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Carlo Paalam outclasses Irish foe to zero in on guaranteed Olympic boxing medal | delfin.dioquino editor | 31/07/2024 22:35 | WINNER. Boxer Carlo Paalam of the Philippines in action against Jude Gallagher of Ireland in the round of 16 of the men's 57kg division in the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Piroschka Van De Wouw/REUTERS
MANILA, Philippines – Filipino boxer Carlo Paalam stands a win away from being a two-time Olympic medalist.
Paalam moved closer to that goal in the Paris Games after advancing to the quarterfinals of the men’s 57kg division, beating Ireland’s Jude Gallagher via unanimous decision at the North Paris Arena on Wednesday, July 31.
Seeking to repeat as an Olympic medalist after bagging silver in the Tokyo Olympics three years ago, Paalam claimed his place in the quarterfinals with scores of 30-27, 29-28, 29-28, 29-28, 29-28.
Up next for Paalam is fourth seed Charlie Senior of Australia as they tangle on Saturday, August 3, for a spot in the semifinals.
All of the four semifinalists are guaranteed of at least a bronze.
Despite moving up to 57kg after competing in the lighter 52kg class in Tokyo, Paalam remained light on his feet as he proved to be an elusive target for the 22-year-old Gallagher, who debuted in the Olympics.
Paalam earned the nod of three of the five judges in the opening round then clinched the second round with a 5-0 score to virtually seal the deal.
The taller Gallagher went for broke in the third round, hoping to land a knockout but to no avail as Paalam wasted precious time by circling the ring and dodging attacks from the Irish.
Paalam got the Philippine boxing team back on track after Eumir Marcial (men’s 80kg) and Hergie Bacyadan (women’s 75kg) both dropped their opening bouts in the round of 16.
Marcial suffered an upset loss at the hands of 20-year-old Turabek Khabibullaev of Uzbekistan, while Bacyadan bowed to top seed Li Qian of China.
Aiming to join Paalam in the quarterfinals are Nesthy Petecio (women’s 57kg) and Aira Villegas (women’s 50kg) as they return to action on August 3 and 4, respectively. – Rappler.com
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Fishing banned in Limay, Bataan due to oil spill | Iya Gozum | 30/07/2024 16:02 | Members of the Philippine Coast Guard create improvised oil spill booms as part of containment efforts after oil tanker MT Terranova capsized and submerged off Limay, Bataan.
PCG
BATAAN, Philippines – A fishing ban is already in place in Limay, Bataan, Governor Jose Enrique “Joet” Garcia III said on Tuesday, July 30, days after MT Terranova capsized and submerged off Lamao in Limay last July 25.
Garcia said the fishing ban was imposed by Limay Mayor Nelson David.
Water samples taken from four barangays in Limay, Bataan, were also found to have levels of oil and grease that exceeded standard limits set by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, deeming them unsuitable for fishing and swimming.
Water bodies are suited for fishing if oil and grease concentration found in samples only amounted to 3 milligrams per liter (mg/L) or below, and safe for swimming if oil and grease concentration is only 2 mg/L or below.
Based on a presentation on Tuesday by Raphael de Leon, officer-in-charge of Bataan’s Environment and Natural Resources Office, the four areas not suitable for fishing and swimming are:
Samples from Barangay Francis I, Barangay Wawa, and Barangay Luz Kitang were taken on July 25, while the water sample from Lamao was taken on July 26.
There were two stations in Barangay Luz Kitang where samples were taken. The water sample from the other station only registered 2.4 mg/L of oil and grease. Results were shown to reporters in Balanga, Bataan, on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, water samples taken from three barangays in Mariveles (namely Batangas II, Lucanin, and Townsite) did not exceed standard limits for fishing and swimming.
Bataan, especially Lamao, is grappling with the oil spill caused by the sunken MT Terranova, which was carrying 1.4 million liters of industrial fuel oil.
In the days that followed, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) had deployed oil spill booms and is currently sealing the valves before contracted salvor Harbor Star can start siphoning operations.
Experts had forecasted that the oil spill could reach Metro Manila by Tuesday, July 30. But in a press conference on Tuesday afternoon, PCG Commandant Admiral Ronnie Gavan said based on their aerial inspection earlier in the day, no oil sheen was seen going toward Manila.
While the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources said around 11,000 fisherfolk would be affected by the oil spill, Garcia estimated that at least 14,000 fisherfolk from nine coastal municipalities in Bataan could bear the brunt of the maritime incident. – Rappler.com
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No POGOs inside Cagayan special economic zone, says CEZA | Joann Manabat - CMS | 31/07/2024 17:40 | 'NO POGOS IN CEZA.' Cagayan Economic Zone Authority administrator and chief executive officer, Katrina Ponce Enrile delivers her 20-minute opening remark at the third joint committee hearing of the House on public order and safety, and games and amusement on July 31, 2024.
Screenshot via House of Representatives YouTube
PAMPANGA, Philippines – “There are no POGOs (Philippine offshore gaming operations) in the Cagayan special economic zone and freeport. There never was and never will be.”
This was part of the 20-minute opening statement of Katrina Ponce Enrile, administrator and chief executive officer of the Cagayan Economic Zone Authority (CEZA) during the joint hearing on Wednesday, July 31, of the House committees on public order and safety, and games and amusement.
Also in the hearing was her father, Chief Presidential Legal Counsel and former senator Juan Ponce Enrile.
The Enrile patriarch authored Republic Act 7922 or the Cagayan Special Economic Zone Act of 1995. This law established CEZA as both a gaming authority and a special economic zone.
CEZA oversees and regulates offshore interactive gaming (iGaming) operations which predates the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation’s (Pagcor) POGOs by over a decade.
Katrina said CEZA maintained a record free of the criminal activities associated with POGOs such as kidnapping, torture, human trafficking, and murder.
“There has not even a single instance of crimes associated with POGOs under CEZA’s watch. It never had any instances of kidnapping, human trafficking, torture, scams, and murder,” she said.
“CEZA established itself as the first interactive gaming jurisdiction in Asia and stood at the forefront of regulatory innovation. The intention was to attract established and credible gaming operators in Europe and North America to outsource their services,” she said.
Katrina presented in the hearing a dozen key distinctions between the CEZA’s regulation of iGaming operations and POGOs. “”I believe that the distinction between CEZA and PAGCOR are some of the keys to our orderly regulation of iGaming,” she said.
The distinction she referred were:
The Cagayan special economic zone also hosts seaport operations, tourism, real estate development, and upcoming industrial parks.
Meanwhile, House Deputy Speaker and Isabela 1st District Representative Antonio Albano asked the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) to issue a public apology on the alleged presence of POGOs near Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) sites.
The Camilo Osias Naval Base Camilo in Sta. Ana town in Cagayan province is about 7.8 kilometers from CEZA according to Google Maps.
Although PAOCC refused to provide comment as of this writing, PAOCC spokesperson Winston Casio has said the information was based on intelligence reports and documents from the Securities and Exchange Commission. – Rappler.com
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Pizza for a cause! a mano and Toyo Eatery collab for 3 new Filipino-inspired pies | Steph Arnaldo | 31/07/2024 17:59 | MANILA, Philippines – Ever had tortang talong pizza? Or Neopolitan pizza with banana ketchup-tomato sauce? What about lechon on a pizza?
Amado Forés’ a mano and Chef Jordy Navarra’s Toyo Eatery have teamed up to create “Kamayan Pizza,” three unique pizza pies to celebrate a mano’s fifth anniversary while honoring the Filipino farmers of Good Food Community.
“We admire Jordy Navarra and Toyo Eatery so much,” shared Forés. “Toyo Eatery has always championed Filipino ingredients and those who produce them. We agreed that we wanted to give back to those who farm the ingredients we use every day.”
Starting end of July until August 26, a mano’s Kamayan Pizzas are available in all a mano’s branches, melding Toyo’s innovative Filipino takes with a mano’s traditional Italian techniques. All profits from the collaboration will go to Good Food Community, which advocates for ethical and ecological farming, supporting smallholder farmers through initiatives like deliveries and markets.
Two of the three inventive flavors may not be for the picky eaters, but adventurous foodies may enjoy them!
You can’t go wrong with the Si Margarita Pizza (P650), a classic and simple overall favorite that’s perfect for kids. that Using a mano’s crispy-thin Neopolitan crust, the toppings include banana-tomato red sauce (which adds a subtle sweetness to the conventional pizza sauce), creamy Kesong Puti, FiordiLatte Latteria Sorrentina, sulasi (holy basil), and fresh basil.
If you love eggplant in any way, shape, or form, maybe the Tortang Talong Pizza (P810) would pique your interest? The same pizza crust and banana-tomato sauce feature thinly-sliced grilled eggplant kesong puti-ricotta blend, and egg yolk sauce drizzled on top. Because of the grilled talong, this pizza leans towards a smokier flavor profile.
The Lechon & Pinya Pizza (P940) could be seen as a different and “localized” spin on the Hawaiian pizza. Strips of soft lechon porchetta are placed atop banana-tomato sauce and FiordiLatte Latteria Sorrentina. I liked the dehydrated pinya crisps on top – similar to paper-thin dried mangoes almost – that offered a sweet and tart, chewy element to the porky pizza. It’s topped with bits of crispy lechon skin, and is meant to be dipped in the homemade spiced vinegar on the side.
“Because we are a mano diners to begin with, when we were asked if a collaboration pizza was something we were interested in, it was a no-brainer for us to say yes,” Chef Jordy said.
Last September, AF Hospitality’s a mano made it to the 50 Top Pizza’s 2023 list of the 100 best pizzerias in the world. It was recognized as the 12th best pizzeria in the Asia-Pacific region and awarded the Best Pasta Proposal in 2024, five years after opening in 2019. a mano has branches in Bonifacio Global City, Gateway Mall, and Power Plant Mall.
Celebrating humble ingredients and traditional techniques, Makati City’s Toyo Eatery has earned accolades such as the Miele One to Watch Award and the Flor de Caña Sustainable Restaurant Award from the Asia’s Best Restaurants Academy. – Rappler.com
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Tiramisu inventor Roberto Linguanotto dies at 81 | jreyes0314 | 31/07/2024 18:15 | TIramisu inventor Roberto Linguanotto dies at 81.
Screenshot from Tiramesù Linguanotto's YouTube page
MANILA, Philippines – Italian pastry chef and owner of renowned restaurant Le Beccherie, Roberto Linguanotto, died at 81 due to a long-term illness.
In a Facebook post, the Italian restaurant announced the death of the culinary legend.
“We join the mourning for the passing of Roberto ‘Loli’ Linguanotto, who marked the history of Beccherie and the most beloved dessert in the world. His memory lives in our restaurant! Thank you, Loli,” the restaurant wrote in Italian.
According to Le Beccherie, the Tiramisu or Tiramesù was first introduced to their menu in 1972 but its experimentation dates back to 1955. It has become a restaurant staple since then.
The beloved dessert was “accidentally” born when Linguanotto spilled mascarpone, a key ingredient of Tiramisu, into a bowl of sugar and eggs. The ladyfingers soaked in espresso were then added through the help of Alba di Pillo-Campeol, perfecting the recipe that we know and enjoy.
It was first served on a round tray with coffee-soaked ladyfingers and two layers of cream and mascarpone. More than ten years since it was introduced, it was published in a Treviso gastronomic magazine.
When it was taken to Venice by the restaurant, its popularity grew bigger and was eventually dubbed as the culinary symbol of Italy and Veneto, a region in northeastern Italy.
In honor of the late inventor, Veneto’s president Luca Zaia shared his sentiments on a Facebook post.
“I join in mourning for the passing of Roberto “Loli” Linguanotto, pastry chef who marked the breakthrough of the Trevigiana and Veneta pastry shop by rediscovering and relaunching tiramisu, a traditional product today of culinary excellence recognized worldwide,” Zaia wrote in Italian.
President Zaia also acknowledged the inventor’s contribution to the success of the region’s cuisine and called it “inimitable.”
“To his family and friends, as well as those who appreciated him, my closeness and sympathy goes to him,” he added. – with reports from Fore Esperanza/Rappler.com
Fore Esperanza is a Rappler intern. She’s taking up English language studies at the Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology.
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SALN TRACKER: House of Representatives | Jodesz Gavilan | 31/07/2024 17:03 | MANILA, Philippines – Government officials and employees are required to submit their Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALNs).
Journalists have always engaged in a back and forth with public officials to obtain copies of their SALNs. This is because “the public has the right to know, their assets, liabilities, net worth and financial and business interests,” according to the to Republic Act 6713 or the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees.
The Rappler research team has sent letters requesting copies of these SALNs, and we want to take readers every step of the way.
Below is the tracker for SALN requests sent to each House leader, including Speaker Martin Romualdez.
As of July 31, none of them has released their SALNs to Rappler.
Each status refers to the following:
Rappler is publishing in the coming days story pages containing trackers of SALN requests sent to each House member, categorized by province. The pages will be updated each time we receive a response.
Track Rappler’s request for the SALN of other officials:
– Rappler.com
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Joanie Delgaco races for final time in Olympics, vies for 19th to 24th places | delfin.dioquino editor | 31/07/2024 17:37 | IN FORM. Rower Joanie Delgaco in action for the Philippines.
Philippine Rowing Association Facebook page
MANILA, Philippines – Filipina rower Joanie Delgaco will race for the last time in the Paris Olympics.
Delgaco dropped to the classification final D of the women’s single sculls after placing fifth in her semifinal C/D race with a time of 8 minutes and 00.18 seconds at the Vaires-sur-Marne Nautical Stadium on Wednesday, July 31.
Crossing the first 500m at fourth place, Delgaco fell to sixth midway through but pushed herself in the final 500m to avoid finishing last in the race topped by Serbia’s Jovana Arsic (7:44.60).
Slovenia’s Nina Kostanjsek (7:48.86) and Brazil’s Beatriz Cunha Tavares Cardoso (7:49.96) were second and third as they joined Arsic in the final C, where the 13th to 18th places will be contended.
Paraguay’s Alejandra Alonso Alderete (7:56.50) beat Delgaco for fourth, while Iran’s Fatemeh Mojallaltopraghghale (8:06.23) ended up sixth.
It was the slowest finish for Delgaco in the Olympics after clocking 7:56.26 in the heats, 7:55.00 in the repechage, and 7:58.30 in the quarterfinals.
Delgaco, though, can end her campaign on a high note as she vies for the 19th to 24th places in the final D set on Saturday, August 3.
Only Benjamin Tolentino secured a top-20 finish among the three previous rowers that represented the Philippines in the Olympics as he placed 18th in the men’s single sculls in the 2000 Sydney Games.
Also competing in the men’s single sculls, Ed Maerina (1988 Seoul) and Cris Nievarez (2020 Tokyo) ranked 22nd and 23rd, respectively. – Rappler.com
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Cynthia Villar eyes return to Las Piñas politics in 2025 | Bonz Magsambol | 31/07/2024 17:44 | File photo of Senator Cynthia Villar
Rappler.com
MANILA, Philippines – Senator Cynthia Villar is eyeing a return to Las Piñas politics in 2025 as her second term in the Senate ends next year.
In a chance interview with reporters on Wednesday, Julu 31,, the senator said that she has yet to decide if she would run for Las Piñas mayor or as congresswoman.
“Gusto ko magmayor. Si senator [Manny] Villar gusto niya mag-congresswoman ako,” Villar said.(I want to run for mayor but former senator Manny Villar wants me to run for congresswoman.)
“Tingin ko malaki ang maitutulong ko sa Las Piñas. Tingin naman ni Manny mas may value ako sa Congress,” she added.
(I think I can make a significant contribution to Las Piñas. Manny, on the other hand, believes I have more value in Congress.)
The senator said that she will decide on which position to run for by October, when the filing of certificates of candidacy begins.
She said she wants to continue her environmental advocacies in Las Piñas, among others.
“May farm school ako sa Las Piñas, may river rehabilitation program, may Las Piñas-Parañaque Wetland Park, may drug rehab center kami doon,” she said.
(I have a farm school in Las Piñas, a river rehabilitation program, the Las Piñas-Parañaque Wetland Park, and a drug rehabilitation center there.)
Prior to winning a seat in the Senate in 2013, Villar served as Las Piñas representative.
Villar’s niece, Las Piñas Vice Mayor April Aguilar, is said to be running for mayor in 2025.
Villar’s daughter, Deputy Speaker Camille Villar Genuino, is gunning for a Senate seat next year.
– Rappler.com
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Carlos Yulo shoots for Olympic gymnastics medal in loaded all-around final | delfin.dioquino editor | 31/07/2024 6:16 | BALANCE. The Philippines' Carlos Edriel Yulo in action during the men's floor exercise final in the 2023 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships.
Yves Herman/REUTERS
MANILA, Philippines – If things go his way, Carlos Yulo may end up as the Philippines’ first medalist in the Paris Olympics.
Yulo hopes to capitalize on the first of his three shots at a medal as he competes in the men’s artistic gymnastics individual all-around final at the Bercy Arena on Wednesday, July 31.
The reigning Asian all-around champion, Yulo showed he can go toe-to-toe with the best in the world after placing ninth in the qualification with a total of 83.631 points.
Yulo aims to bank on his pet events as he placed second in floor exercise with 14.766 points and sixth in vault with an average of 14.683 points to reach the finals of both apparatuses.
His performances in the other apparatuses were promising, with Yulo posting 14.333 in parallel bars, 13.466 in horizontal bar, and 13.066 in pommel horse – marks that were all higher than his scores in the Tokyo Games.
Yulo netted his lowest score in still rings with 13.000.
Former world champion Zhang Boheng of China topped the all-around qualification with 88.597 points, followed by Japan’s Shinnosuke Oka (86.865) and Daiki Hashimoto (85.064), who led their country to the team gold.
His Olympic title defense in horizontal bar crushed after surprisingly failing to make the final, Hashimoto hopes to bounce back by retaining the individual all-around gold he won in the Tokyo Games.
China’s Xiao Ruoteng, who finished as runner-up to Hashimoto, placed fourth in the qualification with 84.898 points, while Great Britain’s Jake Jarman (84.897) and Joe Fraser (84.666) landed fifth and sixth, respectively.
