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Quiboloy’s co-accused arrested in Davao | Germelina Lacorte, John Eric Mendoza | Thu, 11 Jul 2024 22:10:34 PST | MANILA, Philippines (Updated) — One of the co-accused of embattled religious leader pastor Apollo Quiboloy in the qualified human trafficking and child abuse cases was arrested in Davao City on Thursday.
Paulene Canada was arrested in her home in Buhangin district past 1 p.m. on Thursday, July 11, the pastor’s lawyer confirmed.
READ: P10-M reward offered for info on Quiboloy
Lawyer Israelito Torreon, Quiboloy’s legal counsel, said the arrest was captured on video but when he called Police Brig. General Nicolas Torre, police regional director, twice at 2:50 p.m. and 3:02 p.m. respectively, no one replied.
Torreon said he logged into Camp Catitipan’s visitor’s slip at 3:05 p.m. but when he asked about the arrest, he was told that there was no such arrest and that the information of Canada’s arrest was “fake news.”
“We sent a demand letter at 7:32 p.m. and still there was no reply,” Torreon told Inquirer by phone. “It was only after we conducted a press conference and informed them that their act was a violation of Republic Act 7438 also known as an Act defining certain rights of persons arrested, that a news item came out saying that Ma’am Paulene is at the Buhangin police station,” Torreon added.
On Monday, Interior Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr. announced that a P10 million reward would be given to anyone who offers information that leads to Quiboloy’s arrest.
A reward of P1 million each will also be given to those who will provide information on his other five co-accused who are also associated with Quiboloy’s religious sect, the Kingdom of Jesus Christ.
READ: Quiboloy sanctioned by US Treasury Dep’t over corruption, human rights abuse
Aside from Canada, the co-accused are Cresente Canada, Ingrid Canada, Sylvia Cemañes, and Jackielyn Roy.
Earlier, the five co-accused already posted bail for the child abuse cases filed against them and Quiboloy in the Davao City court. But the pastor, who is also wanted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), continues to elude arrest.
Canada’s arrest came amid a whirl of reshuffling and reassignments currently happening at the top positions within the Davao City Police Office.
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Tourism revenue hits P282B in first half of 2024 | INQUIRER.net | Thu, 11 Jul 2024 13:54:54 PST | Department of Tourism | FILE PHOTO
Department of Tourism | FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines’ tourism sector gained more than P282 billion in revenue for the first half of 2024, the Department of Tourism (DOT) said on Thursday.
According to the DOT, this was a 32.81 percent increase from the same period in 2023, P212.47 billion.
READ: BI reports 1M outbound travelers in June alone
Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco said that the increase will contribute to more livelihood opportunities for Filipinos which will improve the country’s economy.
“The income generated through tourism directly translates to more opportunities and improved livelihoods for Filipinos, reinforcing the critical role this industry plays in our nation’s progress,” Frasco said in a statement.
Meanwhile, the DOT said that as of Wednesday, tourist arrivals in the country were marked at 3.17 million.
The number comprised of around 2.9 million foreign nationals, while 236,401 were overseas Filipinos.
The agency added that South Korea ranked first in foreign arrivals at 824,000 visitors, followed by the United States of America at 522,000, and China at third with 199,000 visitors.
READ: More Filipino travelers heading for Japan
The three were followed by Japan, Australia, Taiwan, Canada, the United Kingdom, Singapore, and Malaysia.
Frasco added that the DOT expects more visitors for the remainder of the year.
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“In the second half of the year, we anticipate these numbers to increase, not only the revenue generated but most importantly, the number of Filipinos employed in tourism-related industries,” she added.
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BOI gives go-signal to P9.6B agriculture investments | Alden M. Monzon | Thu, 11 Jul 2024 02:10:00 PST | The Board of Investments (BOI) has approved P9.59 billion worth of investments in the agriculture sector during the first five months of the year, all of which were endorsed by the Department of Agriculture (DA).
Trade Secretary Alfredo Pascual, who also sits as BOI chair, said on Wednesday the government is currently in the process of transforming the agriculture industry in the Philippines.
READ: BOI-approved investments as of May hit P640B, up 14%
“The synergy between the BOI and the DA is already yielding significant benefits as these projects will certainly drive the adoption of new technologies and enhance food security in the Philippines, ensuring the sustainability and resilience of our agricultural systems,” he said in a statement.
These projects include the Metro Pacific Dairy Farms, Inc.’s facility in Bay, Laguna, an integrated dairy farm and processing facility that can produce more than 9 million liters of dairy and plant-based beverage products per year.
The facility will use milk production and processing techniques developed by Israel, which uses artificial intelligence and state-of-the-art equipment supported by a solar power plant.Further, the BOI said that the facility would be able to produce four times the average milking yield of the local industry today.
Another notable project is the farm project of the Metro Pacific Fresh Farms, Inc. in San Rafael, Bulacan, which is expected to produce 1,620 metric tons of vegetables annually.
In collaboration with Israel’s LR Group affiliate, the Innovative Agro-Industry, the farm will use hydroponics to grow leafy greens to maximize productivity while minimizing water and nutrient use.
READ: BOI seeks boost to locally made biofertilizers
Also on the list is the SL Agritech Corporation’s project in Tabuk City, Kalinga, which will produce hybrid rice seeds and palay. This facility will have an annual capacity of 17.5 million kilograms of hybrid rice seeds and 3.5 million kg of palay, according to the BOI.
Another notable project is the cold and dry storage facility of the Vifel Ice Plant and Cold Storage, Inc. in Tagoloan, Misamis Oriental. The facility will have a capacity of 5,824 pallets for cold storage and 2,606 pallets for dry storage.
The roster also includes a hatchery facility in Davao with an annual production capacity of about 18.25 million eggs operated by the Chick Haven, Inc.
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LOOK: MMDA unveils parts of Roxas Boulevard Promenade | Luisa Cabato | Thu, 11 Jul 2024 21:26:30 PST | These bamboos not only serve as a light source. These make for an Instagram-worthy photo backdrop as well. (Photo courtesy of Felice Nafarrete | INQUIRER.net intern)
These bamboos not only serve as a light source. These make for an Instagram-worthy photo backdrop as well. (Photo courtesy of Felice Nafarrete | INQUIRER.net intern)
MANILA, Philippines — The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) unveiled two areas of the four-part Roxas Boulevard Promenade in Pasay City on Thursday.
Located between the Libertad Pumping Station and the intersection of Edsa and Roxas Boulevard, the site encompasses about 1.7 hectares and is composed of four areas: Area 1 for satellite offices, Area 2 for light park, Area 3 for active park zone, and Area 4 for parking and play areas.
READ: Pasig River council to build 8 more esplanades
Federal Land Inc. Chairman Alfred Ty and MMDA acting chairman Don Artes unveil the commemorative plate of the Roxas Boulevard Promenade. (Photo courtesy of Luisa Cabato)
The project is an interagency collaboration, with the MMDA as the main proponent and implementer, the Philippine Reclamation Authority as the landowner, the Pasay City government as a partner, and the Federal Land Inc. as a private sector partner.
Federal Land Inc. Chairman Alfred Ty, Pasay City Mayor Imelda Calixto-Rubiano, MMDA acting chairman Don Artes, and DBM Secretary Amenah Pangandaman pose for a photo inside a light tunnel at the light park of Roxas Boulevard Promenade. (Photo courtesy of Luisa Cabato)
Areas 1 and 2 were unveiled to the members of the press in an inauguration ceremony right after a groundbreaking ceremony for Areas 3 and 4.
The light park is situated adjacent to the satellite offices. It features light attractions and installations designed to create a lively atmosphere.
Life-size, colorful “dandelion” light installations will greet visitors to the light park of Roxas Boulevard Promenade. (Photo courtesy of Luisa Cabato)
According to the MMDA, the Roxas Boulevard Promenade not only transforms a once-neglected area into a vibrant community but also emphasizes the importance of a dynamic and inclusive public space in the National Capital Region.
There is a spacious walkway for visitors to the light park. (Photo courtesy of Luisa Cabato)
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Dela Rosa ‘disheartened’ by Marcos’ veto of PNP reform bill | Charie Abarca | Thu, 11 Jul 2024 23:51:37 PST | MANILA, Philippines — A “disheartened” Sen. Ronald dela Rosa on Thursday lamented President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s decision to veto the Philippine National Police (PNP) Organizational Reform Bill.
Former top cop Dela Rosa pointed out in a statement that the bill was passed in Congress because he and his colleagues believed the measure would address the legislative gap for the country’s police force.
“The irony is not lost on me, and it is precisely that irony that is so disheartening. It’s sad to say but it seems that the effort and hard work, not only of Congress, but also of the Department of Interior and Local Government, National Police Commission, and PNP in drafting the PNP Organizational Reform Bill was wasted,” said Dela Rosa in a mix of English and Filipino.
READ: Marcos vetoes PNP restructuring bill
The senator said he hoped that uniformed personnel would not lose motivation because of this, even though he believed the measure could have been beneficial in promoting a proud and new Philippines.
“Umaasa po ako na darating din ang pagkakataon na magtatagpo rin ang mga pangarap natin at ng Malakanyang para sa ating kapulisan. Lagi’t lagi, handa po akong tumulong para maisakatuparan ito,” he said.
(I hope that the opportunity will also meet our and the Palace’s dreams for our police force. I’m always ready to help make this happen.)
In his veto statement dated July 5, Marcos lauded the intentions of the PNP restructuring bill. He, however, emphasized that there is a need to ensure that it would deliver reforms instead of causing confusion among the country’s police force.
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Makabayan will not choose senatorial candidates from political families | Faith Argosino | Thu, 11 Jul 2024 16:02:19 PST | ACT Teachers party-list Rep. France Castro (left) and Gabriela party-list Rep. Arlene Brosas answer questions from the press during a press briefing on Thursday, July 4, 2024. Both lawmakers, part of the Makabayan bloc, gave President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. a failing grade for his second year, as significant problems were supposedly left unaddressed. (Gabriel P. Lalu/ INQUIRER.net)
ACT Teachers party-list Rep. France Castro (left) and Gabriela party-list Rep. Arlene Brosas answer questions from the press during a press briefing on Thursday, July 4, 2024. Both lawmakers, part of the Makabayan bloc, gave President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. a failing grade for his second year, as significant problems were supposedly left unaddressed. (Gabriel P. Lalu/ INQUIRER.net)
MANILA, Philippines — The Makabayan Coalition has announced its plan to field a complete senatorial slate in the 2025 elections, which it said will not come from political or influential families.
In a press conference on Thursday, coalition members said they plan to reveal the names of their candidates in the coming days.
READ: ACT Teachers party-list Rep. Castro to run for senator in 2025
“In the 2025 election, Makabayan is ready to help its candidates to run, not just one or two but a whole slate of patriotic and progressive candidates who will promote a comprehensive national-democratic program that will meet the Filipino people’s desire for development, respect for rights, and full national sovereignty,” Liza Maza, co-chairperson of Makabayan Coalition, said in Filipino.
Maza said their candidates are from workers, farmers, women, youth, fishermen, natives, and other sectors deprived of a voice in Congress for a long time.
“Beyond the issue of money and resources, Makabayan and its candidates have unshakable principles, unforgivable track records, and strong support from the masses longing for change,” she added in Filipino.
Earlier, ACT Teachers party-list Rep. France Castro revealed her intent to run for senator in 2025.
Makabayan also said Filipinos need “a true opposition” that will present a real alternative that will lead to change.
“We are ready to face the people to play this role,” their statement read.
“The opposition we need today is a matter of contesting the sitting administration and opposing the existing system ruled by and benefited by a few political dynasties, prominent businessmen, landlords, and imperialists,” it added.
READ: VP Sara as opposition leader? Makabayan asks if she’s anti-corruption
According to former ACT Teachers party-list Rep. Antonio Tinio, the Makabayan Coalition has consistently opposed national government programs that negatively affect Filipinos and addressed the people’s needs.
Last July 4, Gabriela party-list Rep. Arlene Brosas said the coalition aims to provide the people with candidates who do not belong to the camp of either President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. or Vice President Sara Duterte.
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“We are looking forward to a true opposition; that’s what we lack right now. Our choices are only Marcos or Duterte — that’s not what the Makabayan wants; we are looking for a true opposition. That’s why we are open to talking with true opposition groups, those that we know will stand for our people and for changing the society,” she said.
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4 construction workers dead in Antipolo City landslide | John Eric Mendoza | Thu, 11 Jul 2024 08:44:41 PST | MANILA, Philippines – Four construction workers died while two other individuals were injured following a landslide in Antipolo City on Wednesday, according to the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP).
The BFP reported that the incident occurred while the victims were clearing a retaining wall they had dismantled in Fairmount Hills Subdivision, Barangay Dela Paz.
“The team tirelessly worked hand in hand and managed to rescue 2 people alive and was able to retrieve 4 casualties trapped under the soil and mud,” the BFP said in a statement on Wednesday night.
The Antipolo City Police Station confirmed on Thursday that all of the fatalities—aged 32, 33, 37 and 56—were construction workers.
Meanwhile, a 20-year-old construction worker and another resident sustained injuries, according to the police.
“Investigation disclosed that the victims were clearing the retaining wall’s foundations that had been dug,” the police said in its spot report on Thursday.
“Suddenly, the natural soil collapsed and eroded [toward] the victims,” it added.
The search and retrieval operations took two hours, according to the authorities.
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Ex-military official Lopez named as National Maritime Council spokesman | No author found | No date found | No content found | Inquirer | https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1959990/4-dead-in-antipolo-city-landslidehttps://globalnation.inquirer.net/242288/sm-primes-sustainable-developments-bridging-lifestyle-and-leisure-with-sustainability | null | null | null | null | null | null |
SM Prime’s sustainable developments: Bridging lifestyle and leisure with sustainability | INQUIRER.net BrandRoom | Thu, 11 Jul 2024 10:25:30 PST | SM Prime further intensified its sustainability journey and recently embarked on an #SMWasteFreeFuture program, encouraging its stakeholders and employees across the group to reduce waste generation through effective segregation practices and adopt sustainable consumption by recycling, reusing, or composting.
SM Mall of Asia (MOA) Complex, spanning over 67 hectares, is a testament of SM Prime’s commitment to sustainability.
Sustainable water usage is one of the long-standing practices of SM Prime. The group has been recycling water since the 1990s, treating an average of 1 billion gallons annually in past years to repurpose for mall operations including toilet cleaning and landscaping use. It has integrated rainwater harvesting systems in over 30 malls, particularly in flood-prone areas. Recently, it made another breakthrough in water usage by successfully treating rainwater into potable water in SM City Baguio, which the company aims to replicate in other malls.
Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong (right) samples the water from SM City Baguio’s rainwater treatment facility with SM Supermalls’ Vice President for Corporate Compliance Engr. Liza Silerio (left).
Strengthening disaster resilience
Apart from its environmental approaches and innovations, SM Prime takes sustainable mall design and developments seriously across its projects. Led by SM Prime’s subsidiary, SM Engineering, Design and Development Corporation (SMEDD), the company has revolutionized its design approaches to green building – minimizing vulnerability and increasing the infrastructure resiliency of its developments. Among its developments are Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)-Gold certified SM Aura and green office buildings in SM MOA Complex that deliver healthier work-life spaces to optimize business operations while minimizing its environmental impact.
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)-Gold certified SM Aura is SM Prime’s gold standard in building sustainable projects.
Located at the SM MOA Complex in Pasay City, Four E-Comm is one of SM Prime’s sustainable office buildings.
At the core of SM MOA Complex’s continued expansion is the community’s safety and well-being through disaster resiliency features. SM Prime worked with a team of local and international experts, including Jan de Nul, Belgium’s renowned coastal development construction company, to ensure the stability of the terrain and infrastructures against earthquakes and erosion. The complex’s climate adaptation features include a seawall design to protect the development and surrounding communities from potential storm surges or rising sea levels, as well as specialized foundation systems against liquefaction and seismic events. This commitment establishes a benchmark within the SM Prime portfolio, demonstrating best practices used across other SM malls nationwide.
Shaping the landscape of Philippine integrated property developments
As the world navigates environmental and urbanization challenges, SM Prime continues to advance sustainability, innovation, community stewardship, and resiliency. With its multifaceted approaches and pioneering efforts in the SM MOA Complex and across all its developments, SM Prime is a key Philippine industry partner through its revolutionary and responsible mixed-use developments with premier destinations integrating leisure, lifestyle, and business with sustainability and disaster resilience at work.
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. SM Prime is pursuing the next horizon on integrated property development and onward to building sustainable cities of the future.
ADVT.
This article is brought to you by SM Supermalls.
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1 dead, 7 missing in Mindanao floods | Bobby E. Lagsa, Edwin O. Fernandez | Thu, 11 Jul 2024 05:06:00 PST | DAMAGE ASSESSMENT Personnel of the Ministry of Social Services and Development (MSSD) in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao inspect communities in Matanog, Maguindanao del Norte, on Wednesday to assess and evaluate the extent of damage from Tuesday night’s flash floods. —photo courtesy of MSSD
DAMAGE ASSESSMENT Personnel of the Ministry of Social Services and Development (MSSD) in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao inspect communities in Matanog, Maguindanao del Norte, on Wednesday to assess and evaluate the extent of damage from Tuesday night’s flash floods. —photo courtesy of MSSD
COTABATO CITY, BARMM, Philippines — At least one person died and seven others were reported missing in flash floods that swept several towns in Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao del Norte and Maguindanao del Sur provinces following continuous rains on Tuesday brought about by a low-pressure area.
Jennie Tamano, Lanao del Sur provincial information officer, said a 14-year-old boy in Barangay Kabaniakawan, Kapatagan town, died in an onrush of floodwaters on Tuesday night. As of Wednesday, rescuers continued to scour Barangay Igabay in Balabagan town for Norshalla Malumpil, 3, and Abdul Major Malumpil, 2, who went missing.
As of Wednesday, Lanao del Sur authorities counted 3,199 families affected by the floods in 45 villages of Malabang, Balabagan, Kapatagan and Marogong towns.
READ: Pagasa: Rainy Monday likely in parts of Luzon, Visayas, Mindanao
In Maguindanao del Norte, Matanog Mayor Zohria Bansil-Guro said search and rescue operations continued throughout Wednesday for five persons, including three children, who went missing at the height of flash floods on Tuesday night.
Bansil-Guro said it was the first time that her upland town experienced severe flooding as a result of a weather disturbance affecting Mindanao.
Matanog, which has a population of 36,000, is situated some 277 meters above sea level.
Benyasser Sarigan, Matanog municipal planning officer, said heavy downpour on Tuesday afternoon resulted in flashfloods and mudflows that destroyed and buried at least 120 houses.
Portions of the Narciso Ramos Highway connecting the towns of Matanog and the coastal towns of Kapatagan, Balabagan and Malabang in Lanao del Sur turned into a virtual river when rainwater flowed down from the mountains of Marogong town to the coastal communities.
On Tuesday, authorities closed the highway to traffic to avoid accidents, according to Sarigan. It was reopened on Wednesday at 7 a.m. after it was cleared of debris and mud.
In Lanao del Sur province, Malabang Mayor Alinader Balindong said police were still accounting for the total number of vehicles that were swept away by rampaging waters and buried by waist-deep mud and debris on Tuesday.
Like in Matanog, the portion of the highway in Malabang was closed as thick mudflow came rushing down from the mountains of Malabang and hit low-lying areas.
At least 200 houses along the national highway were damaged after these were hit by floods, Balindong said.
On Wednesday morning, soldiers and police officers assisted personnel from the Ministry of Public Works of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao in clearing the highway and removing vehicles half-buried in mud.
In Maguindanao del Sur, the heavy rains resulted in massive flooding that affected over 70,000 families or about 350,000 people in 13 towns.
Ameer Jehad Ambolodto, Maguindanao del Sur provincial disaster risk reduction and management officer, said the floods hit the towns of Datu Montawal, Pagalungan, Gen. SK Pendatun, Paglat, Sultan sa Barongis, Datu Abdullah Sangki, Ampatuan, Shariff Aguak, Shariff Saydona Mustapha, Datu Salibo, Mamasapano, Datu Piang and Datu Hoffer.
“These towns are situated beside the Maguindanao marshland,” Ambolodto said. “No reported casualties as of today (Wednesday), we are still gathering data on the extent of flood to families and agriculture,” he added.
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Ambolodto said the displaced families, most of them staying in their relatives’ homes, had been given relief goods.
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LOOK: Groundbreaking ceremony of Roxas Boulevard Promenade | Luisa Cabato | Thu, 11 Jul 2024 23:02:05 PST | Metropolitan Manila Development Authority acting chairman Don Artes, Department of Budget and Management Secretary Amenah Pangandaman, Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development Secretary Jose Acuzar, Pasay City Mayor Imelda Calixto-Rubiano, and Federal Land Inc. Chairman Alfred Ty lead the groundbreaking ceremony for Areas 3 and 4 of the Roxas Boulevard Promenade in Pasay City on Thursday, July 11, 2024. (Photo courtesy of Luisa Cabato)
Metropolitan Manila Development Authority acting chairman Don Artes, Department of Budget and Management Secretary Amenah Pangandaman, Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development Secretary Jose Acuzar, Pasay City Mayor Imelda Calixto-Rubiano, and Federal Land Inc. Chairman Alfred Ty lead the groundbreaking ceremony for Areas 3 and 4 of the Roxas Boulevard Promenade in Pasay City on Thursday, July 11, 2024. (Photo courtesy of Luisa Cabato)
MANILA, Philippines — The groundbreaking ceremony for the two remaining areas of the Roxas Boulevard Promenade in Pasay City was held on Thursday.
The promenade is part of the broader “Adopt-a-Park” initiative in Pasay City, according to the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA).
READ: LOOK: MMDA unveils parts of Roxas Boulevard Promenade
Located between the Libertad Pumping Station and the intersection of Edsa and Roxas Boulevard, the Roxas Boulevard Promenade encompasses about 1.7 hectares and is composed of four areas: Area 1 for satellite offices, Area 2 for a light park, Area 3 for an active park zone, and Area 4 for parking and play areas.
