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Prosecutors to VP defense team: Accept bank record stipulations, drop 20 witnesses

The House prosecution team on Monday offered to enter into stipulations with Vice President Sara Z. Duterte’s defense panel that could remove the need to present up to 20 witnesses in her impeachment trial, as prosecutors seek to shorten proceedings involving alleged unexplained wealth.

The proposal centers on subpoenaed bank records that prosecutors are presenting in connection with allegations of unexplained wealth. The prosecution said an agreement could remove the need to call as many as 20 witnesses who would only testify on the authenticity and existence of the documents.

House prosecutor Akbayan Party-list Rep. Chel Diokno said the request for admission was intended to identify facts that are not genuinely disputed and allow the court to focus on the issues that require further examination.

‘We filed the request for admission to make the trial more organized and faster. Our only goal is to determine what is truly disputed without using the court’s time on matters that can simply be acknowledged,’ Diokno told the Senate Impeachment Court.

The prosecution offered to withdraw its request if Duterte’s defense agrees to stipulate on three points: that the bank records exist, that the documents were submitted by the identified banks pursuant to subpoenas issued by the impeachment court, and that the records are authentic copies maintained and produced by those institutions.

‘That is all that is being asked, Your Honors. We will withdraw our request for admission if the respondent agrees to this,’ Diokno said.

Diokno emphasized that the proposed stipulations would not require Duterte to admit liability, accept the prosecution’s interpretation of the transactions, or concede that the records prove wrongdoing.

‘The respondent would remain free to challenge the relevance, meaning, evidentiary value, and legal effect of the records,’ he said.

According to Diokno, agreeing to the stipulations could allow the prosecution to remove the need for testimony from at least 10 to 20 witnesses who would otherwise discuss the same foundational matters.

Duterte’s defense team, however, maintained that it could not immediately agree to the proposal. Lead counsel Shiela Sison said additional bank documents were still being marked and that the defense needed more time to examine the records.

The defense also argued that requiring Duterte to respond to the request for admission could affect her constitutional right against self-incrimination. It maintained that impeachment proceedings do not automatically follow the same procedures as ordinary civil cases.

Diokno rejected the argument that the request should be completely dismissed, saying the prosecution was not asking Duterte to confess to any offense.

‘We are not asking her to admit any wrongdoing or responsibility. We are only asking for recognition of documents submitted by the banks themselves pursuant to the subpoena issued by this court,’ Diokno said.

The prosecutor also pointed out that Duterte’s defense had not claimed that the bank records were fake or fabricated.

‘To be clear, the respondent has not claimed that these records are fake or fabricated. That is why we are saying the authenticity of the bank documents is not genuinely disputed,’ Diokno said.

He added that the records came directly from financial institutions and did not pass through the prosecution before being submitted to the court.

‘The documents were submitted by established banks that understand the importance of this case and the reputation attached to the records they provide,’ Diokno said.

Presiding Officer Sen. Francis ‘Chiz’ Escudero directed the prosecution to submit the proposed stipulations in writing so the defense could formally respond.

Escudero said the impeachment court would still resolve the legal dispute over the request for admission even if both sides eventually reach an agreement.

Meanwhile, Davao City Mayor Sebastian ‘Baste’ Duterte is scheduled to testify in the impeachment trial after requesting additional time to prepare documents covered by a subpoena.

Escudero said Mayor Duterte asked to appear on Tuesday and Wednesday instead of Monday because he needed time to gather, organize, authenticate, and reproduce the requested documents.

‘The Presiding Officer grants the request of Mayor Duterte to appear tomorrow [Tuesday] and Wednesday. This is already covered by the subpoena issued, so there is no need for another subpoena,’ Escudero ruled.

The prosecution is expected to question Mayor Duterte regarding his sister’s declared business interests and government transactions in Davao City that prosecutors say may be relevant to their allegations involving unexplained wealth.

The prosecution also presented testimony from Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System (PhilGEPS) Division Chief Rendell Sopeña regarding government contracts awarded to GenCorp Industries Inc.

Sopeña told the Senate impeachment court that 11 of 15 contracts awarded by the Davao City government to GenCorp were processed through negotiated small-value procurement rather than public bidding.

He estimated that the 11 contracts had a combined value of around P7 million to P8 million, while the total value of the 15 Davao City awards was about P34.216 million.

Sopeña clarified that his testimony was limited to information contained in the PhilGEPS system and did not determine whether any procurement transaction was unlawful.