Ukraine’s Oleg Verniaiev netted 84.631 points for seventh and Italy’s Yumin Abbadini edged Yulo for eighth with 83.933 points.
Other notable names in the 24-man all-around final include World Artistic Gymnastics Championships medalists Illia Kovtun of Ukraine and Milad Karimi of Kazakhstan. – Rappler.com
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WATCH: ‘And So It Begins’ trailer | Angelo Gonzales | 31/07/2024 14:36 | AND SO IT BEGINS. Former vice president Leni Robredo at a campaign rally during the 2022 presidential election campaigns
Screenshot from And So It Begins documentary trailer
MANILA, Philippines – Ramona Diaz’s And So It Begins is a documentary that looks deeper in the political scene in the Philippines leading up to the 2022 presidential election, which saw former vice president Leni Robredo and her grassroots “pink” movement go up against the machinery of eventual victor Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.
It highlights as well Rappler CEO and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Maria Ressa in the fight for press freedom and the fight against disinformation, a subject that Diaz also tackled in the earlier A Thousand Cuts documentary.
And So It Begins premieres in the Philippines in August. Watch the trailer here:
– Rappler.com
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[Just Saying] Marcos administration must assist ICC investigation | Chay Hofilena | 31/07/2024 9:30 | Solicitor General Meynard Guevarra, referring to the International Criminal Court (ICC) investigation of the alleged mass killings during the Duterte administration’s drug war, said that the “Philippine government through the president has repeatedly stated that we have no legal duty to cooperate or to lend assistance” to the ICC prosecutor. He also said that “that does not mean that the ICC prosecutor cannot continue his investigation, he can do so, he can interview these five people directly…all that we’re saying is that the government will not be involved.”
The Philippine Government is wrong. The present Marcos administration is duty-bound to assist the ICC prosecutor.
The Philippine Constitution recognizes two international law sources: treaty law and the general principles of international law, which are automatically part of the law pursuant to Section 2 of Article II of the Constitution. Between these two, there is no hierarchy. They may operate independently, or even co-exist.
Let us take the Rome Statute, for example. It created the ICC and defined genocide as a crime within ICC jurisdiction, making it a ground for universal liability (Article 6). However, the idea that genocide is a universal crime obligating every state to prohibit and not commit is not dependent on the Rome Statute. It exists separately from any treaty which says so. It is a matter of jus cogens — peremptory international norms to be observed by the civilized international community.
As it is with genocide, so too, it is with crimes against humanity, defined under Article 7 of the Rome Statute as including murder, extermination, and enforced disappearance of persons “when committed as a widespread or systematic attack directed against any civilian population, with knowledge of the attack.”
Party to the Rome Statute or not, the Philippines, as a member of the community of civilized nations has a good faith obligation to prevent, or at the very least, account for, these crimes and aid in their investigation. The Philippine government is obliged under customary international law, to facilitate whatever processes ensuring accountability for the same.
Let us turn closer to home. In Pangilinan et al. v. Cayetano et al. (G.R. No. 238875), the Supreme Court (SC) ruled that the ICC “retains jurisdiction over any and all acts committed by government actors until March 17, 2019. Hence, withdrawal from the Rome Statute does not affect the liabilities of individuals charged before the International Criminal Court for acts committed up to this date.” Our own SC has stated that the government has this duty that is now being asked of it.
Republic Act No. 9851, known as the “Philippine Act on Crimes Against International Humanitarian Law, Genocide, and Other Crimes Against Humanity” provides that Philippine courts have exclusive/original jurisdiction to hear the cases for crimes such as Crimes Against Humanity.
However, Section 17 allows waiver of the investigatory part of the process in certain instances. Thus:
In the interest of justice, the relevant Philippine authorities may dispense with the investigation or prosecution of a crime punishable under this Act if another court or international tribunal is already conducting the investigation or undertaking the prosecution of such crime. Instead, the authorities may surrender or extradite suspected or accused persons in the Philippines to the appropriate international court, if any, or to another State pursuant to the applicable extradition laws and treaties.
This is exactly the Philippine situation. An international body, the ICC prosecutorial arm, is already conducting the investigation of the crimes charged relating to Duterte’s drug war. The Marcos administration, under RA No. 9851, can waive the Philippine’s prerogative to investigate, and allow the ICC to finish its own.
That is the better course of action for three reasons:
FIRST. The people being investigated held high government positions. Considering the scope of the crimes charged and their immense implications for the country’s own law enforcement system, an international investigation inspires more confidence, and is better insulated from destabilization, threats, violence or undue influence.
SECOND. The Philippine justice system is, unfortunately, slow. While the Supreme Court and the justice department are remedying this, crimes of this magnitude may be better served by a system that can give a significant amount, if not all, of its attention to the case.
THIRD. The ICC investigators are professionals, having these very crimes as their areas of expertise. This is not to look down on our own prosecutors, but it would be adding more injustice to the victims if the government will not take advantage of the chance to have highly specialized experts on this case, when the opportunity presents itself.
Assisting the ICC prosecutor is a win-win situation for the Marcos administration. A finding that no ICC-cognizable crimes were committed means the redemption of the Philippines’ global reputation from a lawless and violent country. A finding, however, that crimes were committed signifies the country’s readiness to accept the truth as a first step to providing justice for all victims.
Internationally, the Philippines will stand as an example for other countries that it can rise from a bloody past into a new future, an image which President Marcos Jr. seems uniquely fixated on. – Rappler.com
Mel Sta Maria is former dean of the Far Eastern University (FEU) Institute of Law. He teaches law at FEU and the Ateneo School of Law, hosts shows on both radio and Youtube, and has authored several books on law, politics, and current events.
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I doubt that the Marcos administration will assist the ICC prosecutor as long as there are government officials close to PBBM who might be affected by the ICC’s actions. Additionally, I do not believe that President Marcos Jr. is truly fixated on portraying the image of the Philippines as a country that has risen from a bloody past into a new future. This portrayal seems to be for show only, as his true fixation appears to be amassing the greatest amount of wealth and power in his lifetime.
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2024 Paris Olympics: Meet Team Philippines | Jasmine Payo | 26/07/2024 22:35 | MANILA, Philippines – After the Philippines’ historic four-medal romp in the Tokyo Games, 22 Filipino athletes look to match, or even surpass, the country’s record run in the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Weightlifting superstar Hidilyn Diaz, who captured the country’s breakthrough Olympic gold, won’t be back, but boxing medalists Nesthy Petecio (silver), Carlo Paalam (silver), and Eumir Marcial (bronze) return to spearhead the Philippines’ campaign, as EJ Obiena (athletics) and Carlos Yulo (gymnastics) also stand as medal contenders.
Here’s the elite roster vying for more glory on the world’s biggest sporting stage:
– Rappler.com
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Recto says transfer of P90-B PhilHealth funds allowed under 2024 budget | Kaycee | 31/07/2024 9:25 | HEALTH. Finance Secretary Ralph Recto attends the Senate inquiry on Universal Health Care and the utilization of PhiliHealth Funds, payment of Health Emegency Allowance for health workers, on July 30, 2024.
Angie de Silva/Rappler
MANILA, Philippines – Finance Secretary Ralph Recto told a Senate panel on Tuesday, July 30, that the transfer of around P90 billion excess funds from the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) to the national treasury is authorized under the General Appropriations Act (GAA) of 2024.
In addressing the uproar over the Department of Finance’s directive to the state insurer to remit billions of excess PhilHealth funds, Recto, in a committee on health and demography hearing at the Senate on Tuesday, July 30, emphasized that the DOF is merely implementing what the law empowers them to do.
“Hindi ito iligal (This is not illegal),” Recto said in his opening statement.
“Ito ay naaayon sa batas na RA 11975 o ang General Appropriations Act (GAA) of 2024. Tumatalima lang kami sa batas na pinagtibay ninyo at hindi automatic naming iniimplement ito dahil binusisi muna namin kung may merito ba ang kautusan,” Recto said.
(This is according to the law, which is RA 11975 or the General Appropriations Act of 2024. We are just following the law you adopted and we are not automatically implementing this because we had to study first if the law has any merit.)
The government is allowed to tap reserve funds of government-owned or -controlled corporations (GOCCs) to be reallocated as standby funds of the government for projects or when the need arises, thanks to a new provision in the 2024 GAA.
When asked if PhilHealth can be spared from the collection, Recto said: “‘Pag inutos ng Kongreso, gagawin namin. (If the Congress asks us to, then we will do it.)”
Healthcare workers’ groups and advocates have raised alarm over the DOF’s instructions, arguing that this violates the Universal Health Care Act. Under the law, PhilHealth’s reserve fund is separate from the national government’s general fund and should be used to increase PhilHealth benefit coverages.
However, Recto assured his former colleagues that the DOF consulted legal experts before giving marching orders to PhilHealth.
“Kami ay naabisuhan na hindi kasama ang subject PhilHealth remittance sa mga pondong ipinagbabawal gamitin ng gobyerno ayun sa Universal Healthcare Act. Ito ang payong legal na aming sinusunod at hindi lamang ito legal, ito ay makakatulong sa paglago ng ekonomiya at pagbibigay ng trabaho,” Recto said.
(We were advised that the subject PhilHealth remittance is not among the funds that are not allowed to be used by the government according to the [UHC]. This is the legal advice that we are following and [the decision] is not only legal, but it will also help our economy grow and offer more job opportunities.)
PhilHealth also did its own legal consultations. However, Tony Leachon, independent health advocate and former adviser of the Department of Health, pointed out that “such move must have undergone a public consultation and not merely followed a government agency’s directive.”
PhilHealth President Emmanuel Ledesma Jr. said the state insurer will remit the excess funds back to the national government in four tranches:
The P20 billion from the first tranche was used to cover the unpaid Health Emergency Allowance (HEA) of the country’s healthcare workers who served during the pandemic.
Recto said that “as much as possible,” the DOF will use the excess funds for health-related projects and initiatives.
Prior to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s State of the Nation Address on July 22, healthcare professionals asked the president to block the directive. Over 60 groups noted that the funds could have been used to finance healthcare needs of the Filipino people, especially indigent patients.
Antonio Dans, president of the Asia Pacific Center for Evidence-based Healthcare, said that by giving away excess funds, contributing members may end up shouldering costs. “This is unjust… marami sa formal payors ang naghihirap din (a lot of formal payors don’t have it easy too.)”
“PhilHealth is an insurance fund. It’s not a bank. We cannot withdraw our premiums from insurance,” Dans said. – Rappler.com
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R.A. 11975, or the General Appropriations Act (AA) of 2024, can be considered a General Law, while R.A. 11223 can be viewed as a Specific Law. The maxim: “lex specialis doctrine,” states that “if two laws govern the same factual situation, a law governing a specific subject matter (lex specialis) overrides a law governing only general matters (lex generalis).* (Google search: legal maxim specific over general.) Further, a paragraph of Section 11 of R.A. 11223 states that “no portion of the reserve fund or income thereof shall accrue to the general fund of the National Government or to any of its agencies or instrumentalities, including government-owned or -controlled corporations.” Have the legal experts of DOF (intentionally or unintentionally) overlooked this?
How does this make you feel? | Rappler | https://www.rappler.com/philippines/recto-philhealth-fund-transfer-under-2024-budget-law/ | Credible |
OGCC upholds LWUA takeover of Cagayan de Oro water firm | Herbie G | 31/07/2024 10:31 | WATER. The office of the Cagayan de Oro Water District on Corrales Avenue in Cagayan de Oro.
Franck Dick Rosete/Rappler
CAGAYAN DE ORO, Philippines – The Office of the Government Corporate Counsel (OGCC) upheld on Tuesday, July 30, the takeover of the Cagayan de Oro Water District (COWD) by the Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA).
In a legal opinion signed by Government Corporate Counsel Solomon Hermosura and Government Corporate Attorney Owen Vidad, the OGCC said LWUA’s full intervention on May 29 was based on provisions under its Financial Assistance Contract (FAC) with the local water district. Based on the contract, it said, LWUA is entitled to exercise its rights, powers, privileges, and remedies in case of “any event of default” by the COWD.
It said that if there is a default, one of the cited remedies is the power of LWUA to cancel COWD’s certificate of conformance, which equates to “operating the facilities” of the water district. The OGCC opinion indicated that the LWUA’s intervention can be subsumed under this remedy.
LWUA Chairman Ronnie Ong earlier said addressing the COWD’s non-revenue water (NRW), or water going to waste due to leaks, is part of the conditions stipulated in the contract between the agency and COWD.
He said COWD’s NRW, which reached 49.08% by the end of 2023, was one of the major reasons that led to LWUA’s takeover decision.
The LWUA intervention was also in response to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s directive to LWUA to address the problem between the COWD and its primary supplier, the Manny V. Pangilinan-controlled Cagayan de Oro Bulk Water Incorporated (COBI), and to consider a takeover.
The OGCC said the COWD, under the assistance contract, is obliged to ensure its generation of adequate revenues. However, the OGCC said the COWD “violated its obligation to periodically conduct reviews of water rates at least once every two years, which necessitates the conduct of public hearings before it can submit water adjustment proposals.”
In 2023, the COWD was supposed to implement a 60% water rate adjustment for the next three years, but the plan was deferred due to appeals from city government officials and water consumers.
The OGCC advised COWD General Manager Antonio Young and the members of the water district’s board to comply with the LWUA decision and allow the interim officers to perform their tasks.
“The contractual power, rights, and remedies of LWUA under the FAC should be upheld since they are in line with the LWUA’s purpose, and regulatory and supervisory powers over water districts,” a part of the OGCC opinion read.
Young, who has barred the LWUA-installed interim officers from the COWD, has declined to comment, explaining that he was still discussing the OGCC’s position with his lawyer.
COWD Interim General Manager Fermin Jarales, who has been subjected to sharp criticisms following the takeover, said, “LWUA’s intervention is legal and transparent, with no hidden interests as sometimes portrayed by [sidelined] General Manager Young.”
Meanwhile, COBI welcomed the OGCC legal opinion, saying that it confirmed they were dealing with the proper group in addressing their corporate dispute with the water district, which involves a debt claim exceeding P400 million.
“This opinion should also give the interim board some comfort to move forward with their investigation of COWD and negotiations with us,” lawyer Roberto Rodrigo, senior legal counsel for Metro Pacific Water, which controls COBI, told Rappler.
Local officials, a consumers’ group, and organized COWD workers have been calling on LWUA to keep out of COWD’s affairs and organized street protests after the Department of Justice (DOJ) released a legal opinion on June 18, which they saw as an opinion against the takeover.
The DOJ, however, clarified in the same document that the OGCC, being the statutory legal counsel of all government-owned and controlled corporations, including the COWD, has the primary jurisdiction over queries pertaining to the LWUA takeover. – Rappler.com
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10 Chinese POGO workers rescued in Clark | Joann Manabat - CMS | 31/07/2024 11:14 | RESCUE. The Philippine National Police Criminal Investigation and Detection Group implements seven search warrants in an alleged small-scale POGO in a villa at The Villages in Clark Freeport, Pampanga on July 30, 2024.
Joann Manabat/Rappler
CLARK FREEPORT, Philippines – Ten Chinese men who had escaped from a Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) were rescued by the Philippine National Police (PNP) Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) in a villa in Clark Freeport Zone in Pampanga on Tuesday, July 30.
The CIDG carried out the operation in coordination with the Public Safety Division (PSD) of the Clark Development Corporation (CDC) after securing seven warrants to search alleged small-scale POGOs in The Villages along Prince Balagtas Avenue in the former US military air base.
Authorities believe the Chinese are victims of human trafficking who escaped from the POGO Lucky South 99 Gaming Incorporated in Porac last June.
The ten Chinese were in Room 701 of Family Tree Building of The Villages, where authorities also found and confiscated various computers and gadgets used in POGO activities.
Following their rescue, the individuals were brought to Camp Crame in Quezon City and were set to be handed over to the Bureau of Immigration (BI) for profiling and verification.
As of 10 pm Tuesday, no Chinese had yet been transferred to the BI, according to spokesperson Dana Sandoval.
Two Chinese women, the mothers of three babies, along with their three Filipino helpers, were left in the villa with representatives from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) due to their family status.
Other buildings were still being searched by the CIDG, as of writing.
Lucky South 99 and Zun Yuan Technology Incorporated in Bamban, Tarlac are under investigation by the Senate. Both were raided earlier this year by an inter-agency team led by the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) and CIDG for alleged illegal detention, torture, human trafficking, and scam operations.
Authorities seized eight safety vaults, documents, cellphones, computers, and other gadgets used in POGO operations during that raid.
Rappler reached out to CDC for information on Tuesday’s operation, but it declined to comment as of writing.
The crackdown follows President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s recent order to ban all POGOs which was announced during his third State of the Nation Address last July 22. –Rappler.com
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SM Prime at 30: A legacy of innovation and shared prosperity | cmorales0331 | 26/07/2024 17:31 | 30 YEARS OF GROWTH. SM Prime Holdings executives mark three decades of groundbreaking innovation, service, and shared prosperity in the Philippine retail industry.
On July 23, SM Prime Holdings, Inc. proudly commemorated its 30th anniversary as a publicly listed company at the Philippine Stock Exchange, BGC, marking three decades of service and transformative growth in the Philippine real estate industry. Founded in 1994 by the visionary Henry Sy, SM Prime has remained steadfast in its mission to develop world-class shopping, dining, entertainment, residential, and amusement destinations throughout the country and beyond.
From the initial offering of four malls, SM Prime has expanded into a dominant force in Southeast Asia’s property sector. The company now has a multi-sector Philippine portfolio of 22 lifestyle cities that include 91 residential developments, 86 malls, 22 office towers, 10 hotels and 8 convention centers.
This robust growth trajectory has been fueled by the trust and support of its investors and the flourishing capital market provided by the Philippine Stock Exchange. Incorporated in January 1994, SM Prime has remained committed to shared prosperity. Raising approximately P5.89 billion during its IPO, SM Prime is now one of the most active stocks in the Philippine market, alongside its parent company SM Investments Corp., and subsidiaries BDO and Chinabank.