Present at the groundbreaking ceremony for Areas 3 and 4 were MMDA acting chairman Don Artes, Department of Budget and Management Secretary Amenah Pangandaman, Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development Secretary Jose Acuzar, Pasay City Mayor Imelda Calixto-Rubiano, and Federal Land Inc. Chairman Alfred Ty.
Areas 1 and 2 were unveiled to members of the press afterward.
READ: Pasig River council to build 8 more esplanades
According to the MMDA, the Roxas Boulevard Promenade represents a “significant step towards enhancing urban livability” by transforming a “once neglected area into a vibrant community space.”
It added that the project not only showcases the potential for collaborative efforts between the government and private sectors but also “highlights the importance of creating dynamic and inclusive public spaces.”
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DOT-7: Creation of NIR will not affect CV’s tourism initiatives | dbongcac | Thu, 11 Jul 2024 20:06:25 PST | Chief Tourism Operations Officer Judy Gabato of the Department of Tourism in Central Visayas (right) explains the tourism industry’s contributions to the country’s gross domestic product (GDP). | CDN Digital photo / Jasmin Meode, CTU Intern
Chief Tourism Operations Officer Judy Gabato of the Department of Tourism in Central Visayas (right) explains the tourism industry’s contributions to the country’s gross domestic product (GDP). | CDN Digital photo / Jasmin Meode, CTU Intern
CEBU CITY, Philippines — The creation of the Negros Island Region (NIR) will not affect efforts to further boost tourism initiatives in Central Visayas.
This was according to Judy Gabato, the Chief Tourism Operations Officer of the Department of Tourism in the region (DOT-7).
“It [NIR] doesn’t affect at all, because [of] one thing, Cebu, we have the international gateway, including Bohol,” Gabato said in a news forum on Thursday, July 11.
READ: Cebu eyed to spearhead golf tourism reboot
The Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA), which is the second busiest airport in the country, serves as the main gateway to Central Visayas (Region 7).
Gabato said that MCIA caters to 1,836 flights weekly. Of these, 1,470 are domestic flights while 366 are international flights to Qatar, Dubai, Korea, Thailand, Singapore, Japan, Hong Kong, among others.
READ: Bohol welcomed more than a million tourists in 2023
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. signed on June 13 the law creating the NIR.
The Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) is expected to draft the Internal Rules and Regulations (IRR) within 60 days.
READ: Negros leaders want NIR to be operational before end of 2024
Gabato said that efforts to further boost tourism in the region will continue even with the separation of Negros Oriental and Siquijor provinces that would now form part of the NIR.
“But to complement, the beautiful island of Negros and Siquijor will always be part…All the destinations in the Philippines, we promote equally,” Gabato said.
READ: Tourist-friendly infra to rise in tourism champion sites in CV
So far, Gabato said that tourism initiatives in Cebu and Bohol provinces have been very successful.
These include the implementation of Tourism Roads Infrastructure Program (TRIP) in collaboration with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).
An allocation of at least P6.3 billion had been set aside for the construction and improvement of roads to tourist destinations in Central Visayas. The allocation also includes the paving of 155 km of existing roads.
In addition, DOT-7 has partnered with the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) to provide free wifi access to tourists who are visiting the towns of Badian, Bantayan, Daanbantayan, Moalboal, Alegria, and San Francisco in Cebu.
Gabato said that DOT-7 has also established five tourist rest areas in Central Visayas, located in Dauis in Bohol and Carcar City, Moalboal, Medellin and Carmen in Cebu.
The DOT-7 official said it is important to continue to develop tourism sites, not just in Central Visayas, but in the rest of the Philippines, since tourism contributes 8.6 percent to the country’s gross domestic product (GDP).
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From rain water, Bohol island residents finally taste potable water | Leo Udtohan @leoudtohanINQ | Thu, 11 Jul 2024 12:31:42 PST | INQUIRER FILES
INQUIRER FILES
TALIBON, Bohol — Potable water is not easy to come by on Guindacpan Island in Talibon, Bohol.
Residents had to wait for the rain to have something to drink, 22-year-old Cresyln Audrey Torreon.
“We rely so much on rain. We’ve been drinking rainwater for as long as I can remember,” she said in an interview on July 8.
Residents on the island, located in the middle of the Danajon Double Barrier Reef with a population of 2,520, have big barrels and giant tadjaws (clay pots) to store rainwater.
On July 7, the rain filled Torreon’s huge water container after months of drought on the island. She used a clean cloth to filter the rainwater.
That might be the last time she and residents of Guindacpan Island had to drink rain to survive.
On Monday, July 8, the island got solar-powered water desalination plants acquired through the World Bank, the Philippine Rural Development Project (PRDP) of the Department of Agriculture, and the provincial government of Bohol.
The facilities worth P13 million were turned over to the respective municipal and barangay units by PRDP representatives, Rep. Vanessa Cadorna-Aumentado of Bohol’s second district, Board Member Jamie Villamor, Talibon Mayor Jannete Garcia, Bien Unido Mayor Rene Borenaga and village officials.
Other neighboring islands such as Calituban and Mahanay can now fetch water from Guindacpan Island. The minimal fee of P14 per gallon was waived by Garcia.
Aumentado appealed to the islanders to take good care of the facilities after some water desalination plants given to other islanders in 2016 were damaged.
A desalination system could transform saltwater into potable water for freshwater-starved island barangays.
Rosalina Cabanes, 53, a resident of Bilangbilangan Daku, Guindacpan Island, said they used to rely on rain to survive.
At times, she said they were forced to travel by boat to mainland Bohol to buy drinking water for P60 to P80.
Travel by an ordinary pump boat from mainland Bien Unido to Bilangbilangan Island takes 30 minutes to an hour.
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“Now, we’re very happy that what we are hoping for has arrived,” she said.
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Strong winds in Liloan unlikely a tornado, says Pagasa | eares | Thu, 11 Jul 2024 06:00:53 PST | A resident in Liloan town, northern Cebu captured this video of violent blasts of strong wind on Monday, July 8. | Screenshot from video courtesy of Jan Cabello
A resident in Liloan town, northern Cebu captured this video of violent blasts of strong wind on Monday, July 8. | Screenshot from video courtesy of Jan Cabello
CEBU CITY, Philippines — There is no proof that the strong gusts of wind which damaged several houses in Purok Greenhills and Purok Nangka, Barangay Poblacion, Liloan, Cebu last Monday, July 8, was a tornado.
At around 2 p.m. last Monday, an alleged tornado reportedly hit the barangay, destroying a total of 10 houses and partially damaging 71 other houses and one factory.
Due to the incident, a total of 33 families were evacuated to the Liloan Central School.
Fortunately, there were no reported injuries or casualties.
Residents in the area took videos of the strong winds as they caused destruction and assumed that a tornado had formed because of the thunderstorm.
However, a weather specialist at the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) in Mactan said it is possible that what hit the barangay was not a tornado.
Mark Gales stated that they could not verify the existence of a tornado based on the videos taken by residents at the scene, and that the strong winds were likely “gust fronts.”
A gust front is a thunderstorm hazard which occurs when wind rapidly descends preceding the downpour of rain, he explained.
PAGASA Mactan weather specialist Joseph Merlas, for his part, stated that they saw no signatures of a tornado in the videos, particularly wind circulation.
Merlas explained that the wind movement of a tornado is always in circular motion, with a wind speed of up to 200 kilometers per hour.
A typical tornado is short-lived, lasting from seconds to three minutes, added Merlas.
Gust fronts, on the other hand, are strong winds descending in a straight line and scattering in different directions when they hit the surface.
Hence, they are also called “straight-line winds.”
Gales and Merlas both emphasized that it is possible that the strong winds which affected Barangay Poblacion were gust fronts brought by the thunderstorm, instead of a tornado.
Merlas stated that while tornadoes do not occur in the Philippines as often as in other countries, there are still chances that they can develop here.
In comparison to tornadoes in countries like the United States, tornadoes in the Philippines are not as massive and usually occur over water.
Nevertheless, these can still be destructive no matter how small or short-lived they are.
As the country enters the rainy season in the coming months, thunderstorms will likely occur more frequently.
For their safety, Gales advised the public to not be complacent and to always monitor the advisories released by PAGASA Mactan.
Here are a few reminders to stay safe in the event that a tornado forms near you:
Aside from tornadoes, lightning is also a hazard that comes during thunderstorms.
On Monday, residents observed the occurrence of lightning as the winds became stronger in Liloan.
While they do not always come together, both weather phenomena are dangerous and can cause casualties.
In Clarin town in Bohol, homeowners had to move quickly to put out the fire that engulfed their home after it was struck by lightning last July 1.
The following are the measures that individuals must take to avoid being a victim of a lightning strike:
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Gen Zs emerging as key credit growth driver | Philippine Daily Inquirer | Thu, 11 Jul 2024 02:12:00 PST | The proportion of Gen Z Filipinos who are first-time credit card borrowers grew in 2023, based on data compiled by global insights firm TransUnion, which said that the younger generation is emerging as a major driver of credit.
In a report, TransUnion said young Filipinos born between 1995 and 2010 made up 33 percent of all new-to-card borrowers last year, up from 32 percent in 2022 and the 15-percent share recorded in 2019, or before the pandemic.
Millennials cornered the largest share of first-time credit card owners last year at 46 percent, followed by Gen Xers at 16 percent and baby boomers at 5 percent.
READ: Are Gen Z wealthier than millennials?
And the Gen Z cohort’s share is expected to increase as they reach adulthood and become more conscious with their money, helping foster financial inclusion among those in younger age groups, TransUnion said.
Weihan Sun, principal of research and consulting at TransUnion, said the credit card market in the Philippines would continue to experience growth as demand remains high, especially among younger consumers. A first-quarter 2024 poll by TransUnion showed that for 98 percent of surveyed Gen Zs, access to credit and lending products is important to achieving their financial goals.
“This generation places a higher importance on accessing credit and lending products to achieve their financial goals,” Sun said.
On the other side, TransUnion said financial institutions should bank on the strong demand for credit cards—not just from young people but also from other age groups who are planning to own cards for the first time—to boost their lending activities and drive greater profitability.
READ: Top 10 Gen Z Characteristics Shaping a Generation
In the first nine months of last year alone, the new-to-card segment of borrowers accounted for 30 percent of all outstanding credit card balances, higher than the prepandemic level of 19 percent in 2019. TransUnion partly attributed this performance to value-added services being offered by credit card providers such as reward points, installment payment facilities and discounts associated with cards.
“While it’s an important factor for potential growth opportunities among lenders, bringing new-to-card consumers into the formal financial system can also drive greater financial inclusion by catering to a larger demographic of borrowers,” Sun said. —IAN NICOLAS P. CIGARAL WITH A REPORT FROM CZASHAINE MAI T. ABELLA
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Sara Duterte as ‘designated survivor’? She must be ‘delulu’ – group | Faith Argosino | Thu, 11 Jul 2024 18:38:56 PST | Vice President Sara Duterte must be “delulu” (slang for delusional) for appointing herself “designated survivor” as she announced that she would snub President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s State of the Nation Address (Sona) this 2024, according to the Kabataan Partylist. | PHOTO: Official Facebook page of Inday Sara Duterte
Vice President Sara Duterte must be “delulu” (slang for delusional) for appointing herself “designated survivor” as she announced that she would snub President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s State of the Nation Address (Sona) this 2024, according to the Kabataan Partylist. | PHOTO: Official Facebook page of Inday Sara Duterte
MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Sara Duterte must be “delulu” (slang for delusional) for appointing herself “designated survivor” as she announced that she would snub President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s State of the Nation Address (Sona) this year.
“Who appointed you? This is delulu (slang for delusional) behavior. She is no alternative or backup leader when the only legacy she has proven to Filipinos is her confidential funds racket and the thousands of victims of her family’s fake war on drugs,” said Kabataan Partylist Executive Vice President Renee Louise Co.
READ: A first: Sara to skip Marcos’ Sona, names self ‘designated survivor’
“Pa-main character na politiko na gustong pumostura na oposisyon, pero wala siyang maloloko. Drama ito sa pagitan ng magkaaway na dinastiya at paksyon ng ruling class,” Co added. “Genuine leaders always show up to answer the call to serve the people, and not just when it is convenient to their political ambitions.”
(A politician who wants to be a main character, presenting herself as the opposition. But she can’t fool anyone. This is a drama between rival dynasties and factions of the ruling class. Genuine leaders always show up to answer the call to serve the people, and not just when it is convenient to their political ambitions.)
READ: VP Duterte as ‘designated survivor’? No such thing in PH – House SecGen
A “designated survivor” is a US government official chosen to stay at a secure location during events where top leaders are gathered. This ensures continuity of government in case a catastrophic event kills or incapacitates the president, vice president, and other top officials.
Duterte did not provide any reason or explanation for why she opted to skip Marcos’ third Sona on July 22.
Last month, however, Duterte stepped down as DepEd chief and vice chair of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict.
Her resignation will take effect on July 19, and Senator Sonny Angara will replace her as education secretary.
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Mali fuel shortage causes flight cancellations and disruption | Agence France-Presse | Thu, 11 Jul 2024 14:54:31 PST | INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
Dakar, Senegal — A fuel shortage at Mali’s main international airport led to flight cancellations and disruption on Wednesday, according to several air transport stakeholders.
The West African country’s civil aviation agency has asked the regional air traffic control body ASECNA to notify airspace users of the “unavailability of Jet A1 fuel” at the capital Bamako’s Modibo-Keita international airport from Tuesday until the end of July 15, in an official document seen by AFP.
Jet A1 is a kerosene-type fuel widely used in civil aviation.
READ: Mali junta says ‘Western-backed’ military officers attempted coup
AFP was unable to obtain any official information from the Malian Civil Aviation Agency or the airport about the causes of the shortage.
Since 2012, Mali has been plunged into a deep political, security and economic crisis, which is having a severe impact on supplies. The West African nation has been ruled by a military junta since back-to-back coups in 2020 and 2021.
The domestic airline Sky Mali told AFP it had cancelled its flights linking Bamako and the western city of Kayes, as well as its Bamako-Timbuktu route on Wednesday.
It did not comment on its flights scheduled for the weekend.
Turkish Airlines cancelled various flights, including its Istanbul-Bamako route scheduled for Wednesday. Ethiopian Airlines also brought forward its morning Dakar-Bamako flight on Wednesday.
All the airlines cited a “shortage” or “unavailability” of fuel in Bamako in their notices.
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NCSC chair Quijano suspended for 90 days amid gross neglect raps – Palace | Gabriel Pabico Lalu | Thu, 11 Jul 2024 11:06:12 PST | National Commission of Senior Citizens (NCSC) Chairperson Franklin Quijano has been placed under a 90-day preventive suspension amid allegations of gross neglect of duty and grave misconduct, Malacañang confirms on Thursday, July 11, 2024. | PHOTO: Official Facebook page of Atty Franklin Quijano
National Commission of Senior Citizens (NCSC) Chairperson Franklin Quijano has been placed under a 90-day preventive suspension amid allegations of gross neglect of duty and grave misconduct, Malacañang confirms on Thursday, July 11, 2024. | PHOTO: Official Facebook page of Atty Franklin Quijano
MANILA, Philippines — National Commission of Senior Citizens (NCSC) Chairperson Franklin Quijano has been placed under a 90-day preventive suspension amid allegations of gross neglect of duty and grave misconduct, Malacañang confirmed Thursday.
“Yes po,” Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Secretary Cheloy Garafil told INQUIRER.net in a message when asked about Quijano’s suspension.
No other details were given.
READ: Senior citizens commission pinagbibitíw ang sariling hepe
Last month, however, it was reported that five of six NCSC commissioners namely, Mary Jean Loreche, Edwin Espejo, Reymar Mansilungan, Rainier Cruz, and Enriqueta Rodeles asked Quijano to step down.
The five commissioners said on June 21 that they had informed Malacañang about issues against Quijano.
READ: PBBM should revamp the National Commission on Senior Citizens (NCSC)
Senior Citizens party-list Rep. Rodolfo Ordanes, who chairs the House committee on senior citizens, backed the move to expel Quijano as head of the NCSC.
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PNP says relief of 19 Davao City police chiefs not political | John Eric Mendoza | Thu, 11 Jul 2024 19:04:24 PST | RESHUFFLE Davao City’s San Pedro police station, shown here on Monday, July 8, 2024, is one of the 19 police units in the city whose commanders have been relieved in an unexplained major reshuffle. —BING GONZALES
RESHUFFLE Davao City’s San Pedro police station, shown here on Monday, July 8, 2024, is one of the 19 police units in the city whose commanders have been relieved in an unexplained major reshuffle. —BING GONZALES
MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine National Police (PNP) said the relief of 19 Davao City police commanders has nothing to do with politics.
In a press conference, PNP spokesperson Col. Jean Fajardo addressed concerns regarding the reshuffle of the police chiefs which Davao City Mayor Sebastian Duterte described as a “mass relief.”
According to Fajardo, the order of Davao Police Regional Office Director Brig. Gen. Nicolas Torre III was made to improve the implementation of PNP programs.
READ: 19 police chiefs in Davao City relieved, reassigned
She noted that Torre’s “intention is to infuse new blood in Davao [police] for it to become dynamic or more progressive.”
On Wednesday, Mayor Duterte wrote on Facebook: “There are extraordinary and unwarranted administrative changes by the Philippine National Police that seem to be politically motivated.”
READ: New Davao regional police chief assumes post amid failed Quiboloy arrest
“The mass relief of police officials… will not help in sustaining the city’s peace and security situation,” he added.
But Fajardo said Thursday: “Because of some of the political issues nahaluan ng kulay ito (it was given color).”
“But we want to assure everyone that this is far from reality,” she also said.
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House orders arrest of ex-Duterte adviser Michael Yang | Krixia Subingsubing | Thu, 11 Jul 2024 05:48:00 PST | Michael Yang —MALACANANG FILE PHOTO
Michael Yang —MALACANANG FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines — The House committee on dangerous drugs on Wednesday cited in contempt Michael Yang, former President Rodrigo Duterte’s economic adviser, and ordered his arrest for ignoring its summons in connection with a P3.6-billion drug bust in Pampanga last year.
During a hearing, dismissed Police Col. Eduardo Acierto also claimed that Duterte, and Senators Christopher Go and Ronald dela Rosa knew of Yang’s links to the narcotics trade, but ignored a report he submitted in 2017.
For contempt of the House, Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers, the committee chair, ordered Yang’s 30-day detention at the Bicutan Jail in Taguig City.
READ: Barbers: No sinophobia, we’re only against Chinese doing illegal things
Barbers also ordered the committee secretary to coordinate with the Philippine National Police, House sergeant-at-arms, National Bureau of Investigation and other law enforcement agencies to enforce the warrant as Yang is believed to have left Manila for Dubai on May 12.
READ: Foreigners use investor’s registration visa in perpetuating crimes – Barbers
At the same time, Laguna Rep. Dan Fernandez asked the Bureau of Immigration and Department of Justice to help locate Yang and make the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) aware of the situation.
The panel’s inquiry, which began in October 2023 initially set out to find out how 530 kilograms of methamphetamine or “shabu” entered the country last year before these were transported to a warehouse at Barangay San Jose Molino in Mexico, Pampanga.
Yang was summoned to appear in the inquiry after the panel discovered that Empire 999, the company that owned the warehouse where the drugs were found, was partly owned by his associate, Linconn Uy Ong.
Ong was also supposedly involved in the Duterte administration’s allegedly anomalous procurement of health supplies from Pharmally Pharmaceuticals Corp. during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Barbers insisted that Yang’s testimony was “crucial” in unraveling the complex web of illegal drug smuggling activities linked to Empire 999, which they earlier discovered to be majority-owned by Chinese nationals who presented fake Philippine documents to appear as Filipinos.
“What started as a drug bust has turned into a national security concern as these personalities and companies acquired real properties all over the country using fictitious documents,” Barbers said in a previous hearing.
“That (Michael Yang) is linked to these drug activities is no surprise, as in the past administration, he was also named by a top official of the PNP tasked to investigate illegal drug activities,” he added.
That top PNP official was Acierto, who testified virtually before the panel on Wednesday to reaffirm his 2017 report that Yang was involved in illegal drugs—and that Duterte, Dela Rosa, and Go were aware of this but turned a blind eye to it.
During the hearing, Acierto, who formerly worked with the PNP’s drug enforcement group but has since gone into hiding, also accused Duterte of ordering his execution following his revelations.
He claimed that he and a colleague, Police Capt. Lito Perote discovered these illegal activities and reported them, but Perote has since disappeared and is presumed dead.
Among others, Acierto accused Duterte, Go and Dela Rosa of “protecting and [being] integral to the security of the illegal drugs network operating in the country”—an allegation also made by former vigilante turned whistleblower Arturo Lascañas who is now a lead witness in the International Criminal Court’s investigation into alleged crimes against humanity committed under Duterte’s drug war.
“They allowed the entry of large volumes of illegal drugs through our ports and supported the syndicates by defending them, targeting those that go against them, and playing dumb to true justice,” he added.
“I can see under the Marcos administration that it’s possible to achieve justice as is the case with former Sen. Leila de Lima, and I am hoping to one day achieve the same and that the government would pursue accountability over the sins of Duterte, Go and Dela Rosa,” Acierto said.
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The Inquirer contacted Go and Dela Rosa for comment but they had yet to respond as of this writing.
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Filipinos warned vs hack charity group with brand-new name | Erica Ann C. Villasorda, Meg J. Adonis | Thu, 11 Jul 2024 02:26:00 PST | A group of companies that was previously served a cease and desist order for an investment scheme in the guise of religious donations is continuing operations under a new name, according to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), as it urged the public to exercise “extreme caution.”
In a July 5 advisory, the corporate watchdog warned that Hasmadai Foundation Inc., Humanitarian and Spiritual Mission Apostulates of Davao and Asia Inc., and Humanitarian Institute of Technology Corp. are now operating under Tabernacle House of Worship.
The SEC cited the YouTube videos of Hasmadai group leader Dante Encarnacion Tabusares where he announced the name change.
READ: Public warned vs investing in Safe District Enterprise
“The public is hereby advised to exercise extreme caution when approached by anyone claiming to represent Tabernacle House of Worship, and not to invest or stop investing in the latter,” the SEC said in its advisory.
This comes nearly two months after the commission issued a cease and desist order against Hasmadai and its 12 officers after they were found to be offering securities in the form of “mission support.”
