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Volume 24 - No. 33 • 12 Pages
T h e F i l i p i n o A m e r i ca n C o m mu n i t y N e ws pa p e r
Volume 18 - No. 17 • 2 Sections – 16 Pages
August 15-21, 2025
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Marcos: Dismissal of Duterte impeachment DATELINE USA based on procedure, not guilt or innocence Filipino green card from the AJPress NEWS TEAM across America
holder detained by ICE at Charlotte airport after Bahamas trip ICE custody records show Sonny Lasquite is being heldin Georgia pending immigration proceedings, with court files noting a 2012 federal narcotics conviction
by AJPress BENGALURU, INDIA — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said Friday, August 8, that the Supreme Court’s decision voiding the impeachment case against Vice President Sara Duterte did not address the substance of the allegations, stressing that the ruling was based solely on procedural grounds. “The Supreme Court decision does not have any bearing on the rightness or wrongness of the merits of
the impeachment case,” Marcos told reporters while attending a business forum in Bengaluru. “Neither are they saying there was wrongdoing. All they’re saying is you did not handle it properly.” On July 25, the Supreme Court unanimously voided the impeachment complaint filed against Duterte in February, citing the constitutional oneyear bar on initiating more than one impeachment proceeding against the same official within a year. The high tribunal said the House of Representatives
Continuing unemployment claims nearly 2 million, highest since late 2021
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A Filipino immigrant and lawful permanent resident was taken into custody by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) at Charlotte Douglas International Airport on July 28, 2025, after returning from a trip to the Bahamas, according to official records and published news reports. The detainee, identified as Sonny Lasquite, 44, was stopped upon arrival and transferred to ICE custody. Federal records confirm that he is currently being held at Stewart u PAGE 4
by AJPress
Trump’s police takeover tests limits of presidential authority in the capital President Donald Trump’s unprecedented use of the D.C. Home Rule Act to take control of the city’s police force by removing its elected leadership from operational control has intensified legal and political debates over crime, autonomy, and presidential authority
WASHINGTON, D.C. — On August 11, 2025, President Donald Trump invoked Section 740 of the 1973 D.C. Home Rule Act to place the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) under federal control, declaring a “crime emergency” in the nation’s capital. The order delegated operational control to Attorney General Pam Bondi. Trump u PAGE 3
had transmitted the articles of impeachment to the Senate while a similar complaint was still pending final disposition, making the process constitutionally defective. The House had approved the complaint on February 5, alleging misuse of public funds and threats against senior officials—claims Duterte has denied, calling the impeachment politically motivated. The articles were sent to the Senate for trial, but on June u PAGE 2
YOUTH GAMES. Over 1,000 youths from various Davao City barangays enjoy a game of Palo Sebo at the ‘Dula Kaniadto: Pinoy Fun Games’ at People’s Park on Tuesday, August 12. The event was held in line with International Youth Day and the Kadayawan Festival 2025. PNA photo by Robinson Niñal Jr.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Nearly 2 million Americans were receiving unemployment benefits at the end of July, the highest level in almost four years, signaling that job seekers are taking longer to find work even as layoffs remain historically low. The U.S. Department of Labor reported Thursday that continuing claims—the number of people collecting state unemployment insurance—rose by 38,000 to 1.974 million in the week ending July 26, marking the highest total since November 2021. The prior week’s level was revised down to 1.936 million. The insured unemployment rate stayed at 1.3%. In the more recent week ending August 2, initial claims for unemployment benefits, which track new filings, edged up to 226,000 from 219,000. This relatively low level of initial claims suggests employers are not increasing layoffs, but the elevated continuing claims indicate that re-employment is slowing. Labor market analysts describe this as a “slow-tohire, slow-to-fire” environment: businesses are relucu PAGE 2
Trump orders new census excluding undocumented immigrants, sparking legal challenge warnings by AJPress WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump has directed the Department of Commerce to begin work on a mid-decade “highly accurate” census that would exclude undocumented immigrants from the official population count used for congressional apportionment and the allocation of federal funding. Announced Thursday via Truth Social,
the plan calls for using recent federal data, including information from the 2024 presidential election, to recalculate population figures. Trump said individuals in the country without legal status “will not be counted.” By law, the decennial census counts all residents of the United States, regardless of immigration status, under Article I, Section 2 of the U.S. Constitution and the u PAGE 3
The Philippine Coast Guard’s BRP Suluan (MRRV-4406) pictured during patrol operations. On August 11, 2025, the vessel was on a resupply mission for Filipino fishermen near Scarborough Shoal when it was pursued by a Chinese coast guard ship, which later collided with a Chinese navy warship in an incident Manila condemned as “dangerous maneuvers.” Photo courtesy of the Philippine Coast Guard
Senate approves measure to Chinese vessels collide near Escudero links ‘demolition job’ to pro-impeachment solons; Puno open budget process to public Scarborough Shoal; Manila AJP challenges him to name names condemns ‘dangerous’ maneuvers by
by AJPress
MANILA — Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero on Tuesday, August 12, claimed that lawmakers who support the impeachment of Vice President Sara Duterte are behind what he called a “demolition job” against him, according to reports in Inquirer.net. Escudero told reporters that “those in favor of the impeachment” are orchestrating efforts to Senate President Francis Escudero Photo from Facebook/@officialchizescudero u PAGE 2
ress
MANILA — The Senate on Wednesday, August 13, approved Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 4, a measure aimed at making the national budget process fully accessible to the public. The resolution requires livestreaming all budget deliberations, releasing a detailed matrix of changes to the General Appropriations Bill (GAB), and posting all budgetrelated documents on the official websites of both chambers of Congress.
Key provisions Under the resolution, all committee hearings, plenary debates, and bicameral conference committee meetings on the budget must be broadcast live and made available for replay. Both the Senate and the House of Representatives are directed to upload documents in machine-readable formats, including agency budget proposals, committee reports, plenary journals, amendments, and the final bicam report with explanations. u PAGE 4
by AJPress On August 11, 2025, two Chinese vessels collided near Scarborough Shoal while pursuing the Philippine Coast Guard’s patrol vessel BRP Suluan, according to official PCG footage. Manila condemned what it called “dangerous maneuvers” and reaffirmed its resolve to protect Filipino fishermen amid heightened South China Sea tensions. The video shows the Chinese
coast guard vessel chasing BRP Suluan at high speed before striking the port side of a Chinese navy warship that had crossed ahead. Images show significant damage to the bow of the coast guard ship and visible dents on the navy vessel. The PCG said BRP Suluan radioed offers of medical aid, rescue, and towing to the damaged Chinese ship but received no reply. u PAGE 2