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Poll laws alien to new Comelec member

If there is anything that can be said about the newest member of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) it is that she is candid.Socorro Inting, who had served as Court of Appeals judge for nine years prior to her appointment to the poll body, admitted that election laws were “alien” to her, but she quickly assured her new colleagues that she learns fast.Inting said she was “a little bit apprehensive” about her new job and that she left the appeals court with a “heavy heart.”“To be honest, election law is alien to me, so I really need to study the election laws and other related matters. And so I beg of you, commissioners, to bear with me. But don’t worry, I’m a fast learner,” Inting told Comelec officials and employees after she took her oath on Thursday as one of the members of the poll body before acting Comelec Chair Al Parreño.“I am a team player, I can think outside of the box,” she added.Despite her apprehensions, she said she was excited to start a new career and take on new challenges in the Comelec.Sad yesterday, happy today“If I was sad yesterday, today I am happy, and I rejoice because I am beginning a new life in the Comelec, a new and challenging career,” Inting said.“I’m excited because this is my first day with the Comelec. I count my appointment in the Comelec as God’s blessing because not everyone is lucky to be appointed to the Comelec,” she added.Inting thanked her new colleagues for the warm welcome and assured all that “I will always adhere to my lifelong credo and that is to always do what is right.”She replaced former Comelec Commissioner Arthur Lim who retired in February. She would serve until Feb. 2, 2025.In welcoming Inting, Parreño said she would give timely help to the Comelec, which is now in the thick of preparations for the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan polls and the 2019 national and local elections.Inting came in on the eve of the start of the May 4-12 campaign period for the village polls.‘Report violations’In a press briefing on Friday as campaigning got underway, Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez called on the public to report violations by any candidate, particularly illegally placed campaign posters, which should measure only 24 inches by 36 inches (2 feet by 3 feet).He said the Comelec would dismantle illegal campaign materials and would not accept any excuse from candidates, including those who claim that posters that violated the rules were put up by their opponents.“Usually we tell them, ‘If you did not put it up, then tear it down. If you do not take it down, then obviously you benefit from it and it will be clearer who would be liable,’” Jimenez said.He also urged voters to “stop being neutral” and reject candidates with “bad behavior.”“Why would you approve of that behavior in someone who presumes to be your leader?” Jimenez said.He said he hoped that candidates who would take advantage of loopholes, and are undisciplined and unprincipled in conducting their campaign would lose in the elections.“Hopefully those who would win are those who know how to respect the law,” Jimenez said.Given that the use of social media in the country is unregulated and the distribution of campaign materials on the internet is largely free, Jimenez said the Comelec would instead be monitoring the content of online propaganda with “high-production value,” such as videos that are well-produced or with celebrity endorsers.Only P5 per voterCandidates are only allowed to spend P5 for each voter in the barangay that they are running in. Overspenders will be disqualified, he said.Regarding concerns over compensation by teachers who serve on Election Day, Jimenez said it was up to the Bureau of Internal Revenue on whether to deduct a tax on their pay, which amounts to at least P3,000.Education Secretary Leonor Briones has appealed for a higher, tax-free honorarium and travel allowance for the teachers.“DepEd (Department of Education) teachers and personnel have long been at the forefront of every electoral exercise in the country; with their immense experience in carrying out this enormous task in clustered precincts of huge populations, we deem that evaluation and discussion on the possible increase in honoraria and allowance are just and necessary,” Briones said in a statement on Thursday.She pointed out that prior to the implementation of Republic Act No. 10756, or the Election Service Reform Act (Esra), poll honoraria were not subjected to income tax.Now that the law has improved the compensation package of volunteer-teachers, she said “it is only fitting that they truly benefit from their hard-earned compensation.”Esra currently provides higher honoraria, additional travel allowance, service credits, legal indemnification package, medical assistance, and death benefit for teachers and personnel who will volunteer during elections.

['Tina G. Santos']

10/05/2017 0:00

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/987737/poll-laws-alien-to-new-comelec-member

Inquirer

Davao City power situation stable for rest of the year

The power situation in Davao City will be stable for the rest of the year, an officials of power utility firm Davao Light and Power Company (DLPC) disclosed in an interview with reporters Tuesday afternoon.Rossano Luga, DLPC assistant vice president for its reputation enhancement department, said DLPC officials have met with Mayor Sara Duterte Carpio, and have assured her that there will be “little to no scheduled power interruptions for the year,” unlike last year when the El Niño phenomenon caused four-hour brownouts.DLPC noted that the power interruptions last year was also caused by the closure of Aboitiz-owned Therma South, Inc. (TSI) coal-fired power plant, for maintenance, which contributed to a reduction in power availability in the grid.“We went to the mayor and explained to her that this time we will not experience rotating brownouts, because we will have enough power supply,” Luga said.The DLPC official explained that, in Davao City alone, the peak demand is pegged at 391 megawatts (MW).“We are able to cover the demand that we have as of the moment,” Luga said. “The supply is close to that figure. We’re not looking at any problem as far as supply is concerned.”

[]

10/05/2017 0:00

https://news.mb.com.ph/2017/05/10/davao-city-power-situation-stable-for-rest-of-the-year/

Manila Bulletin

Davao City on lockdown

The security in Davao Region was tightened Wednesday after President Rodrigo Roa Duterte declared martial law in Mindanao, with Police Regional Office (PRO) 11 Director Chief Supt. Manuel Gaerlan saying that the order effectively suspended the “plain view” doctrine in the conduct of checkpoints.In a press conference Wednesday, Gaerlan said the imposition of martial law suspends the “plain view” doctrine, which means passengers will now be asked to get off their vehicles and submit themselves for inspection at checkpoints.Davao City Police Office (DCPO) spokesperson Sr. Insp. Maria Teresita Gaspas said the city has been locked down on orders of City Mayor Sara Duterte-Capio.Under martial law, Gaerlan said some civil rights will be curtailed to some extent.“The plain view doctrine will no longer be applicable (because) this is martial law. The situation has changed, partly the civil rights of the citizens are temporarily suspended due to the call of the situation, we will need to inspect baggage, packages, bags, if necessary cargo boxes, if necessary, if there is indication that there are firearms explosives and whatever,” he said.He told passengers: “Just cooperate and submit yourselves for a more thorough inspection.”The Davao region police chief added that the public should also expect delay in travels by land, air, and sea “to prevent the movement of the terrorists going to possibly Davao Region.”“We are putting in place stricter checkpoints, thorough search and if we need to order or request the occupants of the vehicles to get out and have their vehicles inspected and belongings,” he said.Gaerlan said they were awaiting the written guidelines from Duterte on the implementation of the martial law, and whether or not they will be deputized by the military to function as a supporting unit to their operation.He also underscored that police authorities will continue with their ordinary functions “as a primary law enforcement unit” of the country, and asked the public to “stay calm” because all human rights will be respected.“There is a big difference between martial law during President (Ferdinand) Marcos and President Duterte,” he said.During Marco’s regime, he said an Anti-Subversion Act was passed to suppress uprising from the left-leaning organizations.“We have learned from our lesson. It was a very painful lesson. During that time, there was Philippine Constabulary. Yung kwento-kwento ng abuses, natuto na kami (From all those stories about abuses that were committed, we have learned from). I hope our personnel will make sure there will not abuses,” he said.Gaerlan added that the purpose for declaring martial law will be defeated if it only leads to abuse.“Ang purpose ng Martial Law ay pangalagaan ang communities hindi i-harass at hindi isurpress ang mga tao (The purpose of martial law is to take care of the communities, and not to harass or suppress the people),” he said.

[]

24/05/2017 0:00

https://news.mb.com.ph/2017/05/24/davao-city-on-lockdown/

Manila Bulletin

No typhoons, but morning rains paralyze half of capital

A cocktail of familiar traffic and infrastructure problems compounded by flash floods from heavy rains forced half of Metro Manila to a standstill on Friday morning.At the gates of Camp Aguinaldo in Ortigas, knee-high waters that submerged a long stretch of Edsa stranded both south and northbound vehicles for more than an hour.Heavy rains from 4 a.m. to 7 a.m. resulted in flash floods in many areas in the Metro and worsened the already crippling traffic problem in the capital, particularly during the rainy season.Vehicles were backed up for at least an hour and 20 minutes from Gate 3 of Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City, to Harrison Street in Pasay City, a distance of about 15 kilometers, said Vic Felizardo, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) metrobase operations commander.Even trucks stoppedThe same situation was evident along E. Rodriguez Avenue, also in Quezon City and quite near San Juan River, as knee-high flood waters forced even huge hauling trucks to a halt.The floods again highlighted the all-too-familiar problems that have long hounded the Metro: drainage canals blocked by garbage, uneven roads that result in catch basins in some areas, and the lack of enough pumping stations to suck out excess water.Part of the problem, too, is the tangle of mandates between the MMDA, which is tasked to oversee flood control, and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), the agency given the budget to develop road infrastructure, MMDA flood control director Baltazar Melgar said.InterventionsWhile the MMDA was doing the necessary interventions like fixing and maintaining drainage systems and pumping stations, their efforts would be useless without enough flood control infrastructure, Melgar added.The MMDA official cited the flood along Ortigas that, he said, was caused by water from Camp Aguinaldo’s golf courses flowing downstream toward the northbound lane of Edsa.Aside from drainage systems choking with garbage, portions of the road outside the camp’s Gate 3 were also depressed, allowing water to pool and rise to knee-deep, said MMDA flood control unit team leader Eddie Garcia.It did not help that waters in San Juan River reached 15.6 m at the height of the rainfall and flowed into low-lying areas in Quezon City, which had to suspend classes for the day.More pumps neededMuch of northern Manila’s waters are pumped into the river, Garcia said.The floods could have been reduced if there were at least two more pumping stations along the river, but to date, a $500-million World Bank project to install at least 20 new pumping stations and modernize 36 more across Manila has remained a proposal.While the MMDA was the implementing agency, the budget has yet to be granted to the DPWH, Melgar said.A long-term solution would be to allow only one agency to oversee flood control so that necessary infrastructures are not bogged down by bureaucratic bottlenecks, the MMDA flood control director said.Right now, he added, 47 of the MMDA’s 68 flood control projects worth P459 million are hounded by issues in bidding and procurement.At least 35 of these projects are drainage systems, most of which have yet to be completed, Melgar said, adding that the MMDA is planning to build a revetment wall along Caliraya Creek near G. Araneta Avenue, Quezon City, to prevent water from inundating the area.With the backlog of flood control projects, much of what the MMDA does is limited to the operation and maintenance of existing structures, Melgar said.

['Krixia Subingsubing']

2017-04-20 01:17:21+08:00

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1017576/no-typhoons-but-morning-rains-paralyze-half-of-capital

Inquirer

Serge Osmeña asks Duterte to invite int’l rights group to Davao

AS SEN. SERGIO Osmeña III urged Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday to invite Amnesty International (AI) to his city so it could check on its concerns about his human rights record, the mayor’s top party official promised the public a “new Duterte.”“You will now start calling him Santo Rodrigo,” said Sen. Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III, president of Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban), under which Duterte is running as presidential candidate.Osmeña called on Duterte to be “more circumspect” in his words, especially now that he has joined the presidential race.“Now, he (Duterte) has to be more circumspect because what you say in Manila is sometimes broadcast throughout the world,” Osmeña told reporters.Concerns about Duterte’s human rights record in his city were raised by no less than AI, which has been monitoring his activities “for the longest time,” particularly persistent rumors of his links to the vigilante “Davao Death Squad.”AI officials were also particularly concerned about Duterte’s latest pronouncements that he intended to revive the death penalty and to implement it on a weekly basis.Speaking to reporters, Osmeña said AI should send an investigating team and check out what it was hearing about Duterte.He said this was because the mayor sometimes tended to engage in big talk to scare drug lords.“[Duterte] should [tell AI] please come over and check for yourselves to be transparent and I’m sure Mayor Duterte wants to be transparent,” the senator said.Osmeña believed that Duterte would “tone down” his statements, especially since he “got into trouble for the Pope Francis comment.”He was referring to Duterte cursing the Pope as the mayor bewailed the traffic congestion during the papal visit in January.Osmeña acknowledged that Duterte should act now as a national candidate.For Pimentel, reports linking Duterte to violations of human rights were “at the level of rumors” because no cases had been filed against the mayor.But he said Duterte would address the rumors because it was a political issue and would likely be raised in the campaign.The senator said the mayor would now be “more conscious” in issuing statements, in terms of words and language, including trying not to curse.“Continue to monitor the pronouncements of Mayor Duterte beginning today and compare these with his past pronouncements and you judge whether he is a changed man and whether he has reached the level of a saint,” Pimentel said.

['Christine O. Avendaño']

2017-04-20 01:17:21+08:00

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/745940/serge-osmena-asks-duterte-to-invite-intl-rights-group-to-davao

Inquirer

Duterte assumes responsibility as inflation hits 6.7%

President Rodrigo Duterte said he was assuming responsibility for rising inflation, which hit 6.7 percent in September, and his spokesperson said the administration was doing everything to deal with increasing prices of commodities.As food remained expensive, inflation rose last month to a nine-year high, the government reported on Friday.The rate of increase in prices of basic commodities last month was the fastest since the headline inflation rate of 7.2 percent in posted in February 2009, according to Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) data.A day before the PSA announced the new inflation figures, President Duterte already blamed rising inflation on the hikes in the price of imported oil.“There’s nothing else I can say. But I assume responsibility for the rising prices because I am here. I am the worker assigned here to answer for all those things,” he told members of the Philippine Military Academy Alumni Association in Malacañang on Thursday night.No overnight solutionPresidential spokesperson Harry Roque said the government was “doing all we can” to deal with the rising prices of commodities, including importing food.Analyst Astro del Castillo said the inflation problem “will not be solved overnight” because some factors were beyond the government’s control, such as oil prices. Global crude prices are sitting at a four-year high around $85 and there are warnings it they could break $100.However, the people expect the president to do something about it, Del Castillo told the French news agency Agence France Presse.“You’ve seen the (opinion) surveys. The people would like inflation to be the government’s top priority,” he added.Labor groups are pushing the government to firmly address the rising prices of goods especially those purchased daily by ordinary Filipinos.Sentro secretary general Josua Mata said that instead of “chasing phantoms,” in light of the so-called “Red October” plot to oust Mr. Duterte, the President should have focused his time and energy on improving the economy.The Associated Labor Unions-Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (ALU-TUCP) said that even if the government has approved wage hikes from P9 to P56 in most parts of the country, these were “unjustly so small and inadequate.”Getting money’s worthAt Orense Market in Makati City Shiena Cawit, 31, was making sure she was getting her money’s worth, taking her time studying a fist-sized sayote for any sign of rot.“We can’t afford to choose the wrong one,” said Cawit, who lives with four others in Barangay Dasmariñas where she works as a house keeper.“Before, you can buy two of these for P20. Now you can buy only one for P35, and it’s this small,” she said.“Just this April we could get twice the vegetables on the same budget. Now it’s a process of ellimination,” Cawit said. “If we’re buying cabbage, no more brocolli. If we’re getting fish, no more meat.”The inflation rate averaged 5 percent as of end-September, above the government’s full-year target range of 2-4 percent.Inflation in Metro Manila eased to 6.3 percent from August’s 7 percent, but the rate in areas outside the National Capital Region rose to 6.8 percent from 6.2 percent a month ago.Outside Metro Manila, prices went up in all regions and across almost all commodity groups, except for communication and education as the free tuition scheme in state universities and colleges took effect in August, PSA data showed.Bicol Region posted the highest regional inflation of 10.1 percent last month.Also, the heavily weighted food and nonalcoholic beverages index jumped 9.7 percent in September, the fastest increase since March 2009’s 10.9-percent increase.‘Ompong’ partly blamedThe government’s economic team partly blamed Typhoon “Ompong” for high food prices. The typhoon disrupted supply and caused damage amounting to P26.8 billion to agriculture, including facilities and infrastructure, the economic managers explained in a statement.Prices of alcoholic beverages and tobacco climbed 21.8 percent year-on-year.The cigarette excise tax had risen to P35 per pack starting July under the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) Act.Last January, the unitary excise tax slapped on cigarettes rose to P32.50 per pack from P30 a pack last year.Higher taxes on cigarettesSince Jan. 1, the TRAIN law, or Republic Act No. 10963, had jacked up or imposed new excise taxes on cigarettes, sugary drinks, oil products and vehicles, among other goods, to compensate for the restructured personal income tax regime that raised the tax exemption cap.The economic team noted that non-food inflation eased to 4 percent last month from August’s 4.1 percent, alongside slower price increases in Metro Manila.A consumer group slammed government officials for lying when they said that price controls would only lead companies to hoard their supplies.However, without the controls the prices of food items and non-alcoholic beverages soared in September, said Laban Konsyumer Inc. (LKI) President Victorio Dimagiba.Albay Rep. Joey Salceda said that in his region, Bicol, the price of rice rose by 15.9 percent.The inflationary spike is likely to have created 202,800 more poor people, according to Salceda.Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo urged the President’s economic team to “move faster” in implementing policies to ease inflation.“What I can say is that it happened to me before but then within a few months we were able to bring it down to 1.5 percent, so it can be done,” Arroyo told reporters.Suspend or scrap excise taxLawmakers called on the administration to either suspend or completely remove the excise tax component in the TRAIN Law.Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers on Thursday filed House Bill No. 8369 that seeks to repeal that section of the law and reverting the excise taxes on fuel to the old National Internal Revenue Code rates of excise tax on fuel.Opposition Rep. Edcel Lagman of Albay, on the other hand, urged the House leadership to expedite the consideration and approval of his proposed Joint Resolution No. 27 suspending the increases and scheduled increases in the excise taxes on fuel to tame the projected higher inflation rate in the fourth quarter of this year.Lagman said imposing additional and higher excise taxes on imported oil products was a “patently flawed policy” for an oil importer like the Philippines.Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian said there should be a careful study on whether to proceed with the second round of hikes for excise tax on fuels.

['Philippine Daily Inquirer']

14/08/2017 0:00

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1039707/duterte-assumes-responsibility-as-inflation-hits-6-7

Inquirer

Returning OFWs from Central Luzon to be hired as teachers

3) announced that it will be hiring 43 returning overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) to teach in different schools in the region.Michelle Catap-Lacson, DepEd3 Project Development Officer II said the 43 returning OFWs will be given permanent teaching positions in public schools near their residences in the provinces of Aurora, Bulacan, Bataan, Pampanga, Nueva Ecija and Tarlac.“They will be automatically given permanent teacher items, and be assigned to schools with shortages,” she said, adding that 25 teachers will be assigned in the elementary level while 18 will be assigned in the Junior High School level.She added that the Schools Division Offices have been instructed to conduct thorough interview and demonstration teaching and address noted gaps through the conduct of teacher trainings and other apt interventions.The hiring of OFW-teachers is under the “Sa ‘Pinas Ikaw ang Mam at Sir” (SPIMS) Program of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) in partnership with DepEd, which was launched in 2014 to assist OFWs who are passers of the Licensure Examination for Teachers (LET) working abroad as professional teachers or household service workers to be employed as teachers when they return to the country.The program is also in collaboration with the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), and the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC).Jenalyn Santiago, a former OFW working as a teacher in Brunei Darussalam for six years and returned to the Philippines last year, said the program is a “great help” for OFWs who want to return to their home country and stay with their family.Santiago, 27, is one of the qualified OFWs hired by the DepEd last year.She is now teaching at the Francisco Henson Elementary School in Sta. Cruz, Porac, Pampanga.DepEd said that for SY 2017-2018, there were a total of 542 OFWs who passed the evaluation and endorsement of DOLE by having passed the LET, taken refresher courses, or earned teraching experience within the last five years.

[]

14/08/2017 0:00

https://news.mb.com.ph/2017/08/14/returning-ofws-from-central-luzon-to-be-hired-as-teachers/

Manila Bulletin

Movie, TV stars enhance festive mood at Comelec

THE MAGIC of star power in the Senate derby added to the festive atmosphere at the Commission on Elections (Comelec) in Manila on Wednesday, the third day of filing of certificates of candidacy (COCs) for the elections in May.Megastar Sharon Cuneta accompanied her husband, former Sen. Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan, who officially entered the Senate race under the Liberal Party (LP).In his remarks to reporters, Pangilinan vowed to continue his support for the country’s agricultural sector if he would be elected to the Senate anew.The former senator, who was appointed last year by President Aquino as presidential assistant on food security and agricultural modernization, said the high price of food commodities and widespread poverty among farmers reflected the lack of support for agriculture.“I believe that the goals we have started working on in the agriculture sector must be continued,” Pangilinan said.“There is a need for more farm jobs to fight poverty particularly in the provinces. The key to eradicating poverty and the high price of commodities is to augment support for farmers,” he said.Former Pampanga Gov. Mark Lapid, who is eyeing a Senate seat, also under the LP, was accompanied by his father, actor-turned-politician Sen. Lito Lapid, and his wife, actress Tanya Garcia.“Like my father, I also have the heart to serve the masses,” Lapid said, adding that he intended to focus on crafting laws that sought to promote and develop tourism in the country, generate jobs for Filipinos and empower the youth.IndependentsPasig Rep. Roman Romulo, who is running for senator as an independent, was accompanied by his wife, TV personality and former Valenzuela City Councilor Shalani Soledad, and his father, former Foreign Secretary Alberto Romulo.Romulo said he sought to create a “strong middle class.”“For that to happen, two things are necessary—education to ensure that more Filipinos will enter and finish college, and secondly, we will continue the fight to lower the taxes of middle and low income earners,” he said.Former Sen. Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri made official his bid for a Senate seat. “As an independent candidate, I am absolutely convinced that I will be able to humbly serve our people better in the Senate. The Filipino family and the people will be my party,” said Zubiri, who was accompanied by his wife, Audrey.“I want to thank Senators Grace Poe and Francis Escudero because they adopted me in their group,” Zubiri said, adding that he would also welcome any invitation from other political parties. However, he said he had not decided on the presidential candidate he would support.Zubiri was elected to the Senate in the May 2007 elections but resigned in 2011 amid fraud allegations in the balloting.“I focused on running my business and living as a private citizen who had no plans of returning to politics. But recent senatorial surveys have shown my name consistently included in the top 12,” he said.Never say dieFormer Akbayan Rep. Risa Hontiveros was at the Comelec Wednesday for her third attempt to land a Senate seat. She placed 13th in the elections in 2010 and 17th in 2013.“Recent results of surveys continue to give me that hope. I am within striking distance of the magic 12,” she said. “I am confident, this time, we will win,” said Hontiveros. “We will keep on pounding that glass ceiling.”Actress Alma Moreno, who was earlier named among the senatorial candidates under the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA), was accompanied by her children, including actors Vandolph and Wynwyn Marquez.Princess Jacel Kiram, daughter of the late sultan of Sulu, who belongs to the senatorial lineup of Vice President Jejomar Binay’s UNA party, said she would be focusing her agenda on reclaiming of the Sabah Island from Malaysia.Sen. Vicente “Tito” Sotto III also filed for reelection under the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC). He was joined by his wife, actress Helen Gamboa, and colleague, Sen. Gringo Honasan, UNA’s vice presidential candidate.Sotto said the NPC had yet to determine which tandem to support in 2016. But he said he was supporting Poe for President. He said he had talked with Escudero about his “obvious” support for Honasan.Another NPC candidate, Valenzuela City Rep. Sherwin Gatchalian, also submitted his COC for senator Wednesday afternoon.The presence of Batangas Gov. Vilma Santos elicited shrieks from supporters and government employees. She accompanied her husband, Sen. Ralph Recto, who filed his candidacy for reelection. In his speech, Recto outlined his legislative agenda, including free public education, skills training and universal healthcare.UnfazedFormer Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Chair Francis Tolentino, who is running as an independent senatorial aspirant, turned in his COC. He believes that he still enjoys the confidence of President Aquino despite getting embroiled in a controversy involving sexy dancers “Playgirls.”“When I resigned, the President issued a statement expressing gratitude and full support,” Tolentino told reporters.“It is all over. I already issued an apology. I even asked my name to be delisted from the LP senatorial slate. I even asked that I be considered resigned effective immediately… We move forward. I’d like to talk substance,” he said.“I’d like to talk on problems of urbanization. I’d like to talk on how to upgrade and improve the local government code. I’d like to talk about public international law and how it will affect the issues concerning Spratlys and the West Philippine Sea. I’d like to talk about that,” he added.Senate President Franklin Drilon’s COC was filed on his behalf by his brother Cesar, saying the senator had to attend a convention.Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV vowed to continue the fight of his Magdalo group if he is elected Vice President in the 2016 elections. He was accompanied by his wife Arlene and Magdalo members when he filed his COC.“We will continue what we began in 2003. They were imprisoned along with me. We will continue the fight,” he said, referring to the Oakwood mutiny that he and his group staged on July 27, 2003, in Makati City against alleged corruption under President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.Former top Philippine National Police official Romeo Maganto is also aspiring for a Senate seat under the Lakas-CMD Party. “I’m retired but not expired. I’m ready to serve,” he told reporters.RELATED VIDEOS

['Tina G. Santos']

06/12/2016 0:00

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/731068/movie-tv-stars-enhance-festive-mood-at-comelec

Inquirer

Duterte defies Supreme Court

PRESIDENT Duterte on Tuesday sharply rebuked Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno for cautioning judges not to heed his orders to report to police to explain their alleged involvement in illegal drugs and raised the possibility of declaring martial law in the event of a constitutional crisis between the two coequal branches of government.Sereno had warned in a letter to Duterte on Monday that “it would matter greatly to our sense of constitutional order” if the Supreme Court would be given the chance to discipline members of the judiciary as mandated by law.“I’m giving you a warning. Don’t create a crisis because I will order everybody in the executive department not to honor you,” Mr. Duterte told Sereno, in his remarks before the military in Cagayan de Oro City.“Please do not, you say, create a constitutional issue. There will be. Don’t order me, I’m telling you. I hope you are listening,” he said.“You want me to be frank? You’re interfering (with my job)… Please, don’t order me. I’m not a fool. If this continues, (that) you’re trying to stop me, I might lose my cool. Or would you rather I declare martial law?”Mr. Duterte scoffed at the Chief Justice’s order to the judges mentioned in the President’s “narcolist” not to yield to authorities until a warrant was issued against them.Hinting that he would rather circumvent the tedious judicial process than allow drug suspects to go scot-free, he said Sereno “must be joking” when she said that arrest warrants should first be issued against the judges.On Monday night, Mr. Duterte said he would write Sereno to explain why he had to include the names of seven judges in the list of suspected drug lords or their coddlers.Not ‘accusatorial’“Out of respect to the Supreme Court, I will answer,” Mr. Duterte said in a press conference.The President said he would tell Sereno that his remarks shortly after midnight on Sunday when he read the names on the list were not “accusatorial.”“It is not a criminal information. It’s just my word against the others because I have a duty to tell the public,” Mr. Duterte said.The President said his intention in naming the judges, public officials and police officers allegedly involved in illegal drugs, was for people to know who were behind the problem. It will take years before each one of them is convicted, he said.“How am I now supposed to meet the challenges of this country? Should I arrest each suspect?” Mr. Duterte asked, referring to thousands of drug users and pushers who have surrendered since he assumed the presidency.The President said he would explain to Sereno how the names of the judges were included on the list.“Ma’am, the names would not come up because of political harassment. As early as five years ago, the names were already there,” Mr. Duterte said, adding that the dead were included because the intelligence community did not get an update.“Death is a private affair of a family. It is not announced to the world except for the obituaries. It’s found in newspapers, or somebody would purposely inform government that this idiot is already dead,” Mr. Duterte said.The President said having been a government prosecutor before becoming mayor of Davao City, he knew how the justice system worked.At the prosecutor’s level, nine out of 10 cases are dismissed, the President said.“If it reaches the court, and a judge can be bought, so (the accused is) acquitted,” he said.Freedom of infoThe President said his exposé was in line with the executive order on the freedom of information that he recently signed.Mr. Duterte said the media had asked for the list. “You asked for information, and I gave it to you,” he said. “That is freedom of information.”But the President admitted that the information was based on “raw intelligence.”“But in view of the problem, the seriousness and gravity of the problem, I have to tell you people, and nobody can stop me, do not tell me what to do, how to run this country,” he said.Palace spokesperson Ernesto Abella sought to downplay insinuations that the President was interfering in judicial functions.“This is not a judicial process,” the Palace official said. “It’s simply calling attention. It is, in a sense, (the President) taking the moral responsibility to be able to warn the people.”Added Abella: “He is taking the position of parens patriae. As parent of the nation, he is calling attention to clear and present danger of (illegal) drugs. It’s his moral obligation to make sure the public is properly warned of the drug menace … We are facing an extraordinary danger. In other words, these are not normal times. These are abnormal times that call for radical action.”

