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Duterte at it again, questions God’s fairness in Creation story

This time, President Duterte is questioning God’s fairness for creating the concept of original sin when he let Adam and Eve partake of the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden.“They were shamed by God, they were cast away from Paradise. They engaged in [sex] but with malice. Now I ask, is that a fair God?” the President said.Mr. Duterte made the remarks during the recent 117th anniversary celebration of the Office of the Solicitor General where he again challenged the tenets of Christianity.Launching into his retelling of the Creation story in the Book of Genesis, the President recounted how Adam and Eve came to be, sans the malice that came from the forbidden fruit.Mr. Duterte claimed that God told the snake to tempt Eve with a bite from the forbidden fruit, which he said to be an apple.“So the snake rubbed itself against Eve, the fool enjoyed it. She ate it. When she took the bite, and she felt earthly, there was malice. She looked at Adam and there was lust,” he said.Eve, he said, told Adam to take a bite as well, forming malice in the first man and woman.“They went at it and there was malice. Now I ask you, is that a fair God?” he asked. Last month, the President drew flak for calling God “stupid” for creating the concept of original sin in the Creation story in the Bible.

['Philippine Daily Inquirer']

14/03/2018 0:00

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1007871/duterte-at-it-again-questions-gods-fairness-in-creation-story

Inquirer

Ryan tells colleagues Pennsylvania race is ‘a wake-up call’

House Speaker Paul Ryan is privately warning Republicans of a “bit of a wake-up call” as Democrat Conor Lamb edged past the Republican in the Pennsylvania special election.Ryan told House Republicans on Wednesday they need to “get to work,” fundraise and not be caught off guard heading into a midterm campaign season where Democratic enthusiasm is real. That’s according to two people familiar with Ryan’s remarks, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to speak publicly.Publicly, Ryan was more upbeat, blaming the Pennsylvania outcome in a Trump-heavy district on Lamb’s centrist views. Ryan says, “you’re not going to see repeated” in November, as Republicans try to retain their majority.Ryan urged colleagues to tout the GOP-passed tax plan and remind voters that Democrats opposed it.

[]

14/03/2018 0:00

https://news.mb.com.ph/2018/03/14/ryan-tells-colleagues-pennsylvania-race-is-a-wake-up-call/

Manila Bulletin

Gov’t earmarks P30.8B to fill job vacancies

The government has earmarked P30.8 billion for the hiring of personnel to fill almost 87,000 vacant positions this year, according to the Department of Budget and Management.In a statement on Monday, the DBM said the funding shall come from the miscellaneous personnel benefits fund in the 2015 national budget.Citing the staffing summary of the 2015 National Expenditure Program, the DBM noted that 86 percent, or 1,244,931, of the 1,433,186 permanent positions in government agencies were already filled.But of the 188,255 available slots, only 86,994 could be filled this year, the DBM said.Of these vacancies, 44,602 are for teaching and nonteaching positions at the Department of Education, on top of 6,865 positions at state universities and colleges; 15,898 are for safety and security-related jobs at the Department of the Interior and Local Government, including the Bureau of Fire Protection, Bureau of Jail Management and Penology and the Philippine National Police; 5,780 positions at the Department of National Defense; 767 at the Department of Labor and Employment’s Technical Education and Skills Development Authority; 120 at the Commission on Higher Education; and 102 at the Department of Science and Technology’s Philippine Science High School.More teachers, nursesAlso to be filled are 4,179 vacancies in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao; 8,375 healthcare-related jobs at the Department of Health and 306 positions at the Veterans Memorial Medical Center.“The [Aquino] administration is committed to providing our people with job opportunities, especially during this period of robust growth, requiring the support of a skilled and able workforce. The national government needs to employ more teachers, nurses and other crucial personnel in order to maximize the delivery of social services,” Budget Secretary Florencio B. Abad said.“It’s in our best interest to fulfill the required job positions in the national government as they serve a twofold purpose. We give jobs to Filipinos who have the appropriate work skills and we ensure that our programs are carried out by suitable personnel. In doing so, we’re able to respond to the needs of all our countrymen,” Abad said.Also, the DBM said P16.7 billion had been allocated to create 65,204 positions at DepEd, DILG and DOH.

['Ben O. De Vera']

18/11/2017 0:00

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/686722/govt-earmarks-p30-8b-to-fill-job-vacancies

Inquirer

Through Church, drug war catharsis comes with tools for justice

It was raining on the night of June 7 when her 33-year-old son, Jose, was killed, “Cora” begins, her voice cracking. Around her, 16 other women listen to a tragic and familiar story.She was roused from sleep outside their house in Parola Compound, a community of informal settlers in impoverished Tondo, Manila. Police in plainclothes had seized Jose. He was shouting for his mother as they dragged him to an alley beyond her sight.Cora was whisked from the scene just as two gunshots pierced the air. It was 2 a.m. When she doubled back minutes later, she found Jose dead in a pool of blood and rainwater.In his right hand was a .38-caliber pistol. He fought back, police said. “Nanlaban.”FEATURED STORIESBut Cora recalls how Jose begged for his life before he was killed. “He was shouting for me to help him, that he was innocent,” she says, weeping. “And yet they shot him—those merciless policemen.”Cora’s anguish seems to bounce off the walls of a small room in a spiritual center in Manila, one of a few sanctuaries for survivors like herself. Here, the mothers and widows of men killed in the Duterte administration’s war on drugs try to come to terms with their loss in the course of the arduous journey toward healing.Central to these efforts is the Church, which is standing as liaison in view of state failure to address the survivors’ plight.More than providing spiritual support, the Church has mobilized civil society organizations to help meet their urgent need for psychological, financial and legal assistance.After all, healing means not just getting over their tragedy but also liberating themselves from victimhood.Filling the voidCora is one of dozens of women under the wing of activist priest Flavie Villanueva, who in 2016 launched a program to help the families of victims of extrajudicial killings (EJKs) in the drug war.Aptly called “Paghilom” (healing), it is one of several Church-led initiatives to help those whom Villanueva described as “at the peripheries of economy and faith.”It may be the only comprehensive institutional program for EJK survivors.Now ministering to its third batch, Paghilom is backed by human rights and private groups either tapped by Villanueva or that have volunteered to address five needs: food and healthcare, legal assistance, spirituality, education and livelihood.All these have to go together to truly be of help, says Edel Hernandez, executive director of Medical Action Group (MAG), which provides psychomedical help to the survivors.With the survivors stigmatized and without resources to “move on,” the goal is to empower them and provide them with the tools to rebuild their lives.In Cora’s batch are the mothers and wives from the high-profile Payatas “Tokhang” case in 2016 that won a landmark Supreme Court decision ordering the police to stay away from their homes, including Mariza Hamoy, mother of 17-year-old Darwin and one of three who filed murder charges against the “Davao Boys” from the Batasan police station, and Michelle Pineda, mother of 13-year-old Aldrinne who was shot dead by a policeman in a Tondo slaughterhouse.Opening the woundsThese are all compelling women but in their “safe space,” they are burdened by their shared narrative. Guided by psychiatrists and counselors, they tell their stories, play games, dine together — friends who found kinship in grief.At the program’s onset, MAG administers a psychological assessment test to determine the extent of the women’s trauma, which will serve as the basis for the sessions’ activities. The assessment also determines whether the women need further counseling or even medical prescriptions.The immediate need of most of the survivors is psychomedical intervention, says MAG program director Amy Abcede. In many, their loss results in mental and emotional anguish close to posttraumatic stress disorder: sleeplessness, severe anxiety, intermittent flashbacks.It’s why Mitos Kawata decided to seek refuge in Paghilom over a year after the death of her son, Hideyoshi, a graduating high school student. Hide, 17, was killed in her house at Barangay Bagong Barrio in January 2017 after allegedly confronting Caloocan police with an Uzi. The real target was her partner, Kawata says.After almost 18 months of moving from house to house across the metro in an attempt to flee the near-daily nightmare of gunshots, Kawata relented. She couldn’t stop thinking about her son. “I felt that he wouldn’t let me rest.”Even more worrisome is how the trauma manifests in children, like Hamoy’s son, Daniel, whose brother Darwin was killed along with three others in an alleged buy-bust in August 2016. The unexpected loss made Daniel, then only 6, prone to violence and fits of rage.Hamoy recalls being summoned by Daniel’s kindergarten teacher because he was always getting into fights and pulling the hair of his classmates.“We’re worried about him,” she sighs. “He always says he’d study hard to become a policeman. He says he wants to kill them all.”Healing processSuch feelings of anger can only be purged with the help of others, according to psychologist and session facilitator Nicolas Poblacion. “The survivors need to feel that they are not alone. That helps alleviate the pain and trauma.”The women consider one another sounding boards for their sorrow. On one Saturday, they sit in a bonfire circle as each recounts her story. Only a few manage without tears; the rest, like Cora, still ache at the memory.But the retelling is essential for catharsis, Poblacion says. They need to find emotional release in the comfort and audience of their fellow survivors.Meanwhile, children like Daniel engage in art therapy and games so that their grief would not turn into rage. But they prefer to run around during the sessions to observe their mothers. When the women weep during the sessions, so do the kids—an automatic response to a trauma that a mother and her child need to process together.With the program’s psychologists and legal partners, each survivor’s case is documented through affidavits and other supporting papers. The psychological harm suffered by each woman is assessed for when a reparations board, much like the one for martial law survivors, is formed in the future.But with mouths to feed, the women’s primary concern is money. Because most are unemployed or work odd jobs, Paghilom connects the families to sponsors that can provide scholarships and capital for livelihood.The women receive a travel allowance and groceries each session. “It’s challenging to be consistent,” Villanueva notes, adding: For healing to occur, they must not tire of returning.EmpowermentUnder Paghilom, 18 women in the first two batches have completed the four-month, 16-session “course.” Follow-up visits are conducted by coordinators from De La Salle University.Cora and the rest of the third batch are in their first two months. The goal is not for them to forget but to live through their “righteous indignation,” Poblacion says. “You can never take that away from them. But you want them to function so they can return to their normal life. You can only do that by shoring up their capacity to survive.”Ultimately, healing means the survivors’ empowerment—through assistance, education and the tools to pursue justice.“Once that happens, the cycle [of victimization] stops,” Hernandez says.Part 1: Healing wounds, finding a voice after nights of ‘nanlaban’Part 3: ‘Nanlaban’ victims unfazed by legal hurdles

[]

18/11/2017 0:00

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1012673/through-church-drug-war-catharsis-comes-with-tools-for-justice

Inquirer

‘Poe to run for President’

With Sen. Grace Poe virtually shutting the door on President Aquino’s overtures for her to team up with Interior Secretary Mar Roxas for a coalition ticket next year, senators close to the front-running presidential candidate are more certain she will run as independent.In a phone interview, Sen. Serge Osmeña said of Poe: “She is just dancing the fandango, she is just going through the motion, she has already made up her mind. She will run for President.”Sen. Vicente Sotto III said he had no doubt that Poe would run for President with her close friend, Sen. Francis Escudero, as her running mate.He said the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC) was to meet before the end of the month and would likely decide to support a Poe-Escudero team in the 2016 balloting.NPC members are waiting for Poe’s final decision on whether she will seek the presidency, he said. “Many of us will be supporting her. I, for one, (will support Poe),” Sotto said.Osmeña used to be one of Poe’s advisers and mentors when she ran as an independent for senator under Team P-Noy. But he said he had broken ties with Poe. “I disagreed with some of her moves,” he said. He declined to elaborate.In previous interviews, Osmeña suggested that Poe was not yet ripe to lead the country and that she was better off as Roxas’ running mate.Monday meeting with AquinoIn a text message to the Inquirer, Poe said: “We did not set another meeting but he (Aquino) said to keep the lines of communication open.”Poe said the meeting on Monday night in Malacañang lasted five hours and that she could “sense the very difficult position the President was in.”“I understand and sympathize with his predicament and situation. In the end, we both agreed to continue, in whatever capacity, striving and working for our countrymen and for the betterment of our children’s future,” she said.The President’s one-on-one meeting with Poe Monday night followed last week’s dinner with her, Roxas and Sen. Francis Escudero.Poe said Monday’s meeting with the President was “perhaps our last meeting before the Sona (State of the Nation Address) and … we both agreed that we both have the best interest of our country in mind in whatever decisions we will make in the coming days.”Aquino has said he would announce his administration’s presidential candidate after his Sona on July 27.Osmeña surveyThe Liberal Party (LP) is expected to announce Roxas as its standard-bearer after the Sona and the President will endorse Roxas a few days later.Osmeña said that based on a survey he commissioned, Poe would win even in a crowded race contrary to an analysis of House Majority Leader Neptali Gonzales II that Vice President Jejomar Binay would only lose if the administration fielded a single candidate.In his survey, Osmeña said Poe had a 37-percent share ahead of Binay’s 30 percent, Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte’s 17 percent and Roxas’ 11 percent.But Osmeña cautioned that the public preferences remained fluid and could change up to the final week or days of the election as shown in the 2010 presidential election.He noted that in the September 2009 survey, then Senator Aquino had a commanding 51-percent share in the survey with his closest rival, then Sen. Manuel Villar, with 20 percent. “By February, Aquino and Villar were statistically tied at 35 percent,” Osmeña said.He said the unpredictability of the surveys was more pronounced in the race for Vice President. He said Roxas was leading the race with a 49-percent share ahead of Sen. Loren Legarda with 30 percent and Binay with 12 percent just 15 weeks before Election Day.Sotto’s doubtsSotto expressed doubt that Poe would agree to run for Vice President next year because of her commitment to support Escudero.“I doubt it because I know for a fact that Senator Escudero is running as an independent vice-presidential candidate. I don’t think she would not want to support him. I think the commitment is to support him,” Sotto told reporters in a chance interview in Malacañang during President Aquino’s signing into law the Philippine Competition Act and the Liberalized Cabotage Law.Asked if a Poe-Escudero tandem was a done deal, Sotto replied: “That I do not know. Perhaps they are seriously considering it. That I know for a fact, seriously considering it.”Sotto earlier said Poe and Escudero were likely to get the support of the NPC. On Tuesday, he said that the NPC was to meet after the Sona.“We will discuss what will be the NPC’s position on the presidential and vice-presidential elections,” Sotto said.–

['Gil C. Cabacungan']

18/11/2017 0:00

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/706769/poe-to-run-for-president

Inquirer

100th Fatima anniversary commemorated in stamps

The 100th anniversary of Our Lady of Fatima would be celebrated this year in the Philippines with a special stamp.The Philippine Postal Corp. (PhilPost) had released four designs of Our Lady of Fatima stamps to mark the series of Marian apparitions to three shepherd children in Fatima, Portugal, a century ago.The website of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines said PhilPost printed 80,000 copies of the block of four stamps, which are in P12 denominations and would be available until Dec. 13 this year at the Central Post Office and post offices around the country.

['Philippine Daily Inquirer']

18/11/2017 0:00

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/960051/100th-fatima-anniversary-commemorated-in-stamps

Inquirer

‘Pork’ prosecutors: Outnumbered, but not outgunned

“It’s a prosecutor’s dream case, and a defense nightmare,” said Deputy Ombudsman for Luzon Gerard Mosquera, of the cases involving the pork barrel scam, which has implicated several high-profile politicians and lawmakers, among them Senators Juan Ponce Enrile, Bong Revilla and Jinggoy Estrada.Despite the online bashing that the team constantly endures from a public impatient with the glacial pace of court proceedings, the head of the prosecution panel said he believed “the case will be won based on evidence, and we have the evidence.”The particular challenge they have to face, said Christine Marallag-Batacan, a member of the Ombudsman’s team handling the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) scam cases, is “facing the high-caliber lawyers” of the powerful politicians involved in the cases, and being outclassed by the technology their well-funded adversaries have at their disposal.“Imagine facing three law firms that has at least three high-profile lawyers each,” Batacan said of the three-member prosecution team usually fielded at each hearing.“And while we (leaf through) our papers, these [defense lawyers] scroll down (their tablets) to read the pleadings,” she added.Spectacle“It’s quite a spectacle when you see (all those defense lawyers) in court. Sometimes the court just asks them to appoint a captain,” confirms Ryan Hartzell Balisacan of the intimidating scene that their outnumbered team contends with. At 31, Balisacan is one of the youngest member of the PDAF team.But while outnumbered, they are not outgunned, the Ombudsman’s team declared.They have in fact been winning points in the lopsided court battle to try one of the biggest corruption cases that this scandal-weary nation had ever seen.Some one and a half years since the start of proceedings, the 35-member PDAF team is counting on the strength of its evidence to cope with what is expected to be a tedious trial of eight graft, plunder and malversation cases against several accused.Already, the team had scored victories at the preliminary stage and bail hearings at the Sandiganbayan, where the alleged brains, businesswoman Janet Lim-Napoles and her cohorts, have been accused of funneling taxpayer money into bogus nongovernment organizations.Also on trial are Napoles’ alleged accomplices in government: Senators Enrile, Revilla Jr., and Jinggoy and five former members of the House of Representatives: Masbate Gov. Rizalina Seachon-Lanete, Edgar Valdez of the Association of Philippine Electric Cooperatives, Rodolfo Plaza of Agusan del Sur, Samuel Dangwa of Benguet, and Constantino Jaraula of Cagayan de Oro City.WinningOf the accused senators, only Enrile had been granted bail through the controversial Supreme Court ruling that cited humanitarian reasons for the exception from detention rules.Most recently, the Ombudsman won the antigraft court’s favor when the latter junked Estrada’s bail plea on Jan. 7, citing prosecution evidence that Estrada was alongside Napoles “at the apex of the PDAF scam.”“We’re winning these cases… The only incidents that had not gone the prosecution’s way were the motions to transfer the accused to a regular jail,” said Mosquera.“But, practically, 90 percent of the incidents have gone the prosecution’s way…Our evidence is strong, our witnesses are all complete, our documents are all intact. We have a very strong case, a good set of prosecutors and a good strategy,” he added.According to the website of the Office of the Ombudsman, the independent office headed by the stern former Supreme Court Associate Justice Conchita Carpio Morales, scored a75-percent conviction rate in cases it had handled as of September 2015.UnfairSuch relative success is a little known fact to the public, said Batacan, adding that people and the media could sometimes be unfair in judging the capabilities of government prosecutors.“It’s like the public is always too quick to judge against the prosecutors. Their general impression is [that] prosecutors are slow…but they don’t really see what happens in court,” added the acting director at one of the Ombudsman’s prosecution bureaus.“In the court, there will be arguments. When a justice states a ruling, it’s usually done in high pitch…and we cannot respond the same way. So for an observer, it might come off that the justice is angry. But (that’s) normal,” said Deputy Special Prosecutor Manuel Soriano Jr.But they understand how much the public wants to see results, the prosecutors added. And already, hearings on the PDAF cases are being held thrice a week, more frequently than other cases.“The public wants convictions because in their eyes, these (people) stole our money. But why are the cases taking too long?” asked Joefferson Toribio, another PDAF team member.“Sometimes, the delays are attributed to us when in fact it’s the usual judicial proceeding,” Toribio said, adding that the defense regularly files motions for delay in court.Personal costThe PDAF cases have also exacted a heavy personal cost from these mostly young team members.Soriano, a father of three, said he missed sharing quality time with his young family, while Batacan had to turn down friends’ invitations to book piso-fare flights. Most of the prosecutors also have to work through the night, on weekends and holidays to finish the pleadings and prepare for the hearings.“I’ve had so many sleepless nights, especially after reading the negative (media) reports,” said Soriano.Despite the hurt and the exhaustion, everything has been worth it, the team said.“I don’t want to be too melodramatic about it, but when you like what you’re doing, it doesn’t really feel like work,” said Balisacan, who took a massive pay cut after opting out of a private law firm.“No offense to those in the private sector, but here, our concept of ‘client’ is more amorphous. Because our client is the Republic of the Philippines,” he added.RELATED STORIES20 lawmakers tied to new P500M pork scamLifetime ban imposed on 12 execs tied to pork scamPork scam accused Janet, hubby face P60-M tax case

['Tarra Quismundo']

18/11/2017 0:00

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/756110/pork-prosecutors-outnumbered-but-not-outgunned

Inquirer

Negros drug suspect links more police officers to payola

A Negros Occidental-based drug suspect who claims to have delivered protection money to law enforcement personnel has implicated more policemen in the illegal drug trade.In a 19-page supplemental affidavit subscribed on March 10, Ricky Serenio elaborated on his Jan. 13 affidavit and named eight police officials and two purported agents of the National Bureau of Investigation.He claimed that they received from P40,000 to P200,000 per month.Serenio also said 35 kilograms of “shabu” (methamphetamine hydrochloride) were distributed monthly to eight cities and towns in Negros Occidental from the Berya group.These included 15 kg in Bacolod City, five kg each in the cities of Kabankalan and Cadiz, and two kg each in the cities of La Carlota, Silay, Talisay and Bago, and the town of Murcia.He reiterated his accusation in his first affidavit against Senior Supt. William Señoron, Negros Occidental police director, claiming that the official received P1.2 million monthly from drug lords in the province.Serenio, 34, accused Señoron of having received protection money from slain Iloilo drug lord Melvin Odicta when the police official headed the Regional Intelligence Unit of the Police Regional Office in Western Visayas based in Iloilo City.“I deny that. Those are all lies,” Señoron told the Inquirer in a telephone interview. He declined to elaborate.In his statement issued after Serenio came out with his first affidavit, Señoron said he was a victim of a “name and shame” strategy by those who wanted him out of the province.He also had said Serenio “allowed himself to be transformed into somebody else’s mad dog.”Police arrested Serenio on Jan. 7 for grave coercion and illegal possession of firearms and explosives. He was initially detained at the Talisay City police station.Citing security reasons, the Bacolod City Regional Trial Court Branch 54 ordered Serenio’s commitment to the Pulupundan municipal police station “under the care and custody” of the town’s mayor, Miguel Peña, and his father, Moises Padilla Mayor Magdaleno Peña, a consultant of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency.Serenio was recently released after posting bail.In his first affidavit, Serenio named 35 policemen and other law enforcement personnel as having received protection money from the Berya drug group, one of the largest in the province.

['Nestor P. Burgos Jr.']

18/11/2017 0:00

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/884339/negros-drug-suspect-links-more-police-officers-to-payola

Inquirer

Minister detained by armed guards escapes; corrupt INC practices bared

A loyal servant of the church all his life, 65-year-old Isaias Samson Jr., a second-generation minister of Iglesia ni Cristo (INC), found himself and his family captives in their own home on Thursday.His wife, who just had heart surgery, nearly passed out because of the tension as the couple and their only son were placed “under house arrest” in their townhouse in Tierre Bella, a Quezon City subdivision just behind the INC headquarters where the group housed its ministers.The family was under the constant watch of armed guards, some carrying high-powered firearms. (Samson did not disclose the names of his wife and son for security reasons).“It was torture actually. We didn’t know what was going on outside, what they planned to do,” Samson said.“INC people have been trained to obey and follow the word of God, and if ever a member of the INC has committed an error or mistake, the immediate thing to do is to repent, change his way of life. But that’s not what’s happening now, in what I’ve seen to be the work of the Sanggunian,” he said in Filipino, referring to the INC governing body, the elders’ council.Samson surfaced in a hastily called press conference in Manila on Thursday evening and detailed his weeklong ordeal at the hands of certain members of the INC Sanggunian.Ministers kidnappedHe confirmed the reported kidnapping of at least 10 INC ministers in a fast-escalating power struggle within the group, tagging military and police officials (as the culprits) in the ministers’ detention.Samson, suspended last week and removed as editor in chief of the INC’s official publication, Pasugo (God’s Message), also confirmed unrest within what had been long known as a tight-knit congregation, with many harboring “resentment” toward leaders for questionable financial practices.His disclosures came just after Cristina “Tenny” Villanueva Manalo, widow of the late INC Executive Minister Eraño Manalo, and son Felix Nathaniel “Angel” Villanueva Manalo posted a video on YouTube pleading for help.“They took our cell phones, the computer in my office, they took our passports and laptop,” Samson said.His detention began after the Sanggunian accused him of writing damning articles against INC under the name Antonio Ebangelista, whose blog posts about alleged wrongdoings in INC have been making the rounds of social media.Samson denied any knowledge of the articles.He said he believed he was also among those “taken,” as he had several times expressed his opposition to the decisions of INC’s general auditor, Glicerio Santos Jr.The decrees of Santos and other INC officials, particularly activities involving members’ donations, had drawn protests from several ministers, he said.“They saw the wrongs that were happening, that’s why some ministers had resentment [against certain officials],” Samson said.In INC’s outreach programs, for instance, including activities held for the benefit of victims of the 2013 Supertyphoon “Yolanda,” Samson said ministers and other workers (those ranked below minister) complained about being charged extra: for shirts in one activity, and for sacks of rice in another.Asked for a ballpark figure, Samson said “it could” be in the millions of pesos.On Saturday, the second day of his detention, Samson said certain officials also forced him “to do an interview” and deny allegations that the expelled Manalos had made public.“They wanted me to say that the statements (of Angel and Tenny Manalo) made were not true and that the abductions of ministers were also not true,” he said.It was not clear if doing so was a ticket to his freedom. But he said he refused because he could not tell lies.Escape from detentionThe family began to think of ways to escape, he said. “But it was hard because I saw ministers and officials around our house until 2:30 a.m.,” he said.With nothing else he could do, he said he and his family turned to prayer, and their prayer was answered.“As a minister of the Iglesia, I have faith in God. So we told our guards we wanted to go to church,” said Samson, who was born into the INC and followed the footsteps of his father, Isaias Sr., as a minister.His son drove the family out of their townhouse at 5:30 a.m. By some miracle, he said, they noticed that the guards were no longer following them. They decided to drive straight to a safe, undisclosed place.“If they did that to us, why can’t they do it to others? I know what they did was illegal detention,” Samson said.He said he could not serve under officials who peddled lies.“[They committed] kidnapping, grave threats. These are the reasons why I could not bear the thought that our brethren in the Iglesia could do that. I don’t know why they are doing that,” he said.“I love my role as a minister but I cannot serve if those above me are implementing things that are dishonest,” he said.Samson said he knew of at least 10 other ministers being held in different locations: several at the Rosalia Compound on Tandang Sora Avenue, and one minister, Lowell Menorca II, at the city jail in Dasmariñas, Cavite province.“Perhaps that’s one of the questionable things. How these people have this kind of power, that’s very dangerous,” he said.He said he could not believe that Tenny and Angel Manalo had been expelled: “Never in my life did I ever think that would happen,” he said.Asked whether there was an organized reform movement within the INC, Samson said he did not know.“I am a reformist but I am not a member of any group,” he said.He said he was currently taking care of his family’s security, but wary of going to authorities for protection.“You know, in this country, sometimes you want to trust someone, but you can’t be sure you can trust him. So we’re doing it our own way,” Samson said.He said his faith in the INC remains despite the turmoil.“INC is not bad. It’s just that there are some people who are doing these things,” he said.“I believe there is an end to everything, even evil. There’s justice from the Lord. He never sleeps,” he added.Power struggleOther INC members spoke about alleged mismanagement, corruption and bankruptcy under the leadership of Eduardo Manalo.An Inquirer source, who was privy to the affairs of the Manalo family, said the infighting among the heirs had been going on since the death of Eraño in 2009.The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Tenny and the five siblings of Eduardo resented their being “purged” from key positions in businesses ran by INC. Their allies were also removed, the source said.An INC source said Tenny and Angel tried to mount a “power play.”The source said the siblings accused Eduardo of pushing INC to the brink of bankruptcy with massive projects such as Philippine Arena, the $200-million cost of which was allegedly padded to give commissions and kickbacks to people close to the executive minister.President Aquino and Manalo inaugurated Philippine Arena on July 21 last year, a week before the INC celebrated its 100th anniversary.The 55,000-seat Philippine Arena, located in Ciudad de Victoria, a 140-hectare tourism zone in Santa Maria, Bulacan province, was declared the world’s largest indoor arena by Guinness World Records.It was supposed to be the venue of a concert in December last year by R&B star Chris Brown, which fell through because Brown allegedly lost his passport and could not come to the Philippines.P1B mansion?With INC’s finances in trouble since the completion of Philippine Arena last year, the source said, Eduardo sold off the group’s properties to cover losses caused by his bad business decisions.The source said the siblings believed Eduardo was receiving “bad advice” from ministers who were out to enrich themselves and remove his mother and siblings from INC’s institutional and business operations.According to the source, senior ministers received information that Eduardo bought a mansion worth P1 billion in an exclusive community in Makati City.The source said the mother and siblings and their loyal followers were threatened with expulsion from INC if they opposed Eduardo’s decisions.But an INC member who has access to Eduardo’s inner circle said ordinary members were unaffected by the family feud.“For ordinary members, the only person that matters is our leader, Ka Eduardo. Anybody who fights or disrespects our leader will be punished,” said the INC source.The source said Eduardo dealt with the controversy a few days ago, denying accusations of corruption and that INC was fast running out of cash.The source explained that the sale of properties did not mean INC was going bankrupt but that the group was putting the idle properties to more productive use.If INC was bankrupt, the source said, how could it afford to build more than 100 chapels all at the same time, with each structure costing at least P20 million?Another source said the authority of Eduardo was not under question, but the direction of INC was.“Many members feel that the temporal power of the church is being emphasized too much in contravention of Jesus Christ’s teaching that ‘My kingdom is not of this world.’ This would not have happened if Ka Erdy were alive,” said the source, a lay member who is privy to leadership matters in the group.The source said a number of senior ministers had also noticed how Eduardo and the INC’s 12-member elders’ council, the group’s highest advisory body, were disbursing members’ donations for activities not related to religion.Among those activities, the source said, was the construction of the Philippine Arena.Citing one of the INC’s basic teachings, the source said money donated to the group must be used only to finance church-related infrastructure like “imposing churches” and houses for retired ministers.“There was strong opposition to the construction of Philippine Arena. They were questioning why the church had to build an edifice that was not devoted to worship,” the source said.Philippine Arena is owned and operated by Maligaya Development Corp. (MDC).“While MDC is composed of church members, it’s still a private corporation whose intention is to earn profits,” said the source.RELATED STORIESINC leaders fighting over use of funds, building of PH Arena – sourceManalo kin held to cover up INC scam?

['Gil C. Cabacungan', 'Marlon Ramos', 'Tarra Quismundo']

18/11/2017 0:00

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/707346/minister-detained-by-armed-guards-escapes-corrupt-inc-practices-bared

Inquirer

Appeal to preserve Samar’s forests

An official of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) is calling on the people of Samar to help preserve Samar’s forests.Carlito Tuballa, DENR EasternVisayas Assistant Regional Director for Technical Services, issued the appeal following the confiscation of illegally cut timber in the island.Tuballa said that while apprehended timber was considered negligible, it underlines the fact that timber poaching could escalate if left alone.Tuballa said the participation of the public and other stakeholders is crucial in preserving Samar’s forests, because DENR cannot do it alone.He pointed out that the survival of the Philippine eagle and other wildlife in the area depends on the condition of the remaining forests in the island.Samar’s forests also have thousands of springs and rivers that are sources of potable water and irrigation.Tuballa said the destruction of the forests will impact on the island’s biodiversity and result in the disappearance of many wildlife.