The provincial government of Agusan del Sur and the SEC Butuan extension office found that Hasmadai had enticed local and foreign donors to donate an amount that would entitle them to a monthly “missionary allowance,” equivalent to 27 to 34 percent of their donation.
A “donation” of P5,000 will supposedly merit an investor a monthly allowance of P1,850, minus a “spiritual medical assistance” fee of P500, therefore leaving them a net of P1,350. Some were encouraged to pledge as much as P20,000.
According to the SEC, Tabusares admitted to accepting donations and being a former member of KAPA-Community Ministry International Inc., another religious corporation whose certificate of registration was revoked over investment fraud.
READ: SEC warns public vs investing in The Tipsy Tavern
The regulator pointed out that Hasmadai was essentially offering for sale unregistered securities in the form of investment contracts, therefore violating the Securities Regulation Code.
Under the law, securities may not be sold or offered without a registration filed with and approved by the SEC.
Hasmadai was likewise unauthorized to conduct national fund campaigns that are typically approved by the Department of Social Welfare and Development.
The Presidential Task Force on Media Security earlier lauded the issuance of the cease and desist order on Hasmadai, whose founder, Tabusares, was tagged as the alleged mastermind in the murder of broadcast journalist Eduardo “Ed” Dizon in 2019.
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Tabusares went into hiding when he was charged for killing the Kidapawan City-based journalist, but he resurfaced and applied for bail earlier this year.
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Dancesport now a ‘regular sport’ in Palarong Pambansa | dbongcac | Thu, 11 Jul 2024 15:50:43 PST | Dancers sway their hips in the heated semifinal round of the dancesport competition of Palarong Pambansa 2024 on Thursday, July 11.
Dancers sway their hips in the heated semifinal round of the dancesport competition of Palarong Pambansa 2024 on Thursday, July 11.
CEBU CITY, Philippines – From being a demo sport, dancesport is now considered a ‘regular sport’ in Palarong Pambansa 2024.
In fact, a total of 24 medals are up for grab in the elementary and secondary division waltz, chacha, tango, and rumba among others.
“Finally, now that it has been [made] a regular sport, now we are looking forward to getting more and more competitors nationwide because some of them are holding back because they are not a regular sport,” said Lowell Tan, a national adjudicator of the Philippine DanceSport Federation.
READ:
Palarong Pambansa 2024: LIVE UPDATES
Palarong Pambansa 2024: Paraase of CV wins nat’l meet’s first gold
Tan said it took them three years to lobby to make dancesport a regular sport in the national meet and all their efforts finally paid off.
READ: Central Visayas basketball teams rout foes in Palaro openers
He also expects to see the sport grow bigger in the coming years.
Klynne Joseph Castigador and Kealyn Therese Castigador, the dancing siblings of Western Visayas, said they are happy that dancesport is now officially part of Palarong Pambansa.
READ: Coach on a wheelchair: Meet Emanuel Digamon of Zamboanga Sibugay
“I feel happy that dance sport is being seen as a sport because some people only see it as an art, not as a sport. They don’t know how hard it is to dance with much control with much emotion,” Kealyn said.
She said that everything in dance sport is “strategically done.”
Klynne Joseph Castigador and Kealyn Therese Castigador of Western Visayas. | CDN Digital photo / Josh Almonte
It is now Kealyn’s 4th time to join Palarong Pambasan while Klynne is a first time participant.
Meanwhile, Tan said that judging dancesport performances will be based on four components: technical quality, movement to music, choreography and presentation, and partnering skills.
Tan said that technical quality is the most critical because is consist of 12 subcomponents for both standard and Latin.
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One suspect in theft of Amorsolo painting identified in Negros Occidental | Carla P. Gomez @carlagomezINQ | Thu, 11 Jul 2024 12:16:35 PST | ART HEIST Measuring 12 inches by 18 inches, “Mango Harvesters,” a painting by National Artist Fernando Amorsolo from 1936, has been reported stolen from the Hofileña Museum in Silay City, Negros Occidental. Security cameras showed the painting being taken by two visitors around 10 a.m. on July 3. —images from the Leon Gallery website/Carla P. Gomez
ART HEIST Measuring 12 inches by 18 inches, “Mango Harvesters,” a painting by National Artist Fernando Amorsolo from 1936, has been reported stolen from the Hofileña Museum in Silay City, Negros Occidental. Security cameras showed the painting being taken by two visitors around 10 a.m. on July 3. —images from the Leon Gallery website/Carla P. Gomez
BACOLOD CITY — The Silay police have identified one of the two suspects in the theft of a painting by national artist Fernando Amorsolo from the Hofileña Museum on Cinco de Noviembre Street in Silay City, Negros Occidental.
Lieutenant Colonel Mark Anthony Darroca, Silay police chief, said the male suspect was identified by the driver of the trisikad that he and his accomplice boarded after stealing the 12×18 inches “Mango Harvesters” painting on July 3.
Darroca said the male suspect took off his mask when he boarded the trisikad, enabling the driver to identify him from a police rogues gallery.
Darroca said the suspect, a resident of Tondo in Manila, was charged with theft in a separate incident in 2022.
The female suspect, on the other hand, had not been identified yet as investigators gathered other closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage to establish her identity.
The female suspect was wearing a mask as shown in the CCTV footage of her at the museum.
The two suspects disguised themselves as tourists who joined a tour on July 3 at the Hofileña Museum.
The male suspect took the Amorsolo painting from where it was hanging and placed it in the woman’s bag as shown in the CCTV footage at the museum.
They then hurriedly left the museum, took a trisikad to the Silay plaza, and boarded a public utility jeepney to Bacolod.
Darroca said he would meet with the Hofileña family to ask if they were willing to file charges against the suspect.
Rene “Boy” Hofileña, the museum administrator, said he was waiting for his nephews and nieces to arrive on Tuesday as they would be the ones to make the decision.
They also hired a private detective to investigate the theft in broad daylight of the Amorsolo painting.
Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said he instructed the police to do everything possible to recover the painting.
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“Definitely, we would like to recover that very valuable piece of art. We are banking on the expertise of the Philippine National Police on how to trace the possible suspects,” he said.
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Colleagues call out Rep. Duterte over spat with Nograles | Gabriel Pabico Lalu | Thu, 11 Jul 2024 07:57:14 PST | MANILA, Philippines — Lawmakers have called out Davao City 1st District Rep. Paolo Duterte for criticizing PBA party-list Rep. Margarita “Migs” Nograles over a medical and burial assistance fund issue, saying that Duterte would have known more details if he had been present during sessions and discussions.
Six members of the House of Representatives youth movement — Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Raul Angelo Bongalon, Davao Oriental Rep. Cheeno Almario, Lanao del Sur Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong, 1-Rider party-list Rep. Ramon Rodrigo Gutierrez, La Union Rep. Paolo Ortega V, and Zambales Rep. Jefferson Khonghun — defended Nograles on Wednesday, amid the verbal spat with Duterte.
According to Almario, allegations that Nograles used the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) funds for politics are unfounded because she only meant to clarify that funds were available and were not being withheld, contrary to what a notice previously claimed.
“It is clear that Rep. Nograles’s actions have been misrepresented. The notion that she is using these funds for political gain is not only false but an insult to her dedication to public service,” Almario said.
“We urge Rep. Duterte to check his facts and perhaps attend more sessions to fully grasp the complexity of our roles and the stringent processes we adhere to.”
“If Rep. Duterte attended more sessions and engaged with his colleagues, he would see the transparency and rigor with which we operate. Rep. Nograles has done nothing but uphold the highest standards of integrity in her work. We must not let baseless accusations distract us from our primary mission of serving the people,” he added.
Nograles on Monday urged Davao City residents to discern the real intention of notices, belying claims that DSWD no longer provides funds for medical and burial assistance.
According to Nograles, such a statement is impossible since the PBA party-list continues to release medical aid and hold barangay caravans where DSWD programs are being delivered.
Rep. Duterte said on Tuesday that they never mentioned that the DSWD lacked funds; rather, their issue is with the DSWD’s alleged refusal to release allocations.
Duterte also claimed that public funds appear to have been used for politics.
Bongalon and Adiong, meanwhile, said that the allegations are not only baseless but also distract the public from more pressing issues in the country.
“We, the Young Guns, stand united in our support for Rep. Migs Nograles. Her work in ensuring that the DSWD funds reach those most in need is beyond reproach. This unfounded criticism only serves to distract from the real issues at hand and undermines the efforts of those truly working for the welfare of our citizens,” Bongalon said.
“We, the Young Guns, know firsthand the tireless work that Rep. Nograles puts into her role. The accusations leveled against her are baseless and detract from the critical work being done to support our most vulnerable citizens. It is vital that we remain focused on our legislative duties and avoid the pitfalls of political maneuvering,” Adiong said.
Adiong further said that DSWD’s distribution of funds is usually based on a hierarchy of which sector needs prioritization rather than politics.
“Rep. Migs Nograles has always placed the needs of her constituents above all else. Her dedication to ensuring that DSWD funds are allocated fairly and efficiently is a testament to her commitment to public service. These unfounded accusations from Rep. Duterte only serve to undermine the hard work of those truly dedicated to helping the poor and needy,” Gutierrez added.
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Khonghun, who also pointed out that Duterte has not been active in House activities, said that what government officials need to do is cooperate and find ways to serve the people better.
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Central Visayas basketball teams rout foes in Palaro openers | dbongcac | Thu, 11 Jul 2024 14:42:37 PST | UV Baby Lancers players and coaching staff pose for a photo after winning their first game in Palarong Pambansa 2024. | By Glendale Rosal
UV Baby Lancers players and coaching staff pose for a photo after winning their first game in Palarong Pambansa 2024. | By Glendale Rosal
CEBU CITY, Philippines — The University of the Visayas (UV) Baby Lancers showed why they’re one of Cebu’s feared high school teams after obliterating Region IV-B (MIMAROPA), 116-70, to grab their first win in the Palarong Pambansa 2024 secondary boys basketball on Thursday, July 11.
The Baby Lancers of multi-titled head coach Jun Pepito destroyed MIMAROPA by leading as much as 50 points, 116-66, at the end game to start their campaign in a dominating fashion.
READ MORE
Palarong Pambansa 2024: LIVE UPDATES
Also starting strong was Central Visayas’ girls’ basketball team manned by Abellana National School, which defeated Region 9, Zamboanga Peninsula, 99-55.
The Abellana National School girls basketball team pose for a photo op after winning over Zamboanga Peninsula in its first game in the Palarong Pambansa 2024. CDN Digital photo | Brian J. Ochoa
Meanwhile, UV commanded the game from the get-go. Their eight point lead in the first half, 26-18, ballooned to a double digit lead, 28-18.
READ: Palarong Pambansa 2024: Paraase of CV wins nat’l meet’s first gold
In the second half, they didn’t look back after erecting a 31-point cushion, 78-47, and stretched their huge lead all the way to the last sound of the buzzer.
READ: Coach on a wheelchair: Meet Emanuel Digamon of Zamboanga Sibugay
The Baby Lancers staged their lopsided win with six of its players suffering from upset stomach.
READ: Marcos commends Cebu City’s hosting of Palarong Pambansa 2024
Pepito revealed that he and six of his players had an upset stomach on the eve of their game. They suspect it came from their drinking water, which was from their quarters at UV and not from Central Visayas’ billeting quarters.
“Ako ingon sa mga bata nga wala lang gyud kumpyansa, ug amo sad gipakita sa among kontra nga hadlok sad among duwa,” said Pepito.
They will face the SOCCSKSARGEN or Region 12 on Friday.
SOCCSKSARGEN is considered the strongest team in their group, according to Pepito. Thus, they expect a tough game against the visiting squad.
“Di man sila kaayo dagku, pero di man nato matag-an ang duwa. Kumbati lang gyud. Lingin ra ba ang bola,” added Pepito.
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The PALARONG PAMBANSA 2024: A CDN DIGITAL SPECIAL ONLINE COVERAGE is in partnership with:
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61-year-old man found dead inside motel in Cebu City | eares | Thu, 11 Jul 2024 18:36:05 PST | A 61-year-old man was found dead inside a motel at the North Reclamation area in Brgy. Carreta, Cebu City early on Thursday morning, July 11. | Contributed photo via Paul Lauro
A 61-year-old man was found dead inside a motel at the North Reclamation area in Brgy. Carreta, Cebu City early on Thursday morning, July 11. | Contributed photo via Paul Lauro
CEBU CITY, Philippines – The naked body of a 61-year-old man was found in a motel in Brgy. Carreta, Cebu City early on Thursday morning.
As of this writing, police are yet to determine what caused the death of alias “Ferdie,” a resident of Brgy. Paknaan in Mandaue City.
Police Major Romeo Caacoy Jr., chief of Mabolo Police Station, said they continue to look for the young woman who was with Ferdie when he checked in at the motel at around 9 p.m. on Wednesday.
READ: Jealousy drove him to strangle to death girlfriend inside Carcar motel — suspect
Caacoy said that motel staff found Ferdie’s body when they checked on him after his woman companion left five hours later or at around 2 a.m. on Thursday.
READ: Two found dead inside hotel in downtown Cebu City
Quoting the account of motel personnel, Caacoy said that Ferdie and his female companion checked in at 9 p.m. on Wednesday. The old man later on told motel employees that they will be extending their stay for two hours.
READ: Death of businessman inside Cebu City hotel still puzzles police
His female companion left their room and hailed a taxi by herself at around 2 p.m.
This prompted motel personnel to knock on their assigned room. When no one answered, they decided to get their spare key and opened the room.
Caacoy said they found Ferdie’s naked body on the bed. He was declared dead by responding medical personnel.
Ferdie’s body is now in a funeral parlor in Cebu City waiting to be claimed by family members.
Caacoy said he would recommend to his family for the conduct of an autopsy to determine the actual cause of his death.
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Robinsons Hotels and Resorts celebrated as Top Engaged Chain by Trip.com | INQUIRER.net BrandRoom | Thu, 11 Jul 2024 16:51:21 PST | Robinsons Hotels and Resorts (RHR) has been honored with the coveted “Top Engaged Chain” award by Trip.com, one of the world’s leading travel service providers.
Ms. Joy De Mesa (RHR Group Director of Sales & Marketing) with fellow recipients of Top Engaged Chain.
The recognition, presented at Trip.com’s Envision 2024 Global Conference this May, acknowledges the most collaborative local hotel chains that actively engage in Trip.com promotions and campaigns, resulting in shared initiatives that benefit both Trip.com and RHR customers.
Among the key criteria for this award was RHR’s robust support to Trip.com through competitive rates and exceptional service offered to guests. “Over the past year, RHR’s business volume in partnership with Trip.com soared by an impressive 46%, “ states Ms. Joy De Mesa, Group Director of Sales and Marketing RHR. Ms. De Mesa adds that looking back over a five-year period since 2019, this growth was an even more astounding 1890% year-on-year. Trip.com, on the other hand, has also highlighted RHR’s enhanced quality of service, which improved by 70%, alongside a notable decrease in booking rejection rates.
Ms. Joy De Mesa (RHR Group Director of Sales & Marketing) received the award from Mr. Boon Sian Chai (Trip.com Managing Director and Vice President for International Markets).
Ms. Fiona Pan (Trip.com Senior Director) together with Ms. Joy De Mesa (RHR Group Director of Sales & Marketing), and Mr. Xavier Cheng (RHR Director of Revenue & Reservations).
RHR, the hospitality arm of Robinsons Land Corporation (RLC), is on a trajectory to becoming the Philippines’ largest and most esteemed hotel group, offering a wide array of formats and brands with unrivaled geographic reach. The “Top Engaged Chain” recognition encompasses the homegrown hotel brands within RHR’s extensive portfolio, which includes 10 Go Hotels, 3 Go Hotels Plus , 6 Summit Hotels properties, and the Grand Summit property in General Santos City.
Grand Summit Hotel General Santos
Summit Galleria Cebu Lobby
Summit Galleria Cebu’s Premier Sinulog Room
Over the years, these proudly homegrown brands have steadily built a stellar reputation for providing consistent, high-quality accommodations in key cities across the Philippines while catering to a broad spectrum of hotel guests. RHR’s growth mirrors Trip.com’s notable ascent in the travel and hospitality industries. Since its founding in 1999, Trip.com has grown into one of the world’s premier travel service providers, helping its customers “pursue the perfect trip for a better world.”
As RHR expands on its vision “to create genuine and heartfelt Filipino service culture for every kind of traveler,” its successful partnership with Trip.com ably demonstrates how collaborative efforts can elevate the country’s hospitality and tourism sector, unlocking its full potential and opening up a world of opportunities to elevate the Filipinos’ quality of life.
ADVT.
This article is brought to you by Robinsons Hotels and Resorts.
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Marcos names top banker to BSP Monetary Board | Gabriel Pabico Lalu | Thu, 11 Jul 2024 18:00:16 PST | President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. appoints veteran banker Walter Wassmer as a member of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Monetary Board. Screengrab from Embassy of Switzerland in the Philippines/FACEBOOK VIDEO
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. appoints veteran banker Walter Wassmer as a member of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Monetary Board. Screengrab from Embassy of Switzerland in the Philippines/FACEBOOK VIDEO
MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. appointed veteran banker Walter Wassmer as a member of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Monetary Board.
The Presidential Communications Office (PCO) said Thursday that Marcos picked Wassmer for his vast experience in different private institutions.
“President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. appointed top banker Walter Wassmer on Wednesday to join the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Monetary Board,” the PCO said.
“Before joining the public sector, Wassmer served as a Consultant and Non-Executive Director of BDO Unibank, Inc. from 2022 to the present. He was also the Senior EVP and Institutional Banking Group Head at the same bank from 1997 to 2022,” it added.
READ: BSP unfazed by likely exit of two MB members
According to the BSP, the Monetary Board is responsible for the “conduct of monetary policy and supervision of the financial system.”
The BSP governor is the chair of the monetary board, while the board is composed of five full-time members from the private sector and one member from the Cabinet.
READ: Remolona: BSP will not wait too long to cut key rates
Aside from working with BDO Unibank, the PCO said Wassmer also served as:
Last May, the BSP said the Monetary Board can still perform most of its functions even with the exit of two of its members.
In a statement, the BSP said the seven-member Monetary Board, the highest policymaking body of the central bank, can decide on all major actions as long as there is concurrence of at least four members.
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11 dead in bus-pickup collision in Cagayan | Villamor Visaya Jr. | Thu, 11 Jul 2024 11:35:10 PST | At least 11 people died, five were seriously injured, and 20 had minor injuries when a wayward air-conditioned bus and a pickup collided with each other at the junction in Ayaga, Abulug, Cagayan, on Thursday, July 11, 2024. | PHOTO COURTESY OF CAGAYAN PPO / IAN TANIECA
At least 11 people died, five were seriously injured, and 20 had minor injuries when a wayward air-conditioned bus and a pickup collided with each other at the junction in Ayaga, Abulug, Cagayan, on Thursday, July 11, 2024. | PHOTO COURTESY OF CAGAYAN PPO / IAN TANIECA
TUGUEGARAO CITY — Eleven people died, five were seriously injured, and 20 suffered minor injuries when an air-conditioned bus and a pickup collided early Thursday at the Ayaga junction in Abulug town, Cagayan, police reported.
The Florida-St. Joseph bus, traveling from Santa Marcela in Apayao to Manila, crashed against the speeding pickup at the junction at 4 a.m.
Investigators said the bus veered into a mound of earth and junk, while the pickup crashed into a line of market stalls by the roadside.
Major Antonio Palattao Jr., Abulug police chief, said the victims were taken to a hospital, and the fatalities were brought to funeral parlors. The 20 passengers with minor injuries did not seek medical help.
A follow-up investigation is ongoing. INQ
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Pagcor chief: Roque sought meeting as Pogo ‘lawyer’ | Marlon Ramos | Thu, 11 Jul 2024 05:30:00 PST | Former presidential spokesperson Atty. Harry Roque. —INQUIRER.net file photo/Ryan Leagogo
Former presidential spokesperson Atty. Harry Roque. —INQUIRER.net file photo/Ryan Leagogo
MANILA, Philippines — When he introduced her to us, he said Ong was having problems regarding the payment of billings for (Lucky South)… They owe (Pagcor) about $500,000 It was former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque who tried to persuade the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor) to renew the permit of an illegal Philippine offshore gaming operator (Pogo) that authorities raided in Porac, Pampanga province, last month.
Pagcor Chair Alejandro Tengco made the revelation at Wednesday’s continuation of the Senate investigation on the Pogo industry, which has been linked to many cases of murder, kidnapping, online scams, human trafficking, torture, money laundering and other serious crimes.
READ: Pagcor: Ex-Cabinet official lobbied for raided Pogos
According to Tengco, Roque went to his office on July 26, 2023, after the former Cabinet official had asked for a meeting.
He said Roque accompanied Katherine Cassandra Li Ong, who was introduced to him as an official of Lucky South 99 Outsourcing Inc., the Pogo company that the Philippine Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) raided last month for its alleged involvement in cyber-scamming activities.
Roque, who had served as former President Rodrigo Duterte’s mouthpiece for four years, had introduced himself as Ong’s lawyer, Tengco added.
He noted that Pagcor Assistant Vice President Jesse Mariz Fernandez joined him in his meeting with Roque and Ong.
The Pagcor chief, however, quickly clarified that Roque did not try to use his influence as a former high-ranking government official to facilitate Lucky South’s application for an extension of its gaming license.
“Roque was there [in the meeting]. But he did not pressure [us]. He was just asking us if we could help Ong,” Tengco said in response to a question from Sen. Risa Hontiveros, who presided over the five-hour proceedings.
“When he introduced her to us, he said Ong was having problems regarding the payment of billings of [Lucky South]… They owe [Pagcor] about $500,000,” he said.
Tengco recalled that Roque and Ong also asked for assistance regarding the approval of the Pogo firm’s gaming license after Pagcor’s board of directors approved a “restructuring” in its processing of permits for offshore gaming companies.
Lucky South’s license, he said, was set to expire in October 2023.
“Because we imposed new guidelines, they wanted to submit [documents] for [Lucky South’s] reapplication,” Tengco said.