['Marlon Ramos', 'Nico Alconaba']

2017-11-14 22:59:55+00:00

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/804700/duterte-defies-supreme-court

Inquirer

Probe sought over PNP’s use of ‘sonic weapon’ vs protesters

MEMBERS of a leftist party-list group on Tuesday said they will file a resolution in the House of Representatives next week seeking an investigation of the deployment by the Philippine National Police (PNP) of a “sonic weapon” during a rally on Monday protesting the visit of US President Donald Trump.Trump was in the country for the Association of Southeast Nations (Asean) Summit, which began on Monday and ends today.As he left on Tuesday afternoon, militant groups Bayan Muna, Gabriela, Anakpawis, Kabataan, Anakbayan, Katribo and Kadamay once again staged a protest, this time on Mendiola Street in Manila but were kept at bay by the police at Mendiola Bridge near Malacañang.On Monday, they tried to march to the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) in Pasay City where the summit is being held but they were stopped by the police.In the Tuesday mass action, hundreds of protesters from other militant groups–Sanlakas, Bukluran ng Manggagawang Pilipino, Partido Lakas ng Masa and Philippine Movement for Climate Justice–converged at Vito Cruz Street, a few meters away from the summit venue where they cried out to denounce alleged US intervention in Philippine affairs.They attempted to breach security barricades but were stopped right in front of the Rizal Memorial Coliseum on Vito Cruz.Four trucks and 300 anti-riot police were deployed on United Nations Avenue and Taft Avenue to prevent the protesters from getting near the US Embassy–their target location–on Roxas Boulevard.In a statement, Emmi de Jesus and Arlene Brosas of Gabriela party-list group slammed the use of the Long Range Acoustic Device (LRAD), saying it constitutes a new level of state violence under the Duterte administration.“The latest anti-people weapon of the PNP must be probed and opposed. Hindi pwedeng paglaruan lang nila ito kada may mobilisasyon para pagtakpan ang galit ng mamamayan. Hindi biro ang epekto nito sa pandinig at kalusugan ng mga nasa pagkilos at maging sa kapulisan mismo [It is not okay for the police to just play with it every time there is a mobilization in order to cover the wrath of the citizens. The effect on the hearing and health of the protesters and the police alike is not a joke],” de Jesus and Brosas said in the statement.Brosas cited several health reports that indicate that the sonic weapon can have varied effects on the human body, including hearing trauma, permanent hearing loss and lingering headaches.“Magkano ang pinambili ng PNP para rito? At ilan pang LRAD ang nakatabi sa arsenal ng kapulisan? Dapat na ilantad ito sa publiko [How much did the PNP pay for these devices? And how many LRADs do they have in their arsenal? This should be bared],” she said.Brosas noted that patients of the nearby Philippine General Hospital (PGH) where the mass action was held might also be affected.De Jesus said the use of sound cannon to a “democratic” protest shows the “desperation” of Pres. Rodrigo Duterte in handling the frustration of Filipinos in his administration.She added that the use of the sonic weapon brings a new level of violence under the administration.At least 56 protesters were reported injured, four of whom were brought to the hospital after a violent dispersal of the rally along Taft Avenue in Manila.Police also used water cannons several times against the protesters.with ASHLEY JOSE

['Ralph Villanueva']

2017-11-14 22:59:55+00:00

https://www.manilatimes.net/probe-sought-pnps-use-sonic-weapon-vs-protesters/362822/

Manila Times

Palace: Bong Go will clear himself

Malacañang is confident that Special Assistant to the President Christopher “Bong” Go can prove his innocence in next week’s Senate inquiry into the controversial deal to acquire frigates for the Philippine Navy.“I’m sure,” Palace spokesman Harry Roque said in a text message to The Manila Times.Go has been accused of intervening in the military procurement contract, particularly in the selection of the supplier of the combat management system of the ships.But Go, President Rodrigo Duterte’s top aide, has denied the allegation and expressed readiness to appear before the congressional probe to clear his name.Roque insisted that Go could not have meddled in the contract, which was competed during the previous administration.“[The] Senate investigation is a welcome move to determine if the Aquino government committed any anomalies in the bidding,” he said, referring to the administration of then-President Benigno Aquino 3rd.The President, according to Roque, would likely watch Go testify in the Senate inquiry.He said the President is interested to know developments in the congressional hearing.“I would think so. He would be very curious as to what will happen [in] that hearing. I’m sure it will be televised,” Roque replied, when asked if the President will watch the Senate’s proceedings on Monday.To show support for a fellow public servant, the Palace spokesman said he would accompany Go to the Senate next week.

['Catherine S. Valente']

2018-02-17 00:02:57+00:00

https://www.manilatimes.net/palace-bong-go-will-clear/380704/

Manila Times

MNLF formally joins fight vs terror, drug groups

The Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) has officially joined government forces in the fight against rebel groups, drug lords, and other neophyte terrorist groups in Muslim-dominated areas in Mindanao.MNLF Chair Yusop Jikiri said MNLF forces in Sulu, Basilan and Tawi-Tawi have joined police and military forces, as well as other government agencies, in running after drug lords and terrorists in their localities as a contribution to the leadership of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte.“We and our people now want to live in peace, and free from the use of drugs. It is for this reason why we joined the bandwagon of President Duterte in the fight against terrorism, and drug distribution and addiction in our areas,” he said.He said the MNLF leadership did not want the Muslim people, particularly those who live in areas where there is strong MNLF presence, to be involved in illegal activities like the use and sale of drugs, and terrorism such as kidnapping.He said the extension of martial law in Mindanao was a laudable move, and was considered as one of the best measures the government has adopted to control illegal activities in some provinces in Mindanao.Martial law was first declared on May 23 last year after fighting erupted in Marawi City.Even with the fighting in Marawi over, military and police intelligence sources claimed that extremist groups were still recruiting new members in various parts in Mindanao.Last month, lawmakers, upon the recommendation of the security sector, voted to extend martial law for a year.As this developed, Jikiri asked the national government to consider extending livelihood assistance to the people in Muslim-dominated areas in Mindanao, particularly those living in Sulu, Basilan and Tawi-Tawi.He said most of the people in these province suffer from poverty due to the lack of government infrastructure support programs, and livelihood assistance programs.He claimed that poverty was “the root cause of all evil things like rebellion, terrorism, kidnapping and drug addiction and distribution.”As such, Jikiri said the MNLF will continue to be a “partner of the government in fighting against any form of criminality in this part of the country.”Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, who serves as martial law administrator in Mindanao, ordered Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) Governor Mujiv Hataman of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao last Thursday to conduct a closer monitoring of local chief executives in Mindanao.

[]

14/01/2018 0:00

https://news.mb.com.ph/2018/01/14/mnlf-formally-joins-fight-vs-terror-drug-groups/

Manila Bulletin

Duterte: Mindanao will go it alone on federalism, if needed

If he can not have his way for a federal Philippines, President Rodrigo Duterte said he will still push for a federal Mindanao as constitutionalists and framers of the 1987 Constitution vowed to block his attempt for a total shift in the form of government through the amendment of the Charter.Speaking at the ceremonial opening of the solar-powered irrigation project here on Friday, Duterte said he did not care if only Mindanao will adopt the federal system as it is the only way to address the conflict brought about by the Moro rebellion.“It’s okay. I have no problem with that,” Duterte said, reacting to the statement of former Chief Justice Hilario Davide Jr., who vowed to stake his life to defend the Constitution.Davide, who was among those who framed the 1987 Charter, was quoted in news reports as saying that a shift from a unitary to a federal system of government would be a “fatal experiment” that would further push the country into poverty.He described the 1987 Constitution as the best in the world because it is “pro-God, procountry, propeople, propoor, prolife, profamily, promarriage, and proenvironment.”But the President said changing the form of government from unitary to federal is the best thing that his leadership can do as “the unitary system has spelled so much trouble, especially in Mindanao.”“I’d like to address them,” Duterte said. “Remember, I told you right at the beginning of the campaign that there will be no peace in Mindanao if you will not give (us) federalism?” he asked. “It will eventually tear our county apart.”He then made an appeal to Moro rebel groups to support his cause.“To the Muslims, why should we kill each other?” he asked. “We are already here in Mindanao. If they will not give it to us, let us just form our own government, the federal state of Mindanao,” he said.

['Philippine Daily Inquirer']

27/08/2018 0:00

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/868287/duterte-mindanao-will-go-it-alone-on-federalism-if-needed

Inquirer

PH gets 2nd donation of China arms, ammo

Beijing will be turning over firearms to Manila that would be used in different parts of the Philippines, the military announced on Wednesday.Col. Edgard Arevalo, public affairs chief of the Armed Forces of the Philipines (AFP), said the weapons will include M4 rifles, three million rounds of assorted ammunition and 30 sniper scopes.Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Zhao Jinhua will hand over the donation to AFP chief Gen. Eduardo Año and Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana in Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City today.Arevalo said the weapons and ammunition would be of help in increasing the “firepower” of the Philippine military in battling terrorist groups including the Abu Sayyaf and the Islamic State-linked Maute Group, who are in Marawi City, Lanao del Norte.“Well, this will not just help of course the war in Marawi but in other areas of the country where our operations are undergoing,” he told reporters in a news conference in Camp Aguinaldo, general headquarters of the AFP.Last June 28, President Rodrigo Duterte himself received more than P370 million or 50 million yuan worth of firearms and ammunition from China.During the turnover, Duterte pledged a friendlier relationship with China despite the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea) dispute between the two countries.According to Arevalo, the firearms and ammunition donated earlier by China have been distributed to the military’s operating units in Marawi City and other areas.

['Dempsey Reyes']

2017-10-04 20:58:49+00:00

https://www.manilatimes.net/ph-gets-2nd-donation-china-arms-ammo/354541/

Manila Times

Youth body official seeks all-out condom distribution

Chairman Cariza “Aiza” Seguerra of the National Youth Commission has called for unrestricted distribution of condoms across the country in light of the record-breaking new human immunodeficiency virus cases, which reached 1,098 in May alone.Seguerra, a former child actress and a professional singer, made the call on Tuesday, citing the HIV and AIDS Registry of the Philippines Report (HARP), which showed that the 1,098 new HIV cases is the highest recorded number of HIV cases in the Philippines since 1984.HARP said the May 2017 cases represent a 48-percent increase compared with the 741 recorded in May 2016.“We need the help of everybody here, the government, the private sector, in fixing this. This [rise in HIV virus cases] already happened in Thailand, and they resorted to condom distribution. From college [level] down to pre-schools, students were taught about reproductive health so that they won’t be awkward when condoms are raised in a conversation,” Seguerra said.The Reproductive Health (RH) Law enacted in 2013 allows the government to provide free contraceptives such as condoms and intrauterine devices.The RH Law does not contain the word condom but its implementing rules and regulation provide that dispensing of health products such as condoms; natural family planning charts and digital thermometers; standard days method beads; injectables and oral contraceptive pills; and immunization and micronutrient supplementation should only be done by appropriately trained and skilled health professionals.“In Thailand, you get a whole box of condoms every time you go to the gas station and avail of a full tank. We can’t do that here. If we can’t change that, these cases of HIV will continue to rise, no matter how often we conduct seminars,” Seguerra said.She urged families and parents of the youth to help combat the deadly virus.“We really need everybody’s help. This is not just about HIV, but teenaged pregnancy as well. The Philippines already tops Southeast Asia in teenaged pregnancies. That is not a good place to be in,” Seguerra said.“We can’t deny the situation that is happening. We can’t always invoke cultural sensitivity here because, otherwise, we will be helpless. If we will be proactive, we will have a chance to defeat this,” she added.

['Llanesca T. Panti']

2017-08-15 20:15:25+00:00

https://www.manilatimes.net/youth-body-official-seeks-condom-distribution/344656/

Manila Times

Taiwan extends visa exemption for Filipinos

TAIWAN has extended its visa-exemption program for Filipinos by another year, according to the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO).“The trial period will continue until July 31, 2019, and will be reviewed for further extension,” TECO said in a statement.Taiwan’s representative to the Philippines, Micheal Peiyung Hsu, urged the Philippine government and the Manila Economic and Cultural Office (MECO) to reciprocate Taiwan’s gesture by granting the same privilege to the Taiwanese people, to attract more business and tourists from Taiwan.A visa-free Filipino visitor is required to have a passport with a validity period of at least six months from the date of entry; a return ticket or a ticket for the traveler’s next destination, and a visa for that destination if required; no criminal records or other records of misconduct in Taiwan; and proof of accommodation booking or host or sponsor’s contact information.Those who intend to stay in Taiwan for more than 14 days or for study, work or religious mission are still required to obtain appropriate visas before entering Taiwan.Hsu said the visa-free privilege is a reflection of Taiwan’s goodwill and friendship toward all Filipinos under the“New Southbound Policy,” which aims to build stronger bilateral relations and closer people-to-people connectivity between Taiwan and the Philippines.Hsu said the Philippines is an important partner under Taiwan’s new policy.In 2017, Filipino travelers going to Taiwan reached 290,784, while Taiwanese visitors to the Philippines reached 236,777.“This mutual relaxation of visa restrictions is indeed an important factor in improving bilateral overall relations and enhancing people-to-people exchange and cooperation between the two countries,” Hsu said.The New Southbound Policy is an initiative of Taiwanese leader Tsai Ing-wen, to enhance cooperation and exchanges between Taiwan and 18 neighboring countries.

['William Depasupil']

2018-08-18 00:15:57+00:00

https://www.manilatimes.net/taiwan-extends-visa-exemption-for-filipinos/431583/

Manila Times

Baguio elderly join in prayer for Marawi

Members of the Baguio Elderly Assembly (BEA) held a mass for peace and solidarity for Marawi City at the Shrine of Brown Madonna at Kilometer 7, Asin Road, Tuba, Benguet, Sunday.The senior citizens were joined by young boys and girls in praying for the end to the conflict that has ravaged Marawi.Veteran Journalist Nars Padilla, event chairman, said the mass was in honor of the soldiers, policemen and other victims of terrorist attack in Mindanao and other parts of the country.The mass was celebrated by Rev. Fr. Alejandro Bangilan of the San Pablo Seminary at Barangay Crystal Cave in Baguio.The religious affair is also to appreciate the Eid’l Fitr,the activity of Muslim who also Filipinos praying for peace, harmony and progress of the country.

[]

25/06/2017 0:00

https://news.mb.com.ph/2017/06/25/baguio-elderly-join-in-prayer-for-marawi/

Manila Bulletin

Subic traders ask Duterte to step into SBMA row

Officials of the Subic Bay Freeport Chamber of Commerce (SBFCC) have appealed to Malacañang to step into the ongoing rift between top officials of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) and install a professional manager to restore order and stability to the agency.SBFCC President, Rose Baldeo, said the leadership issue between SBMA Chair Martin Diño and SBMA Administrator Wilma Eisma over Diño’s alleged encroachment into Eisma’s management functions has caused confusion among business locators as well as prospective investors in Subic.“What we need is stability and harmonious business atmosphere in Subic,” Baldeo said in a statement sent to Inquirer on Friday.She said SBMA “should be headed by a professional manager who is knowledgeable in business, who can positively engage investors and can inspire trust and confidence among both locator-companies and agency employees.”‘Capable manager’SBFCC vice president, Derrick Manuel, shared Baldeo’s assessment that a “capable manager” was needed to head the SBMA.“The agency has been run by leaders with expertise and passion for SBMA since its inception,” said Manuel, who was among the volunteers who started the so-called Subic miracle in 1992.He also said he supported Eisma, a fellow volunteer. “I have always had the greatest respect for the intelligence and work ethic of Administrator Eisma. Wherever she has gone…she has always pursued excellence,” he said.“Thousands of volunteers and the other workers who subsequently gained employment in Subic worked so hard to build this free port, so we have to insist that Subic should get the best,” he said.The ongoing rift between Eisma and Diño was triggered by the latter’s administrative order forming a task force to inspect and monitor the business and financial operations of SBMA.Eisma said the order “interfered and encroached on the power, function and duty of the administrator and chief executive officer.”Board actionThe board of directors also believed that the task force would infringe on the board’s oversight functions.While Eisma got the backing of SBFCC, Diño had been supported by the ruling PDP-Laban in the SBMA leadership conflict.In a statement on June 23, Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III, PDP-Laban president, said Diño “enjoys the full trust and confidence of the President (Duterte).”The House of Representatives had launched an inquiry into the SBMA leadership row, after lawmakers convened an ad hoc and special committee on bases conversion to hear Diño and Eisma explain their rift during the legislators’ visit here on June 7.In a letter to Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez on June 8, Baldeo presented the SBFCC’s position that “it would be for the benefit of the SBMA and its locators to have only one person for the position of SBMA chair and administrator instead of separating the two.”Baldeo said the confusion caused by the separation of positions “runs contrary to the mandate of SBMA to create a harmonious environment for the businesses to generate employment opportunities in and around the zone and to attract and promote productive foreign investments.

['Philippine Daily Inquirer']

14/05/2018 0:00

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/910051/subic-traders-ask-duterte-to-step-into-sbma-row

Inquirer

Cash cards for volunteer-teachers all accounted for as elections ends — DepEd

All cash cards for volunteer-teachers during the village and youth polls have been accounted for and are ready to be released, the Department of Education (DepEd) announced late Monday.“As of now, everything has accounted for, 100 percent and ready to be released and maliban po doon sa isang probinsiya doon sa Bukidnon kasi nagkaroon lang ng technical difficulties ang bangko at bukas po maaari nang i-release, latest will be Thursday (aside from one part in Bukidnon where technical difficulties occurred and tomorrow it might be released, latest will be Thursday),” Director IV Joel Erestain, of DepEd Procurement and Management Service, said in a press briefing.Hours before the election ends, 87 percent of the cash cards have already been delivered. The remaining cash cards, according to Erestain, were yet to be delivered due to “glitch on the courier.”Further, a total of 41 incident reports have been recorded by the agency’s command center, mostly came from Metro Manila.A teacher in Region 8, Erestain said, was brought to a hospital due to high blood pressure but was replaced right away in order not to disrupt the elections.“In other regions, nagkaroon ng secuirty problems wherein, ang mga teachers ay pinalitan ng mga police katulad sa Region 9 (In other regions, security problems have been reported wherein teachers were replaced y police officers in Region 9),” Erestain said.“In Region 12, a barangay in North Cotabato, deployed a tank to secure the school,” he added.“Ngayong gabi po very critical sa mga teachers kasi bilangan (Tonight will be very critical for the teachers as canvassing take place),” Erestain continued.Meanwhile, Elections Acting Chairperson Al Parreno stated that legal assistance will be provided to teachers who will face complaints over the elections.“Yes (there will be legal assistance), we have partnered with the Integrated Bar of the Philippines to provide legal support for those who will face complaints and I believe, we have a legal support for those who will be needing it,” Parreno said.

[]

14/05/2018 0:00

https://news.mb.com.ph/2018/05/14/cash-cards-for-volunteer-teachers-all-accounted-for-as-elections-ends-deped/

Manila Bulletin

JBC shortlists Sandigan, CA justice nominees

The Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) on Friday shortlisted names of possible magistrates for vacancies in the Court of Appeals (CA) and the anti-graft court Sandiganbayan.The shortlisting came after Sandiganbayan Associate Justice Roland Jurado retired on February 1.CA Associate Justice Francisco Acosta is set for mandatory retirement on April 2.Five nominees to Sandiganbayan vacancies were shortlisted.Retirement ceremonies for Acosta, a classmate of President Rodrigo Duterte, were held at the CA en banc session hall on Friday.Vvying for his post are Zamboanga Regional Trial Court Judge Gregorio dela Pena 3rd, lawyer Walter Ong, Las Pinas RTC Judge Joselito de Jesus Vibandor and Manila RTC Judge Merianthe Pacita Zuraek, who each got five votes.Cagayan de Oro RTC Judge Jeoffre Acebido, Iligan RTC Judge Anisah Amanodin-Umpa and Quezon City RTC Judge Tita Marilyn Payoyo-Villordon each got four votes.For the Sandiganbayan posts, shortlisted were Muntinlupa RTC Judge Philip Aguinaldo, Makati RTC Judge Maryann Corpus-Manalac, Pasig RTC Judge Danilo Cruz, Ombudsman Director Bayani Jacinto and Quezon City RTC Judge Rosanna Fe Romero-Maglaya, who each got four votes.Under Article VIII, Section 9 of the 1987 Constitution, vacancies in the Court of Appeals and the Sandiganbayan shall be filled within 90 days from official submission by the JBC to the Office of the President of the list of nominees for the vacancies concerned.The names are then transmitted to the President for his approval.The seven-man council, which is constitutionally mandated to screen and vet nominees to the President for vacant posts in the judiciary and the Offices of the Ombudsman and Deputy Ombudsman, is headed by Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno, with ex-officio members Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre 2nd, Sen. Richard Gordon and Mindoro Oriental Rep. Reynaldo Umali.Retired Supreme Court Justice Angelina Sandoval-Gutierrez is the head of the executive committee, with lawyer Jose Mejia representing the academe, Milagros Fernan-Cayosa representing the Integrated Bar of the Philippines and retired Judge Toribio Ilao representing the private sector as the other regular members of the JBC.JOMAR CANLAS

['Jomar Canlas']

2017-03-31 21:53:17+00:00

https://www.manilatimes.net/jbc-shortlists-sandigan-ca-justice-nominees-2/320302/

Manila Times

North Korea’s ‘princess’ now one of the secretive state’s top policy makers

the opaque, all-powerful party organ where top state affairs are decided, the North’s official media said on Sunday.It makes her only the second woman in patriarchal North Korea to join the exclusive club after Kim Kyong Hui, who held powerful roles when her brother Kim Jong Il ruled the country.“Since she is a female, Kim Jong Un likely does not see her as a threat and a challenge to his leadership,” said Moon Hong-sik, research fellow at the Institute for National Security Strategy. “As the saying goes ‘blood is thicker than water,’ Kim Jong Un thinks Kim Yo Jong can be trusted.”Unlike her aunt, who was promoted to the politburo in 2012 after serving more than three decades in the party, Kim Yo Jong has risen to power at an unprecedented pace.Kim Kyong Hui has not been seen since her husband, Jang Song Thaek, once regarded as the No.2 leader in Pyongyang, was executed in 2013. South Korea’s spy agency believes she is now in a secluded place near Pyongyang undergoing a treatment for an unidentified disease, according to an August briefing to parliament.Jang and his wife are not the only relatives to fall from Kim Jong Un’s favor.Kim Jong Un’s estranged half-brother, Kim Jong Nam, was killed with a toxic nerve agent at a Malaysian airport in February. Two women are on trial for the murder, which South Korean and US officials believe Kim Jong Un’s regime was behind.Kim Jong Nam, who lived in exile in Macau, had criticized his family’s dynastic rule and his brother had issued a standing order for his execution, according to some South Korean lawmakers.The smartly dressed Kim Yo Jong, her hair usually pulled back in a ponytail and mostly seen in black suits and black-heeled shoes, made her first debut on state media in December 2011, seen standing tearfully next to Kim Jong Un at the funeral of their father.Since then, Kim has made several appearances with her brother, giggling at concerts, riding a white horse, smiling as she receives flowers on his behalf at state functions.Her youth and bubbly personality seen in state media are in stark contrast to the usually glum generals and aging party cadres who follow Kim Jong Un on official duties.Having previously only occasionally appeared in the background, the young heiress has moved to the front and center of media photos more recently, assisting her brother at numerous high-profile state events.At a massive military parade in April to mark the 105th birth anniversary of founding father Kim Il Sung, she was seen rushing out from behind pillars to bring paperwork to her brother as he prepared to give an address.

[]

09/10/2017 0:00

https://news.mb.com.ph/2017/10/09/north-koreas-princess-now-one-of-the-secretive-states-top-policy-makers/

Manila Bulletin

Duterte to summon mayors linked to drug trade

President Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday said he would summon mayors linked to the illegal drug trade, adding that the drug problem was a major concern that voters must confront in next year’s elections.“I will summon them … that Daanbantayan Mayor Vicente Loot and other devils,” the President said in a speech during a meeting with some 700 Cebuano politicians belonging to the ruling Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan in Mandani Bay, Mandaue City.‘General problem’The President had earlier accused Loot, a retired police general, of being a protector of drug dealers. Loot has vehemently denied the accusation.“That devil general is still alive. You’re a general problem,” the President said in Cebuano, referring to Loot.The President also urged candidates in next year’s local elections to be wary of other candidates who might use drug money in their campaign.“Drugs would be a very important factor in the coming elections,” he said.The President also lashed out at groups that he described as “communists” for supposedly taking over government property.“I instructed the military to kill these communists [if they] fight back,” he said.Earlier, the President warned the urban poor group Kalipunan ng Damayang Mahihirap and other people’s organizations that he would have them shot if they took over government housing projects meant for soldiers, policemen and firefighters.

['Morexette Marie Erram', 'Rosalie Abatayo']

15/10/2018 0:00

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1049150/duterte-to-summon-mayors-linked-to-drug-trade

Inquirer

Edsa hero Butz Aquino dies; 76

There will be no wake for one of the major heroes of the 1986 Edsa People Power Revolution that ousted dictator Ferdinand Marcos.Sen. Agapito “Butz” Aquino, who first rallied the people to go to Edsa, died Monday afternoon. He was 76.President Aquino went to the Cardinal Santos Medical Center in San Juan City Monday night despite the pouring rain to pay his last respects to his uncle.He arrived at 7:37 p.m., followed 23 minutes later by his sister, Pinky Aquino Abellada.The Inquirer had no information whether the President’s other sisters—Ballsy Aquino Cruz, Viel Aquino Dee and Kris Aquino—also went to the hospital.Aquino and Pinky left the hospital at 8:19 p.m. Other members of the Aquino clan left minutes later.Butz was the younger brother of opposition Sen. Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr. whose assassination on Aug. 21, 1983, on the tarmac of the then Manila International Airport sparked massive protests across the country, including the “Tarlac to Tarmac” march that he and his friends initiated, and the confetti rallies on Ayala Avenue in Makati City.In the tumultuous days of the civilian-backed military revolt against Marcos in 1986, Butz called on Filipinos to mass on Edsa in support of the rebel forces.Butz declared the August Twenty-One Movement’s (Atom) support for then Defense Minister Juan Ponce Enrile and Armed Forces Vice Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Fidel V. Ramos, and over radio asked other anti-Marcos groups to convene in Cubao, Quezon City.Butz recalled his call to the people on Feb. 22, 1986, in an account published in the Inquirer in 2011.He said: “I am calling all Atom members and all brave Filipinos to assemble at Isetann Cubao to support the breakaway group of Minister Enrile and General Ramos.”Assembly areaIsetann was the assembly area for Atom mass actions in Cubao, Butz said. He added that by midnight, at least 10,000 had gathered in the area and they started marching on Edsa toward Camp Crame, where he asked to see Ramos.“His call was followed by (the late Manila Archbishop) Jaime Cardinal Sin’s exhortation to the people and the miracle of Edsa,” said presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda.Lacierda said the nation lost a “committed public servant, one who had originally chosen a quiet life as an entrepreneur, but in the face of the dictatorship’s tyranny, he became one of the frontline fighters for the restoration of our democracy.”Sen. Benigno “Bam” Aquino IV said his uncle died of “natural causes” at 4:22 p.m.Butz’s uncle, Hermie Aquino, however, said the former senator died of multiple organ failure after days of confinement at the Cardinal Santos Medical Center.“It was multiple organ failure. He had been in the hospital for several days,” Hermie said on the phone. “He had been suffering from complications, including diabetes, for several months, years.”No wakeAccording to the family, there will be no wake for the former senator, congressman, and movie and television actor.In a statement, Lacierda recalled that Butz was a “prime mover in the formation of Atom and Bandila, short for Bansang Nagkakaisa sa Diwa at Layunin.”“He played a prominent role in the parliament of the streets that fought the dictatorship’s bayonets, truncheons and tear gas with peaceful nonviolent assemblies, yellow confetti and Ati-atihan drums.”Lacierda noted “this road to reclaiming democracy by way of democracy, as his sister-in-law Cory Aquino put it, was crystallized in the decision Butz made to be the first public figure to ask Filipinos from all walks of life to gather at the Isetann Department Store and provide civilian protection to elements of the Armed Forces and Constabulary that had decided to go against the dictatorship.”After the 1986 People Power Revolution, Butz was called to public service in the Senate “where he became an advocate of cooperatives and the interest of small farmers, and subsequently, in the House of Representatives.”As senator, he authored several laws, including the Magna Carta for Small Farmers, Seed Act and the Cooperative Code of the Philippines.From 1998 to 2007, Butz represented the second district of Makati in the House of Representatives. In the 2010 elections, he ran for mayor of Makati City but lost to Jejomar Erwin “Junjun” Binay Jr.Senate President Franklin Drilon paid homage to Butz as a freedom fighter and legislator.“He was a civic organizer. He helped form the August Twenty-One Movement, whose members bravely fought for the restoration of our freedom,” Drilon said in a statement.Legacy lawsDrilon said Butz was also responsible for “legacy laws (that) have been benefiting our countrymen, such as the Magna Carta for Small Farmers and the Cooperative Code of the Philippines.”“On behalf of the Senate, I extend our condolences to the family of Butz,” Drilon said.For his part, Vice President Jejomar Binay expressed sadness over the passing of Butz whom he considered a “friend until the end.”In a statement, Binay said he had been with Butz since “the time of the parliament of the streets until he retired from politics.”He said that they both marched in Makati during the martial law years as members of Atom and that they were also together during the 1986 People Power Revolution.“During these times, Butz showed courage and principles. And when he was a senator and a congressman, he did not use his position or his family to push for his own interest,” Binay said.–Reports from TJ Burgonio, Jerry E. Esplanada, Christine O. Avendaño, Jovic Yee and Inquirer ResearchRELATED STORIESEx-senator ‘Butz’ Aquino is dead, says Sen. Bam AquinoBinay on Butz: ‘A true friend till the end’

['Philippine Daily Inquirer']

15/10/2018 0:00

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/713781/edsa-hero-butz-aquino-dies-76

Inquirer

X-rays, soy on front lines of US-China trade spa

President Donald Trump is hiking the price of Chinese-made forklift trucks and X-ray machines for American buyers.They are part of a $50 billion list of Chinese exports targeted for a 25 percent tariff hike in response to complaints Beijing steals or pressures foreign companies to hand over technology.The list of 1,102 products issued Friday includes 818 remaining from a tentative list of 1,333 released in April. The U.S. government also released a second list of 284 additional products it said were being considered for tariffs.It is the first direct impact on American consumers of the dispute over a state-led technology development strategy the White House says violates Beijing’s free-trade commitments and hurts foreign competitors.More than a routine trade dispute, it reflects Washington’s unease that American technology leadership and prosperity might be eroded by China’s state-led efforts to compete in smartphones, electric cars, biotech and other fields.Economists and businesspeople say Beijing is unlikely to give ground on a strategy seen by Communist leaders as the path to higher incomes and to restoring China’s rightful role as a global leader.WHAT IS THE DISPUTE?U.S. officials say the tariff hike targets goods that might benefit from Chinese theft of technology or pressure on foreign companies to hand it over in exchange for market access.They point to plans stretching back two decades that call for state-led development of Chinese competitors in artificial intelligence, clean energy, electric cars, robotics, biotech and other fields. Foreign companies complain Beijing subsidizes fledgling Chinese developers and shields them from competition in violation of its free-trade commitments.Trump is hardly the first foreign leader to complain. Others have filed World Trade Organization complaints or lobbied Chinese leaders in person during visits to Beijing. But Trump has attacked head-on, threatening to disrupt Chinese exports.CHINESE GOODS TARGETED FOR TARIFF HIKESIn addition to forklifts and medical equipment, Friday’s list includes turbojet and marine engine parts, factory and food processing machinery and power generators.Much of the list is industrial components and chemicals including steel pipe and parts used in TV sets and telecom equipment.That could hurt emerging Chinese global brands including Huawei in telecoms, Mindray in medical equipment and Hisense in TVs.The second list of possible additional products for tariff hikes includes batteries used in electric cars and optical fiber.Business groups warn the tariffs are effectively a tax on American consumers, though the American Chamber of Commerce says Trump’s threat prompted Beijing to engage in more intensive negotiations than it has in years.“MADE IN CHINA 2025”U.S. officials cite Beijing’s long-range development strategy, dubbed “Made in China 2025,” as emblematic of tactics they say hamper competition and will hurt American competitors.It calls for creating Chinese global competitors in information technology, numerical control machinery and robotics, aerospace and aviation equipment, maritime engineering equipment and high-tech vessel manufacturing, advanced rail equipment, energy-saving and electric vehicles, electrical equipment, agricultural machinery, new materials and biopharmaceuticals and medical devices.Foreign business groups have complained for a decade that Beijing is squeezing them out of promising fields. They say “Made in China 2025” appears to leave them little or no place in those industries.Previous technology plans since the 1990s have targeted even broader areas including nuclear power, genetics, deep sea equipment, satellites and lasers.AMERICAN GOODS FACING POSSIBLE RETALIATIONChina’s Commerce Ministry responded Friday by saying it would immediately impose penalties of “equal scale” on American goods. It gave no details but a $50 billion list of possible targets released in April included soybeans and light aircraft for possible retaliation.April’s list of 106 products also included beef, whiskey and orange juice. That targets rural Trump supporters and reflects Chinese efforts to minimize losses by picking goods available from other suppliers.Soybeans are the biggest U.S. export but other products on the list also are major earners. U.S. aviation-related exports to China totaled $13.2 billion in 2016.It was unclear whether Beijing might try to make an exception for Chinese-owned U.S. exporters such as pork producer Smithfield Foods.