[]

18/11/2017 0:00

https://news.mb.com.ph/2017/11/18/appeal-to-preserve-samars-forests/

Manila Bulletin

Imelda Marcos guilty of graft, ordered arrested

UpdateFormer first lady and Ilocos Norte Rep. Imelda Marcos has been found guilty of seven counts of graft by the Sandiganbayan’s Fifth Division.According to a decision by the anti-graft court on Friday, Marcos was sentenced to imprisonment of from six years and one month, up to 11 years for each count.This was for violating R. A. 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, when she transferred around $200 million to seven Swiss foundations during her term as a member of the defunct Batasang Pambansa, as Metro Manila Governor, and as then Minister of Human Settlements.Associate Justice Rafael Lagos of the Sandiganbayan’s Fifth Division also ordered the arrest of Marcos.The Marcoses did not attend the legal proceedings.The anti-graft court gave Imelda 30 days to explain her absence. She can still post bail for her temporary liberty as graft is a bailable case, the amount, however, has yet to be set by the court.If the Sandiganbayan’s decision is ruled with finality, she will be perpetually disqualified from holding any public office, although she can still continue her gubernatorial bid in Ilocos Norte as her camp can still file a motion for reconsideration.“Pwede niyang iakyat sa Supreme Court kung may nakita siyang grave abuse of discretion sa desisyon ng Sandiganbayan so hindi pa ho siya final and executory,” Assistant Special Prosecutor Ryan Quilala told reporters after the promulgation.According to Quilala, Mrs. Marcos, along with her late husband former president Ferdinand Marcos, allegedly took part in managing Swiss foundations, namely Maler, Rayby, Palmy, Azio-Verso-Vibur, Aguamina, Avertina-Xandy-Wintrop-Charis-Scholari-Valamao-Spinus and Banque Paribas-Gladiator-Mabari-Volubries-Cesar-Gardenia using fake names.The practice was disallowed under the 1973 Constitution.“Lahat po ‘yon, do’n binuksan sa Switzerland, actually silang mag-asawa ang nag-bukas. And makikita ninyo, para itago ‘yong account nang hindi natin makita, gumamit sila ng mga pseudonyms, si Presidente (Marcos) ang ginamit niya parang William Saunders, si Imelda Marcos ang ginamit niya Jane Ryan,” Quilala said.“But ‘yong mga pag-open ng accounts, lahat ng documents, pumipirma siya ng as Imelda Marcos,” he added.These were the last 10 pending criminal cases in Sandiganbayan against the former First Lady who was acquitted in three other cases involving local foundations, due to lack of concrete evidence.The cases were filed in 1991 (17287 to 17291), 1993 (19225), and 1995 (22867 to 22870), spanning around more than two decades, several presiding judges and prosecution members.The Marcoses, including their children Ilocos Sur Governor Imee Marcos and former Senator Bongbong Marcos, have been accused of massive graft and corruption cases during the Marcos administration from 1965 to 1986.The Presidential Commission on Good Governance (PCGG) has managed to recover P170.45 billion of the estimated $5 to $10 billion alleged Marcos ill-gotten wealth

['Gabriel Pabico Lalu']

14/10/2018 0:00

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1052073/sandigan-finds-imelda-marcos-guilty-of-7-graft-counts

Inquirer

‘K to 12’ challenged anew at SC

Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV and Magdalo party-list representatives Gary Alejano and Francis Ashley Acedillo filed on Wednesday a petition before the Supreme Court seeking to declare unconstitutional the government’s “K to 12” education program.In their petition, the three contended that the K to 12 program under Republic Act 10533 failed to comply with several provisions of the Constitution, including the right of the people and their organizations to consultation and participation at all levels of social, political and economic decision-making.They also claimed that representatives from the groups most affected by the program—particularly students, college instructors, teachers and non-academic personnel—were not invited to participate or to share their views and opinions during writing of the law.Named as respondents in the petition were Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr. and Education Secretary Armin Luistro.In the meantime, the petitioners asked the high court to issue a temporary restraining order or a preliminary injunction to stop or restrain the implementation of K to 12.The K to 12 program added two years to the four-year secondary-level education, resulting in a total of six years of secondary school—four years of junior high school and two years of senior high school. General education courses in college are to be integrated in the two years of senior high school.Trillanes, who cast the sole negative vote against the passage of RA 10533 in the Senate, told a press conference that the law must be suspended until an adequate and comprehensive study on the impact and effects of the implementation of the program can be undertaken.The three lawmaker petitioners, together with the members of the Coalition for K to 12 Suspension, will hold a protest against the program on Saturday at Liwasang Bonifacio in Manila.Their petition is the third to be filed before the high court against the K to 12 program.RELATED STORIESTrillanes, lawmakers file petition vs ‘ambitious’ K-12 programDrilon: Nothing wrong in K-12 law

['Jerome Aning']

2017-02-14 20:44:46+00:00

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/689754/k-to-12-challenged-anew-at-sc

Inquirer

SolGen says foundlings natural-born Filipinos

SOLICITOR General Florin Hilbay defended the rights of foundlings before the Supreme Court on Tuesday, asserting that Sen. Grace Poe was natural-born and, hence, qualified to run for public office.Maintaining his stand as counsel defending the Senate Electoral Tribunal’s (SET) ruling in favor of Poe in a separate case, Hilbay also held that Poe, a presidential candidate, satisfied the 10-year residency requirement, saying she had reestablished domicile in the Philippines in 2005.“Foundlings are natural-born citizens under all our Constitutions,” he said of the country’s 1935, 1973 and 1987 Charters.Specifically, the 1935 Constitution, which applies to the case of Poe who was born in 1968, had all the intent to consider foundlings natural-born Filipinos, even without an explicit provision, Hilbay said.Speaking as the “tribune of the people,” or in a case where the Solicitor General’s position is contrary from a government agency’s, Hilbay said framers of the 1935 Constitution saw “no more need to expressly declare foundlings Filipinos because they are already impliedly so recognized.”“In other words, the constitutional silence is fully explained in terms of linguistic efficiency and the avoidance of redundancy. The policy is clear: It is to recognize foundlings, as a class, as Filipinos… under the 1935 Constitution,” Hilbay said.Silently vocal“This inclusive policy is carried over into the 1973 and 1987 Constitution. It is appropriate to invoke a famous scholar as he was paraphrased by Chief Justice (Enrique) Fernando: ‘The Constitution is not silently silent, it is silently vocal,”’ said the Solicitor General.Hilbay took his turn to address the Supreme Court on the fifth round of oral arguments on Poe’s challenge to her disqualification. He was invited to speak despite his earlier refusal to represent the Commission on Elections (Comelec) in the case.The Solicitor General, the chief counsel for government agencies, holds a conflicting position from the Comelec, as he defends SET’s ruling that Poe is a natural-born Filipino. The separate case, which concerns Poe’s qualification for the 2013 senatorial race, is pending in the high court upon Rizalino David’s petition.The Comelec, through its two divisions and later, the entire commission, had disqualified Poe from the presidential race in December last year, ruling that she had committed material misrepresentation in her certificate of candidacy, as she declared she had the citizenship and residency requirements to run for the nation’s highest post.The poll body’s prompted Poe to go to high court, which issued two temporary restraining orders on the Comelec decisions. The case remains pending even as the Comelec began printing ballots for the May elections.History, social contextIn defending the status of Filipino foundlings, Hilbay urged the court not to commit the error of interpreting the Constitution “without reference to history, structure and social context.”“To deny foundlings the most fundamental of their political rights because their class is not expressly mentioned in the Constitution is a simplistic and lackadaisical way to interpret the Constitution,” he said.Hilbay was questioned by Associate Justice Teresita Leonardo-de Castro, who cited the absence of an explicit constitutional provision on foundlings.“Is it justified for us to impose on our people an interpretation which will supplement the text of the Constitution when there is nothing at all (about foundlings)?” De Castro said in an elevated tone. She said Hilbay was in effect asking the high court “to amend the Constitution.”To which Hilbay replied: “Not at all. Constitutional interpretation is the goal of every judge. The case is absolutely clear in favor of foundlings.”De Castro earlier made her position clear that Poe should not be regarded a natural-born citizen.Statistical probabilityHilbay cited statistics showing that nearly all children born in the Philippines were of Filipino parents.Between 1965 and 1975, the decade within which Poe was born, Hilbay said 661 Filipino children were born for every child born of foreign parents. He noted that a total of 15,986 foreigners were born in the country during the period compared with 10.558 million natural-born Filipinos.“This means that the statistical probability that any child born in the Philippines in that decade would be a natural-born Filipino is 99.83 percent,” Hilbay said in his opening statement.The figure was even higher from 2010 to 2014, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority, said Hilbay, when the ratio of non-Filipino children to natural-born Filipino children was 1:1,357. This means that 99.93 percent of births over those five years were of Filipino parents.Under Associate Justice Lucas Bersamin’s questioning later, Hilbay said these statistics on foundlings would indicate that Poe is a natural-born Filipino.Residency issueHilbay also supported Poe’s position that she had reestablished her domicile in the Philippines in 2005, thus meeting the 10-year residency requirement.Poe, a foundling left by unknown parents at a church in Jaro, Iloilo City, in 1968, was raised by the late actor and 2004 presidential candidate Fernando Poe Jr. and wife Susan Roces, an actress.Poe became an American in 2001, reacquired her Filipino citizenship in 2006 months after returning to the Philippines, and renounced her American allegiance in 2010.Hilbay said that when Poe returned to the Philippines for good after Fernando Poe’s death in December 2004, she had every intent to reestablish domicile here. For one, she had “uprooted” her children from their US schools and enrolled them in Manila, lived with her mother for a while then built a new house.“Based on these facts, the claim that she has been a resident of the Philippines for at least 10 years is a valid claim,” Hilbay said.Sereno questionsChief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno also zeroed in on the residency issue in her interpellation of Comelec Commissioner Arthur Lim.The Comelec has maintained that the reckoning year of Poe’s residency is 2006, as she had declared in her 2012 certificate of candidacy for the 2013 senatorial race that she would have been a resident of the Philippines “for six years and six months” by Election Day in 2013.By this reckoning, Poe would have only been a Philippine resident for nine years and six months by May 9, Election Day.Sereno pointed out to Lim that Poe had brought back her children, put them in Philippine schools, built a house and even informed the US postal service of their abandonment of their US address, and still: “You doubt her resolve, even after 11 years she’s still here?”After more than five hours, the Supreme Court adjourned Tuesday’s proceedings at 7:30 p.m., terminating oral arguments on Poe’s case.Sereno ordered the parties to file by Monday their memoranda wrapping up their arguments, after which the consolidated cases are deemed submitted for resolution.

['Tarra Quismundo']

2017-02-14 20:44:46+00:00

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/765430/solgen-says-foundlings-natural-born-filipinos

Inquirer

Japan vows support vs piracy, terrorism

JAPAN has expressed readiness to contribute to cooperation among the Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia in addressing piracy and terrorism, the Department of National Defense (DND) disclosed on Tuesday.According to the DND, Japanese Vice Minister for International Affairs Ro Manabe made the assurance during the Philippines-Japan ministerial meeting on February 10 in Tokyo.Undersecretary for Defense Policy Ricardo David Jr. and Manabe headed their respective delegations during the meeting that was convened for the fifth time.Joining them were Defense Assistant Secretary for Assessments and International Affairs Raymund Quilop and Philippine Navy commander Vice Admiral Ronald Joseph Mercado.Manabe also assured the Philippines of Japan’s support for Manila’s Chairmanship of Asean this year even as he reiterated Tokyo’s intention to promote defense cooperation with Asean member-states.Japan is ready to pursue deeper defense cooperation with the Philippines through exchanges and defense equipment transfer, according to the vice minister.Manabe has requested the Philippines to convey how Japan could best assist in curbing piracy and kidnapping in the three countries’ shared maritime areas.David acknowledged Japan’s contribution to the capability upgrade of Philippine defense forces specifically the lease of 5 TC-90 aircraft for maritime surveillance, the first two to be delivered in late March.Japan also provides capacity-building assistance particularly on humanitarian assistance and disaster response.David cited the need for the two countries to conclude a visiting forces pact as Japan has expressed interested to hold exercises with the Philippines.Prior to the meeting, the Japanese side had briefed the Philippine delegation on the latest developments in the South China Sea (West Philippine Sea], which Japan has monitored, assuring Manila that Tokyo will continue to share with the Philippines timely information specifically violations of the rule of law, in reference to the decision on a sea row between China and the Philippines issued by Permanent Court of Arbitration in July last year.

['Fernan Marasigan']

2017-02-14 20:44:46+00:00

https://www.manilatimes.net/japan-vows-support-vs-piracy-terrorism/312218/

Manila Times

Desperation builds for Marawi folk

Omalia Baunto keeps a desperate vigil for news of her husband, Nixon, trapped just a short walk away in brutal fighting between terrorists allied with the Islamic State (IS) group and government forces that has ruined Marawi City.Nixon, 40, has called her only twice since the terrorists rampaged through Marawi and laid siege to the city on May 23.He is among hundreds of civilians pinned down in pockets of Marawi that are controlled by the terrorists, and they are facing an onslaught of deadly threats including bombs, sniper fire, hunger and a lack of medical care.Dash to safetySome have made a 2-kilometer sprint to safety during the four weeks of conflict, risking being shot at by the militants, and Omalia waits every day at a secured government building nearby hoping her husband will run into her arms.“He told me last week that he was with four other men who were wounded. They were moving from house to house,” Omalia told the Inquirer.“I have not lost all hope and in my heart I believe he will return,” she said.“It’s really painful for me. I’m always scared he’ll be hit,” Omalia, 43, said in an interview with Agence France-Presse (AFP) on Wednesday.“He is too traumatized to escape. Even we on the outside are afraid because you don’t know which direction the bullets are coming from,” she said.The fighting began on May 23 when hundreds of terrorists from the Maute and Abu Sayyaf groups rampaged through Marawi, the most important Muslim city in the mainly Catholic Philippines, waving the black flags of IS, the jihadist group that is losing ground to allied forces in Iraq and Syria.They have since withstood a relentless, US-backed bombing campaign and intense ground battles with government troops that have left large parts of Marawi resembling devastated cities in war-torn Syria and Iraq.Human shieldsOne of the keys to their survival has been the trapped civilians, who are acting as human shields in stopping the military from completely destroying the small areas controlled by the gunmen.Even so, entire streets are now just full of rubble and the military’s bombs have not always hit their targets—with one strike going astray and killing 10 soldiers on May 31.Most of the city’s 200,000 residents fled during the early stages of the fighting.Authorities say anywhere between 300 and 1,700 civilians remain trapped in the terrorist-held areas.Snippets of survivalOmalia’s family was visiting a nearby town when the clashes began but Nixon returned to check on their home and their hardware store.Since then, Nixon has been able to call her only twice and report terrifying snippets of survival.“He hasn’t eaten. He hasn’t slept. A bomb here, an explosion there. He is getting weak,” she said at the provincial government office’s entrance, from where she could see military helicopters bomb terrorist-controlled areas.Twenty-six civilians have been confirmed killed in the fighting.But local officials and aid workers believe dozens more have likely died, with their corpses rotting in the terrorist-held areas, and that conditions are growing increasingly dire as food runs out.Eating boxes“Some residents are eating (cardboard) boxes. They just dip it in water to soften the material and eat it,” provincial crisis management committee spokesperson Zia Alonto Adiong told AFP, recounting testimonies from people who escaped.“It’s heartbreaking. It’s almost unbelievable to think that people are living this way,” he said.The military has also reported that the terrorists are using some civilians as slaves, making them cook and carry munitions.One survivor who escaped on Tuesday, Christian housepainter Nick Andeleg, 26, said he and his colleagues decided to flee after coming to the realization that waiting any longer would certainly lead to death.“We thought we were the only ones left trapped. We felt it was better to try escaping. If we died outside our house, at least we tried to save ourselves,” Andeleg told AFP as he recounted watching bombs destroy houses around him.“We hid anywhere we could. We’d go under all kinds of furniture: beds, cabinets, in the toilet. We were like rats hiding under anything we could find,” he said.Angry residentsPresident Duterte has declared martial law in Mindanao to resolve the crisis quickly, but the military has missed a June 12 deadline to expel the terrorists from the city and the fighting has entered its fourth week with no timetable for the city’s liberation.The displaced residents are angry with Mr. Duterte for what has happened to them and their city.“We [voted] for him because we thought he would bring peace,” Omalia said. “Now Marawi is in ruins. He has called in the tanks and airplanes bomb the homes we have built with our own sweat. When Marcos declared martial law, we were at least left in peace.”She was referring to the iron-fist rule of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos, who placed the entire Philippines under martial law to combat growing communist insurgency compounded by a Moro rebellion in the country’s south.Thousands of his political opponents were killed, arrested or went missing during his nearly 20-year rule, which ended in his downfall in a popular revolt in 1986. He died in exile three years later.TormentedOmalia Baunto, who has left her six children with her in-laws outside of Marawi, said she was determined to wait for her husband.She appeared tormented by the wait though, mumbling to herself while sitting alone sometimes, and asking unanswerable questions to others at the government building.“When is this crisis going to end?” she asked. “When will this chaos be over?”

['Jason Gutierrez']

2017-06-14 22:09:38+00:00

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/905961/desperation-builds-for-marawi-folk

Inquirer

Number of out-of-school Pinoys down – survey

ONE in every 10 Filipinos aged 6 to 24 is an out of school child and youth (OSCY), a government survey showed.Results of the 2016 Annual Poverty Indicators Survey (APIS) released by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) showed that 9.8 percent or 3.81 million of the estimated 38.97 million Filipinos 6 to 24 years old were not enrolled in schools.The number of OSCY is 68 percent lower than the 12.2 million reported in 2014.“In this report, OSCY refers to family members 6 to 14 years old who are not attending formal school; and family members 15 to 24 years old who are currently out of school, not gainfully employed, and have not finished college or post-secondary course,” the PSA explained.Based on the survey, 1.5 percent of children aged 6 to 11 were OSCYs.Of the 3.81 million OSCYs, 87.3 percent were 16 to 24 years old, 7.7 percent were 12 to 15 years old and 5 percent were 6 to 11 years old.A majority, or 42.3 percent, said marriage or family problems prevented them from going to school, while 20.2 percent cited the high cost of education.The survey also said there were more female OSCYs than males.The APIS is a nationwide survey conducted by the PSA. Around 11,000 sample households are covered in the survey nationwide. The survey is designed to provide non-income indicators related to poverty at the national level. It aims to gather data on the socio-economic profile of families and other information related to their living condition.Policy recommendation“The results of the 2016 APIS show the impact of the government’s thrust to improve education in the country,” said Land Bank of the Philippines market economist Guian Angelo Dumalagan.Comparing the latest survey to the 2014 APIS, Dumalagan noted that the number of OSCYs declined to 3.8 million in 2016 from 12.2 million two years ago “consistent with the country’s improving enrollment rates.”He said there was also a drop in the proportion of OSCY’s who cited “financial concern” as the key reason for not attending school. In 2014, 22.9 percent of OSCYs were not able to attend school because of high educational cost.“This ratio fell to 20.2 percent in 2016, suggesting an improvement in the relative affordability of education,” Dumalagan said.However, the LandBank economist said despite recent gains in the country’s educational system, some areas of improvement remain, particularly on the amount of encouragement or support families give to their children.In 2016, the proportion of OSCYs who cited “lack of personal interest” and “marriage/ family matters” as key reasons for not attending school increased to 19.7 percent (from 14.2 percent in 2014) and 42.3 percent (from 18.7 percent in 2014), respectively, he explained.Dumalagan said the rising share of these two reasons for not attending school suggests that there may be a need to initiate programs that would urge families to encourage their children to complete their education“These programs might be directed to lower income households, as this segment of the population is more prone to leave school due to family reasons or lack of interest,” he added.

['Mayvelin U. Caraballo']

2017-06-14 22:09:38+00:00

https://www.manilatimes.net/number-school-pinoys-survey-2/332746/

Manila Times

Moving on and moving forth

with daily in-class feeding programs, and other enrichment workshops for the parents, it is overwhelming to see how a dream is capable of materializing. A wise man once said, “If your plan is for one year, plant rice. If your plan is for ten years, plant trees. If your plan is for one hundred years, educate children” (Confucius). Through the hurdles and the humps, those words remind me every single day of how privileged we at MovEd are to be at the position to be able to join the country in making this difference in the lives of our future generation. That while years from now all we may possibly be in the lives of our past students is a memory, we know in our hearts that somehow, it will be a good one. Much more than that, our greater advocacy is to extend a platform to everyone out there looking for a worthwhile way to start to make a difference and to help out. Believe me, it doesn’t take much but it takes up a huge part of your heart. Because you are giving a child a gift that can never be taken from them. In the same way, you have become somewhat of a hero and enabler of goodwill in the life of a child whose life would otherwise not be as enriched.***For more inquiries on ways to help out MovEd, please visit www.moved.org.ph, send an e-mail to move.orgfoundationinc@gmail.com and/or call 552-7006 (weekdays: 9am to 5pm).

[]

21/04/2017 0:00

https://news.mb.com.ph/2017/04/21/moving-on-and-moving-forth/

Manila Bulletin

Village chief gunned down

Barangay Captain Orbilla Paa of Barangay Jan Julian Sur, Vigan City was gunned down by still unidentified assailants while driving his black Mio motorcycle along Quirino Boulevard in the neighboring village at 4 p.m. last Thursday, police said.Responding policemen found Paa sprawled on the road and bloodied from several bullet wounds. Probers also lifted five bullet casings for a .45-caliber gun at the crime scene.Mayor Juan Carlo Medina condemned the gunslaying of village chief and offered a P100,000 reward for any information leading to the identification of the killers.Probers gathered that the victim was shot from behind by gunmen riding another vehicle.

[]

23/02/2018 0:00

https://news.mb.com.ph/2018/02/23/village-chief-gunned-down/

Manila Bulletin

FULL TEXT: Aquino meets Inquirer Multimedia; tackles INC, love life, others

PRESIDENT BENIGNO S. AQUINO IIIRepublic of the PhilippinesMeeting with Inquirer MultimediaInquirer Head Office, Makati City08 September 2015TORRE DE MANILAMr. John Nery: Thank you, Secretary Coloma, and welcome again to ‘Meet Inquirer Multimedia.’ It is truly a great honor for us to host today the 15th President of the Philippines and also the fifth President of the Fifth Republic, marking his fifth year in office. Welcome to the Inquirer, Mr. President.We only have an hour for our forum. Let me get things started by asking you something about history, specifically, about Torre de Manila. As a, perhaps you would describe yourself as a victim of history before you became an actor in history, what is your personal position on the construction of Torre de Manila and its impact on the Rizal monument?PRESIDENT AQUINO: I went to Paris not too long ago and in Paris, I understand, they have a rule that talks about architecture to preserve the old society and the concept of Paris. So, on one hand, I do see merit with the idea that there should be that backdrop to Rizal’s monument that should preserve what we have always known. On the other hand, I have sworn to faithfully execute all the laws of the land, and the other side does pose a legitimate question. It seems they went through all of the processes. Zoning is a mandate of the local government unit. They seem to have—at this point in time—they seem to have gotten all of the permits, so how do we balance the two? And somebody who can come up with the correct solution that addresses the rights of all and the concerns of the country in terms of preserving—how shall I put it?—the sanctity of the people that we are supposed to be emulating is the endeavor that we should really have gotten into. And that’s why we really await how the courts will also decide as to how to balance each and everyone’s rights in this particular matter.READ: Aquino calls for ‘balanced solution’ over Torre de ManilaBANGSAMORO BASIC LAWNikko Dizon (Palace Reporter): Good afternoon, Mr. President, this is about the Bangsamoro Basic Law as usual. Sir, what’s the worst-case scenario if the diluted Bangsamoro law is passed or a Bangsamoro law is not passed at all during your term, sir?PRESIDENT AQUINO: Well, I did ask recently both the Senate President and the Speaker of the House and they both laid out, shall we say, some of the difficulties currently in passing the BBL but they both expressed confidence that the BBL will be passed. So, on the Executive’s portion, we would want to continue the engagement of our dialogue partners, specifically the MILF (Moro Islamic Liberation Front), and the programs through programs like Sajahatra. We want them to experience and the population, in general, in this region the benefits or the so-called peace dividends arising from this agreement.So, even absent the Bangsamoro law, we are hoping that Congress will support the initiatives that will shower these people with the peace dividends and get them further engaged in the process. Having said that, we will continue to lobby with members of Congress to pass the law during our watch and pass it at the earliest possible time, so that the new mode of governance will have the maximum time to show the effectivity or the efficacy of this new mode of governance.Ms. Dizon: Can I have a follow up? Sir, on the ground there is restlessness, and I myself am getting feedback that there could be, you know, people who might start a war again, all because they are not happy with what is happening. If war does break out, who is to blame for you, sir?PRESIDENT AQUINO: I don’t submit to the premise that war will break out. I don’t think there is any interest from the major players to re-engage in a bloody conflict. Having said that, there will be the spoilers who will want to exploit the current difficulties to show that their avowed aims of gaining what they want through violent means is the only way to go about it. So those of us who are advocating peace should really even redouble our efforts to thwart these groups who would want us to branch again into really a pointless conflict. So, who should be blamed? I think I’ll leave that up to the Filipino people who will have an opportunity in next year’s elections to gauge the merit, or lack of it, of the people who will propose themselves to lead various offices.READ: Aquino on Bangsamoro: I don’t think war will break outCHINADoris Dumlao (Business Reporter): What are your thoughts on the upcoming APEC meetings and do you expect to bring up China during the bilateral and other meetings?PRESIDENT AQUINO: China is a major economic player, and as far as the things that are happening in China currently, I’m sure all the other member countries, including the observer countries we will be inviting, will be curious to know what the plans of China are with regards to issues like the stock market, amongst other things—if there is tension with the so-called property bubble, the valuation of the Yuan, and so on and so forth. But we will be tackling mostly—it’s an economic conference, so economic issues will be at the forefront.Ms. Dumlao: Follow up, sir. Do you expect to bring up our case, the (West) Philippine Sea case, to the APEC meeting?PRESIDENT AQUINO: I think it will be more prudent for us to await the decision of the Arbitral [Tribunal] rather than engage them in this dialogue, which… I think we have already stated our positions through various fora. So, again, we will stress on the economy—economic issues—and, specifically, China’s major role in the world economy and things that are happening in the domestic scene as it impacts the rest of the world’s economy.ECONOMIC REFORMSMs. Dumlao: Last question, sir. Which of the economic reforms under your administration do you think will endure whoever is elected the next president?PRESIDENT AQUINO: I think all of them will endure because there is an end-result already that is easily demonstrable. Therefore, there is a truism that says ‘why fix something if it ain’t broke?’ There will be refinements and we welcome that. Perhaps there is sense of new conditions that will engender different specifics. But, at the end of the day, this formula has been shown to be a success and I think you do not tamper with things that are successful.INC PROTESTKristine Sabillo (Inquirer.Net): Good afternoon, Mr. President. The Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) protest is still fresh in the minds of the public. Could you share to us how it was actually resolved? Was there indeed an agreement? And have you been in touch with INC executive minister Eduardo Manalo?PRESIDENT AQUINO: I haven’t had the opportunity to talk to Ka Eduardo personally. We have liaisons that go back and forth between us. I did send the Executive Secretary to clearly state what the government’s positions were: that everybody’s rights will be protected and that… Let me just check with my memory. There were two points… But, in gist, what their spokesman said na ‘nagkaunawaan’ I think represents clearly what was achieved. There were groups out to create divisions, trying to exploit fears, etc. And we were able to clarify each other’s positions with regards to this matter. So we came to that agreement and they recalled all of their followers afterwards.READ: Government and Iglesia ni Cristo had an understandingMs. Sabillo: Sir, can you elaborate more on what you meant about the groups that were trying to divide the INC?PRESIDENT AQUINO: Klaro naman nakita natin sa EDSA, may mga tao doon hindi naman yata miyembro ng simbahan nila na nandoon, nagtatalumpati—mga kanya-kanyang agenda, kung ano-anong disgruntlement—so magtataka ka naman siguro medyo ang bilis naman yata nilang nag-react, na nakahanda na ‘yung kanilang mga talumpati, at makihalubilo at mag-contact doon sa mga nangangasiwa o namamahala ng protestang ‘yon. So parang naïve naman yata tayo kung sasabihin na napanood nila sa TV ‘yon at dali-daling nakipag-ugnayan sa lahat; so malamang ay bago pa lang ‘non marami na silang iminumungkahi. Wala akong pruweba sa kasalukuyan. May natanggap ang… May mga intelligence reports tayo bago ‘non na itong mga taong ito identified with various groups that have been opposed to us even before I started in office, who were participants in this particular event, trying to exploit it for their own and separate agenda.READ: Iglesia ni Cristo protesters occupy EdsaMs. Sabillo: Sir, final (question). So it was the assurance of the government that you would be handling the case fairly that made them call off the protest and there is no truth to the reports or rumors that there was an agreement about the case being eventually let go by the DOJ?PRESIDENT AQUINO: The case will stand or fall on its merits. And perhaps you can look at the affidavit of complaints, and you yourself, I think, can assess it even if you’re a non-lawyer—I’m assuming you’re a non-lawyer. Look at it and see whether or not it proves the accusation. Under our system of laws, the accuser has the burden of proof. So, (if) you accuse someone of doing something, you have to prove it. Does it exist in this affidavit of complaints or does it not?READ: Opinion: The Iglesia’s show of weaknessMr. Nery: Sir, if I may, if I may ask a question about that. When did you send Executive Secretary (Paquito) Ochoa to Ka Eduardo? The protest started on Thursday, August 27. Would you remember when?PRESIDENT AQUINO: Thursday, I think, we’re actually talking to the liaison between them and us. We had meetings. Medyo nag-me-merge na ‘yung lahat ‘nung araw na ‘yon, ano.(talks to someone… ‘Saturday or Sunday?’)Mr. Nery: Yes, sir. They left on Monday morning.PRESIDENT AQUINO: Saturday or Sunday? Probably, Sunday. Pero baka Saturday evening mayroon nang… Saturday or Sunday evening, we had a meeting in Pangarap. That was the time na ES was talking to some of their senior officials. Baka Sunday ‘yon.MAMASAPANO CLOSURELetty Jimenez-Magsanoc (Editor-in-Chief): Mr. President, I think the Mamasapano (incident) was sort of a ‘Waterloo’ for you, for your administration. I wonder if you have reached a closure because since you said “I’ll carry this to my grave,” you haven’t mentioned it at all, notably in your SONA. If there has been a closure, what was this? What event, what person, what insight—whatever?PRESIDENT AQUINO: ‘Yung ‘Waterloo’ refers to, ‘di ba, Napoleon’s defeat and after that he got exiled to St. Helena? He never came back and that’s where he died.Ms. Jimenez-Magsanoc: I know you’ve gotten out of the pits of ‘Waterloo…’PRESIDENT AQUINO: Do I have closure? I still have quite a number of questions, and there are various agencies of government tasked to ferret out the truth of exactly what happened in its entirety. There is an alternative version of events that happened there, which is undergoing very intense scrutiny. We are looking for witnesses that will prove or disprove certain observations. There is a case being filed specifically for the death of the members of SAF-55 and others and we’re…READ: Aquino on Mamasapano: No conclusion at this pointMs. Jimenez-Magsanoc: ’44.’PRESIDENT AQUINO: I’m referring to the (entire SAF) company that, well, most of those who died belong to, plus the civilians, etc. There is over a hundred, I think, that will be indicted over this. We are meeting probably by next week to get all of the specifics.Ms. Jimenez-Magsanoc: Over a hundred? So I understand you have already received the Mamasapano report—the DOJ-NBI report. Is that why you’re saying this? These people will be indicted based on those reports?PRESIDENT AQUINO: You know, I think I can… There is an alternative version of what transpired, and there is a picture that actually came out in the front page of the Inquirer that posed so many questions, and that is what we want to resolve; however, there is difficulty in getting the witnesses… I would rather not talk too deeply about the specifics because it might really hamper our efforts to get to the truth of this matter—the complete truth.DOTC PENALTIESJake Maderazo (DZIQ Station Manager): Thank you, sir, and good afternoon. Kay Secretary (Cesar) Purisima. There are newspaper and radio reports saying that DOTC is being asked to pay P7-billion in penalties regarding the LRT-1 extension contract and, of course, (Secretary Joseph Emilio) Abaya has denied this. But is there really sovereign guarantee on that contract, or at least, a government guarantee whether that’s true or not?SECRETARY PURISIMA: Well, that is the claim of the private sector proponent and that is going through discussions between DOTC and the private sector proponent. The DOTC, being the implementing agency together with the LRTA, carries with it national guarantee, but in this particular case, we did not issue a PU (performance undertaking) for that contract.Mr. Maderazo: So which means that we are not paying what they’re asking?PRESIDENT AQUINO: It is really under discussion right now so there are no conclusions…Mr. Maderazo: Arbitration?PRESIDENT AQUINO: No, not even arbitration. So, I think, they are in the preliminary discussions of the issue.ECONOMIC ACCOMPLISHMENTSRaul Marcelo (Business Editor): Good afternoon, Mr. President. I would just like to ask, to your mind, what would be the three most significant accomplishments of your administration on the economic front?PRESIDENT AQUINO: Well, baka naman dapat we should go further than that. I think, if there is one legacy that we will leave behind, from apathy to talagang vigorous involvement; from the idea na ‘we can’t do anything, let’s leave the country’ to ‘we can demand everything of government yesterday

['Inquirer.Net', 'Philippine Daily Inquirer']

2018-04-21 00:02:52+00:00

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/720403/full-text-president-aquino-meets-inquirer-multimedia

Inquirer

Maranaos favor AFP camp in Marawi

The people of Marawi are in favor of a plan of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to build a military camp in the city, a member of the task force overseeing the rehabilitation of Marawi said on Friday.In a Task Force Bangon Marawi news briefing in Malacañang, Toby Purisima, Office of Civil Defense assistant secretary, said feedback on the plan from consultations with the people of Marawi was generally favorable.“We have to remember, security measures are needed in the most affected area because of what happened in the past, the incident that resulted in the destruction of the most affected area [in Marawi],” Purisima added, referring to the siege of the city by the Maute terrorist group from May to October last year.“We really need security measures in the area. And based on our feedback during our consultations, the residents of the most affected area are in favor of the camp here,” he said.Purisima reiterated that the people of Marawi are not being bypassed on any step of the rehabilitation.On January 30, President Rodrigo Duterte led groundbreaking for the new military camp in Marawi.The 10-hectare camp will cost P400 million and will be developed in Barangay Kapataran.The AFP earlier said the military camp would deter another siege by terrorist groups.The Manila Times reported on February 26 that terrorists from Marawi are regrouping and that they may be gearing up for another attack elsewhere.Earlier this year, civilian group Ranaw Multi-Sectoral Movement opposed the government’s plan to build the camp, saying they are being ignored by the task force.The group said the rehabilitation of Marawi did not consider the presence of the residents who had been there for so long.“Plans have been made without our participation. Plans that neither bear the stamp of our will nor reflect our culture. Plans whose mechanics and implementation are not clear to us,” it said in a statement.According to the United Nations Refugee Agency, 353,921 individuals, or 77,179 families, were displaced from Marawi City and neighboring municipalities because of the five-month war.Duterte initially signed Proclamation 216, which declared martial law and suspended the writ of habeas corpus in Mindanao for 60 days on May 23, 2017, in order to stabilize the situation in Marawi.On July 22, martial law was then extended until the end of the year.On December 13, 2017, the last day of Congress, military rule was again extended for the whole of 2018 to speed up the rehabilitation and to stunt the regrouping of the terrorists.

