Senate to open impeachment trial to public — ANC

[0:00] The clerk of the impeachment court says the Senate premises will be open to Filipinos who want to watch the Vice President's trial live starting July 6. [0:09] Senate Secretary Renato Bantug Jr. says a number of seats will be allocated to the public. [0:14] The Senate plenary hall has a 340 seating capacity in the gallery and 30 at the VIP box. [0:39] The impeachment court considers reopening a pretrial conference to resolve a prosecution motion to unseal the Vice President's tax records [0:57] and mark these as evidence in her upcoming impeachment trial. [1:01] Agatha Gregorio reports. [1:04] Not just a smoking gun but also an armory of evidence. [1:08] That's how impeachment trial spokesperson Rep. Zia Alonto Adyong is describing the sealed box from the Bureau of Internal Revenue [1:16] containing the tax records of Vice President Sara Duterte. [1:20] The impeachment court has yet to decide on the prosecution's bid to unseal the tax records [1:25] after the defense opposed the opening and even marking the box as evidence. [1:29] So from the very start na ayaw nila, it only speaks to us one thing. [1:34] The defense confirmed on Friday that it filed its comment to the prosecution's manifestation [2:04] for the box to be opened in March. [2:06] The defense adds it will refrain from discussing the merits of their filing in public. [2:11] But before this, Duterte's lawyer, Attorney Michael Poa, said the defense should be given the opportunity [2:16] to comment on the manifestation before conclusions are drawn in public. [2:20] According to Senate Secretary and Impeachment Clerk of Court, Renato Bantug Jr., [2:26] there could be another pretrial conference to resolve the issue. [2:29] But Bantug says the trial start date of July 6 will not be affected if the court reopens the pretrial conference. [2:54] Mabilis lang naman ito, we're just talking about one box, we'll just open it, inventory it, and mark it. [3:00] So it could be done in a few hours. So we don't see any reason why that would cause any delay. [3:07] Some prosecutors expressed confidence their evidence on the article regarding unexplained wealth [3:12] will stand with or without opening the box. [3:14] The case of the prosecution with respect to this article is not hinged exclusively in the contents of the BIR box. [3:24] We have a lot of other evidences to present, such as the AMLOC reports, Bantug documents. [3:34] But still, to see a complete picture, because this would show the declared income of the respondent and her spouse. [3:45] House prosecutors also defend the inclusion of Mary Grace Piatos in their witness list. [3:51] This individual, who has no record with the Philippine Statistics Authority, [3:55] supposedly received confidential funds from the Office of the Vice President. [3:59] This is the opportunity for her, if she actually exists, to come forward and say, [4:04] here I am, presenting myself before the impeachment court, ready to testify. [4:09] So if she does not appear, this just supports our possession that she's a made-up person. [4:14] Another witness named by the prosecution is Abe Andres, the court sheriff punched by Duterte back in 2011. [4:22] Andres, however, wants to be kept out of what he describes as partisan political matters. [4:27] In his social media post, Andres said it is his position ever since to refuse to comment on the incident. [4:33] Aguiong explains the decision to include the court sheriff has to do with ethical standards of those working in government. [4:40] Duterte was then mayor of Davao when the incident occurred. [4:43] Meanwhile, Sen. Panfilo Lacson says the impeachment court should consider advising the prosecution and defense [4:49] to refrain from commenting on the merits of the case to protect the integrity of proceedings. [4:54] The Senate impeachment court is expected to release the pretrial order by Monday. [4:59] This serves as the roadmap for the upcoming proceedings. [5:02] The impeachment trial will be held every Monday to Wednesday starting at 2 p.m. [5:23] However, after the State of the Nation address of President Marcos Jr. on July 27, [5:27] the hearings will be moved to Tuesday until Thursday. [5:31] Agatha Gregorio, ABS-CBN News. [5:36] Dark government social workers say they are helping two detained under-aged shooters [5:41] gradually process the deadly school attack they carried out in Tacloban City. [5:46] Frances Orso reports. [5:47] The Department of Social Welfare and Development continues to enforce its intervention program [5:53] for the two children in conflict with the law involved in the shooting at San Jose National High School in Tacloban City. [6:00] The agency also says the two minors are not receiving any special treatment [6:04] and they are subject to the same rules and rehabilitation programs applied to all children in conflict with the law. [6:11] Authorities have already filed criminal complaints against the 15-year-old suspect. [6:14] The two minors are currently under the custody of a regional rehabilitation center for youth in Leyte [6:20] but are housed in separate rooms. [6:23] They also don't have contact with other children inside the facility. [6:27] We would like to emphasize siguro that the fact that the bata ngayon ay nandito na sa atin [6:34] deprive na siya ngayon of liberty, of freedom. [6:38] Freedom to play like a normal child, like a child. [6:42] No, no, no, like a child that should enjoy everything, the