News Update As of March 08, 2017
(Wednesday)
1. Manila Bulletin
Duterte to ‘study’ nationwide smoking ban EO
The draft executive order on the nationwide smoking ban has reached his desk but President Rodrigo Duterte is still inclined to further study the proposal.
http://news.mb.com.ph/2017/03/08/duterte-to-study-nationwide-smoking-ban-eo/
2. Philippine Star
Formal House vote: 216-54 for death penalty
Voting 216-54 with one abstention, the House of Representatives last night approved on final reading the bill reimposing the death penalty for drug-related crimes.
Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez, principal author of House Bill 4727, led the super majority bloc in voting for the approval of the death penalty bill, which President Duterte advocates, upon the motion of House Deputy Majority Leader Juan Pablo Bondoc of Pampanga.
http://www.philstar.com/headlines/2017/03/08/1679083/formal-house-vote-216-54-death-penalty Manila protests US TV drama’s portrayal of Philippine president
Manila “strongly protested” yesterday an American television drama for showing a fictional Philippine president making sexual advances on the US secretary of state.
http://www.philstar.com/headlines/2017/03/08/1679085/manila-protests-us-tv-dramas-portrayal- philippine-president
3. Daily Inquirer
‘Superman’ vs Mighty
President Duterte, known as “Superman” to a confessed hit man of the so-called Davao Death Squad when he was mayor of Davao City, is taking on Mighty Corp., a Filipino cigarette manufacturer accused of massive tax evasion.
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/878587/superman-vs-mighty#ixzz4ahLHXfef 4. Manila Times
House approves death penalty bill
The House of Representatives on Tuesday overwhelmingly approved the death penalty bill on third and final reading, but those who opposed the measure vowed to question it before the Supreme Court.
Through a vote of 217 -54 with one abstention, lawmakers passed House Bill 4727 which seeks to reimpose capital punishment on drug dealers and authorities who will be found guilty of planting illegal drugs as evidence.
http://www.manilatimes.net/house-approves-death-penalty-bill/316049/