[]

15/06/2018 0:00

https://news.mb.com.ph/2018/06/15/x-rays-soy-on-front-lines-of-us-china-trade-spa/

Manila Bulletin

House okays push for judges-at-large

THE HOUSE Committee on Appropriations has approved a substitute bill seeking the creation of positions for judges-at-large.Judges-at-large are deployable judges who do not have permanent salas, which means that they will be deployed by the Supreme Court (SC) to any court in the country, depending on need.Davao City Rep. Karlo Nograles, committee chairman, said in a statement on Tuesday that the passing of the bill will move to address the huge backlog hounding the country’s lower courts.“The criminal justice system in the Philippines is perceived to be slow given the sheer volume of docketed cases. Human rights lawyer Jose Manuel Diokno once said that a trial in the country usually lasts six to 10 years. This measure presents a solution that aims to decongest court dockets in an efficient manner,” Nograles noted.He said the substitute bill amends Batas Pambansa (BP) 129 and will create 50 Regional Trial Judges-at-Large and another 50 Municipal Trial Judges-At-Large.The salary level of the 100 judges-at-large will be equal to the salaries of Regional Trial Judges, Metropolitan Trial Judges, Municipal Circuit Trial Judges and Intermediate Appellate Justices.The judges-at-large will receive displacement allowances as well, to cover housing, food, transportation and other necessary fees incurred during the detail to courts that are outside their places of residence.The allowances will be determined by the SC, upon the recommendation of the Court Administrator and the Plantilla Committee, according to the bill.Nograles said the measure is timely because of the Duterte administration’s “no-nonsense” anti-illegal drug campaign, which led to the arrest and deaths of thousands of suspected drug offenders.He cited a report by the Agence France-Presse in September, which bared more or less 96,700 drug suspects have been jailed since President Rodrigo Duterte took his seat as the President of the country.“Delaying the resolution of these cases is unfair to the defendant as well as the lawmen who risked their lives in the conduct of anti-drug operations. That’s why the speedy delivery of justice is so important—nobody has a monopoly over it,” Nograles said.

['Ralph Villanueva']

2017-10-31 22:22:50+00:00

https://www.manilatimes.net/house-okays-push-judges-large/359866/

Manila Times

LTO chief: Curbing corruption a failure

The chief of the Land Transportation Office (LTO) on Wednesday virtually admitted that he had failed to curb corruption in the agency since he took over it.Assistant Secretary Edgar Galvante’s admission came after he linked a group of manufacturers of fake license plates who were arrested on Tuesday to an allegedly corrupt official inside the LTO.Chief Supt. Guillermo Lorenzo Eleazar, director of the Quezon City District Police (QCPD), said 15 persons from the group were arrested by his men at a house on Mapagmahal Street in Barangay Pinyahan in the city.Eleazar said his men also confiscated several PVC cards, fake licenses official receipts, car registrations, stickers and other paraphernalia used in license-making.The raided house was believed to be the manufacturing area for plates and documents by the 15 suspects.Galvante has ordered an internal investigation to find out who the “corrupt” LTO official is.A retired police official, he was assigned by President Rodrigo Duterte to the LTO to rid the agency of corruption.The LTO has been described by the President as one of the most corrupt government agencies in the bureaucracy.

['Nelson Badilla']

2017-01-18 22:28:51+00:00

https://www.manilatimes.net/lto-chief-curbing-corruption-failure/307585/

Manila Times

WHAT WENT BEFORE: NBN-ZTE deal

On April 21, 2007, the government signed with China’s ZTE Corp. the $329-million National Broadband Network (NBN) deal, which called for the installation of a telecommunications network linking government offices throughout the country.Five months later, Jose “Joey” de Venecia III, a cofounder of Amsterdam Holdings Inc. (AHI), testified in a Senate hearing that the project was overpriced by about $130 million to cover kickbacks.De Venecia, a son and namesake of the former Speaker of the House of Representatives, said that before the contract signing, Benjamin Abalos, then the chair of the Commission on Elections and the purported “captain” of the deal brokers, offered him $10 million in exchange for the withdrawal of AHI’s broadband proposal.He also claimed that Mike Arroyo, the husband of then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, would get $70 million from the deal.At the Senate inquiry, Romulo Neri, then the director general of the National Economic and Development Authority, said Abalos had offered him P200 million in exchange for approving the broadband contract.In November 2007, two impeachment complaints were filed against the President in connection with the NBN-ZTE project but neither prospered.Lozada testimonyOn Feb. 8, 2008, Rodolfo “Jun” Lozada Jr., Neri’s consultant in the NBN project, testified at a Senate hearing that Abalos stood to gain a huge commission from the deal. He also tagged Arroyo and her husband as the “masterminds behind the NBN-ZTE crime.”The Senate investigation led to the resignation of Abalos from the Comelec and the scrapping of the project.In September 2011, more than a year after Arroyo’s term ended, plunder charges were filed in the Office of the Ombudsman against her for the scuttled NBN-ZTE deal. Also charged with conspiring with Arroyo to approve the deal were her husband, Abalos and former Transportation Secretary Leandro Mendoza.In December 2011, graft charges were filed against Arroyo in the Sandiganbayan following the Ombudsman’s finding that she had fast-tracked and approved the signing of the NBN-ZTE deal despite her knowledge of its irregularities.Arroyo was also indicted for playing golf and having lunch with ZTE officials when its proposal to undertake the NBN deal was still being evaluated by the Philippine government.The Ombudsman found insufficient evidence to charge the former President and her coaccused with plunder, which was what the original complaint had sought.In September 2016, Arroyo, by then a Pampanga representative, was exonerated of the graft charges in connection with the NBN-ZTE deal.The Sandiganbayan’s Fourth Division granted the separate demurrers to evidence filed by Arroyo, her husband and Abalos. A demurrer is a motion for dismissal midway through a trial after the prosecution rests its case.

['Philippine Daily Inquirer']

09/10/2016 0:00

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/959499/what-went-before-nbn-zte-deal

Inquirer

Sona promises: Has Aquino improved education, health sectors?

PROMISE: A “globally competitive basic education cycle” expanded from 10 years to the global standard of 12 years. (Sona 2010)The new K to 12 (Kindergarten to Grade 12) curriculum had been implemented as of February 2014, and the first batch of high school students to go through it will graduate in March 2018. The program has been met not just with protests. There are at least five petitions in the Supreme Court against the K to 12 Law, or Republic Act No. 10533.READ: Ready for K-to-12?***Promise: End the backlog in education: 66,800 classrooms, 2,573,212 chairs, and 61.7 million textbooks to achieve the one-to-one ratio of books and students. (Sona 2010 and 2012)The Department of Education (DepEd) reported that it had constructed 86,478 classrooms as of February 2015, enough to fill the backlog of 66,800 classrooms in 2010. The DepEd also reported 1:1 student-textbook and student-school seat ratios since December 2012. Even as it copes with the annual increase in enrollment, the regular wear and tear of school equipment and resources, and the effects of natural disasters, the DepEd faces the prospect of more shortages as the K to 12 program introduces two additional years of senior high school.In its latest report to Congress, the DepEd states that every additional year in the basic education system requires 20,000 to 28,000 public classrooms, which translates to a 40,000 to 56,000 additional classroom shortage for the two-year senior high school program. As a result, the official classroom shortage, to include the requirements for the K to 12 program, will reach more than 95,000.BACKSTORY: DepEd: 16 M outdated books not fit for K to 12 still usefulIn June 2015, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) released P31.8 billion to build and rehabilitate 22,325 classrooms across the country, in line with the implementation of the K to 12 program.The DepEd says an additional 60,000 to 82,000 teachers will be needed to implement the senior high school program. The K to 12 program also requires the printing of a minimum of 60 million textbooks since the textbooks designed for the old 10-year curriculum will now be obsolete.***Promise: Increase the budget of state universities and colleges (SUCs) to P43.61 billion in 2013. (Sona 2012)The budget for SUCs was increased from P23.8 billion in 2012 to P34.9 million in 2013. Although it has been increasing year-on-year, from P23.8 billion in 2010 to P43.3 billion in 2015, the SUC budget has still not reached the P43.61 billion that was promised two years ago.The 2015 allocation included P3.5 billion for scholarships under SUCs, P2.2 billion for Commission on Higher Education scholarships and P316 million research fund.BACKSTORY: COA: P928-M DAP for UP not used***Promise: Expand PhilHealth coverage by identifying the correct number of Filipinos in urgent need of PhilHealth coverage. Continue to implement the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s national household targeting system for poverty reduction, or Listahanan. (Sona 2010)Prompted by recent typhoons, floods and other natural disasters that left many families poor, homeless and jobless in various parts of the country, the Listahanan survey is currently being conducted for the second time, with a target of 15.3 million households. The survey, aimed at building an information management system that will pinpoint who and where the poor families are, will serve as the basis for identifying the beneficiaries of social protection programs.READ: PhilHealth’s free cataract surgeries for poor, elderly continue despite probe on dubious claimsIn December 2014, a Commission on Audit (COA) report said the DSWD handed out more than P1 billion to about 364,000 families whose names were “missing” from the Listahanan database. There were also double payments to people whose names appeared on the list twice. The COA said P168.122 million was also given to 21,117 “nonpoor beneficiaries.”The DSWD claimed that the problem involved only the documentation process and that the COA did not see any suspicions of misuse or misappropriation of the funds.***Promise: Pass two health-related bills: the sin tax bill aimed at raising more revenues to fund universal health care, and the reproductive health (RH) bill to help address potential education backlogs because of the continuing increase in the student population. (Sona 2012)The Sin Tax Reform Law was signed in December 2012 and came into effect in January 2013. In the first two years of its implementation, the sin tax has generated an additional P102 billion—of which 18 percent came from taxes levied on tobacco products—to finance universal healthcare and health infrastructure programs, according to the Department of Finance.The share of total tobacco and alcohol excise tax collections amounted to 0.9 percent of gross domestic product for 2013 and 2014, reportedly the highest since 2000. Funding for the Department of Health increased to P83.7 billion in 2014 (from P53.3 billion in 2013), and P87 billion in 2015.The budget allocation for health insurance premiums for the poor increased from P12.6 billion in 2013 to P35.3 billion in 2014. Of the total registered PhilHealth members in 2014, 40.4 percent were from the indigent sector, against the 16.5 percent in 2013.Also signed in December 2012, the Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Act was stopped from being implemented by a Supreme Court’s status quo ante order just two months after it became effective on Jan. 17, 2013.BACKSTORY: RH bill finally signed into lawIn July 2014, the high court unanimously declared the law “not unconstitutional,” but upheld its April 8 ruling that rejected eight of the law’s provisions. The provisions include those pertaining to providing minors access to contraceptives without parental consent; penalizing health-care providers for refusing or failing to disseminate information about RH programs; requiring parental consent for a minor in nonemergency situations; and penalizing public officers who refuse to support RH programs.In a resolution issued on June 17, the high tribunal stopped the government from “procuring, selling, distributing, dispensing and administering, advertising and promoting” contraceptive implants, pending the high court’s final disposition of an appeal to permanently ban the product for its alleged “abortifacient” side effects. Sources: Inquirer archives, DBM and DepEd websites, Official Gazette website

['Almi Atienza']

09/10/2016 0:00

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/707690/sona-promises-has-aquino-improved-education-health-sectors

Inquirer

Aquino fed wrong info

President Benigno Aquino III was given inaccurate information on the assistance that beleaguered Special Action Force (SAF) troopers were supposedly receiving from the military on the Jan. 25 police mission against two terrorists that went awry and cost the lives of 44 commandos.This was revealed in an exchange of messages on that fateful day between Mr. Aquino and Alan Purisima that the former director general of the Philippine National Police read on Monday at the resumption of the Senate inquiry into the tragic raid in Mamasapano, Maguindanao province, that has sparked nationwide outrage.Purisima, who was suspended in December last year on corruption charges and who later resigned as PNP chief as details of the SAF debacle unfolded in public, updated the President on Jan. 25 about the predawn killing by the commandos of Malaysian bomb expert Zulkifli bin Hir, alias “Marwan,” and their subsequent deadly clash with Moro rebels.In another text, Purisima told the President early on that the containment forces who were battling it out with forces of the Moro Islamic Liberaton Front (MILF) and the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) were “supported by mechanized and artillery support.”But this was apparently not the case, because the tanks and artillery fire were not yet deployed at that time, and these were not utilized fully because of the marshy ground and the lack of a forward observer, the senators noted.“That information given to the President was not entirely accurate. In fact, it is false,” Sen. Francis Escudero said.Escudero also said Purisima’s text messages to the President did not indicate that the situation was worsening.In the end, 44 SAF commandos, 18 MILF fighters and five civilians were killed in the project, called “Oplan Exodus.”Text to AquinoPurisima said he texted Mr. Aquino at 5:45 a.m. on Jan. 25 that Marwan had been killed but that his body had to be left behind, and that one SAF trooper was wounded in the operation.Based on his text message to Purisima, Mr. Aquino knew details of the operation and believed that PNP and the Armed Forces of the Philippines units were supposed to be available to assist 160 SAF commandos out to get Marwan and his Filipino deputy, Basit Usman.“If I remember correctly, 160 SAF troopers were directly involved in this operation plus provisions for other PNP and AFP units to assist,” read Mr. Aquino’s 7:59 a.m. text to Purisima.“The terrain is flat and clear as opposed to upland forested or jungle terrain. Why could they not contain and/or overwhelm the 15-20 members opposing force? Are they still in contact with the two other targets? If not and the opposing force has escaped, are we now back to square one?” the President’s text read.Purisima, at 8:17 a.m., replied: “They are presently in contact with reinforcing elements from BIFF. The containment forces are the ones in contact right now. They are supported by mechanized and artillery support. Sir.”But Escudero noted that as per the testimony of military officials, the tanks or mechanized brigade that were supposed to assist the SAF troopers were only able to reach the edge of the highway and were unable to get out into the marshland where fighting was raging.The mechanized brigade took off at 8:20 a.m., which was after Purisima had sent the text to the President about mechanized and artillery support, Escudero noted.Purisima testified that he based his message to the President about mechanized and artillery support on an SMS to him by Lt. Gen. Rustico Guerrero, chief of the AFP Western Command.After receiving the call to assist the SAF troopers under fire, Guerrero told Purisima that there was coordination on the ground, and that “tank, infantry and artillery support are made available.”But Guerrero said that his text message was only intended to attest that the tanks and artillery were in place, but did not mean these had been deployed.“I’m not saying the artillery and tanks were already firing. That is the call of the ground commander. What I’m saying is these are available in the area, because it’s only now that you told us you need assistance,” he said.No tanks, artilleryEscudero noted that there was a big difference between saying there was support from the mechanized brigade and that support would be made available.Purisima replied that it was his understanding that the mechanized and artillery elements would be supporting the troops on the ground.“That understanding, General Purisima, proved very costly to the SAF members in the field because that was the understanding of most of the officials as well, but in reality, that was not the case where they were coming from,” Escudero said.Escudero asked Purisima whether he informed the President that the mechanized brigade and artillery were unable to provide support to the SAF troopers.Purisima said that Mr. Aquino was in Zamboanga City that day and he should have been briefed there by the military.In his last text to the President on Jan. 25 sent at 6:20 p.m. Purisima said: “Sir latest report from operating elements in Maguindanao states that the security elements who were engaged by BIFF/MILF elements suffered heavy casualties. They were reportedly overrun. CCH and international monitoring team are in the area retrieving casualties. The main effort is still in the process of rendezvous with other SAF and AFP elements.”Guerrero, who briefed the President in Zamboanga City at 11 a.m. the same day, said the discussion did not tackle this.No details at briefingSen. Grace Poe, chair of the investigative panel, then asked if the President gave the impression that he felt there was military presence helping the SAF.Guerrero answered in the affirmative, and said he told Mr. Aquino that he had directed the 6th Infantry Division to support the SAF.But Poe said Guerrero’s report was apparently incomplete because as far as the President knew the military was helping, but in reality, it could not enter the area.“Do you think you might have been remiss in not informing the President, ‘Sir the military is there but this is the situation?’ Shouldn’t that be your responsibility to tell the President that the military could not enter the area?” she asked.Guerrero said that the briefing with the President did not go into much detail, and pointed out that the purpose of his Zamboanga visit was to discuss the bombing incident in the area the previous day that killed two persons.Poe then asked if Guerrero had realized the gravity of the situation in Mamasapano, and Guerrero said he had not because the AFP did not have a complete picture of what was happening and was only getting bits and pieces of information.Guerrero affirmed that at that time, the AFP did not know how many had died and what was needed. Had coordination been made, military response would have been faster, he added.In spite of this, the AFP officials said they were able to provide reinforcement and had helped save 28 SAF commandos.No coordinationUpon questioning by Senate President Franklin Drilon, Purisima said that the President, during meetings in January and December, directed the PNP to ensure proper coordination with the military in the Mamasapano operation.But Purisima said he was no longer in a position to do so, having been suspended, and that it was the SAF commander, Director Getulio Napeñas, who should have done so.Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV asked that the exchange of text messages between the President and Purisima be disseminated to the media because there were “malicious reports” implying that Mr. Aquino knew of the dire situation in Mamasapano and did nothing about it.“That picture apparently was not true because the President didn’t get the entire picture for the simple reason that even the senior commanders themselves did not have the true picture,” Trillanes said.Purisima approved launchNapeñas also testified that Purisima approved the launch of Oplan Exodus between Jan. 23 and 26 while the PNP chief was suspended.After the project was postponed in deference to Pope Francis’ Jan. 15 to 19 visit to the country, Napeñas said he texted Purisima on Jan. 13 recommending another date: Between Jan. 23 and 26.Napeñas said Purisima texted back, “Go for the secondary date.”RELATED STORIESPurisima admits he informed Aquino about Mamasapano clash, casualtiesWas Aquino given a false report on Mamasapano clash?MILF refuses to surrender men involved in Mamasapano carnage

['Leila B. Salaverria', 'Tj Burgonio']

2017-09-18 20:44:45+00:00

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/674825/aquino-fed-wrong-info

Inquirer

DOJ probes use of minor in police raid

The Department of Justice (DoJ) ordered the investigation of 13 members of the Caloocan City Police who brought along a minor on September 7 when they raided a house without a search warrant.Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre 2nd said he ordered the DoJ Task Force on Child Protection to “thoroughly investigate the raid and file the necessary charges against the responsible persons who have committed any act which is tantamount to child abuse.”“Evidently, any act which inflicts physical or psychological injury, cruelty to or the neglect, sexual abuse of, or which exploits, a child is child abuse. Cases of child abuse should be punished to the full extent of the law,” he said.The raid was conducted on the house of a 51-year-old policewoman who was suspected of being involved in the illegal drug trade.A CCTV footage showed that police officers used a bolt cutter to enter the house with the minor. Then they took a watch and a cell phone. The minor was later seen holding up the items to another police officer and pocketing them as the officer held up a finger to his lips as a sign for the child to keep quiet.With the use of the CCTV footage, the family discovered the theft of a cell phone, a wallet, and two watches with a total value of P30,000.National Capital Region Police Office Director Oscar Albayalde ordered the relief of the entire 1,200-strong Caloocan City police force because of the incident.

['Jomar Canlas']

2017-09-18 20:44:45+00:00

https://www.manilatimes.net/doj-probes-use-minor-police-raid/351382/

Manila Times

Ship runs aground off Bogo

A passenger and cargo ship ran aground in the Bogo Channel, north of Cebu, shortly after it sailed from Pulangbato Port in Bogo City Sunday afternoon.The Philippine Coast Guard said all ship’s 100 passengers and 24 crew were safe. The passengers included 10 children.The Coast Guard’s Cebu District Commander Agapito Bibat said the LCT Melrivic I was sailing to Cayawan, Masbate, when the incident happened.Bibat said that Melrivic I, which belongs to the E.B. Aznar Shipping Corporation, was still near Pulangbato when it ran aground. The passengers were immediately rescued because the site of incident was very near the port.He said the M/B Christopher 4 came alongside the Melrivic I and took on its passengers and crew. The Christopher 4 arrived at Pulangbato port after 20 minutes.Bibat said the passengers were given a fare refund.

[]

31/10/2016 0:00

https://news.mb.com.ph/2016/10/31/ship-runs-aground-off-bogo/

Manila Bulletin

Palace condemns killing of Bicol broadcaster

Malacañang, lawmakers and media groups condemned the killing of a Bicol-based radio journalist, who was shot multiple times inside his car as he was leaving his house in Daraga town on his way to work early on Friday morning.In a statement, presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said the attack on Joey Llana was “yet another infringement on the rights to life and a free press.”The Presidential Task Force on Media Security “will be relentless in according justice to this latest victim,” Roque said.Sen. Grace Poe, chair of the Senate public information and mass media committee, urged the authorities to quickly bring to justice those responsible for the “deplorable act, which has no place in a democratic society.”“The increasing number of killings of journalists and the slow resolution of cases embolden those who carry out the attacks against the members of the media,” she said in a statement.“Let us not allow the culture of impunity to claim more lives,” Poe said.Sen. Sonny Angara was outraged at the “cowardly act,” saying it “has no place in a civilized society like ours.”“We cannot allow fear and impunity to reign in a democratic society,” Angara said.12th fatal attackSenior Insp. Maria Luisa Calubaquib, Bicol police spokesperson, said unidentified gunmen riddled Llana with bullets at close range, killing him instantly.Investigators recovered more than a dozen 9mm and .45-caliber bullet casings at the scene.The International Federation of Journalists condemned Llana’s death, which the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines says will be the 12th fatal attack against the media under President Duterte if it turns out to be work-related.Llana, 43, a blocktime anchor, has handled the Monday to Friday early morning program “Metro Banat” since August 2016 and just this month started manning the Saturday morning “Arangkada Daraga” show for station DWZR in Legazpi City.The “hard-hitting” broadcaster has criticized local and national officials for graft-tainted projects and corruption in media and the police, according to his younger brother, Jose.Bag of drugs ‘planted’“In fact, my mother Teresita never failed to remind him to be careful about issues he discusses on his program,” said Jose, adding that his brother would answer back, saying, “I always speak the truth.”Police said they found a blue Avon sling bag with seven sachets of “shabu” (crystal meth) and a lighter inside Llana’s car, his brother said.“It was planted. He doesn’t use sling bag,” Jose said, adding that he believes the drugs were meant to distract investigators and the public.Darlan Barcelon, president of the Police Regional Office 5 Press Corps, also doubted the shabu was Llana’s. “I never saw a visible clue that he was into drugs,” he said.Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas (KBP)-Albay chapter and Barcelon’s group demanded justice for Llana and appealed for an immediate investigation.Death threatsChief Supt. Arnel Escobal, Bicol police director, created a task group to investigate Llana’s killing.KBP-Albay president Tito Ordinario said there were reports that Llana had received death threats through text messages.Erasto Alerta, another DWZR anchor, said Llana two days earlier confided that he was troubled by “so many death threats.”“It’s too much already. It’s like I’m being fried,” Alerta quoted Llana as telling him. He recalled that Llana told him they would “not see each other again.”Barcelon described Llana as “a live wire” who sometimes made “reckless statements.” He did not elaborate.“But … he was still a legitimate media practitioner,” Barcelon said.

['Dj Yap', 'Julie M. Aurelio']

02/10/2017 0:00

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1012498/palace-condemns-killing-of-bicol-broadcaster

Inquirer

Duterte to attend MassKara festival

Bacolod City– Deputy Commissioner of the Bureau of Internal Revenue, Jesus Aranas, said President Duterte will be in Bacolod October 20 for one of the highlights of the MassKara Festival.Aranas made the announcement Sunday night, during the opening of the 38th celebration of the festival at the Government Center facade replica at the city plaza.It will be the President’s second visit to Bacolod. He was here last year when he opened the festival, which is considered as one of must see events in the country.“The President loves us,” Aranas said in his speech, adding that he will be here to assure as that there will be a Negros Island State if a federal form of government pushes through.House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez will also attend the festival on October 5.“This second time that the President will come here is historic,” Aranas added.This year, MassKara has for a theme “Bacolod: City of Southeast Asia” to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Association of Southeast Asia (ASEAN) and the country’s hosting of the regional summit.Mayor Evelio Leonardia said this year’s opening was more colorful than the last year’s, with MassKara 2016 champions parading on Araneta Street.Despite the rain, last year’s streetdance winners performed, and the giant replica of the Top Philippine Model City trophy awarded to Bacolod was paraded through the city’s streets.The new event, Electric Zumba sa MassKara, had its preview with zumba dancers from Bacolod dancing with fancy LED lights attached to their costumes.The MassKara festival will end on the second Sunday of the month.

[]

02/10/2017 0:00

https://news.mb.com.ph/2017/10/02/duterte-to-attend-masskara-festival/

Manila Bulletin

Immediate release of de Lima pushed

Sen. Leila de Lima’s legal counsel and former Solicitor General Florin Hilbay has called for the immediate release of the detained senator as they filed on Friday afternoon a motion for reconsideration urging the Supreme Court to dismiss the drug charges brought against President Duterte’s fiercest critic.In a press conference in Manila, Hilbay said it was unfair for De Lima to continue to be held in detention when “even the majority of the members of the Supreme Court cannot agree on the nature of the charges filed against her.”On Oct. 10, the high court voted 9-6 to reject De Lima’s motion to quash her indictment for drug trafficking in three cases brought against her by the Department of Justice in February.The charges allege that De Lima, during her stint as justice secretary under the Aquino administration, had conspired with high-profile inmates to perpetuate illegal drug trading in the New Bilibid Prison.The decision also upheld the authority of Presiding Judge Juanita Guerrero of Muntinlupa RTC Branch 204 to try De Lima.Void, vagueOf the nine justices who voted to dismiss De Lima’s petition, Hilbay said, five believed that the charge filed against her was illegal drug trading, while three said it was conspiracy to commit drug trading.“What does that mean? It means that the information is void, vague, and therefore they do not have enough votes to sustain the validity of the information,” he added.He added that the decision was a “judicial confirmation that the charges are, in the language of Associate Justice Antonio Carpio, ‘fake.’”By the standards set by the decision, Hilbay said, the high court cannot claim to have a valid reason to continue detaining the senator and must therefore be released immediately.“It’s unfair for a person, whether it’s De Lima or an ordinary citizen, to be held for 233 days on charges that nobody understands, not even the members of the Supreme Court,” he said.“It’s so fundamentally unfair that the only conclusion we can gather here is that the charges are fake,” he added.Hilbay, however, expressed confidence that De Lima would be acquitted by virtue also of the Supreme Court ruling.If the high court could not even agree on the charges filed against De Lima, then it followed that Guerrero could not have had probable cause to issue a warrant of arrest, he said.

['Krixia Subingsubing']

13/09/2017 0:00

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/942822/immediate-release-of-de-lima-pushed

Inquirer

CAAP begins expansion of GenSan airport

General Santos City- The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) has begun the expansion of the city’s airport in a bid to upgrade its facilities and make it at par with international standards.Engr. Rex Obcena, local airport manager, said the Department of Transportation (DOTr) had allocated some R1 billion for the expansion of the airport facilities here including the construction of an airport terminal building and navigational aids and other amenities of the airport.He said the construction started last month which covered the renovation of the main building and expansion of the front ramp.“Construction works for the upgrading of the airport commenced without disrupting the operation of the airport,” Obcena said.The airport official gave a briefing on Tuesday to members of the City Council on the status of the renovation of the city’s airport and upgrading of its navigational aids amid public clamor for the improvement of the city’s airport facilities.Local officials here had earlier asked the DOTr to provide funds for the upgrading of the city’s airport which was constructed in 1992.Obcena said the upgrading of the airport is expected to be completed by 2019.Once the face-lifting of the airport is completed, Obcena said the city’s airport can accommodate international and evening flight schedules.Obcena said some airline companies had already committed to open flights from the city to international destinations within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).“We hope to invite international airline companies to open routes in Gensan once our city airport is upgraded to international standards,” Obcena said.

[]

13/09/2017 0:00

https://news.mb.com.ph/2017/09/13/caap-begins-expansion-of-gensan-airport/

Manila Bulletin

Storm affects Yolanda projects

Storm “Urduja” damaged projects under the Yolanda Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Program (YRRP) being implemented by the Department of Agriculture’s Regional Field Office (RFO) in Eastern Visayas.Salvador D. Diputado, RFO regional executive director, told Manila Bulletin the initial field indicated that the storm left millions of pesos in damage to the projects.The YRRP received P3.6 billion in funding last April.Diputado could not give Manila Bulletin specific figures because field personnel and municipal agricultural officers and technicians were still checking, but said “the damage may range in several millions of pesos.”He said the verification and reporting were difficult especially in hard-hit areas because electricity and communication facilities were still out.In one report, four generator sets at one of the RFO’s experimental stations were submerged in floodwaters, while at another experimental station the fertilizers, seeds and other agricultural inputs were buried in the mud, Diputado said.Rice farmers who received funds under the YRRP lost their seedling because of the storm, he said. Rice fields that were ready for planting were damaged by big boulders.Diputado raised the possibility of an Urduja rehabilitation fund being created, but said the amount will depend on the reported damage.

[]

25/12/2017 0:00

https://news.mb.com.ph/2017/12/25/storm-affects-yolanda-projects/

Manila Bulletin

In the north, they’re food for the souls

“Deremen” is a sticky black cake made from glutinous rice of the same color, which may be strange for most part of the year except during the revered season of remembering the dead when black is absolutely in.As part of tradition, deremon – or “dudumen” to Ilocanos – is set at the center of the food table during All Saints’ and All Souls’ Days.Here in the north, these black cakes are served to family members and guests visiting departed love ones at the cemetery.But more importantly, a portion of the cake is placed as “atang” or offering for those who have passed away and whose souls are believed to pay a visit during this occasion.In most barrios in Pangasinan, this tradition is still strictly observed, thus, making deremen literally “food for the souls.”Deremen is actually made of white glutinous rice which blackens when held on fire by stalks of the grain. Using mortar and pestle the rice is pounded to separate chaff from the grains and filtered with a “bilao.”The grains are cooked in a rich mixture of coconut milk and molasses until batch becomes sticky. Finally, it is cooled then served.The blackened grains for this delicacy are marked “deremen” or “dudumen” and usually sold in Dagupan City’s markets as early as the first week of October.To this day, preparing this black cake is very distinct to Pangasinan yet is most likely to be preserved well beyond our days not only because of its taste and unique color, but because of the tradition of remembering the happy, hungry souls we miss the most.