care, the love, no, and the presence of the parents. [6:50] Hindi sila makalaba. [6:52] So that itself is already a, somehow a penalty, or there is a, tawag natin itong, the accountability. [7:02] The DSWD said that social workers continue to engage with the two minors, [7:07] although the process is being carried out gradually. [7:10] There were instances na somehow parang tulala pa sila. [7:14] Kailangan natin mabigyan para ma-process because we understand these children are now also processing themselves. [7:21] Ano yung nagawa nila, bakit nagawa yun. [7:24] Kaya yung ating social workers are very careful kung ano yung questions na itutrow natin sa bata. [7:30] The DSWD also acknowledged gaps in the region's rehabilitation facilities. [7:34] This comes after Tacloban City Mayor Alfred Romualdez disclosed that the city does not have its own youth facility under the city's Social Welfare and Development Office. [7:45] Meanwhile, the Boy Scouts of the Philippines' Tacloban chapter held honor rights Friday afternoon for Chris Lorenz Fabian, one of the students killed in the attack. [7:54] The teen's heroism was remembered for helping protect his classmates by barricading the classroom door while the suspects opened fire indiscriminately. [8:02] The ceremony was led by the Boy Scouts of the Philippines' Tacloban chapter, of which Fabian was a member. [8:08] One of his fellow scouts shared his memories of Fabian. [8:12] Nakikita ko sa kanya kasi maambayit niya, tas bumibigay siya ng mga kahit ano, mga pagkain. [8:19] Palagi siya nang lilibis sa amin. [8:22] And hindi siya mahilig magsalita, tas tahimig lang palagi rin siya. [8:29] Students of San Jose National High School underwent whole-day debriefing sessions on Friday as part of the psychosocial support provided by the Department of Education and the DSWD. [8:39] Francis Orsho, ABS-CBN News. [8:45] The Philippine cybercrime body insists the temporary ban and online game Gorebox will stay until safeguards are in place. [8:52] This story from Johnson Manabad. [8:54] The Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center says its temporary ban against sandboxed video game Gorebox will stay in place. [9:05] The agency says the game will remain cut off as long as the developer fails to implement safety measures to protect its players who are mostly minors. [9:13] The ban was imposed after initial police findings show that one of the suspects in the Tacloban school shooting frequently played the online game which features weapons, simulation and graphic violence. [9:26] CICC Undersecretary Renato Aboy Paraiso says the game is easily downloadable by children because it has no age verification. [9:35] According to Paraiso, Gorebox could be one of the factors that influence the behavior of the minor suspects in the shooting spree in Tacloban. [9:44] So Gorebox is an extremely violent, extremely visual na shooter game na nada-download nyo sa Android lang and it's a web-based application. [9:56] Pag tinatamaan nyo mga tao, very gory, hence the name Gorebox. [10:01] Licensed psychologist Tricia Zafra says violent online games could possibly have a correlation to the behavior and actions of the minors involved in the Tacloban shooting incident [10:11] but said there could also be other factors that contributed to their actions. [10:16] Merong mga study na nagpapakita ng correlation. [10:20] Ibig sabihin, merong nakikitang connection sa pagitan ng dalawang variable, yung behavior, saka yung violent na video game. [10:29] Pero walang causation na tinatawag. [10:31] Isa pang lumalabas sa mga pag-aaral ay tumataas yung pagkakataon na gayahin nila o gawin din nila yung mga aggressive o violent behavior na ito. [10:40] Kung nakikita nila na ito ay hinahangaan, pinupuri, pinapalakpakan o nari-reward pa. [10:47] Dominic Ligot, Philippine AI Business Association Director of AI, Ethics and Data Governance also says [10:54] parents or guardians of minors should be more open in discussing these issues to their children. [11:01] It's like speaking to kids about pornography. [11:04] Hindi yan pinag-uusapan masyado. [11:07] And yan din yung nagiging results, for example, sa mga teenage pregnancies. [11:11] It's the same banana. [11:12] Dapat alam mo yung mga games na lalaro ng anak mo. [11:15] Experts believe there are indications if children or minors are already addicted to online games. [11:22] May pagbabago sa attitude ng mga nagiging irritable, nagiging pasaway yung mga batang to. [11:28] Second is, mas pinaprioritize nila yung games kung hindi na sumasama sa mga family meals, [11:36] mga family outings, mga lakad ng pamilya at pinaprioritize itong mga games na ito. [11:41] And third is, tumatakas na sa atin, nagiging secretive. [11:44] Kung napapansin ninyo, nagiging withdrawn, mapag-isa yung bata, hindi nagkikwento, hindi nakikipag-usap. [11:51] Isa yun sa mga kailangan pagtuunan ng pansin. [11:54] House lawmaker Chal Jokno meanwhile says, authorities should also investigate not only the games, [11:59] but the individuals and networks that may be influencing children online. [12:04] There must also be a thorough investigation into this because it is very concerning that there are [12:11] not just online websites like that, but people operating in other countries who are apparently, [12:20] from what we gather, the reports we've gathered, targeting young people, [12:26] even from our country or from other countries, and trying to influence their behavior. [12:32] That I think is