to help the poor improve their quality of life.

The government has endeavored to assist the very poor through cash assistance and food packs from the Department of Social work and Development (DSWD) during periods of high inflation and disasters.

There is also the Pangtawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) or conditional and unconditional cash transfers to the poorest

Stronger PH-US partnership

IN A previous column, we pointed out that the meeting on May 1 between President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and US President Joe Biden in the White House was significant as it marked the resumption of warm bilateral relations between the two countries.

This came after the previous administration kept the Americans at arm’s length while cozying up to China for expected investments that came mostly in trickles.

Now, with Washington eager to enhance cooperation in the economic and defense spheres, as well as in renewable energy and climate change mitigation efforts, there’s ample reason to believe that bilateral ties are likely to get closer in the coming five years, and perhaps even beyond.

Over-all bilateral relations

The United States and the Philippines have “significantly strengthened” their alliance, as US Secretary of State Antony Blinken described it.

He pointed out how the two countries have launched new initiatives together to create economic opportunities for Americans and Filipinos.

He cited, for instance, how trade between the two nations hit a “new record” with more than $25 billion.

Working with their Filipino counterparts, US officials, Blinken said, had taken steps to modernize security alliances “so that our forces can work even closer together despite natural disasters.”

For his part, House Speaker Martin Romualdez said the Marcos visit managed to strengthen security and economic cooperation and long-standing ties between the two nations.

This, he said, would give momentum to sustain the country’s economic growth and help establish the Philippines as a hub for investments and as a regional supply chain hub that would generate more jobs and business opportunities for Filipinos.

Economic cooperation industries and digital infrastructure.

The two countries also agreed to create a minister-level team on agricultural cooperation as the Marcos administration ramps up efforts to attain food security.

These can take the form of job assistance, provision of livelihood opportunities, education support, skills training/upgrading, among others.

Then the private sector and civil society groups should do their part as well, with targeted assistance to the most vulnerable communities.

The previous administration, if we remember right, aimed to reduce poverty in the country from 22 to 16 percent during its six years in office.

But the COVID-19 pandemic prevented the attainment of this goal.

The second Marcos administration now wants to bring the poverty rate a low of 9 percent by 2028. But can this goal be achieved?

Perhaps our economic managers can enlighten us on how they will go about it.

Energy

The two countries have also committed to expand collaboration on renewable energy production and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in response to the threat of a climate crisis, since the Philippines is vulnerable to the effects of climate change.

The United States and the Philippines will also pursue an ambitious program of cooperation on wind, solar, and geothermal energy, while enhancing efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Meanwhile, a nuclear power firm has expressed interest to invest in the Philippines.

Oregon-based NuScale Power Corp is planning to conduct a study to pinpoint a site in the Philippines.

RUSSIA’S on-going war against Ukraine, now way past its second year, is not only in violation of international law, but has also made its President, the ruthless Vladimir Putin, a global villain, except perhaps in the eyes of most Russians who apparently still support and believe in his leadership.

Putin’s international notoriety is best manifested by the warrant for his arrest recently issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC).

The warrant for Putin’s arrest was issued on account of his controversial order to take away Ukrainian children inside Russian-occupied Ukrainian territories and bring the minors to Russia, supposedly to be adopted by Russian families.

Putin claims the children were abandoned in a war zone and his measure is supposedly aimed at protecting them from possible harm in the course of hostilities.

Ukraine maintains otherwise, and asserts the children were kidnapped to sow terror among the Ukrainian people.

Apparently annoyed by the intense international public opinion the alleged mass juvenile kidnapping is attracting attention.

Putin has recently announced he will return the children of Ukrainian couples who formally request him in writing for their repatriation. Whether or not Putin will live up to his promise is something to be seen.

At any rate, Putin’s suspected mass kidnapping of Ukrainian children is so reprehensible

First, Russia is not a signatory to the Rome Statute and, accordingly, the ICC has no jurisdiction over Russia. Therefore, the ICC has no authority to effect Putin’s arrest.

Second, any country that enforces the warrant of arrest against Putin will trigger a retaliation from the Russian military, with a hint at the use of Russia’s nuclear arsenal, particularly its long range ballistic missiles.

In short, Russia will not hesitate to go to war, a nuclear war even, in the event that its dictator is arrested outside of Russian territory.