From its initial office area of 3,000 square meters, he said Lucky South had asked Pagcor to allow it to increase its offices to 9,000 square meters, or three times bigger than its original space.
Lucky South, as it turned out, had built 46 buildings inside a 10-hectare property that it leased in Royal Garden Estate in Porac town.
In his testimony, Tengco said Ong told him and Fernandez that they had found out that their authorized representative, Dennis Cunanan, did not remit the money that Lucky South was regularly giving him to pay its monthly regulatory fees.
Cunanan had been previously convicted three times for his role in the P10-billion pork barrel racket as the former head of the defunct Technology Resource Center.
Tengco said Fernandez had sent a letter demanding Lucky South settle its unpaid regulatory fees for six months, which amounted to almost $500,000.
Ong, he said, then asked him to allow the company to settle their financial obligations through staggered payments.
Asked by Hontiveros if Roque followed up his request with Tengco, the Pagcor chair said he actually communicated with Fernandez, who heads the state regulator’s offshore gaming license department.
Fielding questions from the senator, Fernandez confirmed that the former Cabinet member called her five times and sent her a text message asking for an update on the request of Lucky South.
“He was just asking about the lacking documents they need to submit for them to comply,” Fernandez said.
On May 4, she said she informed Roque of their decision to reject Lucky South’s application.
“So he followed up a total of six times. That’s already par for the course,” Hontiveros noted.
But Roque rejected Tengco’s claim, saying he only provided legal services to Whirlwind Corp., a service provider of the Pogo company.
He also alleged that Ong did not introduce herself to the Pagcor officials as a representative of Lucky South.
Roque’s name first floated after PAOCC personnel recovered from one of Lucky South’s buildings a document that the former Cabinet official had signed.
“I am not and have never been a legal counsel to any illegal Pogo. Neither was I counsel to Lucky South,” the former Cabinet official said in a statement.
“I also did not participate in preparing Lucky South’s organizational chart, which identified me as their legal counsel,” he said.
Roque claimed that he only accompanied Ong “because I thought Lucky South, Whirlwind’s principal, was a victim of estafa.”
“By way of accommodation, I joined Ong since I was then persuading Whirlwind to invest in two energy projects of which I was the primary proponent,” he said.
Speaking with reporters after the hearing, Tengco insisted that Roque had served as Lucky South’s counsel, as shown by the organizational chart that the Pogo firm had submitted to Pagcor.
He said that the document was attached to the company’s application for a renewal of license, which it sent to Pagcor in September 2023.
“In the document they submitted, [it stated there] ‘Harry Roque, Legal Group,’” he said.
Cunanan, in a statement issued on Wednesday through his lawyer, Froilan Clerigo, also denied statements linking him to the supposed meeting at the Pagcor chair’s office.
“Cunanan is unaware of the precise reasons why Ong and Roque felt the need to involve his name. However, it is evident that they engaged with Tengco to secure a concession that served their own interests, … doing so at the expense of Cunanan’s reputation,” it said.
The statement noted that Cunanan, whose name is included in the list of individuals cited in contempt by the Senate panel for their refusal to attend the hearing, was no longer associated with Lucky South and was unable to defend himself, making him an easy target for blame.
It said Cunanan “had ceased his association with Lucky South” months before the alleged meeting between Tengco, Ong and Roque.
The statement also claimed that Cunanan did not receive a subpoena for the Senate hearing in person, “as he would have refuted these unfounded allegations directly.”
At the same time, it said that Ong, as the authorized representative of Lucky South, would have received notices from Pagcor regarding the arrears as early as the second month of that year and would have been aware of any alleged embezzlement by Cunanan as early as February 2023,” it said, pointing out that “it is inconceivable that they would continue to entrust Cunanan with subsequent payments if he had indeed embezzled their money.”
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The substantial amount of $500,000 allegedly embezzled by Cunanan should have prompted Ong or Lucky South to conduct an investigation and file a formal complaint, it said, considering that “a sum of this magnitude, approximately P27 million, would have undoubtedly left a discernible paper trail that relevant government agencies could have traced.”
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Rondina, Gagate inspire Palarong Pambansa volleyball athletes | dbongcac | Thu, 11 Jul 2024 16:45:30 PST | Thea Gagate and Sisi Rondina (middle) joins a selfie with Palarong Pambansa organizers, PNVP President Ramon Suzara (fourth from right) and local volleyball stakeholders. | CDN Digital photo / Glendale Rosal
Thea Gagate and Sisi Rondina (middle) joins a selfie with Palarong Pambansa organizers, PNVP President Ramon Suzara (fourth from right) and local volleyball stakeholders. | CDN Digital photo / Glendale Rosal
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Cebuana volleyball stars Cherry Ann “Sisi” Rondina and Thea Gagate took time to inspire young athletes participating in the Palarong Pambansa volleyball competition held at the University of San Jose-Recoletos (USJ-R) Basak Campus on Thursday, July 11.
Accompanied by Philippine National Volleyball Federation (PNVF) President Ramon Suzara, Rondina and Gagate graced the formal opening of the Palaro’s volleyball competition.
In a generous gesture, they also donated brand-new volleyball nets to each of the participating delegation.
READ: USJ-R Lady Jaguars now 2-0 in Palarong Pambansa girls volleyball
To motivate athletes, Rondina and Gagate delivered speeches before the competition resumed.
“We are truly grateful to be invited by the entire organization. Always believe in yourself, keep trying, and never underestimate your potential. There will always be people who believe in you, so you should believe in yourself too,” said Gagate.
READ: Bicolano chess prodigy eyes gold at Palarong Pambansa 2024
Gagate is a former standout of the DLSU Lady Spikers and recently drafted as the top overall pick in the Philippine Volleyball League (PVL) by ZUS Coffee.
Meanwhile, Rondina looked back on her humble beginnings before becoming a beach volleyball star and a mainstay of the ALAS Pilipinas women’s volleyball team alongside Gagate.
READ: Coach on a wheelchair: Meet Emanuel Digamon of Zamboanga Sibugay
“I drew inspiration from my parents, especially my father. We had very little before. Even after discovering volleyball, I never imagined I would come this far. Everything I achieved, I prayed for. My goal was simply to help my parents. It’s not about the physical attributes—it’s about heart, hard work, patience, and faith. To everyone here, success comes through perseverance and the support of those who believed in us,” Rondina said.
Rondina reminded the athletes that success is not defined by physical stature but by determination and passion.
“You can see how small I am, but I always believe that not everything is achieved through physical attributes. It’s about [the] heart, hard work, patience, and trust. So to everyone here, success is attained through perseverance and let’s not forget the people who helped us,” Rondina said.
Also present during the formal opening of the volleyball competition were Palarong Pambansa local organizing heads led John Pages, the chairman of the Cebu City Sports Commission (CCSC) and Acting Cebu City Vice Mayor Dondon Hontiveros.
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PCG, DOJ told to assist fishermen in Bajo de Masinloc ‘hit and run’ incident | Charie Abarca | Thu, 11 Jul 2024 10:52:02 PST | MANILA, Philippines — Senate Majority Leader Francis Tolentino said he asked the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) to extend assistance to Filipino fishers who figured in a “hit and run” incident with an unidentified foreign vessel near Bajo de Masinloc (Scarborough Shoal) lin the West Philippine Sea ast July 7.
Tolentino, chairperson of the Senate’s special panel on maritime and admiralty zones, identified the fishermen as Jose and Roberto Mondeñedo.
According to the senator, Roberto survived the incident while Jose remains missing to date.
“Kanina po, kausap ko yung anak nina Ma’am Delia [Jose’s wife] at Mang Jose, [at] kausap ko rin si Roberto Mondeñedo [Jose’s brother who survived the incident]. Nag-usap kami tungkol sa mga pangyayari, at noong isang araw, kausap ko naman ang PCG na gumagawa ng imbestigasyon,” the senator shared in a radio interview, as quoted in a statement released Thursday.
(I was able to talk to Ma’am Delia and Jose’s children, and I also talked to Roberto Mondeñedo. We talked about the incident and I am already talking to PCG who is conducting an investigation.)
“Today, I have written a formal letter to the DOJ and even to the PCG so that Ma’am Delia’s family can be assisted. The search is still ongoing, I hope the search and rescue operation [for Jose] will be successful,” he added.
Apart from financial assistance, Tolentino said he also called for the provision of scholarships for Jose’s children.
Tolentino was the first to disclose the information about a foreign commercial vessel that ran over and destroyed a fishing boat being used by Robert and Jose.
Earlier, Tolentino said that the foreign vessel, whose body bore Chinese characters and was described by Robert as bearing the words ‘Yang Fu’, should be held accountable.
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For comprehensive coverage, in-depth analysis, visit our special page for West Philippine Sea updates. Stay informed with articles, videos, and expert opinions.
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Philippine eagle killed in Davao de Oro | Dianne Sampang | Thu, 11 Jul 2024 19:30:27 PST | MANILA, Philippines — A male Philippine Eagle named Mangayon was killed in Compostela Valley, Davao de Oro, authorities said.
According to the Philippine Eagle Foundation (PEF), the national bird succumbed to severe blood loss due to a gunshot wound.
In a Facebook post on Thursday, the PEF said veterinarians suspect that the wound was from a marble gun that hit Mangayon’s left wing. Citing necropsy results, the PEF also said that the bird was healthy with all of its internal organs in good condition before it was shot, and that the primary cause of the animal’s death was severe blood loss with a high possibility of sepsis.
The PEF said the injured Philippine Eagle was discovered in Bermuda, a part of a barangay that is also called Mangayon in Compostela Valley by patrolling members of the Philippine Army.
READ: Critically endangered Philippine Eagle rescued in Apayao
A male Philippine Eagle named Mangayon was killed in Compostela Valley, Davao de Oro, the Philippine Eagle Foundation (PEF) reports on Thursday, July 11, 2024. Photo from PEF/Rowell Taraya
A rescue team was dispatched from Davao City to Compostela Valley to retrieve the national bird for medical examination. However, the team saw the eagle was unresponsive and had a prominent open injury. Their initial assessment showed that the bird suffered from slight dehydration.
The eagle underwent physical and medical examinations in Davao City where Dr. Bayani Vandenbroeck eventually discovered “an entry wound in the left tarsal area of the eagle’s wing which exited through the opposite side and extended to the left keel area of Mangayon’s wing.”
The PEF said Mangayon vomited and discharged foul-smelling fluids due to undigested food before it was pronounced dead at 9:47 p.m. on July 8.
READ: Foundation releases 2 Philippine eagles in Leyte
The young bird was the 20th case of eagle rescue since 2020, and the fourth this year.
Due to this incident, the PEF repeated its call for the government to strengthen measures to save the endangered animal.
“We would mostly need [local government units] and national government actions and investment. The civil society sector can only do so much. We need government political will and action. There should also be additional financing to a systematic and nationwide species survival campaign before it’s too late for our national bird,” said PEF Executive Director Dennis Salvador.
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Salceda: Allow legal Pogos to stay | Gabriel Pabico Lalu | Thu, 11 Jul 2024 08:30:10 PST | MANILA, Philippines — Albay 2nd District Rep. Joey Salceda still believes that legal Philippine offshore gaming operators (Pogo) should be allowed to continue operating in the country, noting that the industry is gradually becoming more Filipino than Chinese.
Salceda, in a statement on Wednesday, said that 25,000 Filipinos are direct Pogo employees, while 30,000 of 65,000 indirect hires are also Filipinos.
“The legal sector is now also becoming less and less Chinese and more Filipino. Filipinos now account for as many as 25,000 direct Pogo employees, with Vietnamese nationals now also outnumbering Chinese nationals,” Salceda, who heads the House of Representatives committee on ways and means, said.
“Among indirect hires, Pagcor cites indirect industry estimates that put the number of indirect offshore online gaming workers at close to 100,000, of which roughly 65,000 are Filipinos and 30,000 [are] foreign nationals,” he added.
Regarding the crackdown on illegal Pogos, Salceda said that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s administration has done a good job of weeding out illegal Pogos from legal ones.
Salceda, however, said he believes the government’s efforts will be negated once a total ban is imposed.
“Since Pagcor began cracking down hard on illegal Pogos under President Marcos’s administration, tax and regulatory fee collections have increased dramatically from fewer licensees. We are cutting out the weeds so that the flowers can grow,” he said.
“(But) if you close down the whole sector, good players and bad, you put to waste all the efforts of the Marcos administration to crack down on the bad players,” he added.
Salceda also echoed previous sentiments by House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez — that a total ban on Pogos might only lead to workers within legal operations moving underground, where tracking and taxation will be impossible.
“If you close down the whole sector, the aliens, the existing Pogo clientele, and the hardware and investments already made will have nowhere to go but the illegal sector. It’s going to be a disaster we are ill-equipped to address. Our law enforcement does not have the resources, the capabilities, or even the training to infiltrate and apprehend an expanded black market for gaming,” he said.
“Here’s my suggestion to my friend, (Finance) Secretary (Ralph) Recto, and the economic team: Let’s plow back some of the increased internet gaming tax revenues on improved law enforcement, especially in intelligence gathering and infiltration. The best time for it is the upcoming budget season, when we return from our session break,” he added.
Recto recently said that they have submitted a recommendation to the President for the total ban of Pogos in the country due to problems in how the games are being run.
Last June 11, Makabayan filed House Bill (HB) No. 10525, or the proposed Anti-Pogo Act of 2024, which will revoke existing Pogo licenses and ban other future Pogo companies from operating.
Aside from allegations of human trafficking, there have been claims that individuals may have been killed inside Pogo hubs.
Last June 25, Philippine National Police chief Gen. Rommel Francisco Marbil confirmed that there were “unreported killings” within the Pogo hubs raided in Central Luzon.
A raid was conducted in a Pogo hub in Porac last June 4, where 186 foreign and Filipino workers were rescued from an alleged human trafficking ring.
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There were also reports that some of the employees were tortured or sold for sex.
Before this, 371 Filipinos and 497 foreigners were rescued from an illegal Pogo in Bamban, Tarlac, which was also raided for alleged involvement in human trafficking.
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Swimmer rescued 80 km off Japan after 36-hour ordeal | Agence France-Presse | Thu, 11 Jul 2024 14:18:44 PST | FILE PHOTO/Agence France-Presse
FILE PHOTO/Agence France-Presse
TOKYO — A woman who went swimming off a beach in Japan and was swept out to sea was rescued about 80 kilometers (50 miles) off the coast after 36 hours, officials said on Thursday.
The local coast guard launched a search and rescue operation after the alarm was raised for the Chinese national in her 20s in the central Shizuoka region on Monday evening.
“It was around 7:55 pm on July 8 when we received the information after the woman’s friend reported to a nearby convenience store that she was missing,” a local Japan Coast Guard official told AFP.
READ: WATCH: Pro surfer rescues swimmer swept away by waves
The woman, who was not named, told rescuers that she was swept out to sea and could not return to the beach as she was swimming with a rubber ring.
She was finally spotted floating off the southern tip of Chiba’s Boso peninsula at 7:48 am on Wednesday by a cargo ship, the official said.
Two crew members of a smaller nearby tanker contacted by radio jumped into the sea to rescue her.
READ: 58-year-old man missing after swimming in Moalboal
“There are 80 kilometers in a straight line (between the beach and rescue spot)… but it is assumed she drifted for an even greater distance,” the official said.
The woman was taken to hospital after the rescue but did not need to be admitted as she was clear-headed and her dehydration was not life-threatening.
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‘UndeFEETed’: PWD artist paints abstract and cubism pieces with feet | INQUIRER.net | Thu, 11 Jul 2024 19:01:01 PST | PWD artist Bermin Villasor Rigor, 35, creates impressive abstract and cubism artwork using his feet. Photos courtesy of Bermin Villasor Rigor/Facebook. Graphics: Lance Uy/INQUIRER.net
PWD artist Bermin Villasor Rigor, 35, creates impressive abstract and cubism artwork using his feet. Photos courtesy of Bermin Villasor Rigor/Facebook. Graphics: Lance Uy/INQUIRER.net
Every brushstroke made by the feet of Bermin Villasor Rigor, a 35-year-old artist from Laguna, walks him one step closer to his dream of earning constant commissions and owning an art studio.
Rigor, born without arms and hands due to his mother’s goiter during pregnancy, knows no bounds in maximizing his potential in art-making by his feet since he was eight years old.
A simple hobby became more than a pastime for Rigor as art became his source of living when he finally mustered up the courage to show his talent on social media platforms during COVID-19.
“My artworks are inspired by the colorful works of Pablo Picasso because I find his art very beautiful. Also, I can associate my works with the rainbow since it is a symbol of hope after the rain,” Rigor told the Inquirer.
As the eldest among four siblings, Rigor mentioned that his abstract or cubism-inspired paintings played a crucial role in providing for his family and his maintenance, especially when the pandemic took away his siblings’ jobs.
According to Rigor, his commission rate is usually 30 pesos per square inch, and he spends one week to three months to finish a painting, depending on the size of the artwork.
“For the PWD community, don’t lose hope or feel discouraged. I believe that there is a reason from above why we are living in this world, no matter what our condition or situation in life may be,” Rigor advised fellow PWDs.
Rigor currently accepts commissions or donations. Interested clients or donors may contact him via his Facebook account, Bermin Villasor Rigor. — Cyril Buenaflor, INQUIRER trainee.
RELATED STORIES:
Painter creates realistic artworks despite being colorblind
Student with disability showcases talent in drawing
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Artist inspires through paintings despite battle with meningitis
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Gilas Women go for winning end to Jones Cup campaign | Rommel Fuertes Jr. | Wed, 10 Jul 2024 17:15:13 PST | FILE – Gilas Pilipinas’ Jack Animam at the Fiba Women’s Asia Cup in Australia. Photo from Fiba
FILE – Gilas Pilipinas’ Jack Animam at the Fiba Women’s Asia Cup in Australia. Photo from Fiba
MANILA, Philippines—Gilas Pilipinas Women hope to end their campaign on a high note in the William Jones Cup on Wednesday night.
With Japan having already clinched the title, Gilas will go for the next best thing, which is to finish with a winning record in the tournament.
The Nationals, bannered by veterans Jack Animam and Afril Bernardino, can do just that with a victory over Chinese-Taipei A later at 7 p.m. at Xinzhuang Gymnasium in Taiwan.
It has been an up-and-down campaign for Gilas so far after splitting its first four games.
The Filipinos lost to Chinese-Taipei B in the opener on Saturday before bouncing back to beat Malaysia, 74-63, a day later.
Gilas then, suffered a heartbreaking defeat to Japan, 85-83, after coming back from a double-digit deficit.
The Philippines kept its slim title hopes alive on Tuesday after holding off Thailand, 68-58, to improve to 2-2 but a victory by Japan over Malaysia in the following game sealed the championship for the Japanese.
Last year, Gilas finished fifth in a six-team field with just one win to show.
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In Zamboanga City, 27 hurt as firecrackers set for disposal explode | Julie S. Alipala | Wed, 10 Jul 2024 04:40:00 PST | Inquirer files
Inquirer files
ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines — At least 27 people, 11 of them civilians, were injured when the destruction of seized firecrackers here went awry on Monday.
According to Brig. General Bowenn Joey Masauding, Zamboanga Peninsula regional police director, the Philippine National Police is investigating the incident to pinpoint lapses in procedures.
He said personnel from the PNP’s Explosives and Ordnance Division (EOD) based in the national headquarters in Camp Crame were already here to conduct an independent probe.
READ: 5 dead, 20 hurt after firecracker warehouse explosion in Zamboanga City
From the initial 19 casualties reported on Monday, the number of injured reached 27 on Tuesday, according to the police. The city government’s count has already reached 30, although officials failed to provide further details.
At least seven of the 20 injured are still in critical condition, according to Lt. Col. Helen Galvez, spokesperson for the regional police.
Galvez said a police EOD team was trying to dispose of the seized firecrackers at 5:35 p.m. on Monday at Zone 2 in Cabatangan village, about 6.3 kilometers from the city center, when the explosive materials prematurely detonated, severely wounding at least five security personnel and two others.
At least four vehicles, among them a KM450 military truck and a firetruck, were damaged due to the strong impact of the explosion.
At least 12 structures have been damaged, among these are the Padre Pio Chapel, the regional office of the Civil Service Commission, the Philippine Marines’ Assault Armor Battalion headquarters, the Cabatangan barangay hall and several school buildings, all within 2 kilometers of the blast site, and the Palacio del Sur hotel in Barangay Canelar, which is around 3 km away.
An impact map prepared by engineer Rommel Allan Labayog of the Zamboanga station of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology showed that the impact was created within 2.4 km of the blast site. The explosion was heard by people in communities 28 km away, such as in Sangali village. At the compound of Western Mindanao Command of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, people experienced ground shaking “as if there was [an] earthquake,” and some wondered about “a very loud thunder.”
Authorities are still assessing the damage to an undetermined number of houses around the blast site.
Cabatangan village chief Allan Dagun said both the city government and the police failed to coordinate with them the disposal of the firecrackers, noting that the Zamboanga police’s advisory indicated that this would happen on July 7.
He noted that the first disposal on July 4 was properly coordinated and went smoothly.
Monday’s operation was coordinated by the police’s Regional Explosive and Canine Unit, led by Senior Master Sgt. Elton Taluban, under the supervision of Maj. Arnulfo Jacaban Jr. They were assisted by personnel from the Philippine Marines, Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) and Philippine Coast Guard (PCG).
Among the severely wounded were Master Sgt. Raymond Herochi, Chief Master Sgt. Delilah Zamora and Patrolman Steve Sta. Esteban of the EOD; Petty Officer 3 Alrick Zar Enriquez of the PCG; Fire Officer 3 Saud Mubin Ammad of the BFP; and two others that the police had yet to name.
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The firecrackers were recovered from the warehouse in Barangay Tetuan that exploded on June 29. That explosion killed five and wounded 38 others.
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By providing an email address. I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy. | Inquirer | https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1959483/in-zamboanga-27-hurt-as-firecrackers-set-for-disposal-explode | null | null | null | null | null | null |
La Niña may trigger aggressive rate cuts, think tank says | Ian Nicolas P. Cigaral @ipcigaral | Wed, 10 Jul 2024 14:56:59 PST | INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
A La Niña could bring with it favorable growing conditions for crops in Southeast Asian countries like the Philippines, something that may help tame food prices and give central banks in the region more reason to be aggressive in cutting rates.