Over the years, SM Prime has faced and overcome significant challenges, including the 1997 Asian financial crisis, the 2008 global financial crisis, and the recent COVID-19 pandemic. Despite these hurdles, the company has remained resilient, continuing to drive system growth.
On its 30th anniversary year, SM Prime is opening three malls: SM City Caloocan, SM City J Mall in Cebu and SM City Laoag in Ilocos Norte. This year also marks the start of the redevelopment and expansion of SM Megamall and ongoing projects at SM Mall of Asia, SM City Cebu, SM City Iloilo, and SM City Bacolod.
Additionally, SM Prime will enhance its Leisure Homes in Tagaytay and Batangas, establish new hotels with around 1,700 rooms, and continue developing mixed-use commercial buildings that combine office and retail spaces.
As a leading property developer in major Philippine cities, SM Prime continues to help Filipino communities thrive. With MSMEs making up 63% of its commercial tenants, SM Prime developments offer significant job and business opportunities through various support programs and job fairs, fostering economic growth for local enterprises and the LGUs.
This commitment to sustainable growth is a testament to the collective efforts of SM Prime’s shareholders, customers, business partners, and employees. The steadfast support of shareholders has been a driving force behind SM Prime’s achievements, while the loyalty and trust of customers have inspired ongoing innovations. The collaborative spirit of business partners has been instrumental in reaching new heights, and the dedication of SM Prime’s employees has been foundational to its continued success.
SM Prime is dedicated to continuously integrating sustainable practices across its operations, from energy-efficient building designs to comprehensive waste management programs. SM Prime’s commitment to sustainability ensures that it maintains its positive impact on the environment and society, paving the way for a greener and more resilient future.
As SM Prime celebrates this significant milestone, it extends heartfelt gratitude to all forces who have been part of its journey. Looking ahead, the company is poised to further its growth and innovation, continuing its legacy of delivering exceptional value, enriching communities, and contributing to socio-economic development as it aims for a more sustainable and prosperous Philippines.
SM Prime remains committed to its role as a catalyst for economic growth, delivering innovative and sustainable lifestyle cities, thereby enriching the quality of life of millions of people. For more information, visit www.smprime.com. – Rappler.com
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How Chinese incursion in West PH Sea pushes Filipino fisherfolk ‘deeper into poverty’ | Dwight de Leon | 31/07/2024 8:03 | BREAK. Filipino fishermen rest after arriving from a week-long trip to the disputed Scarborough Shoal, in Infanta, Pangasinan province, Philippines, July 6, 2021.
REUTERS
MANILA, Philippines – Filipino fisherfolk bearing the brunt of escalating Chinese aggression in the West Philippine Sea had the opportunity to narrate their struggles during a House human rights committee meeting on Tuesday, July 30.
The common theme of their anecdotes, on top of assessments by other invited experts on maritime issues, is that Beijing’s activities in the country’s territorial waters have made it difficult for fishermen to make a living.
“Our fishermen have not only lost income intermittently but are now essentially continuously finding it harder and harder to even make their own livelihoods. They cannot even break even on their efforts to fish,” said Jay Batongbacal, director of the Institute for Maritime Affairs and Law of the Sea.
China has tremendously limited Filipinos’ access to Scarborough Shoal (also called Panatag Shoal or Bajo de Masinloc), a feature that is rich in aquatic resources off the waters of Zambales province.
The Chinese Coast Guard has deployed patrols in the area since 2012, and its tactics to block fishermen drew national headlines in September last year, when Philippine Coast Guard personnel had to remove a floating barrier installed by the CCG to stop Filipinos from entering the lagoon of Scarborough Shoal.
Infanta, Pangasinan Mayor Marvin Martinez said that based on his dialogue with his constituents, the last time fishermen were able to access the lagoon was in May, the start of China’s unilateral four-month fishing ban in the South China Sea.
“They say if they try to sail there, rubber boats (from China) would come near them 15 to 20 miles (from the lagoon) to stop them,” the local chief executive said.
The lagoon of Scarborough Shoal was their traditional fishing ground, and it is known as a haven for fisherfolk during stormy weather.
“Scarborough Shoal is where they go when they can’t catch enough fish in the deep sea,” Mayor Martinez said. “That is where they can catch fish the safest during the typhoon season from July to October.”
Henrelito Empoc, representative of Bigkis Mangingisda, said that before China’s presence in Scarborough Shoal, they only needed to spend P70,000 to P80,000 for fuel, ice, and other fishing resources for every trip. These days, the costs have more than doubled to up to P200,000 per operation.
“What was the cause of the increase?” human rights committee chairman Bienvenido Abante asked.
“We fish far from Scarborough Shoal these days, unlike before when we could enter the lagoon and had plenty of harvest,” Empoc replied.
Empoc added that one operation in the past took them only three to four days; now, it takes them 10 to 15 days at sea.
“That is why our budget for consumption ballooned, because we had to increase the volume of diesel, the amount of ice, and the food (for our fishermen) due to the length of time at sea,” Empoc said.
Filipinos had set up fish aggregating devices – floating objects with nets – in areas farther from the lagoon to avoid Chinese patrols, but even these efforts are becoming futile.
Batongbacal noted that in recent years, China has stepped up its efforts to prevent Filipinos from fishing “as far as 25 nautical miles away from the shoal” by dismantling fish aggregating devices.
“They’re deliberately destroying the resources there so that Filipinos, particularly our fishermen, will have no reason to go there anymore,” Batongbacal said. “Perhaps in the future, [they will] convert it into an artificial island which is what they did in the Spratlys and essentially take control of the waters.”
The Department of Agriculture acknowledged that some fishermen have turned to other means of livelihood to stay afloat.
“Some have been forced to seek alternative sources of income such as construction work to avoid the tension in the sea,” Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel said in a message that was read by Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Director for Central Luzon Wilfredo Cruz.
For a nongovernmental organization, Beijing’s presence in the West Philippine Sea has just made it more complicated for Filipino fishermen to get out of the financial hole they are in.
“The families of our fisherfolk are being pushed deeper into poverty due to China’s encroachments, resulting in the reduction of their fish catch that leads to the diminishing income,” the Peoples Development Institute said.
The group is demanding economic support services from the government for fishermen and their families, and the full implementation of the 2016 arbitral ruling that rejected China’s expansive claims in the West Philippine Sea. The latter is easier said than done, as Beijing refuses to recognize the Philippines’ landmark victory in The Hague. – Rappler.com
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Has PBBM and the DA Secretary replied to this matter? “The group is demanding economic support services from the government for fishermen and their families and the full implementation of the 2016 arbitral ruling that rejected China’s expansive claims in the West Philippine Sea.” Or will they just snub these demands?
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Carlos Yulo shoots for Olympic gymnastics medal in loaded all-around final | delfin.dioquino editor | 31/07/2024 6:16 | BALANCE. The Philippines' Carlos Edriel Yulo in action during the men's floor exercise final in the 2023 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships.
Yves Herman/REUTERS
MANILA, Philippines – If things go his way, Carlos Yulo may end up as the Philippines’ first medalist in the Paris Olympics.
Yulo hopes to capitalize on the first of his three shots at a medal as he competes in the men’s artistic gymnastics individual all-around final at the Bercy Arena on Wednesday, July 31.
The reigning Asian all-around champion, Yulo showed he can go toe-to-toe with the best in the world after placing ninth in the qualification with a total of 83.631 points.
Yulo aims to bank on his pet events as he placed second in floor exercise with 14.766 points and sixth in vault with an average of 14.683 points to reach the finals of both apparatuses.
His performances in the other apparatuses were promising, with Yulo posting 14.333 in parallel bars, 13.466 in horizontal bar, and 13.066 in pommel horse – marks that were all higher than his scores in the Tokyo Games.
Yulo netted his lowest score in still rings with 13.000.
Former world champion Zhang Boheng of China topped the all-around qualification with 88.597 points, followed by Japan’s Shinnosuke Oka (86.865) and Daiki Hashimoto (85.064), who led their country to the team gold.
His Olympic title defense in horizontal bar crushed after surprisingly failing to make the final, Hashimoto hopes to bounce back by retaining the individual all-around gold he won in the Tokyo Games.
China’s Xiao Ruoteng, who finished as runner-up to Hashimoto, placed fourth in the qualification with 84.898 points, while Great Britain’s Jake Jarman (84.897) and Joe Fraser (84.666) landed fifth and sixth, respectively.
Ukraine’s Oleg Verniaiev netted 84.631 points for seventh and Italy’s Yumin Abbadini edged Yulo for eighth with 83.933 points.
Other notable names in the 24-man all-around final include World Artistic Gymnastics Championships medalists Illia Kovtun of Ukraine and Milad Karimi of Kazakhstan. – Rappler.com
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Ad agency Gigil apologizes for controversial ‘Gil Tulog’ street signs | Russell Ku | 30/07/2024 13:12 | MANILA, Philippines – Ad agency Gigil, the firm behind the controversial ‘Gil Tulog’ street signs, broke its silence Tuesday, July 30, and issued a public apology to the Puyat family.
“Understanding the distress the project caused, we have personally reached out to members of the Puyat family to convey our regrets and express our respect for former Senate president Gil Puyat’s legacy,” Gigil said in a statement.
The agency added that it “will be putting in place more stringent measures to ensure this does not happen again.”
The Puyat family filed a complaint with the Ad Standards Council of the Philippines against Gigil on Friday, July 26, saying the street signs were a “total disrespect” to the legacy of former Senate president Gil Puyat.
Puyat’s son Victor said the marketing campaign, done to promote the melatonin brand Wellspring, goes against Section 1 of Article IV of the Ad Standards Council’s Code of Ethics. He added that he wanted Gigil to be “suspended or banned” from the ASC.
Eagle-eyed Makati residents and social media users noticed that the street signs along various parts of Gil Puyat Avenue, named after the late political leader, were altered to “Gil Tulog Ave. (formerly Gil Puyat).” The move angered the Puyat family.
“Our name is not to be violated by reasons that are financial, political, or otherwise,” Victor said in a note exclusively sent to Rappler on July 26.
Makati City Mayor Abby Binay ordered the mock street signs be taken down, saying the proposals and permits for the project did not reach her office. She added that she reprimanded city officials behind its approval.
“Even as all the necessary permits and clearances were secured, our approach had resonated differently and so the campaign was immediately discontinued,” Gigil said.
The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority passed MMDA Regulation 24-001 in January 2024 that prohibits commercial advertisements from being posted on lampposts. However, it only applies to those maintained by the MMDA.
The regulation was signed by all 17 Metro Manila mayors.
The Association of Accredited Advertising Agencies of the Philippines suspended Gigil in 2021 over a controversial ad involving the Belo Medical Group.
Wellspring apologized for this latest fiasco, saying it “made a misstep” and never intended to disrespect Gil Puyat’s legacy.
Gil Puyat served as senator from 1951 until 1972. He was the last Senate president before late dictator Ferdinand Marcos Jr. declared martial law. He died on March 23, 1980.
Gil Puyat Avenue was renamed from Buendia Avenue through Batas Pambansa Blg. 312 on November 14, 1982. — Rappler.com
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ICC prosecutor requests to talk with Philippine officials ‘under suspicion’ | Jairo Bolledo | 30/07/2024 15:37 | FILE PHOTO: An exterior view of the International Criminal Court in the Hague, Netherlands, March 31, 2021.
REUTERS/Piroschka van de Wouw/File Photo
MANILA, Philippines – The prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) has requested an interview with Philippine officials it considers as “under suspicion” in its ongoing investigation of Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs, the Solicitor General has confirmed.
“[The individuals] are under suspicion, not suspects. The request is not the same as a summons. The subject may agree or refuse to be interviewed,” Solicitor General Menardo Guevarra told Rappler on Tuesday, July 30.
Guevarra said that the request was also sent to the Philippine government “to facilitate the interview by the ICC prosecutor of certain individuals named in the request, either at The hague or in the Philippines.”
Guevarra refused to name the officials being requested for an interview, but his revelation of this stage was prompted by former senator Antonio Trillanes IV publishing a confidential document from the ICC’s Office of the Prosecutor (OTP) naming five police officials, both active and retired:
Rappler has not independently verified Trillanes’ document. Guevarra said he “cannot confirm nor deny” the document. The ICC OTP told Rappler it also cannot verify documents shared by outside sources, but the Office did confirm that this is something they do in their process.
“While pursuing its investigation, the Office seeks to engage and establish dialogue with all relevant stakeholders, including national authorities and civil society,” the OTP told Rappler.
It’s important to note that the document is a request from the OTP and not an order of the ICC. ICC has a chamber, or the court itself, and OTP is the prosecutor. They are independent of each other.
Prosecutor Karim Khan’s investigation of Duterte’s drug war is at a stage where he can request either summons or arrest warrants against individuals. This latest update tells us that they have identified individuals “under suspicion,” although Guevarra said it cannot be equated to summons.
The ICC’s process is a very complex one, and some of its features are unexplored even to lawyers practicing international law. It evolves and is known through time to those who are part of it. Another major consideration for the pace of investigation is whether it is a priority of the OTP, which is a small and underfunded office if you consider the magnitude of its investigations. The OTP’s two major investigations are the wars in Ukraine and Palestine.
“The Philippine government cannot stop him [Khan] from proceeding any way he wants. He can directly interview persons of interest online, through the phone, by email, or face to face, subject to the consent of these persons. But the ICC prosecutor cannot expect that the Philippine government will facilitate it for him,” Guevarra said.
This is another variation of the Marcos government’s wishy-washy position toward the ICC, at least in public: they are not against it, but they will not facilitate it.
Albayalde, who attended a continuing House of Representatives inquiry into the drug war, said he was ready to face the ICC. “Kung talaga pong ganyan ang kahihinatnan ng ating serbisyo sa publiko for more than 37 years, then handa po tayong harapin (If that is really my fate after 37 years in public service, then I am ready to face it),” said Albayalde.
Guevarra said his office has submitted a recommendation to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., but did not provide other details, citing privileged communication. Marcos has so far refused to return the Philippines to the ICC, although he once said he was studying the option. It was Duterte who pulled out the country from the Rome Statute after former prosecutor Fatou Bensouda opened the examination in 2018.
The ICC prosecutor’s investigation covers the drug war until our effective exit from the ICC in 2019, and the mysterious killings of the alleged Davao Death Squad (DDS) when Duterte was mayor and vice mayor of Davao City. Self-confessed DDS hitman Arturo Lascañas has already been given limited immunity by the ICC.
Duterte has so far not been named in any known requests by the prosecutor, but he’s been constantly identified in all of the reports that has led to the investigation.
Under the Rome Statute, which Philippine government officials always invoke, the ICC can step aside if there is a genuine domestic investigation. Rappler has found that in the showcase 52 cases that the Philippines reinvestigated, out of 7,000 police killings and total 30,000 killings, most cases or 32 of them were closed with no further action.
You may visit Rappler’s database of the 52 cases here. – Rappler.com
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Nesthy Petecio takes taller Indian to school for breezy win in Olympic opener | delfin.dioquino editor | 31/07/2024 1:01 | HEAD SHOT. Nesthy Petecio of the Philippines in action against Jaismine Lamboria of India in the round of 32 of the women's 57kg division in the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Maye-E Wong/REUTERS
MANILA, Philippines – Nesthy Petecio schooled a foe 10 years her junior for a rousing opening win in the Paris Olympics.
Petecio, 32, proved to be too experienced as she beat India’s Jaismine Lamboria via unanimous decision in the round of 32 of the women’s 57kg class at the North Paris Arena on Tuesday, July 30 (Wednesday, July 31, Manila time).
The five judges scored it 30-27, 30-27, 30-27, 29-28, 29-28 in favor of the Filipina, who put on a boxing clinic against the 22-year-old Lamboria.
Petecio faced a significant height and reach disadvantage, although she ended up controlling the tempo of the fight as Lamboria struggled to land clean shots.
With the victory seemingly in the bag after winning the first two rounds, Petecio took it slow in the final salvo – perhaps to save her energy for her upcoming bouts – but not without showcasing her ring prowess.
At one point in the third round, Petecio flaunted impressive head movement, leaving Lamboria punching the air.
Up next for Petecio is reigning European Games champion Amina Zidani of France as they lock horns in the round of 16 on Friday, August 2 (Saturday, August 3, Manila time).
If Petecio advances, she will be up against formidable opponents, with Italy’s Irma Testa and Kazakhstan’s Karina Ibragimova, who went one-two in the previous world championships, also in the same bracket.
The national boxing team got off to a promising start as Aira Villegas aced her first test in the women’s 50kg class, defeating Morocco’s Yasmine Mouttaki in the round of 32.
Eumir Marcial (men’s 80kg), Carlo Paalam (men’s 57kg), and Hergie Bacyadan (women’s 75kg) open their respective campaigns on Wednesday. – Rappler.com
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Joanie Delgaco last in Olympic quarterfinal race, bows out of contention | delfin.dioquino editor | 30/07/2024 16:59 | LONE BET. Rower Joanie Delgaco in action for the Philippines in the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Philippine Rowing Association Facebook page
MANILA, Philippines – Joanie Delgaco bowed out of contention in the Paris Olympics after finishing sixth in her quarterfinal race in the women’s single sculls at the Vaires-sur-Marne Nautical Stadium on Tuesday, July 30.
The first female rower to represent the Philippines in the Summer Games, Delgaco placed last in quarterfinal 3 with a time of 7 minutes and 58.30 seconds as she got relegated to the semifinals C/D.
Reigning Olympic champion Emma Twigg of New Zealand topped the race with hardly any challenge, clocking 7:26.89 to secure her semifinals A/B spot.
Switzerland’s Aurelia-Maxima Katharina Janzen (7:31.12) and Spain’s Virginia Diaz Rivas (7:34.01) also advanced, with the top three in each of the four quarterfinal races qualifying for the semifinals A/B.
One of only four Asians to reach the quarterfinals, Delgaco crossed the first 500m at fifth before she got overtaken as the rest of the field battled for the top three spots.