[]

30/10/2016 0:00

https://news.mb.com.ph/2016/10/30/in-the-north-theyre-food-for-the-souls/

Manila Bulletin

Bishop urges boycott of Madonna concert

This is one madonna who won’t be getting the blessings of Lipa Archbishop Ramon Arguelles anytime soon.In fact, the Catholic Church official asked Filipinos to stay away from the Feb. 24 and 25 concert of Madonna, the Queen of Pop, whom Arguelles blasted for her “suggestive” lifestyle and “vulgar” style of dressing.“Why is Catholic Philippines the favorite venue for blasphemy against God and the Holy Mother?” the archbishop said, taking issue with the name that the “Material Girl” had adopted for her stage persona.“It’s not even her real name. She is just using (Madonna) to taunt Mother Mary,” Arguelles said.He was particular about “Western culture being brought upon Asians,” the prelate said.“Lord Jesus, save us from this ideological colonization,” he added in a text message circulated on Tuesday, the eve of Madonna’s much anticipated “Rebel Heart” concert in the country.Reports said Madonna had arrived in Manila days ahead of her concert that would be held at SM Mall of Asia Arena, the same venue, Arguelles lamented, where Pope Francis met with Filipino families during his visit to the Philippines in January last year.Works of ‘evil’Earlier, a Catholic archbishop in Singapore also aired similar concerns over Madonna’s concert slated there on Feb. 28.Four years ago, Arguelles called on the public to boycott the show of pop artist, Lady Gaga, when she performed in Manila.Interviewed by telephone, the Batangas prelate criticized Madonna’s music and “suggestive” lifestyle, saying these set a bad example to the youth. He also described the way Madonna dresses as “vulgar.”Arguelles said his message should serve as a warning to the public not to fall for the works of “evil.”“Pop music is usually about drugs, rape… Remember [the attack] in Paris? The one performing there then was called ‘Death’ something,” the archbishop said.Arguelles was referring to the Paris terror attacks last year, when gunmen attacked six different sites resulting in the death of 129 people and wounding of 352. One of the sites attacked by terrorists was the Bataclan concert hall where the American band, Eagles of Death Metal, was performing.Some of Madonna’s music videos feature religious images and symbols that her critics said disrespected the Catholic Church. Her hits include “Material Girl,” “Papa Don’t Preach,” “Crazy for You,” “Vogue” and “Like a Virgin.”

['Maricar Cinco']

2018-04-19 00:03:11+00:00

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/767883/bishop-urges-boycott-of-madonna-concert

Inquirer

Govt urged to look into price surge in chicken

A GROUP of poultry raisers on Wednesday called on the government to investigate a sudden surge in the price of chicken being sold in the market, after reports said several stalls in Metro Manila have jacked up their prices by as much as P20 per kilo.Increased prices from P10-20 per kilo affected choice cuts such as wings, breasts and thighs.In Marikina City, the price is now P125 per kilo from the previous P105.Reports said in Pritil market in Manila’s Tondo district, chicken sells for P160 per kilo from the previous P150.According to Elias Jose Inciong, president of the United Broilers Raisers Association, they are wondering why there is a sudden increase in prices, when the farmgate prices of chicken or that coming from the poultry farms remain the same.The prices range from P70 to P82 per kilo for the farmgate chicken for last month, compared to P89 per kilo last March 16.Inciong said they will call for a meeting with Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol over the matter.

['Francis Earl Cueto']

2018-04-19 00:03:11+00:00

https://www.manilatimes.net/govt-urged-to-look-into-price-surge-in-chicken/393422/

Manila Times

CPP supports peace talks, warns against ‘peace-spoilers’

The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) on Tuesday called on its political wing, the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP), and the government to speed up negotiations to end nearly 50 years of rebellion but warned that “peace-spoilers” and preconditions set by President Duterte could derail the talks.In The Netherlands, where the fourth round of formal talks opened on Monday, CPP founder Jose Maria Sison, chief political consultant of the NDFP in the talks, said the rebels would reject preconditions that could undermine their position.“NDFP will resist any attempt of the [government] at making it submit to capitulation, mere pacification or self-destruction,” Sison said in an online interview late on Monday.The President on Sunday set four preconditions for the fourth round of talks, including the forging of bilateral truce and the release of soldiers and policemen held by the New People’s Army. He also demanded an end to the rebels’ revolutionary tax collection and territorial claims.Military establishmentIn a separate statement on Tuesday, the CPP congratulated the NDFP and the government negotiating panels for pushing through with the fourth round of talks “despite the peace-spoiling by stooges of US imperialism in the military establishment,” referring to Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon and Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief of Staff Gen. Eduardo Año.Lorenzana tagged the rebels as “terrorists” and he and senior officers of the AFP also insisted on a bilateral ceasefire agreement before resuming the talks, the CPP said.The President set other conditions that had pushed the talks “to the brink,” but to the credit of the flexibility of the two peace panels the negotiations moved ahead despite the preconditions, it said.“For peace talks to continue moving forward … President Duterte must reject the insistence of the militarists to prematurely push a bilateral ceasefire agreement even before agreements on substantive issues are forged,” the CPP said. “Discussions on the more crucial socioeconomic issues, which the GRP panel also considers the meat of the negotiations, should not be preempted.”“The CPP and all revolutionary forces call for acceleration of negotiations to forge an agreement on comprehensive socioeconomic reforms, which are at the root of the armed conflict,” it added.Discussions on a bilateral ceasefire could come “as a consequence” of the Comprehensive Agreement on Social and Economic Reforms (Caser) and the Comprehensive Agreement on Political and Constitutional Reforms (CAPCR), it said.Sison said both parties “should (move) ahead of the issue of ceasefire, the social, economic, political and constitutional reforms demanded by the people and needed to address the roots of the civil war.”By setting the preconditions for the talks, Mr. Duterte and the government were “just maximizing their demands in the press,” he said.Sison said the specific policy issues that were important to both sides would determine the “concrete content” of the range of their respective minimum and a maximum negotiating stance.“For instance, ceasefire is a policy issue,” Sison said. “There must be flexibility in determining what kind of ceasefire can be accepted by the negotiating parties. What are circumstances and requirements for that ceasefire?”Release of political prisonersIn his opening remarks at the opening of the talks in The Netherlands on Monday, Sison said the immediate forging of a bilateral truce would depend “if President Duterte can put forward the amnesty and release of all political prisoners listed by the NDFP.”Despite all the challenges and hurdles to the talks, Sison expressed hope that the government and NDFP would agree and sign two major agreements in the latest round of negotiations—the Caser and the bilateral ceasefire.He indicated that after reading and studying the draft proposals, both sides could reach an agreement. “I observe that there are enough concurrences and similar positions as common ground for forging the agreements,” he said in his speech.He said, however, that “as a matter of principle” Caser should come ahead of the ceasefire agreement “unless these agreements can be signed at the same time by the panels and then by the principals.”

['Delfin T. Mallari Jr.']

05/06/2018 0:00

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/886591/cpp-supports-peace-talks-warns-against-peace-spoilers

Inquirer

She taught me writing is never about the writer

OVER lunch on Christmas Day with my family, I thought to raise a drink to my former editor, Letty Jimenez-Magsanoc, or LJM, as everyone fondly called her. Before we clinked glasses, I attempted to tell my children who Letty was and why she was so important to me. But my simple summing up caused a flood of memories—and tears—that made my every word shrivel and lose their meaning.How could I sum up how Letty made me the writer and person that I am? The story I told over Christmas lunch must have sounded exciting and extraordinary to my children, brought up in first-world England, never knowing what it’s like to live without choice. Did they get that this was more a coming of age than an adventure?I told them how I met Letty as a student, interviewing her for a thesis on press freedom that I was writing with my best buddies, Frankie Joaquin and Vicky Suba. How Letty invited us to work for her when we graduated, giving Frankie and me our first jobs (Vicky became a film actress). How I had been so thrilled to work with Letty, having long been a fan of her column in Panorama magazine, which she also edited. How I had been shocked when she was fired for writing a piece critical of the Marcoses. How I cut my teeth as a fledgling reporter working for Letty on a magazine dedicated to exposing the evils of the Marcos regime. (Letty always corrected me: “You don’t work ‘for’ me, Candy, you work ‘with’ me.”)ShelteredThe person I was before I began to work with Letty was not much to shout about. I was one of legions of middle-class Filipinos living on the edge of deprivation, with a parent determined to work abroad, of course. And, yes, I’m ashamed to say, sheltered, with no awareness of life apart from home, school, family, friends. Ninoy Aquino? Who’s that?I was a fairly good writer with a fervent aspiration to become a novelist. But words are nothing without meaning and understanding. And one thing was for sure: I knew nothing. My first weeks under Letty’s tutelage were made excruciating by my ignorance and arrogance about my abilities.But here was where luck played a part. Of all the editors of all the magazines in all the cities in the world, I got Letty. She edited with a green ballpoint pen. I never really did ask her why. But it was comforting. I was fresh out of school and used to teachers bloodying my essays with red poison pens that declared me a failure. Green ink was friendly, companionable and told me once more, “You work with me” not “You work for me.”Green ink doesn’t feel as accusing as red ink. Where red ink would say: “You’re wrong, what a terrible writer you are!” Letty’s green ink told me: “Let’s take this to the next level.”Later, I accepted the public’s compliments, “I especially loved that line you wrote…”“Thank you,” I responded generously to fans, even though the words were not mine, but Letty’s.When people asked what I did, I said: “I am a journalist.” Not a reporter. Not a writer. A journalist. I took pride in my work, even though the context of my reportage, the “so what” of my stories all came from Letty.But I learned. So much.Pretty writing is useless without meaning. Fresh out of university I could turn a phrase like the best of them. But what did I really mean? It was Letty who interrogated my writing and forced me to think. It was Letty who sent me off to the far corners of the Philippines to bear witness to unfolding events. It was Letty who made me realize that there are many versions of the truth and that you had to shed everything you knew previously to learn how to see it.Opposition pressThe best journalism, we are often told, is objective. But how could I be objective if I wrote for the opposition press? When I expressed this misgiving, Letty just laughed in her throaty, two-maybe-three-pack-a-day, smoker’s laugh. “Nobody can be objective,” she told me. “It’s just not possible. But you must be balanced.” Which means knowing how to ask hard questions even when you agree with the other person’s point of view. Which means resisting the urge to be uncritical of someone you agree with. Which means not being afraid to be wrong.I was not surprised, when Letty became editor of the Philippine Daily Inquirer, to see that its slogan was: “Balanced news, fearless views.”Balanced—that was the minimum requirement for anyone working with Letty. And fearless? Well, that was just the way things were with her.Libel was always a risk—a libel suit was an easy way for someone in the administration to keep Letty at bay and protect his or her own. At the magazine, we pored over headlines and blurbs. How do we get the truth out there without getting slapped with yet another libel case? The answer: question marks. A question was not a statement of fact. How I marveled when Letty converted a potentially vexing headline into an innocent question by changing punctuation. Genius.Recently, I met another journalist who worked with Letty on a story that invited death threats galore from slighted and guilty parties. “She took me by the hand,” the journalist said. “She led me where I needed to go. And she stayed with me. She wasn’t going to leave me on my own.”Poking funWhen you were there, on the day, to witness Letty doing something courageous— say, poking fun at some unconscionable thing that Imelda Marcos had done, or saying things the way they really were and not accepting the safe, easy, convenient, escapist, let-things-be route—you were never aware of the fearlessness or even the danger of the moment. All you knew was what Letty always made clear: It was imperative to tell this story. Some stories just had to be told. Should the consequences stop you from telling it?Today, I live in faraway England. I have also left journalism to fulfill my dream of writing novels for children. My novel, “Tall Story” had been nominated for the Carnegie Medal. My second book, “Shine,” had been nominated for the Guardian Children’s Fiction Prize. My two books have won the Crystal Kite Prize for Europe. Whenever I come home to launch my books, I’m surprised at how pleased Letty was with my success. But she always took issue when I call myself a former journalist. “You will always be a journalist,” she said, “because you cannot help wanting to tell the story.” And though I no longer write articles for newspapers and magazines, I know she is right.I live in a different world now. And yet what I learned from Letty is deeply embedded in everything I write.Balanced reportingLetty taught me that simple punctuation can transform meaning, that writing is never about the writer (“We are not the story!”), that while there is no such thing as a totally objective reporter, there is such a thing as balanced reporting.She taught me that humor can lift the mood while deepening meaning, that every word counts and that there are stories everywhere if you know how to look.She showed me that yes, it is possible to effect change but only if you were willing to do your part and do not shirk from asking difficult questions.She made me a better writer and a better person, and I will miss her forever.(Editor’s Note: Candy Gourlay nee Quimpo started her writing career in 1984 as a staff writer for Mr. & Ms. Special Edition, which was published by Eggie Duran-Apostol and edited by LJM. She became associate editor of the Special Edition in 1986 and was one of the first staff writers of the Inquirer when it was first published as a weekly. She now lives in London with her family. Her award-winning books for young adults are published by Penguin Random House in the United Kingdom and the United States. In the Philippines, her books are published by Anvil. www.candygourlay.com)

['Candy Quimpo Gourlay']

10/06/2018 0:00

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/750418/she-taught-me-writing-is-never-about-the-writer

Inquirer

DILG: Over 50% of barangay ‘narco list’ personalities running in May 14 polls

Interior Undersecretary Martin Diño claimed that more than 50 percent of the personalities in the barangay “narco list” are running in the May 14 polls.Diño, undersecretary for Barangay Affairs, brought this up at a press briefing in Camp Crame on Thursday, four days before the Synchronized Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) Elections on Monday.Some 207 barangay officials — 90 of whom are barangay chairpersons and 117 are councilors

['Anthony Q. Esguerra']

10/06/2018 0:00

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/989126/dilg-over-50-of-barangay-narco-list-personalities-running-in-may-14-polls

Inquirer

Nurturing reading habit with bedtime storytelling

Can’t sleep? Listening to or reading bedtime stories might help.It was Saturday morning but some 40 children were retold some bedtime-inspired tales during a special session that celebrated Inquirer Read-Along’s 10th anniversary.The event held at the Inquirer’s main office in Makati City also saw the induction of new reading ambassadors who were tasked with promoting love for reading and being a good model for the youth.GMA 7 actors Kyle Vergara and Miggy Jimenez, who had both guested in several storytelling sessions, were sworn in as the 11th and 12th Inquirer Read-Along ambassadors, respectively.“I’m excited to be an ambassador because I can influence more colleagues to inspire children to love reading,” Vergara said.“I have had a great experience in my Inquirer Read-Along journey and being an ambassador will enable me to promote further the purpose of this program,” Jimenez said.Read-Along ambassadorsOther Inquirer Read-Along ambassadors are TV host Kim Atienza; actresses Nikki Gil, Jasmine Curtis-Smith, Alexa Ilacad and Bianca Umali; actors Mark Neumann and Nash Aguas; Miss Universe-Philippines 2007 and lawyer Anna Theresa Licaros; TV broadcaster Cathy Untalan-Vital; and Inquirer president and CEO Sandy Prieto-Romualdez.Veteran storyteller Dyali Justo of Adarna House read Annie Pacaña-Lumbao’s “But that won’t make me sleep,” about Maya, a young girl who couldn’t sleep until her father came home.A similar story was retold by first-time storyteller and GMA 7 actor Yasser Marta, who read “Ang Prinsesang Ayaw Matulog” by Feny de los Angeles-Bautista.It is about a young princess who eventually falls asleep after listening to bedtime stories.Ann Abacan, principal of Sophia School in Meycauayan, Bulacan, read an Aesop fable, “Ang Matalinong Oso,” which told of a greedy carpenter and tailor who learned to render work without demanding compensation in advance.Vergara retold Robert Magnuson’s “Mister Beetle’s Many Rooms” about Beetle’s house—a small tree—that later became home to other insects.“The story teaches us not to misjudge others and to be appreciative of others’ efforts,” he said.Jimenez read Bonjay Isip-Garcia’s “Ang Limang Mahiwagang Salita,” a story about the importance of courtesy in speech.“Young people must show utmost respect to the elder ones, and it can be done by simply saying ‘po’ and ‘opo,’” he said.Reading habitJusto and Abacan both agreed that bedtime storytelling nurtured a child’s reading habit.“For my daughter, bedtime storytelling helped her to develop reading skills at a young age. [It also] served as a bonding experience for both of us,” Justo said.“I believe that if you want your child to be really good at reading, start doing it when he or she is still young,” Abacan said.‘Family’For having facilitated hundreds of Inquirer Read-Along sessions for the past decade, Justo and Abacan were both grateful to be part of the program.“It feels like I’m with a family,” Justo said. “We started small but now have grown into a community of volunteers who teach love for reading among kids.”Abacan said she looked forward to every session as it challenged her to come up with new and creative ways of storytelling.“I get new learnings from every session and they have helped me to become a better person not only in the craft but also in dealing with children,” Abacan said.Launched in 2007, Inquirer Read-Along is a corporate social responsibility program of the Philippine Daily Inquirer that aims to combat declining readership by promoting love for reading among children.20,000 childrenSince then, more than 20,000 children ages 7 to 13 from over 50 cities nationwide have joined the program, which featured over 400 celebrities and role models as storytellers.The Saturday session, hosted by Inquirer Libre editor in chief Chito de la Vega and Junior Inquirer editor Ruth Navarra-Mayo, was done in cooperation with Wilfred Villaruel of GMA Artist Center.The next session on May 27, the second part of the 10th anniversary celebration, will also be held at the Inquirer office in Makati.Interested participants and sponsors may contact Odeng Orolaza at (02) 897-8808 loc. 330 or at festival@inquirer.com.ph.

['Rafael L. Antonio']

11/10/2018 0:00

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/898272/nurturing-reading-habit-with-bedtime-storytelling

Inquirer

Isko Moreno resigns DSWD post to run for Manila mayor

Department of Social Welfare (DSWD) Undersecretary Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso has handed his resignation to President Duterte to pursue his long-time dream of being elected mayor of Manila.In a handwritten letter addressed to Duterte on Thursday, Domagoso said that he is disturbed by what has become of the capital city and its residents over the past years.“Mahal na Pangulo, ipagpaumanhin po ninyo ang aking pagbitiw. Bagama’t nais kong manatili sa kagawaran na inyong itinatalaga sa akin, hindi ko na po matitiis ang mga kasalukuyang nangyayari, sitwasyon at pangaabuso sa mamamayan sa lungsod ng Maynila (Dear President, please excuse my quitting from my post. Although I would like to stay in the Department in which you appointed had me, I could not abide by the current situation and abuse happening to the citizens in Manila),” Domagoso said.Domagoso, who had been Manila vice mayor from 2007 to 2016, had aborted his plan to run for mayor when former president Joseph Estrada first sought the mayorship of Manila in 2016.He said he will hold a press conference on Friday morning on Arroceros Street, Manila to officially announce his plan to run for mayor.Spending his childhood in the slums and rising above his situation to be a famous actor and an accomplished politician, Domagoso earned himself an education.He won multiple terms as councilor and vice mayor of the city and, in recent speaking engagements, mentioned how Manila needs a young and vibrant leader in order to keep up with the progress attained by its neighboring cities.

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11/10/2018 0:00

https://news.mb.com.ph/2018/10/11/isko-moreno-resigns-dswd-post-to-run-for-manila-mayor/

Manila Bulletin

Govt to double budget for employment program

The allocation for the Labor department’s emergency employment program will be more than doubled next year to allow government to give assistance to more Filipinos, the Department of Budget and Management said on Tuesday.The department said a budget of P3.3 billion has been allocated for Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged (Tupad), 106 percent higher than this year’s allocation of P1.6 billion.“With a target of 289,602 beneficiaries in 2019, Tupad aims to provide assistance and emergency employment for displaced workers, underemployed, and seasonal workers,” the Budget department said in a statement.It said priority beneficiaries are indigent families under the National Household Targeting System for Poverty Reduction; informal sector families; and those under the next lower poverty level as determined by the Department of Social Welfare and Development.Tupad is also being tapped by the the Department of Labor and Employment to provide emergency employment to workers affected by Typhoon “Ompong.”This year, about P44 million has been set aside for the provision of salaries and benefits to workers affected by the typhoon in Region 2, broken down as follows: Batanes (P4.002 million) for 1,160 workers, Isabela (P20,.003 million) for 5,798 workers, Cagayan (P15 million) for 4,348 workers, Nueva Vizcaya (P1.035 million) for 300 workers, Quirino (P2.001 million) for 580 workers, and Tuguegarao City (P2.001 million) for 580 workers, it added.

['Mayvelin U. Caraballo']

2018-10-03 00:03:14+00:00

https://www.manilatimes.net/govt-to-double-budget-for-employment-program/447766/

Manila Times

Public school teacher, 2 others busted in Tarlac drug stings

A public high school teacher and two known pushers of illegal drugs were arrested in separate buy-bust operations here the other day.Senior Inspector Joel Gamboa, Gerona police intelligence officer identified the arrested suspects as public school teacher Oscar Bacho Linsao Jr. and brothers Johnny and Hernando Cortez, aged 53 and 50.Gamboa said the first to fall was the elder Cortez, 53, who was previously apprehended for peddling shabu.He was arrested after selling packs of shabu to an undercover police officer in Barangay Luna.“Then came the entrapment of Hernando Cortez, 50, also jnown as Buddha, in Barangay San Antonio. Six sachets of shabu and a digital micro weighing scale, along with several pieces of drug paraphernalia, were seized from him”, Gamboa said.Linsao, meantime, was arrested in Barangay Poblacion 3.The 49-year old Linsao, Paniqui resident, teaches at the Moncada National High School, Campo Santo 1 Norte in Moncada.PO3 Artem Balagtas, investigator of the three cases, said the Cortez brothers were arrested for drug cases in the past.The three suspects also tested positive for shabu.Gamboa added that the successful entrapment of the three suspects was the result of the focused and diligent intelligence work of PO3 Mike Lester Bustillos.Tarlac provincial police chief Sr. Supt. Ritchie Medardo Posadas, Police Provincial Director lauded the arrest of the teacher and the Cortez brothers.“The successive arrest of the three suspected drug pushers within 24 hours by the group of Senior Inspector Joel Gamboa is a laudable accomplishment. Their determined efforts to rid their town of illegal drugs peddlers deserve commendation”, said Posadas.

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16/06/2017 0:00

https://news.mb.com.ph/2017/06/16/public-school-teacher-2-others-busted-in-tarlac-drug-stings/

Manila Bulletin

Comelec to follow SC guidelines on party-list groups

Responding to questions raised by an election watchdog over the qualifications of party-list nominees, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) said on Thursday it had no choice but to follow the guidelines set by the Supreme Court concerning the party-list system.“As far as the Comelec is concerned, it has, since the beginning of the party-list system, always adhered to the interpretation of the law by the [Supreme Court],” Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez said.“The Comelec remains committed to the guidelines,” he added.According to election watchdog Kontra Daya, many of the 185 party-list groups that registered for the May 2019 polls have nominees who have links either to political dynasties or elected officials, are representing special business interests, or have questionable advocacies.Bounds of jurisprudenceThe group called on the Comelec to ensure that the integrity of the party-list system would not be further eroded by the entry of more party-list groups and nominees that do not truly represent the interests of the marginalized and the underrepresented.But Jimenez said the poll body could not go beyond the bounds of jurisprudence.“The proper relief should be sought from the proper parties. And if the problem of some groups is with the interpretation, which is handed down by the court, then perhaps the solution lies with the court,” he added.Kontra Daya said it was considering challenging the 2013 decision of the high court on the case filed by Atong Paglaum party-list group against the Comelec.The Supreme Court ruled that the party-list system was not solely for the marginalized and underrepresented sectors.‘Corruption’ of systemThe high court’s verdict, it said, paved the way for the “bastardization and corruption” of the party-list system.Based on this landmark ruling, Jimenez said the poll body scrapped the review of party-list groups.

['Tina G. Santos']

20/04/2017 0:00

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1052026/comelec-to-follow-sc-guidelines-on-party-list-groups

Inquirer

Revilla’s plunder trial moved to June

The trial of former Senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. has been deferred for the fifth time yesterday, much to the dismay of the Sandiganbayan First Division Justices, after both the prosecution and defense asked for more time to premark and compare pieces of evidence to be presented during the trial.The prosecution has asked for preliminary conferences on April 21, 27, 28 and May 8 in order to do so, while the defense requested for one on May 12.Revilla’s new trial dates have been scheduled on June 1, 8, 15, and every Thursday after that, both in the morning and afternoon, in order to enable both parties to finish premarking their exhibits.Associate Justice Geraldine Faith Econg reprimanded the lawyers yesterday for dragging the pretrial for almost a year and cited the Speedy Trial Act, which states that pretrials should not take over 180 days to complete.“Baka kami na naman ang mapagalitan ng Court upstairs, (We might be the ones who will be reprimanded by the Higher Court),” she said.Associate Justice Efren De La Cruz agreed and said, “I hope we can proceed with the trial already.”Revilla is facing graft and plunder charges in connection with the alleged misuse of his Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) disbursements from 2006 to 2010.He was charged in 2014 together with two other senators, Jinggoy Estrada and Juan Ponce Enrile.Revilla reportedly received P242 million in kickbacks after he allocated his PDAF to the bogus organizations founded by alleged pork barrel scam mastermind Janet Lim Napoles.Revilla is currently detained at the Philippine National Police Custodial Center in Camp Crame, Quezon City.

[]

20/04/2017 0:00

https://news.mb.com.ph/2017/04/20/revillas-plunder-trial-moved-to-june/

Manila Bulletin

Sandiganbayan mourns passing of Justice Cornejo, 66

Sandiganbayan Associate Justice Maria Cristina Cornejo died on Sunday afternoon, a year after a serious illness led to her prolonged absence and later her early retirement. She was 66.“The court mourns her passing,” Presiding Justice Amparo M. Cabotaje-Tang said as she confirmed the development in a text message to the Inquirer on Monday.Modest life“She will be remembered as among those magistrates who served this country with utmost responsibility, integrity, loyalty and efficiency, and who led a truly modest life. She will be surely missed,” Tang said.Necrological services are being prepared by the antigraft court for Cornejo, who died at the Cardinal Santos Medical Center. The court flew the Philippine flag at half-staff on Monday.News of Cornejo’s death quickly spread on social media among lawyers and law students of the University of Santo Tomas, where Cornejo taught remedial and criminal law subjects.Prior to her stint onthe Sandiganbayan, Cornejo served as executive judge of the Makati City Regional Trial Court. She was also a bar reviewer in remedial law and criminal law, as well as a lecturer for the Mandatory Continuing Legal Education.Cornejo assumed the position of associate justice on May 1, 2010.She was one of the justices who comprised the division that acquitted businesswoman Janet Lim-Napoles of malversation on Oct. 28, 2010, over a dubious P3.8-million contract for the Philippine Marines’ purchase of Kevlar helmets in 1998.Colon cancerCornejo had been diagnosed with acute cerebrovascular disease, controlled hypertension, systemic lupus erythematosus, pancytopenia, colon cancer stage 3, and acute kidney injury, according to a clinical abstract cited by the Supreme Court.She went on prolonged sick leave from June 13, 2016. The Supreme Court on March 14 this year allowed her to retire early with full benefits, even as she was four years short of the mandatory retirement age of 70.

['Vince F. Nonato']

2017-12-12 23:34:06+00:00

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/927959/sandiganbayan-mourns-passing-of-justice-cornejo-66

Inquirer

2 Manila policemen nabbed for ‘extortion’

TWO Manila policemen were arrested for allegedly extorting P50,000 from eight individuals whom they caught on accusations of human smuggling.Members of the Counter Intelligence Task Force (CITF), Philippine National Police Intelligence Group (PNP-IG) and the Manila Police District who raided the Manila Police District Special Operations Unit (MPD-DSOU) Thursday made the arrest based on the complaint filed by one of the relatives of those arrested.The policemen were identified as Police Officers 1 MJ Cerilla and Erdie Bautista. They refused to make comments to media.The complainant said her husband and seven others were arrested in Sta. Mesa on July 18 for alleged human trafficking.The police officers demanded P100,000 in exchange for their freedom, but the complainant bargained to lower the demand and they settled at P50,000.The CITF operatives rescued the arrested individuals and found that there was no official blotter entry on their arrest. No spot report was also submitted to the Tactical Operations Center.The four other police officers who were allegedly involved in the extortion – PO3 Michael Chavez, PO3 Dindo Encina, PO1 Arcadio Orbis, and PO1 Martinico Mario – remain at large.The arrested officers were detained at the CITF headquarters in Camp Crame, Quezon City but will be transferred to the National Capital Regional Police Office (NCRPO) headquarters in Bicutan, Taguig City.NCRPO director Chief Supt. Guillermo Eleazar ordered the relief of the six police officers.KIMBERLY MALAIT, FRANCIS EARL A. CUETO AND ROY D.R. NARRA

['The Manila Times']

2018-07-20 00:03:54+00:00

https://www.manilatimes.net/2-manila-policemen-nabbed-for-extortion/421387/

Manila Times

Sans new arrest order, Trillanes can ‘chill a bit’

“I will now go home. I will now leave the Senate premises,” Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV declared jubilantly on Friday afternoon, as he welcomed Judge Andres Soriano’s decision to defer ruling on the government’s bid to revive the coup d’etat case against him.“I believe we are victorious at least for this day; the Filipinos won, our country won,” a visibly elated Trillanes told the media at the Senate where he had been holed up for the past 25 days.The senator lauded Soriano of Makati City Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 148 for upholding due process, and described the court’s order as “light amid the darkness that has enveloped our country.”“You just have to admire people of courage and integrity and today [this] was personified by him,” said Trillanes, adding that the courts were under pressure to rule against him.Soriano deferred granting the motion by state prosecutors who asked the court to issue a warrant of arrest and a hold departure order against the rebel-turned-senator in the coup d’etat case arising from his involvement in the July 2003 Oakwood mutiny.The senator has been staying in his Senate office since Sept. 4 after President Duterte issued Proclamation No. 572, which revoked the 2011 amnesty granted him by the Aquino administration.Trillanes said he would be coming home on Saturday morning, but would first spend Friday night savoring his “temporary victory” with friends and family.“I’ll chill for a bit,” he said.Alameda orderThe respite came just days after Judge Elmo Alameda of the Makati City RTC Branch 150 ordered Trillanes’ arrest for the revived case of rebellion against him, while also allowing the senator to post P200,000 bail.Alameda reopened the rebellion case filed against the senator over the November 2007 Manila Peninsula siege.Trillanes said Soriano’s actions were proof that democracy was somehow still alive in the country, and that Filipinos must be vigilant in guarding it.While Soriano’s order does not mean total victory since a hearing will still be conducted on Oct. 5 to assess evidence from both the government’s and Trillanes’ camp, the senator said it was “a good start … [considering] that President [Duterte wanted] an immediate issuance of an [arrest] warrant.”According to Soriano’s ruling, the hearing will not “necessarily [reopen the senator’s coup] case,” which was dismissed on Sept. 21, 2011, by then acting Judge Ma. Rita Sarabia, following the amnesty granted the mutineers by then President Benigno Aquino III.Asked if he was worried about being arrested based on earlier orders, Trillanes said his camp had “enough to convince the military not to do anything beyond their mandate.”They have strong evidence to prove that he had indeed applied for amnesty under the Aquino administration and admitted his guilt despite the missing original copy of his amnesty application, the senator said.Subpoena for CalidaTrillanes said they were thinking of requesting a subpoena for Solicitor General Jose Calida, who first reviewed the amnesty issued by Aquino to the Magdalo group, for him “to be placed under oath and reveal what he has done in relation to this bogus proclamation of Mr. Duterte.”But he “was not excited to see [Calida’s] face ever,” the senator said.Trillanes said he would ask the Senate blue ribbon committee to start on Monday its investigation of the multimillion government contracts given the security agencies owned by Calida’s family.He will ask the committee to also launch an inquiry into the multimillion government contracts awarded to the relatives of Special Assistant to the President Christopher “Bong” Go, he added.“These people have to explain themselves. So it’s time to put them on the defensive,” Trillanes said.The senator’s lawyer, Reynaldo Robles, said the court would now determine the veracity of the claim that Trillanes did not file an amnesty application nor did he admit his guilt.They do not expect the court to issue an arrest warrant against his client until Oct. 5, Robles added.If ordered arrested, the senator will again be detained at the custodial center of the Philippine National Police headquarters at Camp Crame, Quezon City.Judge Oscar Pimentel, who originally handled the coup d’etat case against Trillanes, had twice denied his motion for bail.Prior to Soriano’s ruling, rumors swirled on social media that the Office of the Solicitor General had already drafted the arrest order and was just waiting for the judge’s signature.