In a commentary, Ankita Amajuri, economist at Capital Economics, said the wetter weather that La Niña typically brings to the region would boost production of crops like rice, coffee and sugar, which have been adversely affected by dry conditions over the past year.
READ: Think tank: Aggressive rate cuts coming, starting with PH in August
The projected increase in production, in turn, might convince central banks in Southeast Asia to be more forceful with their rate cuts, Amajuri said. But she added that the extent to which above-normal rainfall conditions affect production will depend on the strength and duration of the event.
“Our view is that central banks in the region will begin cutting interest rates later this year,” she said.
”La Niña increases the odds that easing cycles will be even more aggressive than our forecasts, which are already more dovish than the consensus,” she added.
The World Meteorological Organization is currently forecasting a 70 percent chance of a La Niña between August and November. In the Philippines, the state weather bureau said there’s a possibility that the onset of such a weather phenomenon would happen much later in September.
READ: ANZ: Stubbornly high inflation to block rate cuts in 2024
Capital Economics expects the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) to ease by a total of 75 basis points this year, which would bring the key rate to 5.75 percent by the end of 2024 from the current level of 6.5 percent, an over 17-year high.
That projection was more aggressive than the dovish signals coming from Governor Eli Remolona Jr., who said the BSP may cut rates by a total of 50 bps this year. Already, Remolona had ruled out the possibility of a 75-bp cumulative cuts for 2024, arguing that such a move may spook the market.
But Remolona and Capital Economics both shared the same view that the easing cycle might start in August, and likely ahead of the US Federal Reserve.
In a separate report, Miguel Chanco, economist at Pantheon Economics, said the softer June inflation print of 3.7 percent laid the groundwork for the BSP to cut next month.
“Overall, our below-consensus 3.3 percent full-year average inflation forecast for 2024 remains appropriate, with risks skewed only slightly to the upside,” Chanco said.
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”We forecast the same rate for 2025 and still see the BSP cutting its benchmark rate by 75 bps this year and 50 bps next year,” he added.
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By providing an email address. I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy. | Inquirer | https://business.inquirer.net/467982/la-nina-may-trigger-aggressive-rate-cuts-think-tank-says | null | null | null | null | null | null |
Alice Guo asks SC to stop Senate from using her as resource person | Tetch Torres-Tupas | Wed, 10 Jul 2024 17:56:32 PST | The camp of Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo asks SC to stop the Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations, and Gender Equality from inviting her as a resource person and nullify the subpoena issued against her. Photo by Tetch Torres-Tupas/INQUIRER.net
The camp of Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo asks SC to stop the Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations, and Gender Equality from inviting her as a resource person and nullify the subpoena issued against her. Photo by Tetch Torres-Tupas/INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines — Saying that her life, liberty, and security were put in danger, Bamban Mayor Alice Guo on Wednesday asked the Supreme Court (SC) to stop the Senate from using her as a resource person in its committee hearings related to the Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (Pogos) and their involvement in criminal activities.
Guo, through her lawyers, also urged the SC to annul and set aside the subpoena issued by the Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations, and Gender Equality for her to attend the July 10 hearing.
During Wednesday’s Senate hearing, Guo was held in contempt and ordered arrested for failing to attend the inquiry.
READ: Alice Guo and 7 others cited for contempt, ordered arrested
Guo was dragged into the controversy after the Philippine Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) raided a Pogo hub in Bamban, Tarlac and rescued hundreds of foreign workers.
The local government of Bamban gave the Pogo hub a permit to operate.
Authorities found that Zun Yuan Technology’s electric meter was registered under Guo’s name, and a vehicle inside the facility was also registered under her name.
In her petition for certiorari and/or prohibition with extremely urgent prayer for a temporary restraining order, Guo said the Senate panel chaired by Senator Risa Hontiveros committed grave abuse of discretion amounting to lack or excess of jurisdiction for continuously violating her constitutional rights to due process and right to privacy.
Citing the Senate transcript of stenographic notes for the May 7 and 22 hearings when she was invited as a resource person, Guo’s camp said that “she was never afforded any opportunity to sufficiently explain her side whenever a certain issue was raised.”
She also lamented that even her personal information no longer related to the Senate inquiry was made public.
“Petitioner’s private life was mocked, dishonored, and became the subject of public ridicule, memes, gossips, and malicious public prosecution. As a result, petitioner’s life, liberty, and security were put in actual danger as she received threats from inside and outside the country,” read her petition.
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She urged the SC “to caution investigating entities that information-sharing must observe strict confidentiality.”
“Intelligence gathered must be released exclusively to the authorities empowered to receive the relevant information. After all, inherent to the right to privacy is the freedom from ‘unwarranted exploitation of one’s person or from intrusion into one’s private activities in such a way as to cause humiliation to a person’s ordinary sensibilities,” the petition read.
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Gatchalian: Alice Guo not homeschooled; we attended same school | Charie Abarca | Wed, 10 Jul 2024 15:20:48 PST | Sen. Win Gatchalian (L) and Bamban Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo. | PHOTOS: Senate Public Relations and Information Bureau and INQUIRER.net
Sen. Win Gatchalian (L) and Bamban Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo. | PHOTOS: Senate Public Relations and Information Bureau and INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines — No, suspended Bamban Mayor Alice Guo was not homeschooled. She also did not grow up on a farm.
This was according to Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian who presented Guo’s school documents before the Senate panel on women, revealing that he and the embattled local official, in fact, studied in the same school.
“Merong mga tips na lumabas sa amin na apparently si Guo Hua Ping o si Alice Guo [ay] hindi lumaki sa farm. Hindi rin siya home schooled — nag-aral ho siya, and I’ll show you the proof,” said Gatchalian.
(We were tipped off that apparently Guo Hua Ping or Alice Guo didn’t grow up on a farm. She was not homeschooled. She went to school, and I’ll show you the proof.)
READ: Senate summons Guo to Pogo probe, cites lack of ‘good reason to be absent’
“Dahil nga lumabas sa hearing yung totoong pangalan niya — nagaral siya sa [ka]parehas kong school: sa Grace Christian High School. For Grades 1, 2, and 3,” he added.
(Since her real name was revealed in the hearings, we found out that she studied in the same school as I did, Grace Christian High School. For Grades 1, 2, and 3.)
Gatchalian’s revelation contradicts Guo’s earlier claims that she was raised on a farm and was only homeschooled by a certain Teacher Rubilyn.
“Year 2000-2003. Hindi siya homeschool[ed] ni Rubilyn, nag-aral talaga ho siya. At kung matatandaan ko sa school namin walang farm doon, puro building ho,” said the senator.
(She wasn’t homeschooled by Rubilyn, she attended school. And I remember our school has no farm, it’s all buildings.)
READ: ‘I am afraid’: Alice Guo says she’s ‘constantly receiving death threats’
According to Gatchalian, documents attached to Guo’s enrollment forms include an Alien Birth Certificate of Registration, which matches what was provided earlier by the Bureau of Immigration.
Along with the enrollment document is a birth certificate from China translated into English.
“Nakasulat dito na father niya si Jian Zhang Guo at ang mother niya si Wen Yi Lin,” said Gatchalian.
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(It’s written here that her father is Jian Zhang Guo and her mother is Wen Yi Lin.)
The embattled local official skipped the Senate’s Wednesday probe on her alleged involvement with illegal Pogo firm Zun Yuan Technology, citing death threats and malicious accusations as the reasons why she is presently stressed and anxious.
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PNP: Davao reshuffle for better police service | Philippine Daily Inquirer | Wed, 10 Jul 2024 04:30:00 PST | RESHUFFLE Davao City’s San Pedro police station, shown here on Monday, is one of the 19 police units in the city whose commanders have been relieved in an unexplained major reshuffle. —Bing Gonzales
RESHUFFLE Davao City’s San Pedro police station, shown here on Monday, is one of the 19 police units in the city whose commanders have been relieved in an unexplained major reshuffle. —Bing Gonzales
MANILA, Philippines — The relief of police commanders in 19 stations in Davao City was due to “discrepancies in terms of the crime statistics,” Philippine National Police spokesperson Col. Jean Fajardo said on Tuesday.
Brig. Gen. Nicolas Deloso Torre III, Davao regional police director, ordered the transfer of the police officers on July 8 without an immediate explanation.
READ: 19 police chiefs in Davao City relieved, reassigned
Fajardo did not elaborate on the supposed “discrepancies” but said Torre’s intent was “to improve the delivery of police service and restore the trust of the people.”
“He said his decision was part of his sole prerogative as regional director and his intent was to further improve the delivery of public service to the people of Davao,” she said.
On June 17, Torre replaced Brig. Gen. Aligre Martinez, who was relieved barely 50 days after assuming office and three days following the June 10 operation that failed to arrest televangelist Apollo Quiboloy, who is charged with human trafficking and child sexual abuse. —Frances Mangosing
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Parents group slams DOJ, DSWD: Why take aid from Big Tobacco? | Dexter Cabalza | Wed, 10 Jul 2024 05:30:00 PST | Inquirer file photo
Inquirer file photo
MANILA, Philippines — A parents’ organization has assailed the Department of Justice (DOJ) opinion allowing the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to receive the tobacco industry donations, saying it disregarded the government’s international commitments.
“This decision poses significant risks to the health and well-being of our children and youth. Our primary concern is the impact of this decision on impressionable young minds,” Parents Against Vape (PAV) president Rebie Relator said in a statement on Monday.
For the group, the DOJ opinion would send “a misleading message to our children, suggesting that the tobacco industry is a partner in health care and development.”
In a June 6 legal opinion, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said the DSWD could accept a donation of three mobile clinics for its social welfare and disaster response operations from an undisclosed tobacco company.
He said this acceptance would not violate Joint Memorandum Circular (JMC) No. 2010-01 of the Civil Service Commission (CSC) and the Department of Health (DOH). The JMC, particularly Section 3.3, explicitly forbids government officials and employees from soliciting or accepting gifts, favors, or donations from entities in the tobacco industry.
The prohibition was in line with the country’s compliance with commitments under the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, to which the Philippines is a signatory.
But according to the DOJ opinion, the prohibition only covered officials and employees, and “the same cannot be interpreted to broadly extend to the national government, local government, and other government agencies, subdivisions and offices.”
In 2019, the DSWD issued Administrative Order (AO) No. 11, which reiterated the joint circular of the CSC and DOH and barred the agency and its personnel from accepting gifts, donations, and sponsorships from any person or business related to the tobacco industry.
“As the lead government agency in promoting social services to the general public, it is an ethical and primary duty of the department to care and protect DSWD clientele, particularly children, and its own personnel from [the] harm of tobacco use and threat of tobacco industry interference,” the AO stated.
“Tobacco control measures help save lives, reduce health hazards and counter the economic toll on [citizens] toward greater sustainable development,” it added.
The DOJ, however, recommended that the DSWD address the conflict on AO 11 “internally,” noting its “overarching inclusion of both the department and its officials and employees” to the coverage of the prohibition.
It also advised the DSWD to address its inquiry to both the DOH and CSC as the lead implementing agencies of the joint circular.
PAV called on Social Welfare Secretary Rex Gatchalian to reject the donations and for his agency to just seek alternative sources of funding that “align with the nation’s commitment to public health and the protection of our future generations.”
According to the group, the DSWD accepting such donations smacked of “dangerous irony” as it would risk normalizing the presence of the tobacco industry in sectors dedicated to public health and welfare.
It noted that tobacco use is a leading cause among Filipinos, or the seventh out of the Top 10 noncommunicable diseases in the country.
“This not only undermines efforts to reduce tobacco use and its devastating health impacts but also compromises the integrity of public health policies,” Relator said.
It could also create a conflict of interest within the DSWD and other government agencies. The DOH, for one, has been strongly campaigning against smoking and vaping.
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“It opens the door for the tobacco industry to influence public health policies and programs, which should remain free from any vested interests that could jeopardize public health, especially the health of our children,” the group said. INQ
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‘Tokhang’ victim to SC: Reinstate case vs 4 cops | Jane Bautista | Wed, 10 Jul 2024 05:35:00 PST | LEGIT OPERATION The Ombudsman dismissed in 2022 the murder charges filed against four Quezon City policemen by Efren Morillo, saying they were able to prove the antidrug operation in 2016 was legitimate. —Inquirer file photo
LEGIT OPERATION The Ombudsman dismissed in 2022 the murder charges filed against four Quezon City policemen by Efren Morillo, saying they were able to prove the antidrug operation in 2016 was legitimate. —Inquirer file photo
MANILA, Philippines — Efren Morillo, who survived a police “tokhang” operation in Payatas, Quezon City, in 2016 that killed four other men, has challenged before the Supreme Court the Ombudsman’s dismissal of murder charges against the four lawmen implicated in the case.
In a petition for certiorari filed on Monday by his legal counsel, the Center for International Law Philippines (CenterLaw), Morillo asked the high tribunal to junk the Ombudsman’s resolution and order, which dismissed the criminal and administrative complaints for murders, frustrated murder, robbery and grave misconduct against Police Capt. Emil Garcia, Police Staff Sergeant Allan Formilleza and Patrolmen James Aggarao and Melchor Navisaga of the Quezon City Police District (QCPD).
READ: PNP hit for not filing charges over ‘tokhang’ slays
Morillo was joined by his co-petitioners Marilyn Malimban, Maria Belen Daa and Lydia Gabo, the relatives of the four men killed in the drug war operation. Together, they asked the high court to step in and order the Ombudsman to find probable cause to indict the four police officers and six other private respondents identified as Maria Lorena Barcelona, Ma. Leonila Barcelona-Tolones, Mary Joy Ralo, Richard Rinon, John Doe and Peter Doe for murder, frustrated murder, robbery, and planting of evidence.
CenterLaw simultaneously filed a separate petition for certiorari before the Court of Appeals to challenge the dismissal of the administrative complaint against the Quezon City policemen.
The case stemmed from the Aug. 21, 2016, antidrug operation of a QCPD team, which, according to Morillo’s affidavit, barged into a house in Payatas and shot him and four others as they were playing billiards.
Anthony Comendo, Jessie Cule, Rhaffy Gabo and Marcelo Daa Jr., the house owner, were killed.
Morillo, who was hit in the chest, survived by playing dead. He then managed to crawl down a nearby ravine before fleeing on foot. The police claimed the five men were armed and had fired at them.
In a joint resolution dated Nov. 28, 2022, the Ombudsman dismissed the criminal and administrative complaint against the policemen for lack of probable cause and substantial evidence. It also later denied a motion for reconsideration filed by the petitioners in a joint order issued on March 22.
“Taken altogether, these decisions of the Ombudsman show capricious or whimsical exercise of judgment done in an arbitrary and despotic manner, amounting to a virtual refusal to perform its duty to file an information when the evidence clearly warrants it,” read a portion of Morillo’s petition obtained by the Inquirer.
In challenging the Ombudsman’s ruling, CenterLaw said that its decision was “tainted with grave abuse of discretion amounting to lack or excess of jurisdiction” when it dismissed the criminal charges against the QCPD policemen.
It also argued that there was enough evidence to charge the police officers with the crimes based on affidavits and supporting documents, which included statements from multiple witnesses, medicolegal reports, and court decisions and records.
“Probable cause needs only to rest on evidence showing that more likely than not, a crime has been committed and there is enough reason to believe that it was committed by the accused. Proof beyond reasonable doubt enough to secure a conviction is not required,” the petitioners said.
They also claimed that the Ombudsman “intentionally overlooked the dearth of evidence and the inconsistencies and irregularities in the documents submitted by the respondents to arrive at the baseless conclusion that justifying circumstances exist in the present case.”
The Ombudsman had said in its resolution that the lawmen were “able to establish” that they were conducting a legitimate anti-illegal drug operation.
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“This is clear from the documents submitted by the respondents. It is unfortunate, however, that the police operation resulted in deaths,” it added.
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VP Duterte optimistic Nat’l Learning Camp to enhance student skills | Adrian Parungao | Wed, 10 Jul 2024 17:37:58 PST | MANILA, Philippines — Vice President and outgoing Department of Education (DepEd) Secretary Sara Duterte expressed her optimism on Wednesday that the National Learning Camp (NLC) will contribute to the skills needed by Filipino students.
According to Duterte, a whole-of-community approach is needed to sustain the NLC, which includes parents, local government officials, and members of the education sector, among others, which she also thanked for their contributions to the program.
READ: DepEd unveils National Learning Camp for interactive education
“I am optimistic that this program will continue to yield positive outcomes, improving the foundational literacy, numeracy, and 21st century skills crucial to our learners’ future success,” Duterte said.
“A whole-of-community approach that brings together parents, barangay officials, our local government units, partners, principals, and other education leaders, and parents is central to the National Learning Camp; and is essential to how we educate our children,” she added.
Duterte made her remarks at the National Learning Camp Appreciation program in Cebu.
She added that more than 2.1 million learners from Grades 1 to 3 and 7 to 10 joined the 2024 NLC, while there were also more than 185,000 learning camp volunteers nationwide.
READ: DepEd pushing for early end of school year due to intense heat
The NLC program will run from July 1 to 19 and will supplement learning losses due to asynchronous classes.
Meanwhile, school year 2024 to 2025 classes will open on July 29.
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INQToday: Alice Guo, others cited for contempt for skipping Senate hearing | INQUIRER.net | Wed, 10 Jul 2024 12:15:05 PST | Here’s a quick roundup of today’s top stories:
The Senate panel on women cited for contempt and sought the arrest of suspended mayor Alice Guo and others for skipping the chamber’s hearing on the local official’s alleged ties to Philippine offshore gaming operator (Pogo) in Tarlac.
During the Senate panel on women’s Wednesday hearing, Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian made the motion to cite for contempt the following individuals:
Panel head Sen. Risa Hontiveros accepted Gatchalian’s motion.
Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chair George Erwin Garcia on Tuesday branded as “malicious” and part of a “demolition job” a lawmaker’s allegation about bribe money being deposited in his offshore bank accounts during the bidding for the new automated elections systems (AES) service provider.
Garcia told reporters that he learned of the plot against him about two weeks ago and asked the National Bureau of Investigation to look into it.
Jennie of Blackpink extended her apologies through her agency after a video of her “vaping” indoors with her staff around her went viral on the internet.
On Tuesday, July 9, Jennie’s personal label, OA Entertainment, penned a statement on X (formerly Twitter) to explain the Kpop star’s side.
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Vacuum maker Dyson warns of 1,000 UK job cuts — source | Agence France-Presse | Wed, 10 Jul 2024 12:04:53 PST | British inventor James Dyson’s son Jake Dyson, Chief engineer at Dyson presents the company’s new model of vacuum cleaner in Paris on March 6, 2018. (Photo by ERIC PIERMONT / AFP)
British inventor James Dyson’s son Jake Dyson, Chief engineer at Dyson presents the company’s new model of vacuum cleaner in Paris on March 6, 2018. (Photo by ERIC PIERMONT / AFP)
London, United Kingdom — Dyson’s chief executive Hanno Kirner on Tuesday announced changes to the vacuum maker’s organization that could result in job losses in Britain.
A source close to the matter added that “around 1,000” out of 3,500 UK employees could be impacted by the changes.
Created by inventor James Dyson, the Singapore-based company’s products include also hair dryers and air purifiers.
READ: Singapore firm pledges P11-B investment in PH
“We have grown quickly and, like all companies, we review our global structures from time to time to ensure we are prepared for the future,” Kirner said in a statement.
“As such, we are proposing changes to our organization, which may result in redundancies.”
He added that “Dyson operates in increasingly fierce and competitive global markets, in which the pace of innovation and change is only accelerating”.
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China consumer prices rise slightly in June | Agence France-Presse | Wed, 10 Jul 2024 13:35:00 PST | Customers select vegetables at a market in Heze, in eastern China’s Shandong province on June 12, 2024. (Photo by AFP) / China OUT
Customers select vegetables at a market in Heze, in eastern China’s Shandong province on June 12, 2024. (Photo by AFP) / China OUT
China consumer prices edged up in June, official data showed Wednesday, but fell short of analyst expectations as the country’s economic recovery continues to falter.
The consumer price index rose 0.2 percent on-year in June, down from May’s 0.3 percent and the fifth straight month in positive territory, the National Bureau of Statistics said.
READ: China consumer prices up in May, factory deflation persists
While the country emerged from a period of deflation in February, prices have grown at a modest rate, in contrast to other major economies which have seen prices soar once again.
At the end of 2023, China plunged into deflation for four months, with the sharpest contraction in consumer prices in 14 years in January.
Bloomberg analysts had predicted a 0.4 percent inflation rate for June.
An ongoing crisis in the real estate sector, which has long accounted for a quarter of the country’s GDP, has dragged down growth.
High youth unemployment, which reached 14.2 percent in May, is also dampening domestic demand.
The NBS said producer prices fell 0.8 percent in June, slightly slower than May’s 1.4 percent decline, continuing a now 20-month downward streak.
READ: China consumer prices rose at slower rate in March
“The risk of deflation has not faded in China,” Zhiwei Zhang, chief economist at Pinpoint Asset Management, said in a note sent to AFP.
“Domestic demand remains weak,” Zhang said, adding that “in the long term China will need a rebound of domestic demand to drive the economy.”
June’s data comes days before the start of a major Communist Party meeting that is expected to put economic recovery high on the agenda.
Policymakers have announced a series of targeted measures to boost infrastructure spending and spur consumption.
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But analysts say much more needs to be done in the form of a major “bazooka” stimulus.
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Carmen, Cebu tragedy: Search for last missing person continues | eares | Wed, 10 Jul 2024 11:24:04 PST | Authorities have shifted their operation for search and retrieval of the body of the last missing victim of the last Monday’s flash flood in Brgy. Cantumog, Carmen, Cebu. | Mayor Carlo Villamor FB
Authorities have shifted their operation for search and retrieval of the body of the last missing victim of the last Monday’s flash flood in Brgy. Cantumog, Carmen, Cebu. | Mayor Carlo Villamor FB
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Authorities have retrieved the bodies of six of the seven individuals, who went missing after they were swept away by raging waters of a river last Monday, July 8.
