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A6 WORLD NEWS
Wednesday 18 May 2022
Activists ask top court to void Marcos Jr’s presidential win

By JIM GOMEZ would eventually proclaim
Associated Press Marcos Jr. as the winner.
MANILA, Philippines (AP) “Our petition notes that
— Human rights activists a candidate’s imminent
have asked the Philippine victory cannot cure his in-
Supreme Court to block eligibility,” said Fides Lim,
Congress from proclaim- spokesperson of one of the
ing Ferdinand Marcos Jr. as human rights groups.
the next president, alleging “If the Supreme Court were
that he lied when he said to allow such a brazen lie
he had not been convict- to trump the rule of law,
ed of any crime. all substantive eligibility
The Commission on Elec- requirements in all future
tion twice dismissed their elections can be circum-
petition and six other similar vented by ineligible can-
complaints to cancel Mar- didates who happen to
cos Jr.’s candidacy papers secure a victory,” she said.
ahead of the May 9 vote. Marcos Jr. had more than
The petitioners elevated 31 million votes in an unof-
the case to the highest ficial count in what’s pro-
court on Monday, saying Presidential candidate Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. celebrates as he greets the crowd jected to be one of the
Marcos Jr. was convicted outside his headquarters in Mandaluyong, Philippines on Wednesday, May 11, 2022. strongest mandates for a
Associated Press
in 1995 of tax evasion with Philippine president in de-
a jail term, which should file income tax returns from leaders of groups repre- want the court to tempo- cades. Sara Duterte, his
have permanently barred 1982 to 1985 and ordered senting survivors of martial rarily block the Senate and vice-presidential running
him from seeking public him to settle his unpaid law in the 1970s under late the House of Representa- mate and daughter of the
office. A 1997 Court of Ap- taxes and fines, but did not dictator Ferdinand Marcos, tives from undertaking an outgoing populist presi-
peals ruling upheld Marcos mention any imprisonment. the father of the presump- official canvassing of votes dent, appears to have also
Jr.’s conviction for failing to Most of the petitioners are tive next president. They starting next week that won with a large margin.q

Zimbabwe urges sale of stockpile of

seized elephant ivory

By FARAI MUTSAKA
Associated Press
HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP)
— Zimbabwe is seeking in-
ternational support to be
allowed to sell its stockpile
of seized ivory, saying the
In this July 11, 2021 file photo, plainclothes police detain an $600 million it expects to
anti-government protester during a demonstration over high earn is urgently needed for
prices, food shortages and power outages, while some also the conservation of its rap-
called for a change in the government, in Havana, Cuba. idly growing elephant pop-
Associated Press ulation which it describes
Rights groups say new as “dangerous.” An armed Zimbabwe National Parks ranger guards some of the
Officials from the Zimba-
elephant tusks during a tour of the ivory stockpiles in Harare,
Cuba penal code bwe National Parks and Monday, May, 16, 2022. Associated Press
Wildlife Management Au-
tougher on dissent thority showed ambassa-
dors from European Union lands, Germany, France, co-operation,” he said.
countries the stockpile of Britain, Switzerland, Cana- Later this month Zimbabwe
ivory tusks that have been da and the United States will be hosting what it calls
HAVANA (AP) — Cuba’s parliament has approved a seized from poachers and viewed the ivory tusks in an “elephant summit” in
new penal code that officials say modernizes the coun- collected from elephants heavily guarded vaults in which representatives of 14
try’s laws but that human rights groups warn tightens al- that have died. Harare. Swiss ambassador African countries, as well
ready strict limits on dissent. The Zimbabwean officials to Zimbabwe Niculin Jager, as from China and Japan,
The law approved Sunday tightly controls unauthorized appealed to the European speaking on behalf of the will consider ways to man-
contacts with foreign organizations and individuals and Union and other countries envoys, emphasized the age the populations of the
explicitly bans foreign financing. to support the sale of ivory need to fight the poaching world’s largest land animal.
Supreme Court President Rubén Remigio Ferro called which has been banned of elephants. “Conserva- “We need assistance.
it “a modern, very inclusive code,” telling state televi- since 1989 by CITES, the in- tion and prevention of ille- These elephants are mul-
sion that it favors “prevention and education before re- ternational body that moni- gal wildlife trade is an inter- tiplying at a dangerous
pression” while imposing “sanctions with sufficient rigor” tors endangered species. national issue because of rate, 5% per annum,” the
against crimes that affect “social peace and the stabil- Zimbabwe has 130 tons of the involvement of criminal parks and wildlife agency’s
ity of our nation.” ivory and 6 to 7 tons of rhino syndicates in illegal wildlife director-general, Fulton
It will take effect after going to a drafting commission horn, said Mangwanya. trade, hence there is need angwanya, said during the
and then being published in the official gazette.q Envoys from the Nether- to strengthen international tour.q