['Dexter Cabalza', 'Julie M. Aurelio']

18/02/2017 0:00

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1037386/sans-new-arrest-order-trillanes-can-chill-a-bit

Inquirer

NE rehab center security beefed up following botched escape

The provincial government has stepped up security measures at the sprawling Drug Abuse Treatment and Rehabilitation Center (DATRC) in Fort Ramon Magsaysay here after three patients staged a failed escape attempt, Department of Health (DoH) Secretary Paulyn Ubial announced.Ubial added that the provincial government already deployed additional security personnel to monitor the patients inside the 10-hectare military reservation.Ubial said the three patients who tried to escape the rehab center have voluntarily submitted themselves to authorities.“Actually, we did not expect it here in Nueva Ecija because they voluntarily surrendered,” she said, noting the case was different in Bicutan were inmates were forced to undergo rehabilitation.“It is unusual that they attempted to escape,” she added.According to Ubial, two of the residents tried to escape from the facility last Wednesday but were captured after about an hour by the facility’s securoty personnel.Another patient also tried to leave by taking a passenger jeepney last January, she said.Since its creation, the local government unit (LGU) has been taking care of the DATRC’s security while the Philippine Army, particularly the 7th Infantry Division secures the area outside the facility.

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18/02/2017 0:00

https://news.mb.com.ph/2017/02/18/ne-rehab-center-security-beefed-up-following-botched-escape/

Manila Bulletin

SC to decide Binay fate

The Supreme Court is expected to weigh in on another constitutional matter as the Aquino administration is bent on putting to a test Vice President Jejomar Binay’s immunity from suit a year before the next presidential election.Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. has ruled out an impeachment case against Binay arising from the Ombudsman’s anticipated move to file criminal charges against the Vice President, along with his son Makati Mayor Junjun Binay, Hilmarc Construction Corp. and 21 others, for the allegedly overpriced P2.2-billion Makati parking building.“I think impeachment is out of the question,” said Belmonte, a vice chair of the Liberal Party (LP), citing the proximity of the filing of certificates of candidacy in October, marking the start of the campaign season.But the leader of the House of Representatives disagreed with the Ombudsman’s plan to test Binay’s immunity. “That’s not a good move,” he said.Caloocan Rep. Edgar Erice, an LP stalwart, said the upshot of the anticipated Ombudsman indictment was suspension from office and probably detention for Binay’s alleged participation in contracting Hilmarc to build the parking building during his final term as Makati mayor between 2007 and 2010.“I have read the Ombudsman charge sheet and I think with the evidence presented, he will be indicted and he will have to defend himself in the Sandiganbayan. Impeachment can no longer be filed as elections are less than a year from now,” Erice said in a phone interview.Erice said the Supreme Court’s decision on the condonation of past sins by reelection being used by Binay’s son to justify the lifting of the six-month suspension order against him would not matter in the Vice President’s case.“The condonation doctrine is applicable only to administrative cases but not to suspension brought about by criminal proceedings,” Erice said.He noted that it would depend on the Sandiganbayan whether Binay would be suspended and detained, just like Senators Juan Ponce Enrile, Jinggoy Estrada and Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. who have been incarcerated since they were charged with plunder in the P10-billion pork barrel scam.Burr, Agnew precedentsCavite Rep. Elpidio Barzaga Jr., the head of the National Unity Party that is part of the administration coalition, said that the Ombudsman’s action against Binay would put to test the immunity from lawsuits vested on impeachable officers, such as the President and the Vice President.“There is currently no jurisprudence in local courts on whether a sitting Vice President may be tried in criminal court for acts committed before they assumed office,” Barzaga said in a phone interview.US jurisprudence, he said, provides two cases where a sitting vice president had to go through criminal proceedings while in office—Aaron Burr (the third American vice president) for killing Washington chief aide Alexander Hamilton, and Spiro Agnew (vice president from 1968 to 1973) for taking bribes while he was Maryland governor.“I think the Vice President (Binay) will raise the issue to the Supreme Court. He will not go down without a fight. The ball will be in the court’s hands,” Barzaga said.Compared to the presidency, the Vice President’s office is “not a crucial office in practical terms” and “the Vice President does not embody a branch of government as the executive inherently does,” Barzaga said, citing Alan Hirsch’s “A Citizen’s Guide to Impeachment.”VP to invoke immunityNavotas Rep. Tobias Tiangco, interim president of Binay’s United Nationalist Alliance, said the Vice President would invoke the constitutional provision declaring that all impeachable officers are immune from any suit.“Admittedly, impeachment is the action allowed by the Constitution. Whether this will prosper or not, will not depend on whether there is legal basis or not, since impeachment is a purely political process, which means to say it’s a numbers game. It all depends on the whims of the Liberal Party in the House,” Tiangco said.What is clear, he said, is the LP’s dogged determination to get Binay out of the presidential race at all cost. Binay currently leads in popularity surveys despite months of demolition in the Senate.“The LP is hell-bent in staying in power beyond 2016 at all cost, to cover up their plunder and other anomalies,” said Tiangco, citing the close ties of LP leaders Senate President Franklin Drilon and Budget Secretary Florencio Abad to accused plunderer Janet Lim-Napoles.More bombshellIn an interview over dzBB on Sunday, Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV said he would have more exposés on corruption against Binay at Monday’s resumption of the Senate blue ribbon subcommittee hearing on corruption allegations against the Vice President.The new bombshell, he said, would deal with alleged irregularities in the Pag-Ibig Fund (Home Development Mutual Fund), of which Binay is chair.Amid possible graft charges to be filed against him, Binay would drop his bid for the presidency, Trillanes said.“He will not run, he will back out the same way he backed out in the debate,” the senator said, referring to Binay’s last-minute retreat from a debate with him on the Makati building controversy.Trillanes said he expected the Senate subcommittee to come out by next week with a partial report on the corruption allegations against Binay.‘Conspiracy’In a text message, Binay’s spokesman Joey Salgado shrugged off Trillanes’ latest blast, describing it as part of a “conspiracy involving the Senate, the Ombudsman and other government agencies against the Vice President and his family.”Salgado said Trillanes had so far failed to produce evidence of wrongdoing in the state housing program.“We hope that the Pag-Ibig Fund be allowed to do its work. To continue to drag Pag-Ibig Fund is not good for the government because it is one of the best-performing and honest (state corporations), it is not good for the civil service because honest public officials are not spared,” he said.–

['Gil C. Cabacungan']

2016-10-15 22:03:48+00:00

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/690468/sc-to-decide-binay-fate

Inquirer

MILF, military turn over members of drug ring

Members of the military’s 602nd Infantry Brigade and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) Central Mindanao Front turned over more than a dozen henchmen of Samad Masgal alias Commander Madrox, a notorious leader of an armed group involved in the illegal drug trade and operating in North Cotabato province.The men were arrested during operations conducted from October 5 to 11 2016 in Nabalawag, Kapinpilan, and Kadingilan in Midsayap, North Cotabato. The joint Government of the Philippines (GPH)-Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities (CCCH) as well as the Ad Hoc Joint Action Group (AHJAG) were tapped to help coordinate the operation since it was conducted in areas with strong MILF presence.“We’ve seen in the last six days the determination of the MILF and the government forces to enforce the directive of President Rodrigo Duterte to launch an all-out campaign against illegal drugs and criminality,” Director Carlos Sol Jr. of the combined secretariat of the GPH-CCCH and the AHJAG said.The CCCH and AHJAG are composed of members from the GPH and the MILF with the International Monitoring Team as the third party.“We can see now people responsible for the criminality and the proliferation of illegal drugs, especially methamphetamine in the areas of operation,” Sol said.The arrested men were turned over the Philippine National Police (PNP).An operation conducted in August by the military and the MILF against the group of Commander Madrox resulted in the death of four of his followers. Three soldiers also died in the operation.“[T]he fight against illegal drugs transcends all affiliations and it even unites people with diverse backgrounds. We are very delighted that the coming together of the PNP, the AFP, and the addition of the MILF among our allies against illegal drugs is becoming a reality,” PDEA-12 Regional Director Lyndon Aspacio said.“[W]e all have a personal stake in this fight and I hope that in the coming days we will be seeing more of this operation,” he added.“Everything is clear with mutual trust and cooperation. We are here because of this. We are here to participate in the government’s campaign against illegal drugs. Our cooperation has brought about one of our objectives and that is to stop the proliferation of illegal drugs,” PNP North Cotabato Provincial Director Supt. Emmanuel Peralta said.On July 12, 2016, the government and MILF panels signed an agreement to stop the proliferation of illegal drugs in areas controlled by the MILF.The agreement allows for “information exchange/sharing which includes, but not limited to the submission of the MILF of a list of drug personalities identified in its area subject to validation of the law enforcement agencies” as well as to allow the MILF to “conduct information drive on the ill-effects of illegal drugs in the MILF affected areas as part of its demand reduction activities” among others.“When President Duterte came into power, the MILF formalized an agreement with the government that will allow it to lead the anti-illegal drug campaign in MILF controlled areas… This pursuit operation has resulted into better and peaceful lives for our stakeholders as well as stronger confidence between GPH and MILF forces,” MILF Central Mindanao Front Commander Gordon Sayfulah said.“I would like to commend this new administration for its strong commitment to end illegal drugs in our country. I would also like to express my gratitude to those who have been part of the operation which includes the operating troops and coordinating body,” the MILF leader added.

['Neil Alcober']

2016-10-15 22:03:48+00:00

https://www.manilatimes.net/milf-military-turn-members-drug-ring/291419/

Manila Times

Binay foe, under gov’t protection, seen in casino

Under heavy guard, former Makati Vice Mayor Ernesto Mercado went casino hopping at the Clark Freeport Zone over the weekend and was hit by a double whammy—he reportedly lost heavily and ran into his nemesis, the family of Vice President Jejomar Binay.The husband of Sen. Nancy Binay spotted Mercado—a key witness in the graft and plunder complaints filed against the Binays—leaving one casino hotel at Clark on Saturday on the eve of a scheduled two-day campaign sortie in Pampanga of the Vice President’s United Nationalist Alliance coalition.Senator Binay said her husband saw Mercado on the driveway while the couple were in an elevator.A source from Binay’s camp said the incident happened at the Royce Hotel.Mercado, her godfather, was reportedly escorted by several bodyguards, possibly National Bureau of Investigation agents. Mercado is under the government’s Witness Protection Program (WPP), the senator said.A few hours later, Mercado was seen leaving the Widus Hotel and Casino, this time by former Candaba Mayor Jerry Pelayo, a staunch Binay supporter. Mercado reportedly told Pelayo he was leaving for Manila because he had lost money at the casino.No commentMercado declined to comment.“I would like to give them a dose of their own medicine. I will only comment on the issue if the Vice President will also answer the allegations that he received kickbacks from all infrastructure projects in Makati, then I will answer. We can do it together. We can answer the allegations together,” Mercado told the Inquirer in a telephone interview.Speaking to reporters, Nancy Binay said she had secured confirmation that Mercado had played at the casino. Mercado was there for only 30 minutes but “he lost big,” she said.The senator declined to say how much Mercado lost. “For me, more than P50,000 is a big amount,” she said.A source privy to Mercado’s visit to one casino said he lost P300,000.Senator Binay said she would write the Department of Justice and demand an explanation for Mercado’s presence at the casinos while under government custody.She said there had been complaints before that there were not enough funds for other WPP witnesses.“And then you see a person under the protection program inside a casino,” she said. “Is it right for the government to spend funds for this kind of activities?”Senator Binay said the DOJ should explain Mercado’s casino visits considering that NBI agents, being government officials, were barred from being entering casinos.People’s moneyShe also said the “people’s money” was used since the government provided Mercado with security personnel.Pelayo said he saw Mercado at the Widus casino hotel at around 9:30 p.m. on Saturday and had a chance to speak to him as they were both waiting for their vehicles on the driveway.He said he greeted Mercado and told him they had a mutual acquaintance, ostensibly referring to Vice President Binay whom Mercado has accused of illegally amassing wealth while he was mayor of Makati.“(Mercado) said he lost at the casino and that was why he was on his way home,” Pelayo told reporters.Pelayo said Mercado was surrounded by 10 heavily built bodyguards and they left in a Land Cruiser and an Innova.

['Christine O. Avendaño']

2017-11-17 22:02:55+00:00

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/771221/binay-foe-under-govt-protection-seen-in-casino

Inquirer

After political skirmishes, Senate buckles down to work

“Political skirmishes” in the Senate, as Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III put it, affected legislative work in the chamber in the early months of the Duterte administration.But a reorganization seemed to have resulted in things simmering down, with Pimentel saying the Senate now had clearly defined political lines.On the eve of a joint session of Congress that would be addressed by President Rodrigo Duterte, Pimentel was confident that the Senate would be able to speed up the legislative process and help achieve the chief executive’s campaign promises, the biggest of which was to fund his “Build, Build, Build” infrastructure program intended to spur development.So how did the Senate fare in legislation during the first regular session?Bills passed, 4 lawsAccording to the record of the Legislative Bills and Index Service from July 25, 2016, to May 31 this year, 1,487 bills were filed in the Senate and 241 were acted upon or passed by the chamber.Pimentel took exception to reports that the Senate was able to help enact only four measures during the period.The Senate and the House of Representatives have approved seven measures, including the Act Postponing the October 2016 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections, the General Appropriations Act of 2017 and the franchises of GMA Network Inc. and Smart Communications Inc.Other billsBut Pimentel said that after Congress adjourned its first regular session on May 17, there were approved bills waiting to be signed into law by the President.These included the Revised Penal Code Indexation, Extension of Driver’s License Validity, Free Internet Access Program in Public Spaces, Free Higher Education for All Act, Anti-Hospital Deposit Law, Extending the Validity of Passports, Amendments to the Anti-Money Laundering Act (Amla, Designating Casinos as Covered Persons) and the Establishment of Multispecies Marine Hatcheries in Different Local Government Units.Mr. Duterte signed the Amla amendments on July 19.Unless he vetoes the other measures, the approved bills will lapse into law.According to Senate records, the chamber approved 14 bills on third reading and two bills on second reading.Asked whether he saw the second regular session achieving more, especially with the reorganization, Pimentel said there were certain political issues that “may again eat legislative time.”Martial law extensionHe said this might include the bid of the President to extend his martial law proclamation in Mindanao until the end of the year.Congress held a joint session yesterday and approved Mr. Duterte’s request, as required by the Constitution.Pimentel said the Senate would seek periodic briefings on the situation in Mindanao until the declaration was lifted.Pimentel said the Senate had entered into a “modus vivendi” with the House to speed up legislation work.Late last year, he said, the senators and congressmen began meeting regularly to list down priority bills they intended to approve within a certain period.By having targets, the two chambers became more productive, he said.He said the system was more effective and the two houses would employ it again in order to fulfill the campaign promises of the President.Lines drawnPimentel said the reorganization of the Senate “improved” the situation “because the line was clear on who was [the] majority and who was [the] minority and whom you could expect to support the majority position.”Currently, six senators comprise the minority bloc: Franklin Drilon, Francis Pangilinan, Bam Aquino, Risa Hontiveros, Leila de Lima and Antonio Trillanes IV.Asked about his relationship with the minority, Pimentel said it was “good.”He explained that except for Trillanes, the current members of the minority were once part of the majority and even supported his bid for the Senate presidency when they were forming the supermajority in July last year.‘More neutral’ SenateIn the eyes of the minority, Pimentel is the “agent” of the President, who so far has met only with majority bloc senators.Since taking office, Mr. Duterte has hosted dinner for the 18 senators (now 17 with Alan Peter Cayetano resigning last June to become foreign secretary) and meets some of them from time to time to discuss issues.Asked why the President had not reached out to the minority, Pimentel said that was his job and not the President’s.Senate Majority Leader Vicente Sotto III said the Senate was more neutral now and independent, unlike before when it was seen as “critical” of the administration, referring to the time when Liberal Party senators were still with the majority.“The bulk of the members of the majority are neutral,” Sotto said.Priority billsSome of the pending priority legislation are the revival of the death penalty, tax reform, lowering of the age of criminal liability and constitutional amendments for a shift to the federal form of government.Pimentel noted that Mr. Duterte had said he would certify as urgent the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law and that most likely, the tax reform bill would be certified as urgent as well.He said he would ask that the “end of endo” bill, or the Contractualization Act of 2017, be also certified as urgent by the President.The Senate chief also said the President would likely certify the tax reform bill, but Drilon said it was possible that the tax reform bill would not pass this year due to controversial provisions.Conscience votingAccording to Drilon, senators would vote according to their convictions on the death penalty bill.Mr. Duterte wants to bring back the death penalty and the House has already approved the bill.But the measures remains stuck on the Senate justice committee.Pimentel said all he wanted was for the Senate to report out the committee report on the death penalty measure on the floor “as a sign of respect to the House.”“Whether it wins or loses, my appeal to the senators who are for or against it, let’s decide based on substance, not technicality like delaying it,” he said.

['Christine O. Avendaño']

2017-11-17 22:02:55+00:00

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/916257/after-political-skirmishes-senate-buckles-down-to-work

Inquirer

Medical consultation? President’s tight sked won’t allow it – Roque

President Rodrigo Duterte’s hectic schedule during his four-day official visit to Israel belies rumors that he is here for medical reasons, according to presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque.Speaking to Filipino reporters on Tuesday, Roque said he could not see where in his busy schedule the President could squeeze in time for medical consultation.For Tuesday, the President was expected to meet with Israeli President Reuven Rivlin and later attend a business forum, Roque said.Told that actually there were massive holes in the President’s schedule, Roque said those were free time for Mr. Duterte to rest and see important places in the Holy Land.Mr. Duterte denied he was sick after communist leader Jose Maria Sison said the President fell ill and slipped into a coma two weeks ago.

['Christine O. Avendaño']

2017-11-17 22:02:55+00:00

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1028511/medical-consultation-presidents-tight-sked-wont-allow-it-roque

Inquirer

Ex-Comelec commissioner sweeps voting for top CA post

A former commissioner of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) has topped the voting for the premier post at the Court of Appeals (CA) conducted by the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC).Remedios Salazar-Fernando, also the acting presiding justice of the appellate court, got all seven votes from the seven-member JBC.The CA top post became vacant after Presiding Justice Andres Reyes Jr. was appointed by President Rodrigo Duterte to the Supreme Court on July 12.Coming in second was Justice Romeo Barza with 5 votes and third was Marlene Gonzales-Sison with 4 votes, both of whom are also with the CA.Barza is a founding member of the now disbanded Carpio Villaraza Cruz law office and Sison is the wife of Manila City Councilor Cassy Sison.The seven-man council, which is constitutionally mandated to screen and vet nominees to the President for vacant posts in the judiciary and the Offices of the Ombudsman and Deputy Ombudsman, is headed by Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno, with ex-officio members Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre 2nd, Sen. Richard Gordon and Mindoro Oriental Rep. Reynaldo Umali.

['Jomar Canlas']

2017-11-17 22:02:55+00:00

https://www.manilatimes.net/ex-comelec-commissioner-sweeps-voting-top-ca-post/363420/

Manila Times

No arbitrary issuance of administration orders – Sereno

Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno did not arbitrarily issue an administrative order that created the Regional Court Administrative Office (RCAO) in Central Visayas in 2012, one of her spokespersons said on Wednesday.“It is false to say that the Chief Justice acted unilaterally and without the knowledge of [the full court] when she issued [the order],” the spokesperson, lawyer Jojo Lacanilao, said in a statement.Gadon’s claims ‘baseless’Lacanilao dismissed as “baseless” the claims of lawyer Lorenzo Gadon, pointing out that the full court did not issue any order that voided the Nov. 27, 2012, resolution that cleared the way for the establishment of an RCAO in Region 7 (Central Visayas).Gadon is the complainant in the impeachment case against Sereno in the House of Representatives.Lacanilao said the formation of the RCAO, the hiring of personnel for it and its budgetary allocation had been approved by the justices in previous resolutions.“The Chief Justice, after studying the problems besetting far-flung courts, simply implemented these earlier [full-court resolutions] creating an RCAO in the seventh judicial region,” he said.The sameRCAO and Judiciary Decentralized Office (JDO) are the same, Lacanilao said.“They are different only by name. An office is defined by its duties, functions and purposes rather than the person assigned to lead it or by the name which it carries,” Lacanilao said.Although Administrative Order (AO) No. 175-2012 issued by the Chief Justice on Nov. 9, 2012, “refers to the Judiciary Decentralized Office, she was not creating a new office, she was referring to RCAO-7,” Lacanilao said.“This is clear from the AO No. 175-2012 itself, which designates the head of the JDO pursuant to En Banc Resolution of the Court in A.M. No. 06-11-09-SC dated 14 November 2006, which had created the RCAO-7,” he said.“Furthermore, according to the AO No. 175-2012, the “role, authority and responsibility of the JDO head shall be in accordance with En Banc Resolution in A.M. No. 06-12-06-SC dated 18 March 2008, as amended on 11 November 2008,” he said.Ratified CJ’s actionLacanilao said the full-court resolution dated Nov. 27, 2012, “is clear that what it ratified was the action of the Chief Justice—‘to revive the Regional Court Administration Office in Region 7.’”He said even Associate Justice Teresita Leonardo-de Castro’s Dec. 3, 2012, letter to the Chief Justice itself “expresses the court’s supposed consensus on the JDO as a consensus ‘opposing the reopening of RCAO-7.’”The full-court resolution dated Nov. 27, 2012, was “superseded” by full-court resolution No. 12-11-9-SC dated Jan. 22, 2013, “which created the Needs Assessment Committee,” he said.“But nowhere in this resolution did the Supreme Court en banc expressly revoke the En Banc Resolution dated 27 November 2012 on the ground that it did not reflect the consensus of the Supreme Court,” he said.

['Marlon Ramos']

17/11/2016 0:00

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/948681/no-arbitrary-issuance-of-administration-orders-sereno

Inquirer

Art helps children face key concerns

Illegal drugs, teenage pregnancy and child labor are the three big issues affecting children and teens in the Western Visayas region.This was the findings of the Parent-Child Encounter conducted by the Regional Sub-Committee for the Welfare of Children, which is under the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).Raji Alvarado, DSWD regional office social worker for the Council of the Welfare of Children, said it is important to get inputs from children themselves.Alvarado noted it is equally important that parents, teachers and adults are aware of their children’s their fears and dreams.The children who participated in the November 11-12 regional encounter in Iloilo City expressed the issues confronting them in artistic and creative ways.Writing poems, composing songs and sketching, they also expressed their fear in having broken families, peer pressure, sexual abuse, physical abuse, computer addiction, stress, and bullying.November is National Children’s Month.

[]

17/11/2016 0:00

https://news.mb.com.ph/2016/11/17/art-helps-children-face-key-concerns/

Manila Bulletin

Peaceful opening of classes in Mindanao

Except for the perennial problem of lack of classrooms and heavy traffic that mar first day of classes, Monday’s opening of classes in most public elementary and secondary schools in Mindanao was generally peaceful.Sr. Supt. Victor Valencia, Cotabato City police director, said no untoward incident related to class opening was reported as of 12 noon Monday.The presence of police officers in all public elementary and high school campuses made the first day of classes smooth, he said.In Davao Region, the presence of Police Assistance Desks (PADs) in all schools in the region helped in the orderly opening of classes in all public schools in the area.This was one of the measures put in place by Police Regional Office (PRO) 11 to ensure the smooth opening of classes at all levels in Davao Region.Johnny Balawag, Cotabato City schools division administrative officer, said the “Brigada Eskwela” was also effective in preparing schools for students and teachers, as well as other stakeholders.He said classes in some elementary schools in Barangay Rosary Heights 9 were temporary put on hold due to floods that submerged the school grounds.In Maguindanao, classes also went on smoothly as scheduled except in at least three towns which are still submerged in floodwaters.Stagnant water that runs knee-deep has affected class opening in the towns of Kabuntalan, Datu Salibo and Sultan sa Barongis, three low lying towns that regularly experience flooding.Across Region 12, Regional Education Director Arturo Bayocot reported that 100 percent attendance was initially reported.But he admitted that some pupils need to use non-traditional classrooms so students could still attend classes today. Lack of classrooms remained a problem that DepEd is trying to address.

[]

05/06/2017 0:00

https://news.mb.com.ph/2017/06/05/peaceful-opening-of-classes-in-mindanao/

Manila Bulletin

Rody: Rough ride ahead

Tough-talking Rodrigo Duterte warned of a “rough ride” after being sworn in as the 16th President of the Philippines on Thursday, promising a relentless war on crime and corruption, but also to be a unifying leader.Mr. Duterte, 71, was elected in a landslide last month after a three-month campaign dominated by foul-mouthed threats to kill tens of thousands of criminals and tirades against the nation’s elite that cast him as an incendiary, antiestablishment hero.After taking his oath before Supreme Court Associate Justice Bienvenido Reyes in Malacañang at noon on Thursday, ending the term of Benigno Simeon Aquino III, Mr. Duterte indicated that there would indeed be some dark days during his six years in office.Wearing an ecru barong Tagalog over brown pants and addressing a small audience that included leaders of Congress, the judiciary and members of the diplomatic corps, Mr. Duterte recalled his campaign promise to bring change, but said change must not come from him alone but from all Filipinos as well.He said his words were not just meant to gain the voters’ approval, but to set the direction of his administration.“These were battle cries articulated by me [on] behalf of the people hungry for genuine and meaningful change. But the change, if it is to be permanent and significant, must start with us and in us,” he said in a short speech, with his opening remarks focused on familiar themes about the need to instill discipline in a graft-ridden society.“To borrow the language of F. Sionil Jose, we have become our own worst enemies. And we must have the courage and the will to change ourselves,” he added.Strenuous effortMr. Duterte made it clear that the pursuit of change would be a strenuous effort.“The ride will be rough but come and join me just the same. Together, shoulder to shoulder, let us take the first wobbly steps in this quest,” he said.At the same time, he vowed to forge ahead with the restoration of the Filipinos’ lost and faded values—love of country, subordination of personal interests to the common good, concern and care for the helpless and the impoverished.He vowed to deal with the country’s pressing problems—rampant corruption, criminality, illegal drugs, and the breakdown of law and order—but pointed out that these stem from the deeper issue of the people’s loss of confidence in the government.Erosion of trust in gov’t“Erosion of faith and trust in government—that is the real problem that confronts us,” he said. “I see the erosion of the people’s trust in our country’s leaders; the erosion of faith in our judicial system; the erosion of confidence in the capacity of our public servants to make the people’s lives better, safer and healthier.”He added: “Indeed ours is a problem that dampens the human spirit. But all is not lost.”No government can survive without the citizens’ support, he said, promising to listen to the people’s concerns and to restore their belief in their leaders.“It is the people from whom democratic governments draw strength and this administration is no exception. That is why we have to listen to the murmurings of the people, feel their pulse, supply their needs and fortify their faith and trust in us whom they elected to public office,” he said.Rule of lawThe President said his fight against crime would be “relentless and sustained,” as he called on human rights monitors and critics in Congress to respect the mandate the Filipino people have given him.But he also insisted he would work within the boundaries of the law.“As a lawyer and former prosecutor, I know the limits of the power and authority of the President. I know what is legal and what is not. My adherence to due process and rule of law is uncompromising,” he said.The first President from Mindanao sought to portray himself as a unifying figure.“I was elected to the presidency to serve the entire country. I was not elected to serve the interest of any person or any group or any one class,” Mr. Duterte said. “I serve everyone and not only one.”He said he adopted as his “article of faith” a line from a person whose name he could no longer recall: “I have no friends to serve, I have no enemies to harm.”First order to CabinetToward that end, the President issued his first order to his Cabinet, directing the heads of departments to cut the red tape and poor service that has characterized the bureaucracy.They should reduce requirements and the processing time of all applications, and remove redundant requirements, he said.He also warned them against playing around with government contracts and projects that have already been approved and awaiting implementation.“Changing the rules when the game is [going on] is wrong,” he said.Dealings should also be transparent from start to finish, as he abhors secrecy, and those who dare defy him can say goodbye, he said.“Do them and we will work together. Do not do them, we will part sooner than later,” he said.To set the tone for his economic, financial and political policies, Mr. Duterte quoted Franklin Delano Roosevelt: “The test of government is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have much; it is whether we provide for those who have little.”He also quoted Abraham Lincoln: “You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong; you cannot help the poor by discouraging the rich; you cannot help the wage earner by pulling down the wage payer; you cannot further the brotherhood by inciting class hatred among men.”Message to worldDuring the campaign period, Mr. Duterte picked fights with envoys of key allies the United States and Australia after they criticized his campaign joke about wanting to be the first to rape a “beautiful” Australian missionary who was sexually assaulted and killed in a prison riot in Davao City in 1989.After his electoral victory, Mr. Duterte also launched a seemingly unprovoked attack against the United Nations over criticism of his human rights record in Davao.But in his inaugural speech on Thursday, Mr. Duterte offered a muted message of friendship to the international community.“On the international front and community of nations, let me reiterate that the Republic of the Philippines will honor treaties and international obligations,” he said.On the domestic front, he vowed to implement all signed peace agreements and promised to pursue an inclusive peace.“I am elated by the expression of unity among our Moro brothers and leaders, and the response of everyone else to my call for peace. I look forward to the participation of all other stakeholders, particularly our indigenous peoples, to ensure inclusivity in the peace process,” he said.‘Why am I here?’Mr. Duterte ended his speech with impromptu remarks to convey his commitment to his new job, underscoring his penchant for deviating from tradition or protocol.“Why am I here?” he asked. “I am here because I love my country and I love the people of the Philippines. I am here, why? Because I am ready to start my work for the nation.”