['Ralph Villanueva']

2018-04-21 00:02:52+00:00

https://www.manilatimes.net/maranaos-favor-afp-camp-in-marawi/393755/

Manila Times

Sona promises: Has Aquino solved Metro Manila flooding problems?

Citing the onslaught of Tropical Storm “Ondoy” in 2009 that heavily flooded Metro Manila and nearby provinces, President Aquino in his 2013 State of the Nation Address (Sona) promised to allocate P6.2 billion for flood-control projects in the metropolis.The centerpiece project was the P560-million Blumentritt Interceptor Catchment, which could contain water equivalent to the contents of “14 Olympic-size swimming pools.”According to the Flood Control and Sewerage Management Office of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), the rate of subsidence of floodwater in Metro Manila during the first quarter of 2015 is 30 minutes to 1.5 hours after heavy rain.Below is the President’s flood control program and corresponding developments.***Promise: Remedying the problem of flooding in Metro Manila (Sona 2013)In the 2015 national budget, the government allocated P47.3 billion for flood-control and drainage projects across the country through the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH); P7.02 billion to improve carbon sequestration and flood reduction through the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR); and P276.9 million for flood control and sewerage management program through the MMDA.In 2014, the MMDA began upgrading and rehabilitating 12 old pumping stations in Metro Manila. The project was completed in the second quarter of 2015.In 2015, the DPWH allocated more than P8.48 billion for 360 projects in flood-prone areas in Metro Manila. Quezon City got the biggest funding, P1.47 billion, followed by Manila with P1.21 billion.READ: Effectiveness of P351-B Metro Manila flood control program being questionedAccording to its first quarter 2015 accomplishment report, the MMDA cleared 106,422 meters of drainage laterals, dredged and deepened 14,101 m of open waterways and desilted 3,350 m of drainage mains. But it fell short of the target outputs of 124,490 m, 20,411 m and 3,883 m for the three jobs for the period.On its operations and maintenance of 54 pumping stations in Metro Manila, the MMDA pumped out 6.582 cubic meters of floodwater and collected 2,343 cu m of garbage during the first quarter. But it failed to meet the target outputs of 11.777 cu m and 13,200 cu m for the two jobs for the period.The MMDA fabricated and installed 87 manhole covers and 60 steel gratings in the previous quarter, up from 42 manhole covers and 18 steel gratings installed during the same period in 2014.***Promise: Relocation of informal settlers (Sona 2013)As of October 2014, the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council provided 222,789 housing units to low-income families, or 63 percent more than its target of 136,859 for 2014.Also as of October 2014, the National Housing Authority provided 40,052 permanent housing units and 143,076 housing materials as assistance to calamity victims in 2011-2014. During that period, 1.59 million houses were either totally or partially destroyed by typhoons.READ: Metro Manila informal settlers***Promise: Filing of cases against people who closed or obstructed waterways (Sona 2013)In June, the MMDA warned that people caught dumping used grease and oil—which when hardened could clog drainage systems—into the drainage would be fined P2,000 to P5,000 or their business permits may be revoked.***Promise: Construction of the Blumentritt Interceptor Catchment (Sona 2013)According to the DPWH-NCR Maintenance Office, the construction is 80-percent complete as of July. Phases 1 (Laong Laan Street to the area between Dapitan and Piy Margal streets), 4 (M. Natividad Street-Aurora Avenue to Manila North Cemetery) and 5 (Blumentritt Avenue-Calamba Street to Laong Laan) are 100-percent complete, while Phases 2 (Manila North Cemetery on Calavite Street) and 3 (Javier Street to M. Natividad Street-Aurora Avenue) are 94- and 60-percent complete, respectively.The P560-million project, which started in July 2013, was supposed to be finished in 300 days. It is 3.3 kilometers long, 6-m wide and 3-m deep.READ: DPWH: Flood project delayed by Maynilad pipe work***Promise: Priority to relocate more than 19,400 families living along major waterways in Metro Manila (Sona 2013)As of July 2014, 25,000 informal settler families (ISFs) had been relocated to nearby provinces under the Oplan Likas (Lumikas para Iwas Kalamidad at Sakit) of the Department of the Interior and Local Government.As of October 2014, 52,391 housing units were completed. It was part of the P50-billion five-year housing program for 104,219 ISFs living near danger zones and major waterways that began in 2011. Sources: Official Gazette, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority, Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council, Department of Public Works and Highways, Department of the Interior and Local Government, and Inquirer Archives

['Rafael L. Antonio']

2016-10-14 21:25:10+00:00

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/707705/sona-promises-has-aquino-solved-metro-manila-flooding-problems

Inquirer

What to do in case of error in BPI account

With Bank of the Philippine Islands’ electronic banking channels—automated teller machines, mobile and web-based platforms—taken offline to correct an “internal data error,” here are what the bank and you could do, according to BPI senior vice president Cathy Santamaria:For clients whose accounts had been debited, BPI will make sure the paper loss will be reversed and automatically be fixed.For those who suddenly have bigger account balances than what’s due them, don’t touch the money because the excess amounts will automatically be removed or charged against these accounts.If you really don’t need your money, don’t panic. There’s no need to withdraw as the money is there. BPI assured that no one will lose money from this glitch.Don’t post any personal information or account information because that can be used by unscrupulous parties who may take advantage of this incident to obtain sensitive information from BPI account holders.Be vigilant. BPI does not ask for any information online so don’t give any information online for your own personal safety.Check issuances will have to be processed one-on-one within the branch.For those who feel there’s something wrong with their accounts, all of BPI’s over 800 branches are open and anyone who needs to withdraw can go to the nearest branch. Make sure that as you transact, get only the money that’s yours.

['Philippine Daily Inquirer']

2016-10-14 21:25:10+00:00

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/903529/what-to-do-in-case-of-error-in-bpi-account

Inquirer

US donates anti-terror equipment to PH Marines

DESPITE President Rodrigo Duterte’s continued attacks against the United States, even threatening to revoke an agreement that allows American forces to conduct activities in agreed locations inside Philippine military bases, the country’s long-time ally recently donated counter-terrorism equipment to the Philippine Marines.Three days before the conclusion of the 33rd joint military drill Philippines Amphibious Landing Exercise (Phiblex) on Tuesday, representatives from the US Embassy in the Philippines’ Joint US Military Assistance Group (Jusmag) delivered 24 pallets of new military equipment to the Philippine Marine Special Operations Group (Marsog) at Clark Air Base, Pampanga.The military equipment was turned over by US Army Maj. Anthony Nelson of Jusmag as part of a US government grant program aimed at assisting security forces conducting counter-terrorism operations.The equipment, for use in counter-terrorism and fast-boat operations, included tactical Harris radios, ballistic helmets and diving gear.“This equipment will help enhance the communications, situational awareness and protection of Philippine security forces actively engaged in counter-terrorism operations in southern Philippines. The Philippine Marines will also receive radio training as a part of the US grant program,” a statement from the US Embassy said.Besides the Marsog, the Philippine Coast Guard and the Philippine National Police-Special Action Force also received six pallets of the new communications equipment from the US government.Duterte had warned that Phiblex 33 would be the last in his six-year term even as he threatened to scrap the Philippines-US Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement or EDCA that was implemented by his predecessor.On Wednesday, the President stood firm on his decision to end the annual joint war games between the Philippines and the United States.In his speech during the 115th anniversary of the Philippine Coast Guard, he said he had told Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana “not to prepare anymore” for next year’s military exercises with the US.A major drill between the two long-standing allies is the “Balikatan” (shoulder-to-shoulder), which has been the cornerstone of Philippine-US military relations since the US bases in the Philippines were shut down more than two decades ago.Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio said only the US can stop China’s grip on the disputed South China Sea (West Philippine Sea).During the closing ceremony for Phiblex 33, Carpio said the Philippines should continue joint patrols with the US to protect its exclusive economic zone (EEZ) as mandated by the 1987 Constitution.“There is only one power on earth that can stop the Chinese from poaching in our EEZ. That is the US,” he added.Sen. Panfilo Lacson said the country would not be able to survive external threats without the US, disputing a statement made by Lorenzana that the country could do without Washington’s military support.

['Fernan Marasigan']

2016-10-14 21:25:10+00:00

https://www.manilatimes.net/us-donates-anti-terror-equipment-ph-marines/291298/

Manila Times

Duterte becomes emotional while visiting wounded soldiers

President Rodrigo Duterte turned emotional on Saturday as he read a letter handed over by one of 18 wounded soldiers he visited at the Camp Navarro General Hospital inside the Western Mindanao Command headquarters here.It was not clear what the letter said, but the President was visibly holding his tears as he was reading it.The letter was written by one of the children of Pfc. Charlie Shine Carinal of the 68th Infantry Battalion, who was wounded in Sumisip, Basilan on Friday during operations against the Abu Sayyaf.In an interview with reporters following his visit to the wounded soldiers, Duterte urged the Filipino people to help “take care of our soldiers.”“They give their lives to this republic,” Duterte said. “We must ease their sufferings and my work here is to visit them, give them some cash and brand new cellular phones.”It was the President’s fifth visit here. As in his previous visits, he also pinned medals to wounded soldiers and gave financial assistance to the families of three troopers killed in anti-Abu Sayyaf operations, which also took place in Sulu.The wounded soldiers got a total of P110,000 in financial assistance.Col. Restituto Padilla, the spokesperson of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), said each of the surviving families of slain soldiers got over P500,000 in financial assistance.The amount include the assistance of P200,000 from the AFP, along with P80,000 in funeral assistance.The President, he said, gave P250,000 from the Presidential Social Fund.“This is to assist families of our heroes,” Padilla said. “Over all, if you sum it up, the amount they are getting would be over P500,000 both from the units as well as from the commander in chief.”Padilla said Duterte was also reviewing the amount of assistance that both wounded and slain soldiers receive.“The President is advocating for an increase in the amount of the financial assistance being given to slain or wounded soldiers,” he said.

['Julie Alipala']

26/03/2018 0:00

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/854456/duterte-becomes-emotional-while-visiting-wounded-soldiers

Inquirer

LED-light kite wows ‘Earth Hour’ observers in Cavite

Hundreds of spectators in Cavite were enthralled as a huge kite operated by light emission diode (LED) soared the skies at the countdown of the 11th “Earth Hour” at the SM City mall here and local government units (LGUs) across the country on Saturday evening.Patrick Ballesteros, SM City Mall Dasmarinas assistant manager, said this year’s celebration calls for engagement of all peoples across nations to “connect to earth” and move collectively against climate change and the steep decline of nature, as biodiversity loss threatens the planet.Ballesteros added that the “Earth Hour” should not just be a one -time, big-time, once a year event but it should be every hour, everyday.The SM City Mall here has joined the annual “Earth Hour” through a kite-making workshop for children and adults and the night kite-flying using the LED in this Cavite skyline.At the SM city mall grounds, a stage was set up with the backdrop “Light up the Night” Earth Hour 2018 where a huge screen showed video streams of the Earth Hour observance in other countries, spiced up by an upbeat music.A disk jockey signaled the countdown and at exactly 8:30 p.m. the mall and surrounding areas were plunged into darkness until 9:30 p.m.Then the big kite, powered by LED colorful lights, was flown into the air as hundreds of mallers, shoppers, mall workers and the public watched with delight.Ballesteros said all 68 SM malls joined the nationwide observance with various events highlighting the call for everybody’s participation and concern to address global climate change.The yearly mall event is an initiative that sparks consciousness and creates awareness of the public in taking responsibility towards a sustainable future by a reduction of carbon emissions to the atmosphere and switching off the lights whether in commercial establishments and in the households for even an hour.Other Cavite malls, schools, business establishments and even jeepney drivers and Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) stations here joined in the hour-long lights out event by buzzing their horns and sounding the sirens along the highways.

[]

26/03/2018 0:00

https://news.mb.com.ph/2018/03/26/led-light-kite-wows-earth-hour-observers-in-cavite/

Manila Bulletin

PNP: No ‘state-sponsored killings’

The Philippine National Police (PNP) on Thursday denied that “state-sponsored killings” attend the government’s war on drugs as a recent resolution issued by the Supreme Court (SC) seemed to conclude.Chief Supt. John Bulalacao, PNP spokesman, said in a statement that the crackdown is “constitutional, legal and implemented in the interest of public safety.”“All allegations [on summary executions believed to be perpetrated by the police] are part of the healthy democracy that the country has,” he added.Bulalacao said the “presumption of regularity” in the conduct of the campaign against illegal drugs will be upheld unless proven otherwise in the courts.“Presumption of regularity means that policemen should not be questioned on their decision to kill a suspect because it is presumed that they do it on duty, [which response] was previously critici[zed],” he explained.Bulalacao said the Supreme Court should focus more on the millions of surrenderers, thousands of arrested drug suspects and policemen who died in drug operations rather than the almost 4,000 deaths in the campaign.According to him, there were 1.3 million who had surrendered and more than 120,000 who had been arrested.“If the claims on EJKs [extrajudicial killings] are true, then these surrenderers and arrested suspects should not be alive as well,” Bulalacao said.The SC resolution released on April 10 said the “government’s inclusion of these deaths among its other accomplishments may lead to the inference that these are state-sponsored killings.”It questioned the high number of deaths in the operations.The Supreme Court ordered the PNP on April 4 to submit data on the drug war covering July 1, 2016-November 27, 2017.It rejected Solicitor General Jose Calida’s motion for reconsideration of the order, saying it might affect national security.The PNP was visible in the drug campaign that was carried out through two programs: Oplan: Tokhang and Oplan: Double Barrel.It maintained that Oplan: Tokhang is a “bloodless program” that saw policemen pleading with drug suspects to surrender to authorities instead of fighting it out with the latter.On the other other hand, the PNP said Oplan: Double Barrel cannot be “bloodless” since there will be drug suspects who are likely to engage policemen in a gunfight.

['Roy Narra']

2018-04-13 00:08:08+00:00

https://www.manilatimes.net/pnp-no-state-sponsored-killings/392173/

Manila Times

DPWH exec indicted for purchase of public land

A former chief of legal services at the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has been indicted for graft over the payment of P24 million in 2001 for two expropriated properties that turned out to be public land.Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales said Oscar Abundo approved the payment of P24 million to the supposed owners of two lots in Nakar, General Santos City, despite knowing that the fund release document for the highway project was defective.The Commission on Audit reportedly found that the two lots sold in 2001 by the heirs of Mohamad Bin Abdurasak to the DPWH were owned by the state.State auditors also found that “the DPWH paid the second installment of the claim despite a discrepancy” in the Special Allotment Release Order (Saro), which mistakenly referred to the project as part of the Davao City-Bukidnon Road instead of the General Santos City-Koronadal Road.The Ombudsman said Abundo purposely did not correct the mistake in the Saro so the funds would not revert to the national coffers at the end of 2001.Investigators found that Abundo proposed the payment scheme for the lots and that he instructed the DPWH Region XI director to prepare the deed of sale. Abundo allegedly also instructed the regional director to hold on to the funds when the latter tried to return the voucher.Abundo also allegedly instructed the chief accountant to certify that funds were available to cover the P24 million payment.

['Dona Z. Pazzibugan']

01/05/2017 0:00

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/703715/dpwh-exec-indicted-for-purchase-of-public-land

Inquirer

Deal reached on US spending, govt shutdown likely averted

US congressional leaders have reached a deal on a federal spending bill which if passed by lawmakers this week will avert a government shutdown, a top lawmaker and congressional aides said late Sunday.The agreement would keep federal operations running through September 30, the end of the fiscal year.Congress is expected to vote in the coming days on the package, which aides said includes some $1.5 billion in funding for increased border security measures, but no funding for an actual wall.They also said it adds $2 billion in new funding for the National Institutes of Health, and is expected to increase military spending.Comprehensive details were not available Sunday as the measure had yet to be officially finalized and released. Lawmakers have until Friday to get new spending legislation to President Donald Trump’s desk.“This agreement is a good agreement for the American people, and takes the threat of a government shutdown off the table,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said in a statement.“The bill ensures taxpayer dollars aren’t used to fund an ineffective border wall, excludes poison pill riders, and increases investments in programs that the middle-class relies on, like medical research, education, and infrastructure.”Trump made building the wall one of the primary pledges of his presidential campaign, insisting it would begin within his first 100 days, a milestone that came and went on Saturday.Last week White House aides acknowledged the administration could wait until later this year or next year to consider funding for the wall.

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01/05/2017 0:00

https://news.mb.com.ph/2017/05/01/deal-reached-on-us-spending-govt-shutdown-likely-averted/

Manila Bulletin

SGLG awarded to LGU chiefs

Chief executives in the provincial, city and municipal levels celebrated recently their being recognized by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) which awarded them the prestigious Seal of Good Local Governance or SGLG.The Province of Bulacan has once again upheld the standards of transparency, integrity and service delivery as it bagged for the fourth time the 2017 SGLG during its awarding ceremonies for the Central and South Luzon Cluster held at The Manila Hotel, Manila last Friday.Governor Wilhelmino M. Sy-Alvarado said that the SGLG award is another milestone achieved by the province through the joint efforts of the government and its stakeholders.Bulacan is one of the 448 Local Government Units and 29 provinces that passed the criteria of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) the namely financial administration; disaster preparedness; social protection; peace and order; business-friendliness and competitiveness; environmental management; and tourism, culture and the arts.Likewise, the provincial government of Catanduanes, led by Gov. Joseph Cua, bagged its third SGLG this year, covering the four core areas namely Financial Administration, Disaster Preparedness, Social Protection and Peace and Order.The administration of Puerto Princesa City Mayor Lucilo R. Bayron was also accorded SGLG for the second straight year – a symbolic testament to his outstanding leadership and governance in the city.Aside from Bayron, 20 other local chief executives in Region 4-B or MIMAROPA (Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon and Palawan), were among the SGLG awardees.Quezon Gov. David C. Suarez also received the SGLG at the ceremony led by DILG Officer-in-Charge Catalino Cuy.The Southern Tagalog provinces of Laguna headed by Gov. Ramil L. Hernandez and Rizal led by Gov. R ebecca A. Ynares also received the 2017 SGLG as well as eight cities and 23 municipalities in the region known as CALABARZON (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon).

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28/11/2017 0:00

https://news.mb.com.ph/2017/11/28/sglg-awarded-to-lgu-chiefs/

Manila Bulletin

Drug suspects back on streets of Zambo City

More than 80 drug suspects are back on the streets of this city after they were ordered released by courts here.The inmates detained at the Zamboanga City Reformatory Center (ZCRC) in this city, most of them facing drug-related cases, have been ordered released by local courts here since last month after complaints that were filed against them were found to have been weak.ZCRC Jail Warden Chief Inspector Erwin Diaz said 71 inmates were released last month, while 18 have been freed this month, mostly for insufficiency of evidence.The suspects were arrested in October and November as part of Zamboanga police’s relentless implementation of Oplan Tokhang and Operation: Double Barrel in the city.Diaz said the drug suspects were immediately brought to the ZCRC after their arrests as they waited for the outcome of the charges filed against them in court for violation of the Dangerous Drugs Act.The warden noted that this was the main reason why the ZCRC became congested.While the courts in this city were releasing inmates, the police, on the other hand, continued to conduct daily operations, arresting more suspects in the war against illegal drugs.“More are entering the center, and less are going out,” said Diaz.

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11/11/2016 0:00

https://news.mb.com.ph/2016/11/11/drug-suspects-back-on-streets-of-zambo-city/

Manila Bulletin

100,000 Filipinos affected by data breach that hit airline

Updated @ 11:40, Nov. 10, 2018The personal data of over 100,000 Filipinos, including passport and credit card information, were compromised in a data breach at Hong Kong flag carrier Cathay Pacific Airways earlier this year.The National Privacy Commission (NPC) said the data breach was first detected in March and confirmed in May this year, but Cathay Pacific informed the NPC only on Oct. 25 that Filipinos were affected.“Among those fields taken were passenger name, nationality, date of birth, phone number, e-mail, credit card number, address, passport number, identity card number, frequent flyer membership number, customer service remarks and historical travel information,” the NPC said.102,209 affectedThe agency said a total of 102,209 Filipinos were affected in the data breach and the information in 35,700 passports and 144 credit cards were likely compromised.The extent of the data compromised varies for each person, but it was a breach that involved 9.4 million passengers worldwide, Cathay Pacific said.While the breach was found months earlier, the company claimed that it only determined “very recently” that Filipinos were also affected, the NPC said, citing the Cathay Pacific report.Apparent failure to report“On the surface, there appears to be a failure on the part of Cathay to report to this commission what it knew about the data breach at the time it confirmed unauthorized access, and what the affected data fields are,” the NPC said in an order dated Oct. 29 but released only on Saturday.Under the country’s Data Privacy Law, a company or agency needs to notify the NPC within 72 hours Cathay Pacific learned or even reasonably suspected that a data breach happened.Show cause orderThis notification is mandatory if the data could be used to enable data fraud, if it’s in the wrong hands, and if there’s a real serious harm to the person, the NPC said.Moreover, mandatory notification applies especially if the data is about the financial or economic situation of the person.The NPC has ordered the airline to explain why it should not be prosecuted under the Data Privacy Act, which imposes criminal liability for the failure to notify.The NPC asked the company to explain within 10 days why the airline should not be presumed to have failed to notify, which could make company officials criminally liable.The NPC also told the company to submit within five days further information on measures that have been taken to address the breach.Hong Kong also involvedFrancis Acero, NPC division chief for complaints and investigations, told the Inquirer the airline would be given sufficient time to respond.“[But] we don’t know when they received [the order]. We’ll let the process take its course,” he said.Aside from the NPC, the Hong Kong government is also demanding more answers from the airline.The Hong Kong government expressed on Oct. 26 its serious concern about the incident and ordered the airline to cooperate with its privacy agency.The airline came under fire from the Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data, for not disclosing the problem until more than half a year later, according to the South China Morning Post.The newspapers quoted the airline as saying that it would “cooperate fully with authorities” and that it was in the process of contacting affected passengers.

['Roy Stephen C. Canivel']

2016-08-17 06:44:38+08:00

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1052542/cathay-breach-compromises-data-of-over-100000-filipinos

Inquirer

Burger King ordered to regularize workers

AT least 44 store-branches in Metro Manila of one of the leading hamburgers chains in the country have been found violating the Department of Labor and Employment’s (DoLE) guidelines on work contracting and were meted out corresponding compensatory penalties.Based on the findings of the DoLE’s labor laws compliance officers (LLOs), Burger King or Perf Restaurants Inc. and its five contractors were found engaged in prohibited labor-only contracting activities, in violation of labor laws and occupational safety and health standards.The findings prompted the DoLE-National Capital Region (Metro Manila) office to immediately issue a compliance order, directing Burger King and its five contractors to regularize the affected 704 workers, who have been performing activities that are directly related to the main business and operation of the food chain.Burger King and its contractors were also told by the DoLE to immediately issue appointment letters and payroll reflecting the entitlements of the affected workers as regular employees.In a report submitted to Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello 3rd, one of the company’s contractors — Fusion Integrated Service Cooperative — provides employment contracts to workers with probationary status without specifying the duration of their employment, a scheme that circumvents the right of workers to security of tenure.The principal and its four other contractors, meanwhile, have deployed workers, who are performing activities that are directly related to the main business operation of the food chain.The contractors also do not have substantial capital as the employees use the principal’s equipment and tools in the performance of their outsourced services.Non-compliance with the occupational safety and health standards was also noted with the principal and contactors found to be lacking trained safety personnel and certified first aider.Burger King was the second hamburger chain found engaged in labor-only contracting activities.Earlier, Jollibee Foods Corporation (JFC) and its contractors in nine branches in Miraropa were similarly penalized for the same violations, prompting the DoLE-Region 4B office to issue a compliance order directing the food company and its three contractors to regularize a total of 468 employees.The findings also prompted the DoLE-Region 4B office to immediately issue a compliance order, directing the JFC and its three contractors to regularize a total of 468 employees, who have been performing activities that are directly related to the main business operation of the food chain.The principal also exercises full authority in the performance of work of the outsourced employees.DoLE Department Order (DO) 174, or the Rules Implementing Articles 106-109 of the Labor Code, prohibits the following: labor-only contracting; farming out of work through “cabo”; contracting out of job or work through an in-house agency; contracting out of job or work through an in-house cooperative, which merely supplies workers to the principal; contracting out of a job or work by reason of a strike or lockout, whether actual or imminent; and contracting out of a job or work being performed by union members and such will interfere with, restrain or coerce employees in the exercise of their rights to self-organization as provided in Article 259 of the Labor Code, as amended.It also prohibits contractors and sub-contractors to require their employees to perform functions which are currently being performed by the regular employees of the principal; sign, as a precondition to employment or continued employment, an antedated resignation letter; a blank payroll; a waiver of labor standards including minimum wages and social or welfare benefits; or a quit claim releasing the principal or contractor from liability as to payment of future claims; or requirement for the employee to become a member of a cooperative; and repeated hiring of employees under an employment contract of short duration.

['William Depasupil']

2018-03-29 00:01:04+00:00

https://www.manilatimes.net/burger-king-ordered-to-regularize-workers/389133/

Manila Times

Poe, Roxas play blame game on MRT, traffic

Traffic, the Metro Rail Transit (MRT) and other transport woes took center stage when presidential contenders—Sen. Grace Poe and Liberal Party (LP) standard-bearer Mar Roxas—spoke on pressing issues in a forum on Wednesday night.“People deserve better. It’s a matter of vision, planning, execution and leadership that could have spelled the difference,” Poe said of the frequent breakdowns of the rickety MRT trains that had regularly stranded city commuters or left them stewing in traffic for hours.READ: Poe: ‘Dehumanizing traffic situation’ hurts health, quality of lifeSpeaking before graduates of three American business schools, Poe said Roxas could have done more when he was head of the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC).In his remarks later in the forum, Roxas said he was “confident [he] did all [he] could” given the situation at hand during his stint as DOTC chief from June 2011 to September 2012.The Wharton School of Economics graduate said the “original sin” behind the MRT problem was the build-lease-transfer contract between the Ramos administration and a private consortium led by Robert John Sobrepeña’s group, that Roxas described as “anomalous” because of its guaranteed 15-percent annual return and the provision that only the private builder and not the government could buy the trains.“Imagine buying a contract just to take them out of a cushy position. Where in the world can you see a 15-percent guaranteed return, dollar-denominated, for 25 years, come hell or high water? That is what we are trying to get out of,” Roxas said, adding that he would seek the abrogation of the MRT contract should he win as President in 2016.READ: Roxas to commuters caught in traffic: ‘I know the frustration’

['Christine O. Avendaño', 'Gil C. Cabacungan']

03/07/2017 0:00

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/742847/poe-roxas-play-blame-game-on-mrt-traffic

Inquirer

NAIA medics revive infant abandoned in trash bin

Paramedics at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) terminal 1 yesterday revived a newly-born boy discovered wrapped in a trash bin of a comfort room by a maintenance worker at the arrival area yesterday morning.Maricel Guliman said she initially noticed a young woman, aged around 22-30 going in and out of a cubicle of the women’s rest room.The woman, in blue leggings, white and blue shirt and blue shoulder bag, was last seen soaking toilet paper and a piece of cloth with water.Guliman said that a few minutes after the unidentified woman left, she inspected the cubicle and found fresh blood on the toilet bowl.Upon inspection of the trash bin, she said she spotted infant and promptly summoned security and medical personnel.NAIA doctors and nurses on duty managed to revive the already cyanotic infant, who suddenly made a good cry.Authorities are still reviewing surveillance camera footages to identify and track down the infant’s mother.

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03/07/2017 0:00

https://news.mb.com.ph/2017/07/03/naia-medics-revive-infant-abandoned-in-trash-bin/

Manila Bulletin

Duterte son, in-law to face senators

The Senate blue ribbon panel, which Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV last week called a “committee of exoneration,” has invited Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte of Davao City and his brother-in-law, Manases Carpio, to its hearing on the smuggling of P6.4 billion worth of “shabu” (crystal meth) into thecountry.The vice mayor, a son of President Rodrigo Duterte, and Carpio, a son-in-law of the President, said they would attend the Senate hearing scheduled for Sept. 7.“We commit to respect the invitation and attend the hearing,” they said.Whether the two will talk is another matter, as the President has advised them to stay “silent” at the Senate investigation.In a joint statement, the younger Duterte and Carpio said, “We duly recognize the coercive powers of the Senate of the Philippines as part of the legislative branch of the government and its authority to conduct an inquiry in aid of legislation.”Davao GroupThe vice mayor and Carpio are allegedly behind the so-called Davao Group that facilitates smuggling at the Bureau of Customs (BOC), including the 605 kilograms of shabu brought in from China in May.Sen. Richard Gordon, chair of the committee, told reporters on Monday that he had agreed to invite the younger Duterte and Carpio to the hearing, a move recognizing the motion of Trillanes to summon the two men.“We will summon so that can be finished immediately because I’m leaving for a meeting abroad,” Gordon said.Trillanes sought the invitation of the vice mayor and Carpio after customs “fixer” Mark Taguba II testified that the two men were said to be the “P,” or “Pulong,” and “Mance” his contacts claimed were behind the Davao Group at the BOC.Gordon said the committee hearing would also look into Sen. Panfilo Lacson’s privilege speech that identified BOC officials and employees who received “tara” (payola), alleged bribe givers and bagmen.Higher plane“If they are my sons, if they are my family, I expect them to be on a higher plane than any ordinary citizen and that they would be able to answer any quip … They should answer,” Gordon said of the younger Duterte and Carpio.On Friday, Taguba issued a statement clearing the vice mayor and Carpio of involvement in the smuggling of 605 kilograms of shabu from Xiamen.He issued the statement a day after he appeared in the committee hearing where he read alleged text messages between him and two members of the Davao Group that appeared to implicate the President’s son and son-in-law.Gordon and Trillanes clashed at the hearing when the latter called the panel a “comite de absuelto” (committee of exoneration) because it rebuffed his move to summon the two men.Gordon said he could not just summon anyone based on hearsay.Public pressureTrillanes on Monday said public outrage pushed Gordon to finally summon Vice Mayor Duterte and Carpio to the hearing.“Definitely, he felt the outrage because it’s obvious that he stalled and the public saw through that,” he told reporters.Trillanes said he would “prepare for their appearance” and find ways to “extract information” should the two men heed the President’s advice to stay silent.The President said on Saturday that he would advise his son to attend the Senate hearing and then invoke his right against self-incrimination if Trillanes asked questions.Advice“My advice to Pulong? Go there and when you arrive and he [asks] questions, just say, ‘I will not answer you. I’m invoking my right of silence because, even during the elections when my father was not yet President, you were already hitting us,’” the President said.“So, if you want evidence, Mr. Trilling, do not get it from the mouth of other people. Go somewhere else,” he added.Mr. Duterte said people invited by the Senate should not be afraid if senators threatened to cite them in contempt for not answering questions.“The process of the Senate has been degraded … It looks cheap now,” the President said.Carpio, a lawyer, last week belied the senator’s accusations, saying Trillanes was just a “rumormonger who happens to be a senator.”

['Christine O. Avendaño', 'Jocelyn R. Uy']

2016-04-13 22:08:12+08:00

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/927961/duterte-son-in-law-to-face-senators

Inquirer

Church doctrine on homosexuality remains, says priest

A ROMAN Catholic Church official on Monday said the call of Pope Francis for the Church and Christian communities to apologize for their treatment of gays and other groups throughout history did not mean a change in the Church doctrine on homosexuality.Fr. Jerome Secillano, executive secretary of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) Episcopal Commission on Public Affairs, said Francis’ statements expressing compassion for the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) community again showed his humility.“But it has to be emphasized that the Pope’s apology is not in any way related to the doctrine of the Church on homosexuality,” Secillano said in a text message to reporters on Monday.Respect, compassion“What the apology implies is that homosexuals should also be treated with respect, compassion and with high regard for their dignity as human beings,” he added.In an earlier pastoral statement, the CBCP expressed compassion for homosexuals and stressed that sexual attraction toward a person of the same sex was not a sin but “objectively disordered” in light of its understanding of marriage based on the catechism of the Catholic Church.‘Contrary to natural’In August last year, the CBCP president, Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas, stated in a pastoral letter that homosexual acts or practices were “contrary to the natural” and “hence, they are, from the perspective of natural law, gravely disordered and considered ‘sins gravely contrary to chastity.’”The pastoral statement was issued last year as LGBT activists pushed to have same-sex unions legalized, which would require a law to be passed in the Philippines where divorce and abortion are still illegal mainly due to Church pressure.

['Jocelyn R. Uy']

14/01/2017 0:00

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/792779/church-doctrine-on-homosexuality-remains-says-priest

Inquirer

Feast of Saint Arnold Janssen marked today

Feast masses will be celebrated at 9:30 a.m. and at 6 p.m. today in honor of Saint Arnold Janssen at the St. Arnold Janssen Shrine in Cainta, Rizal.A solemn procession will be held at 5 p.m.Saint Arnold was the founder of the missionary congregations Society of the Divine Word (1875), the Missionary Sisters Servants of the Holy Spirit, also known as the blue sisters because of the color of their habit (1889), and the Servants of the Holy Spirit of Perpetual Adoration, also known as the pink sisters (1896).The revered German saint worked for the unity of Christians, developed the apostolate of the press, and pioneered in sending women to foreign missions. A man of prayer, he began his ministry as a teacher and was known as a great devotee of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.Born in 1837 in Goch, Germany, he was ordained priest in 1861. He died in 1909 and was canonized by Saint John Paul II on Oct. 5, 2003. Today, there are more than 6,000 Divine Word missionaries working in at least 63 countries all over the world including the Philippines.

