harry roque

Looks like the world is getting smaller for former Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque these days.

Roque, who is now gallivanting abroad and hoping to secure asylum, preferably in the Netherlands, is starting to get rebuffs from the camp of his former boss in Malacanang, then President Rodrigo R. Duterte, who is presently detained in the detention center of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague. The former President is facing a case of crimes against humanity at the ICC.

Initially, Roque was denied asylum by the government of the Netherlands, but he is still there, hoping that his case will be reconsidered by the Dutch government.

The former spokesman of FPRRD was earlier rejected as part of the defense team of the former President. This despite the fact that he is one of only very few Filipino lawyers accredited by the ICC.

Of late, Roque’s statements made on the case of his former boss have been considered by the Defense team of Duterte, led by lawyer Nicholas Kaufman, as “interference” in their work and might possibly affect adversely the defense team’s strategy.

Of course, the former Presidential spokesman was quick to deny that he is interfering in the Duterte defense team’s activities.

In the early days of the former President’s incarceration at The Hague, VP Sara, who was the one working for the organization of his father’s defense team, appeared wanting in interest in having Roque as a member.

Of course, the VP’s action is understandable. After all, how could she be assured of Roque’s full attention in the defense of his father when the former was also having a problem of his own, that is, defending himself from some cases he is facing in the Philippines – the very reason he left the country.

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Acting Mayor Baste Duterte is lambasting the Marcos, Jr. administration for its apparent toleration of online gambling even after vilifying the Philippine Offshore Gaming Operations (POGOs) during his third State of the Nation Address (SONA) last year.

According to Baste, the Marcos Jr’s administration only succeeded in politicizing the POGO halt despite the millions of pesos it brought to the government treasury. Besides, he added, the target clients of POGOs were not Filipinos but big-time gamblers from other countries like China.

Now, the younger Duterte said, the administration is coddling the operation of online gambling with Filipinos as its clients. And this has been going on without a single centavo in taxes paid to the government.

But we are also wondering whether Mayor Baste has noticed that in his own turf, online gambling “couched” by the so-called legally allowed Small Town Lottery (STL) betting outlets is now growing in number like mushrooms sprouting underneath banana plants. How about this phenomenon of booking outlets for the small town lottery? We are just wondering if the acting mayor has knowledge of the massive rise in the number of these outlets for gambling, which in some areas are barely less than 300 to 400 meters away from each other.

For now, we have heard of famous names mentioned as operators of these betting venues for STL (kuno), but they are actually just “fronts” of the more juicy illegal Last 2 operation.

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This one is worth the recognition as a major news story of the world.

Remember that Ukraine has been at war with Russia for about two years now. And despite several attempts, Russia still failed to steamroll into Ukraine despite its massive size. In fact, Ukraine even brings the war to Russia’s domain without necessarily sending foot on the ground.

But only this week, it appears that some other “forces” succeeded in “invading” Ukraine. And because of the ongoing war, the Ukrainian authorities seem convinced that the country will have a hard time thwarting the new “invaders.”

And the Ukrainian government is so afraid that, should the “invasion” not be thwarted early, chances are the country may end up having a serious food shortage.

The “invaders?” Locusts, swarms of these large insects, are now attacking Ukrainian farm crops that are feeding its people, including the already exhausted soldiers, while they are locked in a struggle against Russia.

The worst fear of the Ukrainian people is that if these “invaders” are not halted, chances are the country may be on its way to a serious hunger. And the country cannot afford to spare money since it is spent mostly on the country’s effort to sustain its war against Russia.

Quo Vadis Ukraine?