They were among 17 people aboard a red pickup truck crossing the spillway in a river in Barangay Cantumog, Carmen town in northern Cebu when their vehicle was swept away by a flashflood with the onrushing water of the river coming from the mountains, which experienced heavy rains earlier in the afternoon that day.
After one day of search and rescue operations, six of the victims were found while one is still missing.
READ MORE:
Carmen tragedy: Pregnant woman jumped after husband
Cebu river sweeps away pickup truck with 17 people: 1 dead, 6 missing
Carmen: Family outing ends in tragedy after flashfloods sweep pick-up
The tragedy happened happened at past 5:00 p.m. on Monday, July 8, as the victims were on their way home from having a party at a mountain resort in Sitio Mangingit, Brgy. Lower Natimao-an.
A few hours after the seven victims were swept away, they recovered the body of 11-year-old child, Arshane Bejoc, in a river in Brgy. Luyang, a few kilometers downstream.
On Tuesday, July 9, disaster operatives retrieved the body of Rhesamie Ypil Costan, 26, floating in the same river.
She was six months pregnant.
Authorities then reportedly found Nathaniel Lozano, 12; and Clarisse Ypil, 13, in the waters off Panalipan, Catmon.
They also retrieved the body of Aishie Hermoso, 12, in Consuelo, Camotes.
READ MORE:
Carmen, Cebu tragedy: Body of pregnant woman, 12-yr-old boy found
50,000 residents affected by floods in 2 Maguindanao del Sur towns
Meanwhile, some fishermen found the body of Elmer Costan, 25, floating in the waters of Macaas, Catmon at around 2:00 p.m. on the same day.
He was wearing a black shirt and was positively identified by his relatives.
Elmer and Rhesamie are newlyweds, who tied the knot last Saturday, July 6.
Out of the seven individuals who were swept away by the flash flood waters, only one remained missing as of Wednesday, July 10.
Carmen Mayor Carlo Villamor said in his post on Wednesday that authorities were still on the search for Mike Stanly Tungal, 15.
Furthermore, the search and rescue operation for Tungal had been shifted to search and retrieval operation.
The victims were onboard a red pickup truck with 10 other individuals on the day of the incident.
Unfortunately, their vehicle was struck by a huge volume of flood waters as they were trying to cross a spillway in Barangay Cantumog.
A total of 10 individuals were able to get off on a large rock and were promptly rescued.
The rescued persons from the Carmen flash floods were: Ranilo Hermoso, 44, the driver of the vehicle; Debie Hermoso, 40; Jojielyn Tungal, 39; Jasmine Gica, 37; 4 six-year-old girls; an 11-year-old girl; and a 16-year-old girl.
They were subjected to psychosocial intervention and were sent home on Tuesday.
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Disclaimer: The comments uploaded on this site do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of management and owner of Cebudailynews. We reserve the right to exclude comments that we deem to be inconsistent with our editorial standards.
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Chery Tiggo risks missing its Alas Pilipinas players | Angel B. Dukha III, Lance Agcaoili | Wed, 10 Jul 2024 04:30:00 PST | Eya Laure (left) and Jennifer Nierva (middle) were teammates in the bronze-winning Alas Pilipinas squad in the AVC Challenge Cup, alongside La Salle star Angel Canino. —AUGUST DELA CRUZ
Eya Laure (left) and Jennifer Nierva (middle) were teammates in the bronze-winning Alas Pilipinas squad in the AVC Challenge Cup, alongside La Salle star Angel Canino. —AUGUST DELA CRUZ
Chery Tiggo risks missing stars Eya Laure and Jennifer Nierva in the PVL Reinforced Conference if both players are not released to the national pool, league president Ricky Palou warned on Monday night at the sidelines of the inaugural Rookie Draft.
“If the team chooses not to allow their players to play [with the national team], on our part, we have an agreement with the PNVF (Philippine National Volleyball Federation) that they will also not be allowed to play in the Reinforced Conference,” Palou told reporters after the Draft.
The potential ban represents the strongest move yet by an organization on clubs refusing to allow their players to suit up for national duty, a sanction never applied in recent history in local pro leagues.
Chery Tiggo Aaron Velez has told reporters that Chery Tiggo is maintaining status quo on both players, depending on negotiations with the league, the federation and the Crossovers’ management.
But there might be no need for negotiations based on agreements between the PVL and the PNVF. Those agreements, Palou explained, is tethered to guidelines by the sport’s international governing body (FIVB) on national team and club commitments.
“We’re trying to explain to [Chery] that there’s an FIVB regulation that if the national federation chooses your players to go to the national team, you’re supposed to [release] those players [to] the national team,” Palou said. “So we’re talking things out and I think there’s a misunderstanding somewhere.
We’re trying to explain [the details] to them; we’re still talking. We [need] time to explain to them what this whole thing [is about] and what our agreements are with the PNVF.”
National team players, Palou said, are mandated to remain with the pool until Aug. 11. The PVL Reinforced Conference starts on July 16.
Laure and Nierva, who were the key members of Alas’ bronze medal run in the AVC Challenge Cup, stopped attending practices after that tournament and also skipped the FIVB Women’s Volleyball Challenger Cup last week after failing to get a clearance from their mother club to play for the flag.
But Palou is hopeful the two will be reinstated once the wrinkles are ironed out.
“Even if they didn’t play in the Challenger Cup, they are still [part of] the pool so there are at least two tournaments for the national team and I think [the team] is also going to Japan to train for two or three weeks,” Palou said.
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“Hopefully they’ll be allowed to join the training in Japan and the two or three other tournaments. We’ll find out more [about the status of Laure and Nierva] in the next two weeks.” INQ
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‘No base’ clause a must in PH-Japan pact | Frances Mangosing | Wed, 10 Jul 2024 05:15:49 PST | COOPERATION AFP chief Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. (left) greets his Japanese counterpart, Japan Self-Defense Forces Gen. Yoshihide Yoshida, as officials of the two countries discuss security cooperation during the 2nd Philippines-Japan Foreign and Defense Ministerial Meeting held in Taguig City on Monday. —Grig C. Montegrande
COOPERATION AFP chief Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. (left) greets his Japanese counterpart, Japan Self-Defense Forces Gen. Yoshihide Yoshida, as officials of the two countries discuss security cooperation during the 2nd Philippines-Japan Foreign and Defense Ministerial Meeting held in Taguig City on Monday. —Grig C. Montegrande
MANILA, Philippines — Japan is not seeking to establish a permanent military base in the Philippines under the newly signed access deal between the two countries that allows the entry of military troops and equipment into each other’s territory, a Japanese diplomat said on Monday.
In an interview with journalists on Monday night, Deputy Press Secretary Mariko Kaneko of Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the Reciprocal Access Agreement (RAA) did not provide any legal foundation for the setup of a military base.
READ: Philippines, Japan sign reciprocal access agreement
Section 3, Article VIII of the agreement explicitly states that: “Nothing in this agreement shall be construed as providing a basis for a Party to establish its military facilities in the territory of the other Party.”
Similar access deals Japan had forged ties with Australia and the United Kingdom did not feature this clause.
The 1987 Constitution of the Philippines prohibits foreign military bases in the country.
Kaneko said both parties had to include the provision during the negotiations “so that there’s no misunderstanding on both sides.”
“It only provides the procedures to facilitate joint exercises and the temporary operation of one country’s forces. This RAA does not provide any legal foundations for a military of one country to be deployed or based permanently,” Kaneko said.
Yusuke Takagi, a Southeast Asia expert and associate professor at the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies in Japan, said the new deal would open the door “for more substantial participation of Japan Self-Defense Force in joint exercises in the Philippines.”
“This implies an effort to institutionalize the cooperation of the two countries … In the midst of tensions in the West Philippine Sea, I believe that the agreement shows Japan’s moral support [for what] the Philippines is doing to deal with the threats,” he told the Inquirer.
Foreign Secretary Enrique Manalo said “difficult issues” emerged during the negotiations but that they were eventually resolved “due to the skill of our negotiators.”
The agreement—signed by Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. and Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa—was completed in a record time of eight months.
By comparison, Tokyo formalized an RAA with London in five years, and with Canberra in seven years.
“They were able to come up with some very useful compromises both in language and also in the substance of the text. So they were able to handle the difficult questions,” Manalo said during a press conference.
“At the strategic level, both Japan and the Philippines recognize the importance of this agreement. So I think that was a basic understanding from the very beginning, so that also helped facilitate the negotiations,” he added.
The first formal negotiations on the RAA were held in Tokyo from Nov. 29 to Nov. 30, 2023, and concluded in a virtual line-by-line reading of the main text, the agreed minutes, and two records of discussions from June 11.
Manalo said the negotiations over the past months took place in both physical and virtual meetings. “They had late-night meetings; they also negotiated via Zoom; they also were in regular contact informally,’’ he recalled.
In a statement on Tuesday, Speaker Martin Romualdez described the signing of the RAA as a “crucial moment” in Philippine-Japan relations.
It would broaden the participation of the Japanese military in the annual “Balikatan” exercises of the United States’ and the Philippines’ Armed Forces, the House leader said.
Iloilo Rep. Raul Tupas, vice chair of the House committee on national defense and security, proposed that the Philippines consider signing similar pacts with South Korea and two of the country’s Southeast Asian neighbors.
“It is possible for the Philippines to have a similar reciprocal access agreement with South Korea … Similar pacts can be forged with Brunei and Malaysia,” the lawmaker said, noting that the enactment of the maritime zones bill could “spur pursuit of more agreements.”
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Brunei and Malaysia are also claimants to the South China Sea. —with a report from Jeannette I. Andrade
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China claims it allowed medevac in West PH Sea; Tarriela says it’s ‘ridiculous’ | John Eric Mendoza | Wed, 10 Jul 2024 12:55:37 PST | This aerial photograph taken from a military aircraft shows the dilapidated Sierra Madre ship of the Philippine Navy anchored near Ayungin shoal (Second Thomas Shoal). FILE PHOTO/Agence France-Presse
This aerial photograph taken from a military aircraft shows the dilapidated Sierra Madre ship of the Philippine Navy anchored near Ayungin shoal (Second Thomas Shoal). FILE PHOTO/Agence France-Presse
MANILA, Philippines — China’s claim that it allowed the medical evacuation of a navy personnel stationed in Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal is “ridiculous,” Commodore Jay Tarriela, Philippine Coast Guard spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea, said on Wednesday.
Tarriela made the response to Chinese state tabloid Global Times’ report that Beijing allowed the medical evacuation of personnel in BRP Sierra Madre upon Manila’s request.
“On July 7, at the request of the Philippines, the Chinese side allowed the Philippines to send a sick person from the illegally grounded warship on [Ayungin Shoal] based on humanitarian considerations,” said Global Times in a post on X (formerly Twitter).
READ: West PH Sea: China tried but failed to block medical evacuation of sailor – PCG
In direct response to this, Tarriela said: “The claim made by the People’s Republic of China that they have permitted a medical evacuation for a sick navy personnel, in order to present themselves as humanitarian while asserting their authority to allow such operation to be carried out in the Philippines’ Exclusive Economic Zone, is ridiculous.”
The China Coast Guard on Sunday tried but failed to block the medical evacuation of a navy personnel in BRP Sierra Madre, Tarriela said on Tuesday.
READ: West PH Sea: CCG, militia vessels intercept 2 PCG boats near Ayungin
“This statement further confirms their illegal deployment of vessels within our EEZ and highlights their government’s view that the preservation of human life and welfare requires approval,” Tarriela said.
“Evidently, the deployment of numerous boats to delay the medical evacuation for hours just shows that they have a low regard for a humanitarian mission,” he added.
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For comprehensive coverage, in-depth analysis, visit our special page for West Philippine Sea updates. Stay informed with articles, videos, and expert opinions.
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Inter-tropical convergence zone to bring rains in Cebu – Pagasa | merram | Wed, 10 Jul 2024 11:46:05 PST | Satellite image courtesy of Pagasa on July 10, 2024.
Satellite image courtesy of Pagasa on July 10, 2024.
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Due to the presence of the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ), rains are expected in Cebu and the entire Central Visayas throughout this week, the state weather bureau said.
The Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration in Mactan (Pagasa-Mactan) said on Wednesday, July 10, that Cebu would have rainy days due to the prevailing weather system.
READ MORE:
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In addition, they are currently monitoring cloud formations east of Mindanao that may develop into a low-pressure area (LPA) by next week.
“ITCZ are considered breeding grounds for major weather disturbance. Based on our forecast, our data and analysis showed that an LPA may form east of Mindanao by next week,” said Mark Gales, weather specialist at Pagasa-Mactan.
Meanwhile, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has ordered concerned agencies here to send help for the individuals affected by the heavy rains last Monday, July 8, that resulted in flashfloods, landslides and even a whirlwind.
“Rest assured, national and local governments are working closely to bring speedy help to those who are affected by the heavy rains, especially in Carmen, in Minglanilla, and Cebu,” said Marcos during his speech at the opening ceremony of the Palarong Pambansa.
The President also said he has directed the Office of the President and the Department of Social Welfare and Development to provide assistance to the local government units affected by the flooding.
READ MORE:
Whirlwind hits Liloan, Cebu brgy, destroying houses, bunkhouse
Pagasa: Fair Tuesday weather with possible rain showers nationwide
Since Monday, July 8, Cebu suffered inclement weather that also resulted in flashflood, landslides and even a whirlwind in several parts of the island.
A flashflood in Carmen town in northern Cebu swept a pick-up truck traveling downhill, resulting in the deaths of five people – including a newlywed couple.
Search and retrieval operations continue on Wednesday for the lone missing passenger who happened to be a 15-year-old boy.
The cities of Cebu and Mandaue also reported floodings in major thoroughfares that day while landslides occurred in the southern towns of Argao, Dalaguete and Minglanilla.
According to Gales, the bad weather last Monday was caused by the easterlies, which were warm and moist air from the Pacific Ocean.
On that day, torrential rains dumped at least 78.4 millimeters of rainwater which is equivalent to the volume of water inside 31 Olympic size swimming pools.
In the meantime, Pagasa-Mactan reminded the public to continually monitor weather updates and obey authorities in case of emergencies.
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Navy asserts PH vessel will stay at shoal, cites ‘past experiences’ | Nestor Corrales | Wed, 10 Jul 2024 05:45:18 PST | Answering the directive of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr to strengthen and increase the Philippine Coast Guard’s (PCG) presence and operations in the West Philippine Sea (WPS), PCG Commandant, CG Admiral Artemio M. Abu, has deployed one of the PCG Fleet’s largest maritime assets, the BRP Teresa Magbanua (MRRV-9701), to the Kalayaan Island Group (KIG). Shortly after its deployment to the KIG on January 28, 2023, the crew of MRRV-9701 boarded Filipino Fishing Boats (FFBs) in the waters in and around the KIG to advise Filipino fishermen and crew to radio PCG or Armed Forces of the Philippines shore units in the area for any needed assistance. —Photo from the PCG
Answering the directive of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr to strengthen and increase the Philippine Coast Guard’s (PCG) presence and operations in the West Philippine Sea (WPS), PCG Commandant, CG Admiral Artemio M. Abu, has deployed one of the PCG Fleet’s largest maritime assets, the BRP Teresa Magbanua (MRRV-9701), to the Kalayaan Island Group (KIG). Shortly after its deployment to the KIG on January 28, 2023, the crew of MRRV-9701 boarded Filipino Fishing Boats (FFBs) in the waters in and around the KIG to advise Filipino fishermen and crew to radio PCG or Armed Forces of the Philippines shore units in the area for any needed assistance. —Photo from the PCG
MANILA, Philippines — For a week now, the largest coast guard vessels of the Philippines and China have been in close proximity to each other at Escoda (Sabina) Shoal.
As neither had budged, the Philippine Navy on Tuesday reiterated that the Filipinos wouldn’t be the first to do so, citing “our past experiences and current capabilities.”
Still, Rear Adm. Roy Vincent Trinidad, the Navy spokesperson on the West Philippine Sea (WPS), refused to call the situation between the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and the China Coast Guard (CCG) a “standoff.”
READ: ‘Monster’ vs Magbanua: New source of tension
Trinidad said the BRP Teresa Magbanua, the PCG’s largest and most modern vessel, would not end its three-month-old mission at Escoda just because of the arrival on July 3 of CCG vessel 5901.
At one point, the CCG ship, called “The Monster” for being the world’s largest coast guard vessel, came as close as 500 yards to the Magbanua.
“We have our plans, not only for Escoda. All our plans are anchored on all our past experiences and current capabilities,” Trinidad said, suggesting a strategy behind the Magbanua’s resolve to stay put.
It was Trinidad’s response when asked how the Navy would avoid a repeat of the 2012 standoff over another shoal — Panatag (Scarborough) — which lasted two months and ended with the Philippines losing the shoal to Chinese control.
Also known as Bajo de Masinloc, Panatag has since been off-limits to Filipino fishermen, mainly those from Zambales province, who now face harassment from the Chinese whenever they dare venture into what used to be part of their traditional fishing grounds.
“There is no standoff. No standoff,” Trinidad stressed.
But he said “We will ensure the integrity of our territory. Of course, it is our mandate. Not only that, but we have to ensure that what is ours will remain ours.”
“We have almost all of our capital ships already being assigned or doing routine patrols in the West Philippine Sea, not only because of the ‘Monster’ ship,” he told reporters at Camp Aguinaldo. “We will not give up that ship (Magbanua). It is an indication of the government’s stand. It is the mandate of the Armed Forces of the Philippines to ensure the integrity of the national territory,” he added.
The PCG first noted the arrival of the 12,000-ton CCG ship at Escoda Shoal, saying it dropped anchor there on July 3.
Cmdr. Jay Tarriela, the PCG spokesperson on the West Philippine Sea, then said the CCG earlier made “intrusive patrols” in other parts of the WPS in the last week of June—particularly at Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal and Panganiban (Mischief) Reef—before going to Escoda to “intimidate” the Magbanua into leaving the area.
According to an update released on Tuesday by the Armed Forces of the Philippines, at least 95 Chinese vessels were sighted within the WPS on July 8 alone. Of the total, the majority were maritime militia vessels that numbered up to 78.
There are two Chinese warships also seen in the vicinity of Ayungin, which is located some 67 kilometers west of Escoda.
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Escoda, which is about 139 km west of Palawan province, serves as the rendezvous point or staging area for rotation and resupply missions to the grounded BRP Sierra Madre, the Philippine military outpost at Ayungin.
For comprehensive coverage, in-depth analysis, visit our special page for West Philippine Sea updates. Stay informed with articles, videos, and expert opinions.
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‘Concerning’: AFP confirms presence of China aircraft carrier in Philippine Sea | John Eric Mendoza | Wed, 10 Jul 2024 14:28:42 PST | This undated handout image released by Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense on April 24, 2023 shows the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) aircraft carrier Shandong sailing in waters some 120 nautical miles of southeast Taiwan. FILE PHOTO/Agence France-Presse
This undated handout image released by Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense on April 24, 2023 shows the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) aircraft carrier Shandong sailing in waters some 120 nautical miles of southeast Taiwan. FILE PHOTO/Agence France-Presse
MANILA, Philippines — A Chinese aircraft carrier was deployed in the Philippine Sea, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said on Wednesday.
AFP spokesperson Col. Francel Margareth Padilla described the deployment of a Chinese carrier strike group in the area as “concerning.”
“The Armed Forces of the Philippines notes the deployment of a Chinese carrier strike group in the Philippine Sea with concern,” Padilla in a statement.
“The AFP remains committed to safeguarding our maritime interests and ensuring the security of our nation’s territorial waters through continued vigilance,” Padilla said.
READ: West Philippine Sea: Chinese aircraft carrier spotted off Luzon
Padilla made the statement as Japan’s Joint Staff Office reported that the People’s Liberation Army-Navy (PLA-N) Shandong’s carrier strike group operated in the Philippine Sea as part of annual drills conducted by China and Russia, according to a USNI report on Wednesday.
AFP public affairs chief Col. Xerxes Trinidad confirmed receiving reports about the bilateral drills.
“We have received reports of a bilateral China-Russia exercise in the Philippine Sea,” Trinidad said in a statement.
READ: WPS: China’s aircraft carrier presence off Luzon deemed ‘innocent passage’
Trinidad said the AFP continues to monitor their activity.
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“What they do in the high seas is being monitored,” he said. “We will continue to monitor this situation to ensure PH sovereign rights are not violated.”
Late last month, Shandong passed about 200 nautical miles away from Luzon in South China Sea, in a move deemed by the Philippine Navy as “innocent passage.”
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Alice Guo and 7 others cited for contempt, ordered arrested | Charie Abarca | Wed, 10 Jul 2024 11:32:01 PST | Alice Guo and homeschooling composite image from INQUIRER file and stock photos
Alice Guo and homeschooling composite image from INQUIRER file and stock photos
MANILA, Philippines — The Senate panel on women cited for contempt and ordered the arrest of suspended mayor Alice Guo and others for skipping the chamber’s hearing on the local official’s alleged ties to Philippine offshore gaming operator (Pogo) in Tarlac.
During the Senate panel on women’s Wednesday hearing, Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian made the motion to cite for contempt the following individuals:
Panel head Sen. Risa Hontiveros accepted Gatchalian’s motion.
“This committee is ordering the arrest of the persons cited in contempt to be submitted to the Senate President for his signature,” said Hontiveros.
She likewise explained that she would write to Senate President Chiz Escudero’s office after the hearing.
READ: Pogo probe: Guo, 2 other Bamban execs suspended
“The chair has ruled to cite them [for] contempt. Pagkatapos ng hearing, susulatan ng chair ang Senate President, once i-affix ng Senate President yung citing [for] contempt ng chair, in effect, mase-set in to motion na ‘yung pag-issue ng warrant of arrest,” said Hontiveros.
Apart from citing the aforementioned individuals for contempt, the Senate panel on women will also issue a subpoena to the following individuals:
READ: Pagcor chief Tengco appears in Senate probe into Pogos
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Pagasa: Cloudy, wet Wednesday in many parts of PH | John Eric Mendoza | Wed, 10 Jul 2024 07:53:35 PST | MANILA, Philippines — A cloudy and rainy Wednesday is forecast in Metro Manila and many other parts of the country on Wednesday due to the intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ) and easterlies, according to the state weather bureau.