Based on the foregoing, it is obvious the ICC has no jurisdiction over Russia and its dictator.

It has overstepped its bounds, and has unilaterally assumed it is the policeman of the world.

The ICC’s warrant for the arrest of Putin, therefore, is absolutely baseless, and only provokes a global war, likely nuclear in character, which the world cannot afford.

It will be recalled that during his term, President Rodrigo Duterte launched a relentless war against illegal drugs in the Philippines.

Duterte’s war on narcotics forced many government officials to surrender and undergo drug rehabilitation, including Quezon City councilor Hero Bautista.

His anti-narcotics campaign neutralized the local drug syndicates, and the Philippines was saved from becoming a narco-state.

Perhaps, Duterte could have completely eradicated the drug menace, had it not been for the onslaught of the COVID-19 pandemic that

The Marcos visit yielded some $1.3 billion in investment pledges from various American companies that could generate over 6,700 local jobs.

The new US investments cover a broad range of industries, such as agriculture, pharmaceuticals, clean energy, health care, business process management, electric vehicle

The goal is to strengthen research and development in the agricultural sector.

At the same time, the US Agency for International Development seeks to boost its infrastructure development aid to the Philippines by leveraging over $3 billion in public and private financing to support the construction of highquality railways, ports, and transport systems.

The funds will also strengthen the Philippines’ critical mineral supply chains, advance smart grid technologies and clean energy solutions, promote secure 5G deployment, strengthen airport security and maritime safety, and support healthcare infrastructure across the Philippines.

Defense plaining witness eventually withdrew from the case, and admitted he had been hired for the sole purpose of discrediting Duterte.

The US is taking concrete steps to show its resolve to help the Philippines defend its territory in the South China Sea by providing military vessels and aircraft to the Armed Forces of the Philippines to help in its modernization.

These include two Island-class patrol vessels, two Protector-class patrol vessels, and three C-130H transport aircraft.

These are on top of the two Cyclone-class patrol vessels transferred to the Philippines in late March and are on their way to Manila.

The Philippines and the US have also adopted Bilateral Defense Guidelines that would spell out priorities for interoperability systems in land, sea, air, space, and cyberspace.

Although the Philippines was a signatory to the Rome Statute, Manila has effectively withdrawn from the treaty. The Supreme Court dismissed a petition questioning the legality of the withdrawal.

In short, the ICC has no jurisdiction over Filipino nationals, Duterte included.

Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla himself affirms this view. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. agrees with Remulla.

The firm has developed small modular reactor technology (SMR), described as safe, modular, and scalable. This technology is the first and only one of its kind to receive design approval from the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

NuScale is expected to invest $6.5 billion to $7.5 billion in the Philippines to provide 430 megawatts of power by 2031. Education

The US government has also committed to provide $70 million for exchange program opportunities for over 2,000 Filipinos in the next 10 years, according to the White House. Among the fellowship and scholarship opportunities that will benefit from the expansion are the Fulbright program and other bilateral exchange programs with the Philippines.

Both governments plan to establish the Philippines-US Friendship Fellowship, which will provide Filipino students and young professionals with opportunities to pursue further schooling in the United States.

The Philippines and the United States have gone through good times and bad times in equal measure through the decades.

But the convergence of common interests and shared experiences now compel them to become even closer allies and partners in a rapidly changing regional and global landscape.

(Email: ernhil@yahoo.com)

As Secretary Remulla repeatedly points out, to allow the ICC to operate in the Philippines is an affront to Philippine sovereignty.

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(www.manilastandard.net) drained the government’s resources.

Anyway, as expected in any campaign against powerful drug syndicates, quite a number of casualties and injuries were registered.

Eventually, President Duterte’s political enemies from the much-despised Liberal Party and their allies who sympathize with the local communists initiated a complaint against him with the ICC. They claimed Duterte’s war on drugs violated human rights.

The confederate they hired as their com-

Recently, Duterte’s enemies, including detained ex-Senator Leila de Lima and some radical party-representatives in Congress, want the the ICC to issue a warrant for his arrest, in duplication of the warrant issued against Putin.

Obviously, they are delirious, or it’s just a case of wishful thinking on their part.

The ICC has no jurisdiction over the Philippines, like Russia.

Therefore, the ICC has no authority issuing a warrant of arrest against anybody in the Philippines, Duterte included.