He explained that PhilGEPS records show procurement information submitted by government agencies but do not independently determine whether prices were reasonable or whether all legal requirements were followed.

Lead prosecutor Atty. Gerville ‘Jinky Bitrics’ Luistro argued that GenCorp’s participation in Davao City procurement raised conflict-of-interest concerns because Duterte had declared an interest in the company while her brother was serving as Davao City mayor.

Luistro said the prosecution’s position was based on the conflict-of-interest provision under Article VII, Section 13 of the Constitution, while acknowledging that procurement laws do not explicitly describe every possible scenario.

Senator-judge Raffy Tulfo questioned whether GenCorp could participate in Davao City procurement given Duterte’s declared ownership interest and her brother’s position as city mayor.

Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian also asked whether PhilGEPS records showed the number of bidders, bid prices, and conflict-of-interest declarations. Sopeña said those details were not automatically reflected in the system unless uploaded by the procuring entity.

Constitutional right against self-incrimination

Defense lead counsel Sheila Sison on Monday argued that the constitutional right against self-incrimination and the right to remain silent are absolute, and that these protections must be upheld, as prosecution panel attempts to summon or subpoena Vice President Duterte.

Sison invoked the 1969 landmark Supreme Court ruling in Pascual Jr. vs Board of Medical Examiners to assert that Duterte cannot be compelled to take the witness stand or testify against herself during her Senate impeachment trial.

‘The admission is akin to testimony. Kaya nga may tinawag na admission. At kung ano ang garantiya ng Konstitusyon natin ay ipinagbabawal ang compulsion sa isang respondent o akusado na mag-testify against himself, dapat ding pagbawalan ‘yung pagtatangka na kumuha ng tinatawag na admission,’ Sison said.

House prosecutor and Akbayan party-list Rep. Jose Manuel ‘Chel’ Diokno asserts that the timing for invoking rights against self-incrimination should be when specific questions are propounded to a witness, rather than as a blanket objection to a request for documents.

The Senate sitting as the impeachment court is tackling Article II on the alleged unexplained wealth of Duterte and her husband, lawyer Manases ‘Mans’ Carpio.

Diokno told the impeachment court that the prosecution is willing to withdraw its request for admission of Duterte’s bank records if the defense agrees to stipulations on three matters: the bank records exists, were produced by the said banks pursuant to the subpoenas identified by the impeachment court, and they are genuine and authentic copies of records maintained by the said banks.

Diokno stressed that the stipulations would not require the vice president to admit liability, the accuracy and truth of every entry in the documents, or the prosecution’s interpretation of any transaction in the documents.

Sison also stated that the Constitutional guarantee protects as well as the right to silence.

‘As far back as 1905, we had the occasion to declare the accused has a perfect right to remain silent and his silence cannot be used as a presumption of his guilt,’ she added, emphasizing that the constitutional right against self-incrimination should apply with even greater force in an impeachment proceedings, which she described as ‘highly penal in character.’

Sison said the defense also could not agree on what the prosecution proposed, which is the stipulations immediately since additional documents were still being marked.

‘Isa pa po na nakikita naming concern dito ay hindi pa nga nasisimulan ang pagmamarka ng mga dokumento na galing sa bangko today,’ Sison said, adding that they were informed that more documents are set for marking on Monday.

Sison also argued that Duterte and the defense team has not been given enough time to review the said documents.

‘Ibig sabihin, wala ring sapat na panahon para makita ng respondent at ng kanyang mga abogado ang mga dokumento na ito and there will be no basis for any stipulation today or even tomorrow, or even on Wednesday,’ Sison explained.

‘If we will have a stipulation, our suggestion is that the proposal form stipulation be made at the appropriate time,’ she said, as she proposed that any stipulation of the documents be taken up later when the prosecution formally offers its testimonial evidence accompanying the documentary evidence.

Later, she said the lead defense will no longer quibble on the matter after Diokno withdrew the request for admission in exchange for stipulation.

‘We will no longer quibble with the arguments profounded today by the Honorable Diokno considering also the statement that had been made in respect of the withdrawal of the request for admission in exchange for stipulation,’ she added.

The court then instructed the parties to submit their arguments in writing.

Presiding officer Francis ‘Chiz’ Escudero confirmed they will issue a formal ruling on the motion within the week to guide future proceedings in the trial.

EU prepares roadmaps to accelerate membership process for four candidate countries

The European Union (EU) is preparing phased roadmaps aimed at accelerating the accession process of four candidate countries – Albania, Moldova, Ukraine and Montenegro.