Azerbaijan’s Diana Dymchenko (7:53.76) and Serbia’s Jovana Arsic (7:56.18) ended up at fourth and fifth, respectively.
It was the slowest performance for the pride of Iriga, Camarines Sur, in the Olympics after she registered 7:56.26 in the heats and 7:55.00 in the repechage.
But Delgaco can still redeem herself in her last two races as she can attain the highest possible ranking of 13th place.
The semifinals C/D are scheduled on Wednesday, July 31. – Rappler.com
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Another heartbreaker as PH judoka Kiyomi Watanabe suffers early Olympic exit | delfin.dioquino editor | 30/07/2024 18:14 | PINNED DOWN. Judoka Kiyomi Watanabe of the Philippines (blue) in action against Tang Jing of China in the round of 32 of the women's -63kg class in the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Kim Kyung-Hoon/REUTERS
MANILA, Philippines – A return trip to the Olympics proved to be another heartbreaker for Filipina-Japanese judoka Kiyomi Watanabe.
Watanabe suffered an early exit from the Paris Olympics as she bowed to China’s Tang Jing in the round of 32 of the women’s -63kg division at the Champ-de-Mars Arena on Tuesday, July 30.
The contest lasted just 51 seconds as Tang, who is ranked No. 22 in the world and bagged silver in the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China last year, won via ippon.
In judo, an ippon can be scored by throwing an opponent on their back with force, compelling an opponent to submission with a choke or joint lock, or pinning an opponent down on their back for 20 seconds.
Going to work early, Tang accomplished the last as she advanced to the round of 16.
The swift defeat of Watanabe brought back memories of her painful campaign in the Tokyo Games, where she also got the boot in the round of 32, losing to Spain’s Cristina Cabana Perez via ippon in the first 38 seconds.
Despite her exit, Watanabe, who delivered a silver for the Philippines in the 2018 Asian Games, still achieved a rare distinction.
The four-time Southeast Asian Games champion became just the third judoka from the Philippines – and the first in over three decades – to compete in multiple Olympic editions.
John Baylon and Jerry Dino were the last to achieve the feat when they donned the national colors in the 1988 Seoul and 1992 Barcelona Games. – Rappler.com
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Sara Duterte appeals for protection of family from ‘any violence’ | Bonz Magsambol | 30/07/2024 15:39 | TURNOVER. Vice President Sara Duterte delivers her message during the turnover ceremony on Thursday, July 18.
DepEd Facebook Page
MANILA, Philippines – Vice President Sara Duterte on Tuesday, July 30, appealed for protection for her family members from ‘any violence,” after the Philippine National Police (PNP) recalled its 75 personnel from her security detail.
“Isa lang ang hiling ko sa inyo — ang kaligtasan ng aking pamilya. Huwag ninyong payagan ang anumang karahasan sa aking ina, asawa, at apat na anak, personal man o sa internet. At kung sakali man, huwag ninyong palampasin ang sinumang gagawa ng kapahamakan laban sa kanila,” Duterte said in a statement.
(I only have one wish — the safety of my family. Don’t allow any violence against my mother, husband, and four children, physically or online. And just in case, do not let anyone who causes harm to them get away with it.)
The Vice President issued the statement after Senator Bato dela Rosa, a former PNP chief, encouraged former members of the PNP and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) “who are good at unarmed combat and volunteering” to volunteer for the security detail of the Vice President.
“Bayanihan lang walang suweldo (Volunteer work, no salary),” Dela Rosa posted on his Facebook account on Monday, July 29.
The Vice President thanked Dela Rosa and senators Robin Padilla and Bong Go, PNP and AFP staff, and ordinary people who offered to provide security for them.
In a separate Facebook post on Monday, the Vice President called the removal of 75 cops from her security detail a “clear case of political harassment.”
In a lengthy open letter, she called out PNP chief Rommel Marbil for allegedly “spreading lies” about the pullout of the cops.
“Ang relief ng mga PNP personnel ay dumating pagkatapos ko magresign sa DepEd, pagkatapos ko inihambing ang SONA sa isang catastrophic event, at pagkatapos lumabas ang cocaine video. Let us spare our people from all the lies,” she said.
(The relief of the PNP personnel came after I resigned from DepEd, after I compared the SONA to a catastrophic event, and after the cocaine video came out. Let us spare our people from all the lies.)
She was referring to the video that circulated hours before President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s third State of the Nation Address. (READ: Face-swapped? Deepfake detector flags alleged Marcos video as ‘suspicious’)
Duterte also refuted Marbil’s claim that her security detail was reduced as they saw “no threat” to her lift. Marbil had also said that the PNP lacked personnel to do ground duties, forcing others to do overtime work.
“Hindi ba’t mayroong malisyosong pagpapalabas ng video footage noong ako’y nasa NAIA? Kuha sa isang lugar kung saan pawang mga empleyado lamang ng paliparan at piling mga tao ang maaring nandoon,” she said/
She was referring to the viral photo on social media which showed the Vice President and her family at the airport leaving for a “personal overseas trip” while parts of the country experienced calamitous floods.
Duterte also claimed that PNP operatives recently visited the house they were renting to do “casing” activity. “Pilit pang inaalam kung nasaan mismo ang bahay na inuupahan ko. Bahay kung saan rin nakatira ang aking mga anak. Kung hindi ito napigilan ng mga nagmagandang loob na opisyal ng homeowners’ association, hindi ko na alam kung ano pa ang maaring mangyari,” she said.
(They were trying to find out the exact location of the house I’m renting. A house where my children also live. If it weren’t for the intervention of officials of the homeowners’ association, I don’t know what might have happened.)
In a statement on Tuesday, Senator Imee Marcos called for the return of the cops to the security detail of the Vice President.
“First, she is the second highest elected official in the country whose safety must never be compromised. Second, she is a Duterte, who, like her father, is a staunch defender of law and order, hence topping the CPP-NPA’s order of battle,” the senator said.
In 2022, the AFP activated for Duterte the Vice Presidential Security and Protection Group (VPSPG), which is a separate unit from the PSG. Duterte then thanked the AFP for activating tje VPSG, saying that it “may be expected to solve the challenges if, in future elections, the vice president and the president face the misfortune of having strained relations.”
A Commission on Audit Report in 2022 showed that Duterte had 433 personnel for VPSPG, which was 63% of the total number of OVP staff. Her predecessor, former vice president Leni Robredo, only had 78 military personnel assigned for her security.
Duterte then defended the VPSPG’s numbers, saying that additional security was needed for her roles in the Marcos Cabinet, such as the education secretary and co-vice chairperson of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict. The Vice President resigned from both positions, effectively leaving the Marcos Cabinet, on July 19.
Reporters have reached out to OVP to get the current number of personnel under the VPSPG, but it has yet to respond as of posting time. This page will be updated once we get a response.
When she was vice president, Leni Robredo had far less security detail but did not make a fuss about it, said her former spokesperson, Barry Gutierrez.
“VP Duterte started with 433 security personnel, over 4x that of VP Leni who only had 108 in 2016,” Gutierrez said on X on Tuesday.
With the removal of 75 personnel from Duterte’s security detail, she would now have 350 people left, Gutierrez said.
Leni’s security detail was down to 83 by 2020, or four years into her VP term
“We never made an issue of it. No ‘open letter.’ No tantrum. No drama,” Gutierrez said.
Meanwhile, Justice Secretary Crispin Remulla said that the Vice President still has a substantial number of security personnel at her side.
“I don’t think it’s a bad matter to recall some of the personnel. And she still has 300 bodyguards. It’s bigger than the President’s,” Remulla said on Thursday, August 1. – Rappler.com
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Swimmer Kayla Sanchez ends Paris Olympics bid after semifinal exit | delfin.dioquino editor | 31/07/2024 5:31 | PROUD. Swimmer Kayla Sanchez of the Philippines in the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Kayla Sanchez Instagram page
MANILA, Philippines – Swimmer Kayla Sanchez concluded what many hope is just the first of many Olympic stints for the Philippines.
Sanchez, 23, exited the Games after finishing 15th out of 16 semifinalists in the women’s 100-meter freestyle at the Paris La Defense Arena on Tuesday, July 30 (Wednesday, July 31, Manila time).
Clocking 54.21 seconds, Sanchez missed the top-eight cutoff for the final and became the eighth member of the 22-strong Team Philippines to get eliminated.
Gymnasts Aleah Finnegan, Emma Malabuyo, and Levi Jung-Ruivivar, fencer Samantha Catantan, judoka Kiyomi Watanabe, rower Joanie Degalco, and boxer Eumir Marcial all bowed out of medal contention in their respective events.
Hong Kong’s Siobhan Bernadette Haughey topped the semifinals with 52.64 seconds followed by Australia’s Shayna Jack (52.72) and Mollie O’Callaghan (52.75) at second and third, respectively.
World record holder Sarah Sjoestroem of Sweden, who recorded the fastest time in the heats, made the final with a sixth-best semifinal mark of 52.87. seconds.
Sanchez finished over a second off for the last final spot, with the USA’s Gretchen Walsh (53.18) making the cut at eighth.
Despite her exit, Sanchez enjoyed a memorable Olympic debut for the Philippines as she shared 10th place in the heats and reset her own national record, clocking 53.67 seconds to erase her previous mark of 54.25 seconds.
Sanchez made her way back to the Olympics after helping Canada win a 4x100m freestyle silver and a 4x100m medley bronze in the Tokyo Games.
Born in Singapore to Filipino parents, Sanchez represented Canada from 2016 to 2022 before she decided to compete for the Philippines. – Rappler.com
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Carlos Yulo shoots for Olympic gymnastics medal in loaded all-around final | delfin.dioquino editor | 31/07/2024 6:16 | BALANCE. The Philippines' Carlos Edriel Yulo in action during the men's floor exercise final in the 2023 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships.
Yves Herman/REUTERS
MANILA, Philippines – If things go his way, Carlos Yulo may end up as the Philippines’ first medalist in the Paris Olympics.
Yulo hopes to capitalize on the first of his three shots at a medal as he competes in the men’s artistic gymnastics individual all-around final at the Bercy Arena on Wednesday, July 31.
The reigning Asian all-around champion, Yulo showed he can go toe-to-toe with the best in the world after placing ninth in the qualification with a total of 83.631 points.
Yulo aims to bank on his pet events as he placed second in floor exercise with 14.766 points and sixth in vault with an average of 14.683 points to reach the finals of both apparatuses.
His performances in the other apparatuses were promising, with Yulo posting 14.333 in parallel bars, 13.466 in horizontal bar, and 13.066 in pommel horse – marks that were all higher than his scores in the Tokyo Games.
Yulo netted his lowest score in still rings with 13.000.
Former world champion Zhang Boheng of China topped the all-around qualification with 88.597 points, followed by Japan’s Shinnosuke Oka (86.865) and Daiki Hashimoto (85.064), who led their country to the team gold.
His Olympic title defense in horizontal bar crushed after surprisingly failing to make the final, Hashimoto hopes to bounce back by retaining the individual all-around gold he won in the Tokyo Games.
China’s Xiao Ruoteng, who finished as runner-up to Hashimoto, placed fourth in the qualification with 84.898 points, while Great Britain’s Jake Jarman (84.897) and Joe Fraser (84.666) landed fifth and sixth, respectively.
Ukraine’s Oleg Verniaiev netted 84.631 points for seventh and Italy’s Yumin Abbadini edged Yulo for eighth with 83.933 points.
Other notable names in the 24-man all-around final include World Artistic Gymnastics Championships medalists Illia Kovtun of Ukraine and Milad Karimi of Kazakhstan. – Rappler.com
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No medal repeat as Eumir Marcial drops opening bout in Paris Olympics | delfin.dioquino editor | 31/07/2024 4:36 | FACE TO FACE. Boxer Eumir Felix Marcial of the Philippines in action against Turabek Khabibullaev of Uzbekistan in the round of 16 of the men's 80kg in the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Maye-E Wong/REUTERS
MANILA, Philippines – Filipino boxer Eumir Marcial bid goodbye to his medal repeat bid after a shocking exit from the Paris Olympics.
In a stunning turn of events, Marcial bowed to Uzbekistan’s Turabek Khabibullaev via unanimous decision in the round of 16 of the men’s 80kg at the North Paris Arena on Tuesday, July 30 (Wednesday, July 31, Manila time).
One of the Philippines’ top medal bets, Marcial – who won bronze in the Tokyo Games – got the boot in his opening bout as Khabibullaev won with scores of 30-27, 29-28, 29-28, 29-28, 29-28.
Marcial, 28, held the advantage in experience over the 20-year-old Uzbek, but the 5-foot-11 Filipino found the taller Khabibullaev a tough nut to crack.
The 6-foot-1 Khabibullaev kept Marcial at bay with his jab and rock-solid defense to win the first two rounds, including a shutout in the opening salvo, and practically seal the deal.
Although Marcial clinched the third round, Khabibullaev did enough to claim the unanimous decision victory and advance to the quarterfinals.
Marcial had to move up to 80kg after his original weight class of 75kg, where he bagged bronze in Tokyo, got scrapped for Paris.
The pride of Zamboanga City qualified for his second straight Olympics by reaching the finals of the Asian Games, where he lost to China’s Tuohetaerbieke Tanglatihan, another taller foe.
With Marcial eliminated, only four boxers remain in the running as the Philippines hopes to capture an elusive Olympic boxing gold medal.
Aira Villegas (women’s 50kg) and Nesthy Petecio (57kg) won their opening fights, while Carlo Paalam (men’s 57kg) and Hergie Bacyadan (women’s 75kg) start their respective campaigns on Wednesday. – Rappler.com
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Swimmer Kayla Sanchez ends Paris Olympics bid after semifinal exit | delfin.dioquino editor | 31/07/2024 5:31 | PROUD. Swimmer Kayla Sanchez of the Philippines in the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Kayla Sanchez Instagram page
MANILA, Philippines – Swimmer Kayla Sanchez concluded what many hope is just the first of many Olympic stints for the Philippines.
Sanchez, 23, exited the Games after finishing 15th out of 16 semifinalists in the women’s 100-meter freestyle at the Paris La Defense Arena on Tuesday, July 30 (Wednesday, July 31, Manila time).
Clocking 54.21 seconds, Sanchez missed the top-eight cutoff for the final and became the eighth member of the 22-strong Team Philippines to get eliminated.
Gymnasts Aleah Finnegan, Emma Malabuyo, and Levi Jung-Ruivivar, fencer Samantha Catantan, judoka Kiyomi Watanabe, rower Joanie Degalco, and boxer Eumir Marcial all bowed out of medal contention in their respective events.
Hong Kong’s Siobhan Bernadette Haughey topped the semifinals with 52.64 seconds followed by Australia’s Shayna Jack (52.72) and Mollie O’Callaghan (52.75) at second and third, respectively.
World record holder Sarah Sjoestroem of Sweden, who recorded the fastest time in the heats, made the final with a sixth-best semifinal mark of 52.87. seconds.
Sanchez finished over a second off for the last final spot, with the USA’s Gretchen Walsh (53.18) making the cut at eighth.
Despite her exit, Sanchez enjoyed a memorable Olympic debut for the Philippines as she shared 10th place in the heats and reset her own national record, clocking 53.67 seconds to erase her previous mark of 54.25 seconds.
Sanchez made her way back to the Olympics after helping Canada win a 4x100m freestyle silver and a 4x100m medley bronze in the Tokyo Games.
Born in Singapore to Filipino parents, Sanchez represented Canada from 2016 to 2022 before she decided to compete for the Philippines. – Rappler.com
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Fishing banned in Limay, Bataan due to oil spill | Iya Gozum | 30/07/2024 16:02 | Members of the Philippine Coast Guard create improvised oil spill booms as part of containment efforts after oil tanker MT Terranova capsized and submerged off Limay, Bataan.
PCG
BATAAN, Philippines – A fishing ban is already in place in Limay, Bataan, Governor Jose Enrique “Joet” Garcia III said on Tuesday, July 30, days after MT Terranova capsized and submerged off Lamao in Limay last July 25.
Garcia said the fishing ban was imposed by Limay Mayor Nelson David.
Water samples taken from four barangays in Limay, Bataan, were also found to have levels of oil and grease that exceeded standard limits set by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, deeming them unsuitable for fishing and swimming.
Water bodies are suited for fishing if oil and grease concentration found in samples only amounted to 3 milligrams per liter (mg/L) or below, and safe for swimming if oil and grease concentration is only 2 mg/L or below.
Based on a presentation on Tuesday by Raphael de Leon, officer-in-charge of Bataan’s Environment and Natural Resources Office, the four areas not suitable for fishing and swimming are:
Samples from Barangay Francis I, Barangay Wawa, and Barangay Luz Kitang were taken on July 25, while the water sample from Lamao was taken on July 26.
There were two stations in Barangay Luz Kitang where samples were taken. The water sample from the other station only registered 2.4 mg/L of oil and grease. Results were shown to reporters in Balanga, Bataan, on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, water samples taken from three barangays in Mariveles (namely Batangas II, Lucanin, and Townsite) did not exceed standard limits for fishing and swimming.
Bataan, especially Lamao, is grappling with the oil spill caused by the sunken MT Terranova, which was carrying 1.4 million liters of industrial fuel oil.
In the days that followed, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) had deployed oil spill booms and is currently sealing the valves before contracted salvor Harbor Star can start siphoning operations.
Experts had forecasted that the oil spill could reach Metro Manila by Tuesday, July 30. But in a press conference on Tuesday afternoon, PCG Commandant Admiral Ronnie Gavan said based on their aerial inspection earlier in the day, no oil sheen was seen going toward Manila.
While the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources said around 11,000 fisherfolk would be affected by the oil spill, Garcia estimated that at least 14,000 fisherfolk from nine coastal municipalities in Bataan could bear the brunt of the maritime incident. – Rappler.com
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Japan pioneer Filipino import Thirdy Ravena heads to EuroLeague, signs with Dubai | jisaga0269 | 30/07/2024 16:04 | FIERY. San-En's Thirdy Ravena looks to get past his defender in Japan B. League action.
JAPAN B. LEAGUE
MANILA, Philippines – Four years after sparking a Filipino basketball player surge into Japan, Thirdy Ravena moves on to a new career challenge.