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14/01/2017 0:00

https://news.mb.com.ph/2017/01/14/feast-of-saint-arnold-janssen-marked-today/

Manila Bulletin

Houston-area media reporting fatalities from school shooting

area media citing unnamed law enforcement officials are reporting that there are fatalities following a shooting at a local high school Friday morning.Television station KHOU and the Houston Chronicle are citing unnamed federal, county and police officials following the shooting at Santa Fe High School, which went on lockdown around 8 a.m. The Associated Press has not been able to confirm the reports.The school district has confirmed an unspecified number of injuries but said it wouldn’t immediately release further details. Assistant Principal Cris Richardson said a suspect “has been arrested and secured.”“We hope the worst is over and I really can’t say any more about that because it would be pure speculation,” Richardson told media outlets at the scene.School officials said law enforcement officers were working to secure the building “and initiate all emergency management protocols to release and move students to another location.” Students from the high school were being transported to another location to reunite with their parents.One student told Houston television station KTRK in a telephone interview that a gunman came into her first-period art class and started shooting. The student said she saw one girl with blood on her leg as the class evacuated the room.“We thought it was a fire drill at first but really, the teacher said, ‘Start running,’” the student told the television station.The student said she didn’t get a good look at the shooter because she was running away. She said students escaped through a door at the back of the classroom.Authorities have not yet confirmed that report.Aerial footage from the scene showed students standing in a grassy field and three life-flight helicopters landing at the school in Santa Fe, a city of about 13,000 residents roughly 30 miles (48 kilometers) southeast of Houston.The U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives said it was responding to a shooting at the school.There was a large law enforcement response to the same school in February when it was placed on lockdown after students and teachers said they heard “popping sounds.” Santa Fe police swept the campus but found no threat.

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18/05/2018 0:00

https://news.mb.com.ph/2018/05/18/houston-area-media-reporting-fatalities-from-school-shooting/

Manila Bulletin

Not my job: minister defends himself in row over Macron aide

France’s interior minister insisted Monday that it wasn’t his job to inform judicial officials that a senior security aide who has often been seen during outings with President Emmanuel Macron beat up a May Day protester.Gerard Collomb, who was told about the incident the day after the protests, was testifying before a parliamentary commission hastily set up to find out why it took two-and-a-half months to open a judicial probe into the actions of an aide to Macron.Though the Elysee Palace knew about what Alexandre Benalla had done while embedded with police as an observer, the aide was able to keep his job. The Elysee said last week it was firing Benalla but that development only came about after the Le Monde newspaper identified the aide in a video of the incident published.The Elysee’s failure to act immediately has raised a series of questions about the actions of those close to Macron, who has yet to comment. It’s turning into one of the biggest political crises to hit Macron since he was elected president in May, 2017.French authorities are acting swiftly now. On Sunday, Benalla and four others including three ranking police officers, were handed preliminary charges regarding their actions during the events on May Day, which turned particularly violent with numerous shops and some cars damaged by ultra-left gangs.Much of Monday’s hearing centered on the chain of command. Collomb, who is in charge of France’s security forces, and the Paris police chief, said Benalla was not under their supervision.“I will remind you … that on May 2, I made sure that the president’s office as well as the police prefecture had been informed about Mr. Benalla’s doings,” Collomb said.“And so I thought, as the rule is in cases of misconduct, that adequate measures had been taken …. It was up to them to sanction it. And eventually to inform judicial authorities.”Laying out the sequence of events, Collomb said his top aide informed him on May 2 of a video showing Benalla beating up a protester and that both the president’s office and police chief had been informed.The minister said he was advised of the sanctions later that day. Benalla’s subsequent two-week suspension and his re-assigning to a desk job have been roundly viewed as inadequate.Like Collomb, Paris Police Chief Michel Delpuech told the committee that he failed to involve judicial officials because he thought the matter had been settled by the relevant authority.“I considered it falls to the initiative of officials in the hierarchy,” he said.The police chief denounced what he called “unhealthy cronyism” to explain Benalla’s apparent sway within France’s security apparatus.Benalla, he said, was a “known quantity” although he conceded he did not personally know him.However, both the interior minister and the police chief said that Benalla was among some 40 people present in the command room on the night of May 1, watching video screens of the police cleanup operation of the protests.

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23/07/2018 0:00

https://news.mb.com.ph/2018/07/23/not-my-job-minister-defends-himself-in-row-over-macron-aide/

Manila Bulletin

Youth urged to resist historical revisionism

The youth should not believe in the historical revisionism, especially on the tenure of Ferdinand Marcos as the country’s president.“I am urging my fellow youth not to subscribe to the negative brand of historical revisionism,” appealed James Peñas of the University of the Philippines Visayas (UP Visayas).“Instead of telling what happened, they are hiding lies,” Peñas told Manila Bulletin during a Friday protest rally in Iloilo City that marked the 46th anniversary of Marcos’ martial law.Since the start of 2016 election campaign, pages popped up on social media networking site Facebook that glorified the Marcos years.This was especially denounced by youth groups after Ferdinand “Bongbong”Marcos Jr. was the vice presidential running mate of the late Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago.But Peñas expressed optimism that some members of the youth have been enlightened and not easily believe what is being peddled online.Almost two weeks ago, the scheduled student forum featuring Ilocos Norte Governor Imee Marcos in Iloilo City was scrapped.This is as students and activists staged protest outside the campus of the Iloilo Science and Technology University (ISAT-U).Meanwhile, Friday’s protest outside the Iloilo Provincial Capitol drew left-leaning groups who burned an effigy of President Duterte.

[]

21/09/2018 0:00

https://news.mb.com.ph/2018/09/21/youth-urged-to-resist-historical-revisionism/

Manila Bulletin

Tens of thousands of Duterte supporters gather in Rizal Park

President Rodrigo Duterte’s supporters massed in the tens of thousands on Saturday to mark an alternative “people power” gathering and express support for the leader they said was maligned internationally for his war on drugs that has so far left more than 7,000 dead.Ironically, among those in the crowd were a group of loyal followers of dictator Ferdinand Marcos, whose brutal two-decade regime was ended by the 1986 Edsa People Power Revolution that forced him and his family into exile in Hawaii. The Marcoses were later allowed to return home and have since regained political clout.President Duterte recently allowed a hero’s burial for Marcos, and has expressed backing for his son and namesake, former Sen. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., who is contesting his narrow loss in last year’s vice presidential vote.For Bobby Brillante, spokesperson of the Mayor Rodrigo Roa Duterte National Executive Coordinating Council, their gathering merely coincided with the Edsa anniversary, which was being celebrated across town.“I think the celebrations complement each other because Feb. 25 was a celebration of freedom. We want to make sure that freedom and democracy will continue to stay,” Brillante said.Organizers claimed that the crowd had reached 800,000 people as of 9 p.m., but the police estimate was much lower at 215,000.Supporters were bussed in from all over Metro Manila and outside the capital as early as 4 p.m., carrying streamers in support of their 71-year-old idol.A group from Bacoor, Cavite, brought with them a poster that read: “Fight for law and order, support the administration of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte.”The program was hosted by Arnel Ignacio, a former comedian who was appointed to a government post and who led the crowd in chanting the President’s name.Other celebrities and performers spotted were Nina, Aiza Seguerra, Cesar Montano, Vehnee Saturno and Richard Merck. Sexy singer Mocha Uson, who was recently appointed to the government’s censors board, was expected to perform around midnight.The rally featured an interfaith prayer vigil and a concert through the night.Health Secretary Paulyn Ubial lauded President Duterte for prioritizing public health.“It was the first time in Philippine history that the health budget was higher than the defense budget,” she said to cheers from the crowd.“That is how much the President loves us Filipinos; he has full support for our health,” she added.Brillante said similar gatherings were also held in Cebu, Davao and Cagayan de Oro, with overseas Filipino workers conducting their own activities in other countries.He added that the rally was meant to be a “people’s expression of support rather than a political expression.”Among the groups invited were the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan, Friends of Rody Duterte, Kilusang Pagbabago, Hugpong Federalismo and other people’s organizations.Interior Undersecretary John Castriciones pointed out that the gathering was not meant to undermine the memory of the Edsa People Power Revolution 31 years ago, nor call for the President to put in place a “revolutionary government” as alleged by critics.Clamor for change“Edsa clamored for change. We are clamoring for change as well, but this is genuine change at the moment,” Castriciones said.“Edsa [was] successful in initiating change [but its] true spirit was betrayed. That’s the reason why we didn’t succeed in our pursuit for changes … It’s embarrassing that we were not able to achieve anything at all despite Edsa,” he said.Castriciones sought to dispel rumors of a “revolutionary government,” adding that the main objective of their activity was to consolidate the people’s support for the administration, especially in its fight against the “evils of society,” such as corruption, criminality, poverty and the illegal drug trade.“This is the only time we can really gather together. We are fighting a good fight and this is against the evil one. If we succeed, we will be able to pave the way for peace and order [toprevail], which is a precondition for us to achieve progress and development. If we’d like to attain genuine change, this is it,” he said.While maintaining that the event was devoid of any political color, Castriciones said that they “can’t stop any individual (from invoking) their principles about politics.” He was apparently referring to Marcos loyalists in the crowd.Forced attendance?But others in the crowd told the Inquirer their attendance was a prerequisite to the government’s Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino program.Mary Ann Bitara said that they “did not know” what the activity was about when they left at about noon Saturday in a convoy of around 30 vans.Teresita Castillo, on the other hand, said that while she supported the President, she was troubled by the antidrug campaign. She said did not believe the common theme among pro-Duterte social media pages that various groups were out to destabilize and take the reins of government.Castriciones stressed that the government wasn’t behind the vigilante killings, and urged young people to “open their minds and show their love for their country” by admitting to themselves that the drug problem had gone out of control.No martial lawThe gathering came a day after President Duterte shot down critics’ claims that he was preparing to place the country under martial law.“I don’t need to suspend the writ of habeas corpus, martial law … I don’t need that,” President Duterte said in Samal Island on Friday, where he presided over the turnover of a drug rehabilitation facility.“I will protect and defend the Constitution of the Philippines and the Filipino people,” he added.The President also urged the Catholic Church to stop spreading what he called were rumors, and challenged critics to make good their threat to remove him from office and send him to jail, by staging a coup d’etat or starting an impeachment proceeding.“Do all you can do,” he said. “I became President without a party, without money. Whose will was that, mine? It was God’s. So ask God himself why I am here,” Mr. Duterte said.

['Jovic Yee', 'Julie M. Aurelio']

10/05/2017 0:00

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/875379/tens-of-thousands-of-duterte-supporters-gather-in-rizal-park

Inquirer

Aquino leads standing ovation for ‘Tita Letty’

The night ended with a standing ovation for Philippine Daily Inquirer editor in chief Letty Jimenez-Magsanoc, honoring the journalist who devoted her life to the pursuit of truth for a better Philippines and had a heart big enough to love so many.President Aquino—flanked by Magsanoc’s husband, Carlitos Magsanoc, and daughter, Kara Magsanoc-Alikpala—led the crowd in applauding his “Tita Letty” at the close of her wake at Heritage Park in Taguig City on Tuesday night.Mr. Aquino said he called Magsanoc “tita” (aunt) because she was not only close to his mother but also because it was an honorific “we attach to the names of the people we hold in esteem.”The President did not hold back, pouring out his love, respect and admiration for Magsanoc, who, along with other women journalists during martial law, he said, “were seemingly braver than the men in standing up to the dictatorship.”“The high regard I had for her, combined with her lifelong profession, made it a little challenging to interact with her. In fact, I can probably count the number of times I was able to truly let what’s left of my hair down and speak more or less freely around her,” he said.“Tita Letty, after all, was first and foremost a journalist: She had a keen eye for a story, and that sixth sense that all exemplary journalists possess. I would be remiss if I failed to pay tribute to that aspect of her life tonight, particularly because it is so intertwined with the history of our country and the life of our family,” Mr. Aquino saidWhile at Mass hours before he learned Magsanoc had died, the President said he was in a reflective mood and thought of all the loved ones he had lost this year: his aunt, Passy Cojuangco-Teopaco; uncle Agapito “Butz” Aquino, and Bong Fuyonan, his security aide who succumbed to cancer.“You can imagine my shock when, during our ‘noche buena,’ the news came that Tita Letty had passed away,” Mr. Aquino said.‘Great storyteller’Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle heaped praises on Magsanoc in his homily during the Mass that he concelebrated earlier at the park with Fathers Jerry Orbos and Reynaldo Jimenez.Tagle called Magsanoc one of the “great storytellers” of the Philippines.“Those spreading gossip are increasing in number, while those who tell the real story are getting fewer and fewer,” Tagle said. “We are thankful that during our lifetime we were able to see great storytellers, including Letty. We are also thankful that during that time we became part of their stories, with the story of our lives having also been influenced by their storytelling.”Tagle said it was difficult to tell a story with the light of love. “It is dangerous, and maybe that’s why only a few are true storytellers.”To be a good storyteller is to tread on dangerous ground “for many stories are being suppressed,” Tagle said.“Many stories are forbidden. So a good storyteller gives voice to the voiceless. We thank God for Letty and we challenge every Filipino to live in solidarity, especially with the poor. Live in love and truth. Be a good storyteller and, deeper than that, be a good story of a good and honorable Filipino,” he said.An ‘institution’In his eulogy, President Aquino said he looked up to Magsanoc as an “institution.”“And with institutions, you tend to forget that they are also people, with a beginning and an end. Even if I knew she had a chronic condition, there was the belief that, like every other instance of her having an illness, she would bounce back—livelier and more feisty than ever. There was a period of disbelief, tinged with sadness for the passing of such an icon and friend,” he said.The Inquirer learned that the President’s eulogy for Magsanoc underwent at least three revisions, with the final version that he delivered finished around 9 p.m., two hours before he arrived at the sprawling garden of the Aerternum Chapel at Heritage Park.His devotion to Magsanoc was evident in his following the family’s plan for the last night of her wake, not imposing his own schedule and listening to all the other eulogies that came before and after his.It was a necrological service that was as classy and elegant as the woman being celebrated.The sharing of memories was accentuated with jazz performances by singer Richard Merk and a duet with his mother, Asia’s Queen of Jazz, Annie Brazil. The mother-and-son tandem was Magsanoc’s favorite.Folk rock singer Noel Cabangon also sang “Ang Buhay Nga Naman” and “Sa Ugoy ng Duyan,” which drew silent tears from the crowd.But before singing, Cabangon made the audience laugh with his Magsanoc moment.At one Inquirer Read-Along session, he said Magsanoc saw him and said to him: “You, you—you sing, ha!”“Of course, all I could say was ‘Yes, Ma’am!’” Cabangon said before strumming his guitar.President Aquino stayed well into the night.‘Stern taskmaster’Earlier, as he began his eulogy—with the gold urn containing Magsanoc’s ashes not far away from him—Mr. Aquino confessed he was “a little bit tense.”“Whenever it involves Tita Letty, I feel I am before a very stern taskmaster; we’re talking about an icon,” Mr. Aquino said.That it was another journalism icon, Cheche Lazaro, who emceed the necrological service added to his anxiety, the President said.“I think I have two mentors and two taskmasters that I have to do my best for tonight,” he quipped.Mr. Aquino said what snapped him out of his depression upon learning that Magsanoc died on Christmas Eve was his recollection of fond memories of her.“If you would ask me to describe her, the image of the famed German nuns at St. Scholastica or the Irish priests at Ateneo always comes to mind. I am sure all of us have had mentors and teachers we considered terrors. You know, I guess, what I mean, Tita Letty could give you the kind of look that would turn the blood in your veins to ice: at once direct, intimidating, and soul-searching. Every time she looked at me like that, I couldn’t help but think that a major sermon was in the offing,” he said.“Thankfully, that never happened. At some point, she would always break out either with a smile or a very infectious laughter. Of course, given the intensity of her signature look, it always took me a few seconds to realize that she was finally smiling—at which point I could finally relax and return the gesture,” he said.Heart of gold“For Tita Letty’s truest and deepest nature was of a nurturer with a heart of gold—a nurturer who was still tough precisely because she expected you to meet the challenge of her very high expectations,” the President said.Mr. Aquino made it clear that Magsanoc, or the rest of the Inquirer for that matter, did not have an “unlimited access” to him as a news source, even if he had interacted with Magsanoc more than any other journalist in his six-year administration.“Tita Letty was conscious that she represented the Fourth Estate—and I, the government and the nation’s interests. That kind of knowledge breeds tension in both parties: She, as a journalist, was always out for a scoop, and also always aware that friendliness must never become partisanship,” the President said.“On my part, as President, I am duty-bound not to play favorites with the press, and that furthermore, even as I have the duty to keep the public well and truly informed, I also have an obligation to ensure that this information is situated in its proper context,” he added.Limits of relationshipThe President emphasized that there was a clear demarcation between the personal and professional sides of his relationship with Magsanoc.But he said: “I can tell all of you: Tita Letty was always so human that it fostered respect, trust and, thus, closeness.”The President admitted that in his conversations with Magsanoc, he was “guarded” while she was “probing” but the dynamic did not foster conflict.“This, I can attribute to her consummate professionalism and, of course, her more nurturing side,” he said.As a journalist, the President noted, Magsanoc always wanted to do what was “right by the Filipino people” and ever so clearly “dedicated her entire life to the Philippines and its people.”Magsanoc was also one who always imparted lessons, whether in the newsroom or in an informal setting, he said.The President said that in fact, he was among the “privileged few” to learn from Magsanoc that there was more than one verse of the song “You Are My Sunshine.”They even witnessed “Tita Letty singing all four verses of the song after the state banquet for President Francois Hollande of France,” the President said.It seemed that Mr. Aquino had hoped for more times like this with Magsanoc, revealing that he had thought “June 30, 2016, would allow for a shift” in his relationship with the Inquirer’s top editor. “So that I would no longer have to be on my guard, and she would no longer need to call me Mr. President.”Living the Inquirer mottoFather Orbos, a columnist for the Inquirer, said that to her very last breath, Magsanoc embodied the newspaper’s motto—balanced news, fearless views.“She lived that motto as a person. [She was] very popular but driven; very knowledgeable but humble; very professional but very personal,” he said.For emcee Lazaro, Magsanoc remained an “icon” of Philippine journalism “for what she stood for, what she fought for and what she represented in the life of a journalist.”Knowing Magsanoc as someone who shunned awards and recognition, Lazaro said the tribute held in her honor was a “revenge of gratitude” of the people who wanted “to speak of her value as a person.”

['Nikko Dizon']

17/10/2017 0:00

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/751427/aquino-leads-standing-ovation-for-tita-letty

Inquirer

Alvarez named Datu by IPs in Tagum City

Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez has been adopted as a Datu by an indigenous community in Tagum City, according to the city’s information office.Alvarez was named ‘Dagkuan Datu, Dagkuan Punuan’ in a blessing ceremony held last week during the Kaimunan festival.The festival is the city’s IP thanksgiving celebration.Alvarez was named Datu in a blessing conducted by IPs in the city.“Nasayod ko nga kini nga posisyon pagka Datu, dili lang ni siya tawagon ka ug Datu. Naa ni’y mga kaakibat na responsibilidad ug obligasyon para sa tribu, para sa mga IPs (I’m aware that this position as Datu is not merely a title. This carries responsibility and obligation to our indigenous people),” a tribal leader said.

['Zaldy Tan']

17/10/2017 0:00

https://news.mb.com.ph/2017/10/17/alvarez-named-datu-by-ips-in-tagum-city/

Manila Bulletin

‘Barometer’ on renewed talks with Reds bared

DEATH and surrender are the only two options under which peace negotiations with communist rebels can be revived, according to President Rodrigo Duterte.In an interview with reporters after groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of Christine Villas housing project at Barangay Maria Cristina in Balo-i, Lanao del Norte, Duterte on Wednesday said that as of now, resumption of the peace talks is still out of reach.“The barometer is if they give up or [if] they are all dead. I do not have any choice. They are fighting the government. They’re killing the soldiers and policemen, so my order is also to kill them.”“What else can I do? My forces are already being killed,” Duterte said.The fight, however, may be over soon, according to the President.“If they all surrender tomorrow, [the conflict] is over. What could be the use of [force]? But as I see, they are still fighting. There are a lot left. But I know that they are already having a hard time because [their members] are already old and sick,” Duterte said.“Their leaders, their higher echelons, they are done. They are old. Their minds do not work like it used to before. But their members, they still are big in number,” he added.The President said the time is still not ripe for the resumption of the peace talks.“Not at this time. Maybe. Alongside with the mass surrenders is also the ferocity of those fighting,” Duterte noted.He said he ordered the military to reinvent the doctrine on detachments in highways.“My soldiers who are standing in the detachments just die so we are reconfiguring the movement of the forces. I told my soldiers to modify the detachments, except in population centers. In highways, I do not want [the current set-up] because they [communist forces] know how to [use their] snipers,” Duterte added.He said he is still not satisfied with the number of surrenderers, since there are a lot more left.Duterte “formally terminated” the peace talks with the communist rebels last November after signing Proclamation 360, after they “failed to show sincerity and commitment in pursuing genuine and meaningful peace negotiations as [they] engaged in acts of violence and hostilities.”Since then, he has flipped-flopped on his stand.Most recently, he got into a word war with Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF) founder Jose Maria “Joma” Sison, who earlier said he can command his troops to kill one soldier a day until the government revives the peace talks.Duterte then replied that he will order his soldiers to kill five NPA rebels for every soldier killed.

['Ralph Villanueva']

2018-03-02 00:02:04+00:00

https://www.manilatimes.net/barometer-renewed-talks-reds-bared/383438/

Manila Times

Faces of the News: James Harden

After pulling together one of the best statistical seasons in NBA history, James Harden gave doubters little to feast on in his bid for the MVP award.True enough, very few people held their breath before the Houston Rockets star was finally named the best individual performer of the season during a glamorous awards night.Harden joined Michael Jordan as the only players to average at least 20 points, eight assists, five rebounds and 1.7 steals in a season, and also led the league in scoring three-pointers and 50-point games with four, while helping the Rockets to an NBA-leading 65 wins.“The last four years have been like knocking on the door, knocking on the door. Now the moment is finally here,” Harden said. Harden beat Cleveland superstar LeBron James and New Orleans franchise player Anthony Davis for his first MVP award.

['Philippine Daily Inquirer']

2017-08-18 22:55:54+00:00

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1005776/faces-of-the-news-james-harden

Inquirer

Patricia Bautista accepted in WPP

The Department of Justice (DOJ) on Friday gave security and protection to Patricia Paz Bautista, estranged wife of Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairman Andres Bautista.In a press conference, Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre 2nd, told the media that they have accepted Bautista under provisional coverage of the Witness Protection Program (WPP).In Patricia’s 10-page affidavit, she accused her husband of having ill-gotten wealth because he declared only P176.3-million in his 2016 Statement of Assets Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN) even if he has assets worth P1-billion. She is also pushing for the division of their assets following their separation.Andres Bautista is now being investigated by the National Bureau of Investigation; the Presidential Commission on Good Government, which he headed and is facing impeachment raps.Under the WPP, Patricia is entitled to stay in a safe house, monthly allowance, security protection, hospitalization and medicines, and other privileges.“The provisional admission of Cruz-Bautista into the WPP was made in consideration of her safety and security as a potential witness,” Aguirre said.At present, Aguirre said that they are evaluating whether Patricia will soon be given full WPP coverage.“We wish to stress that before being provided with actual protection, security and/or benefits under the WPP, Cruz-Bautista must execute a Memorandum of Agreement stating that she came to the DOJ freely and voluntarily, with her lawyers, to seek her admission to the WPP,” the DOJ chief said.Aguirre did not mention the details of the death threats against Patricia. He also said that her children are not prohibited from seeking protection under the WPP in case they ask for the same.Patricia refused to answer questions from media as to the substance of the death threats she allegedly received and issues of morality hurled against her and whether or not Andres has gender problems.

['Jomar Canlas']

2017-08-18 22:55:54+00:00

https://www.manilatimes.net/patricia-bautista-accepted-wpp/345364/

Manila Times

Customs seizes Taiwan-bound softshell turtles

The Bureau of Customs (BOC) on Saturday seized Taiwan bound Chinese softshell turtles at a cargo warehouse in Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).The cargo, loaded with 123 live turtles mixed with live eels, was scheduled to leave Manila on Friday at 5p.m. when it was intercepted by Customs officials.BOC District III Collector Ramon Anquilan said the Customs Export Division personnel led by Rey Gatchalian discovered the contents of the cargo when it went through manual examination.Customs officials said the shipment was consigned to Jan Birt Co. Ltd. with address at 1F-1, No. 178. Sec. 1 Zhengxiao E. Rd. Zhongsheng District, Taipei City, and shipped by 3H enterprises Limited Inc. of 97 Panginay, Guiguinto, Bulacan.The turtles that reportedly originated from Pampanga have no Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) permits, which is a requirement prior to exportation.“These turtles aside from being endemic to China and Taiwan can also be farmed. They are usually harvested for food and folk remedy tonics. However, the continuous consumption and exploitation may cause its extinction,” Anquilan told reporters.The Chinese softshell turtles can also be found in the rice fields of Bulacan and Pampanga preying on rats, snakes, insects and other living things. The turtle species is considered an endangered species. Rice plants and other plant life are also included to the reptiles’ diet.The Chinese softshell turtles, according to BOC Commissioner Isidro Lapeña who went to NAIA after arriving from Davao, is one of the delicacies in Taiwan and China.The market price of the turtle ranges from $39 to $40 each.On October 26, Customs official seized a package bound for Sweden declared as sweet pastries but was found to contain a pit viper, four Philippine Cobras and 10 sailfin lizards.Also, seven pit vipers bound for China were intercepted after it went through x-ray examination.The pit vipers, Philippine Cobra and the sailfin lizards are considered endangered species.All wildlife specimens were properly turned over to the DENR, except the live eels which have DENR permit and were later allowed to be flown to Taiwan, Customs officials said.Lapeña said the BOC is also “committed to keeping our environmental resources by protecting our borders from all forms of smuggling and illegal activities.”

['Benjie Vergara']

2017-11-12 00:51:07+00:00

https://www.manilatimes.net/customs-seizes-taiwan-bound-softshell-turtles-2/362241/

Manila Times

Rizal’s self-portraits late 19th century’s selfies

It may interest the digital generation that Jose Rizal took two selfies without a cell phone or digicam.He did the next best thing in the late 19th century—he drew himself with a pencil on paper. The first selfie remains unlocated and is believed to have been one of the cultural casualties of the Battle of Manila in 1945. The other is in a museum north of Prague in the Czech Republic.If Rizal had a cell phone, he would have taken selfies. If Rizal had a cell phone, he would not have churned out the 25 volumes of writing that fueled the academic cottage industries more than a century after his death.Rizal is perhaps one of the most photographed historical figures of 19th-century Philippines.From his earliest photograph at age 13, when he was a schoolboy at Ateneo Municipal, to the time he was executed at 35 in Bagumbayan, the national hero left us with visual images from his youth to manhood, from indio to Filipino.Most reproduced photoHis most reproduced photo, the one from which all Rizal monuments throughout the archipelago are based, was taken by Enrique Debas in Madrid in 1890 when he was 29.It seems to have been Rizal’s favorite, among a handful of studio portraits taken while he was abroad, so he planned to publish this on the title page of his second novel, “El Filibusterismo” (1891), but he changed his mind to save on printing costs.While all of Rizal’s photographs are in black and white, we are fortunate that his portrait was painted by his friends Juan Luna, Felix Resurreccion Hidalgo and Telesforo Sucgang, providing us with a likeness in color.Rizal as teenagerWhat is not well known is that Rizal took two selfies.The first was drawn sometime in his last years as a high school student at Ateneo Municipal or his early years as a college student at the University of Santo Tomas.Teenaged Rizal posed shirtless in front of a mirror and drew an idealized self-portrait that has only survived in photographic reproductions because the original was lost or destroyed during the Battle of Manila in 1945.The second selfie is preserved in the South Bohemian Museum in Ceské Budejovice, in the Czech Republic. The existence of this selfie was first documented by the late former Philippine Ambassador to Switzerland Modesto Farolan in the mid-1960s.Blumentritt’s collectionIn the 1930s, the heirs of Ferdinand Blumentritt sold their father’s collection of Rizaliana to the National Library of the Philippines but kept a few souvenirs. These included the Rizal selfie and a sketch of Blumentritt by Juan Luna.The Rizal selfie was drawn for Blumentritt sometime in late November or early December 1886 when Rizal was 25 years old.After completing his medical studies in Madrid, Heidelberg and Paris, Rizal traveled around Europe with his friend Maximo Viola before he returned to the Philippines in the summer of 1887. The itinerary of this tour included five days in Litomerice, then part of Austria.‘Sketch of myself’Rizal was to meet his friend Blumentritt face to face for the first time in May 1887 so he sent this selfie ahead of his arrival, in a letter on Dec. 9, 1886, saying:“Enclosed is a sketch of myself that I am sending you as an advance. It is said that it has a certain resemblance to me, but I am not sure if it really has. As soon as I have a good photograph, I will send it to you. Those that I have are all retouched or badly taken.”To celebrate the friendship between the Czech Republic and the Philippines, a full documentation of the Blumentritt collection can be made available to Filipino scholars, or perhaps an exhibit of the originals in Manila will materialize soon.RELATED STORIESDid you know: Jose Rizal’s 152nd birth annversaryJose Rizal, my dream guy

['Ambeth R. Ocampo']

23/04/2018 0:00

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/699422/rizals-self-portraits-late-19th-centurys-selfies

Inquirer

Binay, allies deny engaging in politicking

Vice President Jejomar Binay on Saturday said he was not courting Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) for support in next year’s national elections when he spoke in favor of the bloc-voting sect’s mass action in Manila on Thursday.Binay said INC had not asked him for help and that he reacted as a “citizen” and as a “lawyer” when he called on Justice Secretary Leila de Lima to stop meddling in INC’s internal affairs.Invoking freedom of religion, INC launched a mass protest on Edsa in Manila to pressure the government into dropping a criminal complaint by an expelled minister against members of the sect’s governing council.Binay said the government should respect the separation of church and state.Senators Grace Poe, Francis Escudero and Ferdinand Marcos Jr. also spoke in favor of the INC mass action last week, and known allies of Binay were seen on Edsa late Friday as the sectarians massed to protest the acceptance of the complaint by the Department of Justice.Among those seen at the rally were Jose “Peping” Cojuangco, an uncle of President Aquino, and his wife, Margarita “Tingting” Cojuangco, who lost a run for the Senate as an opposition candidate in 2013.Also sighted was Council of Philippine Affairs head Pastor Saycon.The Cojuangcos and Saycon are allies of Binay, the opposition’s presidential candidate in next year’s elections.Following reports of their presence at the INC rally, Malacañang ordered government officials not to allow certain people to use the mass protest for their own political interests.But close monitoring apparently failed to stop vested interests from infiltrating the rally, the Palace said on Sunday.Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma said the statements of the Cojuangcos at the rally were identical to those of Binay.Saycon denied he tried to inflame passions at the rally to turn it into a “people power” revolt against the Aquino administration.“There is no talk about any destabilization nor any talk of ouster of anyone from power,” Saycon said on Saturday. “Remember, I helped P-Noy become President in 2010. Why will I do something to remove him from office?”Saycon argued that Edsa symbolized the free spirit of democracy and that any issue could be raised there by anyone.The Philippine National Police set up “control points” at the Edsa-Shaw Boulevard intersection to prevent “opportunists” from infiltrating the INC rally

['Juan Escandor Jr.']

2016-11-21 22:40:49+00:00

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/717802/binay-allies-deny-engaging-in-politicking

Inquirer

Justice chief 'fooling' public on death penalty

The House senior deputy minority leader has accused Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre 2nd of “misleading” the public in order to drum up support for death penalty.“Secretary Aguirre’s claim that death sentences are needed to implant fear in the hearts of hardened criminals has long been discredited by extensive social science research,” Lito Atienza Atienza, also Buhay party-list group representative, said in a statement on Monday.“Ample studies have demonstrated that people commit crimes largely in the heat of passion, such as in cases of road rage, or because they are under the influence of alcohol or drugs, or because they are mentally ill. These would-be criminals give little or no forethought to their actions, and won’t be discouraged by any fear of death,” Atienza added.He said the people who actually contemplate their crimes beforehand, such as professional killers, as well as syndicated drug traffickers, robbers, kidnappers and carjackers, intend and expect to avoid capture and punishment.Thus, the lawmaker said the best way to quash crime would be to guarantee the swift apprehension and imprisonment of felons, especially those hoping to get away.Aguirre earlier said the death penalty has to be restored to send a chilling message to criminals.“If the death penalty will be strictly enforced, there is no iota of doubt that this will instill the fear of death in the minds of would-be criminals. In this way, people with criminal minds would think twice before they commit offenses, especially heinous ones,” he added.Atienza, however, said the death penalty runs counter to the faith of most Filipinos.“More than 86 percent of Filipinos are Catholic, and our faith teaches us that every human being has the right to life, which is absolutely sacred,” he noted.Atienza warned that the country would be openly violating international treaties once Congress returns capital punishment.“We must stress that we are party to international agreements that expressly forbid executions and any form of cruel, inhumane and degrading punishment,” he said.The lawmaker said government would achieve far more in suppressing crime if it purged the justice system of crooked police officers, prosecutors, judges and prison officials.“Right now, police officers for instance are fighting crime with one hand practically tied behind their back, because many of their colleagues are either engaged in all sorts of criminal activities, or giving protection to felons, from drug traffickers to street snatchers,” Atienza added.He cited the latest case of five police officers involved in a brazen kidnapping and carjacking in Cagayan de Oro City (Misamis Oriental).The officers were caught on closed-circuit TV abducting a man who remains missing up to now.“Every day, we have reports of corrupt officers getting caught up in criminality. Thus, if we simply apprehended and put behind bars all the rotten officers, we would have fewer heinous crimes everywhere,” he pointed out.Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez earlier said he expects the House to pass the bill reviving the death penalty for heinous crimes before the Christmas recess.Alvarez himself authored the bill that seeks to mete out death sentences to offenders convicted of drug felonies, murder, rape, robbery, carjacking, kidnapping, bribery, plunder, parricide, infanticide, destructive arson, piracy and treason.Atienza, however, prefers that the same offenses be punished with imprisonment for 40 years, or until the convict reaches 70 years old, without the benefit of possible early release.Congress abolished capital punishment in 2006 as a result of mounting flaws, including belated discovery of the wrongful execution of Leo Echegaray.