According to Politico, the roadmaps, to be prepared by the European Commission, will outline the reforms and requirements each country must fulfil, as well as indicative timelines for completing different stages of accession negotiations.

The plans are also expected to define commitments by current EU member states, whose approval is required for the accession process to move forward.

At this stage, similar roadmaps are not planned for Georgia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Serbia or Trkiye.

The European Commission has confirmed that the roadmaps will establish priorities, timelines and specific deliverables to help the most advanced candidates complete the necessary reforms.

Earlier, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen pledged targeted support for the candidate countries “that have made most progress” during her State of the Union speech earlier in September.

A stronger MICE is Kenya’s next tourism frontier

Kenya’s tourism story has long been defined by our extraordinary wildlife, beaches and culture. These remain powerful attractions, but as we pursue our ambition of reaching 5.5 million international visitors by 2028, Kenya is looking beyond traditional leisure tourism to identify the next engines of growth.

One opportunity clearly stands out, Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE).

Globally, MICE has become an important driver of tourism and wider economic activity. According to the International Congress and Convention Association, more than 11,000 international meetings were held globally in 2024.

The exhibitions industry on the other hand illustrates the scale even more clearly.

According to UFI, the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry, exhibitions generated approximately $150 billion in direct spending in 2024, attracted 318 million visitors and supported 1.8 million direct jobs and 4.3 million jobs in total.

These numbers matter to tourism because the value of a delegate extends far beyond the conference room. A visitor attending a three-day event needs accommodation, transport, food and other services.

Many also extend their stays, experience local attractions and return later for leisure. MICE therefore creates an opportunity to grow arrivals, bed nights, visitor spending and repeat travel simultaneously.

Destinations are already demonstrating what is possible, Singapore, for example, recorded $2.3 billion in MICE tourism receipts in 2025, a 35 percent increase from the previous year. It also hosted 156 international association meetings, an eight percent increase year-on-year.

These gains demonstrate how deliberately developing business events can strengthen a destination’s tourism economy.

For Kenya, the opportunity comes at an important moment, we are already building the infrastructure needed to compete for larger international events. For many years, the Kenyatta International Convention Centre has been a cornerstone of Kenya’s conference industry and one of the region’s established convention facilities.

It has enabled Nairobi to host major international, regional and diplomatic meetings while connecting delegates to the city’s wider tourism offering.

Today, that capacity is expanding, the private sector continues to invest in hotels and hospitality properties with modern conference and meeting facilities. This is important because Kenya’s MICE proposition cannot depend on a single venue. It must be an ecosystem bringing together hotels, convention facilities, airlines, restaurants, destination management companies, tour operators and attractions.

Government investment is also changing the scale of what Kenya can offer. The Bomas International Convention Complex, currently under development, is expected to significantly expand the country’s capacity to host large-scale international conferences, exhibitions and events.

With major convention spaces, additional halls and numerous meeting and breakout rooms, the facility will enable Kenya to pursue events requiring capacities beyond those currently available.

The government is also taking a more deliberate approach to attracting international events, with the Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife working to identify, bid for and secure major conferences and other business events for the country.

MICE is increasingly being positioned as a strategic component of Kenya’s broader effort to reach 5.5 million international visitors by 2028, bringing together public resources and private-sector partnerships to strengthen the country’s proposition to international event organisers.

But infrastructure alone will not win the business, we must become more deliberate in identifying the right events, bidding competitively for them, packaging the destination and creating experiences that encourage delegates to stay longer.

The Kenya Tourism Board will continue to position Kenya as a place where people meet, connect and experience. A conference in Nairobi can extend into a wildlife experience in the Maasai Mara, a coastal holiday, a cultural encounter, a culinary experience or an adventure across one of our many tourism circuits.

The 16th Magical Kenya Travel Expo (MKTE) provides a timely platform for this ambition. As we bring together international buyers and Kenya’s tourism industry, our objective extends beyond selling leisure excursions. We are also using these relationships to open conversations around conferences, exhibitions, incentive programmes and corporate events that can bring more visitors to Kenya.

If we are serious about reaching 5.5 million international visitors, MICE must be part of the equation. Kenya has the connectivity, experiences, growing hospitality investment and expanding convention infrastructure to strengthen its position in this market.

Our task now is to turn that potential into sustained international business.

Court fixes Oct. 13 to hear Atiku’s bid to amend suit against Tinubu

The Federal High Court in Abuja has fixed October 13 for hearing of a motion by Atiku Abubakar, presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), seeking to amend his suit against President Bola Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Justice Inyang Ekwo fixed the date on Monday to allow parties to regularise their processes.