The former San-en NeoPhoenix import – the first Filipino reinforcement in Japan B. League history – officially signed with the newly formed Basketball Club Dubai (BC Dubai) of the Adriatic Basketball Association (ABA) League under the EuroLeague umbrella on Tuesday, July 30.
Only formed early this year, BC Dubai now parades a growing collection of international talent, including former NBA G League player Nate Mason, Croatian-German Leon Radosevic, Serbian former NBA draftee Nemanja Dangubic, and Turkish-Jordanian Ahmet Duverloglu.
Ravena figures to be a foundational piece among the veterans, especially after breaking out in his fourth B. League season and helping former cellar-dweller San-En NeoPhoenix transform into a consistent playoff contender.
In the 2023-2024 season, the 27-year-old all-around guard averaged 12.6 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 0.9 steals on a stellar 52% shooting.
The NeoPhoenix, with Ravena fully ingrained in the rotation at 27.1 minutes per game, skyrocketed to a third-place, 46-19 record before being stunned out of the quarterfinals by underdog Hiroshima. – Rappler.com
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[Time Trowel] The Philippine origins of mezcal and tequila distillation | Miriam Grace Go | 30/07/2024 11:00 | Guia Abogado/Rappler
A trowel (/ˈtraʊ.əl/), in the hands of an archaeologist, is like a trusty sidekick – a tiny, yet mighty, instrument that uncovers ancient secrets, one well-placed scoop at a time. It’s the Sherlock Holmes of the excavation site, revealing clues about the past with every delicate swipe.
I was sharing some distilled libations with Marlon Martin, Earl John Hernandez, and Kristian Cordero recently to celebrate our small successes in the past year. During this regular ritual, we discussed our work on decentering historical narratives to forefront Philippine contributions to humanity. And since we were enjoying some distilled spirits, I brought up the argument that the technology of distilling mezcal, and later tequila, came from the Philippines via the Manila-Acapulco Galleon Trade.
The Galleon Trade, which lasted from 1565 to 1815, was an epic maritime trade route that connected Asia, the Americas, and Europe. This trade route played a central role in the early globalization of trade, culture, and technology. Despite the overarching influence of Spain, the direct and strong connections between the Philippines and Mexico were more pronounced due to practical, economic, and strategic reasons.
In today’s column, I explore the history of the Manila-Acapulco Galleon Trade, its significance in connecting the Pacific and the Atlantic, and the reasons behind the strong connections between the Philippines and Mexico. More importantly, I highlight an interesting historical connection between tequila and the Philippines, emphasizing the role of the Manila-Galleon Trade in the introduction of distillation techniques to Mexico. In a previous article, I also argued that the Galleon Trade facilitated the introduction of many of the plants mentioned in the song, “Bahay Kubo.”
The Manila-Acapulco Galleon Trade began in 1565, an offshoot of the torno viaje, a relatively safe route across the Pacific, discovered by the navigator Andrés de Urdaneta. This facilitated regular trans-Pacific trade that would operate for 250 years, until Mexican independence.
The trade route operated with an annual or semi-annual galleon (large, multi-decked sailing ship) voyage between Manila and Acapulco on the west coast of Mexico. From Acapulco, goods were transported overland to Veracruz, where they were then shipped to Spain and other parts of Europe. This route effectively connected the Pacific and the Atlantic, enabling the flow of goods, people, ideas, and technology across vast distances.
The galleons carried a wide variety of goods, reflecting the diverse resources and products available in Asia and the Americas. From Manila, the ships transported luxury goods such as silk, spices, porcelain, ivory, and gemstones from China, India, Japan, and Southeast Asia. These goods were highly sought after in the Americas and Europe, fetching high prices in markets as far away as Madrid and Amsterdam.
From Acapulco, the galleons brought silver from Mexican mines (mostly to supply the insatiable demand in China), which was used to purchase Asian goods. Other products included cacao, cochineal (a red dye), and other valuable commodities from the Americas. The trade route thus facilitated a complex exchange network that linked multiple continents and economies.
While Spain was the colonial power overseeing the Manila-Acapulco Galleon Trade, the direct and strong connections between the Philippines and Mexico were particularly pronounced due to several factors. The Pacific Ocean posed a formidable barrier to direct trade between Spain and its Asian colonies. The route from Manila to Acapulco was the most feasible and direct trans-Pacific path, leveraging favorable currents and winds. From Acapulco, goods could be transported relatively easily across Mexico to the Atlantic coast and onward to Spain.
Mexico, with its abundant silver mines, provided the primary currency for trade with Asia. The flow of silver from Mexican mines to the Philippines and then to China and other parts of Asia created an efficient economic loop. This system allowed the Spanish Empire to capitalize on its resources more effectively than a direct Spain-Asia route would have permitted.
The Spanish colonial administration in the Americas, particularly in New Spain (modern-day Mexico), was well-established and capable of managing the logistics of the galleon trade. The infrastructure and governance in Mexico were more developed than in the Philippines or other parts of the Spanish Empire, facilitating smoother operations and better management of the trade route.
The galleon trade also promoted significant cultural and human exchanges between the Philippines and Mexico. Many Filipinos, known as “Manilamen,” settled in Mexican coastal areas, contributing to the local culture and economy. These communities further strengthened the bonds between the two regions through shared practices, traditions, and intermarriage.
One of the key pieces of evidence supporting the Filipino origins of mezcal distillation is the observation of old-fashioned distillation techniques among indigenous communities in the Americas. John G. Bourke, an American soldier and ethnologist, documented his observations of this type of distillation among the Tarascans in Mexico. He noted the simple construction of the stills used for distillation, suggesting a longstanding tradition of alcohol production among indigenous communities.
This observation opens up the possibility that similar indigenous practices existed in the Philippines, where distillation was a well-established process long before European contact. It is worth noting that mezcal is a general term that refers to spirits made from agave plant, while tequila is a type of mezcal made from blue agave; its production is protected by Mexican law. Tequila is largely produced in Jalisco, but there are areas in neighboring states that are authorized to produce tequila, namely, in Guanajuato, Michoacán, and Nayarit. A small region in the northeastern state of Tamaulipas is also allowed to produce the distilled spirit.
In the Philippines, the distillation of tuba (fermented coconut sap) into lambanog (coconut arrack) was a well-established practice. This process involves the fermentation of tuba, which is collected from the inflorescence of coconut palms, followed by distillation to produce a high-proof spirit. The simplicity and effectiveness of these distillation methods indicate a sophisticated understanding of alcohol production that could have easily been transferred across the Pacific.
The agave plant, indigenous to Mexico, was traditionally used in the production of pulque, an alcoholic beverage. However, with the introduction of Philippine distillation methods, agave began to be used to create what we now know as tequila. The distillation technique used by Filipinos, involving clay stills, was adapted by the local Mexican population to distill agave, resulting in the creation of mezcal and eventually tequila. This cultural and technological exchange was a significant outcome of the Manila-Galleon Trade, demonstrating the global interconnectedness even in the early modern period. The trade not only impacted the economies of the involved regions but also left a lasting cultural legacy that includes the origins of tequila.
Historical accounts from Loarca and Rios y Coronel provide further evidence of the potential connections between Philippine and Mexican distillation practices. These accounts underscore the versatility of local resources and traditional drinks in the Philippines, hinting at long-standing indigenous traditions that could have similarities to mezcal production.
The similarities between the distillation of tuba into lambanog and the distillation of agave into mezcal suggest a transfer of knowledge and techniques. This comparative analysis of materials and methods strengthens the argument for the Philippine origins of mezcal distillation, highlighting the interconnectedness of indigenous practices across different regions.
Another possible influence in the distillation process is the presence of Japanese craftsmen in New Spain and how this might have been related to the introduction of palm-leaf techniques. This cross-cultural exchange could have played a role in shaping the distillation processes in both regions. The influence of Japanese techniques further complicates the narrative, suggesting a multi-faceted exchange of knowledge and practices.
Japanese settlers and craftsmen in New Spain could have contributed to the refinement and development of distillation techniques, incorporating their own methods into the existing practices. This influence, combined with the Philippine distillation techniques, could have resulted in a unique hybrid process that led to the creation of mezcal, and later, tequila.
The Manila-Acapulco Galleon Trade was a cornerstone of early global trade, connecting the Pacific and Atlantic worlds in an unprecedented way. While Spain was the overarching colonial power, the strong connections between the Philippines and Mexico were driven by geographic, economic, administrative, and cultural factors. The trade route not only facilitated the exchange of goods but also encouraged significant cultural and technological exchanges that have left a lasting legacy on both sides of the Pacific.
This period of extensive interaction laid the groundwork for the interconnected global economy that we recognize today. The introduction of tequila distillation techniques from the Philippines demonstrates the importance of the Manila-Galleon Trade, reflecting the intricate web of global interactions that shaped the early modern world. The emergence of mezcal distillation technology also underscores that the Philippines is not just a mere recipient of things imported but a contributor to worldwide celebrations as well.
Note: A PhD dissertation in 1960 by Dr. Pablo Guzmán-Rivas (University of Texas-Austin) provides the historical basis for this argument. A conversation with Dr. John A. Peterson of the University of San Carlos (Cebu) over a decade ago (over some distilled spirits) initiated the development of this concept. — Rappler.com
Stephen Acabado is professor of anthropology at the University of California-Los Angeles. He directs the Ifugao and Bicol Archaeological Projects, research programs that engage community stakeholders. He grew up in Tinambac, Camarines Sur. Follow him on IG @s.b.acabado.
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8 years after ‘sham inquiry,’ a different House welcomes Leila de Lima | Dwight de Leon | 30/07/2024 13:35 | FORMER SENATOR. Leila de Lima sits down with senior multimedia reporter Paterno Esmaquel II for Rappler Talk, on March 22, 2024.
Rob Reyes/Rappler
It was a scene that was unimaginable during the previous administration: former senator Leila de Lima being warmly welcomed and even lauded by members of the same chamber that had vilified her nearly eight years ago.
The former lawmaker, jailed for almost seven years on trumped-up charges during the administration of her political nemesis Rodrigo Duterte, attended the House of Representatives investigation into the former president’s bloody drug war. She had been invited by human rights committee, chaired by Manila 6th District Representative Bienvenido, which is leading the inquiry.
“I am delighted to see [former] senator De Lima who is still active,” a cordial Abante said of the human rights champion at the start of the hearing.
Had she accommodated a similar invitation in 2016, the reception towards her would have been entirely different.
In the first year of the Duterte administration, the man from Davao had it out for De Lima. There was a lot of animosity in that relationship after the latter conducted a probe into the supposedly Duterte-backed Davao Death Squad when she was head of the Commission on Human Rights in 2009.
As Duterte’s anti-drug campaign kicked into high gear only a few days into his presidency, De Lima called for a Senate investigation into the summary killings, a move that angered the chief executive, who subsequently promised to “destroy” the senator.
The attacks from the House of Representatives — dominated by Duterte’s allies — soon followed.
Eleven lawmakers, led by then-speaker Pantaleon Alvarez, filed a resolution calling for an investigation into the proliferation of drug syndicates at the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) when De Lima was secretary of the Department of Justice, which supervises the state penitentiary.
In marathon hearings beginning September 2016, the justice committee invited at least a dozen witnesses – many of them granted immunity from criminal prosecution – who pinned De Lima as the culprit of the narcotics trade at the NBP. At least five of them had pending clemency applications, posing a conflict of interest that the House just downplayed.
Worse, the lawmakers dug into De Lima’s personal life, feasting on her romantic relationship with her former bodyguard, Ronnie Dayan. The congressmen asked Dayan nonsense questions, some filled with sexual innuendos. They also floated the possibility of playing an alleged sex video featuring De Lima, a plan that drew condemnation from De Lima’s female colleagues in the Senate.
“It is a blow to our collective struggle to uplift the dignity of the woman, respect her agency and her autonomy over her own body, and is a form of slut-shaming that will not set a good example for the country,” read the resolution unanimously signed by four female senators back then.
De Lima snubbed the House hearings, calling them a “sham inquiry” aimed at destroying her, “upon orders of the President.” In February 2017, a court ordered her arrest on drug charges, based on allegations that were echoed during the congressional probe.
Eight years later, the political climate in the country has significantly changed.
Duterte finished his term in 2022, ushering in a new era of leadership under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. Initially seen by critics as someone who would continue the policies of his authoritarian predecessor, the late dictator’s son went a different route, and has been trying to rebrand himself on the international stage as a human rights supporter, even though drug war killings just significantly slowed down, and didn’t necessarily stop under his watch.
The Marcos and the Dutertes – two dynasties in Philippine politics with a complicated relationship – have also had a falling out in the past year.
In November, the court finally granted De Lima’s petition for bail, marking her release from detention for the first time in nearly seven years.
“This is a breathing room from the seven years of nightmare that we thought was all over in 1986,” De Lima said in February. “Under [Marcos], we are given the opportunity to make use of a democratic space in transition from the authoritarian regime that was Duterte’s.”
In June, she was cleared of all drug charges.
“We are very appreciative of the former senator for gracing this affair, and congratulations for winning all your cases in court,” Lanao del Sur 1st District Representative Zia Alonto Adiong, human rights committee vice chairperson, told De Lima during Monday’s hearing.
“Allow me to commend our former secretary of justice and former senator whose strength we really admired,” Iloilo 1st District Representative Janette Garin added. “Women are usually perceived to be less stronger than men, but in the case of former senator De Lima, she has proven otherwise.”
Some of the lead actors in the House probe against De Lima have faced either political or personal misfortune. Then-House justice committee chairperson Rey Umali died in January 2021 after a battle with liver cancer and COVID-19. Rudy Fariñas of Ilocos Norte, Doy Leachon of Oriental Mindoro, and Salvador Belaro Jr. of 1-Ang Edukasyon lost in their respective races in 2022. Davao del Norte 1st District Representative Pantaleon Alvarez was censured by his colleagues in May for disorderly behavior. Harry Roque of party-list group Kabayan, who later became Duterte’s spokesman, is among the subjects of a Senate investigation into various anomalies surrounding Philippine offshore gaming operators.
Other congressmen who initiated the probe against De Lima, however, remain part of the 19th Congress.
But eight years since House lawmakers launched misogynistic attacks against her, the chamber — or perhaps one committee — finally afforded De Lima the respect that she deserves, acknowledging her for, at least, the portfolio that she carries: a subject matter expert who extensively investigated the pattern of vigilante killings that persisted under the leadership of Duterte – whether as a city mayor, or president of the republic.
On Monday, House members listened – when she revived her calls for the establishment of a truth commission, when she called Duterte the mastermind of the drug war killings, when she rebutted the Philippine National Police for second-guessing whether to include homicide cases in the death toll, when she called out the “practically non-existent” investigation of drug war killings by local authorities, and even when she lamented that the House may be too late the hero.
“You cannot blame me if I say that we are actually better off waiting for the results of the International Criminal Court investigation, which is light years ahead of our local investigation,” she said. “I appreciate the efforts of this committee, at least we now have these proceedings, although I must say it’s rather late. But better late than never.” – Rappler.com
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DA chief says ASF risk now higher as rain, floods hit outbreak areas | gdecastro0289 | 30/07/2024 22:12 | CULLED. A pig is being brought to an undisclosed culling site in Aklan after it was reportedly exposed to the dreaded African swine fever virus.
Courtesy of OPVET-Aklan
MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Agriculture (DA) sees higher risk of African Swine Fever (ASF) affecting the country’s swine industry as the rainy season makes it easier for the virus to spread via flooding in areas where pigs were culled and buried.
“ASF has always been there, hindi naman nawala ‘yan e. Pero since tag-ulan at sa mga flooding, the chances of it na lalabas ay malaki na ulit because nasa groundwater na ‘yan, nabaon dati,” said Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. in a joint press conference with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), where they announced the “controlled rollout” of Vietnamese-made vaccines to fight ASF starting third quarter of 2024.
(ASF has always been there, it never disappeared. But since it’s the rainy season and there’s flooding, the chances of it coming out again is big because the virus is in the groundwater, where it was previously buried.)
He said there were already signs of ASF possibly reappearing in Batangas and Mindoro island, although he said there was “no reason to panic as of the moment.”
The difference now, he said, was that he expected the vaccines that the Department of Agriculture (DA) would be procuring possibly next month could help lower the risk of ASF outbreaks.
“We’re hopeful na, at least ngayon, may panlaban na tayo kung sakaling magkaroon ng major outbreak again. That’s why bibilisan natin ‘yung pag-procure nito dahil tuloy-tuloy na ‘yung ulan,” Tiu Laurel said.
(We’re hopeful that, at least now, we have a weapon in case there’s a major outbreak again. That’s why we will speed up the procurement of this vaccine because the rain will continue.)
He said areas susceptible to ASF would be part of “red or pink zones,” where Vietnam’s AVAC vaccine will be rolled out under controlled conditions.
Veterinarian Dr. Constante Palabrica has seen how floods affect areas previously hit by ASF, given his long years of working in commercial farms for more than 40 years before he was appointed last March by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to the DA, where he is now assistant secretary for swine and poultry.
“Ang binaon kong baboy sa Robina [Farms] ay libo-libo. Kasi tinamaan ako e, I have to be honest about it. ‘Pag binaon mo ‘yung baboy, ‘pag bumagyo, aakyat ‘yung patay na baboy, maglolobo, makikita mo ‘yung paa, ulo. Ang mabigat sa ASF, dekada bago mamatay ‘yung mikrobyo, ‘yung virus na ‘yan. In my 44 years experience, ngayon lang ako nakakita ng ganitong sakit, na talagang aatras ka. Uubusin ang baboy mo. So, ‘pag may binaon ka, bumagyo, lahat bubungkalin ‘yan. ‘Pag bungkal niyan, kakalat na ‘yan – sa daan, sa mga biyaheros,” he said.