['Leila B. Salaverria']

2016-05-29 05:17:51+00:00

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/793586/rody-rough-ride-ahead

Inquirer

Tagle reinforces Church stand vs death penalty

THE usually quiet Archbishop of Manila, Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle, on Thursday broke his silence on moves by Congress to reimpose the death penalty for heinous crimes.Tagle issued Circular No.12017-05, entitled “An Invitation to Reflect, Pray and Act” addressed to the Catholic faithful in the Archdiocese of Manila, explaining the reasons why the Church opposes the death penalty.According to him, studies worldwide show that the threat of punishment by death has not reduced criminality. The best approach, he added, is to address the roots of crime.Offenders, he said, were victims of circumstances brought about by the loss of moral values, injustice, inequality, poverty, lack of access to food, education, jobs and housing, proliferation of weapons, drugs, pornography, and loss of respect for sexuality, among others.“To help solve these roots of criminality, the Church and the state need to protect and strengthen the basic unit of society, which is the family,” Tagle said.He added that death penalty may legitimize the use of violence to deal with every wrongdoing or may be applied to an innocent person.The prelate noted that what is needed is an honest and upright judicial and penal system.“We need to reform institutions so they would safeguard justice while preventing the spread of a culture of violence. Penalties are not imposed for vengeance but for the correction of offenders and the good of society,” Tagle said“A culture of violence dehumanizes. A culture of justice, integrity, and hope heals,” he added.Tagle stressed that life is sacred because it’s God’s gift to humanity, and thus nobody has the right to take it away.“This is the reason why an ethic of life, a culture of life, is inconsistent with abortion, euthanasia, human trafficking, mutilation, and violence against innocent and vulnerable persons,” he said. “Before God the source of life, we are humble. We cannot pretend to be gods.”Also on Thursday, the Church-run Radio Veritas also launched an online petition against death penalty.“Life must be respected. Only God has the full authority to take one’s life,” said Radio Veritas president Fr. Anton C.T. Pascual.The station aims to get one million signatures to express the public’s opposition against the restoration of death penalty. Supporters can access the petition at www.veritas846.ph/chooselife/.Last year, the House justice committee passed the bill seeking to reimpose the death penalty via a 12-6 vote, sending the measure to the plenary for second and third reading.The proposed “Death Penalty Law” covers 21 “heinous” offenses such as treason, qualified piracy, qualified bribery, parricide, murder, infanticide, rape, kidnapping and serious illegal detention, robbery with violence, destructive arson, plunder, and dangerous drug importation. Executions may be carried out by hanging, firing squad or lethal injection.The death penalty was abolished in 1986 but was restored in 1994 by former President Fidel Ramos with the enactment of Republic Act 7659 or the Death Penalty Law.It was again abolished in 2006 by former President and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.According to the International Commission of Catholic Prison Pastoral Care, 124 out of 194 countries had abolished the death penalty.

['William Depasupil']

2017-02-02 21:50:29+00:00

https://www.manilatimes.net/tagle-reinforces-church-stand-vs-death-penalty-2/310269/

Manila Times

‘Josie’ slightly intensifies, threatens Ilocos provinces

Tropical depression “Josie” slightly intensified on Saturday afternoon and was headed towards the Ilocos Region.In its 2 p.m. advisory, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) warned that Josie may dump moderate to heavy rains over the Ilocos Region, Cordillera Administrative Region, Cagayan Valley, Zambales, Tarlac and Nueva Ecija.Signal number 1 has been raised in Batanes, Northern Cagayan, including Babuyan Group of Islands, Ilocos Norte, northern part of Ilocos Sur, Apayao, and northern portion of Abra.The state weather bureau also warned Josie may make landfall in Ilocos Norte in the next hours.As of 1 p.m., Josie was located at 85 kilometers west of Laoag City in Ilocos Norte and was moving east-southeast at 15 kph.It sustained maximum winds of up to 55 kilometer per hour (kph) and gustiness of up to 65 kph.Residents in affected areas, especially those living in river channels, were advised to prepare against possible flooding and landslide, the advisory read.Meanwhile, light to moderate and occasionally heavy rains may prevail over Metro Manila, Calabarzon and the rest of Luzon.

['Cathrine Gonzales']

2016-04-05 09:39:48+08:00

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1012613/josie-slightly-intensifies-threatens-ilocos-provinces

Inquirer

Faces of the News: Wanda Tulfo-Teo

The Commission on Audit has unearthed more anomalies under the term of resigned Tourism Secretary Wanda Tulfo-Teo.This time, Teo and former Undersecretary for Administration and Special Concerns Rolando Cañizal were found to have withdrawn various merchandise

['Philippine Daily Inquirer']

2016-04-05 09:39:48+08:00

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1005769/faces-of-the-news-wanda-tulfo-teo

Inquirer

Aquino thanks everybody except Binay

In his final State of the Nation Address (Sona) on Monday, President Aquino thanked so many people, acknowledging everyone, from his house helper Yolly Yebes and all his Cabinet members to the late Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo, for their contributions to his administration.Everyone but Vice President Jejomar Binay.Instead of thanking Binay, the President took potshots at the Vice President, who resigned from the Cabinet last month to become the leader of the opposition.In a striking contrast, he devoted a minute to thank and encourage Interior Secretary Mar Roxas, the presumptive standard-bearer of the ruling Liberal Party in the 2016 general elections.Roxas, Aquino said, proved the adage, “You can’t put a good man down.”“Like the trust given by my mother and father, trust that the people know who are truly serving the nation first before themselves,” Aquino said, addressing Roxas, who was in the gallery of the House of Representatives.For Binay, Aquino only had mocking words.Speaking about the gains made by PhilHealth by doubling the number of beneficiaries to almost 90 million Filipinos, Aquino said as large as 40 percent of the poorest population could now be treated for free in public hospitals.“This is the kind of care that others call bumbling and insensitive. My answer is, as Aiza Seguerra used to say: ‘I thank you, bow,’” Aquino said.This was clearly an allusion to Binay’s remarks in recent weeks criticizing what he called the ‘inept’ and ‘insensitive’ ways of the Aquino administration.Aquino used two other colloquial expressions to poke fun at Binay.“They said we are slow. If they become President, perhaps, their lives will improve. To those of age, they will answer: ‘Really?’ and raise their brows. For the youth, their answer to this statement: ‘OK then,’” he said.The phrase “your lives will be better” is a reference to Binay’s TV ads extolling the virtues of living in Makati, the city of his political origins.Shortly after the President delivered his speech, Binay made a hasty exit from the session hall, but he had to walk to his waiting van to avoid a phalanx of reporters trying to get a comment.Surrounded by escorts, Binay was chased by reporters out of the main lobby.“In due time,” was his curt reply when pressed to comment on the President’s speech.He was whisked away in his black Ford Expedition bearing the plate No. “2,” exclusively for the Vice President’s use.“And to Cherry Reyes who does my hair and who could very well be a practicing economist as she fills up unlimited wants with limited resources,” the President said.Aquino also thanked the other unheralded members of his Palace and personal staff: social secretary Susan Reyes, his stylist Paul Cabral, and his private office staffers, undersecretary Rochelle Ahorro and assistant secretary Jun Delantar.He referred to them as “karamay ko sa stress (companions in stress).”The President asked his longtime “yaya” (personal assistant) Yolly Yabes to be sure to watch the Sona so he could thank her. “Thank you for all you’ve done for me,” he said.And to his sisters Ballsy, Pinky, Viel and Kris, he said: “Even when Mom and Dad were still around, you were always there for me.”“The day is nearing when I will no longer need to involve you in making any more sacrifices,” he said.He thanked his spiritual advisers, including Fr. Catalino Arevalo, Sister Agnes Guillen, Fr. Jett Villarin, Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas, Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle, Cardinal Orlando Quevedo, Iglesia ni Cristo leader Eduardo Manalo, Bishop Jonel Milan and Bro. Eddie Villanueva, among others.The President also gave thanks to a certain blogger who calls himself “Joe America” who wrote: “If the President were in my foxhole, I’d watch his back. That’s because I trust that he is watching mine.”He also praised singer Noel Cabangon and other Filipino musicians for sharing their talents in the administration’s campaign for change.Aquino described Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz as the “conductress” of the Cabinet.He referred to Public Works Secretary Rogelio Singson as the “prayer leader” of his official family, and Tourism Secretary Ramon Jimenez as “one of my most trusted voices in the Cabinet.”On Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr., the President said he was lucky to have known the so-called “Little President.”Aquino also lavished praise on Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario, Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin, Cabinet Secretary Rene Almendras, Budget Secretary Florencio Abad, Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima, Education Secretary Armin Luistro, Health Secretary Janette Garin, Science and Technology Secretary Mario Montejo, presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda, deputy spokesperson Abigail Valte, Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma, and Joel Villanueva, the head of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority.Significantly, the President did not mention Binay, whom he had put in charge of the government’s housing agencies and the overseas workers. Binay, who has declared his candidacy for the presidency in 2016, resigned from the Cabinet last month and declared himself the leader of the opposition.The President saved for last Roxas, the presumptive administration standard-bearer in 2016, with words of praise that was practically an endorsement of Roxas as his anointed.“Because you count for much, because you have something really significant to contribute, they are trying their best to bring you down. Because they are not capable of achieving anything themselves, they want to pull you down. With their continuing vilification of you, your critics are themselves proving that they are scared of your integrity, capability and readiness for the job,” he told Roxas.“Mar, you are proving it: You can’t put a good man down. Like the faith that my father and mother had, trust that the people know who truly puts the country’s good first before his own,” he added.Roxas, now understood to be Aquino’s chosen presidential candidate, dodged questions about his plans for 2016.Asked if he thought the President’s speech was short of an endorsement for his candidacy, he said: “I don’t want to preempt the President. I have high regard for him as the father of ‘Daang Matuwid.’ I thank him for the trust he has given me.”Roxas said the President’s recognition of his achievements as head of the Department of the Interior and Local Government was a “validation” of the policies he had introduced as overseer of the Philippine National Police and the local governments.Roxas also declined to comment if the efforts to convince Poe to run as his Vice President had fizzled out.“It’s not for me to say,” he said. “For me, I’m focused on helping the President to spread the benefits of the ‘Daang Matuwid’ and continue the principle we held that if there’s no corruption, there’s no poverty.”–

['Dj Yap', 'Marlon Ramos']

2016-04-05 09:39:48+08:00

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/708411/aquino-thanks-everybody-except-binay

Inquirer

Duterte’s choice: De Castro Chief Justice for 41 days

She didn’t have to kick her heels for long to land the job. But when she got it at last, Associate Justice Teresita Leonardo-de Castro stared at retirement that was just six weeks away.President Duterte had already picked De Castro to be the new Chief Justice even before the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) submitted to him on Friday its short list for the Supreme Court’s top post.A source privy to the President’s decision told the Inquirer on Saturday that Mr. Duterte put the accent on De Castro’s seniority in the high court.“[The President] looked at [the] credentials [of the three candidates] and gave weight to seniority,” said the source.De Castro—the first of the five magistrates to testify against ousted Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno in the committee on justice hearing of the impeachment complaint against her in the House of Representatives—outranked Associate Justices Diosdado Peralta and Lucas Bersamin.All three were appointed to the high court by former President and now Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.Malacañang hailed De Castro’s selection just minutes after it was announced by Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra, an ex-officio member of the JBC.“Bravo! Best choice for Chief Justice,” said presidential spokesperson Harry Roque. “She has infinitely more experience than the ex-Chief Justice.”Guevarra told reporters on Saturday he had been informed that the President’s choice was “publicly announced by Special Assistant Bong Go.”He said the formal appointment would be released by Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea on Tuesday. Monday is a holiday.Shortest in SC historyWhen De Castro assumes office on Tuesday, succeeding Sereno, she will serve 41 days as Chief Justice because she will reach the mandatory retirement age of 70 on Oct. 8. She was appointed to the Supreme Court on Dec. 4, 2007.Her term as top magistrate will also be the shortest in the country’s history, surpassing the previous record of 75 days of Chief Justice Pedro Yap, who served from April 18 to June 30, 1988.“Her appointment as Chief Justice is a fitting finale to her illustrious career in both the [Department of Justice, or DOJ] and the judiciary,” Guevarra said.De Castro is expected on Tuesday to preside over the high court en banc’s scheduled oral arguments on the petition challenging the validity of Mr. Duterte’s withdrawal from the Rome Statute that established the International Criminal Court.The human rights lawyers’ group National Union of People’s Lawyers (NUPL) said it hoped De Castro would restore public trust in the highest court of the land and address doubts on her independence and impartiality.“The new Chief Justice will have to credibly address uncomplimentary views about her independence and impartiality. We need a leader who inspires and who commands respect and admiration,” NUPL president Edre Olalia said.De Castro’s selection as the country’s second female Chief Justice came two days after a group of opposition congressmen filed an impeachment complaint against her, Peralta, Bersamin and four other justices who voted on May 10 to oust Sereno through a quo warranto suit.But Solicitor General Jose Calida, who brought the case against Sereno, said De Castro and the others should not worry because the impeachment case “will not see the light of day.”Echoing the allegations of the justices, Calida’s quo warranto suit accused Sereno of lack of integrity for her supposed failure to fully declare her statements of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALNs), and for alleged tax declarations and unauthorized expenses.Sereno sought the inhibition of De Castro, Peralta, Bersamin and Associate Justices Noel Tijam and Francis Jardeleza from the case, but they refused to do so.In De Castro’s earlier House testimony—also the first by a sitting Supreme Court justice in a congressional inquiry—she accused Sereno of “undermining” the high tribunal by issuing several orders that did not reflect the consensus of the full court.It was the second time that De Castro had been short-listed for the top magistrate’s post.In 2012, she also vied for the post along with acting Supreme Court Chief Justice Jose Antonio Carpio and several others, including Sereno—then the most junior justice of the high court—who eventually got the nod of former President Benigno Aquino III and became the country’s first female Chief Justice.Before De Castro’s appointment to the high court in 2007, the political science graduate of the University of Philippines (UP) served as presiding justice of the antigraft court Sandiganbayan from Dec. 15, 2004.A consistent scholar, she graduated cum laude from UP in 1968 and finished law at the top four of her class in 1972, also at the state university.Public service careerDe Castro’s career in public service began on Feb. 19, 1973, when she joined the Office of the Clerk of Court of the Supreme Court.From January 1975 to November 1978, she served as a legal-judicial assistant and as member of the staff of the late Chief Justice Fred Ruiz Castro.In December 1978, she transferred to the DOJ where she served as state counsel 1 and rose through the ranks to become assistant chief state counsel in 1997.De Castro chaired the Sandiganbayan special division that convicted former President Joseph Estrada for plunder and sentenced him to reclusion perpetua on Sep. 12, 2007. Estrada, however, never spent a day behind bars as he was pardoned by his successor, Arroyo.In July 2016, she voted for the release of Arroyo and the dismissal of the plunder charges filed against her by the Aquino administration in connection with the alleged misuse of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office’s intelligence funds.De Castro penned a 2008 ruling upholding Arroyo’s power as President to invoke executive privilege in the Senate inquiry into her alleged involvement in a botched $329-million broadband deal with Chinese telecom ZTE Corp.Voting recordShe was also among the justices who dissented in the same year on the decison declaring as illegal and unconstitutional the memorandum of agreement on ancestral domain between the Arroyo administration and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.In April 2010, less than a month before the presidential elections, De Castro was among the justices who voted in favor of allowing Arroyo, whose term was ending on June 30 of that year, to appoint the successor to the retiring Chief Justice Reynato Puno, insisting that the judiciary should be exempt from the election ban.Arroyo then appointed in May 2010 the late Chief Justice Renato Corona, who was impeached in 2012 for nondisclosure of his foreign deposits in his SALN.In November 2016, De Castro was also among the nine Supreme Court justices who dismissed the petition of martial law victims protesting the burial of Ferdinand Marcos at Libingan ng mga Bayani.

['Christine O. Avendaño', 'Jerome Aning']

2016-04-05 09:39:48+08:00

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1024976/dutertes-choice-de-castro-chief-justice-for-41-days

Inquirer

No bail for ex-BI execs

The antigraft court Sandiganbayan on Thursday denied the petition for bail of two Bureau of Immigration (BI) officials and a coaccused former police officer who face a plunder case over a P50-million bribery scandal.The court’s sixth division said ex-BI Commissioners Al Argosino and Michael Robles, as well as retired police officer Wenceslao Sombero, were not entitled to bail, as evidence against them was “strong” and the amount involved reached the threshold for plunder.“Using the standard of evident guilt or presumption of guilt this court finds that accused Argosino, Robles and Sombero are not entitled to bail,” the Sandiganbayan said in an Aug. 30 resolution.Weight of evidenceIn a 48-page resolution penned by Associate Justice Sarah Jane Fernandez, the Sandiganbayan division, however, said the bail denial should not be taken as a prejudgment of the case against the three.“The court merely determined the weight of evidence for the purposes of bail,” she said.The case stemmed from a case of bribery filed against the two dismissed BI officials, who had been charged with taking P50 million in bribe from Sombero to release more than 1,300 Chinese casino workers in November 2016.The Chinese were arrested by the BI in a raid at Fontana Leisure Parks and Casino in Clark Field in Pampanga while allegedly working for controversial gambling tycoon Jack Lam.Lam allegedly used Sombero as a “go-between” to bribe BI officials for the release of the Chinese workers.P1,000 shortThe National Bureau of Investigation had recommended only graft and direct bribery cases to be filed instead of plunder because the money recovered was P1,000 short of P50 million.But then Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales set aside the NBI findings and recommended the filing of a plunder complaint against the three on top of charges for graft and direct bribery.In denying their petition, the Sandiganbayan dismissed the arguments of the three, which included the NBI report that the money recovered was P1,000 short of P50 million.The court also noted that Argosino and Robles never disputed the allegation that they received the money from Sombero.“The prosecution presented clear and convincing evidence that accused Argosino and Robles received money in two instances from accused Sombero,” Fernandez said in the decision.Evidence also showed that the P50 million “appears to be ill-gotten,” the court said.

['Melvin Gascon']

2017-08-10 08:21:36+00:00

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1027218/no-bail-for-ex-bi-execs

Inquirer

A losing battle to improve textbooks

(First of two parts)Antonio Calipjo Go’s lament about “sick books” has been instructive for teachers on the frontline of a struggle to improve basic education in public schools—an effort not unlike the Battle of Pulang Lupa during the Philippine-American war.On a mountain slope in this coastal town overlooking the spectacular Sibuyan Bay on Sept. 13, 1900, Col. Maximo Abad and his ragtag band of Filipinos, armed mainly with bolos and machetes, routed a US force led by Capt. Devereaux Shields.A concrete mural depicting one of the worst defeats the Americans had suffered in that war stands at a memorial site on the hill.The little-known battle on Pulang Lupa came at a critical time for US President William McKinley, who was facing the anti-imperialist William Jennings Bryan in an upcoming election. McKinley responded with ferocity that quickly ended the Philippine war for independence and cemented the path of America’s manifest destiny, for better or worse.Eleven months later, the transport vessel USAT Thomas disgorged 530 Americans—later known as the Thomasites—in Manila to train 25,000 English-speaking schoolteachers and establish the Philippine public education system that produced exemplary leaders and captains of industry.The nation was on the cusp of what analysts in the 1960s said was a second economic miracle in Asia next to Japan, when President Ferdinand Marcos declared martial law in 1972. Attention shifted from education to overriding security concerns. The education system has never recovered since.Making a differenceIn a sense, the Battle of Pulang Lupa may well serve as a metaphor in the Sisyphean effort to revitalize a system that, according to the late education dean Josefina Cortes, has produced a “nation of fifth graders.”Like Abad’s troops on Pulang Lupa, the teachers soldiering on in Torrijos, as in other parts of the country, have little of the wherewithal to raise the quality of education and make their pupils competitive in the global village—the avowed objective in the bold shift from the 10-year basic education system to the K-12 program, or kindergarten to 12 years of elementary and high school, that the Aquino administration rolled out in 2011.They appear to be making a difference, in their own special ways, to reach modest goals.Because of the failure of the Department of Education (DepEd) to deliver essential needs on time, teachers and pupils xerox learning materials at their own expense. They download subject content from the Internet and have them copied and distributed to their pupils.They also have to grapple with textbooks that are riddled with errors—a problem that has persisted through the past two decades as student proficiency in English, math and science deteriorated. Public outcries over teaching materials lost in translation sparked public indignation and well-publicized congressional investigations in the past and were soon forgotten after the TV camera lights went out.On a recent visit to several schools in Torrijos, teachers showed English books for children. Texts in many pages were shadowed with yellow markers on supposed typographical, grammatical, factual and conceptual errors.One high school teacher was still using the Grade 10 English Learner’s Material, pathetically titled, “Diversity: Celebrating Multiculturism (sic) Through World Literature,” that was critiqued in a June 8 article by the eagle-eyed Go, a self-styled “sick books” crusader, who said he had found 1,300 errors in the material.“The critique was helpful,” said this teacher. “We are grateful to Mr. Go for having exposed these errors.”Another teacher showed her copy of a 2014 Grade 9 Science Learner’s Material with the word “draft” stamped across its pages. She pointed out one entry there—among the many errors she had uncovered. In a table on the color of flame of metal salts was listed “boric acid.” This is a “metalloid, or semimetal,” the teacher said. She said that she had pointed out these errors during a teacher’s seminar, but was unaware if these were considered in the final version of the material, which she still has to see.Five days after the interviews, the teachers and principal of this Torrijos high school called the reporter, who was back in Manila, to say that a new Grade 10 book, titled “Diversity through World Literature,” had arrived and distributed to 42 pupils. “We don’t have any more problem with the books,” the principal said.In Metro Manila, checks with several high schools confirmed the distribution of the textbook.But as of the weekend, this purported new version of the Grade 10 book had not been posted on the Learning Resource and Management Development System (LRMDS), the DepEd’s online portal where digitized copies of its publications can be accessed.Bereft of sensibilityAfter Go’s commentary was published in the Inquirer a week after the start of the school year, the digital edition of this textbook was pulled out of the LRMDS. It has not been replaced. There has been no announcement, that after Go’s exposé, a final and corrected version of what the DepEd earlier said was a premature disclosure of a “work in progress” is now available.Some of the more glaring errors that Go had pointed out in the earlier version remained uncorrected in the new book, a check with his list of supposed mistakes showed.Go has reviewed two more DepEd publications written by a dozen authors, consultants and editors with M.A.s and Ph.D.s and are used in Grades 4 and 2. He said the 432-page Grade 4 textbook contained more than 400 errors; the Grade 2 book, 200 errors.“Many of the words, phrases, sentences and stories are so bereft of sense and sensibility, so without rhyme and reason, that you can’t help but wonder where the authors got the gumption to call it a ‘learner’s material,’” said Go, a college dropout who is now the academic supervisor of Marian School of Quezon City.Over the past two decades, Go has mounted a seemingly quixotic campaign against the production of books riddled with errors, pulling out newspaper ads at his own expense to publish his findings. He has been slapped with lawsuits and derided in media.Publishing houses used to enlist academics to write textbooks for approval by the DepEd’s Instructional Materials Council Secretariat (IMCS), which screens them for publication and adoption in public schools.New policyUnder a new policy, the DepEd now invites publishers, authors and editors to submit manuscripts. After a tender, the chosen publishing houses print the approved materials.Legally, the publishers have no responsibility for the errors, but critics of the system say that because of the huge money involved, the printers have a moral obligation to ensure product quality.For example, the notice for bidding by the DepEd on Feb. 9 for the publication of 16 sets of learner’s materials (LMs) and teacher’s guides (TGs) was worth P1.2 billion. It had a 100-day delivery period to the DepEd’s central office, public schools districts and public high schools nationwide.The 1,413,900 Grade 10 English LM and 13,900 TG package was worth P63 million. The Grade 4 English package—2,518,900 LMs and 68,900 TGs—cost P109 million.In Torrijos, the delivery period obviously had not been met. Only two copies of the Grade I0 learner’s material—the one that had since been ditched because of Go’s critique—reached one school here.Random checks by Inquirer reporters in Metro Manila revealed that in some schools, the books had not arrived by the opening of the new school year in June.No transparencyBenjie Valbuena, national chair of the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT), blames a conspiracy of silence in the screening and publishing process for the problem of textbooks through the years.“There is no consultation. Decisions come from the high DepEd officials—the supervisors and regional directors. There is no transparency in their meetings. That is why you have that quality and the errors go on and on. The teachers are pointing out the errors in these textbooks, criticizing them, but these are not being rectified,” he said.“It has become a big business for high DepEd officials,” said Valbuena, 62, a public high school teacher with 33 years’ experience.“Among the subordinates, there is a culture of fear,” he said, especially among those nurturing careers in the bureaucracy.Valbuena said he had heard instances of authors, editors and consultants gathered, secluded in resorts and hotels and given a deadline to write the textbooks. “It has been difficult to confirm because the job is an internal matter,” he said.ShortagesThe ACT issued a statement at the beginning of the current school year listing a number of problems besetting the DepEd

['Fernando Del Mundo']

2017-08-10 08:21:36+00:00

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/721749/a-losing-battle-to-improve-textbooks

Inquirer

Ombudsman: So many in gov’t are corrupt

A “SUPER” number of corrupt government officials can still be found throughout the bureaucracy, according to Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales, who is urging voters to choose in the May elections candidates with integrity if they want a clean government.Corruption remains prevalent in the government, Morales said, noting that her office had received thousands of complaints about graft and corrupt practices and other administrative violations.Most of the new cases filed last year involved local officials, a total of 1,092, while police officers accounted for more than 600 cases.Other officials who faced investigation by the Ombudsman include those from the military and the education, finance, natural resources, justice and agriculture departments, as well as state universities and colleges, and the fire protection and jail management bureaus.Morales’ statement came before the ranking of the Philippines in Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) for 2015 dropped 10 notches from 2014.The Philippine CPI ranking slid to 95th from 85th. The higher the ranking, the more corrupt a country is perceived to be.The country’s public sector got a score of 35 from experts and institutions that Transparency International (TI) had tapped. Countries that obtained a score of less than 50 have “serious corruption problem,” according to TI, which assessed 168 countries in the 2015 index.Appeal to votersThe Ombudsman urged Filipino voters to choose candidates with unblemished integrity in the May general elections.“My only appeal is that people should vote [for] people with integrity [in the] local and national level. It’s not enough to be smart and competent. You (candidate) should have integrity. That’s my appeal,” Morales told the Inquirer on Jan. 25.Without referring to a particular candidate, the Ombudsman made the call when asked if she had any concern about the coming changing of the guard in June, the end of the term of President Aquino, who put the anticorruption campaign at the core of his administration.“I have no concerns at all,” Morales said, adding that her office is an independent constitutional body. She will serve as Ombudsman until 2018.Anticorruption platformMorales said candidates, whether vying for local or national posts, should present a clear anticorruption platform.“They should come up with what programs of government they will have and they should include corruption. What’s their program against corruption? Because it’s not enough for you to say, ‘I am honest, [of that] I am being maligned.’ Tell them: ‘What’s your program against corruption?’” she said.In the presidential race, one candidate is facing corruption and plunder charges but has recovered from last year’s record-low ratings. Another candidate vows not to steal.Asked if she had made her choice, Morales said she had yet to firm up her list. “I’m supposed to be apolitical. I will decide at the eleventh hour,” she said.Admin’s campaignAsked how she would rate the administration’s performance in battling corruption, the Ombudsman said President Aquino was sincere in the campaign. “Well, if you read from the papers, the President is really pursuing this anticorruption campaign in earnest,” she said.Morales’ office is independent from Malacañang, and she said she did “not get orders from the President.” But if reporters were to be believed, she said: “…The President is really serious in pushing the anticorruption program.”The Office of the Ombudsman has a workload of 11,056 cases, including 8,715 pending cases from previous years and 2,341 cases filed in the first half of 2015, according to data on its official website.Of the total—27 percent or 2,940 cases—have been resolved—either dismissed, forwarded to the courts or resulted in administrative penalties.“I’d like to believe that there has been an increase in confidence and trust in the Office of the Ombudsman. And, on account of that, people think we can solve all their problems,” Morales said.