['The Manila Times']

2016-11-21 22:40:49+00:00

https://www.manilatimes.net/justice-chief-fooling-public-death-penalty/297716/

Manila Times

WHAT WENT BEFORE: The AFP-RSBS fund scam

In 1999, the Senate blue ribbon committee recommended to government prosecutors to file charges against Brig. Gen. Jose Ramiscal Jr., former president of the Armed Forces of the Philippines-Retirement and Separation Benefits System (AFP-RSBS), for granting special favors to private investors, as a “willing patsy” for Gen. Lisandro Abadia, former AFP chief of staff, to enable them to use RSBS funds.The AFP-RSBS was established in 1976 as a pension fund for soldiers. It was funded from soldiers’ contributions.RSBS invested heavily in real estate, making itself vulnerable to the 1997 financial crisis.In 1998, RSBS losses called the attention of the Senate blue ribbon committee, which conducted an inquiry into the pension fund.The committee found that RSBS had favored certain companies and formed joint ventures with real estate companies headed by Abadia. The companies reportedly received P2 billion in loans from the RSBS.In September 2010, the Sandiganbayan arraigned Ramiscal on graft charges involving a P158-million land deal in General Santos City.Court records show that then South Cotabato Rep. Luwalhati Antonino filed graft charges in the Office of the Ombudsman against Ramiscal and 27 others in December 1997 over alleged grossly overpriced acquisition of a 15,020-square-meter property in the city.In her complaint, Antonino said Ramiscal and his coaccused bought the property, which was covered by 12 deeds of sale, at P10,500 per sq m.But when Nilo Flaviano, the lawyer for the lot owners, presented the transfer of certificates of titles to the Registry of Deeds in General Santos, the documents showed that the property was actually sold at only P3,000 per sq m.After conducting a preliminary investigation, the Ombudsman on Jan. 20, 1999, brought graft and falsification charges against Ramiscal and several others for shortchanging the government by close to P113 million in the land deal.In June 2011, the Sandiganbayan convicted Ramiscal and three other officials of RSBS of graft for disbursing P1.53 million for a property in Tanauan, Batangas, which was sold for only P227,460. The four officials were sentenced to six to 10 years’ imprisonment and directed to pay the AFP-RSBS P1.304 million.In July 2016, Ramiscal and five others were convicted of malversation through falsification for the execution of a fraudulent deed of sale to make it appear that RSBS paid P341.34 million for four parcels of land in Barrio Makiling, Calamba City, Laguna. The value of the land was declared to be only P91.02 million in the Bureau of Internal Revenue.In May 2017, the Sandiganbayan convicted Ramiscal anew, this time for graft over the irregular release of P24.2 million in advance payments to Bay Resources Development Corp. (Bradco) in December 1995.The funds were released to pay for taxes on the RSBS purchase of reclaimed land from Bradco, which was supposed to pay the taxes under the sale agreement.

['Inquirer Research']

18/10/2018 0:00

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/982875/what-went-before-the-afp-rsbs-fund-scam

Inquirer

Exorcise ‘ghosts’ from trial, Bong Revilla asks

Former Sen. Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. has asked the Sandiganbayan to cut out the evidence of ghost projects from the discussion for being “irrelevant and immaterial” to his plunder trial.Since Revilla is accused of getting P224.5-million in kickbacks through his endorsement of the nongovernment organizations of Janet Lim-Napoles, his camp questioned the necessity of threshing out the issue of whether his pet projects were implemented.Although trial is tentatively set to start on Thursday, the court’s First Division is still soliciting the comments of the parties for the pretrial order to guide the presentation of evidence and issues.

['Philippine Daily Inquirer']

18/10/2018 0:00

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/874340/exorcise-ghosts-from-trial-bong-revilla-asks

Inquirer

Man linked to Saudi prince at consulate when writer vanished

A man who previously traveled with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s entourage to the United States entered the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul just before writer Jamal Khashoggi vanished there, according to images published Thursday by a pro-government Turkish newspaper.The Sabah newspaper’s report showed the man also later outside the Saudi consul general’s home, checking out of a Turkish hotel as a large suitcase stood by his side, and leaving Turkey on Oct. 2.The report came as Turkish crime-scene investigators finished an overnight search of both the consul general’s residence and a second search of the consulate itself amid Ankara’s fears that Saudi authorities had Khashoggi killed and dismembered inside the diplomatic mission in Istanbul.Saudi Arabia, which initially called the allegations “baseless,” has not responded to repeated requests for comment from The Associated Press over recent days, including on Thursday.The Sabah report showed the man walking past police barricades at the consulate at 9:55 a.m. with several men trailing behind him. Khashoggi arrived at the consulate several hours later at 1:14 p.m., then disappeared while his fiancée waited outside for him.A report Wednesday by the pro-government newspaper Yeni Safak, citing what it described as an audio recording of Khashoggi’s slaying, said a Saudi team immediately accosted the 60-year-old journalist after he entered the consulate, cutting off his fingers and later decapitating him.Previously leaked surveillance footage showed consular vehicles moving from the consulate to the consul general’s official residence, some 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) away, a little under two hours after Khashoggi walked inside. The Sabah newspaper showed an image of the man at 4:53 p.m. at the consul’s home, then at 5:15 p.m. checking out of a hotel. He later cleared airport security at 5:58 p.m.Security services in Turkey have used pro-government media to leak details of Khashoggi’s case, adding to the pressure on the kingdom.The AP could not immediately verify the man’s identity, though he’s one of the individuals previously identified by Turkish authorities as being involved in the 15-man Saudi team that targeted Khashoggi.Images shot by the Houston Chronicle and later distributed by the AP show the same man was in Prince Mohammed’s entourage when he visited a Houston subdivision in April to see rebuilding efforts after Hurricane Harvey. The same man wore lapel pins, including one of the flags of Saudi Arabia and America intertwined, that other bodyguards accompanying Prince Mohammed wore on the trip.The three-week trip across the U.S. saw Prince Mohammed meet with business leaders and celebrities, including Amazon billionaire Jeff Bezos, who now owns the Post.The searches and the leaks in Turkish media have ensured the world’s attention remains focused on what happened to Khashoggi, a Washington Post columnist who went into a self-imposed exile in the United States over the rise of Prince Mohammed. It also put further strains on the relationship between the kingdom, the world’s largest oil exporter, and its main security guarantor, the U.S., as tensions with Iran and elsewhere in the Middle East remain high.Flying back home after a visit to both Saudi Arabia and Turkey, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo remained positive Wednesday about an ongoing Saudi probe into Khashoggi’s disappearance, but he stressed that answers are needed.“Sooner’s better than later for everyone,” Pompeo said.President Donald Trump, who initially came out hard on the Saudis over the disappearance but since has backed off, said Wednesday that the U.S. wanted Turkey to turn over any audio or video recording it had of Khashoggi’s alleged killing “if it exists.”On Thursday, the Post published what it described as Khashoggi’s last column in honor of the missing journalist.In it, Khashoggi pointed to the muted international response to ongoing abuses against journalists by governments in the Middle East.“As a result, Arab governments have been given free rein to continue silencing the media at an increasing rate,” Khashoggi wrote. He added: “The Arab world is facing its own version of an Iron Curtain, imposed not by external actors but through domestic forces vying for power.”

[]

18/10/2018 0:00

https://news.mb.com.ph/2018/10/18/man-linked-to-saudi-prince-at-consulate-when-writer-vanished/

Manila Bulletin

Duterte allows settlers to occupy gov’t houses

Thousands of homeless families who faced eviction for occupying idle units in six government housing projects in Bulacan province last month are going to keep the houses after all.President Duterte on Tuesday said he would give members of the urban poor group Kalipunan ng Damayang Maralita (Kadamay) the government houses in Bulacan, and asked military and police personnel, supposed to be the original beneficiaries, to let go of the units.In turn, Mr. Dutere promised to build better houses for members of the police and the military by December, as he sought understanding for the poor.As of March 20, 5,262 houses had been occupied by Kadamay members in housing projects in Pandi town and San Jose del Monte City, said the National Housing Authority (NHA), which administers the housing projects.“Let’s not trouble the people there because they’re fighting back. Their only sin is really, they are poor like us,” Mr. Duterte said at the 120th anniversary celebration of the Philippine Army in Fort Bonifacio on Tuesday.“I will give you better houses, more expensive, more comfortable and more spacious,” he added.The President said he would supervise the new housing project for the police and soldiers himself and make sure these had running water and electricity.Change of tune, ‘big triumph’The tone of the President’s statements on Tuesday was a departure from that of his statements last month, when he said the homeless families that occupied the Bulacan houses must follow the law or he would be forced to remove them from the area.Kadamay members welcomed the President’s decision.“That’s good. But it should be written down. They have to issue that document because that statement could be taken back anytime,” Kadamay chair Gloria Arellano said.“We will not celebrate yet. We will not yet offer our gratitude [until we are given the rights to the houses],” she said.Arellano said Mr. Duterte’s openness was a “big triumph” for the urban poor. But she also expressed hope that the President would look at the overall problem of homelessness in the country.“So many houses that are built by the government remain unoccupied,” she said. “We hope that they just distribute it to the homeless poor.”Huge housing backlogThe Kadamay occupation of the government housing project in Bulacan highlights the country’s severe housing backlog, estimated at 5.56 million.The NHA is the sole government agency tasked with building shelters for 1.5 million homeless families, which grow at a rate of 3.4 percent annually.Addressing Kadamay members, Mr. Duterte said they should not trouble the police or soldiers who were already living in the government housing units.“Eventually, they will be removed and transferred to a new unit that is better than the one you took from them,” he added.‘Understand the poor’Mr. Duterte sought understanding from the soldiers as he defended his decision to give the houses to Kadamay members.“Well, anyway, I said I’m asking you, if possible, do not be offended. Take it with an open mind, I myself, your President, am pleading with you: ‘Let us not wage a fight against our own people. Since they are poor, try to understand them,’” he said.Mr. Duterte said he did not want to use force because it would just result in violence.“Do not pick a fight. It would be useless. And then the police have guns, and you know, something could go awfully wrong. Let us let it be,” he said.Mr. Duterte said he had asked the NHA, which had the money to build the new houses, to look for a suitable land for these.He said he could even give the houses furnished with a bed.Last week, the NHA lifted the eviction orders it issued against the families after Kadamay members agreed to submit to a validation as housing applicants.Arellano hoped that the President’s pronouncement would cover other abandoned housing units that they occupied in Bulacan, not only those intended for policemen and military personnel.“The houses should be directly awarded to those who occupy them,” said Kadamay spokesperson Michael Beltran.Beltran said the question remained whether the urban poor beneficiaries would be made to pay for the houses, as with other relocation programs.Many of the occupied houses have no doors, windows and toilets.

['Carmela Reyes-Estrope', 'Jhesset O. Enano', 'Leila B. Salaverria']

2017-02-24 20:51:25+00:00

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/886588/duterte-allows-settlers-to-occupy-govt-houses

Inquirer

Blast probers focus on Muslim cleric

A Shiite Muslim cleric was the likely target of explosions that killed two people in Manila on Saturday, police officials said on Sunday, rejecting Islamic State (IS) group claims of involvement.Six others were wounded when two explosions rocked the office of the imam, Nasser Abinal, in Manila’s Quiapo district, on Saturday.Director Oscar Albayalde, head of the National Capital Region Police Office, said the bomb was apparently intended for Abinal, who is also a lawyer for the Bureau of Internal Revenue in Manila.Abinal was not at the office at the time.Threats to his life“He (Abinal) admitted there were threats to his life in the past” while being questioned by police, Albayalde said.He said the bombing was apparently set off by a personal feud, adding the package that contained the explosive was intended for Abinal.The bomb was carried in a package by a hired delivery man who handed it over to an aide of Abinal just before it went off.Chief Supt. Joel Coronel, Manila Police District director, identified the delivery man as Mark Anthony Torres and Abinal’s aide as Muhammad Baniga.The blast killed both men.As police were searching the blast site late on Saturday, another explosion rocked the area, possibly from a second bomb planted earlier, Albayalde said.“This has nothing to do with terrorism. There is no indication that this was done by a terror group, local or foreign,” he said.IS has claimed it staged the explosion.“Five Shiites were killed and six others wounded in a bomb blast by Islamic State fighters in the center of Manila,” said a statement from Amaq, the IS propaganda arm.Albayalde said this was just the IS custom of taking credit for any such incidents.But Albayalde said the attack seemed to be targeting Abinal, adding that it may be for personal reasons.Coronel also believed Abinal was the target of the attack, which he said could be related to Abinal’s work as a government lawyer or as a religious leader.Besides threats that he had received through calls, e-mails and text messages, Abinal had also received a notice evicting him from his office on Gunao Street, Coronel said.The blasts came a week after a pipe bomb exploded in the same area, injuring 14 people, at the height of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) summit in Manila.Police blamed the explosion on rival gangs operating in the area.Albayalde said on Sunday that Saturday’s blasts were not related to the April 28 explosion.That explosion has already been solved, with one of five suspects now in police custody, he said.Coronel said the suspect in custody would be presented to the press at the Manila Police headquarters on Monday.The suspect is the brother-in-law of a 14-year-old boy who was beaten up by local toughies in Quiapo, leading to the bomb attack, Coronel said.Tensions remained high after the blasts, with police cordoning off the area again on Sunday after a suspicious bag was spotted.False alarmA bomb disposal robot later established it was a false alarm.Malacañang urged the public to stay alert but avoid spreading “unverified” news that may cause panic.“While [an] investigation is [going on], we ask the public to remain alert and immediately report to authorities any suspicious activity or movement,” presidential spokesperson Ernesto Abella said in a statement on Sunday.“Also we urge our people to refrain from forwarding the news from unverified sources that may cause undue alarm and panic,” Abella added.The British Embassy in Manila advised its citizens to stay away from Quiapo.In a travel advisory issued on Sunday, the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office told British citizens in Manila to keep themselves up to date with information from the media and follow the advice of local authorities and the police.“Terrorists are very likely to try to carry out attacks in the Philippine. Terrorist groups continue to plan attacks and have the capacity and the intent to carry out attacks at anytime and anywhere in the country,” the advisory said.It said attacks could happen in places visited by foreigners like airports, shopping malls, public transport and places of worship.

['Aie Balagtas See']

2017-02-24 20:51:25+00:00

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/895035/blast-probers-focus-on-muslim-cleric

Inquirer

Japan feels lagging behind in digitization

TOKYO: Japan–a country that uses robots or electronic machines in factories, houses and offices–still considers itself lagging behind Germany, Singapore and even Estonia in digitization.According to Prof. Atsushi Sunami, special adviser to the Cabinet on Science, Technology and Innovation Policy, the government of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is implementing reforms like equal pay for equal work, improvement of child care and nursing care environment, empowerment of women, accelerated infrastructure developments and establishment of national strategic economic zones.“Germany has its Industry 4.0, while us in Japan has Society 5.0 which is geared toward empowering our citizens and preparing them for the future where digitalization is a key component,” Sunami told 18 journalists gathered by Asia Productivity Organization (APO) here.He said digitization is now happening in Estonia, a former Soviet state, where young children even before reaching school age are being introduced to simple computer programming, the so-called Smart Nation of Singapore and even the Industrial Internet in the United States.In a bid to post 600 trillion yen ($5.316) in gross domestic product, Japan aims to boost productivity, drive innovation and trade and energize corporate activities.“To attain these, there is a need to increase the wages and income of Japanese people, initiate rise in consumption, create new demands, increase capital investment and improve corporate performance,” Sunami said.During the five-day study mission of journalists from Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Cambodia, Malaysia, Indonesia, Mongolia and the Philippines, the participants were toured to small and medium enterprises that are not just top performers in sales but also recognized as world class and are now pursuing programs to go global by establishing outlets in different parts of the world.Take for example Suntory Yamazeki, a Kyoto-based liquor maker that produces the No.1 whisky on earth.It has blended not just mixtures of components of alcohol but blended new technologies to produce the “best” whisky in the world, defeating the premium whiskey of Scotland.Another is a plant factory in Kyoto that produces lettuce that grows on water alone.The company is the top supplier of lettuce here but next year it will open a new plant that will be fully mechanized and run by robots.It is also studying putting plants abroad, saying all they need is water.Sunami said Japan despite being one of the top trading countries is aiming to establish a ‘Smart Society’ where problems like aging population, pollution and natural disasters are anticipated and not just only to reduce but to get rid of the threats.In Japan, companies are being helped not only for them to thrive but go abroad so other societies could savor their excellent products and services.But all these changes are seen possible only through super smart information technology, a body of information that will deliver the message to its citizens and to the world, a task APO is helping initiate.APO is regarded as the leading international organization on productivity enhancement, enabling economies to be more productive and competitive by 2020.JAIME R. PILAPIL

['Jaime Pilapil']

2017-02-24 20:51:25+00:00

https://www.manilatimes.net/japan-feels-lagging-behind-digitization-2/314022/

Manila Times

Too few women in politics—Pia Cayetano

There are too few women in politics, according to Sen. Pia Cayetano, who called on political parties to field more women candidates in the 2016 elections to give them a greater role in charting the country’s course.Cayetano said more women need to be involved in governance and policy-making considering they make up half of the country’s population. They have much to offer, she added.For the United Nations and Inter-Parliamentary Union, 30 percent is a “significant benchmark” for women’s participation, she noted.In a statement as the country prepares to observe International Women’s Day on Sunday, she noted that out of the Senate’s 24 members, only six, or 25 percent of its membership, are women. In the House of Representatives, only 79 out of 290 members are women, which is just 27 percent. Leila B. Salaverria

['Philippine Daily Inquirer']

20/10/2017 0:00

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/677308/too-few-women-in-politics-pia-cayetano

Inquirer

P5, 000 earners to get cash transfers

The Department of Finance (DOF) said the poorest 50 percent of households each earning P5,000 or less a month will get unconditional cash transfers of up to P6,000 a year each in the initial phase of its tax reform program submitted in September to Congress.In a statement over the weekend, Finance Undersecretary Karl Kendrick Chua said highly targeted social protection programs to vulnerable sectors, rather than providing outright tax exemptions to both rich and poor, would better shield them from the impact of the reforms in tax policy and administration that the DOF is pushing under its proposed Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion Act.“We propose to do a highly-targeted subsidy reform program wherein… the poorest 50 percent of households will be fully protected through a highly-targeted unconditional cash transfer in the initial year, and that means around P200 to P500 per month or up to P6,000 over a year, and this is calibrated based on the possible increase in inflation and the impact of the higher oil [tax increase] on their lives,” Chua added.The DOF said these are just some of the expanded benefits that it is now finetuning with other government agencies to cushion the country’s vulnerable sectors against the impact of proposed fuel excise tax adjustments and removal of certain exemptions to the value-added tax (VAT), which form part of Package One of the proposed Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion Act.Such measures, along with improvements in tax administration, will help offset revenue loss from reductions in the personal income tax rate that the DOF is proposing under Package One.Chua, also the DOF’s chief economist, said minimum-wage earners and other members of the working class identified as those earning more than P5,000 but not over P12,000 a month would be protected from effects of the excise tax adjustments on petroleum products by providing drivers and operators of public utility vehicles with cash cards similar to the Pantawid Pasada Program to ensure that their pass-through costs would only be around 50 centavos.“Also, complementary to the measure, we should address the other problems of traffic, of improving their engines to make these more efficient; if we address the corruption on the streets, which we hear some authorities collect bribes from jeepney drivers, [then we probably do not need to see any increase,]” he added.The DOF official said even the middle class would still be protected because they can use the savings that they will get from paying lower personal income taxes to cancel out the effects of the fuel excise tax adjustment.According to him, entry-level workers earning more than the daily minimum wage would effectively enjoy significant increases in their take-home pay because they will pay lower taxes under the DOF-proposed tax reform program.For instance, “entry-level employees with a monthly salary of P13,378 and no declared dependents would see an increase in their take-home pay by P12,673 per year,” he said.The amount of P12,673 is the personal income tax that they pay under the current system, which would be reduced to zero under the DOF tax reform plan.The DOF has said that some 3 million taxpayers earning above the minimum wage but not over P250,000 per year would automatically increase their take- home because they would be exempted from paying taxes.The country’s 1.7 million minimum-wage earners (MWEs) are already exempted from paying income taxes.With the current daily minimum wage at P491 in the National Capital Region (Metro Manila), the MWEs earn P12,488 a month or a total gross income of P218,832 per annum–comprising a basic salary of P149,856 plus 13th month and other benefits totalling P34,976 and minus P34,000 in mandatory contributions like those for the Social Security System (SSS) and Pag-IBIG.Entry-level workers paid above the minimum wage, like those in the Clerk III category, are also exempted from paying income taxes because they each get a monthly income of P13,378 or an annual gross income of P231,292–comprising a basic salary of P160,536 plus 13th month pay and other benefits totalling P36,765, and minus mandatory contributions of P34,000.Right now, these entry-level workers are supposed to each pay an annual income tax of P12,673.This means that a total of 4.7 million taxpayers, which make up 83 percent of the tax base for individuals, would be exempted from paying incometaxes under the DOF-proposed tax reform plan, Chua said.Another half-million plus taxpayers earning between P250,000 and P400,000 will pay taxes equivalent to only 20 percent of their incomes in excess of P250,000 by 2018, the first year of implementation of the DOF-proposed tax plan.From 2019 and onward, they would have to pay a personal income tax of only 15 percent of the amount in excess of P250,000.Taxpayers earning P400,000 to 800,00 will pay P30,000 in tax plus 25 percent of their annual gross income in excess of P400,000.Those earning P800,000 to P2 million per year would pay a tax of P130,000 plus 30 percent in excess of P800,000. In 2019 and onward, the rate would be reduced to P102,500 plus 25 percent in excess of P800,000.Some 28,000 individuals earning P2 million to P5 million or 1 percent of the tax base would be taxed P490,000 plus 32 percent of their annual gross income in excess of P2 million.The last bracket of ultra-rich taxpayers comprising less than 6,000 individuals earning over P5 million would have to pay a tax of P1.45 million plus 35 percent in excess of P5 million.

['Mayvelin U. Caraballo']

2016-11-13 18:30:19+00:00

https://www.manilatimes.net/p5-000-earners-get-cash-transfers/296345/

Manila Times

PET rejects Marcos bid to annul Leni’s proclamation

The Presidential Electoral Tribunal (PET) has dismissed former Sen. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s challenge on the authenticity of the 2016 election results that were used as bases for the proclamation of Vice President Maria Leonor “Leni” Robredo as it opted to concentrate on the actual revision of ballots in 36,465 clustered precincts he contested in his protest.In a resolution, the PET, composed of all the 15 justices of the Supreme Court (SC), also decided on concentrate on Marcos’ bid to annul the results of the election for vice president in Maguindanao, Lanao del Sur, and Basilan on the grounds of “terrorism, intimidation and harassment of voters….”The PET said its decision “dispenses with the need to determine if the other nationally and locally elected officials who won in the 2016 elections would need to be impleaded as indispensable parties” in the protest and counter protest between Marcos and Robredo, respectively.The ruling also dispenses with the need to implead the Commission on Elections (Comelec) as a party to the cases.Leni: Foot the billMeanwhile, the camp of Robredo on Tuesday asked the SC to direct Marcos to pay R2 billion for the vote counting machines on account of his election protest.Robredo, through her lawyers Romulo Macalintal and Maria Bernadette Sardillo, filed a 13-page manifestation with urgent ex-parte motion to resolve the omnibus motion before the SC, sitting as the PET.The Vice President earlier sought for clarification from the PET on who will be liable for the amount that represents the cost of the VCMs leased and used in last year’s May elections. (With a report from Raymund F. Antonio)

['Jun Go']

05/09/2017 0:00

https://news.mb.com.ph/2017/09/05/pet-rejects-marcos-bid-to-annul-lenis-proclamation/

Manila Bulletin

Gas, diesel prices up by P1.40 per liter

In separate advisories on Monday, Pilipinas Shell Petroleum, Caltex, Phoenix Petroleum, PTT Philippines and Flying V said they will increase gasoline and diesel prices both by P1.40 per liter on Tuesday morning.Shell, Caltex and Flying V will raise kerosene prices by P1.45 per liter, according to the advisories.Pilipinas Shell Petroleum, Phoenix Petroleum and PTT Philippines said they will implement the price changes at 6 a.m. on Tuesday.Flying V said its price adjustments will take effect at 12:01 a.m., also on Tuesday.This week’s oil price increases were caused by last Saturday’s non-OPEC meeting.The meeting was another victory for OPEC (Organization of Petroleum-Exporting Countries) as the cartel struck a deal with non-OPEC oil-producing countries to limit output.The current deal combined with the previous one will limit output by a total of nearly 2 percent of the global oil supply.The agreement removes 558,000 barrels a day of crude oil in addition to the 1.2 million barrels agreed on in the OPEC meeting last November 30.Department of Energy oil monitoring for Metro Manila as of November 29 showed that diesel prices ranged from P26.15 to P30.85 with a common price of P27.95; gasoline from P34.60 to P45.60 with a common price of P43.68; and LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) in P11-kilogram (kg) cylinder from P424.50 to P655.50.This caused a corresponding net increase of P5.64 per liter for gasoline and P7.18 per liter for diesel.LPG posted a net decrease of P1.15 per kg.The latest price changes resulted from average price movements for the previous five trading days in the global market.

['Aberon Voltaire Palaña']

2016-12-12 21:58:11+00:00

https://www.manilatimes.net/gas-diesel-prices-p1-40-per-liter/301388/

Manila Times

Neda: Boracay closure hurt, but is needed

The National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) conceded that there were social and economic costs in closing Boracay, but maintained it was necessary to rehabilitate the resort island.“Right now, we must look to the future and take a concerted effort to improve the conditions of Boracay,” Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto M. Pernia said in a statement on Friday.“We must restore its beauty which has captivated and drawn people from all over the world for a long time,” added Pernia, who heads Neda.Price to payNeda earlier estimated that the six-month closure of Boracay island will shed only 0.1 percent off the country’s gross domestic product.“The Boracay closure, notwithstanding its social and economic impact, will pave the way for the rehabilitation and improvement of the solid waste management and sewerage systems, along with the protection of ecologically fragile areas in the island,” the agency’s regional office said.It said the national government had already implemented emergency measures while the Aklan provincial government had started to clean up Malay town, ahead of its closure to tourists starting on April 26.Early this month, Socioeconomic Planning Undersecretary Rosemarie G. Edillon said the government already had plans for affected businesses and workers.“We do have a count already of how many would be affected,” Edillon had said.“At the macro level, it doesn’t have to be that bad,” she said.“But, of course, the short-term impact could be significant, especially for Malay,” she added.Malay, Edillon said, could still accept tourists who could be accommodated outside the areas covered by President Duterte’s closure order.

['Ben O. De Vera']

2016-11-24 22:20:51+00:00

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/984242/neda-boracay-closure-hurt-but-is-needed

Inquirer

Reforms to ensure high inclusive growth – DOF

The Duterte administration’s ongoing administrative and structural reforms will efficiently mobilize public resources to achieve sustainable and inclusive growth, the Department of Finance (DOF) said.In the latest DOF Economic Bulletin, Finance Undersecretary Gil Beltran said the government could sustain the country’s robust economic growth and make it inclusive through higher investments in physical infrastructure and social services.Based on Beltran’s report submitted to Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez 3rd, the economy, which expanded by 7.1 percent during President Rodrigo Duterte’s first three-months in office, continued to be supported by strong macroeconomic fundamentals.The Philippine gross domestic product (GDP) grew at its fastest pace in three years in July-September, beating market expectations and that of other major Asian economies like China’s 6.7 percent and Vietnam’s 6.4 percent.“Amid uncertainties in the global economy, the Philippine economic growth is the fastest in the region,” Beltran, also the DOF’s chief economist, said in a statement.The third-quarter growth brought year-to-date economic expansion at 7.0 percent, which is at the high-end of government’s 2016 target range of 6.0 percent to 7.0 percent.“Both administrative and structural reforms would eventually result in a more efficient resource mobilization of public resources,” Beltran said. “These would catalyze greater investments in both physical infrastructure and social services.”“Higher public investments, in turn, will translate into sustainable and inclusive development,” the Finance official added.To raise funds for higher public spending, Beltran said the Duterte administration needs the comprehensive tax reform to be passed into law.Meanwhile, he noted in the third-quarter Philippine economic performance report that consumption remained strong at 7.3 percent, owing to robust overseas Filipino remittances and stable prices.“What is more noteworthy is the sustained double-digit rise in investments for four quarters in a row, which telegraphs robust economic growth ahead. This is welcome news as policy-makers steer the country to a more investment-led economy,” Beltran said.He added that the narrowing trade deficit after exports recovered during the quarter that contributed to growth and the 20.1 percent rise in government construction.From the supply side, Beltran said the growth was largely driven by the industrial sector, which expanded by 8.6 percent in the third quarter amid strong manufacturing, construction and utilities.In the first nine months of the year, the Philippine industrial sector maintained its steady domestic upward trajectory at 8.2 percent, significantly higher than 5.9 percent in the same period of last year.The local agriculture sector also recovered during the quarter, finally reversing five quarters of continuous decline at 3.9 percent.The services sector also posted robust growth rate of 6.9 percent.“Domestic consumption and investment continue to grow due to robust internal demand backed up by higher employment and rising real wages,” Beltran said.Along with consumption and investment, he noted, strong balance sheet of banks, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’ sizable reserves and the country’s lower exposure to foreign debt fostered macroeconomic stability.“They will continue to provide the country more cushions to withstand external headwinds,” Beltran said.“Government also has ample fiscal policy space to increase spending specifically for much needed infrastructure investments.”

['The Manila Times']

2016-11-24 22:20:51+00:00

https://www.manilatimes.net/reforms-ensure-high-inclusive-growth-dof/298257/

Manila Times

‘Draft charter tackles socioeconomic issues’

~THE draft federal constitution crafted by the Consultative Committee (ConCom) provides solutions to the socio-economic problems presented by President Rodrigo Duterte during his third State of the Nation Address on Monday, the committee’s spokesman, Ding Generoso, said on Tuesday.“The priority agenda of the President is covered by the draft constitution. If we look at 10 of the 15 or so priority items in the SONA, 10 of these are being addressed by the proposed constitution crafted by ConCom,” he said in a briefing.“If you look at the rice cartel and the telecommunications industry these are addressed by the fair market and anti-monopoly provisions in the proposed constitution, plus the elevation of the competition commission into an independent constitutional commission,” he said. “So if the President wants a strong body to go after the rice cartel and bring the prices of rice down, the answer is in the draft constitution by empowering the federal competition commission.”Environmental protection and disaster management are provided for in the Bill of Rights which provides “stronger rights of citizens not only to clean, air, water, soil and environment but also the right to stop activities that are harmful to the environment,” Generoso explained.The protection of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) is tackled under the Article on Labor and Social Justice. “There is an entirely new section there providing protection to OFWs including granting free legal assistance to those who are facing legal problems abroad,” he said.“Universal health care, again that is provided for under the Bill of Rights, the right to comprehensive universal health care,” Generoso said.The anti-corruption campaign of the President is covered by the provision creating a stronger Ombudsman Commission and the extra powers given to the Commission on Audit.“The power to conduct not only post audit but pre audit as well as performance audit to stem graft and corruption. When it comes to strengthening our claim in the West Philippine Sea, that’s under (the article on) territory,” he said.He said that the President’s desire for Congress to pass a Land Use Act is under the economic provisions requiring Congress to pass a Land Use Act. It also gives the federated regions the power to define uses for their land.“Then, we have the Bangsamoro Organic Law. There is of course a number of sections in the proposed draft constitution providing for the recognition among others of the Bangsamoro Organic Law as it may be passed by Congress,” Generoso said.“So, all of these are part of the proposed constitution,” he added.