(I buried thousands of pigs when I was with Robina Farms. Because we were hit, I have to be honest about it. When you bury the pig, when there’s a storm, the dead pigs will move up, they’ll bloat, and you’ll see their feet, head. What’s bad about ASF, it takes decades before the microbes die, that virus. In my 44 years experience, it’s only now that I’ve seen this kind of virus, where you’ll really retreat. It’ll wipe out your pigs. So, if you bury the pigs and there’s a typhoon, when they’re tilled, it will scatter on the roads, carried by travelers.)
ASF first emerged in 2019 with devastating impact on commercial farms and backyard growers in countries that got hit, including the Philippines. ASF outbreaks led to mandatory culling even of hogs that were not infected since a single infection would wipe out a whole drove.
The Philippines hog population declined from 12.7 million in 2018 to 9.9 million in September 2023, according to the DA, causing higher pork prices. As of July 26, the DA’s Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) has identified active cases in 45 towns in 18 provinces.
Tiu Laurel said the DA has a budget of P350 million for the procurement of around 600,000 doses of Vietnam’s AVAC vaccine possibly by August. Around 150,000 initial doses may be ready by September this year. A public bidding will be held for the remaining 450,000 doses, he said.
He said he has visited Vietnam twice and personally witnessed that the vaccine is already being used there.
The vaccines will be given free to select hog farms, with priority to those in red and pink zones identified by the DA.
“We prioritize eligible clustered backyard farms, semi-commercial farms, and commercial enterprises, aiming to mitigate ASF’s impact and stabilize the swine industry,” he said.
Samuel Zacate, director general of the FDA, said his office granted Vietnam’s AVAC vaccine a certificate of product registration under monitored release (CPR MR), for restricted use only by the BAI. The CPR MR is valid for two years and subject to “strict monitoring and annual evaluation.”
He said the Vietnamese vaccine underwent clinical trials in 2023 and that the BAI found it to be “100% safe and efficacious.” Independent experts will recommend either to revoke or proceed with the vaccine, depending on the result of the controlled rollout. It would only be given a full certificate of registration if the results are positive.
Zacate warned traders against selling the vaccine, saying the FDA would run after them in case this happens.
Tiu Laurel said that a best-case scenario would see the vaccine working in the red and pink zones and achieving herd immunity. This would be a “confidence-building measure” that would inspire businesses to reinvest and repopulate their swine, which could lead to lower pork prices in 2025, he said.
The DA said BAI is finalizing with stakeholders the guidelines for the controlled use of ASF vaccines, after which public consultations will be held to “ensure the guidelines are comprehensive and effectively implemented.”
The BAI will evaluate the vaccine’s efficacy based on a “predefined criteria before endorsing them to the FDA for final approval and registration,” it said. – Rappler.com
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Cyberattacks against media aided by tools ‘offered openly’ by companies – report | Jodesz Gavilan | 30/07/2024 21:30 | MANILA, Philippines – Individuals and groups who aim to suppress press freedom and access to information are now finding it easy to do so with the aid of tools “offered openly by for-profit companies.”
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), in its latest analysis published Tuesday, July 30, said that this reality makes it hard for media organizations around the world to defend themselves.
“Their use appears to be part of an emerging censorship strategy that poses a serious transnational threat to press freedom and access to information,” CPJ senior researcher Jonathan Rozen wrote in his piece, adding that these tools ensure the anonymity of the perpetrators.
The distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack, commonly carried out against news outlets, makes use of an amount of simulated traffic to overwhelm a website, possibly resulting in it going down. This means that readers will not be able to open or access the website, and the duration depends on the news outlet’s capability to address the attack.
Attackers use the following “to source and direct online traffic en masse,” according to CPJ:
Proxy providers may not necessarily be malicious since it can be used for different things, including privacy protection, “but they have also been abused.” Doug Madory, director of internet analysis at Kentik, warned that proxy services are “known for being vectors of DDoS attacks.”
“If you can large-scale anonymize many, many internet connections, there’s a lot of bad things you can do,” he told CPJ.
The CPJ analysis cited several media outlets that were constantly attacked using proxy providers, including Rappler. In October 2023, Rappler was subjected to DDoS attacks that reached 26 million requests, peaking at 250,000 requests per second within a two-minute window.
In a report published in the aftermath, with the help of Swedish group Qurium, it was discovered that the proxy service providers used were US-based Rayobyte and Russia-based Fineproxy. At least 10% of the proxy IP addresses or proxy IPs involved in the attack were tracked to these companies.
Aside from Rappler, CPJ also said exiled Russian news website Meduza and the International Press Institute were also at the receiving end of similar DDoS attacks.
IPI’s website was down for three days following an attack in September 2023, while Meduza said that its “largest” DDoS attack in April 2024 resulted in them being unable to publish for four hours.
Qurium was able to identify that the attack on IPI and other Hungarian sites used the services of White Proxies (also called White Solutions).
The attacks on Meduza, meanwhile, were facilitated by at least two proxy providers, Vietnam-based MIN Proxy and Hong Kong-based RapidSeedbox.
In a statement to CPJ, RapidSeedbox said that they have “both automated and manual systems in place to monitor illicit activity” and that it does not “intend to work with clients who abuse our IPs in attacks.”
Media organizations in the Philippines have long been the subject of DDoS attacks in recent years, including ABS-CBN, Vera Files, CNN Philippines, Bulatlat, and AlterMidya. In a 2021 report, Qurium said that the attacks on Bulatlat and AlterMidya had links to the Department of Science and Technology and the military.
The Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism, meanwhile, briefly took down its website in November 2023 in response to an “active hacking attack.”
CPJ’s Rozen wrote that DDoS attacks “could pose additional problems for online media trying to monetize journalism.”
“As news outlets work to block potentially malicious traffic, they may prevent actual readers from coming to their sites, hindering their ability to make money from viewership and ads,” Rozen said. – Rappler.com
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MEDAL TALLY: Paris Olympics 2024 | delfin.dioquino editor | 27/07/2024 19:35 | MANILA, Philippines – The biggest names in all of sports vie for Olympic glory as they seek to bring their countries honor in the 33rd edition of the Summer Games in Paris, France.
Gold, silver, and bronze medals in 329 events across 32 sports are up for grabs, with breaking – or breakdancing – making its Olympic debut.
With 22 athletes in tow, Team Philippines aims to surpass its historic haul of one gold, two silvers, and one bronze in the previous Tokyo Olympics.
The United States, which boasts of the biggest delegation with 594 athletes, looks to maintain its dominance after claiming the overall championship in the last three editions.
Perennial contenders China, Great Britain, Japan, and host France also aim to make a splash.
Here is the medal tally:
– Rappler.com
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8 key moments on the fourth day of the House probe into Duterte’s drug war | Dwight de Leon | 30/07/2024 7:52 | PROBE. Former congressman Neri Colmenares and former senator Leila de Lima attend a House panel inquiry into the drug war deaths under the Duterte administration, on July 29, 2024.
House of Representatives
MANILA, Philippines – The House of Representatives’ human rights committee resumed its inquiry into former president Rodrigo Duterte’s drug war on Monday, July 29.
The hearing was notable for many reasons, from Duterte’s continued absence, to former senator Leila de Lima’s first appearance before the committee.
Rappler enumerates the highlights of Monday’s session that lasted for six hours.
House human rights committee chairman Bienvenido Abante said in June that he would invite former president Rodrigo Duterte to attend its inquiry into drug war-related killings, but the Davao City kingpin was not present in Monday’s hearing.
Gabriela Representative Arlene Brosas decried his absence.
“We’ve been requesting the former president to come here to explain the accusations against him, but it still hasn’t happened,” Brosas said. “This probe should not stop until (he shows up).”
Abante, however, stopped short of issuing a show-cause order to Duterte, which would have compelled the latter to formally explain his absence from the hearing.
Other Davao cops, however, who snubbed Monday’s hearing despite invitations sent by the House were issued show-cause orders – Charles Owen Molino, Michael Maderable, Ronnie Banggat, and June Ralph Piñero.
The panel approved a motion to invite self-confessed former Davao Death Squad (DDS) members Edgar Matobato and Arturo Lascañas to the next hearing.
Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, the chief implementer of Duterte’s anti-narcotics drive until he retired from the police force, blasted the House in June for kickstarting the probe, saying it had no authority to do so since its goal was not to hold a hearing in aid of legislation, but only to hold certain cops liable.
Abante opened the fourth day of hearing with a direct response to Dela Rosa.
“Let me tell the good senator, you’re a senator, we have the right according to our rules,” Abante said.
“Senator Dela Rosa, being interviewed, also admitted that there were human rights violations done during his time as director general of the Philippine National Police, and he even calls that collateral damage. Now, you know the killing of so many people to me is not just collateral damage, it could have been prevented,” he added.
Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Rommel Francisco Marbil was the first guest to be interrogated by lawmakers, as he had to leave early due to another commitment.
Questions thrown at him were rather simple, and were basically an opportunity for him to tout President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s recalibrated anti-illegal drug strategy in comparison with Duterte’s bloody drug war.
Marbil, however, sidestepped questions, and answered vaguely despite repeated follow-ups from lawmakers, leaving congressmen visibly exasperated.
There was no Duterte during Monday’s inquiry, but his staunchest critic was present: former senator Leila de Lima.
In 2017, at the height of the drug war, De Lima became front and center of a messy House investigation into the alleged drug proliferation in the state penitentiary. De Lima’s female colleagues in the Senate accused the men who led that probe of “unparliamentary,” “misogynistic,” and “insulting conduct,” while De Lima herself called it a “sham inquiry” orchestrated by Duterte aimed at demolishing her reputation. She was jailed for nearly seven years and freed by a court only in November last year.
On Monday, a different House welcomed De Lima, affording her a certain level of respect for accepting the House’s invitation.
“I am delighted to see [former] senator De Lima who is still active,” Abante said of the former senator.
“We are very appreciative to the former senator for gracing this affair, and congratulations for winning all your cases in court,” committee vice chairperson Zia Alonto Adiong of Lanao del Sur 1st District added.
“Allow me to commend our former secretary of justice and former senator whose strength we really admired,” Iloilo 1st District Representative Janette Garin also said. “Women are usually perceived to be less stronger than men, but in the case of former senator De Lima, she has proven otherwise.”
Two years have passed since Duterte stepped down from office, and seven years since his administration wrapped up his first year as president, yet authorities have yet to reconcile the exact number of drug war-related deaths.
The Presidential Communications Office said consolidated numbers from four agencies as of November 2017 put the death toll at about 20,000 – 3,167 from anti-drug operations, and 16,355 homicide cases under investigation. A PNP representative in the hearing confirmed those numbers.
But should the over 16,000 deaths be counted under drug war-related killings? That was among the discussions.
“They’re trying to imply that the homicide cases are not drug-related,” De Lima said. “I don’t understand why authorities are not willing to confirm that these are indeed drug-related killings. These may be vigilante killings… encouraged by police elements.”
Abante argued it doesn’t necessarily mean that policemen were behind the vigilante killings.
“Not necessarily, but there are indications that many of them are in connivance or in coordination with the police,” De Lima replied.
Former police chief Oscar Albayalde was present during the hearing, and was also asked to clarify discrepancies in reports on the drug war death toll, but said he couldn’t answer the question as he had no personal access to government records.
Santa Rosa Representative Dan Fernandez, member of the panel, claimed that the outcome of the House investigation “can be used as evidence for the ICC.”
“This is the reason why what we wanted in this investigation is to fast-track these different loopholes that can be helpful as well with the proceedings being done at the ICC,” Fernandez said.
Such a statement did not escape De Lima, who interpreted it as the House’s effort to show its independence from the executive branch. President Marcos, after all, adopted the position that the ICC has no jurisdiction over the Philippines.
The panel immediately distanced itself from Fernandez’s statement though.
“That is the personal statement of Congressman Fernandez,” Abante clarified.
The House hearing featured numerous testimonies from relatives of drug war victims, and saw De Lima call for a genuine, independent probe into the drug war.
“An ideal setup is an independent truth commission whose only task is to know the facts, determine the people involved, identify the pattern,” De Lima said. “I am not trying to denigrate the capacity of this body to also do the same, but given the complexities and the gargantuan task that this committee is faced, it could help if there is a truth commission.”
“There is no doubt in my mind that former President Rodrigo Duterte is the mastermind, as he was the instigator and inducer of the drug war killings,” she added.
Duterte, during his time in office, was known for his foul-mouthed, off-script tirades, and pronouncements that were sometimes interpreted as policy statements, and later downplayed by his spokesperson as a “joke.”
At the end of Monday’s hearing, Adiong spoke out about the power of words that a president has.
“When you have certain degree of power entrusted to you by the people, you don’t simply personalize the office, because that is not yours in the first place. Your office that you occupy is owned by the people. So nobody has the right to personify that office and then say ‘This is my position,’ jokingly. Whatever you say, the whole people would take it as something, as a policy. You cannot disregard that,” Adiong said.
– Rappler.com
* All quotes in Filipino were translated into English, and some were shortened for brevity.
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First, regarding the ICC’s jurisdiction, the HOR committee is simply following the directive of PBBM. PBBM is opposed to the ICC having jurisdiction over our country because he fears it could be used against him in the future. Second, concerning the Truth Commission, the HOR Committee on Human Rights does not have a strong commitment to agree on the creation of a Truth Commission. Its members seem to be using the committee for political gain in next year’s election. Third, on Gen. Marbil’s avoidance of questions, it seems like he’s wary of offending his former boss Sen. Bato De La Rosa. Fourth, Sen. De La Rosa’s opposition appears to be driven by self-preservation. Lastly, former President Duterte’s absence indicates his inclination to portray himself as being above the law.
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What are the most powerful passports in 2024? | lkyu0285 | 30/07/2024 8:53 | MANILA, Philippines – Passports open doors, but some open far more than others.
More often than not, the “power” that a passport yields is a reflection of its issuer’s political standing in the world stage and the relations it has with other countries. For this reason, the world’s most influential nations often issue the most powerful passports, which can be measured by the number of destinations that the passport holder can visit visa-free.
In the latest 2024 Global Passport Ranking by Henley & Partners, Singapore emerged as the world’s most powerful passport, providing its holder access to an “unprecedented” 195 of 227 travel destinations visa-free. Before Singapore took the top spot, Japan held the title of most powerful passport from 2018 until 2023.
Meanwhile, 34 different passports are tied for the rest of the spots in the top 10:
But it’s not just citizens from these countries who are getting to enjoy visa-free privileges. On average, travel around the world is getting less restrictive. According to the Henley & Partners, the global average for the number of visa-free destinations that a citizen can travel to has nearly doubled from 58 countries in 2006 to 111 countries today.
“Over the past two decades of us publishing this data, the trend has been towards greater travel freedom,” Henley & Partners managing director Scott Moore said during a briefing on July 24.
As frequent flyers might now, the Philippine passport is not all that powerful.
The Philippine passport is ranked 73rd among the 199 passports evaluated. Philippine passport holders have access to 67 travel destinations, which fortunately includes Southeast Asian tourist hotspots like Taiwan, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Singapore.
According to Moore, the Philippines is “right in the middle of the pack” when compared to its Asian neighbors. The Philippine passport scores higher than India (82nd), Vietnam (88th), Sri Lanka (93rd), Bangladesh (97th), and Pakistan (100th). However, Indonesia (65th), Thailand (60th), Malaysia (12th), and Singapore (1st) all have much stronger passports.
But the Philippines does seem to be on the right track as it has improved its passport ranking by 5 places from last year’s 78th.
“From 2015 until now, besides COVID-19, the general trend is up for the Philippines passport ranking. The Philippines is viewed as quite stable right now, and as the Philippine economy continues to grow, it should continue to see improvements on the passport’s visa-free access,” Moore said on July 24.
Meanwhile, the Philippines has also been working to loosen its own visa restrictions for visitors in a bid to revive its still-recovering tourism industry. Manila has, however, stopped short of offering visa-free entry to Chinese nationals, which has historically been among the country’s top source of tourist arrivals. (READ: Should the Philippines roll out the red carpet for Chinese tourists?) – Rappler.com
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New education chief, decades-old problems as public schools open | Bonz Magsambol | 29/07/2024 21:30 | PRAYER. Students pray as they attend the first day of classes at Iloilo Central Elementary School in Iloilo City on July 29, 2024.
Arnold Almacen/Iloilo City Mayor’s Office
MANILA, Philippines – Jose Samson, principal of Carmona National High School (CNHS) in Cavite, pointed to a classroom shortage as the major challenge for their school on Monday, July 29.
“Kulang tayo [ng] 27 classrooms (We lack 27 classrooms),” Samson said.
It was a brief answer that likely reflects the situation in most, if not all, public schools that started classes on Monday for school year 2024-2025.
Samson relayed the issue to newly installed Department of Education (DepEd) Secretary Sonny Angara, who visited them on school opening day. “Yes. It’s a very big [problem],” Angara said.
To make up for the classroom shortage, CNHS is implementing class shifting. The first shift starts at 5:50 am and the second begins at 1 pm.
Angara said that another school he visited — Casimiro A. Ynares Sr. Memorial National High School in Taytay, Rizal — also lacks classrooms for its special education program.
The classroom shortage is just one of the decades-old problems confronting the Philippine education system.
During Vice President Sara Duterte’s stint as DepEd chief, the government was able to build only 3,600 new classrooms. Education Assistant Secretary Francis Bringas had said that public schools lacked some 159,000 classrooms before they opened in August 2023. At this rate, the government would be able to address the classroom shortage in 40 years, and by that time, more problems in the education sector may have cropped up.
Asked about solutions to the classroom shortage, Angara pledged faster construction under his watch by strengthening the coordination between the DepEd and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).
“‘Yung…early procurement activities na tinatawag, ginagawa ho ‘yan sa [DPWH]. Sana gawin din namin dito sa — in coordination with DepEd and DPWH. Mag coordinate ‘yung dalawang ahensiya,” he said.
(The early procurement activities are being done at the DPWH. We hope that we will also do these activities at the DepEd in coordination with the DPWH. The two agencies will need to coordinate.)
Early procurement activities, Angara explained, include validating of school sites. “May problema kung hindi pala kaya nung lupain ‘yung multistory building, so ‘yung tinatawag na soil test,” he said. (There would be a problem if the land weren’t suitable for a multistory building, so we need what’s called a soil test.)