['Tarra Quismundo']

2018-04-05 18:44:08+08:00

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/760389/ombudsman-so-many-in-govt-are-corrupt

Inquirer

Heroes’ welcome for Coast Guard members

Lieutenant Senior Grade Erwin Tolentino, one of more than 100 Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) personnel who arrived on Friday morning after five months of deployment in war-torn Marawi City, had kept his assignment from his pregnant wife, Glaiza.“She thought that I was deployed to Iligan City, since I was aware of how sensitive her pregnancy was. I might be in for a quarrel later,” Tolentino said.From his previous assignment in Cebu, he was sent to Marawi City when his wife was only two months pregnant in May.It would be the couple’s second baby. Their eldest girl held up an orange banner with the words, “I’m here to pick up my hero.”His wife was able to talk to him regularly on the phone even though he was away.“He told me that he was being assigned to Iligan City, to patrol Lanao Lake and the Iligan port. I knew it was dangerous and I couldn’t help but worry,” Glaiza said.PCG officer in charge Commodore Joel Garcia led the heroes’ welcome and awarding ceremony for the 125 returning heroes, which included the crew of the BRP Pampanga.“They do not just patrol our coasts, but they patrolled Lanao Lake. Theirs is a big contribution to the success and victory of government troops,” Garcia said during the ceremony at the Manila South Harbor.The PCG personnel were mostly assigned to its Special Operations Group and its Anti-Terrorism Unit, and spent days and nights patrolling the waters near Marawi City and Iligan City.In particular, they were deployed to secure Lanao Lake and the port of Iligan to prevent terrorist forces from escaping, as well as from transporting supplies and logistics to the fighters.“These terrorists had logistics supplies unparalleled in history, including the flow of ammunition coming from the other side of Lanao Lake,” Garcia said.The PCG contingent was deployed in the last week of May, or days after the fighting broke out on May 23.More than 40 enlisted PCG personnel were given spot promotions, while the PCG officers were feted with awards and medals.Tolentino, 36, was also awarded for his service as part of the PCG’s Anti-Terrorism Unit.Chief Petty Officer Eugene Anico could not help but wipe away his tears after his new rank was pinned on him.The 40-year-old PCG enlisted personnel said he was happy that he was able to come home alive to his family.“I’m really happy that we were able to come home without any unfortunate incident. We really missed our families,” he said.He and his comrades were tasked to patrol Lanao Lake for 12 hours a day on a rubber boat.Anico told the Inquirer that he figured in at least two firefights in which he and his comrades blocked terrorists trying to escape over the water.The PCG personnel will be allowed to go on break for a few weeks to spend time with their families, after which they will be given a new assignment to patrol the country’s shores.Following the Marawi City siege, the PCG will be reactivating its station in Lanao Lake not just to thwart terrorist threats, but to protect the marine environment there.Garcia said they were planning to put up stations on the opposite shores of the lake to patrol its waters.“We want to prevent similar incidents from happening in the future, so we will be building this as soon as possible and have designated PCG personnel to man it,” he said.The PCG station will serve not only as a patrol force for peace and order, but will also conduct patrols to protect the marine environment and for the safety of navigation for those who travel across the lake.

['Julie M. Aurelio']

2018-04-05 18:44:08+08:00

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/942815/philippine-news-updates-philippine-coast-guard-marawi-city

Inquirer

Gov’t taking ‘most corrupt’ tag seriously

After Transparency International (TI) listed the Philippines as among the most corrupt in the world, Malacañang said the Duterte administration was taking the report seriously and called on people to help fight the problem.The Philippines ranked 111th out of 180 countries, with a score of 34 out of 100, in TI’s corruption perception index in 2017. The country ranked 101st in 2016, with a score of 35.Transparency International said the results showed that corruption remained strong in many countries, with individuals who challenged the status quo facing retaliation.‘Threatened, murdered’“In some countries across the region, journalists, activists, opposition leaders and even staff of law enforcement or watchdog agencies are threatened, and in the worst cases, even murdered,” it said.“Philippines, India and the Maldives are among the worst regional offenders in this respect. These countries score high for corruption and have fewer press freedoms and higher numbers of journalist deaths,” it added.The report was released amid President Duterte’s assertion that his administration was serious in fighting corruption.Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said ridding the country of corruption would take some time.“We have to underscore that corruption is a problem that cannot be solved overnight. Thus, we are taking the results of Transparency International Corruption Perceptions Index 2017 … seriously,” Roque said in a statement.Journalists killed“Fighting corruption needs everyone’s cooperation. The government cannot do it alone,” he added.But according to Roque, TI’s statement that at least one journalist every week is killed in a highly corrupt country does not apply to the Philippines.“There is no truth that we have fewer press freedom. Media are still able to broadcast and print or publish what they want—fake news included,” he said.Mr. Duterte created the Presidential Task Force on Media Security to protect media practitioners, he said, adding that all murder cases involving journalists that took place under the administration had been “solved.”“In addition, public officials who threatened media workers have been ‘red flagged’ to show that we work without fear or favor,” he added.Public officials warnedRoque also said the President had warned public officials that he would not tolerate corruption. He created the Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission and opened a complaint hotline for citizens.“The Chief Executive fired many government officials, including members of the Cabinet, once he heard even a whiff of corruption,” he said.

['Leila B. Salaverria']

2018-04-05 18:44:08+08:00

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/970976/govt-taking-most-corrupt-tag-seriously

Inquirer

On way back from Japan, Duterte vows to stop swearing

While on his way home Thursday night from his three-day state visit to Japan, President Rodrigo Duterte promised to God he would stop swearing.“While on up there on my way here, I heard a voice telling me to stop swearing or the plane will crash in midair, and so I promised to stop,” Duterte said, shortly before delivering an arrival speech at the Davao International Airport.“A promise to God is a promise to the people,” the President, known for his penchant for cussing, said.But when asked later whether he would no longer curse when talking about the United States, the European Union, and even Sen. Leila de Lima, Duterte said that would depend on the right timing.“May timing iyan,” he said. “Yung mga kababata ko, alam nila iyan.”

['Germelina Lacorte']

2017-06-27 00:25:27+08:00

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/835134/on-way-back-from-japan-duterte-vows-to-stop-swearing

Inquirer

Listen to Ramos, president urged

Buhay party-list group Rep. Lito Atienza on Thursday urged President Rodrigo Duterte to heed former President Fidel V. Ramos’ advice for him to order law enforcers to conduct the war on drugs properly.“We strongly support the brotherly advice of Mr. Ramos, for President Duterte to compel police officers to restrain themselves, and to order them to simply incapacitate rather than kill suspects,” Atienza said in a news conference in Quezon City.In a newspaper column, Ramos scored the administration for making a priority a war on drugs at the expense of issues of poverty, living costs, foreign investment and jobs, saying the country is “losing badly.”“In the overall assessment by this writer, we find our Team Philippines losing in the first 100 days of [the Duterte] administration–and losing badly. This is a huge disappointment and let-down to many of us,” the former President said.“It is not always shoot-to-kill, which is the mission of the law enforcer, it is shoot to disable,” Ramos added.Ramos is Duterte’s special envoy to China.“Mr. Ramos is absolutely correct. We are after all still a government of laws, not of men. The police do not have a license to kill suspects. The duty of the police is to apprehend and gather enough evidence against suspects so they may be put on trial,” Atienza said.The lawmaker added that the continuous killings boil down to respect for the value of human life.“Law enforcers are supposed to protect and save lives, not take lives. In any operation, they are supposed to try their best to avoid if not minimize the potential loss of human lives, whether it is the lives of suspects or the lives of innocent bystanders,” Atienza said.

['Angelica Ballesteros']

2016-10-13 20:22:11+00:00

https://www.manilatimes.net/listen-ramos-president-urged/291067/

Manila Times

Malta to let rescue boat dock with 141 migrants aboard

setting himself apart from the Spanish government, which has remained silent on the vessel’s fate.Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez’s minority government has come under political pressure over its migrant policy after it initially offered a generous welcome to asylum-seekers and refugees.It is the second time this summer that Aquarius has been caught up in the anti-migrant policies of EU nations. In a previous rescue mission, Spain allowed it to dock in Barcelona with some 630 migrants aboard.Torra’s regional administration is in a standoff with the central government over demands for Catalan independence and has been keen to score political points against Sanchez.

[]

14/08/2018 0:00

https://news.mb.com.ph/2018/08/14/malta-to-let-rescue-boat-dock-with-141-migrants-aboard/

Manila Bulletin

Merkel govt draws scorn for deal on under-fire spy chief

his decision to send into early retirement his only state secretary from the SPD, 55-year-old Gunther Adler, in order to open up the new job for Maassen.The interior minister also said that no-one had yet been chosen to replace Maassen as head of the BfV agency which monitors extremists mainly from far-right, far-left and Islamist groups and runs Germany’s counter-espionage activities.Bild daily attacked the latest move by Merkel’s grand coalition, a loveless power pact that governs with only a narrow majority after losing millions of votes to the far-right AfD party in last year’s elections.“This was never about Maassen,” charged the Bild editorial. “It was about power and the gigantic egos in a floundering grand coalition that is no longer capable of anything truly grand.”

[]

19/09/2018 0:00

https://news.mb.com.ph/2018/09/19/merkel-govt-draws-scorn-for-deal-on-under-fire-spy-chief/

Manila Bulletin

DAR: Farmers can occupy farmlands under protest

Hopes are high that acquisition and distribution of land to agrarian reform beneficiaries could now move faster after Agrarian Reform Secretary Rafael Mariano released Administrative Order No. 5, making the acquisition “compulsory” even with pending proceedings or cases.In a press conference on Friday, Mariano announced that farmers could now have “actual physical possession and full control” of identified agrarian reform lands even before any application for conversion or protests against agrarian reform coverage on the land were decided by the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) or the courts.The order took effect 10 days after its publication on Aug. 23.In the same conference, Assistant Secretary Joey Sumatra, director for the Bureau of Land Tenure Improvement, said farmers’ claims over a total of 19,000 hectares of agrarian reform lands had been stalled due to petitions against their coverage under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program.“We ask ourselves how many of the farmers who were awarded with their respective Cloas (certificates of land ownership awards) from decades ago are still in actual possession and full control of their lands today? Why are farmers still clamoring for lands?” Mariano asked.Sumatra said most cases were stalled at the “advanced stages” of the “19 steps” in the land acquisition and distribution process, particularly at the 10th step or the issuance of a memorandum of valuation by the Land Bank of the Philippines.“We cannot proceed with the transfer of title or the Cloa generation,” Sumatra said.With Mariano’s new order, the DAR hopes to proceed with the acquisition and distribution process for over 5,000 hectares, affecting 4,500 beneficiaries, this 2017. The DAR’s total target for agrarian land distribution this year covers 50,000 ha.Due to protests, the process can sometimes take at least five years, said lawyer Rolando S. Cua, officer-in-charge of the Regional Agrarian Reform Adjudicator.Mariano’s order removes “self-restriction” by the DAR in such cases, Cua said.A total of 4.8 million ha of land had already been distributed to about 2.8 million farmer beneficiaries from 1972 to June 2016.

['Jaymee T. Gamil']

2018-02-08 00:06:59+00:00

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/925682/farmers-farmlands-agrarian-reform-agrarian-reform-secretary-rafael-mariano

Inquirer

No need for Duterte in wealth quiz – Palace

There is no need for President Rodrigo Duterte to attend a proposed Senate inquiry into his alleged hidden bank accounts as there is no basis for such allegation, Malacañang said on Wednesday.Sen. Francis Escudero, chairman of the Senate Committee on Banks, Financial Institutions and Currencies, had raised the possibility of asking the President to testify before them if the need arises.But Palace spokesman Harry Roque said the investigation sought by Sen. Antonio Trillanes 4th on Duterte’s alleged ill-gotten wealth would just be a waste of time since the opposition lawmaker has no solid proof to back up his allegations.“Kung may dahilan sana, eh kaso nga wala namang authentication iyong mga dokumento, eh bakit natin pag-aaksayahan ng panahon [If there is really a reason but there are no authenticated documents, why will we waste our time]?” Roque added.But he said it would be up to the Senate to decide on whether to invite Duterte to the hearing.In Senate Resolution 602, Trillanes asked the Escudero committee to probe deposits and investments involving the President’s alleged accounts, which he said could show possible violations of the country’s anti-money laundering law.He has long accused Duterte of failing to disclose his wealth going back to his time as mayor of southern Davao City prior to winning the presidency in May 2016.Duterte has repeatedly denied wrongdoing and promised to resign if there was proof.The President has even instructed the country’s Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) to disclose the transactions but he has still to sign a required waiver for that to happen.Trillanes cited a recent report by VERA Files, which said Duterte and daughter Sara Duterte-Carpio, who succeeded him as Davao mayor, failed to disclose deposits and investments exceeding P100 million in their official asset declarations. Sara denied wrongdoing.VERA Files said the bank records it saw came from the Senate and were entered into records by Trillanes himself, who claimed the same documents came from the AMLC.Roque repeatedly dismissed Trillanes’ allegation as “old news.”“The council had said those documents did not come from them and that the data he was talking about was incorrect,” he said.

['Catherine S. Valente']

2018-02-08 00:06:59+00:00

https://www.manilatimes.net/no-need-duterte-wealth-quiz-palace/378817/

Manila Times

No Duterte plan to pardon Palparan, says Malacañang

Malacañang on Wednesday squelched speculation that President Rodrigo Duterte would pardon retired Army Maj. Gen. Jovito Palparan Jr. as human rights groups accused the Armed Forces of the Philippines of coddling the former general who was convicted earlier this week for the abduction and disappearance of two University of the Philippines students.“There is no basis for that,” presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said in a radio interview regarding a possible presidential pardon for Palparan.Palparan, dubbed “The Butcher” by militant groups, was sentenced, along with former Lt. Col. Felipe Anotado and S/Sgt. Edgardo Osorio, to life imprisonment for the kidnapping and illegal detention of Karen Empeño and Sherlyn Cadapan in 2006.“It’s the government that jailed Palparan and it will be the government that will ensure that justice will be given to the victims,” Roque said.Empeño and Cadapan were seized in June 2006 by armed men in Hagonoy, Bulacan province.The two UP students were last seen being tortured in a military camp.Mockery of the lawIn a statement, rights group Hustisya said the AFP was making a mockery of the law by refusing to immediately commit Palparan to the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) after his conviction.“The AFP is making a fool out of the victims and even the courts by saying they’re still waiting for a commitment order. The court decision is the order itself,” said Evangeline Hernandez, chair of Hustisya, an organization of victims and relatives of victims of human rights violations.Hustisya said Palparan was still being held at the Army custodial center in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City, three days after his conviction.The group said the military was “making all kinds of excuses” in trying to keep Palparan in its custody.According to Hustisya, Palparan’s counsel asked that he be allowed to remain in Fort Bonifacio to attend to other pending cases against him, which the judge denied on grounds that doing so would violate Supreme Court guidelines to immediately transfer a convict to a national penitentiary.Special treatment“Palparan should be brought to NBP the soonest. He has enjoyed years of special treatment in Fort Bonifacio, it’s time that justice be served [to] the fullest by treating him like a common criminal,” Hernandez said.Erlinda Cadapan, Sherlyn’s mother, said the AFP was perpetrating “impunity” by keeping Palparan.“The delay of his transfer at the NBP reeks of special treatment. He has been proven guilty, and as long as he remains in an Army camp, that is impunity,” she said.Warning of same fateOne of the President’s archcritics, jailed Sen. Leila de Lima, warned the President and his associates that they could meet the same fate as Palparan for their alleged human rights violations.“No matter how brave you are now and how much you disrespect the human rights of Filipinos—including their right to life and freedom—you will be judged and made to answer for your wrongs,” said De Lima, who is facing what she describes as trumped-up drug charges.She said the conviction of Palparan should open the eyes of people in power and their minions who act as if they were the law.“Remember that all those who commit wrong will be held to account at the proper time,” said De Lima, who was the justice secretary when the case was filed against Palparan.The verdict, she said, was “a welcome respite in our long and tedious struggle against impunity in this country.”

['The Inquirer Staff']

2016-11-05 16:27:32+08:00

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1034348/no-duterte-plan-to-pardon-palparan-says-malacanang

Inquirer

88 firearms surrendered by Iranuns in Maguindanao

The Armed Forces of the Philippines-Western Mindanao Command (AFP-WestMinCom) yesterday reported the surrender of 88 high and low powered loose firearms in Maguindanao province.AFP-WestMinCom Commander Lt Gen Carlito G. Galvez, Jr., yesterday said a total of 88 high and low powered loose firearms were turned over to the military by province’s Iranun Inter-Agency Task Force (IIATF) last Tuesday morning during a ceremony held in Barangay Dinganen, Buldon, Maguindanao.Galvez said the firearms came from the residents of the municipalities of Buldon, Parang, Matanaog and Barira in Maguindanao.Galvez emphasized that the surrender of the firearms was part of the “Balik Baril” Program of the IIATF, local government of Buldon, Maguindanao, the Philippine National Police (PNP) and AFP in support of the government campaign against loose firearms.The intensified campaign prompted the residents of the four municipalities to voluntarily surrender their firearms, Galvez said.Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) Governor Mujiv Hataman witnessed the turnover of the loose firearms, together with Army Maj. Gen. Arnel Dela Vega, who is also Task Force Central head.Both officials lauded the IIATA initiative, even as they urged other communities in the ARMM and Region 12 to follow suit for the “attainment of lasting peace and sustainable growth” in the south.

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28/02/2018 0:00

https://news.mb.com.ph/2018/02/28/88-firearms-surrendered-by-iranuns-in-maguindanao/

Manila Bulletin

Binay: No backing out of presidential race

His loss of the lead in the presidential polls is not making Vice President Jejomar Binay reconsider his bid for Malacañang in next year’s elections.His fall to second place is just a temporary setback and he is undaunted, his daughter Sen. Nancy Binay said on Saturday.The Vice President, who held the lead in the polls for nine months, was overtaken by the increasingly popular Sen. Grace Poe in the latest Pulse Asia and Social Weather Stations (SWS) voter preference surveys.The Pulse Asia survey results released on Thursday showed Poe leading Binay, 30 percent to 22 percent, and the SWS poll results released on Friday confirmed Poe’s capture of the lead, 42 percent to 34 percent.It was some consolation to Binay, however, that Poe was not a declared candidate, not for President, not for Vice President.Even if she were, the Vice President’s loss of the lead was not fatal, as the poll results showed he still had substantial voter support, according to Senator Binay.“Now, it appears from the different results that he still has a core [support] at 20 percent. It appears that no matter how they try to besmirch his name, that 20 percent remains,” she said.She was referring to allegations of corruption against her father that a Senate blue ribbon subcommittee is investigating and plunder and graft charges that have been brought against him in the Office of the Ombudsman.The scandal caused by those charges eroded the Vice President’s voter support and his fall from the top in the polls did not come as a surprise, Senator Binay said.No backing outBut “there is no backing out,” she said.“This fight is not just the fight of Vice President Binay. It is also a battle … for solutions to the problems of the downtrodden,” she said.Senator Binay said her father was no stranger to uphill battles, pointing out that he launched his campaign for the vice presidency with a rating of 2 percent but finished the race as the winner.The polls then, she said, are “not the measure” of potential victory or loss in elections.For the Vice President’s camp, the polls are guides to “what to do and what issues” to deal with, she said.On Friday, Joey Salgado, spokesman for Binay, said the Vice President took the results of the latest polls as “barometers of the pulse of the public” and that he would “continue to listen to the people.”VP affected bestFormer broadcaster Mon Ilagan, the new spokesman for Binay’s United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) party, said the poll results affected the Vice President.“He would be a hypocrite [if he said] he was not affected,” Ilagan, a former mayor of Cainta, said. “But we [in] UNA believe he is still the best man for the post.”“The surveys do not represent the 100 million Filipinos,” Ilagan said, adding that Binay would continue going around the country to “consult the people.”“He still has 11 months and he [will take the people’s pulse] until [the election],” Ilagan said.As for Poe, Ilagan said she could expect “more issues” to be hurled at her.“But definitely these would not come from us,” he said.OJT presidentSure enough, the new front-runner’s first detractor was not from UNA but from a party-list lawmaker allied with Binay.Buhay Rep. Lito Atienza, who earlier announced that he would run for the Senate under UNA’s banner, said Saturday that Poe was too inexperienced to lead the country.“If Sen. Grace Poe becomes President, an on-the-job training is what will happen to us,” Atienza said in an interview on Radyo Inquirer.“I am afraid of what will happen if Grace Poe becomes President, because she has no experience. If she becomes President, whom do we run to? Another six years of what?” he said.“Let us choose someone with a really deep experience. We need someone with experience,” he said.There was no immediate comment from Poe.–With reports from DJ Yap and Niña P. CallejaRELATED STORIESGame not yet over for Binay after Poe’s poll lead, says analystDespite rating drop, Binay says SWS poll shows ‘unwavering support’RELATED VIDEOS

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06/10/2017 0:00

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/699781/binay-no-backing-out-presidential-race

Inquirer

Programs with impact on the lives of the poor

in government corruption, in peace and order, in national security, and in economic progress.It is now moving on a broad front in all these areas, but the World Bank report should encourage it to concentrate a little more on economic development and progress, with particular emphasis on programs and projects with direct benefit and impact on the lives of the poor.

[]

06/10/2017 0:00

https://news.mb.com.ph/2017/10/06/programs-with-impact-on-the-lives-of-the-poor/

Manila Bulletin

A fabrication, says Duterte who will not issue waiver

DAVAO City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday denied the existence of a Bank of Philippine Islands (BPI) account allegedly in his name that contained P211 million.“The account is not true and is just a fabrication of [Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV], who is a money for hire,” the presidential candidate told the Inquirer.Duterte said he would not issue a waiver for the specific account.“I will not play into their hands by issuing a waiver. The account is nonexistent,” Duterte said.The mayor, however, confirmed that he had an apartment on P. Guevarra Street in San Juan City.The spokesperson of Duterte said documents purportedly showing that the mayor had P211 million in a bank account were fabricated.“Sorry, we cannot comment until we see it, but now I can tell you it’s a lie, a fabrication and black propaganda. Documents can be fabricated,” Pete Laviña earlier told the Inquirer when asked to comment on the alleged millions that was not reported in Duterte’s statement of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALN) for 2014.“We also urge them to come out and prove that the bank accounts were his,” Laviña added.He said the timing of the release of the information was suspicious.“They are trying to throw everything at him, like some pornographic photos and now the supposed secret accounts not in SALN,” he said. “If it’s 2014, why only now?”Laviña said Duterte was pulling away from his rivals in the presidential race because people were fed up with “trapo” (traditional politicians) and character assassination.“We have been saying from the beginning, the more they hit him, the more people love him,” Laviña said.

['Nancy C. Carvajal']

12/12/2016 0:00

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/781839/a-fabrication-says-duterte-who-will-not-issue-waiver

Inquirer

Legal dilemma

an aspiration that has exhausted his parents financially and emotionally. “It has come to a point where pity no longer works,” his cousin admitted, not without chagrin. “Would it be a sin to wish that those same drugs put him out of his misery?”The addict has all but destroyed his family. Whenever they visited him, he would ask for toothpaste, an electric fan, towels, snacks, until they realized that a tube of toothpaste does not run out nor does a fan pass out in seven days. “Then it dawned on us,” she sighed with exasperation, “he was trading those things for drugs.” Inside the center.

[]

12/12/2016 0:00

https://news.mb.com.ph/2016/12/12/legal-dilemma/

Manila Bulletin

Asian group eyes green productivity

TOKYO: The Asian Productivity Organization (APO) is pursuing a strategic direction to address sustainability issues and broaden the concept of green productivity (GP) that had already taken root in member countries.Secretary-General Dr. Santhi Kanoktanaporn, addressing the 15th Annual Meeting of the APO Green Productivity Advisory Committee (GPAC) here last February 10, said the member countries would make concentrated efforts to promote sustainable productivity as a key element to enable members to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).Reiterating the APO’s commitment to helping countries in the Asia-Pacific region meet the SDGs, Kanoktanaporn said that, in addition to covering critical climate-change issues, the SDGs include broader aims, such as promoting inclusiveness and empowerment of women, sustainable agriculture, sustainable economic growth and end to all forms of poverty.“These SDGs are equally relevant to APO member countries as they are to the rest of the world. The APO has been expanding activities internationally to spread the concept of GP throughout the Asia-Pacific region since 1994 to promote the importance of a green, sustainable society among its members,” he said in a statement.During the meeting, a delegation from Vietnam represented by deputy secretary- general Nguyen Quang Vinh of the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Director Nguyen Anh Tuan of the Vietnam National Productivity Institute presented the plan for the 11th Eco-products International Fair (EPIF) to be organized in Ho Chi Minh City on May 11–13 this year.Earlier, welcoming GPAC members and the representatives from Vietnam, GPAC Chairman Hajime Bada, honorary advisor, JFE Holdings Inc., highlighted the role of the APO in improving productivity and sustainable development, including the role of the GPAC and the EPIFs in promoting GP.“Like the rest of the world, APO member countries are also committed to the Paris Agreement and meeting the [United Nations] SDGs by 2030,” he said.The APO is composed of 20 economies, namely Bangladesh, Cambodia, Republic of China, Fiji, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Islamic Republic of Iran, Japan, Republic of Korea, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Malaysia, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, the Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam.These countries have pledged to assist each other in their productivity drives in a spirit of mutual cooperation by sharing knowledge, information and experience.Bada said he expects the trend to continue with more member countries focusing on increasing their share of global exports.“A growing economy means that the APO region will require more energy, and it is of utmost importance that clean, green energy is available,” he added.Bada said an important task before the GPAC was to help APO member countries better use renewable energy and contribute to solving global climate issues.The GPAC, he added, needs to brainstorm on how it could play a more meaningful role, including the role of Japanese companies, in supporting developing APO member economies.JAIME R. PILAPIL

['Jaime Pilapil']

2017-02-19 19:51:51+00:00

https://www.manilatimes.net/asian-group-eyes-green-productivity/313113/

Manila Times

Istorya ng Pagasa: Nurturing hope and inspiring people

MalipotVice President Maria Leonor “Leni”G. Robredo led the launching of “Istorya ng Pagasa” at the Silliman University, in Dumaguete City last Thursday and in Manjuyod yesterday.Istorya ng Pagasa is a travelling photo gallery featuring success stories of home-grown men, women and children who have risen above adversities and are enduring sources of hope, inspiration and motivation.“We need hope to nourish our sense of dignity as a nation, to build our people’s trust in liberty and freedom, and to fight for truth in an age of lies,” Robredo said.Robredo recalled a few months ago – when the said project is just starting – she was invited to speak at a youth forum with a young audience wherein the central theme was changing the conversation.“The youth groups in that forum told me that many of them have been feeling beaten and depressed by all the negativity around them and they wanted to do something about it,” she said.Through the Istorya ng Pag-asa, Robredo said that the OVP is hoping to “find extraordinary stories of ordinary people, because when we do, we can change the conversation and build our nation with hope that transcends gender, social status, political party, religion, region, or business affiliation.”

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19/05/2017 0:00

https://news.mb.com.ph/2017/05/19/istorya-ng-pagasa-nurturing-hope-and-inspiring-people/

Manila Bulletin

‘Yolanda’ survivors yearn for more permanent homes

How long should a temporary period be?Nearly two years after Supertyphoon “Yolanda” (international name: Haiyan) hit Tacloban City, residents staying in temporary shelters or the storm survivors are still yearning for permanent homes promised by the government.The government allocated more than P100 billion to efforts toward rehabilitation of devastated areas, and aid came pouring in for the survivors from local and international donors.But the delivery of the promised help and relief seems to be moving slowly.Among those waiting for permanent homes are survivors staying at the transitory site in Barangay Cabalawan.At first glance, the community of temporary shelters, hosting 115 families, looks bucolic. The rows of nipa houses look orderly, the dirt roads are free of trash and flowers bloom in front of most of the shelters.But while there are roofs over people’s heads, the community does not have a regular source of running water and electricity, though water is delivered to residents thrice a week and donors have given them small solar panels just enough to give them light at night.Unsafe sheltersMoreover, the Yolanda survivors do not feel completely safe in the wood-and-nipa homes, not after surviving the lashing winds and towering storm surges generated by Yolanda.“It’s not safe here,” said Rhea Alaga, a 30-year-old mother of two who moved to the area in December last year.“Every time it rains, my son would cling to me and say ‘there’s a storm, there’s a storm,’” Alaga said.One particularly windy day, a portion of the roof of her house was blown away, she said. Since her house is made of light materials, strong winds can easily topple it, she said.Alaga was told that a new house in the resettlement site Ridge View would be available to her by Oct. 15, courtesy of the National Housing Authority (NHA).But the date has come and gone and she is still staying in the shelter.She is ready and willing to pay the amount the government would require for the new concrete house, she said.“This is temporary housing that seems to be becoming permanent,” said Sen. Francis Escudero, who dropped by the shelter site during his visit to Tacloban City on Thursday.At a Senate hearing earlier this month, housing officials said less than one-tenth of the 200,000 houses that were supposed to be built for those affected by Yolanda had been constructed.The delay was due to problems with land acquisition as well as the need to secure various permits to ensure the area was safe, they said.Slow use of fundsEscudero said the government’s use of funds was part of the problem.He said that when he visited Ormoc on Thursday, he also learned that emergency shelter assistance was still being given to Yolanda survivors. But the emergency has long been over. Two years is a long time, he said.The amount is also not always given fully, he said. There were cases where it was paid in increments, he said. This was against the law and could be a case of malversation, he said.As a senator, he said he wants to know how the administration—derided for underspending—used the more than P100 billion in funds allocated by Congress for the storm survivors.“The national treasurer provided a certification that there were available funds for the P100 billion. Where is that? Why is it that our fellow countrymen seemingly do not feel the help from the government?” he said.The funds should be spent on areas where these are needed, regardless of the political affiliations of local officials, he said.Escudero also said the government should provide livelihoods for the survivors staying in permanent homes or temporary shelters.Damage so extensiveMalacañang on Thursday disputed reports that the government had not done enough for the survivors of Yolanda.Communication Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said the reconstruction effort was a work in progress.“Let’s understand that the devastation done by Yolanda was so extensive,” Coloma said at press briefing.“By other countries’ experience, two years is not enough to deal with all the needs of the affected families,” he said.Coloma insisted that the administration was doing its best to improve services for the survivors of Yolanda.He said complaints like lack of basic services and emergency shelter assistance would be dealt with the government agencies concerned.Earlier, the United Nations rapporteur on human rights of internally displaced people said the Philippine government had not done enough to help the storm survivors.In a statement posted on the UN website, Chaloka Bayani reported that nearly two years after Yolanda, thousands of survivors remain in shanties without power or water supply.Many storm survivors have had to endure relocating to evacuation camps some up to three times since Yolanda struck on Nov. 8, 2013, she said, noting the substandard housing leaves them vulnerable to future typhoons.“While the government is to be commended in terms of its immediate responses, its attention for ensuring sustainable durable solutions for internally displaced [people] remains inadequate to date,” Bayani said.Bayani was in the country in July to check on the government’s handling of rehabilitation efforts for the survivors of Yolanda.Yolanda, the most powerful storm to hit land, wiped out entire communities in Eastern Visayas, leaving 7,350 people dead or missing.Source of incomeNot all residents in the temporary shelters in Cabalawan have a steady source of income.Some of the residents have come to depend on aid from international donors, which do not always come.But there are also survivors who have endeavored to find a living. Several residents have set up sari-sari stores on the small front porches of their houses.Alaga has taken it upon herself to supplement her husband’s income as a technician. She sells drinking water to her neighbors, as well as cell-phone airtime while taking care of her 4-year-old and 9-month-old children.While waiting for her permanent home, she is doing her best to make her temporary shelter a happy place.A family picture, her husband’s certificates for finishing electronics courses and a small poster with a prayer adorn the walls.She has also set up a small Christmas tree that she bought for P35.But she continues to look forward to a permanent home.“I hope we can move there soon,” she said.