['Bernadette E. Tamayo']

2018-07-24 00:09:28+00:00

https://www.manilatimes.net/draft-charter-tackles-socioeconomic-issues/423008/

Manila Times

Admin to step up info drive on charter change, federalism

Malacañang on Monday promised to double down on an information campaign to counter worsening public rejection of its proposal to amend the Constitution for a shift to federalism.Refusing to be disheartened by the Pulse Asia poll finding that 67 percent of Filipinos opposed moves to amend the Constitution, the Palace picked through the survey results and settled on the awareness figures to defend the proposal.“We would like to point out that 55 percent of respondents have heard, read or watched anything about the proposals to change the 1987 Constitution before the survey was conducted or only during the time the survey was held,” presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said in a statement.Little awarenessHe pointed out that 69 percent of the respondents “admitted little awareness” of the federalism proposal.“For this reason, we cannot expect our people to support an initiative, which they know only little about,” Roque said.He admitted the need for “much work . . . in terms of spreading awareness and knowledge” on the amendment proposal.“We will therefore exert even more effort to inform and educate our citizens about federalism since the approval of the proposed changes in our current Charter ultimately lies in the hands of the Filipino people,” he said.The Duterte administration is pressing the change to federalism to speed development and progress in the countryside.DisasterBut economists from the University of Asia and the Pacific (UA&P) believe a shift to federalism can only spell disaster for the Philippines, possibly stoking hyperinflation and choking local governments with more devolved powers than they can handle.“I think it will be a disaster. I won’t go as far as [retired] Chief Justice Hilario Davide saying it’s going to be hell but it’s not necessary and it’s counterproductive,” UA&P economist Bernardo Villegas said on Monday.“Imagine the duplication of all expenses of all levels and the completely arbitrary way of putting together provinces for the so-called federal states,” he said.The Philippines, he said, should learn that other nations that have been successful with federalism have had strong local government structures from the beginning.Otherwise, he said, a spending binge that would arise from the shift could trigger hyperinflation, a situation where consumer prices are skyrocketing, sharply eroding the value of the local currency.1,000 percent inflationIn a hyperinflationary situation, consumer prices could surge up to 1,000 percent, which, according to Victor Abola, another UA&P economist, has happened in some Latin American countries and Western European nations that broke away from communism.Citing his regression study on middle-income countries, Abola said federalism did not boost economic growth.He also expressed concern about the quality of administration at the local government level.“At the national level, it’s getting professional. But at the local level, we usually have political appointees,” Abola said.“And then the other thing, of course, is that they are not very transparent. You don’t know how the money in your city and municipality is being spent,” he added.Abola said the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao had been “given practically everything they want and they have not managed to do it well.”Catapulting Philippine regions into federal states, he said, “is like going from grade school to doctorate in physics.”“It’s going to be a disaster,” he said.

['Christine O. Avendaño']

02/08/2017 0:00

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1010968/admin-to-step-up-info-drive-on-charter-change-federalism

Inquirer

Monsoon rains, storm surges destroy 43 La Union houses

A total of 43 houses in La Union were destroyed by monsoon rains and storm surges spawned by tropical storm “Gorio,” the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (PDRRMC) reported yesterday.Based on the record of the PDRRMC and Department of Social Welfare and Development Region 1 here, 20 houses were totally damaged while 23 were partially destroyed in the municipalities of Bacnotan, Bagulin, Bangar, Naguilian and San Gabriel.Two houses in Bangar town were washed away due to storm surge but the occupants were evacuated by rescuers from the municipal government headed by Mayor George Pinzon.Storm surge warnings were still in effect as of Tuesday all over the coastal areas of the Ilocos region due to continuous heavy downpours.The Office of Civil Defense warned fishermen against heading out to sea due to rough sea conditions.

[]

02/08/2017 0:00

https://news.mb.com.ph/2017/08/02/monsoon-rains-storm-surges-destroy-43-la-union-houses/

Manila Bulletin

Eiffel Tower to get 2.5-meter glass security wall

PresseA glass wall 2.5 meters (eight feet) high will be erected around the Eiffel Tower in Paris this autumn, part of a multi-million euro plan to prevent attacks on the iconic monument, the city said Thursday, February 9.The wall will replace the metal fences thrown up around the 324-meter (1,063-foot) Iron Lady during the Euro football tournament last year.“The terror threat remains high in Paris and the most vulnerable sites, led by the Eiffel Tower, must be the object of special security measures,” said deputy mayor Jean-Francois Martins.The wall will prevent individuals or vehicles storming the site visited by six million people each year, he added.Security has been boosted after a string of jihadist attacks that claimed 238 lives around France between January 2015 and July 2016.

[]

11/02/2017 0:00

https://news.mb.com.ph/2017/02/11/eiffel-tower-to-get-2-5-meter-glass-security-wall/

Manila Bulletin

Antipolo celebrates

The city is in a festive mood today as it celebrates its 19th cityhood anniversary, highlighted by a grand float parade. Although the actual anniversary was last April 4, the festivities roll out today with 16 villages joining the grand parade which promises to showcase the various tourist spots or delicacies of the barangays in the city. Several brass bands and drum and lyre groups from schools will join the parade which starts at the Ynares Center and ends at Sumulong Park.

[]

07/04/2017 0:00

https://news.mb.com.ph/2017/04/07/antipolo-celebrates/

Manila Bulletin

Peace hopes up in Korea talks

and, by extension, between the North and the UN coalition of forces that included the Philippines.It is now hoped that the coming peace talks, principally to discuss the Winter Olympics, will widen to include other issues that continue to separate the enemies of that old war. A formal peace treaty after all these years would bring the two Koreas closer together for their mutual benefit. It would also ease the fears that nearby countries like Japan, China, and the Philippines have over North Korea’s growing nuclear capabilities.

[]

11/01/2018 0:00

https://news.mb.com.ph/2018/01/11/peace-hopes-up-in-korea-talks/

Manila Bulletin

Sonia Gandhi: Power behind Congress throne

Sonia Gandhi stepped down as head of India’s opposition Congress party Saturday after an extraordinary odyssey that transformed her from a shy housewife into the country’s most powerful politician and a torchbearer for the iconic Gandhi-Nehru dynasty.The Italian-born Gandhi, 71, was thrust into the cauldron of Indian politics after marrying Rajiv Gandhi, scion of India’s political first family, in February, 1968.One of three daughters of an Italian building contractor, she arrived in India as a mini-skirt-wearing bride and converted into a sari-clad daughter-in-law, giving up her Italian citizenship for Indian nationality.Her years in the Gandhi household when her strong-willed, autocratic mother-in-law Indira was prime minister gave her a ringside seat to India’s turbulent history.It was Sonia who cradled Indira Gandhi as she lay dying after being shot by her Sikh bodyguards in 1984.She said she “fought like a tigress” to prevent Rajiv, a commercial pilot, from entering politics after his brother Sanjay – Indira’s first political heir – died piloting a small plane.After Indira’s assassination, Sonia feared politics might mean a violent death for her husband, too, a vision that materialized when Rajiv was killed by a Tamil suicide bomber on the campaign trail in 1991.She then led a reclusive existence for six years, raising her two children.But in 1998, she accepted the entreaties of Congress leaders to join the political fray and give the party a Gandhi figurehead. A year later, she was elected to parliament.In a rare television interview last year she said she had changed her mind “because of a certain duty that I felt towards my mother-in-law and my husband.”“I saw them struggle, work day and night to uphold certain values, certain principles,” she said. “When it came to my call, I felt that I was being cowardly not to respond to them.”Having been raised in a Roman Catholic family near Turin, she once confessed that before meeting her husband, she had “only a vague idea India existed somewhere in the world.”The pair met in Cambridge when Sonia was studying English at a language school and Rajiv was a mechanical engineering student at Trinity College. She said it was “love at first sight.”Sonia overcame stagefright to propel Congress to a surprise electoral win over the ruling Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in May, 2004.She barnstormed the country, addressing huge rallies who shouted, “Sonia Gandhi zindabad” – “Long Live Sonia Gandhi.”Speaking in Hindi, reading from a Roman text, she told audiences that her heart was “buried in the soil of this country.”Poised to make history as India’s first-foreign born leader, but with Hindu rightwingers threatening mass protests and vowing to hound the “foreigner” out of office, she quietly declined the job of prime minister.She was dubbed “Saint Sonia” by Indian media for giving up leadership of the world’s largest democracy, an act that only enhanced the family mystique.But as Congress party president, she remained at the heart of decision-making.Her heavily guarded bungalow at Number 10 Janpath in the Indian capital became as vital an address to visit as the prime minister’s sprawling Race Course Road residence.Her biographer Rasheed Kidwai said it had been “an inspirational and exceptional success story.”“She understood India very well. She was successful in blunting allegations of being an outsider and history will judge her very well on that count,” he said.Sonia delivered a second, bigger victory for Congress in 2009, but the term was marred by massive corruption scandals, including a telecoms graft case that cost the country up to $40 billion.There were also worries about Gandhi’s health – in 2011, she had surgery in the United States for an undisclosed illness thought to be cancer.Three years later Congress suffered its worst-ever election defeat to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s BJP after a campaign fronted by Sonia’s son Rahul, whose political career she has tirelessly promoted.Analysts say Sonia saw herself as torchbearer for the dynasty that has given India three Congress prime ministers – its first Jawaharlal Nehru, his daughter Indira Gandhi, and her son Rajiv – since independence from Britain in 1947.Such is the family’s aura that many party supporters cannot conceive of a future without a Gandhi in charge, even though critics decry the need for its continuation.“If you have a family whose earlier generations have been in politics, it gives you a head start,” she once said.“But India is a democracy… You may have an advantage at the beginning, but you have to work hard to prove yourself.”

[]

31/12/2017 0:00

https://news.mb.com.ph/2017/12/31/sonia-gandhi-power-behind-congress-throne/

Manila Bulletin

Quiboloy group shocked by FBI probe of human trafficking

A spokesperson for the Davao City-based televangelist Apollo Quiboloy on Tuesday said he was shocked to learn that the Federal Bureau of Investigation was investigating the pastor’s religious group for possible human trafficking in Hawaii.Lawyer Israelito Torreon was reacting to a report on Thursday by Hawaii News Now that an FBI agent who was investigating alleged aggressive fundraising by the Honolulu chapter of Quiboloy’s religious group — the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KJC) — was also looking into the trafficking angle.Torreon said the report was “not only surprising but shocking.”“I just came from Hawaii and I was not told the FBI was investigating the KJC for human trafficking,” Torreon told the Inquirer by phone.Focus on Salinas“The Kingdom of Jesus Christ is not a human trafficking organization. It does not engage and is not guilty of such,” he said, adding that the group’s American lawyers would clarify the matter with the FBI.“As a religious organization, members are accepted based on their free will. There is no compulsion,” he said.The Hawaii News Now report said the FBI investigation was focused on Felina Salinas, the business manager of the local chapter of Quiboloy’s group in Honolulu.Salinas, a US citizen, was arrested in February for allegedly trying to smuggle $350,000 out of Hawaii on the same private jet that was to have flown Quiboloy and several other Filipinos back to the Philippines.Officers inspecting the plane found US$335,000 and A$9,000 hidden in socks in her carry-on bag, according to US prosecutors. US law requires American travelers to declare currency over $10,000. She declared only $40,000.Quiboloy, a friend of President Rodrigo Duterte who backed his election campaign, had to take a commercial flight back to the Philippines. US authorities released his plane later in the month.Salinas was accused of bulk cash smuggling, which carries a five-year prison term and forfeiture of the cash and property. She was released on a $25,000 bond.After Salinas’ arrest, an agent from the FBI’s Los Angeles office pursued the trafficking angle, Hawaii News Now reported, citing unidentified sources.The report said Salinas was also arrested in 2015 for allegedly assaulting a fellow sectarian, who claimed she was forced to raise money, which, experts said, raised the human trafficking angle. Salinas’ lawyer said the allegations had no merit.“The next morning when she (Salinas) appeared in front of the judge, the state dismissed the charges as though they never should have been filed in the first place,” said lawyer Michael Green.Kristina AngelesHawaii News Now said it had obtained documents on Salinas’ 2015 arrest that said the alleged victim and former sect member, Kristina Angeles, came to Hawaii in October 2014 on a religious worker visa.Just days after she arrived, Angeles said she was put to work to help raise funds for the group by selling “manapua and Krispy Kreme” donuts, “rain or shine.”Some people who travel to the United States on a religious worker’s visa have been trapped in similar situations before, the report said.Experts said Angeles’ allegations raised questions whether human trafficking was involved.“It did indicate some of the classic signs of human trafficking. And people who have come under religious worker visas before have sometimes been connected with human trafficking,” said Hawaii attorney Clare Hanusz.Consumers have accused the religious group’s charity, Children’s Joy Foundation, of aggressive fundraising and even misrepresentation, the report said.Statement to policeIn her statement to the police, Angeles said members were punished if they didn’t sell enough.“We’ve been slapped or yelled at. The last time, I … received punches over my arms and legs,” she said.When Angeles ran away in 2015, the group initially reported her missing. Then a 15-year-old female member later filed charges of sexual assault against her that her lawyer called retaliation, the report said.Hanusz said traffickers often retaliate against victims by filing questionable criminal charges.“This is often done in trafficking. They use threats of deportation and calling law enforcement and making things up,” she said.

['Philippine Daily Inquirer']

08/05/2017 0:00

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/979939/quiboloy-group-shocked-by-fbi-probe-of-human-trafficking

Inquirer

Time to check Pabasa for anti-Semitic content, says Caloocan bishop

While popular tunes are proposed for Holy Week’s Pabasa, there is a need to check for anti-Semitic content, which can be found in the lines of the Pasyon that continue to blame the Jews for the death of Jesus.“It’s about time we correct them,” said Caloocan Bishop Pablo Virgilio David, a biblical scholar popularly called Bishop Ambo.Pabasa ng Pasyon, or Pabasa, is the public chanting of the birth, life, passion, death and resurrection of Jesus. It is a poem in stanzas of five lines of eight syllables.It is traditionally chanted or sung a cappella in a mellow, slow and monotonous tone that reminds one of the haunting lamentations for a dead loved one and dates back to the 17th century when the Philippines was still a colony of Spain.The anti-Semitic content has biblical and historical roots, according to David.‘Pinoy embellishments’He said Pasyon relied mainly on the basic story line of the passion narrative according to John but “rewritten with Pinoy embellishments.”In the passion story of the Gospel of John (which is read on Good Friday every year), those who persecuted Jesus and turned him over to the Romans for execution were simply lumped together as “the Jews” as if Jesus and his disciples were not Jewish.“This is of course unfair, knowing that it was really a specific group of people that persecuted Jesus—mainly the priestly class that felt threatened by Jesus’ prophetic influence,” David said.Persecution of convertsHe added: “The onset of such anti-Semitic tendencies in the fourth Gospel has a very obvious historical background—namely, the persecution of the early Jewish converts to Christianity, which led to their eventual expulsion from the Jewish synagogues and their condemnation as ‘heretics.’”“This painful experience of exclusion from the synagogue eventually led to a parting of ways between Christianity and Judaism, in spite of the fact that Christianity began mainly as a sectarian movement within Judaism.”David said the anti-Semitic overtones in John were further reinforced by the Spanish Christian bias toward Spanish Jews. “This cultural baggage was brought to the Philippines by the Spaniards and passed on to our ancestors through Pabasa.”Vatican II documentThe Vatican II document, “Nostra Aetate” (In Our Time), by Pope Paul VI, which introduced reforms in Church policies, including the interactions with non-Christians like Jews and Muslims, has repudiated the centuries-old charge of “deicide” (the killing of God) against the Jews.It stated that while the Jewish authorities and their followers pressed for the crucifixion of Jesus, his death “cannot be charged against all the Jews, without distinction, then alive, nor against the Jews of today.”In her short essay “Who Killed Jesus?,” Sr. Maureena Fritz, a cofounder of Bat Kol Institute in Jerusalem, studied the historical situation at the time of the story of the Passion of Christ and the time the Gospels were written. (Bat Kol Institute was formed as a response to Nostra Aetate).Political toolFritz noted that Jerusalem was under Roman rule and the office of the high priest in the temple became a political tool in the hands of the Romans.She said Annas, Caiaphas and the priests “came to be little more than religious functionaries of the Roman administration” and that “these men do not represent the Jewish people.”So who killed Jesus?Romans, priestsIn summary, Fritz said: “The two guilty partners are, first, the Romans did the dirty job; crucifixion was a Roman punishment, not a Jewish one. Second, the priests, the leaders of the religious establishment, functionaries of Rome, charged with keeping the peace.”She added that Jesus did create a disturbance near the temple when he drove out all who were selling and buying there, and overturned the tables of the moneychangers and the seats of those who sold doves (Mt 21:12).Caiaphas, who sent Jesus to his death, summed up his ultimate purpose in the principle that the whole nation was more important than a single individual.With Nostra Aetate, the Vatican has moved for reconciliation between Christians and Jews. The document acknowledges past judgmental errors in portraying and teaching that the Jewish people had forfeited their place as children of God by rejecting Jesus as the Messiah. It reminds the Christian world that Jesus, Mary his mother and all the disciples were Jews.Using contemporary tunes to chant the Pasyon has been proposed as a way to attract more people, especially the young to join Pabasa.But with uncorrected anti-Semitic content, it will be just perpetuating errors, which the Church in the past 50 years has tried to correct through Nostra Aetate.

['Minerva Generalao']

08/05/2017 0:00

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/888866/time-to-check-pabasa-for-anti-semitic-content-says-caloocan-bishop

Inquirer

Manila bishop: President promoting violence

Manila Auxiliary Bishop Broderick Pabillo has accused President Rodrigo Duterte of promoting “cultural violence’’ when he offered P20,000 to indigenous peoples (IPs) for every member of the communist New People’s Army (NPA) that they kill.“It’s life, we should have a process. We have a process. You cannot just kill, whether he is a criminal or not,” Pabillo said.On Monday, President Rodrigo Duterte vowed to offer the lumad (non-Muslim indigenous peoples) P20,000 for each NPA they kill.Duterte made the promise after the death of a tribal leader and his son, which killing the President blamed on the NPA.“The way he talks, he spreads fear and it somehow promotes a series of cultural violence. That’s what we don’t like, to have a culture of violence,” Pabillo said.The president of Sangguniang Laiko ng Pilipinas, Ma. Julietta Wasan, said she is offended by the President’s remark that he is ordering troops to shoot female NPA members in the vagina.“Let us respect women, it is scary to hear that the President is ordering troops to shoot females in private parts of their body. I’m pleading, do not. We need justice, not violence,” she noted.Pabillo also urged the government to focus on the faulty justice system.“This is why we have courts, this why we conduct trials. If the process is slow and faulty? Then fix it!” he said.Several groups including Gabriella and Pasaka Confederation, the umbrella organization of 39 lumad groups, have rallied against the President’s use of the lumad against rebels.

['Ashley Jose']

2018-02-14 00:03:58+00:00

https://www.manilatimes.net/manila-bishop-president-promoting-violence/379997/

Manila Times

CHR to Duterte: Warrantless arrest illegal

The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) disputed President Duterte’s claim that the military could arrest people without warrants on the strength of arrest, search and seizure orders (Asso) alone.The commission pointed out the 1987 Constitution expressly prohibits warrantless arrests precisely to correct abuses during the martial law regime of former President Fedinand Marcos.“There is legislation and protocol in place to ensure that the human rights abuses that have occurred in the past are not repeated,” the CHR said in a statement.“Even during a state of martial law, the police and military personnel cannot issue or conduct warrantless arrests outside the circumstances provided under Section 5, Rule 113 of the Rules of Court,” the CHR said.The commission was referring to Rules on Criminal Procedure that allow warrantless arrests only when the arresting officer has witnessed or has personal knowledge of the facts of a crime, or when the suspect is an escaped prisoner.“Any arrest, search and seizure executed in the area where martial law is declared, including filing of charges, should comply with the revised rules of court and applicable jurisprudence,” the CHR added.Even under martial law, the CHR said, those arrested or detained for offenses related to lawless violence, rebellion or invasion should be released if they are not charged after three days.Civilians cannot be tried in military tribunals and civil courts and legislative assemblies are still functional, the commission said.“We call on our police force and military to place the utmost importance on the safety and rights of civilians,” the CHR said.We must always keep our country’s dark past in mind so that history may not be repeated. Let us strive toward the resolution of this conflict,” it added.The CHR issued the legal advisory after Mr. Duterte told troops in Iligan City on Friday that they could makes arrests even without a proper court warrant.“During martial law, your commanders—you can arrest any person, search any house, [without a] warrant [and only an] Asso [which] could be signed by [Armed Forces chief] General [Eduardo] Año,” he had said.The remark raised concern among people who remember that Assos were the usual tools used by Marcos’ martial law regime in the 1970s to arbitrarily detain political opponents.

['Dona Z. Pazzibugan']

17/10/2017 0:00

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/900225/chr-to-duterte-warrantless-arrest-illegal

Inquirer

Officer’s widow confronts CIDG-8 chief on husband’s killing

The widow of Chief Insp. Jesus Son on Monday testified in a Senate hearing that her husband had told her he might be killed for refusing a request made by controversial Chief Supt. Marvin Marcos to have Albuera Mayor Rolando Espinosa Sr. killed.“(My husband) said I must be ready to take over the responsibilities of the family,” an emotional Mylene Son said in a statement she read before the two Senate committees looking into the Nov. 5 killing of Espinosa in a Leyte jail by a police unit headed by Marcos.Son was gunned down on Sept. 15 in an ambush that police officials told the Senate committees involved two cars and two motorcycles.Facebook postMylene said her husband was killed one day after he made a post on their joint Facebook account that she stressed was addressed to Marcos, the now relieved head of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group in Region 8 (Eastern Visayas).In the Facebook post, which she read during the hearing, the husband accused Marcos of “double cross” and being a traitor.She explained her husband was angry because he realized a relative’s opinion that Marcos was seeking his help so that he would be the fall guy here.She had told the Inquirer earlier that her husband had told her Marcos had asked him to find someone for a project, a hit on Mayor Espinosa in exchange for a P500,000 fee.Sen. Panfilo Lacson, chair of the Senate committee on public order and dangerous drugs, said the testimony of Son’s widow showed there was “a plan to kill Mayor Espinosa,” contrary to the explanation that he resisted the police search on his cell and was gunned down.Marcos denied he had offered Son P500,000 to kill Espinosa.He said he learned of Son’s death at a meeting of the Philippine National Police provincial office on Sept. 15 when he heard “a shooting incident in Sta. Fe involving a police officer.”Drug payolaMarcos recalled that before Son was killed, he attended a gathering where 33 police officers, including Son, were relieved for allegedly being drug protectors.He said Son had an outburst at that gathering, asking why he was being implicated when there were other big police officers who were receiving payola.He said Son named two police officials—Supt. Tomasito Clet and a certain Senior Superintendent Cobillas—as among those receiving payola from drug lords.“If you want I will kill Mayor Espinosa,” Marcos quoted Son as saying.“If there is a motive, I do not have a motive. Those people that were mentioned, maybe Major Son has a motive for killing the mayor,” Marcos said.Marcos said Espinosa did not name him or his men to be in the payroll of his son, confessed drug distributor Kerwin Espinosa, and it was only Kerwin who named them as being in his payroll.Text messageMarcos also volunteered information that the father of Son, Patrocino, was interviewed by a radio reporter and had said his son had an angry phone conversation with the Albuera police chief, Insp. Jovie Espenido, a day before his killing.“But I don’t believe Espenido is the one behind (Son’s killing),” he said, adding he had done his own inquiry and had “leads.”Espenido, who was at the hearing, said that Son texted him on Sept. 13 asking help on other high-ranking police officials who may be protecting drug lords.Mylene confirmed Marcos’ statement that her husband was among those implicated as protecting drug lords and that he was angry about it.To reporters after the hearing, Marcos dismissed the allegation of Son’s widow. “Where will I get the P500,000?” he said.Senior Supt. Franco Simborio, PNP provincial director, said there were witnesses in the ambush-slaying of Son.“We have a good lead and we are hopeful we can solve this case,” Simborio said.

['Philippine Daily Inquirer']

06/09/2018 0:00

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/851042/officers-widow-confronts-cidg-8-chief-on-husbands-killing

Inquirer

Glitches mar senior high program

MORE than 11,000 private and public schools nationwide are prepared to open their doors to an estimated 1.5 million students for the pioneer batch of the Senior High School (SHS) program, marking the full implementation of the Aquino administration’s landmark K-12 education reform program.But as of Sunday, only half of the expected number of enrollees had registered, fueling fears by militants that the program would only result in massive dropouts because of the high costs involved.Some 1.3 million of these students are from public schools while around 200,000 are from private schools.The Department of Education (DepEd) said these students would be accommodated in 5,990 public schools and 5,046 private schools, public and private universities and colleges, and technical-vocational institutions nationwide.The students will be taken in in more than 57,000 program offerings in four tracks, namely, the academic, technical-vocational livelihood, sports, and arts and design.“These programs offer our incoming senior high school students real choices, consistent with the intention of the K-12 program, which is to make education learner-centered, inclusive, competence-based and responsive to the needs of the community,” Assistant Education Secretary Elvin Uy said in a statement on Sunday.Under the SHS program, a student will take 15 core subjects, seven applied and nine specialized track subjects. The core subjects (communication skills,Filipino, literature, mathematics and science, among others) have the same content and competencies for all Grade 11 students.The applied track subjects, on the other hand, contextualize the content to suit each track and strand, while the specialized subjects have a varied set of competencies based on the student’s chosen track, strand or tech-voc specialization.As of 4 p.m. Sunday, the DepEd’s online enrollment system had recorded 600,000 students for the SHS program.While this number indicated that barely half of the expected students had enrolled, Assistant Secretary Jesus Mateo said this was because of the “slow transmission” of data and that this only covered public schools.ApprehensionsMilitant groups said this confirmed their apprehensions.“The low enrollment in SHS only shows how great a burden K-12 is for students and their families. Imagine a minimum wage earner suddenly facing the problem of enrolling his or her child in a private school because of the way K-12 was set up,” incoming Kabataan Rep. Sarah Elago said in a statement.She pointed out that this also showed that the DepEd’s voucher program, which subsidizes a student’s SHS education by as much as P22,500, had “failed to persuade students to enroll.”“For students forced to enroll in private schools due to the lack of public senior high schools in their area, this means they still have to shell out money since many schools charge upward of P30,000 in tuition and other school fees,” Elago said.InequalityThe Center for Women’s Resources (CWR) said poor families earning P292 daily would have to save at least P113 a day, or 39 percent of their income, to send their children to SHS.And since, women account for an average of 48 percent of students, it said women would bear the brunt of not having the chance to attend SHS.“With such policy, the sustainable development goal of empowering women and eradicating inequality will hardly be achieved when more than half a million girls are deprived of education,” CWR executive director Jojo Guan said in a statement on Sunday.Mateo, however, stressed that the SHS program must be considered an investment.He stressed that the country was part of the global community. And with the recent Association of Southeast Asian Nations integration, he said Filipinos would be at a disadvantage if its basic education system was not at par with global standards.“[SHS] will equip our students with the knowledge and skills that will help prepare them better for their chosen path, may it be higher education, employment or entrepreneurship,” he said, pointing out that even without theK-12 program, there had been a significant drop in college enrollment in the second year.Long overdueEducation Secretary Armin Luistro said that while the SHS program might not be perfect, its implementation must proceed as it was already a long overdue reform program.He noted that the department was open to feedback for it to continuously improve on its work.While incoming Education Secretary Leonor Briones has expressed support for the program, which added two more years to the 10-year basic education system, militant groups aren’t giving up on their call to President-elect Rodrigo Duterte to look into the program and halt its implementation.“We ask incoming President Duterte and Education Secretary Briones to heed the demand of the youth and the people to stop K-12. We demand that the incoming administration consider the students who completed Grade 10 as high school graduates and allow them to enroll in college,” said League of Filipino Students (LFS) secretary general Aries Gupit.The LFS will ensure that the first years of the SHS program will be “marked with protests and walkouts,” he added.Seeking the smooth opening of classes while overseeing the implementation of the SHS program, Luistro and Briones will jointly visit today Commonwealth High School in Quezon City.Luistro said that should there be concerns on the implementation of the SHS program, the public could call their help desk at 6671188 and toll-free number 1800-1888-6349. The department can also be reached through e-mail shshelpdesk@deped.gov.ph.As of Wednesday, the help desk has assisted over a thousand cases nationwide, mainly on the voucher program. With reports from Emichaella Añata and Evelyn Cruz

['Jovic Yee']

06/09/2018 0:00

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/790353/glitches-mar-senior-high-program

Inquirer

Take precautions vs bird flu, DOH urges public

The Department of Health (DOH) has urged the public to take precautions in the wake of the avian flu outbreak in Pampanga province.“Cover your mouth and nose when sneezing and coughing; wash hands often; take plenty water and juices. Have enough rest and sleep. Do not go near wild birds or go to farms with fowl,” Health Secretary Paulyn Ubial said.“If you have flu symptoms that last longer than three days or feel very weak, see the doctor or go to the nearest hospital for testing if it’s bird flu,” she added.According to Ubial, human transmission of avian or bird flu is very rare but usually fatal.Quick spread“What we fear is outbreak if humans are affected because of no previous immunity from this type of virus, it can quickly spread,” Ubial said.But she was quick to add that necessary measures were being taken, including containment of infected birds and chicken.“The Department of Health is now closely monitoring the events surrounding an avian flu outbreak in poultry in Pampanga, as reported by the Department of Agriculture,” the DOH said in a statement.The DA has decided to cull around 400,000 chickens to contain the outbreak.The DOH added that it had stepped up its human flu-like illness surveillance since the reported human influenza outbreaks in Hong Kong and India a few months back.“We will now look for human cases who may have been exposed to avian flu strain in affected areas. Any person who becomes sick with fever and/or sore throat/cough and had exposure to these dead chickens should report to the local health center or nearest hospital for laboratory confirmation,” Ubial said.The Research Institute for Tropical Medicine has the capacity to confirm cases of cross-infection to humans as well as to handle the infection should there be cases of human influenza, the DOH said.“The DOH has a supply of antiflu medication and commodities whenever regional health offices and hospitals will require these,” the DOH said.“In the interim, all health providers should observe precautions when taking care of patients with flu or flu-like illness. Properly cooked chicken remains safe to eat,” it added.Confirmed casesOn Friday, the DA confirmed the first cases of the dreaded virus in Pampanga.The DA said the virus was found in chickens and ducks in six farms in Barangay San Agustin, San Luis, Pampanga. To prevent the spread of the virus, some 400,000 captive flocks in the area would be destroyed.“A team of DOH epidemiologists has been dispatched to assist the DA in the outbreak investigation,” Ubial said.The DOH has also been alerting hospitals in the affected areas to report similar cases.

['Tina G. Santos']

29/06/2016 0:00

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/922505/take-precautions-vs-bird-flu-doh-urges-public

Inquirer

Atienza lauds Duterte for boosting ties with China

BUHAY party-list Rep. Lito Atienza hailed President Rodrigo Duterte for promoting closer ties between the Philippines and China.“We are elated that President Duterte has been actively strengthening the relationship between Manila and Beijing through his administration’s policies on business, trade and even the opening of job opportunities in China for thousands of Filipino workers. We commend the President for his political will, sharp economic sense and wisdom, which has brought the Philippines closer to China, an economic superpower. His efforts are now bearing fruit for Filipinos everywhere. We have just met with Chinese businessmen who have expressed their renewed confidence in investing in the Philippines now due to the closer relations between our two countries,” Atienza said.It was during Atienza’s third term as mayor of Manila when Beijing initiated the fostering of warmer relations and closer economic and cultural ties through the signing of a Sister-City Agreement in 2005 with then-Mayor Wang Qishan.Qishan was recently elected as China’s vice president.“Relations between the Philippines and China had gone cold during the previous administration. It took someone like President Duterte to revive Manila’s close relations with our superpower neighbor. Not only has China been providing military assistance to the Philippines, but it has now opened some 300,000 jobs for teachers, musicians, nurses, cooks, household service workers, and caregivers,” Atienza said.“Judging from the optimism and interest of Chinese businessmen to invest anew in the Philippines, we can be sure that the best is yet to come. Through President Duterte’s sheer political will and foresight, the country is now starting to benefit from the fruits of these warmer and more productive ties between Manila and Beijing,” he added.