For construction to even inch forward, however, the funds have to be there. Bringas had said that the government would need P397 billion.
Will Angara, a former senator who is no stranger to the budget process, be able to get the necessary funds for classroom construction? The 2025 budget deliberations for government agencies are underway at the House of Representatives.
Due to the impact of severe flooding, not all 47,000 public schools in the country were able to start classes on Monday. Hundreds had to postpone their opening because of the lingering effects of the southwest monsoon or habagat, which was enhanced by Typhoon Carina (Gaemi).
In Santa Mesa, Manila, Elpidio Quirino High School was able to welcome back students, but some textbooks and other materials had to be dried following the flooding.
Angara himself got a glimpse of the distressing situation on the ground whenever it rains. He was supposed to visit Biñan Elementary School in Laguna, but classes got suspended after rain brought more floods early Monday.
“Nalungkot nga ako na kailangan pa ring ipagpaliban ‘yung pasukan do’n sa ibang lugar. Pero naiintindihan natin ‘yun dahil malakas pa rin ‘yung ulan kanina,” he told reporters.
(I was saddened that some areas had to postpone the school opening. But I understand the situation as well because the rain was still heavy earlier.)
Still, Angara said the school opening was “so far, so good.”
Latest DepEd data show that 20,598,072 students have enrolled, so far. This figure is expected to go up in the coming weeks as students can still enroll until September.
Another issue that Angara has to find a solution to is the mismatch between teachers’ expertise and their actual workload. In some schools, teachers have no choice but to handle subjects that don’t match their expertise.
“That’s a problem that we have to address, like the science subject. We don’t have specialists on this so we really need to work and be prepared for the coming Programme for International Student Assessment. Some institutions help in training our teachers. In case that we’re not able to hire immediately, at least we will be able to train them,” he said.
According to a World Bank study in 2016, the knowledge of teachers and the method they use to teach a subject are “important determinants of student learning outcomes in the Philippines.”
The study showed, however, that “knowledge of subject matter among elementary and high school teachers is low in most subjects.” For instance, a mathematics teacher in high school was only able to answer 31% of questions “completely correctly,” far from even half of the questions.
“Since the tests are closely aligned with the curriculum, the results suggest that teachers face significant challenges in teaching a considerable portion of the current K to 12 curriculum,” the study said.
The school opening gave Angara a snapshot of his colossal task as the new DepEd leader. Will he be able to deliver? – Rappler.com
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Chinese fugitive caught in Benguet house linked to Harry Roque | Lian Buan | 29/07/2024 20:08 | CHINESE? Senator Risa Hontiveros says Khuon Moeurn is a false identity being used by a Chinese fugitive.
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MANILA, Philippines – The man caught in a house in Tuba, Benguet, on Saturday, July 27, was not Cambodian but a Chinese fugitive, according to Senator Risa Hontiveros.
“The Cambodian passport held by the man is fake. He’s really Chinese and as per our Chinese informant, he’s a red notice fugitive, very high-level, and he has already defrauded 100,000 people,” Hontiveros said on Monday, July 29, as the Senate continued its inquiry into illegal Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGOs).
The Bureau of Immigration executed a mission order to raid a house in Barangay Poblacion in Tuba, Benguet, on Saturday. The BI said it was acting on information that one of the house occupants was a Chinese woman who is a person of interest in the Bamban, Tarlac POGO investigation. The BI found instead a supposed Cambodian, Khuon Moeurn, and a Chinese woman named Wang Keping, neither of whom was the target of the operation.
Moeurn is really Sun Liming, who, Rappler has learned, is on the red notice list of the Interpol for financial fraud in China over internet P2P business. Sun Liming is known as an expert in how to develop apps, which could have been used for scamming operations, according to Presidential Anti Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) chief Gilbert Cruz.
Harry Roque, who was spokesperson for former president Rodrigo Duterte, confirmed to the Senate that he “has interest” in the Tuba house. It is owned by a corporation called PH2, which is owned by Roque’s family corporation, Biancham Holdings and Trading. Roque said, however, that the house has been leased to a Chinese national named Wan Yun.
Roque told a House panel on Wednesday, July 31, that he has since found out that his lessee is in a relationship with Moeurn/Sun Liming. The lease contract was signed in January 2024, said Roque.
“Tinirahan ko po ‘yan nung ako po’y umalis ng gobyerno, and I do have an interest in the corporation that owns it. Pero wala po sa akin ang possession ng bahay na ‘yan,” said Roque.
(I once lived in that house when I left the government, and I do have an interest in the corporation that owns it. But I do not have possession of that house.)
When BI agents got there, they apprehended a man carrying a supposed Cambodian passport, who turned out to be Chinese. They also apprehended the female Chinese who was with him for allegedly harboring an illegal alien.
The BI confirmed to the Senate that their personnel neither had a search nor arrest warrant during the raid, which Roque continuously pointed out as a violation of constitutional rights.
This shows the quandary of law enforcement in cracking down on POGO suspects. If they apply for a warrant, they risk a leak or waiting too long that the suspects already flee. But if they conduct an operation without a warrant, they court legal trouble.
“Nang sinabi nila na sinalakay ang bahay ko at may mga wanted na mga POGO bosses doon, eh ako po’y talagang nag-conclude na meron talagang pilit na naninira sa akin (When they said my house was raided because there were wanted POGO bosses there, I concluded that there really was a demolition job against me),” Roque said during the Senate hearing, which got heated between him and Hontiveros.
Senator Sherwin Gatchalian had to intervene and tell Roque that if he “disrespects” Hontiveros one more time, “I will cite you in contempt.”
Biancham was incorporated by Roque, his wife Mylah, his former law firm partner Joel Butuyan, and two others. Roque’s former assistant, Alberto Rodulfo “AR” dela Serna, was a qualifying stockholder. It means that these were stockholders with minimal shares, and tapped only to comply with the requirement that there should be five stockholders. Roque said that because a one-person corporation is now allowed, he is on his way to buying out everybody in Biancham.
Dela Serna is the aide whom Roque sponsored for a visa to Europe in 2023. Dela Serna was present in Monday’s hearing and he said his visa documents were found in the Lucky South 99 POGO in Porac, Pampanga, because he used to be a boarder there while attending a flying school in the province.
Dela Serna said he did not know that there was a POGO there, and that he lodged for free because he requested Katherine Cassandra Li Ong or Cassy Li Ong to be able to board rent-free. Prompted by Hontiveros’ interpellation, Dela Serna said he knew Ong through Roque.
Ong may be the next most hunted after Bamban Mayor Alice Guo. Ong, who is now in Singapore according to the BI, is an owner of a POGO called Xinsheng which preceded Lucky South. For Lucky South, Ong appears in some Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor) documents as having transacted for them.
It was also Ong who got Roque as a lawyer for Whirlwind Corporation, the real estate firm that leased its Porac compound to Lucky South. Roque maintained he is a lawyer only for Whirlwind, and not for the Lucky South POGO even though an organizational chart names him as legal representative.
According to Pagcor chief Alejandro Tengco, Ong had said before that the fee meant to be remitted to Pagcor by Lucky South, totaling $900,000, had been pocketed by their consultant, Dennis Cunanan.
Cunanan is a former government official who had been convicted for his role in the pork barrel scam. He is the common link for the Porac and Bamban POGOs.
On Monday, Cunanan appeared in the Senate for the first time, where he confirmed that he consulted for the two POGOs, but denied that he pocketed the Pagcor fee.
“If that happened, there are only two things that can happen to me: either I am dead by now, or two, I may have a court case already happening,” said Cunanan. Senator Jinggoy Estrada paid much attention to Cunanan because the latter testified against him during the pork barrel scam trial.
Roque is still linked to the accusation against Cunanan. It was the former presidential spokesperson who had accompanied Ong to meet with Pagcor’s Tengco to complain that Cunanan had not been remitting Lucky South’s fees. Roque said this did not mean he lawyered for Lucky South because he just accompanied Ong to a meeting with Pagcor.
Hontiveros said, “Ayaw ‘nyo mang aminin na abogado kayo ng POGO, malinaw na abogado kayo ng taga-areglo ng POGO.” (While you may not want to admit that you’re a lawyer for a POGO, it is clear that you are a lawyer for a POGO fixer.)
Hontiveros pointed out that Lucky South was already raided as early as 2022. The senator asked Roque why he would want to be involved in a POGO that already has a shady record.
“Wala naman akong nalaman na na-raid sila noon dahil nakilala ko sila matapos ang eleksiyon noong 2022,” said Roque.
(I did not know they were raided because I met them after the elections in 2022.)
During the House hearing on Wednesday, a Pagcor executive revealed that aside from facilitating a meeting, Roque also made at least six calls on behalf of Ong. Never was Whirlwind mentioned in these conversations, only Lucky South, said Pagcor’s offshore gaming department assistant vice president, Jessa Fernandez.
Despite this, Roque invoked his strict definition of a client-lawyer relationship, which is one that exists only on contract — the one he has with Whirlwind. Lawmakers spent time pointing out that someone as prominent as Roque who deals with Pagcor on behalf of a POGO representative, “by common sense,” may be a form of using “political influence.” – Rappler.com
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Tarlac investigates report of bird flu outbreak | Joann Manabat - CMS | 29/07/2024 21:23 | BLOOD SAMPLING. The Tarlac provincial veterinary office conducts blood sampling of the chickens at the two commercial poultry farms in Capas, Tarlac on July 29, 2024
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PAMPANGA, Philippines – The Tarlac provincial veterinary office, on Monday, July 29, said it is investigating recent claims of a bird flu outbreak following a report of positive cases in the province.
Dr. Maria Lorna Baculanta, Tarlac provincial veterinarian, said no evidence of avian influenza has been found so far. No adverse health effects have been reported in chickens or people, she said.
“We have been actively collecting blood samples from the farms, and so far, no mortalities have been reported, and the chickens are healthy. Our ongoing blood tests will confirm this,” Baculanta told Rappler in Filipino.
Blood samples from two poultry farms in Capas were conducted on Monday and results are expected by Wednesday, she said.
According to a Philippine Star report, the Philippine Egg Board Association (PEBA) said chickens at a commercial farm tested positive for bird flu.
“The chickens were being transported when they died. Upon examination, the chickens tested positive for bird flu,” Star quoted PEBA president Francis Uyehara as saying.
“We are considering that there are other farms that do not report or test their chicken for bird flu. This is the reason why we don’t have a clear reference on the extent of the bird flu problem,” he also said.
Rappler reached out to PEBA for an updated response. We will update this story once we hear from them.
According to Baculanta, the initial report from the Regional Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory mentioned that there was a case of culled chicken in Benguet that had been detected positive for bird flu last week and traced the source to a poultry farm in Capas. However, the address provided was incorrect and belonged to a different farm.
Culled chickens are identified as non-laying or low producing hens from a laying flock.
“If there were indeed an outbreak, we would have seen a significant increase in mortalities within days. From time to time we conduct blood sampling,” she added.
Baculanta said they are already expediting the laboratory analysis as the recent weather disruptions caused by Typhoon Carina had delayed sample collection.
Baculanta also assured the public that measures are in place to ensure the health and safety of poultry in the province. – Rappler.com
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Nesthy Petecio begins golden quest in Paris Olympics vs Indian | delfin.dioquino editor | 29/07/2024 22:12 | WINNER. Nesthy Petecio in action for the Philippines in the Boxam Elite Tournament in Spain.
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MANILA, Philippines – It might be the final Olympics for Filipina boxer Nesthy Petecio.
And she hopes to end it at the top of the podium as Petecio looks to complete her unfinished business after settling for a silver medal in the Tokyo Games three years ago.
Petecio begins her golden quest in the Paris Olympics against India’s Jaismine Lamboria when they lock horns in the round of 32 of the women’s 57kg class at the North Paris Arena on Tuesday, July 30.
“I want to exit boxing on a high note. I want to leave the sport by making history,” said Petecio in Filipino in June.
While the Philippines won 8 of its 14 Olympic medals overall in boxing, no Filipino boxer has struck gold.
Petecio and the rest of the national boxing team, which includes Carlo Paalam, Eumir Marcial, Aira Villegas, and Hergie Bacyadan, aim to change that.
But achieving that goal does not come easy despite the absence of Japan’s Sena Irie, who retired from the sport a year after besting Petecio for the gold in Tokyo.
If Petecio manages to overcome Lamboria, she will face European Games titlist Amina Zidani of France in the round of 16.
Also in the same bracket are Italy’s Irma Testa and Kazakhstan’s Karina Ibragimova, who went one-two in the previous IBA Women’s World Boxing Championships.
Drawn in the other bracket is top seed and two-time world titlist Lin Yu-ting of Chinese Taipei.
The boxing team got off to a promising start as Villegas advanced to the round of 16 of the women’s 50kg division after a unanimous decision win over Morocco’s Yasmine Mouttaki.
Marcial (men’s 80kg), Paalam (men’s 57kg), and Bacyadan (women’s 75kg) begin their campaigns in the coming days. – Rappler.com
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Davao hospital faces backlash over insensitive handling of boy’s death | Herbie G | 30/07/2024 16:09 | CAGAYAN DE ORO, Philippines – A Davao City hospital is under fire over its treatment about two weeks ago of the grieving family of a boy who died hours after he was rushed to the medical center because of seizures.
The Metro Pacific Health-owned Davao Doctors Hospital (DDH) announced on Saturday, July 27, that it has started an investigation into the allegations, following a viral social media post by the child’s brother that raised serious questions about its management and priorities.
The 55-year-old DDH is a tertiary level hospital that boasts on its website of being the largest and most modern hospital in Southern Philippines.
On Facebook, Jade Mark Capiñanes said his five-year-old brother had cardiopulmonary arrest in the DDH on July 17, and that physicians there suspected that it was a case of encephalitis.
Despite the doctors’ efforts to control the seizures with intravenous medication, the boy passed away that afternoon.
He said the way the staff dealt with them reflected poorly on the hospital’s management and priorities.
“We are grieving – but they failed to see it,” said the boy’s brother.
Capiñanes’ post ignited a wave of public outrage, with many calling for an investigation into the hospital’s practices, alleged insensitivity, and accountability for the staff involved.
Capiñanes criticized the hospital staff for lack of transparency regarding intensive care unit admissions.
He said when the child’s seizures became uncontrollable, doctors recommended transferring him to the ICU. However, he said, the hospital staff focused primarily on the cost of the ICU, estimated at P50,000 to P80,000 per day, without disclosing room availability.
“If my brother needed the ICU, why were we having a conversation that always circled back to the cost?” Capiñanes said.
After a stressful discussion, Capiñanes said they were informed there were no vacant ICU rooms, making the family feel that its availability depended on their ability to pay rather than medical urgency.
Capiñanes also recounted that after his brother’s death, the initial bill of about P79,000 included charges for procedures not done, like an MRI and an x-ray.
After requesting an itemized invoice and checking it, he said, the bill was reduced to about P56,000, showing an overcharge of around P23,000.
He said if one of his brothers didn’t ask for details, “we would have been overcharged by around P23,000. That’s a lot of money, which we needed. But based on how they handled the billing, who knows what else was there that needed reviewing and removing?” he said.
He alleged that the hospital left the child’s body overnight in the morgue unattended and even tried to charge for it.
“We couldn’t transfer our little brother’s body to the funeral home that day. The funeral home required a medical certificate, which the hospital said they could only provide the next morning. The next day I went back to the hospital to claim it. The first thing they told me was about money: ‘Sir, you need to pay additional fees for the preservation of your brother’s body because you didn’t retrieve it yesterday,” he said.
Capiñanes said he just wanted to bring his brother’s remains out of the hospital and agreed to pay only to learn later that the body was left unattended and hadn’t been preserved.
“Basically they were about to charge us for a service they didn’t provide,” he said. “Although my brother was dead, the fact remained that he had once been a human being, a little kid at that. A little humanity would have been nice. But all they were concerned about was money, money, money.”
Capiñanes expressed his frustration with the hospital’s apparent prioritization of profit over compassion and proper care.
He said the hospital management’s handling of the situation during their time of grief was very disappointing.
Responding to the viral post, DDH stated, “We are aware of the concerns that have been shared on social media, and we want to assure the public that we are taking these concerns seriously.”
The hospital said it shared in the family’s grief and was in touch with them, adding that “the situation is being urgently and thoroughly investigated.”
“We will communicate our findings to the family privately,” read part of the DDH statement. – Rappler.com
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San Miguel Shipping subsidiary chartered MT Terranova | Iya Gozum | 30/07/2024 17:18 | CLEANUP. Members of the Philippine Coast Guard and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Environmental Management Bureau collect oil slick wash along the beach of Brgy. Amaya 7 in Tanza, Cavite on July 30, 2024. The oil is believed to be from the MT Terranova sank off Lamao Point in Limay, Bataan on July 25, 2024. Rappler
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BATAAN, Philippines – SL Harbor Bulk Terminal Corporation, a subsidiary of San Miguel Shipping and Lighterage Corporation, chartered the MT Terranova to transport 1.4 million liters of industrial fuel oil, Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) officials confirmed to reporters on Tuesday, July 30.
Asked for the owner of the cargo oil, PCG Commandant Admiral Ronnie Gil Gavan confirmed that it was SL Harbor Bulk Terminal Corporation.
Gavan said their priority now is to respond to the oil spill before they proceed to investigation and enforcement.
“And when the smoke has cleared, all efforts will be directed toward the investigation and enforcement of all laws applicable to this,” he said.
SL Harbor Bulk Terminal Corporation had also chartered the MT Princess Empress which sank off Naujan, Oriental Mindoro, last year.
According to Bataan Governor Jose Enrique Garcia III, the cargo owner has not reached out to the local government in relation to providing assistance of affected communities. A fishing ban in Limay is in place.
The Bataan governor did not name the cargo owner during the presser.
The PCG said earlier that the Philippines’ largest oil firm, Petron Corporation, has volunteered to help in the oil spill response. Petron, part of the San Miguel Group of companies, operates a refinery in Limay.
