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Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, December 19) — The Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) has suspended the airing of two SMNI programs — one hosted by former President Rodrigo Duterte and the other led by Lorraine Badoy and Jeffrey Celiz for two weeks.

In a statement on Tuesday, the MTRCB said it received several complaints on the alleged violations of the shows "Gikan Sa Masa, Para Sa Masa" and "Laban Kasama ang Bayan" airing on the broadcast network currently under legislative scrutiny.

MANILA, Philippines — Senator Robinhood Padilla has proposed amending the 1987 Constitution and allowing the president and vice president to serve for four years and two terms.

Under his Resolution of Both Houses (RBH) No. 5, the president and vice president would be elected “joint candidates,” the Senate would grow to 54 members, with 24 of them serving for eight years, and the House of Representatives lawmakers would serve for four years.

MANILA — There is a "big" possibility that the broadcast franchise of SMNI News Channel will be revoked, Surigao del Sur Rep. Johnny Pimentel said Wednesday, citing the outlet's alleged violations.

"There is a really big possibility [of] revoking," Pimentel told ANC when asked about the chance that Congress, which has the exclusive authority over media franchises, will cancel SMNI's license.

The lawmaker said his colleagues passed on Tuesday a resolution urging the National Telecommunications Commission "to suspend the airing of SMNI."

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) on Saturday deployed two of its vessels to conduct maritime patrols in the immediate vicinity of Julian Felipe Reef, where more than 135 Chinese maritime militia (CMM) vessels have reportedly been seen swarming.

In a statement, PCG-West Philippine Sea spokesman Commodore Jay Tarriela said yesterday that Admiral Ronnie Gil Gavan, Coast Guard

commandant, ordered the deployment of two of their multi-role response vessels (MRRVs), the BRP Sindangan and BRP Cabra after learning about the presence of CMMs around the area of Julian Felipe (Whitsun) Reef.

MANILA, Philippines — The magnitude 7.4 earthquake that happened off the coast of Hinatuan in Surigao del Sur on Saturday was caused by movements in the Philippine trench, said Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) Director Teresito Bacolcol on Sunday.

The quake happened at 10:37 p.m. on Saturday, December 2.

The state seismologist raised a tsunami alert following the quake but took it down early Sunday.

A panel of the House of Representatives on Thursday kicked off its probe into alleged franchise violations of Sonshine Media Network International (SMNI).

The House committee on legislative franchises, chaired by Parañaque City Rep. Gustavo Tambunting, grilled SMNI representatives and its talents Jeffrey Celiz and Lorraine Marie Badoy over one of their TV broadcasts.

Tambunting said the franchise granted to SMNI owner Swara Sug Media Corp. is being scrutinized on its alleged violation of Section 4 of Republic Act No. 11422 where “the grantee shall … conform to the ethics of honest enterprise; and not use its stations or facilities … for the dissemination of deliberately false information or willful misrepresentation, to the detriment of the public interest.”

MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. can decide by his own legal authority if the Philippines will rejoin the International Criminal Court (ICC) — without Senate concurrence, former Senate President Franklin Drilon said on Tuesday.

“In my view, the concurrence of the Senate is not necessary for the Philippines to rejoin the [ICC]. The Philippines can rejoin the ICC without returning to the Senate,” Drilon said in a statement.

The former justice secretary’s view challenged an earlier assertion by Sen. Ronald dela Rosa, who suggested that any move by the government to return to the ICC fold would require a majority approval by the senators.

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine government would need to redo the process of returning to the fold of the International Criminal Court (ICC), which would require the concurrence of two-thirds of the membership of the Senate, Sen. Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa said on Monday.

Dela Rosa, one of the respondents of the cases lodged with the ICC, said President Marcos cannot unilaterally rejoin the ICC without Senate ratification, which his predecessor, then President Rodrigo Duterte, did to withdraw in 2018.

Edit: here's my thought process. Why do they need to tell someone they are not. Then proceed to say the most racist thing, lmao.

Vice President Sara Duterte branded those opposing confidential funds as "enemies of the nation," as they also supposedly oppose peace by questioning or preventing the budget allocation.

Duterte defended her offices' proposed confidential funds for the 2024 budget in her speech on Wednesday, October 4, during the celebration of the 122nd Police Service Anniversary in Butuan City.

MANILA, Philippines – Three Filipino fisherfolk died after an “unidentified commercial vessel” rammed a Filipino fishing boat passing through the waters off Bajo de Masinloc or Panatag Shoal in the West Philippine Sea.

According to an initial report from the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), a surviving crew member of the fishing boat Dearyn said their mother boat was rammed at around 4:30 am on Monday, October 2, while it was preparing to fish some 85 nautical miles northwest of the shoal. The mother boat sank, killing three of its crew members including its captain.

MANILA — The government will borrow P2.46 trillion to partly fund the P5.768 trillion national budget for next year, Rep. Stella Quimbo said Tuesday.

Some 43.32 percent of the 2024 national budget will come from borrowings, while the remaining 57 percent will be financed by local revenues, said Quimbo, senior vice chair of the House Appropriations Committee.

"From borrowings, it would be P2.46 trillion," she said during the House of Representatives plenary deliberations on next year's proposed budget.

Quimbo also said that the 2024 national budget sets aside resources for programs critical in accelerating the nation's growth.