At the resumed hearing, Joseph Silas, counsel to Atiku and the ADC, told the court that he had received responses from other respondents but was yet to receive Tinubu’s counter-affidavit to the application.

Wole Olanipekun, SAN, counsel to Tinubu, however, told the court that the counter-affidavit had been served on the plaintiffs on September 24 and acknowledged by their counsel’s office.

Justice Ekwo confirmed the proof of service filed by Olanipekun before adjourning the matter to October 13 for hearing of the application to amend the originating summons.

They alleged that the APC submitted a forged NYSC discharge certificate to INEC and asked the court to compel the electoral commission to remove Tinubu and the APC from the list of presidential candidates and parties for the 2027 election.

Tinubu and the APC denied the allegation in a joint counter-affidavit filed on September 9 and urged the court to dismiss the suit.

They argued that the suit was incompetent and that the plaintiffs lacked the legal standing to institute it.

The defendants also denied submitting a forged certificate to INEC for either the 2023 or 2027 presidential elections.

According to the defendants, they did not submit Form CF001 to INEC for either election as alleged by the plaintiffs. They also said the NYSC had never denied issuing the discharge certificate to Tinubu after his service year.

The defendants further argued that proof of forgery of a certificate requires a disclaimer from the institution alleged to have issued it, citing a Supreme Court decision in support of their position.

INEC also challenged the competence of the suit in a preliminary objection filed on September 7 through its counsel, Alex Izinyon, SAN.

The commission cited statute bar, lack of locus standi, absence of a reasonable cause of action and abuse of court process.

INEC also argued that the plaintiffs failed to comply with the written deposition requirement under Paragraph 7(1) of the Federal High Court Pre-Election Practice Directions (Amendment) 2026.

The commission further challenged Reliefs 2 and 3 in the originating summons and urged the court to dismiss the suit.

Atiku and the ADC filed their application to amend the suit on September 10.

They said the proposed amendment was intended to correct errors in the description of documents attached to their affidavit, including the reference to Form CF001 instead of Form EC9A.

They also sought to include particulars of the alleged fraud, a written deposition by Atiku and clearer copies of exhibits that were not available when the suit was initially filed.

The plaintiffs maintained that the amendment would not introduce a new issue or additional relief.

Tinubu opposed the application in a counter-affidavit filed on September 24.

In the affidavit, deposed to by Moses Adoga, a litigation support officer in the law firm of Olanipekun, the president argued that the proposed amendment went beyond correcting errors in the description of documents.

Adoga said the plaintiffs sought to amend the questions for determination and the reliefs sought, introduce new documents and add paragraphs to the supporting affidavit.

He argued that the proposed amendment would alter the plaintiffs’ case and contended that the substantive suit was statute-barred.

According to him, the cause of action arose on July 11, when Tinubu’s name was submitted to INEC, while Atiku filed the suit on August 14.

He argued that the time limit for instituting the action is prescribed by the 1999 Constitution, as amended, and cannot be extended by the court’s Practice Directions.

Adoga also argued that the attempt to introduce particulars of alleged fraud showed that the original originating summons did not contain those particulars and was therefore incompetent.

He urged the court to dismiss the application.

The APC also opposed the application to amend the suit.

INEC similarly opposed the motion, arguing that the proposed amendment would introduce a new cause of action or cure a jurisdictional defect after the constitutional deadline for filing a pre-election suit had expired.

Mendie Akpan, a litigation secretary in the law firm of Alex Izinyon and Co., who deposed to INEC’s counter-affidavit, said the proposed amendment sought to introduce a written deposition filed outside the constitutionally prescribed period, reformulate the reliefs and address the reference to Form CF001 and Form EC9A.

She argued that granting the application would amount to introducing a fresh cause of action or curing a jurisdictional defect after the expiration of the 14-day period prescribed by Section 285(9) of the Constitution for instituting a pre-election suit.

Azerbaijan confirms citizen’s death following Kyiv drone attack

An Azerbaijani citizen was killed in a drone attack on Kyiv, Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry reported.

According to Foreign Ministry spokesperson Ayhan Hacizada, 1978-born Azerbaijani citizen Abbas Abbasov was killed in the attack at around 10 p.m. on September 27.

The Azerbaijani Embassy in Ukraine is providing consular assistance to arrange the repatriation of Abbasov’s remains. The Foreign Ministry also expressed condolences to his family and loved ones.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said earlier that a citizen of Azerbaijan was killed in the attack on Kyiv.

