Top 5 at 5: Duterte’s ICC Arrest and What It Means for the Philippines
Maria Kristina Conti, Secretary General, National Union of Peoples Lawyers-National Capital Region
12-Mar-25 17:00

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Former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte has been arrested on an ICC warrant over his bloody “war on drugs,” which rights groups say killed up to 30,000 people. What’s next for Duterte, how does it deepen the Marcos-Duterte rift and what does his arrest mean for the Philippines? Maria Kristina Conti, Secretary-General of the National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers-NCR, joins us to discuss.
Other stories we covered:
• Seremban Council Removes Doors Over Unpaid Rent: Authorities took drastic action against tenants who failed to pay rent for up to 18 years, removing doors from six units in a low-cost flat. Some units were even sublet despite unpaid dues. Researcher Theebalakshmi Kunasekaran weighs in on the ethical implications of this move.
• LHDN's Record Tax Collection: Malaysia recorded its highest-ever tax revenue at RM184.8 billion in 2024. Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim credited stricter enforcement, particularly targeting the ultra-rich. Tax expert Farah Rosley discusses compliance measures and enforcement strategies.
• Juveniles Imprisoned Indefinitely: A parliamentary reply revealed 27 juvenile offenders detained indefinitely under the Child Act, with some imprisoned for over 20 years. We discuss this with Dobby Chew from human rights group Hayat, who calls for urgent case reviews.
• ERA FM Fined Without Suspension: The radio station was fined RM250,000 but avoided suspension over a social media post that mocked the Hindu religion. However, the DJs' reinstatement remains unclear. We discuss if the quantum of the fine was excessive or if the punishment fits the offence.
Image Credit: Shutterstock
Produced by: Sudais Ferhard, Alia Zefri, Sneha Harikannan, Lim Sue Ann, Sharaad Kuttan
Presented by: Lee Chwi Lynn, Sharaad Kuttan
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Categories: economy, politics, government, international, Law/Activism, corruption, controversies, culture, History/Heritage, financial wellness
Tags: philippine politics, seremban city council, unpaid rent, removing doors, tax collection 2024, juvenile detention centre, juvenile imprisonment, radio license suspension, hindu religion, rodrigo duterte, sara duterte, ferdinand marcos, icc, interpol, war on drugs, lhdn, anwar ibrahim, ultra-wealthy, tax evasion, death sentence, era fm, kavadi,