['The Manila Times']

2018-04-04 00:05:23+00:00

https://www.manilatimes.net/atienza-lauds-duterte-for-boosting-ties-with-china/390281/

Manila Times

New Navy chief Cesar Taccad gets marching orders

President Aquino on Monday ordered the Philippine Navy to “balance its resources and capabilities” to secure the country’s territorial waters while the government is trying to rearm it amid rising tensions in the West Philippine Sea.Aquino, who is stepping down at the end of June next year, directed the new Navy commander, Rear Adm. Cesar Taccad, to press the Navy’s modernization program, which includes the acquisition of warships.Taccad, former chair of the Navy Modernization Board and commander of the Naval Forces Northern Luzon, took over command of the Navy from Vice Adm. Jesus Millan, in ceremonies at Philippine Navy headquarters in Manila attended by Aquino.Millan, 56, has retired.In a speech at the turnover ceremony, the President reported that two heavy landing craft (LCH) donated by Australia arrived in the Philippines last Friday and are now docked at Philippine Navy headquarters in Manila.The two vessels, to be named BRP Ivatan and BRP Batak, are not combat vessels, though. They will be used for humanitarian and disaster response operations.“We are considering getting three more vessels. The command is now working on their acquisition papers. And these vessels will be the partners of our landing craft BRP Tagbanua in ferrying aid, including equipment for disaster operations, in various parts of the country,” Aquino said.The President did not say, however, whether the donated vessels would be refitted for combat capability and deployed to the West Philippine Sea to protect Filipino fishermen against harassment by Chinese warships.China, which claims 90 percent of the 3.5-million-square-kilometer South China Sea, seized Panatag Shoal (Scarborough Shoal), a rich fishing ground off Zambales province, after a two-month standoff between Chinese and Philippine vessels in 2012.With no ships guarding Philippine territory in the hotly disputed Spratly archipelago, China also seized seven Philippine-claimed reefs there and turned them into artificial islands in a massive expansion that has drawn opposition from other Southeast Asian countries with claims in the South China Sea and the United States.Secondhand cuttersThe United States has sold two secondhand cutters to the Philippines for use in patrolling the West Philippine Sea, part of the South China Sea within the country’s 370-kilometer exclusive economic zone (EEZ).But the two vessels, named BRP Alcaraz and BRP Gregorio del Pilar, are no match for China’s bigger and heavily armed warships.President Aquino, however, cited the Navy for its accomplishments, including ferrying supplies to the BRP Sierra Madre, a rusting vessel that the Philippines grounded on Ayungin Shoal (Second Thomas Shoal) in 1999 to mark its territory in the Spratlys. A small garrison of Marines is stationed on the ship.Courage, determinationThe President also cited the Navy’s role in the government’s response to conflict and natural disasters, including the Zamboanga siege, Bohol earthquake and Supertyphoon “Yolanda” (international name: Haiyan) in 2013.“Mission accomplished for the Philippine Navy,” Aquino said. “Although we don’t have equipment and weapons, our soldiers are not lacking in courage, ability and determination to defend our territory. I salute you for your service to the flag and the nation.”Aquino assured citizens that the government was taking efforts to transform the Philippine Navy into a strong and credible force.Formidable forceIn response, Taccad vowed to turn the Philippine Navy into one of the most formidable naval forces in the Asia-Pacific region.He said he would work for stable, productive and constructive relationships with the navies of other countries to preserve peace in the region.“We will continue to protect our seas and secure the future of our nation and its people. We shall continue to be a dependable naval force, prompt in response and sharp in action,” Taccad said.The new Navy chief said he expected the command’s personnel to serve as gallant protectors of the country despite limited resources and capabilities.He also thanked the sailors and marines for their work, sacrifices and dedication to the service, and urged them to continue inspiring the people.“I am confident to assume leadership because I have devoted, fearless, courageous and loyal men with me,” Taccad said.In his speech, President Aquino said he did not personally know Taccad.“My information is that he is George Clooney and Albert Einstein combined. And because of his celebrity looks, many people want to take selfies with him. He is held as a genius because of his sharp mind, especially in mathematics,” Aquino said.PMA Class of ’82Like Millan, Taccad belongs to the Philippine Military Academy Class of 1982. Also members of that class are Lt. Gen. Jeffrey Delgado, Philippine Air Force chief; Lt. Gen. John Bonafos, vice chief of staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines; and Lt. Gen. Aurelio Baladad, chief of the Army’s Eastern Mindanao Command.Taccad said he had always wanted to join the Navy to “help make it one of the formidable forces in the region.”He spoke about his rise through the ranks and said he was happy that “we now have a Navy that is much better than before.”Taccad thanked the President, Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin and AFP Chief of Staff Hernando Iriberri for giving him their trust and confidence.Col. Edward Arevalo, spokesman for the Philippine Navy, described Taccad as “simple, humble and unassuming,” as well as “very easy to get along with.”RELATED STORIESAquino tells new Navy chief: Be ready to face tough challengesTaccad to take command of Navy Monday

['Cynthia D. Balana', 'Jerry E. Esplanada']

19/04/2017 0:00

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/711841/new-navy-chief-cesar-taccad-gets-marching-orders

Inquirer

Explosion damages 2 gov’t rescue boats in Masbate

An improvised explosive device went off at the port of Masbate City on Monday morning, damaging two government vessels, police said.Supt. Paul Cabug, Masbate City police chief, said the bomb exploded around 12:30 a.m., damaging a 7.5-meter speedboat of the 2nd Infantry Battalion, Philippine Army, and a 7.5-m rescue boat of the Philippine Coast Guard that were docked at Masbate Port.No one was reported hurt in the explosion.Capt. Joash Pramis, public affairs chief of the Army’s 9th Infantry Division, said security at the port was tightened after the explosion.The explosion came after another homemade bomb went off at the port on August 2, damaging a motorized passenger boat.Pramis said investigation indicated Monday’s explosion could be connected to the Aug. 2 blast, as the same type of bomb was used.Police were still investigating, but Pramis blamed the two explosions on the communist New People’s Army (NPA), which he said carried out the attacks to sow fear and retaliate against government forces for recent setbacks.“I am putting the blame on the NPA since they are the only group that uses improvised explosive devices in their initiated attacks on government facilities and personnel,” Pramis said.Agreeing with Pramis, Cabug said the real target of the explosion was the Army’s rescue boat, which was turned over to the 2nd IB on Sunday.Pramis said the NPA operating on the island province recently carried out a series of attacks on military and police forces, using homemade bombs and staging ambuscades that killed a number of policemen, soldiers and civilians.

['Mar S. Arguelles', 'Stephanie M. Florida']

19/04/2017 0:00

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1027935/explosion-damages-2-govt-rescue-boats-in-masbate

Inquirer

Philippine frogs at risk due to climate change

in addition to already known human-induced causes of habitat (forest) fragmentation and destruction and overexploitation.“There is evidence for the link of global amphibian population declines and species extinctions to climate change during the decades of the 2000s,” wrote Alcala in the Philippine Journal of Science in 2012, together with co-authors Abner A. Bucol, Arvin C. Diesmos, and Rafe M. Brown.They cited a source that said in Sri Lanka, for example, 19 out of the 103 species of frogs became extinct, “and most of these were restricted to high elevations of 1,800 meters where average annual temperature increased by 1.3 degrees Centigrade and average annual precipitation increased by up to 20 per cent during the period 1869 to 1995.”In this connection, it would be of interest to find out if climate change has affected frog populations in the fragmented Philippine forests at higher elevations particularly in areas that were explored by Alcala and his research team in the 1950s-1990s.In the Philippines, Alcala and his team assessed the vulnerability of amphibians to climate change. They considered five criteria in the assessment (and five grades per criteria), namely: Status (alien or endemic), elevation (lowland to 500m and above), habitat (non-forest, ground forest, arboreal forest), mode of reproduction (tadpoles or direct layers on ground or trees), and rarity (common or rare).Based on the scores, Alcala and his group concluded that almost one-fourth (24 percent) of the total known 107 species of Philippine amphibians were Highly Vulnerable and almost half of all the species (48 percent) were Moderately Vulnerable.Since there are new species of Philippine amphibians yet to be described, and most of them live in forested mountain habitats, “ the percentages of vulnerable taxa are expected to climb sharply,” they added.The Highly Vulnerable species could be affected by the drying up of their microhabitats in high elevation due to climate change. “They spend most of their lives in perpetually moist microhabitats and utilize as egg-laying sites leaf axils of screw pines, root masses of aerial ferns, moss growing on tree trunks, and top surfaces of broad leaves of forest shrubs. These microhabitats easily desiccate with decreases in atmospheric moisture.”The Moderately Vulnerable group occupy forest floors and limestone caves and widely distributed on islands at various altitudes.Both groups of species include “small amphibians that live on small islands that are susceptible to environmental and atmospheric disturbances and may be at risk of extinction.”About 85 per cent of Philippine amphibians inhabit forested areas, and more than 78 percent of them are endemic (or indigenous) species.In a place where species richness and endemism are high but habitat destruction is rapid, as in the Philippines, species extinction is also high. This is why the Philippines is considered one of the four conservation “hotspots” in Southeast Asia and one of 25 hotspots around the world, the authors explained.In addition, the Philippines is most vulnerable to climate change, with “high exposure frequencies of droughts, cyclonic storms, landslides, and floods, all of which are believed to be driven by changes in temperature and precipitation.”Alcala et al. wrote that Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration projected that in 2020, annual temperature rise is between 0.9 °C and 1.4°C, and in 2050, 1.7°C and 2.4°C. The dry months of March to May will become drier and the wet months of June to November will become wetter.They also wrote: “Reduction in rainfall in most parts of Mindanao for all seasons is predicted. Stronger southwest monsoon winds are also projected in Luzon and Visayas. Areas with increasing elevation in slope are more vulnerable to excessive rains, landslides, and flashfloods.”

[]

19/04/2017 0:00

https://news.mb.com.ph/2017/04/19/philippine-frogs-at-risk-due-to-climate-change/

Manila Bulletin

Mocha Uson takes up cudgels for debutante Isabelle Duterte

Assistant Communications Secretary Mocha Uson came to the defense of President Duterte’s granddaughter Isabelle Duterte after netizens slammed her predebut photo shoot inside the Malacañang Palace.Uson, in a Facebook post, said it was her personal view that there was nothing wrong with what Isabelle did.She said Isabelle was being condemned as if she had killed someone.“First of all, were any public funds spent because his granddaughter had her picture taken in Malacañang? If there was none, it is not wrong for the President’s granddaughter to have her picture taken there. What is wrong is to use the government’s helicopter and spend for personal campaigning,” she said.She also responded to observations that the photo shoot was done in bad taste in light of Mr. Duterte’s claim that he leads a simple life.According to her, it was the tradition among Filipinos, even those who are not well-off, to spend for a daughter’s debut. Isabelle is the eldest daughter of Davao City Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte.It is also the first family’s privilege to use Malacañang, she said.“This is the grandchild of the President. Let us give her some understanding. She is just proud and excited because her grandfather is the president,” she said.Uson, who got her Palace post for being a die-hard Duterte supporter, also said anybody who enters Malacañang for the first time will surely have his or her picture taken there.Netizens, however, pointed out a specific photo wherein Isabelle posed in front of the national coat of arms.They cited Executive Order No. 310 s. 2004 of the Philippine Constitution, which states the permitted and prohibited use of the symbol.“Except as otherwise provided by law or Presidential issuance, the Coat-of-Arms, Seal, and Flag of the President of the Philippines or of the Vice President of the Philippines shall be exclusively used to represent the President of the Philippines or the Vice President of the Philippines, respectively.”

['Leila B. Salaverria']

02/08/2017 0:00

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/953097/malacanang-pictorial-mocha-uson-isabelle-duterte

Inquirer

Baguio Country Club chefs to represent PH in Int’l Chef Wars

The three young Baguio Country Club (BCC) chefs who ruled a national culinary competition in Bacolod City will represent the country in the International Chef Wars in Singapore this year.BCC General Manager Anthony de Leon said Crispian Dave Pettoco, 23; Phobe Pocais, 22 and Jayson Cacheco will represent the country and compete with the best chefs from Japan, China, Singapore, France and other European countries after winning the professional category of the national showdown.During the national competition from July 20 to 21 at the SMX Convention Center in Bacolod City where they vied against representatives from Visayas and Mindanao, the three came up with an egg-based appetizer, main course and dessert.Pocais said that while they did not have the chance to practice well before the competition, their experience at Baguio Country Club came in handy.“We had the dedication and the passion to do whatever it takes. We had teamwork and mostly prayers as the team representing Luzon to be able to bring home the bacon.”Pettoco said that for the Singapore competition, they will highlight Filipino cuisine.

[]

02/08/2017 0:00

https://news.mb.com.ph/2017/08/02/baguio-country-club-chefs-to-represent-ph-in-intl-chef-wars/

Manila Bulletin

Fear still grips Bohol villagers as they return home

Life in the village of Napo, Inabanga town, Bohol province has yet to return to normal, three days after the military declared the village safe from the threat of the Abu Sayyaf bandit group.Most evacuees from the village returned to their homes in the morning to feed their animals and tend their farms.Some joined the Good Friday procession and other Holy Week activities at the St. Paul de Apostle parish in the village of Poblacion and the St. Isidore Church in Cawayan, another village.At night, however, some of the residents would return to evacuation centers for fear the Abu Sayyaf would strike again and of getting caught in the crossfire if the group clashed with government soldiers, according to Frank Baylosis, Inabanga information officer.“The people are still scared,” Baylosis said.He said that while the last air strike against Abu Sayyaf came early Wednesday, the military continued to conduct clearing operations in search of Abu Sayyaf members who managed to escape.At least 10 Abu Sayyaf members entered Napo on Monday escorted by a native of the village, Joselito Melloria.Village leaders alerted police after children reported seeing high-powered firearms and pieces of ammunition “as big as corn ears.”On Tuesday, the bandits and government soldiers clashed.Air Force planes conducted 10 aerial bombing runs, sending at least 3,000 Napo residents and those from neighboring villages fleeing to evacuation centers.When the smoke cleared, five Abu Sayyaf members lay dead, including leader Abu Rami. Also killed were three soldiers and a policeman.A body was found in a shallow grave early Thursday in the village of Lonoy Cainsican, at least a kilometer from Napo.Two of the bodies that had been identified by the military as suspected Abu Sayyaf members, however, turned out to be Napo residents caught in the crossfire.Columbus Estoce, Napo village chief, told radio station dyTR on Thursday, that the two—Constancio Petalco and his wife Crisenta—were residents of Sitio Ylaya and not Abu Sayyaf members.Estoce said Constancio went back to his house to get his wife who had difficulty walking and had been packing for evacuation.“They were just trapped,” Estoce said.Reached for comment, Capt. Jojo Mascariñas, spokesperson of the 302nd Brigade, said officials are investigating the civilian deaths.The investigation, however, would include the couple’s possible involvement with Abu Sayyaf, Mascariñas said.The couple were buried on Good Friday.Three of the dead Abu Sayyaf members, including Rami, were buried at Lutao Public Cemetery.Baylosis said relatives of the couple sought help from Mayor Josephine Jumamoy on Friday.The relatives, according to Baylosis, wanted to delay the burial of the couple to allow their children to say goodbye to their parents.But Jumamoy, in a phone call with the children who are based outside Bohol, told them their parents needed to be buried as soon as possible because their bodies were already in an advanced state of decomposition.“The funeral parlor didn’t want to keep the bodies longer because these started to smell,” the mayor said.Baylosis confirmed that the couple were residents of Napo but that he was unaware if they had any involvement with the Abu Sayyaf.“We will have to wait for the official report from police,” Baylosis said.

['Doris C. Bongcac', 'Leo Udtohan']

2017-06-12 21:00:39+00:00

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/889368/fear-still-grips-bohol-villagers-as-they-return-home

Inquirer

Congress, High Court must assert their independence – Senate minority

SENATORS belonging to the minority bloc on Monday called on various institutions of democracy to continuously serve and protect the interest of the people amid a “complicated and divisive political environment” by asserting their independence.According to the senators, institutions like Congress and the Supreme Court (SC) will not be able to effectively protect and serve the people if they would allow their independence undermined by others.“Now, more than ever, it is important for our democratic institutions to show their independence amid the complicated and divisive political environment that we have today,” they said in a statement.The Senate minority bloc is composed of Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon, Francis Pangilinan, Benigno Paulo Aquino 4th and Leila de Lima (who is detained), all belonging to the Liberal Party (LP); and Senators Antonio Trillanes 4th; and Risa Hontiveros.“Let us not allow others to dishonor and disrespect our institutions, because doing so is an insult to the memory of the brave and selfless Filipinos who fought for our freedom as a nation,” Drilon said.The minority senators said the only way to protect and serve the people is for the institutions of democracy to preserve their independence.The minority bloc, however, did not cite any specific incident that would indicate efforts to undermine the independence of Congress or the Supreme Court but there have been statements and actions coming from allies of the administration that seem to show disrespect to the minority.Just last week, House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez vowed to disregard any ruling from the High Trubunal compelling Congress to convene in a joint session to review the martial law declaration in Mindanao of President Rodrigo Duterte.Alvarez, a lawyer, even threatened to tear the order ordering them to convene in a joint session.The SC is set to conduct oral arguments today on a petition filed by former senator Rene Saguisag, former Commission on Elections chairman and constitutional commission member Christian Monsod, de Lima, former congresswoman Loretta Ann Rosales, former Philippine Health Insurance Corp. director Alexander Padilla and law professor Rene Gorospe.The petition is seeking issuance of a mandamus to compel Congress to convene to review the declaration.“As we celebrate our Independence today, let us breathe life to the liberties that were fought for us by our forerunners by defending the independence of our institutions and by keeping dissent alive in the face of tyranny,” Trillanes said.Pangilinan and Aquino said the people should continue to guard democracy in light of proliferation of “fake news” and misinformation.They added that everyone must do his part in freeing the people from fake news and lies that are rampant in the country.“We fought for independence from foreign rule. We fought for freedom from a ruthless dictator. Now, we fight terrorism, encroachment on our territory and our freedom to dissent. In an era of fake news, rabid online persecution and weak political institutions, we need to fight for our democracy now more than ever,” Aquino said.

['Jefferson Antiporda']

2017-06-12 21:00:39+00:00

https://www.manilatimes.net/congress-high-court-must-assert-independence-senate-minority/332378/

Manila Times

Chinese investors plan housing project in Cebu

A group of Chinese investors wants to put up a socialized housing project in the province of Cebu.Governor Hilario Davide III told reporters Thursday the group presented its plan for the project.Davide said the entry of the Chinese investors into Cebu is a result of President Duterte’s vigorous campaign to draw businessmen in China to the Philippines.He said he believes the Chinese have already identified the area for the project but are keeping to themselves along with other details of the plan.Davide earlier said the provincial government will present the Trans-axial Highway project to Chinese businessmen and investors scouting for local projects.The project is a 280-kilometer road that connects the northern and southern tips of Cebu. Starting from Daanbantayan town in the north, it will cut across Cebu’s mountains to Santander in the south.The Trans-axial technical working committee estimates the project to cost about P56 billion in 2007. It was first proposed by the late Cebu Vice Governor Gregorio Sanchez.The project includes a seven-kilometer-long seaport, a 550-hectare reclamation for Talisay-Minglanilla-Naga and four economic zones in Cebu’s 2nd to 5th districts.

[]

15/06/2017 0:00

https://news.mb.com.ph/2017/06/15/chinese-investors-plan-housing-project-in-cebu/

Manila Bulletin

AMLC sues 2 Chinese traders

THE ANTI-MONEY Laundering Council (AMLC) on Tuesday filed a criminal complaint against two Chinese businessmen allegedly involved in the laundering through the Philippine financial system of $81 million stolen by mysterious computer hackers from the central bank of Bangladesh last month.In a complaint filed in the Department of Justice (DOJ), the AMLC accused Chinese casino junket operator Xu Weikang and Cagayan-based restaurateur Kam Sin Wong, also known as Kim Wong, of money laundering, after tracing to their personal accounts the money stolen from the Bangladesh Bank’s accounts in the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.An AMLC investigation found that the money was wired to four accounts under fictitious names in the Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. (RCBC) branch on Jupiter Street, Makati City.The accounts, opened on May 15, 2015, on Wong’s referral to branch manager Maia Santos-Deguito, saw activity only last month, when the accounts were virtually emptied and fanned out to several banks.Deguito firedRCBC fired Deguito and her deputy, Angela Torres, Tuesday.“Other branch and bank officials are expected to be meted out various sanctions ranging from termination to suspension in the coming days when the internal investigation is expected to be completed,” the bank said in a statement issued by RCBC head of legal and regulatory affairs Maria Cecilla Fernandez-Estavillo.RCBC said Deguito and Torres broke the rules and facilitated the laundering of the money stolen from Bangladesh Bank.“Appropriate charges will be filed in court against Deguito and Torres by next week,” Estavillo said.The AMLC, in its nine-page complaint, said “all elements [of money laundering] are present in this case,” scoring Xu and Wong for taking the money while aware that the funds were “proceeds of unlawful activities.”Probable causeThe AMLC Compliance and Investigation Group said “probable cause” exists that the two had committed money laundering, “having transacted and/or converted, transferred, moved, acquired, possessed or used proceeds of an unlawful activity.”The AMLC cited testimonies during the Senate blue ribbon committee investigation last week where witnesses said a total of $59.349 million was transferred to several accounts under Xu’s name.Based on the testimony of a representative from remittance firm PhilRem (unnamed in the complaint), a total of $30.565 million—or $18 million and P600 million—was “personally delivered” to Xu in several tranches from Feb. 5 to 13.A separate amount of P1.374 billion, or $28.784 million, was wired to the account of Bloomberry Resorts and Hotel Inc., which operates the plush Solaire Resort Casino in Parañaque City, from Feb. 5 to 11.The AMLC said Solaire corporate secretary Silverio Tan confirmed at the Senate that the amount “was for the account of Xu as the registered casino junket operator.”It was eventually “converted into nonnegotiable chips issued to regular casino players,” Tan told the senators, according to the AMLC.Wong’s rolePhilRem, meanwhile, transferred P1 billion, or $21.6 million, to Wong, through the Philippine National Bank account of his business, Eastern Hawaii Leisure Co. Ltd., the AMLC said.Wong is president and general manager of the company, which was “organized” in Hong Kong but operates at the Cagayan Economic Processing Zone.Of the amount, Wong moved P900.475 million to his personal account, and then withdrew P400 million, the AMLC said. The account has since been frozen.“The foregoing circumstances would show that respondent Wong knew or should have known that the funds that were remitted/transferred to [several] accounts … were part of the stolen funds from Bangladesh Bank, and are therefore proceeds of unlawful activities,” the AMLC said.The council said Xu committed the same offense, as he “remains to be in possession of the stolen funds” even while reports about the money laundering “have been all over the newspapers and are now subject of ongoing Senate blue ribbon committee hearings.”Earlier this month, the AMLC filed money-laundering charges against Deguito for her role in opening the four bank accounts to which the stolen money was wired by the hackers.Assistant State Prosecutor Gilmarie Fe Pacamarra last week ordered Deguito to answer the charges and appear at preliminary hearings on April 12 and 19, during which the DOJ will determine whether there is probable cause to bring the branch manager to court.Selective actionCommenting on the AMLC move, Kabataan Rep. Terry Ridon asked why no charges were brought against top RCBC officials and businessman William Go, whose denial of involvement in the cyberheist had been disputed by Deguito’s deputy, Torres.“We are gravely concerned that mere branch-level bank personnel are being publicly slandered by bank executives and supposedly valued clients involved in this controversy,” Ridon said, noting that Tan and other RCBC officials had invoked the bank secrecy law to evade further scrutiny.“There should be no sacred cows in the AMLC criminal complaint. [All the people] involved should be subjected to preliminary investigation, including RCBC executives who greenlighted the transaction when it entered the Philippines,” he said.Ridon said PhilRem’s liability should also be checked thoroughly to determine whether it knew from the outset that the remittances it handled were dirty money.Not laundering hotspotDespite the scandal, the Philippines is not seen as a hot spot for money laundering, according to Julia C. Bacay-Abad, executive director of the AMLC.Abad, however, urged further tightening of rules against money laundering by including casinos as well as real estate brokers and dealers in the coverage of the Anti-Money Laundering Act (Amla).“The Philippines is not the single country where money laundering could happen. We’re not a haven for money laundering,” Abad said at a news forum where she explained the mandate and procedures being followed by the AMLC.Abad, however, refused to answer questions about the transfer of money from the Bangladesh Bank account in the Federal Reserve Bank of New York to the RCBC Jupiter branch accounts.She maintained that the AMLC swiftly moved as soon as it found out that the transactions exceeded the legal daily limit.But Abad disclosed that only nine to 10 financial analysts at the AMLC go through the millions of covered transactions and hundreds of thousands of suspicious transactions throughout the financial system.AMLC data showed that last year, more than 36 million transactions were deemed covered on top of more than 146,000 flagged as suspicious.Abad said the proposal to give the AMLC power to issue a cease-and-desist order to immediately freeze a suspicious account before going to the courts would be “helpful,” although it would be up to legislators who had proposed to amend the Amla.Expand Amla coverageShe also said the AMLC would propose to Congress to include casinos and the real estate sector in the coverage of the law.Abad also said the AMLC also “[favors] lifting the bank deposit secrecy law.” With reports from Gil Cabacungan and Doris Dumlao-Abadilla

['Ben O. De Vera', 'Tarra Quismundo']

02/07/2017 0:00

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/775757/amlc-sues-2-sino-traders

Inquirer

Trump to speak with China, Japan leaders on N. Korea

President Donald Trump will speak by telephone with the leaders of China and Japan on Sunday, in talks likely to be dominated by North Korea’s nuclear drive and the threats posed by its belligerent leadership.The Trump administration has been growing increasingly exasperated with North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un’s regime, which has staged a barrage of missile tests in recent months.Trump had been pinning his hopes on China – North Korea’s main diplomatic ally – to bring pressure to bear on Pyongyang, but declared last week that their efforts had failed.He has presented sanctions as the best way to proceed with the hermit state, opting for that approach over dialogue with the regime.On Sunday, Trump will speak with Chinese President Xi Jinping at 8:45 p.m. (0045 GMT Monday) and with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at 8:00 p.m.During talks with South Korean leader Moon Jae-In – who has pushed for a policy of engagement with Pyongyang – on Friday, Trump called for a “determined response’’ to the North. But the pair failed to map out a joint strategy on how to respond to North Korean threats.“The era of strategic patience with the North Korean regime has failed, many years it has failed. Frankly, that patience is over,’’ Trump said.There was also deep anger in the United States after Otto Warmbier, an American student who was detained in North Korea on a tourist trip around 18 months ago, was returned home in a coma earlier this month. He died several days later.

[]

02/07/2017 0:00

https://news.mb.com.ph/2017/07/02/trump-to-speak-with-china-japan-leaders-on-n-korea/

Manila Bulletin

Napoles gets life sentence

“This is God’s justice.”Benhur Luy sent this text message to the Inquirer after the Makati Regional Trial Court (RTC) on Tuesday found Janet Lim-Napoles and her brother Reynald “Jojo” Lim guilty of illegally detaining him and sentenced them to life imprisonment, or a jail term of up to 40 years.In a 26-page decision, RTC Branch 150 Judge Elmo Alameda said Luy’s narration of events before and during his detention from Dec. 19, 2012, to March 22, 2013, when he was rescued by National Bureau of Investigation agents, was “credible and cohesive.”The court also asked Napoles to pay P50,000 as an award of civil indemnity to Luy who “suffered anxiety and fright as a result of his detention” and another P50,000 for moral damages.Napoles also is facing plunder charges in connection with the alleged P10-billion racket involving the diversion of congressional Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF), or pork barrel, to ghost projects and bogus nongovernment organizations (NGOs).Senators Juan Ponce Enrile, Jinggoy Estrada and Ramon Revilla Jr. are detained for their alleged involvement in the PDAF scam.Napoles, who came to the courtroom under heavy guard, held hands with her lawyer, Bruce Rivera, as the decision was read. At times she was seen conversing with her lawyer. She showed no emotion upon hearing the guilty verdict.‘Not surprised’Rivera later told reporters that he “kind of expected” the decision. “We weren’t surprised because we felt that this is not an ordinary case,” he said, noting that there was “public interest” involved. He said he planned to appeal the decision.In August 2013, Luy accused Napoles, a cousin, and her brother of illegally detaining him at Bahay ni San Jose and at the South Garden Pacific Towers in Taguig City, a Catholic retreat house in Magallanes Village, Makati City, after they reportedly found out that Luy was having separate business transactions allegedly involving the PDAF.Napoles claimed that Luy had volunteered to go on a three-month spiritual retreat and that he was not detained against his will.Alameda said in his decision that the prosecution was able to establish that Luy was illegally held captive for three months.“It is clear from Benhur’s testimony that the accused indeed threatened and intimidated him,” Alameda said.She did not testifyNapoles did not testify during the nearly two-year trial, but only submitted a memorandum arguing that the only evidence or act where the prosecution established her participation in the crime was when she uttered, “Ikulong na ’yan, ikulong na ’yan (jail him).” This was on Dec. 19, 2012, when Napoles confronted him about his alleged PDAF transactions with lawmakers without her knowledge.“The discourse of Janet in her memorandum cannot be given any evidentiary value because she did not testify. Her arguments were not established by direct testimony. Her failure to testify prevented the prosecution from examining her to test her credibility,” Alameda said.The judge also said that while Luy was in detention, Napoles had “ample opportunity” to order his release but she never did.“Clearly, she willingly agreed to be part of the conspiracy with her brother Jojo. Her inaction can be construed as assent to their evil deeds,” Alameda said.“This is God’s justice. I am happy we have proven we were telling the truth, but on the other hand, I felt sad because Madame Janet is family. I am constantly praying for her and her family,” said Luy in his text message to the Inquirer.Many thanksLuy thanked his former counsel Levito Baligod, the Department of Justice prosecutors and the other employees of Napoles who testified against the businesswoman.Luy also mentioned the NBI Special Action Force headed by Assistant Regional Director Rolando Argabioso who rescued him from the posh condominium unit of Napoles in Taguig City two years ago.“Argabioso’s team believed me and stood up against the power and influence of Ms. Napoles then, I owe to them my gratitude,” Luy added. He added that Argabioso’s team surmounted pressure from powerful people.Luy also mentioned the role of the media, particularly the Philippine Daily Inquirer.“The PDI lent its credibility and I’m glad I did not fail them,” he said.Luy’s mother, Gertrudes, became emotional after she heard the guilty verdict. “God is good,” she told reporters.After the promulgation, Napoles was taken back to her detention facility at Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig City. The clerk of court, Diosfa Valencia, said that there was still no order from Judge Alameda if Napoles would be transferred to a regular jail facility.As for Lim, who remains at large, Valencia said that the case against him was ordered archived, meaning it will be reopened once Lim is arrested and the court gains jurisdiction over him.RELATED STORIESNapoles gets up to 40 years imprisonment for illegally detaining Benhur LuyNapoles to Luy: Drop illegal detention raps

['Kristine Felisse Mangunay', 'Maricar B. Brizuela', 'Nancy C. Carvajal']

21/05/2017 0:00

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/685524/napoles-gets-life-sentence

Inquirer

Democrats near deal on insiders’ role in picking nominee

Democrats are nearing a final decision on how much power party insiders should have in picking presidential nominees.The Democratic National Committee is expected to vote later Saturday on a proposal that would strip “superdelegates” of their presidential nominating votes at any contested convention in 2020.That group includes the DNC members, elected officials and other party elders that make up about 15 percent of all Democratic convention delegates.Party Chairman Tom Perez says he’s confident the change will pass after two years of negotiations that spun out of the 2016 nominating fight between Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton.But the vote won’t come without one final public airing of disagreements from party leaders who don’t want to give up their status.

[]

25/08/2018 0:00

https://news.mb.com.ph/2018/08/25/democrats-near-deal-on-insiders-role-in-picking-nominee/

Manila Bulletin

Duterte wants PCGG to have bigger scope and more power

Amid protests over the “sneaky” burial of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos at the Libingan ng mga Bayani, President Rodrigo Duterte said on Wednesday that he would expand the scope and power of the Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG), which had so far focused on recovering the alleged ill-gotten wealth of the Marcoses and their cronies.In a news conference, Duterte was asked if he made any directive to the PCGG to further pursue the recovery of the loot of the Marcoses and their cronies.“No. I will expand it. What I say is that the PCGG is limited to the Marcos wealth,” he said shortly after arriving from his trips to Peru and New Zealand at the Davao City International Airport. “But I want it broader and with more power.”Activist and former Bayan Muna Rep. Satur Ocampo had urged Duterte to push the PCGG to continue recovering Marcos ill-gotten wealth, noting that the chief executive has good relationship with the Marcos family.“It is important that he retrieve the money so that it can be used for the implementation of the projects for poor citizens and for the development of the economy,” Ocampo said.He said that the opposition to PCGG cases by former First Lady Imelda Marcos and former Sen. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. clearly indicated their involvement.In April, the younger Marcos blocked the transfer of $40 million to the government, which will be used to compensate martial law victims.Since it was created in 1986, the PCGG has recovered a total of P170.4 billion worth of assets.Marcos was interned at the Libingan ng mga Bayani in a “stealthy” manner on Nov. 18.Protests erupted across the nation shortly after Marcos’ burial at the Libingan ng mga Bayani. Various groups are staging a bigger protest on November 25.