Shipowner Shogun Ships Company Incorporated, owner of MT Terranova, had tapped Harbor Star to siphon the oil and salvage the sunken tanker. Siphoning operations have yet to begin.
Harbor Star was one of the companies tapped in the 2023 Mindoro oil spill.
Environmental groups are calling for accountability from both owners of the tanker and the cargo oil.
“This is already the second massive oil spill under President Marcoss term, and lessons should have already been learned,” Gerry Arances, executive director of think tank Center for Energy, Ecology, and Development, said in a statement on July 26.
“We should not let this be another case where polluters escape accountability, as it has so far been the case for RDC (Reield Marine Services) and San Miguel Corporation last year.”
A youth group based in Bataan is calling for assistance for affected coastal communities.
“Kailangan talaga natin itong subaybayan, panagutin kung sino man ‘yung nagkasala at mabigyan ng kompensasyon ‘yung mga mangingisda at ‘yung komunidad na pinaka-apektado nito,” Eric Beren, a resident of Limay and member of the Young Bataeños for Environmental Advocacy Network, told Rappler in an interview.
(We need to monitor this, make those who did wrong accountable, and give compensation to fisherfolk and communities most affected by this.)
The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources estimated that 11,000 fisherfolk may be affected by the oil spill incident, while Bataan Governor Jose Enrique “Joet” Garcia said the number of affected fisherfolk may reach 14,000 across nine coastal municipalities in the province. – Rappler.com
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Manalo: No notification, just ‘exchange of info’ on missions to Ayungin Shoal | Bea Cupin | 30/07/2024 18:36 | US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Philippine Foreign Secretary Enrique Manalo, and Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro pose for a photo during their arrival at Camp Aguinaldo, in Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines, July 30, 2024.
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MANILA, Philippines – Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo said Tuesday, July 30, that Manila’s “provisional arrangement” with Beijing for mission to Ayungin Shoal covers an “exchange of information,” and not “notification” — contrary to the claims of the Asian superpower.
“Yes, we will, of course, continue our… resupply missions. On the issue of notification, I think the more accurate term is exchange of information, which is exactly what we did with China — both of us,” said Manalo in a joint press conference after he and Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. met with their United States counterparts in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City.
“The fact that the [resupply] was a relative success, I think indicates that it’s something that we are committed to pursue in succeeding supply missions. Provided, of course, [that] China also adheres to the understanding,” added the Philippines’ foreign affairs chief.
While several Chinese ships remained in the vicinity of the shoal during the resupply mission, the Philippines said these did not disrupt Philippine ships.
Manalo was asked about disagreement over the terms of an arrangement or agreement between the Philippines and China on the missions to bring supplies to and rotate troops stationed at the BRP Sierra Madre, a rusting warship that has been grounded in Ayungin Shoal since 1999.
Missions to the BRP Sierra Madre, especially in recent months, have often turned dangerous for Filipino soldiers – with the China Coast Guard (CCG) and Chinese Maritime Militia routinely using water cannons and dangerous maneuvers in a bid to stop Philippine vessels.
The worst incident yet took place in June 2024, when the CCG towed the Philippine Navy’s boats before boarding them and destroying equipment on board. A Philippine soldier lost his thumb as a result of China’s boat ramming.
The provisional arrangement or agreement was announced weeks after Manila hosted Chinese diplomats in early July 2024 for a Bilateral Consultation Mechanism meeting on the South China Sea. The first resupply mission to Ayungin after the agreement was finalized was completed without incident, according to the Philippines.
China has insisted that the Philippines agreed to prior notice and an on-site inspection of its vessels. The Philippines – from the Department of Foreign Affairs to the National Security Council – denied these were the terms of the agreement.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken “welcomed” the agreement and the results of the July 2024 resupply mission to Ayungin, emphasizing that it should “be the standard, not the exception.”
Blinken said he had told his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi during a meeting in Laos that “China must uphold its commitments to not obstruct the Philippines in their resupply missions.”
The Philippines is the United States’ oldest treaty-ally in the region. Blinken reiterated Washington’s “ironclad defense commitment” to the Philippines, telling media that the Mutual Defense Treaty covers “armed attacks on Filipino armed forces, public vessels or aircraft, including the coast guard, anywhere in the Pacific, including the South China Sea.”
Blinken and US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced during their visit to Manila that Washington has committed a “once-in-a-generation” amount of $500 million in foreign military financing. The money, said US officials, would be used to help the modernization efforts of both the military and coast guard. – Rappler.com
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Elusive Olympic gold serves as ‘North Star’ for PH boxers in Paris journey | delfin.dioquino editor | 25/07/2024 17:35 | Eumir Marcial Facebook page
Boxing has produced the most number of Olympians for the Philippines.
Except for the 1924 and 1928 Games, the Philippines has sent a boxing representative in each of the last 20 editions it participated in, with Filipino boxers accounting for eight of the 14 medals the country has won in the history of the Olympics.
So as it celebrates 100 years of Olympic participation, highlighted by a breakthrough gold medal courtesy of weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz in the previous Tokyo Games, it should be fitting for the Philippines to capture that slippery boxing mint.
That is the goal in the Paris Games as Nesthy Petecio, Carlo Paalam, and Eumir Marcial get another shot at Olympic glory, with debutants Hergie Bacyadan and Aira Villegas in tow.
It marks the Philippines’ biggest boxing delegation since it also sent five boxers to the 1996 Atlanta Games, where Mansueto “Onyok” Velasco settled for silver following what many felt an incorrectly judged final loss to Bulgaria’s Daniel Petrov.
“That’s everyone’s hope, for us to be able to finally get that elusive gold medal,” said Association of Boxing Alliances in the Philippines (ABAP) secretary general Marcus Jarwin Manalo.
“Of course, all of us want that. That’s the North Star of the team.”
But winning an Olympic gold is no easy feat.
And if there is one who knows that it takes great pains to achieve that, it is Petecio, who came oh-so close in Tokyo as she bagged silver after bowing to Japan’s Irie Sena via unanimous decision in the final.
While Sena will not be coming back to defend her throne following her retirement last year, the women’s 57kg division still provides an arduous challenge, with Petecio regarding Tokyo bronze medalist Irma Testa of Italy, two-time world champion Lin Yu-ting of Chinese Taipei, and Asian titlist Karina Ibragimova of Kazakhstan as her strongest rivals.
“The boxers now are on a different level. If I went through the eye of the needle last time, it will be harder this time around,” said Petecio.
It goes the same for Paalam, who will compete at the heavier men’s 57kg after nailing a silver in the men’s 52kg in Tokyo.
Taller foes await Paalam, including world champions Abdumalik Khalokov of Uzbekistan, who demolished the Filipino in the quarterfinals of the last Asian Games, Jahmal Harvey of the United States, and Makhmud Sabyrkhan of Kazakhstan.
What Paalam lacks in height, though, he aims to make up with guile.
“They’re tall, so I rely on my smarts and self-belief. I won’t win if I don’t believe in myself,” said Paalam. “I’ll do my best every fight so I won’t have any regrets.”
Marcial also moved up to the men’s 80kg after the men’s 75kg category where he won bronze in Tokyo got scrapped for Paris.
Initially harboring doubts about an Olympic return due to the need for a weight class switch, Marcial – who is undefeated in five fights as a professional boxer – has grown optimistic as he seeks to complete his unfinished business in Paris.
Standing in his way are the likes of two-time Olympic champion Arlen Lopez of Cuba, reigning world champion Nurbek Oralbay of Kazakhstan, and Tokyo silver medalist Oleksandr Khyzhniak of Ukraine, who edged Marcial via split decision in the semifinals.
“I’m confident in my preparation,” said Marcial, who trained in the United States before joining the national team in its training camps in Metz, France, and Saarbrucken, Germany.
“When it comes to boxing, we all know that we have no control of the results because we have judges and referees. But with the training I’m doing, I know for myself that we have a good chance of getting the gold medal in the Paris Olympics.”
After many detours, all roads seemed to lead to Paris for Bacyadan.
Originally a wushu athlete, the pride of Kalinga tried her hand at boxing and made the national team, even striking gold in the 2019 ASBC Asian Grand Slam Boxing Championships in Xiamen, China.
But in the same year she won her biggest prize in boxing, Bacyadan left the sport and eventually pursued vovinam, the Vietnamese martial art where she won a world title and a silver in the Southeast Asian Games last year.
Given another chance by ABAP to return to the national team, Bacyadan seized the moment in the second World Qualification Tournament in Bangkok, Thailand, in June as she became the last Filipino boxer to qualify for Paris.
“It’s probably the Lord’s will to bring me back here and finish the plans that I failed to do before,” said Bacyadan, who needs just two wins in the women’s 80kg to guarantee herself of an Olympic medal.
“I got depressed because I didn’t know which sport I should pursue. Everything that happened to me worked to my advantage. I’m proud of myself that I overcame all of the challenges I went through.”
Like Bacyadan, Villegas also battled self-doubt.
Starting in boxing at the young age of nine years old as she followed in the footsteps of her older brother, Villegas said she had never won a gold medal in a competition before her breakthrough victory in the Boxam Elite Tournament in Alicante, Spain, in February.
A month later, the Tacloban native secured a top-four finish in the women’s 50kg category of the first World Qualification Tournament in Busto Arsizio, Italy, to clinch her Paris berth.
The pair of accomplishments only proved Villegas belonged.
“I never saw my own potential. A lot of people are saying that I’m good, but I never saw it that way,” said Villegas. “But I realized that I should believe in the people who see something in me.”
A lot of factors come into play in winning an Olympic gold.
Injuries, seedings, pairings, and even judges’ preferences affect how far a boxer will go, but Manalo said the squad is focused on things it has control of.
“The gold is not completely under our control. What is completely under our control is the preparation, our own performances, how we take care of our bodies, how we support their well-being,” said Manalo.
“It will just be a natural byproduct of all the hard work and the efforts of the whole team – boxers, coaches, support staff, officials, sponsors, everyone.”
For national team coach Ronald Chavez, the Philippines put together the best crew for Paris.
“Out of all the teams I coached in the Olympics, this five is the strongest,” said Chavez, who represented the country in the 1992 Barcelona Games. “I won’t say what color of medal they’re going to win, but I’m sure this five will deliver.” – Rappler.com
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Joanie Delgaco last in Olympic quarterfinal race, bows out of contention | delfin.dioquino editor | 30/07/2024 16:59 | LONE BET. Rower Joanie Delgaco in action for the Philippines in the 2024 Paris Olympics.
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MANILA, Philippines – Joanie Delgaco bowed out of contention in the Paris Olympics after finishing sixth in her quarterfinal race in the women’s single sculls at the Vaires-sur-Marne Nautical Stadium on Tuesday, July 30.
The first female rower to represent the Philippines in the Summer Games, Delgaco placed last in quarterfinal 3 with a time of 7 minutes and 58.30 seconds as she got relegated to the semifinals C/D.
Reigning Olympic champion Emma Twigg of New Zealand topped the race with hardly any challenge, clocking 7:26.89 to secure her semifinals A/B spot.
Switzerland’s Aurelia-Maxima Katharina Janzen (7:31.12) and Spain’s Virginia Diaz Rivas (7:34.01) also advanced, with the top three in each of the four quarterfinal races qualifying for the semifinals A/B.
One of only four Asians to reach the quarterfinals, Delgaco crossed the first 500m at fifth before she got overtaken as the rest of the field battled for the top three spots.
Azerbaijan’s Diana Dymchenko (7:53.76) and Serbia’s Jovana Arsic (7:56.18) ended up at fourth and fifth, respectively.
It was the slowest performance for the pride of Iriga, Camarines Sur, in the Olympics after she registered 7:56.26 in the heats and 7:55.00 in the repechage.
But Delgaco can still redeem herself in her last two races as she can attain the highest possible ranking of 13th place.
The semifinals C/D are scheduled on Wednesday, July 31. – Rappler.com
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Why do Filipinos still ‘feel’ poor despite economic growth and lower unemployment? | lkyu0285 | 30/07/2024 19:00 | POVERTY. High-rise buildings dwarf residential shanties in Barangay Guadalupe Viejo, Makati City, on January 17, 2023.
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MANILA, Philippines – During a Senate briefing on the state of the economy, the country’s chief economist had to grapple with a difficult question: despite the Philippines having one of the fastest economic growth rates in Asia, why hasn’t this rapid growth translated into better living conditions for ordinary Filipinos?
“The country has made remarkable strides in reducing poverty levels between 2021 and 2023,” National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Secretary Arsenio Balisacan said on Tuesday, July 30.
On paper, it was true. The poverty incidence rate for individuals had fallen to 15.5% in 2023 from 18.1% in 2021, which is equivalent to 2.45 million Filipinos being lifted out of poverty between those years.
But that was certainly not what most Filipinos felt. A Q2 2024 self-rated poverty survey by Social Weather Stations found that 58% of families considered themselves poor, and 12% considered themselves on the borderline. Only 30% of families surveyed said they did not feel poor.
“Although the numbers are quite rosy, all surveys with self-rated poverty are high. That means they’re employed, but what they bring home isn’t enough to cover the daily needs of their families,” Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri, chairman of the Senate committee on economic affairs, said in a mix of English and Filipino.
How did Balisacan explain the discrepancy? The chief economist pins it on job quality. As of May 2024, the unemployment rate is only at 4.1% while the underemployment rate has reached a record low of 9.9%, figures which Balisacan said were almost at par with developed economies. But these may not tell the full picture.
“The way employment here is measured doesn’t take into account the quality of your employment. Whether you’re working 2 hours a day or 8 hours a day, it’s the same count,” the NEDA secretary said.
Even if an individual is technically employed, Balisacan said this is “not the kind of employment that we really want our population to have.”
“Many of these employed people are in the very informal sector, highly unproductive sectors, like watching your sari-sari store that hardly sells P500 a day. But you’re still employed,” he added.
The solution that he pitched was to diversify the sources of growth so that the economy is not just dependent on consumption and services. Foreign direct investments are one way to get there.
“There is no shortcut. You need massive investment — not just domestic, but also foreign,” he said.
Another question raised during the hearing was the status of the investment pledges touted after every foreign trip that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. makes. In 2023 alone, the jet-setting President made 11 trips to 9 countries.
According to the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Marcos’ foreign trips have brought in $76.6 billion or nearly P4.5 trillion in foreign investments as of June 2024. Trade Secretary Alfredo Pascual also confirmed that $19 billion worth of those pledged investments are “already cleared and registered” with investment promotion agencies.
However, when the economic team was called to the Senate, none from NEDA, DTI, or the Department of Finance could immediately explain the exact status of the investment pledges made during Marcos’ trips. Pascual did not join the briefing.
The latest data from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas shows that net foreign direct investments reached more than $3.5 billion from January to April 2024, which was an 18.7% increase from the same period a year ago. However, the central bank does not indicate whether these investments were tied with the pledges made during Marcos’ trips.
Meanwhile, Balisacan tried to temper expectations, emphasizing that it takes a long time to actualize investment pledges.
“Understandably, there’s quite a long period from pledges to actual realization because some of these will require due diligence by the investing public, feasibility studies, financing,” the NEDA secretary said.
“It’s not something pledged in one year and in that same year, you see the investment. It doesn’t work that way,” he added.
Balisacan also said that when it comes to some renewable energy projects, it could take up to five years to go from intention to actual realization. – Rappler.com
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How does this make you feel? | Rappler | https://www.rappler.com/business/why-filipinos-feel-poor-economic-growth-lower-unemployment/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook&utm_campaign=SocialFlow&fbclid=IwY2xjawEYnZ1leHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHYZmexsIvH_cWgqv2HDB8mI7o3hHqR6EcFNhUurag4ZqcVfUc0YwceX2OA_aem_N5xbvwFZiMRZLI5Kv5QgWQ | Credible |
Ad agency Gigil apologizes for controversial ‘Gil Tulog’ street signs | Russell Ku | 30/07/2024 13:12 | MANILA, Philippines – Ad agency Gigil, the firm behind the controversial ‘Gil Tulog’ street signs, broke its silence Tuesday, July 30, and issued a public apology to the Puyat family.
“Understanding the distress the project caused, we have personally reached out to members of the Puyat family to convey our regrets and express our respect for former Senate president Gil Puyat’s legacy,” Gigil said in a statement.
The agency added that it “will be putting in place more stringent measures to ensure this does not happen again.”
The Puyat family filed a complaint with the Ad Standards Council of the Philippines against Gigil on Friday, July 26, saying the street signs were a “total disrespect” to the legacy of former Senate president Gil Puyat.
Puyat’s son Victor said the marketing campaign, done to promote the melatonin brand Wellspring, goes against Section 1 of Article IV of the Ad Standards Council’s Code of Ethics. He added that he wanted Gigil to be “suspended or banned” from the ASC.
Eagle-eyed Makati residents and social media users noticed that the street signs along various parts of Gil Puyat Avenue, named after the late political leader, were altered to “Gil Tulog Ave. (formerly Gil Puyat).” The move angered the Puyat family.
“Our name is not to be violated by reasons that are financial, political, or otherwise,” Victor said in a note exclusively sent to Rappler on July 26.
Makati City Mayor Abby Binay ordered the mock street signs be taken down, saying the proposals and permits for the project did not reach her office. She added that she reprimanded city officials behind its approval.
“Even as all the necessary permits and clearances were secured, our approach had resonated differently and so the campaign was immediately discontinued,” Gigil said.
The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority passed MMDA Regulation 24-001 in January 2024 that prohibits commercial advertisements from being posted on lampposts. However, it only applies to those maintained by the MMDA.
The regulation was signed by all 17 Metro Manila mayors.
The Association of Accredited Advertising Agencies of the Philippines suspended Gigil in 2021 over a controversial ad involving the Belo Medical Group.
Wellspring apologized for this latest fiasco, saying it “made a misstep” and never intended to disrespect Gil Puyat’s legacy.
Gil Puyat served as senator from 1951 until 1972. He was the last Senate president before late dictator Ferdinand Marcos Jr. declared martial law. He died on March 23, 1980.
Gil Puyat Avenue was renamed from Buendia Avenue through Batas Pambansa Blg. 312 on November 14, 1982. — Rappler.com
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