SCROLLING down: Many think the president will endorse local bets as a group, not individually. If that happens, visual evidence of a solo endorsement will be an advantage over rivals or even colleagues in the same party... Like the "Obama judge" in the US, is there also "Duterte judge" or "Aquino judge"? Does presidential appointment stick a label on the appointee?
But first, they're talking about...
* IMELDA'S CAR PLATE #8. Rather, LTO's explanation why it cannot go after her to stop its unlawful use. Difficult to flag violations, LTO law enforcement service chief Francis Almora said. How about the photos taken by dozens of media outlets of Imelda's Toyota Coaster bearing plate #8? LTO does not know if she is still using it after the November 16 hearing at Sandiganbayan. "(That) particular instance is finished," Almora said. So it's a "this moment" thing. LTO doesn't go after past violations even if there are photos and testimonial evidence available.
Could LTO stop at least its further use and not assume the violations already ceased?
The plate was issued during the last or 16th Congress. No new #8 plate has been issued by LTO for this, the 17th, Congress.
'Endorsement' photos
A candidate for Cebu Provincial Board member managed to have a photo of himself being endorsed by President Duterte, his right arm and hand raised in the usual symbolic ritual of endorsing and being endorsed in a political contest. And he is keeping the photo like a treasure. He'll use it most likely during the official campaign period.
Duterte apparently has been stingy with his "arm-raising" endorsements. It's not known if he will publicly endorse candidates of the ruling party PDP-Laban in local matches. If he will, it's likely he'll do it in mass or groups. An individual candidate with a photo of a solo endorsement will have some edge over his rivals or, in the case of board members and councilors, his colleagues in the party.
Bribery at ombuds office
Edna Batacan, President Duterte's former lawyer, is facing a criminal complaint for admitting before the Judicial and Bar Council involvement in bribing employees at the office of the ombudsman.
Last June, she was a candidate for ombudsman, which she described as "graft-ridden."
In a letter to the ombudsman last August 15, Batacan denied she herself gave the P50,000. What she said: "I have personal experience on that... three times."
Is that not in effect saying that she paid P50,000 three times? How about exempting Batacan if she testifies against the employee or official who demanded and accepted the cash?
An 'Aquino judge'?
Some critics of the decision finding Representative Imelda Marcos guilty of seven counts of corruption said it was meted out by a "(Noynoy) Aquino judge." It turned out the "ponente" of the decision was appointed by President Duterte. The chairman was appointed by Aquino and he voted against Imelda but the one who wrote the decision and similarly voted for the conviction was a Duterte appointee.
On President Trump's labeling of a judge with the name of the president who appointed him, John Roberts, US Supreme Court chief justice, in a rare rebuke, lashed at Trump for naming a recent lower court decision against a Trump order as coming from an "Obama judge." Insisting the judiciary is independent, Roberts said, "We do not have Obama judges, Bush judges or Clinton judges... We have an extraordinary group of dedicated judges, doing their level best to do equal right to those appearing before them."
Same thing here too? No Duterte judge or Aquino judge?
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