really a matter that we should all be concerned about. [12:37] And even as parents, we should also be perhaps more inquiring into so far as the kinds of activities [12:45] our children are doing online. [12:47] According to the CICC, Gorebox has yet to reach out to the agency. [12:52] Available data showed that there are about 10 million Gorebox users worldwide, [12:56] comparatively lower to users of other much popular online games such as Roblox, [13:01] which is estimated to have at least 11.1 billion registered users worldwide. [13:08] Johnson Manabat, ABS-CBN News. [13:10] Meanwhile, the developer of Gorebox declines a Senate invitation to attend a hearing [13:17] on how the app may have influenced the Tacloban school shooters. [13:21] Victoria Tulad tells us more. [13:23] Angles authorities are investigating in the shooting incident at San Jose National High School [13:30] in Tacloban City, Leyte, is the possible influence of the video game Gorebox on one of the shooters. [13:37] This is why Senator Ruiz Ontiveros, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Women, Children, [13:42] Family Relations and Gender Equality, invited Gorebox developer Felix Philipp, [13:48] who is based in Germany, to a hearing about the tragedy. [13:51] In an email to the committee, Philipp declined the invitation but said he is in contact [13:56] with Philippine authorities and will cooperate with their investigation. [14:01] Philipp also extended his condolences to the families of the victims, [14:04] the students and staff and the community. [14:07] But he insists, Gorebox is for 18 years old and above and is not intended for or directed at minors. [14:15] Ontiveros was dismayed at Philipp's response. [14:18] The senator says she will seek help from the German embassy in the Philippines to facilitate his participation. [14:24] Ontiveros also reminded foreign-based developers and online platforms that if they want to operate [14:30] in the Philippines, they should respect the country's laws and institutions. [14:34] The senator clarified that she is not saying the tragedy happened due to one game, [14:40] but wants to know if this was a factor. [14:43] Gorebox has been temporarily banned in the Philippines. [14:46] The House Committee on Basic Education and Culture is also set to hold its hearing on the school shooting in Tacloban. [14:53] According to its chairperson, Pasig City Representative Roman Romulo, [14:57] there are several laws that protect students, such as the mental wellness law and anti-bullying law, [15:04] but these need aggressive implementation. [15:07] We always would have items for registered guidance counselors, but there would hardly be any takers. [15:15] And the reason for that is that the career path in the Department of Education was not inviting. [15:24] So we passed legislation which really increased the salary rate from 11 to 16, and the maximum is 24. [15:34] Romulo, meanwhile, is not in favor of lowering the minimum age of criminal responsibility. [15:39] Under the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act of 2006, a child 15 years old or under at the time when the offense was committed [15:46] shall be exempt from criminal liability but will undergo an intervention program. [15:52] A child above 15 years old but below 18 shall also be exempt from criminal liability [15:58] and be subjected to an intervention program unless he or she acted with discernment. [16:05] I'm really for finding out if there is a way that we can fill up that gap [16:10] with respect to the cost of why minors are doing petty crimes or what happened to the deployment incident. [16:19] The director of the Social Welfare Department in Eastern Visayas, [16:23] who is also part of the Regional Juvenile Justice and Welfare Committee, meanwhile, [16:27] says a cautious and evidence-driven approach must be taken [16:31] rather than a clear endorsement or rejection of lowering the age. [16:35] We are open, no, for any idea, opinion, at ano yung mga nakita nilang experiences [16:44] that would merit on the, if ever, lowering of the age. [16:48] Kaya hindi naman sinasabi natin na we are not for the lowering [16:54] but ang tiniting, ang gusto lang natin, the message that we want to say is that [16:58] we are open to that. [16:59] When the law was crafted, hindi lang siya basta kasi naisip nila na 15 years old. [17:04] As we all know, there were studies, researches, kaya kailangan din, [17:08] baka makailangan, ma-review na rin natin considering na iba na nga ngayon, [17:12] the environment, the technology, and all. [17:16] So all of this, tinitingnan na. [17:18] Some experts also oppose lowering the age of criminal responsibility. [17:22] Walang correlation, eh, dun sa juvenile involvement sa crime, [17:28] yung age of minimum criminal responsibility. [17:31] Because age actually is not a predictor. [17:34] What is a predictor is more, one, yung kanilang family exposure, [17:39] kung yan ay minagkaroon ng monitoring sa mabilya. [17:42] Two, yung mental health burden, kung sila ay mal-adjusted, antisocial sila. [17:47] Three is yung exposure sa violent content sa internet. [17:50] On the issue of banning social media from minors, [17:54] Congressman Romelu said he is open to the possibility, [17:57] while the Psychological Association of the Philippines points out [18:00] that instead of a ban, stronger security restrictions [18:04] and cooperation with social media companies are needed. [18:08] Victoria Tulad, ABS-CBN News.