Zelenskyy said Russian strikes targeted several regions across Ukraine overnight and in the morning. In Kharkiv, an attack on a residential building partially destroyed the second and fourth floors and injured 28 people, including nine children.

According to Zelenskyy, a vessel flying the Palau flag was also hit in Odesa region, while an ice cream production facility was damaged in Zhytomyr region. Residential buildings were also damaged in Sumy, Rivne, Kharkiv and Odesa regions, while critical infrastructure was affected in Vinnytsia, Dnipropetrovsk, Khmelnytskyi and Zaporizhzhia regions.

FG commends oil workers for supporting access to affordable housing

Authority (NMDPRA) for its workers has been commended by the federal government. The houses were developed under the government’s Renewed Hope Cities and Estates Programme.

Muttaqha Darma, the Minister of Housing and Urban Development, gave the commendation at the formal presentation of allocation letters to eligible NMDPRA staff in Abuja recently.

The minister noted that the initiative was significant in the face of Nigeria’s huge housing deficit, which he put conservatively at more than 16 million units needed to accommodate over 100 million unhoused Nigerians.

He said the development demonstrated the importance of collaboration among government institutions in addressing the country’s housing challenge.

‘Providing housing to Nigerians remains a major responsibility. Providing houses to 110 million unhoused Nigerians is a task, a very big one.

‘I consider the NMDPRA initiative beyond the number of houses being allocated. Forget about the mention of 450 housing units. No, I am not looking at it from that angle. I am looking at it from the delivery of housing to Nigerians,’ he stated.

Darma explained that every opportunity to deliver housing to Nigerians is important, drawing attention to the rising cost of home construction and saying that home ownership had become increasingly difficult for ordinary Nigerians, which is why the NMDPRA initiative was significant.

Umar described the development as a practical demonstration of how government policies could translate into tangible benefits for citizens, adding that the authority considered staff welfare an important component of institutional performance.

He said workers who had peace of mind and confidence in their personal future would be better positioned to contribute their skills and expertise to the authority’s national mandate.

Umar commended the Authority’s Staff Cooperative Society, the Renewed Hope Access to Housing Committee and other institutional partners for facilitating the housing initiative.

Shehu Osidi, the Chief Executive of FMBN, said the NMDPRA staff had subscribed to 430 housing units in Karsana, Abuja, and Janguza, Kano.

Osidi said 197 National Housing Fund (NHF) mortgage applications valued at about N8.3 billion were being packaged for submission to FMBN by City Code Mortgage Bank Limited.

He disclosed that FMBN had provided a N100 billion off-take guarantee for the Renewed Hope Cities and Estates Programme, commencing with the Karsana project, in addition to N19.9 billion in direct funding.

Osidi said the interventions were designed to give developers greater certainty, facilitate construction financing and enable eligible workers to access completed houses through sustainable mortgage financing.

He also disclosed that FMBN would soon roll out a Rent-to-Own product for eligible civil servants, while the bank had already launched a Diaspora Mortgage Loan.

He added that FMBN had signed a memorandum of understanding for a N10 billion housing loan scheme for Federal Civil Servants.

Meanwhile, Abdullahi Auta, the President of the Authority Staff Cooperative Society, disclosed that more than 1,000 NMDPRA staff had applied for the housing initiative, but about 430 had so far been accommodated.

Auta appealed for continued support to enable more staff awaiting allocation to benefit from the scheme.

Dare Makinde, Chief Commercial Officer, Renewed Hope SPV Limited, said in the first phase, Abuja accounted for 365 units, comprising two-bedroom flats, three-bedroom flats and three-bedroom terrace duplexes with boys’ quarters.

According to Makinde, Kano has 14 units comprising three-bedroom and four-bedroom bungalows, fully detached houses and three-bedroom terrace duplexes with boys’ quarters.

He said Lagos had 56 units comprising two-bedroom and three-bedroom apartments with boys’ quarters, pointing out that a second phase of the project would be delivered next year to accommodate some applicants who could not benefit from the first phase.

He said additional housing projects were also planned for Asaba, Enugu and Ibadan, and urged other public and private organisations to support housing schemes for their workers, saying rising rents made institutional support important in helping workers achieve home ownership.

City Hall reports flooding on several streets

The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration reported flood levels from 16 centimetres to 47cm deep on several streets on Monday morning.