“Makikita niyo ang mga cloud clusters dito sa Southern Luzon at maging dito din sa labas ng Philippine area of responsibility na nasa bahagi nitong axis ng tinatawag nating intertropical convergence zone, at ito ang inaasahan nating magdadala ng pag-ulan,” said Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa), weather specialist Obet Badrina.
(You could see cloud clusters in Southern Luzon and even outside the Philippine area of responsibility, which is part of the axis of the Intertropical convergence zone, and we expect these to trigger rainfall.)
Aside from Metro Manila, Badrina said cloudy skies, scattered rain showers, and thunderstorms are expected in the Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon), Mimaropa (Occidental Mindoro, Oriental Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, Palawan) and Bicol region, and Western Visayas.
Central Visayas will also see cloudy skies with scattered rain showers due to the easterlies.
The rest of the country is expected to have partly cloudy to cloudy skies, with possible isolated rain showers and thunderstorms.
Badrina likewise reported that no tropical cyclones are expected to form or enter the Philippine area of responsibility in the coming days.
Pagasa added that no gale warning is in effect nationwide.
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Tolentino: Fisher who survived ‘hit-and-run’ at Bajo de Masinloc recovering | INQUIRER.net | Wed, 10 Jul 2024 21:36:15 PST | Senate Majority Leader Francis ‘Tol’ Tolentino reports that Robert Mondeñedo, one of the two fishermen, who figured in a ‘hit-and-run’ incident off Bajo de Masinloc is still recovering. But his brother Jose has yet to be located and recovered by the Philippine Coast Guard. FILE PHOTO
Senate Majority Leader Francis ‘Tol’ Tolentino reports that Robert Mondeñedo, one of the two fishermen, who figured in a ‘hit-and-run’ incident off Bajo de Masinloc is still recovering. But his brother Jose has yet to be located and recovered by the Philippine Coast Guard. FILE PHOTO
Senate Majority Leader Francis Tolentino on Wednesday reported that the Filipino fisherman who survived a ‘hit-and-run’ collision last July 7 off the waters of Bajo de Masinloc, Zambales, is still recovering from the ordeal, while the brother, who went missing after the incident, has yet to be located.
It was Tolentino who first broke the news on Tuesday about a foreign commercial vessel that ran over and destroyed a fishing boat being used by Robert Mondeñedo, 47, and his younger brother Jose, 45, both fishermen from Subic, Zambales.
READ: Filipino fisher missing in West PH Sea after boat hit by ‘unidentified’ ship
“Nakausap ko mismo si Robert at nakausap ko rin ang pamilya ni Jose Mondeñedo at papasyalan ko sila sa Zambales sa July 16. Pinadalhan ko na rin po ng tulong pinansyal,’ shared the senator.
“Ang ilang ahensya ng pamahalaan ay sinulatan ko ngayon, gaya ng Department of Justice, para tumulong sa kaso,” he added.
“Parang ‘hit-and-run’ in our own seas po ang nangyari last July 7,” the senator said of the incident.
“I remain hopeful that our coast guard can recover safely our missing fisherman, Jose Mondeñedo, and that justice be given to him and his brother Robert, and their families,” he said.
Furthermore, the senator said that the foreign shipping vessel, whose body bore Chinese characters and was described by Robert as bearing the words ‘Yang Fu’ on the ship’s rear part, should be tracked down and held accountable.
“The ship responsible, initially identified as Yang Fu, must be tracked down and held accountable under Philippine and international maritime laws,” he concluded.
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West Philippine Sea: Japan-PH military deal ‘none of China’s business’ – Teodoro | John Eric Mendoza | Wed, 10 Jul 2024 16:50:25 PST | MILITARY ACCESS President Marcos witnesses the ceremonial signing of the Reciprocal Access Agreement between Japan Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa (second from left) and Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. in Malacañang on Monday. With them are Japan Defense Minister Minoru Kihara (left) and Foreign Secretary Enrique Manalo. MARIANNE BERMUDEZ
MILITARY ACCESS President Marcos witnesses the ceremonial signing of the Reciprocal Access Agreement between Japan Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa (second from left) and Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. in Malacañang on Monday. With them are Japan Defense Minister Minoru Kihara (left) and Foreign Secretary Enrique Manalo. MARIANNE BERMUDEZ
MANILA, Philippines — Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. on Wednesday dismissed China’s objection to the landmark military deal between Japan and the Philippines.
On Monday, Manila and Tokyo signed the Reciprocal Access Agreement (RAA), which enables a mechanism for shared military training and operations and larger joint exercises between the two countries.
“It is a matter internal to Japan and Philippines, so it is actually none of China’s business,” Teodoro told reporters in an ambush interview in Taguig City.
READ: Philippines, Japan strengthen ties as key defense agreement signed
Teodoro made the remark after China’s foreign ministry reacted to the RAA, saying bilateral agreements should not “target … or harm the interests of any third party.”
“The Asia-Pacific region does not need any military bloc, still less groupings that incite bloc confrontation or a new Cold War,” said Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian in a regular press briefing on Monday.
READ: Expert: Sharing common ‘threat’ led to swift inking of PH-Japan defense pact
Security expert Chester Cabalza on Monday said the signing of RAA, which was conducted ahead of the projected deadline, shows that both countries share the same “common threat that should be deterred.”
Manila and Tokyo have territorial disputes with Beijing over the maritime features in the West Philippine Sea and Pinnacle (Senkaku) Islands, respectively.
The ratification of the RAA is now in the hands of Philippine senators and their counterparts in Japan.
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In Cebu, 6 Palaro athletes get dengue | Philippine Daily Inquirer | Wed, 10 Jul 2024 04:30:00 PST | IMAGE Daniella Marie Agacer
IMAGE Daniella Marie Agacer
CEBU CITY, Philippines — At least six student-athletes participating in the Palarong Pambansa 2024 were taken to a local hospital after they got dengue before the sporting event’s official opening ceremonies on Tuesday.
Dr. Peter Mancao, acting chief medical director of the Cebu City Medical Center (CCMC), said the students were already in stable condition.
READ: VP Duterte no show at opening of 64th Palarong Pambansa
Two of them are from the Zamboanga Peninsula, two from the Cordillera, and two others from Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon).
Mancao said some of the students were already “sick and feverish” when they arrived in Cebu City last week, indicating that they might have contracted the mosquito-borne disease from their places of origin.
About 14,000 student-athletes around the country are participating in the games hosted by Cebu City until July 16. —Nestle Semilla-Dakay
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NBI nabs alleged cybercrime group selling hacked data from Comelec | Dianne Sampang | Wed, 10 Jul 2024 15:41:37 PST | About 15 suspects allegedly involved in cybercrime were arrested by NBI agents in an internet shop in Novaliches, Quezon City on Feb. 17, 2014. (INQUIRER file photo / JOAN BONDOC)
About 15 suspects allegedly involved in cybercrime were arrested by NBI agents in an internet shop in Novaliches, Quezon City on Feb. 17, 2014. (INQUIRER file photo / JOAN BONDOC)
MANILA, Philippines — Four members of a cybercrime syndicate allegedly involved in recent cyber attacks on the Commission of Election (Comelec) and Sky Cable Data were nabbed by authorities on Tuesday.
The National Bureau of Investigation – Cybercrime Division (NBI-CCD) conducted a surveillance operation on the information it received that a certain individual or a group may be responsible for the cyber breaches.
These instances include, but not limited to, the Comelec and Sky Cable Data, where data from subscribers’ information are being sold.
The cybercrime division also revealed that a cybercrime syndicate named ‘Blood Security Hackers’ was behind the recent incidents.
READ: PhilHealth: 42-M victims of data leak not yet notified of hacking’s extent
NBI-CCD arrested Eden Glenn Petilo, Carlo Reyna, John Kenneth Macarampat and Leonel Obina for violating provisions of the Data Privacy Act and Cybercrime Prevention Act.
In a statement released Wednesday, NBI said operatives held an entrapment operation on Tuesday where the arrested members received the marked money as payments for the hacked data sold.
READ: DICT unit website hacked; exec downplays incident
The arrested cybercrime members will undergo inquest proceedings for the cybercrime violations.
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Marcos: TPLEx extension to boost economic activity in Luzon | Gabriel Pabico Lalu | Wed, 10 Jul 2024 18:55:02 PST | MANILA, Philippines — Extending the Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway (TPLEx) will result in greater economic activity in Luzon, just as it did when the four-lane highway first opened in 2013, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said on Wednesday.
During the presentation of the signed concession agreement between the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and San Miguel Holdings Corporation (SMHC) on Wednesday, Marcos said the project is proof of the administration’s commitment to progress.
Currently, TPLEx runs from Tarlac City to Rosario in La Union. With the extension, the expressway would reach San Juan, La Union and significantly decrease travel time between the two La Union towns.
“The TPLEx Extension Project exemplifies our dedication to progress, the extension of our dreams, and the opportunities we want to give to our people. This almost 60-kilometer, four-lane toll road, which will cost over P23 billion, will extend the present terminals of the TPLEx from Rosario to San Juan in La Union,” Marcos said during the program in Malacañang.
“We expect this extension to generate an even greater flurry of activity in Luzon. Once finished, this extension will reduce the travel time between Rosario and San Juan from the current 90-minute travel time to about 40 minutes, resulting in smoother and safer journeys for those who wish to go to La Union and the Ilocos and Cordillera regions,” he added.
Marcos also said the northern parts of Luzon would not be the only beneficiaries of the TPLEx extension, as it would also result in the faster delivery of goods to and from Southern Luzon.
“Aside from bringing in tourists and economic activities more quickly to the northern part of the country, it will also bring resources and food faster to the southern parts of Luzon,” he said.
“So we also expect it to forge value-adding partnerships among agriculture, industry, and tourism enterprises in the area as it links vital regional corridors and hubs. This will, of course, generate a significant number of decent jobs and more opportunities for all,” he added.
San Miguel Corporation (SMC), which manages TPLEx, first offered to extend the expressway to San Juan in 2018, through an unsolicited proposal.
READ: SMC offers to extend TPLEx
The project, estimated to be worth P23 billion, will be divided into three phases.
Last January, the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Center of the Philippines assured the public that the TPLEx extension project is proceeding as scheduled.
READ: TPLEx Extension project on track, says PPP Center
Marcos appealed to SMHC to complete the project within the timeframe to ensure that the benefits of the TPLEx extension would be maximized.
“All stakeholders can expect that this government and its entire machinery will provide the necessary support to complete this venture. In turn, I appeal to San Miguel Holdings Corporation to complete the TPLEx Extension Segment 1 by 2028, and all other sections as scheduled to ensure that every person involved in this project, whether in the office or in the construction zone, will work with determination and integrity day in and day out,” he said.
“As I said earlier, Build Better More is more than just a tagline. Just as this project is more than another item to add to our list of accomplishments, it is a chance for each of us to build a Bagong Pilipinas that will bring comfort and prosperity to our people and the generations to come,” he added.
SMC chairman and chief executive officer Ramon Ang, who was present during the event, assured Marcos that the conglomerate will continue to support the government’s projects.
“Mr. President, your visionary leadership has been instrumental in bringing this project to life. And for that, we are deeply grateful to you, Mr. President. We wish to thank DPWH Secretary (Manuel) Bonoan and Secretary, NEDA Secretary (Arsenio) Balisacan for their unwavering support and dedication to this initiative,” Ang said.
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“We are truly proud to be part of this endeavor and we remain committed to investing in the future of our country, creating jobs, driving innovation, and developing projects that will leave lasting legacy for generations to come,” he added.
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NSC: Island-building China, not PH, wrecking reefs | Nestor Corrales | Wed, 10 Jul 2024 05:55:36 PST | NSC Assistant Director General Jonathan Malaya
NSC Assistant Director General Jonathan Malaya
MANILA, Philippines — Look who’s talking.
It is China — the aggressive, large-scale builder of militarized artificial islands in the South China Sea (SCS) — and not the Philippines that has wreaked havoc on the marine environment in the resource-rich waterway, Philippine officials said on Tuesday.
The National Security Council (NSC) rebuffed China’s fresh allegation that the grounded warship BRP Sierra Madre, now serving as a Philippine military outpost, had “gravely damaged” the coral reef system at Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal.
READ: China seen behind new WPS island-building
China also spoke of beached Philippine “warships” as the culprit, although on record only the Sierra Madre would fit that description. By recalling the grounding of this vessel, China is also bringing up an event that happened 25 years ago, in 1999.
China claims Ayungin—calling it Ren’ai Jiao—and other maritime features in the West Philippine Sea (WPS), the name used by Manila to mark parts of the SCS that lie within the country’s exclusive economic zone.
In a statement on Tuesday, NSC Assistant Director General and spokesperson Jonathan Malaya said it was China that had been found to have caused “irreparable damage to corals” in the WPS.
“It is China that has caused untold damage to the maritime environment, and jeopardized the natural habitat and the livelihood of thousands of Filipino fisherfolk,” Malaya said.
The destruction wrought by China’s island-building and fortifications was even cited in the July 2016 arbitral ruling that voided its maritime claims in the SCS, he added.
According to the ruling, China “aggravated” its maritime dispute with the Philippines by building a large artificial island on Panganiban (Mischief) Reef, “inflicting permanent, irreparable harm to the coral habitat” in the area.
It also cited China’s island-building and construction work in Calderon (Cuarteron) Reef, Kagitingan (Fiery Cross) Reef, Burgos (Gaven) Reef, Mabini (Johnson) Reef, McKennan (Hughes) Reef, and Zamora (Subi) Reef.
These artificial islands now serve as Chinese military bases, said Malaya.
“The arbitral tribunal found that Chinese authorities were aware that their fishers were harvesting endangered sea turtles, coral and giant clams on a substantial scale in the South China Sea, using methods that inflict severe damage on the coral reef environment, and they had not fulfilled their obligations to stop such activities,” he said.
In a 2023 report, the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative said China’s island-building activities were responsible for the destruction of around 19 square kilometers of coral reefs.
The Philippines, according to Malaya, has also collated evidence that China caused severe damage to corals in Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal, Rozul (Iroquois) Reef, Escoda (Sabina) Shoal, and Pag-asa Cays 1, 2 and 3, among others.
The “swarming and indiscriminate, illegal fishing activities” of Chinese maritime militia in these areas “severely degraded” the marine environment, he said.
“We call on the public and the international community to be wary and conscious of ongoing activities by Chinese state-owned media and so-called “Chinese experts” to spread fake news and disinformation and conduct malign influence operations in the Philippines, including this false accusation against BRP Sierra Madre,” he said.
China said on Monday that “illegal” beaching of “Philippine warships” at the Nansha Islands—China’s name for the Spratlys group of islands—had gravely damaged the coral reef ecosystem in the area, as both countries tussle over disputed territory in the South China Sea.
China’s Ministry of Natural Resources, in a comprehensive report, said Philippine warships have been “illegally beached” around Second Thomas Shoal near Nansha Islands for a long time, “and it has seriously damaged the diversity, stability and sustainability of the reef ecosystem.”
The report proposes that the Philippines should remove the “illegal” beached warships to eliminate the source of pollution and avoid continuing to cause sustained and cumulative harm to the coral reef ecosystem.
Aside from the Sierra Madre, there is no other major Philippine vessel on record that has been deliberately grounded for strategic reasons in the SCS.
China’s report said that from 2011 to 2024 coverage of reef-building corals at the Second Thomas Shoal reef platform declined about 38.2 percent.
Last year, the Philippines said it was exploring legal options against China accusing it of destruction of coral reefs within its exclusive economic zone in the South China Sea.
Over the weekend, the Philippines said China’s largest coast guard vessel had anchored in Manila’s exclusive economic zone in the waterway, a move meant to intimidate.
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Despite ongoing altercations, both countries last week agreed for the need to “restore trust” and “rebuild confidence” to better manage maritime disputes. —with a report from Inquirer Research
For comprehensive coverage, in-depth analysis, visit our special page for West Philippine Sea updates. Stay informed with articles, videos, and expert opinions.
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Despite stomach illness the night before, USJ-R powered Central Visayas wins in Palaro volleyball opener | bochoa | Wed, 10 Jul 2024 14:46:50 PST | The University of San Jose-Recoletos girls’ volleyball team pose after winning its first game against Caraga in the 2024 Palarong Pambansa at the Recoletos Coliseum of the USJ-R Basak Campus. CDN Digital photo | Glendale Rosal
The University of San Jose-Recoletos girls’ volleyball team pose after winning its first game against Caraga in the 2024 Palarong Pambansa at the Recoletos Coliseum of the USJ-R Basak Campus. CDN Digital photo | Glendale Rosal
CEBU CITY, Philippines— Region 7-Central Visayas, manned by players from the University of San Jose-Recoletos (USJ-R), escaped with a thrilling three-set duel against CARAGA Region’s Agusan del Sur National High School at the start of secondary girls volleyball competition of the Palarong Pambansa on Wednesday, July 10, 2024, at the USJ-R Basak Campus here.
The Jaguars, the reigning Cesafi secondary girls champions, defeated CARAGA, 18-25, 25-15, 25-22, despite suffering from upset stomach the night before.
Player of the Game awardee Rachel Ann Tecson revealed that they weren’t in their best shape going into their first game.
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“Wala gyud mi sa condition kay nag lain among tiyan sa tibuok team pag ka gabie. Wala mi kahibaw kung asa namo nakuha. Pero amo gihapon gihatag tanan sa duwa,” said Tecson.
(We weren’t in our best shape because the team suffered from bad tummy last night. We don’t know where we got it. But we still gave it our all during the game.)
READ MORE:
Palarong Pambansa 2024: LIVE UPDATES
“Ang mindset namo sa duwa kay kalma lang gyud mi kay daghan na among errors. Samot na dili kaayo mi condition tungod sa nahitabo. Pero amo jud gihatag tanan kay importante makadaog mi,” she added.
(Our mindset was to be calm because we had a lot of errors. It didn’t help that we weren’t in good shape because of what happened. But we gave it our all because it was important to win.)
Player of the Game awardee Rachel Ann Tecson of the USJ-R Jaguars. CDN Digital photo | Glendale Rosal
CARAGA went on to win the first set, 25-18.
The Jaguars came alive in the second set by building an 11-point lead, 22-11. They went on to tie the match, 1-1, by winning the set 25-15.
In the deciding third set, both teams fought tooth and nail resulting to multiple lead changes.
CARAGA managed to take a 20-18 lead late in the third but succumbed to crucial errors.
USJ-R of head coach Roldan Potot regained the lead, 23-22.
Julienne Gadingan capped the game as she scored back-to-back aces to seal the hard-earned victory.
USJ-R is under Bracket D. Up next will be games against Region 3, Region 5, and Region 11.
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Group to appeal anti-terror raps filed vs 2 labor activists | Dianne Sampang | Wed, 10 Jul 2024 11:22:01 PST | File photo from REUTERS/Andrew Kelly/Illustration
File photo from REUTERS/Andrew Kelly/Illustration
MANILA, Philippines — Human rights group Karapatan National Capital Region (NCR) will file a Motion to Dismiss the Anti-Terror Act (ATA) of 2020 charges against labor activists Ed Cubelo and Rodrigo Esparago.
The appeal will be submitted today at the Malolos Regional Trial Court.
Trade unionists Ed Cubelo and Rodrigo Esparago are facing charges under the Anti-Terror Act of 2020, along with 26 others.
Karapatan NCR said the cases stemming from the alleged involvement of the accused in an armed encounter are “baseless and politically motivated attacks.”
“The weaponization of the law through ATA and red-tagging is part of a broader strategy to suppress dissent with legal frameworks, setting a dangerous precedent to target labor activists and rights defenders under the guise of national security,” the group added.
READ: Police arrest 7 as PH marks Human Rights Day
The group will also hold a protest to urge the regional trial court to dismiss the charges against Cubelo and Esparago, which were filed by members of the 84th Infantry Battalion in Nueva Ecija.
Rodrigo Esparago was among the seven people arrested on International Human Rights Day 2020 for the alleged violation of possessing illegal firearms.
The cases filed against him were junked by a local court, saying that the evidence found against him was “null and void.”
READ: Blow to Red-tagging drive: Court frees journalist, union organizer
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Navy’s leading guided missile frigate sails to Philippine Rise | John Eric Mendoza | Wed, 10 Jul 2024 23:29:32 PST | Navy troops commemorate the 7th anniversary of renaming of Benham Rise to Philippine Rise. —photo from the Philippine Navy
Navy troops commemorate the 7th anniversary of renaming of Benham Rise to Philippine Rise. —photo from the Philippine Navy
MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Navy’s flagship guided missile frigate sailed to Philippine (Benham) Rise to assert sovereign rights in the eastern section of the country which recently saw the presence of Chinese research vessels.
Before sailing to Benham Rise, a send off ceremony was held at BRP Jose Rizal (FF-150) at Poro Point in La Union’s San Fernando town on Tuesday.
Lieutenant General Fernyl Buca, Commander of Northern Luzon Command, graced the send-off ceremony, which was done to commemorate the 7th anniversary of the feature’s renaming.
READ: Duterte renames Benham Rise Philippine Rise
“To the man aboard the BRP Jose Rizal, ride the waves, brave the storm, and protect our maritime domain,” Buca said in his speech.
In May 2017, former President Rodrigo Duterte signed an executive order changing the name of Benham Rise to Philippine Rise.
Benham Rise, a 24-million-hectare resource-rich undersea feature, is part of the Philippine continental shelf and is inside the country’s exclusive economic zone.
For this year alone, there were two incidents of Chinese research presence in the undersea feature.
A Chinese research vessel was spotted off Viga, Catanduanes late April, while two research vessels were spotted there in March.
“Others wanted to claim our waters, let us not let them have a chance to do it,” Buca said.
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DOE: Signed deal allows transfer of nuclear materials between US, PH | INQUIRER.net | Wed, 10 Jul 2024 18:02:45 PST | Department of Energy (DOE)
Department of Energy (DOE)
MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Energy (DOE) has announced the official entry into force of an agreement allowing the transfer of nuclear materials and components between the Philippines and the United States.
The Agreement for Cooperation Concerning Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy, commonly known as the 123 Agreement, between the two countries, became effective on July 2, 2024. It was signed in San Francisco on November 16, 2023.