['Anthony Q. Esguerra']

2017-10-21 22:21:44+00:00

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/847380/rodrigo-duterte-pcgg-presidential-commission-on-good-governance-bigger-scope-more-powers-marcos-ill-gotten-wealth

Inquirer

Court revives CHEd chief’s graft case

THE Court of Appeals (CA) has ordered the reinstatement of a graft case filed against Commission on Higher Education (CHEd) Chairwoman Patricia Licuanan in so far as the administrative aspect is concerned, reversing its initial decision declaring itself without jurisdiction to review the finding of the Office of the Ombudsman dropping graft charges.In 2014, the Philippine Accrediting Association of Schools, Colleges, and Universities (Paascu) filed a joint criminal and administrative complaint before the Ombudsman against Licuanan over an alleged anomalous deal with a private company involving the allocation of P10 million for the creation of a new accrediting agency.“While we are happy that CA has ordered the reinstatement of the administrative aspect of Chairperson Licuanan’s graft case, we believe that she should also be made liable criminally. We are therefore asking the Supreme Court to reinstate not only the administrative aspect of Chairperson Licuanan’s graft case but also the criminal aspect, which we believe is very strong given the COA [Commission on Audit] report,” Atty. Joseph Noel Estrada, PAASCU’s legal counsel, told The Manila Times over the weekend.On Wednesday (October 18), Lawyers Joseph Noel Estrada and Diana Tuazon assisted Paascu in the filing of its petition for review on certiorari before the Supreme Court.Estrada noted that the accrediting association, headed by Fr. Joel Tabora S.J.—also the president of Ateneo de Davao University and Coordinating Council of Private Educational Associations (Cocopea)—is determined to pursue the case against Licuanan including its criminal aspect.It may be recalled that Paascu filed a joint criminal and administrative complaint in 2014 against Licuanan and Mr. Leo Querubin, President of Philippine Computer Society (PCS), for entering into a Memorandum of Agreement where CHEd allegedly allocated P10 million for the organization’s mobilization assistance. Based on the COA report, the selection of PCS by CHEd lacks competitiveness and transparency. Paascu alleged that the memorandum of agreement did not undergo bidding process, lacked transparency, and was grossly disadvantageous to the government, thus in violation of RA 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.

['Neil Alcober']

2017-10-21 22:21:44+00:00

https://www.manilatimes.net/court-revives-ched-chiefs-graft-case/357852/

Manila Times

SolGen pressured to bare SALNs

The retired businesswoman who filed a graft and misconduct complaint in the Office of the Ombudsman against Solicitor General Jose Calida challenged him on Friday to make public his financial statements after he was found to be the majority owner of a company that provides security to four state agencies since 2016 when he joined the government.In her two-page letter to Calida, Jocelyn Marie Acosta said records from the Securities and Exchange Commission showed that he owned 60 percent of Vigilant Investigative and Security Agency Inc. (Visai) while the rest of the shares in the company belonged to the other members of his family.Acosta said Visai had contracts to provide security personnel to the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp., National Economic Development Authority, National Anti-Poverty Commission and National Parks Development Corp.Conflict of interest“Your ownership of Visai shows a clear conflict of interest,” Acosta told the Solicitor General.She demanded that Calida release his statements of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALNs) from 2016 up to the present as he himself had brought a quo warranto petition in the Supreme Court which led to the removal of Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno.‘Burden’In a landmark ruling last week, the tribunal upheld Calida’s argument that Sereno’s failure to submit all her SALNs when she applied for the top judicial post in 2012 proved that she did not have integrity to lead the judiciary.“Being the architect of the quo warranto petition, you now have the burden of showing to the people that you have more integrity than (Sereno),” Acosta said.Calida, who has not replied to Acosta’s earlier complaint, could not be reached for comment on her letter.Acosta last week filed a graft, malversation and misconduct complaint against Calida in the Ombudsman, citing among other things, his failure to divest his majority stakein Visai.Her complaint said Calida violated the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards, which requires officials to divest their business interests within 30 days of assuming office, or their shareholdings within 60 days.On leaveCalida has been on leave since rumors of his supposed extramarital affair with his legal secretary in the Office of the Solicitor General spread on social media two weeks ago.In her complaint to the Ombudsman, Acosta said Calida was “guilty of malversation” when he “diverted” P1.8 million in public funds to his alleged22-year-old mistress, but she did not provide any evidence of the alleged offense.Acosta is one of the founders of the Silent Majority, which backed the candidacies of Mar Roxas and Leni Robredo in the 2016 polls. The group is critical of the Duterte administration and supports Sereno.

['Marlon Ramos']

2018-07-12 00:05:05+00:00

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/992223/solgen-pressured-to-bare-salns

Inquirer

Senate poll tribunal set to probe Poe citizenship

The Senate Electoral Tribunal (SET) is set to thresh out in detail matters surrounding the citizenship of Sen. Grace Poe as it tackles the disqualification case against the undeclared but likely presidential candidate when it holds oral arguments on Sept. 21.Expected to be a core issue is Poe’s reacquisition of her status as a natural-born Filipino citizen on July 7, 2006, a year after resuming her residency in the Philippines from the United States.In an advisory issued by the nine-member SET, it said one issue to be discussed was “whether or not respondent reacquired her natural-born Filipino citizenship on July 7, 2006, when she took the oath of allegiance to the Philippines.”Poe took her oath of allegiance to the Philippines after years of shuttling back and forth between the Philippines and the United States, where she had been residing since her marriage to Filipino-American Neil Llamanzares in 1991.The senator, a foundling born in 1968 and adopted by the late actor Fernando Poe Jr. and his wife, actress Susan Roces, in 1974, acquired American citizenship in October 2001.Her trips to Manila became more frequent in 2004, during her father’s presidential campaign. The elder Poe died in December of the same year, just six months after losing the presidential election to Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in voting marred by allegations of cheating.Citizenship renouncedPoe retained dual citizenship even after she reacquired Filipino citizenship in 2006, renouncing her US citizenship only four years later upon her appointment as chair of the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB).Petitioner Rizalito David, a defeated senatorial candidate in the 2013 elections in which Poe got 20 million votes and emerged the topnotcher, is contending that she is disqualified from the post because of her questionable citizenship.At the oral arguments scheduled for Monday, the SET will also look into whether Poe’s renunciation of her American citizenship in 2010 qualified her for elective public office.The tribunal is also expected to ask both sides whether under Philippine law, the United States must first approve the respondent’s renunciation of US citizenship before she can qualify for public office in the Philippines and whether under US law, Poe lost her American citizenship effective Oct. 21, 2010, when she took her oath of office as MTRCB chair.The SET is also expected to settle the question on whether Poe’s use of her US passport after July 7, 2006, the date of her renewed allegiance to the Philippines, “affected her acquisition of natural-born Filipino citizenship.”The tribunal gave the two sides until Wednesday to file their respective position papers discussing these issues.Residency issue droppedDuring a preliminary conference on Friday, the SET, chaired by Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio, got David to concede to dropping residency as among the grounds for Poe’s disqualification. This leaves only the matter of citizenship for the tribunal to settle.Under SET rules, questions on a candidate’s eligibility, such as the matter of residency, should be filed within 10 days of proclamation.In proceedings that took barely 30 minutes, the two sides also filed their respective documentary evidence before the tribunal.The electoral appeals body includes two other magistrates as members, namely Associate Justices Teresita Leonardo-de Castro and Arturo Brion, and six lawmakers—Senators Tito Sotto, Bam Aquino, Pia Cayetano, Cynthia Villar, Loren Legarda and Nancy Binay.Respect OFW rightsA family rights lawyer said migrants and overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) taking on another citizenship should not be ostracized for doing so because, more often than not, they were doing it for their families.Minerva “June” Ambrosio, a founder of the Child Justice League and member of the University of the Philippines’ (UP) Women Lawyers’ Circle, criticized Camarines Sur Rep. Leni Robredo for saying that Poe was not deserving to become the country’s President because she once renounced her Filipino citizenship.Ambrosio, also director of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines National Center for Legal Aid, said in a statement that OFWs often made the painful decision to shed their Philippine citizenship in favor of the host country so they could continue working there to give better lives to their families back home.She said there should be “respect and understanding” for OFWs

['Tarra Quismundo']

2018-07-12 00:05:05+00:00

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/722310/senate-poll-tribunal-set-to-probe-poe-citizenship

Inquirer

Dengue cases up in first half of year

DENGUE cases in Metro Manila and other parts of the country rose by 25 percent in the first half of the year, the Department of Health (DoH) said on Wednesday.Heath Undersecretary Rolando Enrique Domingo said in a radio interview that 7,200 cases of dengue were recorded from January 1 to July 7, higher than the 5,800 cases reported in the same period in 2017.The highest increase was reported in the Ilocos region, where dengue cases went up by 80 percent. It was followed by Cagayan Valley, which recorded a 66-percent increase.Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Bicol, Western Visayas and Northern Mindanao regions also had higher incidence of dengue, Domingo said.The official warned that the figure could go up since the peak season is just starting. During the rainy season, there are plenty of damp areas where mosquitoes breed, he explained.Dengue is a tropical disease caused by a family of viruses transmitted by mosquitoes. Symptoms include high fever, headache, vomiting, muscle and joint pains, and skin rash.Domingo assured the public that hospitals were prepared to treat patients should there be a surge in dengue cases.

['Kimberly Malait']

2018-07-12 00:05:05+00:00

https://www.manilatimes.net/dengue-cases-up-in-first-half-of-year/418487/

Manila Times

AFP supports 1-year extension of martial law

Citing the attempts at reconsolidation by the extremists who survived the Marawi siege and the “increasing violence” from communist insurgents, among other threats, the Armed Forces of the Philippines on Friday said it was endorsing the plan to extend martial law in Mindanao.Maj. Gen. Restituto Padilla, AFP spokesperson, said the military had submitted to President Rodrigo Duterte its recommendation supporting the Philippine National Police proposal to extend martial law in Mindanao.Though Padilla claimed to be unaware of the length of the military’s recommended extension, some senators belonging to the majority bloc on Friday said they understood the proposal called for a one-year extension.The martial law proclamation over Mindanao is set to expire on Dec. 31, unless extended by Congress, which is scheduled to go on a monthlong break from Dec. 15.There have been calls from several sectors to keep martial law in place, but the minority bloc in the Senate is pushing for its termination to hasten the return of displaced Marawi residents to their homes.Several senators said they would decide whether to support the extension only after getting a security briefing from the AFP and the PNP.Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III said senators would discuss the police and military recommendations early next week, immediately after receiving a formal request from Malacañang.“I expect the formal letter request for extension to be given to the Senate on Monday, then I will immediately take this up with my colleagues,” Pimentel told reporters in a text message.The President declared martial law in Mindanao on May 23 after Islamic State sympathizers laid siege to Marawi City. He won congressional approval on July 22 for the first extension of martial rule.Mr. Duterte declared the city’s liberation from the Maute and Abu Sayyaf group extremists five months later.While saying he was not privy to the AFP report, Padilla said Mindanao was still facing threats from the Daulah Islamiyah to which the Maute, Abu Sayyaf and other terrorist organizations belong.Dangling cash offers, remaining members of these groups are now trying to recruit more fighters from among women and children, as well as the relatives of those who were killed in Marawi, he said.“Their recruitment is part of their efforts to regain their strength, and they may be expecting that they could retaliate, which is why they remain threats to security, especially in Marawi,” Padilla said.“This is something that we don’t want to happen, for this group to come back again with a vengeance,” he added.There could also be violence from the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters in Maguindanao, Lanao and Cotabato, as well as from the Abu Sayyaf terrorists in Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi, he said.Padilla said the communist rebels needed to be watched as well, after Mr. Duterte ended peace talks with the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) and declared the Communist Party of the Philippines and its armed wing, New People’s Army (NPA), as terrorist organizations.‘Acts of violence’“That’s part of the reason why martial law may be needed to cover other areas where potential terrorists are in hiding,” he added.Padilla noted that from January to Nov. 30, there had been a 65-percent increase in violent incidents perpetrated by the NPA in Eastern and Western Mindanao.Estimated damage from these attacks was at P2.4 billion, he said.“These acts of violence and destruction from the ranks of the NPA are something that we are seriously looking at because these affect our economy,” Padilla said.Sen. Miguel Zubiri, whose hometown is in Bukidnon, said he was open to the proposal to extend martial law in the region, though he still needed to hear what security officials have to say before he could vote on it.Sen. Francis Escudero said he had not seen the request and the justification for extension. “But should it be given to us, I will ask that Malacañang and security officials brief the Senate, even in executive session, as to the reasons for such an extension before I decide,” he said.A briefing with the PNP and the Department of National Defense is “badly needed” so that lawmakers can be apprised of the developments in Marawi, according to Sen. Joel Villanueva.Sen. Grace Poe agreed with her colleagues but said that senators should also listen to feedback from local government units in Mindanao before making their decision.Sen. Gringo Honasan, a retired Army colonel, said he would endorse the extension of martial law, pointing out that the recommendation came from the PNP and the Department of the Interior and Local Government, two key agencies which he said were active on the ground.“If and when the President asks for it from Congress, everything is procedural by law. Better for us to have [martial law extension] when we need it than to need it and not have it, expeditiously,” Honasan said.But minority senators objected vehemently to an extension, saying it was not constitutional and that because of it, many residents of Marawi still did not want to return to their homes.Senate minority leader Frank Drilon said a second extension of martial law in Mindanao would be “patently unconstitutional.”In a statement on Friday, the minority bloc said they “support the position of Mindanaoans for no martial law extension in their home island.“As security forces reign supreme during martial law, would not military rule actually get in the way of a people-centered rebuilding and rehabilitating of the once-vibrant city? What is the need for martial law? Would martial law suspend bidding in the reconstruction of the city?”The bloc also wanted to know about the role of Marawi residents in the planning and rehabilitation of their city.“What guarantees do they have that they can return to their old location and start life anew?” the senators asked.

['Jocelyn R. Uy', 'Leila B. Salaverria']

2017-08-30 20:00:23+00:00

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/950892/marawi-siege-mindanao-martial-law-afp-restituto-padilla-rodrigo-duterte-pnp

Inquirer

New BoC chief vows to stamp out corruption

NEW Bureau of Customs (BoC) Commissioner Isidro Lapeña on Wednesday vowed to put a stop to the culture of corruption in the graft-ridden bureau to generate more revenues for the government.“Stop corruption and increase revenue earnings. This was the marching order I received from [President Rodrigo Duterte] when I reported to him and [he] formally informed me that I will be heading the Bureau of Customs,” Lapeña said.By stopping corruption, he explained, collection would consequently also improved.He said major changes will be implemented to regain public trust and confidence in the bureau, a hotbed of corruption, even as he assured all Customs officers and men that he would give them a chance to start with a clean slate.Lapeña announced that he would abolish the controversial Command Center (ComCen) established by former Commissioner Nicanor Faeldon, saying “it is not in the law,” and would return the “alert power” to deputy commissioners and other concerned Customs officials.ComCen is headed by Deputy Commissioner Garardo Gambala.It was created by virtue of Customs Special Order (CSO) No. 45-2016 and is the sole unit that can issue alert orders, among other powers.ComCen also acts as the coordinating facility of the Operations Group in the proper collection of duties and taxes, enforcement of tariff and Customs laws and prevention and suppression of all forms of Customs fraud and other economic frauds in all ports of entry.It supervises and monitor as well the movement of imports, exports, foreign mails and the clearance of vessels and aircraft in all ports of entry.“I am not here to pass judgment but I’m here to institute changes. I’ll start with a clean slate for everybody. I will work with the organization and I will utilize officers and personnel who are already knowledgeable and experienced in the Customs processes,” Lapeña said.He gave his assurance that those who remain steadfast in performing their duties and responsibilities with commitment, competence and integrity would be aptly rewarded but warn those who continue with their corrupt practices to stop it now.“I expect this to deter corrupt practices. We will send out a 24/7 feedback mechanism to report and facilitate actions from concerns or complaints regarding unlawful activities of Customs officials and employees and informants who provide positive information will be given rewards,” Lapeña said.“I need everyone to be onboard, everyone to be onboard with me. Either you are with me or you are against me. If you are not with me, give way or else I will take you out,” he added.“Let us start anew so we can move forward, just do your work, prove your worth and I will back you up,” Lapeña said.According to him, he would implement a “one-strike” policy to boost internal cleansing, which shall be supported by intensified counter-intelligence efforts within and outside the bureau.He said his top priority is to do away with the culture of “pasalubong [welcome gift]” and tara (grease money) and strictly enforce the “no-gift and no-take policy.”Lapena urged everyone to arrest or report unscrupulous individuals who will use his name to collect money or ask favors to circumvent laws and regulations and “you will receive a reward accordingly from me.”“I am also appealing to all stakeholders, especially the importers, to support and cooperate with us by adhering only to legitimate procedures. Part of our job is trade facilitation. Do not give us reasons to hold your shipment and I assure you that under my term as Customs commissioner, we will collect what is legally proper and correct dues. No more tara. Do not be duped into becoming instruments that contribute to breeding corruption in the bureau,” he said.Lapeña added that a bureau-wide computerization of system and processes to reduce red tape would provide a level playing field to all stakeholders and ensure trade facilitation, contributing to increased revenues.Faeldon, in his farewell speech, called on all officers and employees of the bureau to support Lapena, whom he described as a better officer than him.He was forced to submit his resignation to the President amid a controversy and public uproar over a P6.4-billion shabu shipment that slipped past the Customs zone without a hitch.At the height of a congressional probe, Surigao Rep. Ace Barbers and members of the House Committee on Dangerous Drugs called on Faeldon to step down but he refused, saying that as a soldier he treats his job as a mission, “and a soldier does not quit from his mission.”Subsequent investigations by the Senate and the House of Representatives, however, prompted Faeldon to submit his resignation, which the President eventually accepted.

['William Depasupil']

2017-08-30 20:00:23+00:00

https://www.manilatimes.net/new-boc-chief-vows-stamp-corruption/347693/

Manila Times

Shipment to Visayas, South of fowl from Luzon banned

THE Department of Agriculture (DA) has temporarily suspended the shipment of live domestic and wild birds and their products, including poultry meat, day-old chick, eggs, semen and manure from Luzon to the Visayas and Mindanao in a bid to contain further spread of avian influenza from a town in Pampanga province.Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol on Tuesday said the government is exerting all efforts to contain the spread of the avian flu from the town of San Luis, Pampanga, which was placed under immediate quarantine issued by the DA last Thursday, August 10, when the disease was confirmed.Piñol added that the ban on the shipment of poultry meat and poultry products from Luzon to the rest of the country is an aggressive step to contain the spread of the avian influenza to other parts of the Philippines.Appealing for understanding and support of the public, including poultry farm owners and workers, he said the ban will be temporary and will be lifted as soon as experts conclude that the risk of spreading the virus has been eliminated.The temporary ban on the shipment of chicken and other fowl from Luzon to Visayas and Mindanao is contained in Memorandum Circular 09, Series of 2017, signed by Dr. Enrico Garzon Jr., Agriculture Assistant Secretary for Livestock and Director of the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI).“In view of the avian influenza outbreak in the province of Pampanga and to prevent further spread of the disease in other parts of Luzon and to Visayas and Mindanao … No movement of LIVE domestic and wild birds including poultry meat, day-old chick, eggs, semen and manure shall be allowed from Luzon [mainland Luzon and island provinces of Luzon] to Visayas and Mindanao,” Memorandum Circular 09 stated.Garzon noted that “[s]ince Visayas and Mindanao remain free from avian influenza, the movement of live poultry, poultry mat, day-old chicks, eggs, semen manure and other products from Visayas and Mindanao to Luzon will be allowed.”Shipment of poultry meat and poultry products from Luzon to any point in Luzon, the DA secretary said, will be allowed “provided this is outside of the 7-kilometer radius control area of Pampanga.”Piñol added that Luzon-to-Luzon shipment of poultry meat and poultry products will be allowed under the following conditions:Shipping permitLive domestic and wild birds, including but not limited to chickens, duck, geese, quails, doves and pigeons shall be accompanied by a shipping permit and a veterinary health certificate issued by a government sector veterinarian that these products were sourced from farms with no incidence of avian influenza for the past 21 days prior to shipment.Poultry meat, including but not limited to fresh, frozen meat, uncooked poultry products, shall be accompanied by a shipping permit and a meat inspection certificate.Piñol said the temporary ban will be lifted when there are no new cases reported after the stamping out activity, including the disinfection of all affected areas and surveillance.Meanwhile, Department of Health (DoH) Assistant Secretary Enrique Tayag also on Tuesday said they are monitoring two suspect cases among those exposed to chickens affected by avian flu in San Luis.In a news briefing, Tayag added that he was given a preliminary report on those interviewed by the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) and found two suspect cases with flu symptoms.“I was given a preliminary report where they interviewed 20 people from different farms and found two of them with [flu] symptoms. One with cough and one with fever. Influenza [symptoms] are fever, cough and sore throat,” he said.He added they will release the results on Wednesday to confirm whether they are infected with the avian flu virus.“However, due to them having symptoms, they are called suspect cases. Tomorrow we will release the results to know if this is due to bird flu,” Tayag said.Suspect cases are those who had direct contact with the affected poultry and with flu-like symptoms.The two suspect cases were taken to a hospital where they are being isolated and monitored by the RITM for 48 hours before confirming if they carry the virus or not.Tayag said cross-infection of chicken to human is rare while human to human infection is “with great difficulty” as studies on the disease show that among a million exposed in other countries, only 200 were infected by avian flu.He added that those who take human influenza vaccine will not be protected from bird flu infection because the vaccine only prevents mutation of the virus.“It [influenza vaccine] does not protect you. Human influenza [vaccine] will protect you from human influenza. This is bird flu virus,” Tayag said.No cause for alarm“There is an important effect if you are vaccinated. Example, you work at the [affected] farm and you are vaccinated from influenza, so you are preventing mutation of the influenza virus,” he added.Tayag explained that if a person who has human influenza gets infected by the bird flu virus, the two strains of influenza virus will mutate.The DoH has reiterated that there is no cause for alarm because this is an animal health virus, not a public health problem.A person infected with avian flu shows some of these symptoms: mild conjunctivitis or swelling of the eyes and severe pneumonia.Left untreated, bird flu can be fatal.The Health department urges farmers in Pampanga who have flu-like symptoms to report to their local government unit so they could be brought to regional hospitals for isolation and monitoring.According to RITM Director Celia Carlos, the avian flu strains that have been known to jump to humans are the H5N1 and H5N7 sub-types.Tayag said they have stockpiled around 8,000 capsules of Oseltamivir, an anti-viral medication that blocks the actions of influenza virus types A and B in the body.The medicine is used to treat influenza in people who have had flu symptoms for 2 days or less.The Health department is yet to receive a report from the DA on what strain affected the chickens in Pampanga.NEIL A. ALCOBER, KENNETH HERNANDEZ AND BENJIE L. VERGARA

['The Manila Times']

2017-08-15 20:14:26+00:00

https://www.manilatimes.net/shipment-visayas-south-fowl-luzon-banned/344654/

Manila Times

Lawmakers wrangle over who will control Bangsamoro police

Who will control the local Bangsamoro police—the Philippine National Police chief, the mayors or the Bangsamoro chief minister?Lawmakers tussled on Monday over who would exercise administrative and operational control over the local police force of future Bangsamoro substate at the resumption of deliberations on the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) at the House of Representatives.The ad hoc committee on the BBL, chaired by Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez, debated the legality of giving supervisory powers over the local police to the chief Bangsamoro minister, instead of to the local mayors who hold such powers under the law.The argument began when Police Senior Supt. Cesar Binag, representing PNP officer in charge Leonardo Espina, noted that the BBL was “silent” on the functional relationship between the Bangsamoro police director and the PNP chief.He said the BBL was not clear on the directional command of the PNP chief over the Bangsamoro police.But Misamis Occidental Rep. Henry Oaminal questioned Binag’s authority to speak for the PNP, noting that he was not present during previous BBL hearings, while other PNP officials never aired similar reservations on the draft law.Binag said he was asked to fill in for Espina due to his experience as a deputy commissioner to the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Liberia.He also said he had the authority to speak for the PNP organization.Zamboanga City Rep. Celso Lobregat said Binag’s comments should be made part of the record.Lobregat noted that under the BBL, the chief minister would have operational control and supervision over the local police, “taking away those powers from the mayor.”Napolcom mandateBut Rodriguez pointed out that under the PNP law, it is the National Police Commission (Napolcom) that is mandated to deputize local mayors so they could exercise control over the police within their jurisdictions.Lobregat wondered if the BBL would effectively repeal the PNP law.Lanao del Sur Rep. Pangalian Balindong, however, noted that in the current setup of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, or ARMM, which the Bangsamoro entity will replace, operational control over the police was being wielded by the ARMM governor.“There is no inconsistency,” he said.Government peace panel member Senen Bacani said the Bangsamoro entity was in a “unique situation,” and under the principle of unity of command, the “Bangsamoro shall be primarily responsible for public order and safety.”Interior Undersecretary Peter Corvera said the chief minister of the Bangsamoro would be deputized by the Napolcom to exercise control over the local police.He noted the “peculiar structure “of the Bangsamoro political entity, but this has already been done before, Corvera said, in reply to questions by Iloilo Rep. Arthur Defensor Jr.“With respect to the ARMM, operational control is also given to the governor, thus, there’s no conflict vis-a-vis the authority given to local executives,” he said.Do mayors retain their authority? “There is no express provision repealing or incorporating [their powers over the police] but we would like to believe it is harmonized,” Corvera said.“As far as the DILG or PNP is concerned, regardless of this provision stating that the chief minister shall exercise power over the police… the ultimate direction, control and supervision will necessarily lie with the PNP chief,” he said.Corvera said there was no significant difference between the current setup in the ARMM and the future setup in the BBL.

['Dj Yap']

05/05/2016 0:00

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/686724/lawmakers-wrangle-over-who-will-control-bangsamoro-police

Inquirer

Crusader says draft book still anomalous

It may be a work in progress, but it is still “anomalous.”This was the contention of Antonio Calipjo Go on Monday, following Education Secretary Armin Luistro’s defense that the Grade 10 English textbook, titled “Diversity: Celebrating Multiculturism (sic) through World Literature,” which the self-styled “sick books crusader” had reviewed and found to have 1,300 errors, was the material’s first draft.A digitized version of the textbook uploaded to the Department of Education (DepEd) online portal Learning Resource and Management Development System already carried a new title, “Celebrating Diversity through World Literature.”Go said he got copies of the learner’s material from two public school teachers who attended DepEd’s May 15 National Training on Trainers.The academic supervisor of Marian School of Quezon City, however, declined to identify from what schools the teachers came from.“It’s all the more anomalous. Why are they allowing the first draft to be used during the training? Shouldn’t the teachers use the most correct [version of the textbook]? That’s just an excuse,” Go told the Inquirer.He added that the teachers gave him the textbook because “they could see that there are many errors.”Only recourseAsked why the teachers preferred to point out to him the errors rather than to the DepEd, Go said the teachers “aren’t allowed to go against [DepEd]. Their only recourse is to come to me.”In a Facebook post, Education Undersecretary Dina Ocampo said on Monday that most of the textbook’s errors had been found and addressed by the DepEd before it was sent to the printer.“That version was used for training only. There have been three or four versions since that. Improvements were done with the help of fellow teachers who shared their time and expertise with DepEd generously and quietly,” Ocampo said.The Inquirer has learned that the May 15 event was a two-pronged seminar—teachers were given copies of the textbook not only to train them on the subject but also to engage them in the process of making the textbook better, by spotting errors in it.Assistant Education Secretary Jesus Mateo on Monday explained to Radyo Inquirer dzIQ that before a textbook landed on a student’s desk, it was first screened by an expert on the subject who would then send the material back to DepEd for review. After the DepEd reviews it, the material is then sent to an institution expert on a specific subject, like the University of the Philippines National Institute for Science and Mathematics Education Development (UP Nismed).UP Nismed is familiar with Go’s work, having been criticized in 2010 for the “Biology” book it developed. On its page, the institution criticized Go for spending “his time trying to demolish rather than create.”Patronizing a heretic“Difference in preferences should not give rise to the heresy that Mr. Go is always right and those who disagree with him are always wrong,” it said in its online newsletter.Mateo said the DepEd was saddened by the actions of Go, whom they hoped had told the DepEd “what he noticed so that in that way he was able to help us [correct the errors].” He added that the department has reached out to Go several times asking him “if he could help as a reviewer.”“The DepEd is open to listen to the comments of the [various] stakeholders. We value the feedback because that’s the only way we can improve the system,” he said.Go confirmed that DepEd officials had asked him verbally at least three times over the last few years to join its reviewing process. He, however, said he declined.“I don’t want to be part of the system. Otherwise I’ll lose my independence. I won’t be able to write the way I do,” he said.Go was referring to the textbook screening body Instructional Materials Council Secretariat (IMCS), which he said should be an independent body outside the DepEd.“If you’re the IMCS, would you criticize or go against your boss? Will the DepEd [be honest enough] to admit its mistakes? We need an objective, independent screening body. It shouldn’t be under the DepEd,” he said.‘Lost in translation’Go added: “If the DepEd will ask me to give them the correction, I will even sit down with the writers, point out the errors and suggest corrections. But by all means, the DepEd should publicly acknowledge the errors and [tell that] they’re asking for my help to correct [the textbooks].”In publicly acknowledging the errors, Go said the DepEd “will be compelled to correct” the errors.“Otherwise what happens is that they will ask for the correction and that’s about it. They have the option not to implement the correction,” he said.Go dismissed claims by his critics that he had a personal motive for releasing the errors first to the media.“I have no intention of going into politics or getting a seat in DepEd. I didn’t dream of that. This is my advocacy: to rid textbooks of errors,” he said.A college dropout, Go has spent his own money buying newspaper advertising space to point out DepEd book errors.In pursuing his advocacy to get rid of public school books “lost in translation,” he has earned lawsuits and media brickbats from publishers and authors, many of them with a string of PhDs to their names.In a press statement on Monday, the DepEd pointed out that developing the learning materials and teaching guides “involves several stages of drafting, editing and validation, as well as various consultations with content writers, reviewers and editors before printing.”It added that the department was open to receive feedback through their e-mail action@deped.gov.ph and would “appreciate constructive engagement that would lead to the attainment of quality learning materials.”RELATED STORIESCrusader finds 1,300 errors in Grade 10 bookUnder the Penumbra of Error

['Jovic Yee']

06/07/2017 0:00

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/697031/crusader-says-draft-book-still-anomalous

Inquirer

Calls for justice for youngsters killed in drug war mount

Public outrage over the murder of 17-year-old Kian delos Santos has prompted calls for justice for other youngsters killed in the Duterte administration’s war on drugs.Investigations of these cases, perpetrated either by lawmen or vigilantes and hidden from media spotlight, have grounded to a halt for a host of reasons, like fear of reprisals, lack of witnesses and plain lack of interest by local authorities, according to the Commission on Human Rights (CHR).In Biñan City, Laguna province, Rodelito Sailog recalled the death of his daughter Kristine Joy, 12, when gunmen attacked a drug suspect eight months ago.Dawn MassKristine’s pictures share a small table with a broken stove, empty tin cans, uneaten crackers and wilted flowers. Like an altar with a crucifix and rosaries hanging on the picture frames, the table occupies a corner in the family’s 12-square-meter home occupied by the girl’s coffin during her wake six months ago.A stray bullet hit Kristine in an attack that killed Allan Fernandez, a suspected drug dealer in their community. It happened in a church compound where the girl was attending a dawn Mass with her family, four days before Christmas.“I still remember her watching TV from morning till noon. She would sit around with her cousins, teasing her older brother. She was a cheerful girl,” said Sailog, 40, a seasonal construction worker.Sailog said he had yet to hear from the police about their inquiry into his child’s death.The war on drugs has claimed the lives of several thousands in police operations or vigilante violence.Calabarzon deathsIn the Calabarzon region (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon), police records as of June showed 373 drug suspects were killed allegedly while resisting arrest and engaging policemen in a shootout.Philippine National Police Director General Ronald dela Rosa has commended the Calabarzon police for carrying out the most number of antidrug operations in the country that had resulted in the arrest of 15,580 suspects and the surrender of 144,726 others.“We too were surprised by what was happening. We were not ready for that,” Dr. Rio Magpantay of the Department of Health said of the number who had surrendered in an area with little facility for drug treatment.There was another youngster killed in Cebu province.Stray bulletWilson Batucan recalled that his 7-year-old son Niño was watching television in their house in Barangay Cansaga, Consolacion town, last Dec. 3 when he was killed by a stray bullet fired by a group of bonnet-wearing men who were chasing a teenage boy accused of selling drugs.The father cried for justice, claiming that his son’s killers were policemen.Batucan himself was killed on March 8 in an attack by still unidentified gunmen while he was about to park his motorcycle outside his house.He had confided to his wife before the incident that he had turned down an offer to settle his son’s case in exchange for money.His wife, Marilou, 45, said she wanted justice for her husband and son but had decided to remain silent to protect her other children and relatives.No complaintsMany families of those killed by unknown assailants and police officers in the war on drugs have chosen not to file any complaints for similar reasons, according to CHR’s Edgar Luis.“All the investigations we are doing are motu proprio (by the agency’s own initiative) because no one is interested or willing to file a complaint or seek an investigation,” Luis said.The CHR is investigating 21 cases of suspected extrajudicial killings in Western Visayas and 59 cases in Central Visayas involving either policemen or operatives of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency. These cases have been elevated to the Office of the Ombudsman.One of the cases involved the killing of Jerald Inesola, 22, who was picked up from his house in Cebu City and was later killed in what the police claimed was a shootout on July 23, 2016.The CHR has filed a complaint in connection with the case against SPO2 Renante Nioda and PO2 Arnold Cabildo at the Office of the Ombudsman.Snail-paced probeNicolasa Inesola, 72, a rice cake vendor, said the family was dismayed by the snail-paced investigation. She and her daughter had traveled to Manila to pursue the case.“We spent for it, but we just could not travel to Manila regularly because the fare was expensive,” Inesola said.“I want those two policemen to rot in jail. How could they kill my grandson? They don’t have any right to do so even granting that he committed a mistake,” she said as tears welled up in his eyes.

['Ador Vincent S. Mayol', 'Maricar Cinco', 'Nikon Celis']

06/07/2017 0:00

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/925132/calls-for-justice-for-youngsters-killed-in-drug-war-mount

Inquirer