According to the BMA’s Drainage and Sewerage Department, flood levels were:

47.5cm on Pattanakan Road (intersection with Srinagarindra Road) in Suan Luang district

45.1cm on Lat Phrao 122 Road (Chaleena Princess Hotel) in Wang Thonglang district

39.5cm on Soi Senanikhom Road in Chatuchak district

38.7cm on Nawamin Road (Santi Asok) in Bung Kum district

37.7cm on Ngam Wong Wan Road (Pongpet intersection) in Laksi district

26.7cm on Ngam Wong Wan Road (Soi Chinakhet Alley) in Laksi district

19.1cm on Phahon Yothin 60/1 Road in Sai Mai district

15.7cm on Ramkhamhaeng 43/1 Road in Wang Thonglang district

The BMA said the sky became clear and rainwater amounted to only 46 millimetres late Sunday night.

The Meteorological Department predicted isolated heavy rain in the western and lower parts of the North, the western part of the Central Plains and the East as the low-pressure cell already reached the Gulf of Martaban in Myanmar.

Marcos laughs off Sara Duterte’s claim admin seeks to block 2028 polls

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Monday merely laughed off Vice President Sara Duterte’s allegation that the administration is trying to prevent the 2028 elections from taking place.

In a media interview in Pasay City, reporters sought a comment on Duterte’s recent remark that the Marcos administration is pushing to stop the 2028 elections, calling this supposed move ‘becoming increasingly diabolical.’

Marcos, not giving any comment on the matter, just laughed for a brief moment and turned his back on the media.

Duterte’s remark came as she denied allegations made by a dismissed police corporal and former security aide, Rodulfo Gracioso Jr. that he delivered suitcases containing over P2 billion in cash to the Vice President, former President Rodrigo Duterte, and Davao City Rep. Paolo Duterte.

In her statement on Friday, Duterte said ‘I do not know Rodulfo Gracioso Jr., nor have I ever received any money from him.’

‘The desperation of the administration to bring me down, push for Charter Change, prevent the 2028 elections, and cling to power is becoming increasingly diabolical,’ she added.

She said her lawyers are awaiting an official copy of Gracioso’s affidavit from the National Bureau of Investigation so they can begin working on the cases to be filed against him.

‘Once we are done dismantling the lies contained in his testimony, it will end up in the trash bin-just like the one from Ramil Madriaga,’ said Duterte.

‘This is nothing more than another media stunt, an attempt to breathe life into a faltering impeachment case,’ she added.

Iraq takes over US forces’ main headquarters at Baghdad International Airport

Iraq has taken over the main headquarters of United States (US) forces at Baghdad International Airport, according to local media.

The head of Iraq’s Security Media Cell, General Saad Maan, said the Iraqi government now has the final say in determining the nature of the presence of military and security forces in the country.

He stressed that strengthening Iraq’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as independently managing security affairs, are key pillars of stability in the country. According to him, these factors will allow Iraq to further develop its regional and international relations through broader and more effective cooperation.

Iraq is expected to conclude the current phase of its cooperation with the international coalition supporting the country in the fight against ISIS on September 30. This will mark the end of the mission of foreign military forces in Iraq.

The next phase is expected to focus on bilateral cooperation with some coalition members, including support for arms programs, training of security forces, and improving their readiness to respond to emerging threats.

UP Diliman slams NTF-Elcac red-tagging of students, faculty, staff

A University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman committee condemned the ‘continuous red-tagging, harassment, and intimidation’ of its constituents, particularly students, by agents and supporters of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-Elcac).

The UP Diliman Committee on the Protection of Academic Freedom and Human Rights said on Monday, Sept. 28, that it ‘stand[s] with our students, faculty, REPS (Research, Extension, and Professional Staff), staff, and other community members who are fighting against the blatant and shameless corruption and impunity in government.’

It pointed out in a statement that social media posts made by NTF-Elcac agents and groups such as Hands of Our Children ‘showing photos of our constituents and accusing them of being terrorists are malicious and harmful.’

‘It creates an environment that is anxiety-inducing and produces a chilling effect on members of progressive groups that are critical of repressive government policies. It harms their well-being and may affect their relationships with their families and their functioning as members of the University,’ it said.

The committee asserted that ‘activism is not terrorism,’ pointing to a 2024 Supreme Court decision that declared ‘red-tagging, vilification, labelling, and guilt by association threaten a person’s right to life, liberty, or security.’

‘Fighting for basic social services and human rights is not terrorism,’ it said, calling on the NTF-Elcac and its allied groups to stop red-tagging members of the UP community who are expressing their legitimate dissent.