['Leila B. Salaverria']

03/12/2017 0:00

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/733826/yolanda-survivors-yearn-for-more-permanent-homes

Inquirer

CAAP gearing up for aviation Christmas rush

The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) yesterday set in motion its ‘CAAP Balik Pasko 2017’ to address the expected surge in the volume of air travelers during the Christmas season.CAAP director general Jim Sydiongco, in a statement, said that they would implement additional measures “to ensure safe, reliable and convenient operations” of all of the thirty-five airports currently engaged in commercial operations from December 1, 2017 to January 5, 2018.According to existing records of CAAP, the number of air passengers during the Christmas season is expected to increase by approximately 10 percent.In 2016, 18,337,772 passengers were recorded during the Christmas season.“Coordination has been made with airlines regarding the efficient processing of passengers especially at the check-in counters,” Sydiongco assured.The CAAP director general added that all leaves for operations personnel have been cancelled to ensure there would be enough airport service staff that would cater to the needs of the passengers.Concerned government agencies operating at the airports, including the Office of Transportation Security (OTS) and the Philippine National Police’s Aviation Security Group, have also been directed to deploy sufficient personnel at their area of concern to ensure smooth passenger flow, Sydiongco said.All employees and officials of CAAP were also reminded by Sydiongco to strictly adhere to the government’s ‘No Gift Policy’ by refraining from both soliciting and accepting directly or indirectly any gift or favor from individuals, corporate entities or third parties.Under Section 7(d) of Republic Act 6713 or the Code of and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees, public officials and employees shall not “solicit or accept, directly or indirectly, any gift, gratuity, favor, entertainment, loan or anything of monetary value from any person in the course of their official duties or in connection with any operation being regulated by, or any transaction which may be affected by the functions of their office.”

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03/12/2017 0:00

https://news.mb.com.ph/2017/12/03/caap-gearing-up-for-aviation-christmas-rush/

Manila Bulletin

LJM journalism school never like a boot camp

SO THIS is how it feels to lose your commanding officer, your leader, in the middle of the battlefield. You are disoriented and scared. You are distraught and vulnerable. You just want to raise your arms in surrender.When I gave my eulogy for our editor in chief, Letty Jimenez-Magsanoc, LJM or Ma’am Letty to most of us, on behalf of the Inquirer reporters on the second day of her wake, I was a mess.I spoke right after the moving video showing photos of LJM, so alive and beautiful. It wasn’t fair, I told our central desk chief, Juliet Javellana, as I took the microphone.I didn’t want to speak. All I wanted to do was cry and let out the pain of this indescribable loss.PassionLJM was a most ideal commanding officer. She just didn’t give out orders to her foot soldiers. She nourished our passion for journalism, nurtured our talents and looked after our welfare.Each time we came back to her with the mission accomplished—a fantastic story, a marvelous scoop—she credited us for a job well done.When we came up short of her expectations, she never raised her voice at us or humiliated us. Instead, in that husky voice of hers, she gave words of encouragement that motivated us to make up for our shortcomings and do a better job next time.Last October, editor Ruey de Veyra cornered me at the Research Department. “Just the person I was looking for!” he said, beaming.Ruey told me he wanted me to write a feature story on the four pillars of the Inquirer—LJM, Eggie Duran-Apostol, Marixi Prieto and Sandy Prieto-Romualdez—for the 30th anniversary supplement of Inquirer, which was to come out in December.“Madali lang yan!” Ruey told me.But Ruey, whoever said writing about great people—these iconic women I look up to—was going to be easy? I got cold feet and two weeks later, I told Ruey I couldn’t do the assignment, giving the then upcoming Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting of leaders as an excuse.Little did I know that I would end up writing this—a tribute to LJM, one that she would no longer read or hold in her hands.MentoringLJM had mentored easily more than a hundred journalists. Up until she passed away on Christmas Eve, she had more than 40 Inquirer news reporters and photojournalists nationwide under her tutelage, a number of whom had the opportunity to work closely with her.We are often asked how we put the paper together. Let me explain the process in the simplest way possible:Reporters have specific assignments we call beats (i.e., Malacañang, Senate, military, health, environment, Church/religion). We look for news in our respective beats by covering events, interviewing people, reading documents, investigating. We write the articles and send them to the news desk. The photogs, for their part, take pictures.The editors, led by LJM, vet the most relevant news and photos that should be on the next day’s paper.The primary questions we should ask ourselves as reporters when we pursue a story are: Why should our readers know about this? How does this affect their lives?DiscerningLJM was a master in discerning what the people must know for them to live freely, without fear, and yes, happily as Filipinos.She had exacting standards for people in government, expecting elected leaders and appointed officials to serve the public with utmost integrity. When they fail, just read all about it in the Inquirer.DetailsAnd of course, when we write our stories, LJM and all Inquirer editors expect that we do them the Inquirer way: Pay attention to details; be accurate; be fair; find the right angle; highlight the story behind the story; write with “landi,” with “kembot,” which meant write the article in the most captivating way possible to keep the readers interested, and give justice to the story.As has been told over and over again—and we will never tire of listening to it—LJM and Ma’am Eggie led the band of brave journalists who fought martial law and what sweet victory it was for them when, with the help of their pens (green ink for LJM), the dictatorship was toppled in the bloodless 1986 Edsa People Power Revolution.Finally, freedom and democracy after more than 20 years.Martial law babiesI look at my fellow Inquirer reporters now and I realize that we are actually comprised of martial law babies and post-Edsa babies—with a handful of pre-martial law babies.Give or take another five years, Inquirer reporters born in 1986 and after would likely outnumber those who had recollections of how it was to live under the gun.I think it is safe to say that LJM was aware of these overlapping generations in the Inquirer newsroom. With her deep and immense experience, she simultaneously trained the “older” journalists and the “younger” ones.Post-Edsa journalists are lucky to be in the Inquirer—to have the Inquirer—where we cultivate our dreams and hone our talents as newsmen and newswomen.LJM instilled in us the rudiments of old-school journalism while we adapt to the advancements in technology and social media that influence current journalism trends.Know historyIt was important to her that we all know our history and being young isn’t an excuse not to know the past, especially if you are a journalist, or want to be one.She wanted our stories to always be in the proper context of history because that is how we put meaning in them.Are times less exciting for today’s journalist? I’m sure LJM would say, definitely not, even if the circumstances and events of the past decades may be vastly different from what we are experiencing today.In fact, I can even hear LJM say we have much more responsibility in our hands as journalists today because of the freedom of the press that we enjoy.We may not be under martial law, but there are still corrupt, inept and abusive officials, criminals and bigots who should be made accountable for their actions.Philippine society is also evolving and certainly, LJM wanted us to record that.Feel good SundayThere are also tons of good news to share, which was why LJM always encouraged us to write feature stories for “feel good Sunday” and even for daily positive news.Because reporters are mostly out in the field, we aren’t in the newsroom often. But LJM was always in touch, especially when our stories were for Page One. When she had questions, or needed clarification or wanted more quotes, she spoke to us directly.AccessibleThe icon that she was, LJM was very accessible. Reporters could send her a text message any time. And she called us back when she missed our calls.She collaborated with us. For stories that needed extra attention, she asked us to drop by the office, at times, her house, to discuss these. She was open to our ideas and she helped develop angles that she wanted pursued.LJM made every reporter feel relevant in the paper and every story published, important, such that when we see our bylines in the Inquirer, we feel that we have contributed to society.Concerns heardShe fought for us and our stories. She made sure our concerns were heard, from the increase in transportation allowance to the purchase of new laptops.I read the budding journalists’ short tributes to LJM in last Saturday’s ToBeYou section, and my heart broke knowing that these young ones would no longer have the chance to be mentored by this great human being—a privilege indeed that Mr. & Ms. and Inquirer reporters had.LJM school of journalismThe LJM school of journalism was never like a boot camp. But we have to be quick in picking up the lessons from our interactions with her, if we want to be reliable, dedicated journalists.The highlight of every Inquirer reportorial staff meeting was LJM shuffling into the room, holding the next day’s paper in 60-percent print out.Hits and missesIt didn’t matter if it was 11:30 p.m. or midnight because we had to wait for LJM to finish editing the paper. We were always excited to hear from the Chief. She’d point out our hits and misses—but more often than not, she emphasized what we did well rather than dwelled on our lapses.She always ended with words of wisdom or motherly reminders, her way of rallying her troops, encouraging us to go get those stories.Watching her in action was learning from the master. The LJM kind of interview does not have long “pasakalyes” or backgrounders. Questions were asked directly but always politely, with flair, and in impeccable English. She engaged an interviewee in a conversation that usually has the latter end up saying more than they should, or at least find it difficult to lie to her.PunchierWe know if LJM was the one who edited our copies because we would see the little details we buried deep in our stories up in the lead that made the article punchier and more compelling.Jocelyn Uy, our health reporter, remembered 12 years ago, when she was still an editorial assistant, a lesson she learned from our boss:“I would read to her on the phone all the summaries that came in before the ‘lista’ (list) was printed. One time—I was a newbie in the newsroom then—she asked me a question, a follow up to a news item that came out that day. I was stumped and didn’t have a clue at all what she was talking about. Then she said in her distinctive voice, ‘Don’t you read the paper?’ From then on, I always made sure that I had gone through the entire paper before starting my shift at the news desk.”In love with job“Ma’am LJM knew how to push you to become better without being harsh. When I went out in the field two years later, I always thought of that encounter to remind myself to be always sharp, to strive for excellence. She made me fall in love with my job and with the Inquirer over and over and over again despite the ups and downs,” Jo told me.One time, LJM saw me at the office after a few days of missing work.“What happened to you, Niks?” she asked me from her editing table, flanked by the desks of other editors.I told her I had a bad cough and cold that kept me at home. Then LJM replied: “Yah, me too. I have a bad cold now but I have to put the paper to bed.” She didn’t castigate or reprimand me. But I got the message, hehe.She wanted to use a photo of the Marines stationed at Ayungin Shoal whom I covered when I went there with other journalists to do a story on the maritime dispute with China.“Niks, you remember the picture, right?” LJM asked me on the phone. “Can you identify the soldiers from left to right?”I did remember the photograph, but I told her I had to “double-check my notes” for their names. It was a euphemism for “I don’t recall.” She knew it right away, and said, laughing: “Ikaw talaga, pero kapag gwapo naaalala mo ang pangalan!”Always remember—memorize—the important details. Always.One of our younger reporters, Maricar Brizuela, recalled that LJM “loved to look up for synonyms when she closes the paper at around 9 or 10 p.m., teaching us that even the best in the Inquirer still consult a dictionary for help.”“I’ve always known her in the newsroom as a humble but strict voice. She makes sure that we deliver nothing but the best for the readers,” Maricar said.Developing a teamLJM knew how to develop a team. She liked hosting dinners at the office and at her home, turning it into a chance for us to bond outside of work. I saw genuine disappointment in her eyes when a lot of reporters couldn’t make it and extreme joy if at least 10 showed up.It was on these occasions when our boss let her hair down and demonstrated how downright funny she was.On her birthday a few years ago, we surprised her with a dinner at the office. As she entered the conference room, we sang “Happy Birthday” and Nathaniel Melican, who was then the newest Metro reporter, handed her a large bouquet of flowers.After she said thank you to Nate, LJM looked at us, gave us a wide smile—and turned to Nate again to ask: “And you are?” Everyone burst out laughing, including LJM and Nate!The following year, we asked Nate to hand LJM the bouquet again for her birthday, and right away, LJM told him: “I know who you are!”In one of our last dinners at LJM’s Valle Verde home, Marlon Ramos, who covers the antigraft court, and I were helping ourselves to a vegetable dish when Marlon quipped: “Si Ma’am kaya naggayat nito?”As if on cue, from behind us, that familiar raspy voice answered: “Hindi na ’no!”Personal livesLJM made it a point to ask us how we were doing, whether in our beats or in our personal lives.“I loved how Ma’am LJM reached out to us and showed that she cared for us not just as reporters but as individuals … . She was always busy but took time to get to know us, even through short chats. She attended colleagues’ weddings and condoled with those who lost loved ones. I really appreciated that she came to my dad’s wake even though she wasn’t feeling well that time and stayed to offer words of comfort,” Leila Salaverria, our Senate reporter, said.EndearingEndearing is the only word I could think of, when last year, LJM gave Jo, Leila and I her vintage pairs of jeans—believing that our waistlines were somewhere between 20 and 24 inches.LJM was particularly interested in my love life—or lack of it. She told me she wanted to stand as ninang at my wedding (should it ever take place) and last year sent me this text message:“I’ll pray for you, dear Niks, you find him within this year. As long as he is forthright, hardworking, terrifically good-looking, and exceptionally bright … . Otherwise, just be a single mother to one or two kids.”The recollection of all these wonderful memories is a balm that soothes our aching hearts.I told former Inquirer reporter, Blanche Rivera-Fernandez, how hard it was to let go and move on from the pain of losing LJM.“You’re stronger than you think. Make her proud,” Blanche assured me.Ma’am Letty—your troops are ready to go back to the frontline.We will make you proud.

['Nikko Dizon']

11/10/2016 0:00

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/752294/ljm-journalism-school-never-like-a-boot-camp

Inquirer

Addressing the safety of journalists

the ownership structure of the media industry, its policies in safeguarding the welfare of its media personnel, the work conditions and safety nets; the justice and legal system, the laws affecting the practice of journalism; the academe and training institutions for the skills and capacities needed to equip the journalist to function effectively; and finally, people’s perception of the role of journalist and his place as a professional in society.To be concluded.My email, Florangel.braid@gmail.com

[]

11/10/2016 0:00

https://news.mb.com.ph/2016/10/11/addressing-the-safety-of-journalists/

Manila Bulletin

Garage dweller now cum laude; he didn’t waste kindness of strangers

Five years after his story was published on the front page of the Inquirer, Charls Bryan Katipunan, now 21, described how life had changed since he graduated valedictorian at Batasan Hills National High School and delivered a speech that made the whole class cry.In his graduation address, this son of a taxi driver talked matter-of-factly about his struggles through high school. He spoke of how he spent the little pocket money he had on class projects instead of lunch. He described how hard it was to read textbooks in the cramped garage where he and his family of 1

['Dj Yap']

2018-08-27 00:07:49+00:00

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/989951/garage-dweller-now-cum-laude-he-didnt-waste-kindness-of-strangers

Inquirer

Train 2 may trigger power rate hike, group warns

THE implementation of the second package of the government’s tax reform program may lead to higher electricity rates, a consumer group warned on Sunday.Laban Konsyumer Inc. (LKI) said the passage of the Comprehensive Tax Reform Program (CTRP) bill would translate to additional pass-on charges being collected from electricity consumers.The CTRP proposes to gradually lower the corporate income tax rate from 30 percent to 25 percent and modernize incentives for companies.“We are monitoring the removal of incentives in the power sector under the Train-2, particularly in the renewable energy industry. Everything will be subjected to 12-percent value-added tax (VAT),” LKI President Victorio Dimagiba said.The former Trade undersecretary said Train 2 would impose more burden to consumers because industry players may pass on their additional operating expense to the public.Under Section 15 (g) of Republic Act 9513 or the Renewable Energy Act of 2008, “the sale of fuel or power generated from renewable sources of energy, such as but not limited to, biomass, solar, wind, hydropower, geothermal, ocean energy and other emerging energy resources such as fuel cells and hydrogen fuels, shall be subject to zero percent (0%) value-added tax (VAT).”The Department of Finance earlier admitted in a Senate hearing that it has yet to compute the indirect effect of the Train law on inflation.Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Deputy Governor Diwa Gunigundo had said only 0.7 percentage points or 12.2 percent of the 5.7 July inflation rate can be attributed to the direct effect of the tax reform law.Last month, research group Ibon Foundation said further inflationary surges are likely to happen in 2019 and 2020 when the next two rounds of additional taxes on oil products take effect.It said Train 1 was among the biggest factors that drove inflation rate to its highest level in six years.“The price increases from Train are very permanent and even if inflation rates moderate, this does not mean that prices will be lower. It is grossly deceitful for economic managers to give the impression or claim otherwise,” IBON executive director Sonny Africa said.“Prices will continue to rise for the poor from Train’s new and higher taxes unless the government says that the inflation rate will turn negative, which is unlikely,” he added. “If government wants to it can immediately lower inflation and prices for the people by suspending implementation and then repealing the grossly regressive TRAIN law.”

['Jordeene Sheex Lagare']

2018-08-27 00:07:49+00:00

https://www.manilatimes.net/train-2-may-trigger-power-rate-hike-group-warns/435003/

Manila Times

Oil firms cut pump prices

OIL companies adjusted their pump prices on Saturday, slashing the cost of diesel by 60 centavos per liter, gasoline by P1.65 per liter, and kerosene by 65 centavos per liter.Phoenix Petroleum and Metro Oil were the first to implement the price cut at 6 a.m. on Saturday.Petro Gazz and Petron said they will adjust their prices on Monday.This brings the common price of diesel to P48.30 per liter, gasoline by P55.65 per liter, and kerosene by P53.55 per liter, based on the Department of Energy’s (DoE) weekly oil monitoring.

['Jordeene Sheex Lagare']

2018-10-28 00:02:02+00:00

https://www.manilatimes.net/oil-firms-cut-pump-prices-21/458323/

Manila Times

Trillanes calls for inquiry into AMLC failure to help Ombudsman

Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV is pushing for a Senate inquiry into the refusal of the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) to cooperate with the Ombudsman’s investigation of President Duterte’s alleged unexplained wealth.Trillanes, one of the President’s fiercest critics, reiterated his call for the Senate committee on banks, financial institutions and currencies to look into Mr. Duterte’s accounts after the Office of the Ombudsman claimed that it had terminated its own investigation due to the refusal of the AMLC to cooperate.“Let us remember that the executive director of the AMLC was appointed by Duterte and has since been proactively protecting his political master,” Trillanes said in a statement on Friday, referring to AMLC Executive Director Mel Georgie Racela.‘Refiling of complaint’The antigraft body, however, said the closure and termination of its field investigation was “without prejudice to the refiling of a complaint with new or additional evidence.”“In the interest of transparency and accountability, I am calling on the Senate committee on banks to conduct an inquiry so we could summon the AMLC and question the legality of its refusal to comply with the Ombudsman’s request,” the senator insisted.Trillanes pointed out that the truth about such a “very important issue” could be found in the data storage of the AMLC and the Bank of Philippine Islands, where he alleged Mr. Duterte had billions of pesos in transactions.Gordon’s committeeEarlier this month, the opposition senator filed a resolution directing the committee on banks, headed by Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero, to inquire whether Mr. Duterte and his daughter, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio, violated the Anti-Money Laundering Act.The Senate referred the resolution to the blue ribbon committee, chaired by Sen. Richard Gordon, and to the banks committee as the secondary panel.Escudero earlier said he expected the inquiry to “always be hitting a wall” without the cooperation of the depositors and because of the bank secrecy law.

['Jocelyn R. Uy']

2016-04-01 01:42:29+00:00

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/969377/trillanes-calls-for-inquiry-into-amlc-failure-to-help-ombudsman

Inquirer

Luisita farmers fear loss of P1.3B

Yes, the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) is studying whether to reclassify as agricultural land a 500-hectare industrial zone in Hacienda Luisita in Tarlac province.No, the reclassification will not affect the issuance of an estimated P1.3-billion payout to the farmers.Those were the answers of Luis Pangulayan, agrarian reform undersecretary for legal affairs, to questions about the fears of a farmers’ group in Hacienda Luisita that Agrarian Reform Secretary Rafael Mariano would overturn the 1996 DAR order allowing the conversion of 500 hectares of the sugar plantation for industrial use.In an interview earlier this week, a group led by Hacienda Luisita farmer and agrarian reform beneficiary Noel Mallari expressed fears that revoking the 1996 order would effectively invalidate the sale of the property as industrial land—the P1.3 billion proceeds from which was ordered distributed to more than 6,000 farmers in the plantation by the Supreme Court in 2012.The amount has yet to be audited and distributed in accordance with the Supreme Court’s order, Mallari said.Mallari feared that Mariano would grant the petition filed by Alyansa ng mga Manggagawang Bukid sa Asyenda Luisita (Ambala) in 2012, calling for the DAR to revoke the 1996 order, alleging that Hacienda Luisita Inc. (HLI) and its “successors-in-interest violated the terms and conditions of the order for conversion… [and] failed to comply with their obligations mandated under the conversion order.”“Specifically, HLI did not pursue the proposed development plan that was contained in the application for conversion and instead disposed of the 500 hectares to other Cojuangco-owned companies and to RCBC (Rizal Commercial Banking Corp.). It also failed to implement the development plan within five years from Aug. 14, 1996, the time when the order of conversion was granted by the DAR,” Ambala said in its petition.Supreme Court decision“If the conversion order is revoked, we could lose the P1.3 billion,” Mallari said. “Why revoke it when there is already a Supreme Court decision? What is lacking is the implementation and the audit.”In an interview yesterday, Pangulayan said he saw no conflict between the possible “reconversion” and the Supreme Court’s decision.“The decision of the Supreme Court stays… We are now working closely with the appointed accounting firms to identify reasonable and necessary expenses to be deducted from the [P1.3 billion],” he said.“The amount should not be affected by the outcome of the revocation petition. That amount was a product of an actual transfer transaction. It was approved. We are not making any ruling on the transfers. At the most, we will be ruling on whether or not the conversion grant stays or should be extended or modified depending on how the department evaluates reasons behind breach of terms and conditions, if any. We’re not there to rule on transaction of transfer aspect,” he said.Ambala decisionPangulayan said the decision on Ambala’s petition was “under process.”“As a matter of course, based on procedures and laws, conversion grants issued by the department has a set of terms and conditions, one of which is the development schedule, compliance with it, and compliance of actualizing the purpose of the conversion,” he said.“So it’s currently under review. The issue there is: Were there violations of terms and conditions attached to the grant? So the department will evaluate the revocation petition,” he said.“I don’t see any conflict because at the end of the day, the amount that the farmers would get should not depend on the outcome of the revocation. That bundle of money, the fund, stays. What is crucial there is not the preservation of the use of land, but the result of audit examination. Reasonable and necessary expenses of Hacienda Luisita Inc. will be deducted from the amount,” he said.Pangulayan said Mariano hoped to resolve all pending issues in Hacienda Luisita within this month.On Thursday, Mariano announced the distribution to the farmers of another 358 hectares at Hacienda Luisita, owned by the Cojuangco-controlled Tarlac Development Corp. (Tadeco) in Barangays Cutcut and Balete.Different propertyThis property is different from the 500-hectare property straddling three other villages that has been excluded from agrarian reform coverage because it was converted into industrial land in 1996.The property is occupied by a solar farm and several factories that have generated around 5,000 jobs, Mallari said.Mallari underscored livelihood generation as another reason why the conversion order should be retained on this property. TVJRELATED STORIESDAR gives away more land from LuisitaFarmers plead for enforcement of conversion order in Hacienda Luisita

['Jaymee T. Gamil']

2016-04-01 01:42:29+00:00

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/810224/luisita-farmers-fear-loss-of-p1-3b

Inquirer

Top LP exec named new DILG secretary

The Liberal Party (LP) secretary general, Mel Senen Sarmiento, said Tuesday night he had accepted President Aquino’s offer to replace outgoing Interior Secretary Mar Roxas, giving his reassurance he would not use the post to advance the interests of the ruling party in the 2016 elections.“I thank President Aquino for giving me this opportunity to continue the reforms being implemented now … many of which were among those that we usually talked about with the late DILG Secretary Jesse Robredo when we were still city mayors,” Sarmiento said.“Replacing Secretary Mar Roxas to head a very complex institution like the DILG is definitely a colossal task but with our people’s prayers and support, I am confident I would be able to effectively carry out the mandate of my new assignment,” he said.Sarmiento pledged that the entire uniformed service under the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) “will be neutral in ensuring a peaceful, honest and orderly election in 2016.”“I am ready to accept any new challenge to be able to serve our people better and advance the cause of good governance and daang matuwid (straight path),” the Western Samar representative said in a statement.Under his leadership, he said the DILG would continue to modernize the Philippine National Police, the Bureau of Fire Protection, the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology, and the other agencies under the DILG.“We will remain steadfast in our fight against corruption,” Sarmiento said.In a multimedia forum of the Inquirer Group, President Aquino Tuesday said he confirmed he offered the DILG post to Sarmiento.“The transition is being worked out so that he is not thrown into the deep end right away, and there’s a smooth transition between Secretary Roxas and Representative Sarmiento,” the President said.He added that Sarmiento’s appointment as DILG chief would be subject to the approval of the Commission on Appointments (COA).Sarmiento is on his second term as representative of Western Samar’s first district and is eligible to run for a third and final term in 2016.Roxas resigned as DILG chief on Aug. 3 after he was endorsed as LP standard-bearer by the President in Club Filipino. The President, however, asked him to stay a little longer to complete some unfinished business in the PNP.Sarmiento heads the 12-member House contingent to the COA, and the joint congressional oversight committee on the automated election system.Before serving as congressman, Sarmiento was mayor of Calbayog City from 2001 to 2010. He served two terms as secretary general of the League of Cities of the Philippines.According to his curriculum vitae sent by his publicist, Sarmiento authored 48 House bills, including the Anti-Trafficking Persons Act and the law strengthening the Juvenile Justice System.Colleagues at the House of Representatives sang his praises on Tuesday after President Aquino announced that he had offered Sarmiento the job as the replacement of Interior Secretary Mar Roxas, the LP standard-bearer.Iloilo Rep. Jerry Treñas described Sarmiento as a “leading member of the party.”“He has the experience and deep knowledge in local government which is required as Secretary of the DILG. Secretary Mel is highly qualified and will be a solid asset to the administration,” he said.Davao City Rep. Karlo Alexei Nograles said: “I know him as someone who is level-headed, hardworking and highly principled. He is the best man for the job.”Eastern Samar Rep. Ben Evardone said it was a good thing that Eastern Visayas would be represented in the Cabinet: “Mel is very much qualified for the post,” he said

['Dj Yap', 'Gil C. Cabacungan']

2016-04-01 01:42:29+00:00

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/720418/sarmiento-vows-not-to-use-dilg-post-for-lp-in-2016-polls

Inquirer

CHR: Poll belies police claim on zero killings

Contrary to a claim of the Philippine National Police that there are no extrajudicial killings under the Duterte administration, the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) on Sunday pointed to a recent Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey that showed otherwise, based on the Filipinos’ perception of such killings under the government’s war on drugs.The CHR said not only did the SWS survey show majority of the Filipinos fearing of becoming victims of extrajudicial killings, it also showed they also believe that “poor suspects are killed, while rich and powerful ones are spared.”It added that such killings “encompass any killing by government forces as well as killings by any other groups or individuals which the government fails to investigate, prosecute and punish when it is in a position to do so,” as defined by former United Nations Special Rapporteur Philip Alston.“Limiting the [PNP’s] definition of EJKs [extrajudicial killings] based only on a focused operational definition provided in Administrative Order 35 would discount killings that are also perpetrated by state agents and non-state actors that remain uninvestigated,” the commission said.It added, “Thousands of deaths have been reported to be committed by both vigilante and police personnel during the ongoing anti-illegal drug operations. The commission maintains that killing must never be an option to solve the drug problem in the country.”Malacañang has defended the PNP against criticism arising from the police organization’s recent report that denied EJKs.“The PNP’s statement that there is no case of extrajudicial killing under the Duterte administration is based on the operational guidelines stated by Administrative Order [AO] 35,” Palace spokesman Ernesto Abella said in a statement.But the CHR said if there are cases of deaths during police operations that exhibit excessive use of force, it is imperative that the State launch effective and meaningful investigations of these alleged violations.“The usual reason of ‘nanlaban’ [suspects putting up a fight] does not justify the killings. Denying these allegations without observing due process of law would not yield substantial solution to the issue, but would just cultivate a culture of impunity within the ranks,” the commission added.A previous SWS survey also showed that 63 percent of Filipinos believe that drug suspects who were caught during the police’s anti-drug operations did not resist arrest but were still killed despite surrendering to the authorities.The CHR, however, welcomed the PNP’s commitment to clean up its ranks and file charges against rogue cops.GLEE JALEA

['The Manila Times']

2017-10-08 18:55:10+00:00

https://www.manilatimes.net/chr-poll-belies-police-claim-zero-killings/355335/

Manila Times

PCG recovers P564,000 giant Malay scorpions at Palawan pier

Some 376 pieces of giant Malay Scorpions were found inside an abandoned cargo at the pier in Palawan last Sunday, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) reported yesterday.The PCG said the scorpions were contained inside tin cans and packed in two boxes in one of the cargoes in Liminangcong Pier, Taytay, Palawan.Its estimated market value is P564,000.The discovery was made after a pier employee requested the assistance of Coast Guard Sub-station (CGSS) Liminangcong regarding the abandoned cargoes left at the pier’s holding area.The cargoes were declared to be containing cashew nuts and shipped by a certain “Marissa” supposedly via the Manila-bound “M/V Palawan Pearl.”After confiscation by the PCG, the scorpions were immediately turned over to the Palawan Council for Sustainable Development (PCSD) in El Nido, the lead agency for wildlife species, for proper disposition.

[]

16/12/2016 0:00

https://news.mb.com.ph/2016/12/16/pcg-recovers-p564000-giant-malay-scorpions-at-palawan-pier/

Manila Bulletin

Graft complaint filed against Abaya, 6 others

Three anticorruption groups counseled by former Metro Rail Transit Line 3 general manager Al Vitangcol III have filed a graft complaint against former Transportation Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya over the “non-operational” Chinese train coaches bought in 2014.The groups

['Vince F. Nonato']

2018-03-13 00:04:52+00:00

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/894697/graft-complaint-filed-against-abaya-6-others

Inquirer

Oil companies slash pump prices

After raising fuel prices for two straight weeks, oil companies slashed their rates Tuesday despite higher prices in the global market.Eastern Petroleum and Seaoil cut the prices of diesel and gasoline by 55 centavos per liter and 35 centavos per liter, respectively. The adjustment took effect at 12:01 a.m.Seaoil reduced the cost of gasoline by P1.20 per liter.Flying V, Phoenix Petroleum, Pilipinas Shell, Unioil and PTT Philippines also reduced the price of diesel by 55 centavos per liter and the price of gasoline by 35 centavos per liter. Flying V and Pilipinas Shell cut the price of kerosene by P1.20 per liter effective 6 a.m.The oil companies announced the price adjustment on Monday even as oil markets inched up as the US rig count slumped.Reports said Brent crude futures LCOc1 stood at $65.58 per barrel, up 9 cents while US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures CLc1 traded at $62.10 per barrel, up 6 cents. Jordeene Lagare

['The Manila Times']

2018-03-13 00:04:52+00:00

https://www.manilatimes.net/oil-companies-slash-pump-prices-2/385731/

Manila Times