READ: PH-US civil nuclear energy pact enters into force
In a statement on Tuesday, Energy Secretary Raphael Lotilla said that the agreement aims to provide for the safe and secure use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes and is beneficial in facilitating Philippine-US cooperation in adhering to the standards of the International Atomic Energy Agency.
“The 123 Agreement will pave the way for the transfer of information and expertise, nuclear material, equipment, and components directly between the Philippines and the US or through persons authorized by their respective authorities to engage in transfer activities, which will support potential nuclear power projects with US providers,” Lotilla said.
He also said that the country’s nuclear energy program that outlines key targets for the success of using nuclear energy for power generation is now being finalized by the Nuclear Energy Program-Inter-Agency Committee.
Under the 2023-2035 Philippine Energy Plan, the DOE also targets the entry of nuclear power generation in 2032, with at least 1,200 megawatts, an additional 1,200 megawatts by 2035, and 2,400 megawatts by 2050.
On Tuesday, the US State Department announced the agreement’s entry into force, labeling it as a peaceful nuclear cooperation deal based on “a mutual commitment to nuclear nonproliferation.”
The agreement also provides a legal framework that permits American companies to export nuclear materials to another country safely. — Felice Nafarrete, intern
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Volleyball, football, basketball go full swing ahead of first-day hostilities | dbongcac | Wed, 10 Jul 2024 21:19:42 PST | The USJ-R Lady Jaguars’ volleyball team celebrate after scoring in their Palarong Pambansa 2024 game against CARAGA. | CDN Digital photo / Christian Dave Cuizon
The USJ-R Lady Jaguars’ volleyball team celebrate after scoring in their Palarong Pambansa 2024 game against CARAGA. | CDN Digital photo / Christian Dave Cuizon
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Several of the eight ball games featured in the Palarong Pambansa 2024 officially started on Wednesday, July 10, in various venues around Cebu City.
Its highlight was the volleyball action at the University of San Jose-Recoletos (USJ-R) Basak Campus where no less than Vice President and outgoing Department of Education (DepEd) Secretary Sara Duterte-Carpio watched a game of her hometown, Region XI’s (Davao Region’s) secondary boys squad.
Vice President Duterte surprised everyone when she arrived at the venue to watch her hometown play in the national games. Her team didn’t disappoint after defeating Region 2 (Cagayan Valley), 25-20, 25-20.
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READ: Palarong Pambansa 2024: LIVE UPDATES
Meanwhile, host region, Central Visayas, played by the USJ-R Lady Jaguars, overcame a stomach illness to pull off a victory against Region XIII (CARAGA), 18-25, 25-15, 25-22, in Group D of the girls secondary volleyball competition.
Also having a field day was Region IV-A or Calabarzon after clinching twin victories in the secondary girls’ and elementary girls’ volleyball tilt at the same venue.
READ: Coach on a wheelchair: Meet Emanuel Digamon of Zamboang Sibugay
California Academy of Region IV-A poses for a group photo after winning in their Palarong Pambansa 2024 volleyball game. | Palarong Pambansa Facebook page photo
Region IV-A’s secondary girls team manned by the vaunted California Academy routed the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), 26-16, 25-8.
READ: Marcos commends Cebu City’s hosting of Palarong Pambansa 2024
Cheering for them were former team stars in Cebuana Casiey Dongallo and Jelaica Gajero who now plays for the University of the East (UE) Lady Red Warriors in the UAAP.
Meanwhile, Calabarzon’s elementary volleybelles also defeated BARMM, 29-27, 26-24.
READ: President Marcos attends Palaro opening but VP Sara a no show
Also winning on Wednesday were Region 5-BRAA over Region 9-ZPRAA 25-12, 25-21, so as Region 12-SRAA over Region 8-EVRAA, 25-19,13-25, 27-25, and Region 3-CLRAA versus Region 11-DAVRAA, 25-20, 26-24, in the elementary girls volleyball action.
The rest of the winning teams in the secondary boys volleyball were Region 1 versus Region 9, 25-16, 25-20, and Region Region 12 vs. Region 6, 25-27, 27-25, and 25-18.
READ: Cebu City hosts spectacular Palarong Pambansa opening ceremony
In the elementary boys’ action, Region 12 beats CARAGA, 25-18, 25-18, while Region 5 edged Region 8, 25-20, 25-21.
In basketball at the University of San Carlos (USC) Main Campus gymnasium, last year’s silver medalists, the National University (NU) Bullpups of the NCR, defeated BARMM, 56-49, in the secondary boys’ action.
Also winning was Region 11-DAVRAA who nipped Region 5,83-78, while Region 3 shocked the newcomers, Philippine Schools Overseas (PSO), 111-43.
Joining them on the winning side was Region 1 against BARMM, 104-57, while Region 3 beats Region 6, 80-62.
Davao Region’s secondary boys football squad. | Palarong Pambansa Facebook page photo
Calabarzon put on a dominating win over CARAGA, 6-0, in the secondary boys football at the Dynamic Herb-Borromeo Sports Complex’s pitch.
Meanwhile, Region 5 and Region 6 settled for a 1-1 draw, so as Region IV-B and CAR,2-2.
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May trade deficit narrows to $4.60 billion – PSA | Mariedel Irish U. Catilogo | Wed, 10 Jul 2024 10:06:18 PST | INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
The country’s trade-in-goods deficit in May narrowed as exports and imports fell after a month of expansion.
Preliminary data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) showed the trade-in-goods balance — the difference between exports and imports — amounted to a $4.60 billion deficit in May, narrowing from the $4.73-billion shortfall recorded in the previous month, but still wider than the $4.40 deficit in May last year.
This was the narrowest trade gap since the previous month.
READ: April trade deficit widens to $4.76 billion — PSA
Total sales of Philippine-made goods declined by 3.1 percent year on year to $6.33 billion in May, a reversal from the revised 27.9 percent growth in April and the 2.7 percent seen in the same period last year.
By value, export receipt in May was the lowest since April.
Likewise, the country’s merchandise imports fell by 0.03 percent year on year to $10.93 billion in May. This was a reversal from the previous month’s 13 percent growth. The contraction, however, was still lower than 8 percent decline in May 2023
Import bill in May was the lowest level in two months or since the $9.57 billion in March.
The Development Budget Coordination Committee projects 5 percent and 2 percent growth in exports and imports, respectively, for this year.
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Marcos asks firm, DENR to protect watershed while building Rizal dam | Gabriel Pabico Lalu | Wed, 10 Jul 2024 20:50:00 PST | MANILA, Philippines —President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has called on Prime Infra, the company involved in the construction of the Upper Wawa Dam, and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to protect the watersheds while finishing the facilities in the area.
During the ceremonial start of the impounding process of Upper Wawa Dam in Rodriguez, Rizal, Marcos said that watersheds in the said dam and the Upper Marikina River Basin must be protected, with reforestation and biodiversity protection as priorities.
“The progress that we have made here at the Upper Wawa Dam is a significant stride towards our goal of social and economic transformation. I now ask the Prime Infra and its joint venture, WawaJVCo, to continue collaborating with the DENR, prioritize watershed protection in the Upper Wawa Dam, as well as the reforestation and biodiversity preservation in the Upper Marikina River Basin Protected Landscape,” Marcos said.
“Please continue implementing these innovative designs and practices in your initiatives so that you can uphold the delicate balance of our ecosystem and continue to reinforce our nation’s resilience against ecological adversities,” he added.
Marcos’ reminder came amid calls for him to protect natural resources in Taytay, also in Rizal province, where the Masungi Rock Formation sits.
Last Thursday, award-winning Hollywood actor and known environmentalist Leonardo DiCaprio asked Marcos to intervene and help protect the area, amid alleged threats of commercialization and the plans to cancel the DENR’s contract with Masungi Georeserve Foundation Inc. (MGFI).
DENR in 2017 entered into a memorandum of agreement with MGFI to manage the Masungi Rock Formation. This deal, however, has been questioned several times as the private firm supposedly earns from the protected area.
Masungi is located near the Upper Marikina River Basin.
READ: Leonardo DiCaprio urges Bongbong Marcos to protect Masungi
In a statement after DiCaprio’s post, DENR thanked international celebrities who are concerned about the state of the Philippine environment, but the agency said the rule of law must prevail.
READ: DENR thanks Leo DiCaprio but says law must prevail on Masungi
Wawa Dam was constructed after fears were raised that Angat Dam could no longer meet the water demands of Metro Manila. Projections showed that by 2025, water supply can increase from 80 million liters per day to 438 million per day — and eventually, to 710 million liters per day in the succeeding years.
Marcos said this will ensure water security within Metro Manila.
“Suffice it to say, we need a new source of water to ensure the water security of Metro Manila and surrounding areas now and in the decades to come… The Upper Wawa Dam will be the biggest water source to be built in the country in over 50 years, next to the Angat Dam,” he said.
“The water supply from the Wawa Bulk Water Supply Project is set to increase from 80 million today to 438 million liters per day once Phase 2 of the Project or the Upper Wawa Dam starts its operations by the end of 2025, which could increase to 710 million liters per day in the following years,” he added.
Marcos also said that the Upper Wawa Dam complements other projects being completed by the national government across the country — all of which aim to provide reliable and potable water supply even in far-flung areas.
“I likewise call upon every Filipino to amplify our efforts to conserve the country’s water resources. Let us remember that the stewardship of these resources is not just a task but a shared responsibility,” he noted.
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“We will continue to address water security challenges to ensure that every Filipino has access to sufficient and clean water.… Let us not only consider this as a milestone in our nation’s development but also a symbol of our collective determination to lead better lives and shape a more promising Bagong Pilipinas for the Filipino people,” he added.
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Tycoons team up to build biggest hotel in Quezon City | Meg J. Adonis | Wed, 10 Jul 2024 02:07:00 PST | Tycoons Edgar Sia II, Tony Tan Caktiong and Edgar Saavedra have teamed up to build what is touted to be the largest hotel in Quezon City to address the anticipated increase in demand in the hospitality industry.
Megawide Construction Corp., the infrastructure firm led by Saavedra, on Tuesday said they had started construction of the 702-unit Hotel101-Libis of DoubleDragon Corp., the property firm led by Tan Caktiong and Sia.
READ: Megawide posts P283.5-M income in 2023 as construction revenues grew
“This synergy with DoubleDragon, which is a major player in this industry, shows our company’s drive for excellence anchored on state-of-the art construction solutions and vertically integrated operations,” Frederick Tan, Megawide chief operating officer, said in a statement.
Megawide and DoubleDragon last year forged their construction deal for Hotel101-Libis, which will be built within a 2,547-square-meter property. It is scheduled for completion in the first quarter of 2026.
Last year, DoubleDragon said it expected P4.9 billion in sales from the project that would feature a gym, outdoor infinity pool, business center and function rooms, among others.
Tourist arrivals in the country have been steadily increasing in the past year as the hospitality industry rebounded postpandemic.
READ: DoubleDragon earnings up 23% to P15.9B in 2023
However, real estate brokerage firm Leechiu Property Consultants Inc. has warned that there may be a shortage in hotel rooms due mostly to construction delays and high costs of funding exacerbated by the global health crisis.
The Department of Tourism aims to welcome 7.7 million tourists this year. This is expected to grow by 10 percent annually until 2028.
Hotel101-Libis marks the sixth partnership of the two firms. DoubleDragon and Megawide had first collaborated on three DoubleDragon office projects in Pasay City—DD Center East and West, DD Plaza and DD Tower—that were all launched in 2018.
According to Megawide, construction is ongoing for two other projects, DD Meridian Tower and Ascott DD Meridian Park Manila.
READ: BIZ BUZZ: DoubleDragon’s ‘otso otso’ pays off
Hotel101 is the flagship brand of Hotels of Asia Inc., the hospitality arm of DoubleDragon that has recently been expanding abroad.
Earlier, DoubleDragon said it was expecting over $100 million in contracted sales for Hotel101’s units in Madrid, the homegrown condotel chain’s second international location.
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DoubleDragon has so far received $10 million in payments from buyers of units in Hotel101-Madrid. INQ
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PSA working on updated list of ‘census of population’ this year | Mariedel Irish U. Catilogo | Wed, 10 Jul 2024 09:51:07 PST | Philippine Statistics Authority | INQUIRER.net FILE PHOTO
Philippine Statistics Authority | INQUIRER.net FILE PHOTO
The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) wanted to update further its database of population for a more accurate and inclusive list which aims to help the government to identify qualified beneficiaries for its social protection initiatives through community-based monitoring.
The PSA combined the conduct of Census of Population (POPCEN) with the Community-Based Monitoring System (CBMS) operations to capitalize government resources and to avoid fatigue to respondents ahead of the original schedule in 2025.
READ: Jobless rate rises to 4.1% in May — PSA
“The 2024 POPCEN-CBMS data will provide us updated population counts for all barangays in the country, an updated list of beneficiaries of government social protection programs,” statistician of the Censuses and Technical Coordination Office, Minerva Eloisa Esquivias said in a statement during a press briefing on Tuesday.
Beginning on July 15, the PSA is set to deploy more than 70,000 enumerators all over the country to conduct house-to-house interviews of which the interview is expected to take from 45 minutes to 1 hour each household.
The statistics agency projected about 27 million households that will be surveyed for the activity across the country.
The budget for the project amounted to P5.2 billion, according to National Statistician Claire Dennis Mapa.
Mapa also said that this will help the government to have accurate data of the country’s population count especially in implementing crisis management plans such as cash assistance programs during a crisis.
READ: Inflation slows to 3.7 percent in June — PSA
The PSA also seeks to improve the number of Filipinos who are birth registered. As of September 2020, birth registration stood at 96.6 percent while 3.4 percent are not registered or about 3.7 million Filipinos.
“Our expectation is that by 2024, 99.9 percent of our citizens should be registered at birth,” Mapa said in a press briefing.
Final population count and CBMS will be completed by December and will be submitted to the National Economic Development Authority for the identification of vulnerable households.
Neda Secretary Arsenio Balisacan highlighted the benefits of the data collection system that will be used for planning, program implementation and impact- monitoring at the local level.
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“Collected information on health, education, employment, and other sectors informs us about the needs and priorities of our communities. The data will also help identify the vulnerable sectors and communities that require immediate support and socioeconomic interventions,” Balisacan said in a statement.
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Slower demand cools PH factory output growth | Mariedel Irish U. Catilogo | Wed, 10 Jul 2024 02:01:00 PST | Factory output growth was muted in May as higher inflation and peso depreciation made raw materials more expensive, thus slowing demand, the Philippine Statistics Authority reported on Tuesday.
Preliminary results of the PSA’s latest Monthly Integrated Survey of Selected Industries showed that factory output, as measured by the Volume of Production Index, grew by 3.2 percent year-on-year in May.
READ: Factory output further slowed in June, says S&P
However, this was slower compared to the 6.3-percent growth logged in April and the 6.1-percent posted in the same period a year ago.
John Paolo Rivera, senior research fellow at Philippine Institute for Development Studies, said the slower factory output growth was mainly due to the easing demand fueled by recent inflationary pressures and continued weakening of peso against the greenback. Inflation in June moved at its slowest pace in four months to 3.7 percent, easing from 3.9 percent in the previous month amid slower increases in housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels and transport items. Rising costs
“These contributed to making the raw materials and work-in-progress costlier, especially those that are being imported. Currency depreciation makes imported inputs to manufacturing more expensive,” Rivera said in a Viber message.
The production of fabricated metal products, except machinery and equipment, drove the downward trend in the annual growth with a 13.4- percent contraction in May from a 29.9-percent growth in April.
READ: Philippines’ factory output growth streak ends
Declines were also recorded in chemical and chemical products, decreasing by 11.7 percent from a growth of 16.6 percent in April. Likewise, manufacture of computer, electronic and optical products declined by 0.3 percent in May from a growth of 5.2 percent in the previous month.
The report—which covers 22 major industries—shows 15 sectors recorded contraction while the remaining seven industries posted expansion during the month, led by the manufacturing of coke and refined petroleum products with 53.6 percent in May from 18.7 percent in the previous month.
The latest data can be compared to the June result of the S&P Global Philippines Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index in which the Philippines’ factory output further slipped to 51.3 from 51.9 in May.
According to S&P Global, a “notable cooldown” was recorded in the growth of new orders in June, which indicated a weaker improvement in demand trends. Exports for local goods also eased to a three-month low in June. As demand softened, this allowed manufacturers to reduce their backlog at a faster rate in three months.
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Meanwhile, its average capacity utilization, or the extent to which industry resources are used in manufacturing, averaged 75.5 percent in May, slightly lower than 75.3 percent in April. INQ
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Another alleged rebel killed in Masbate clash | Ma. April Mier-Manjares | Wed, 10 Jul 2024 17:40:05 PST | INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
LEGAZPI CITY — Another alleged rebel was killed in a clash Wednesday with Philippine Army troops in Masbate City in Masbate province.
The unidentified New People’s Army (NPA) member was abandoned by 14 other members of the Guerrilla Front Commitee-North of Sub-regional Guerilla 4 after the 10-minute firefight around 8 a.m. with the 96th Infantry Battalion in Barangay Igang, according to a report of Major Frank Roldan, spokesperson of the 9th Infantry Division of the Philippine Army.
The government troops recovered an M14 rifle, an M16 rifle, and other personal belongings at the clash site.
On July 8, Vergel Balcueva, leader of the Front Operational Command of the Sub-regional Committee 2, was killed in a firefight in Tinambac town in Camarines Sur.
On the same day, two unnamed members of the Guerrilla Front Committe-South, Sub-Regional Committee 4 also died in a separate clash in Esperanze town in Masbate.
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Robust demand pulls down T-bond rates | Mariedel Irish U. Catilogo | Wed, 10 Jul 2024 09:19:20 PST | INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
The government was able to fully raise its target amount of long-term debt during Tuesday’s sale of Treasury bonds (T-bonds) following the strong demand from market players which helped the government lock-in lower lending rates.
Auction results on Tuesday showed the Bureau of the Treasury (BTr) borrowed the full issuance of P30 billion via re-issued 20-year T-bonds as total bids reached P114.896 billion, or more than 3.8 times larger than the original issuance.
READ: T-bond rates ease; gov’t raises P30 billion
According to the BTr, the 20-year debt paper, which has a remaining life of seven years and eight days, fetched an average rate of 6.286 percent, a bit cheaper compared to the 6.378 percent quoted for the comparable seven-year debt note in the secondary market as of July 8, based on Peso Bloomberg Valuation Service Reference Rates data provided by the Treasury.
This, after the Monetary Board hinted at a possible rate cut as early as August, even ahead of the US Federal Reserve, said chief economist Michael Ricafort of the Rizal Commercial Banking Corp.
Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Eli Remolona Jr. said in an economic briefing earlier this week that the Monetary Board is “somewhat more likely” to reduce policy rate by a total of 50 basis points (bps) this year and ahead of the Fed which is likely to cut in September.
Ricafort also attributed the lower yield rates in the auction as the government signaled an additional foreign bond sale for the rest of the year which will lessen the need for more local borrowings.
READ: Remolona: BSP will not wait too long to cut key rates
Earlier this week, Finance Secretary Ralph Recto said that the government is eyeing to issue yen and dollar bonds. The Marcos administration plans to borrow $5 billion from markets overseas this year, of which $2 billion was raised from the issuance of global bonds last May.
Moreover, the government wants to raise P260 billion from T-bills and P370 billion via Treasury bonds in the third quarter. The Treasury will auction off more T-bonds with shorter tenors in the second quarter. In July, the BTr is set to borrow a total of P115 billion via T-bonds.
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LTO rakes in almost P1B fines, penalties in first half of 2024 | Adrian Parungao | Wed, 10 Jul 2024 11:06:50 PST | MANILA, Philippines —Fines and penalties amounting to P986.5 million were collected by the Land Transportation Office (LTO) in the first six months of 2024.
The LTO on Tuesday also reported that 330,073 motorists nationwide were apprehended from January 1 to June 30, 2024.
The LTO added that the recorded number of apprehensions is not summative, as some motorists were apprehended in the period but still have unpaid fines and penalties.
“The almost P1 billion collection from fines and penalties alone is a result of the hard work of our law enforcers and other personnel on the ground. We cannot achieve this without their dedication and commitment to ensuring road safety,” LTO chief Assistant Secretary Vigor Mendoza II said in a statement.
He also urged motorists to settle their fines and penalties.
“Kaya we are asking them to settle on time because failure to do so would only result in the payment of higher fines and penalties. In short, mas malaki ang babayaran na,” Mendoza continued.
(That is why we are asking them to settle on time because failure to do so would only result in the payment of bigger fines and penalties. In short, they will have to pay more.)
“As much as possible, we in the LTO do not want motorists to pay any fine or penalty. But in the interest of the rule of law and road safety, we have to do this if this is what it takes to compel them to be disciplined and behave while on the road,” Mendoza stressed.
Mendoza added that the LTO is confident that it will reach its P33 billion revenue target for 2024.
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Alice Guo’s sister also had another identity, Senate hearing reveals | Maila Ager | Wed, 10 Jul 2024 14:21:17 PST | Atty. Angelito Magno, assistant director for NBI’s information, communication and technology service, answers queries from senators during ongoing probe into illegal Pogos. Screenshot from Senate livestream
Atty. Angelito Magno, assistant director for NBI’s information, communication and technology service, answers queries from senators during ongoing probe into illegal Pogos. Screenshot from Senate livestream
MANILA, Philippines — Like suspended Bamban Mayor Alice Guo, her sister Shiela also used a different identity when she applied for a National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) clearance, an official told a Senate hearing on Wednesday.
An ongoing investigation by the Senate committee on women into illegal Philippine offshore gaming operators (Pogos) revealed that the suspended mayor has three siblings namely Shiela, Seimen, and Wesley.
Except for Seimen, all siblings applied for an NBI clearance in 2021, according to Atty. Angelito Magno, the agency’s assistant director for information, communication and technology service.
READ: Supposed parents of Alice Guo may not even exist, Hontiveros says
“Sabay-sabay po silang nag apply (They all applied at the same time),” Magno said, referring to Alice, Shiela, and Wesley.
Another revelation, however, is that there is another Shiela Guo in the NBI records.
“At meron rin po tayong nahanap na isa pa pong NBI clearance sa aming files na nagngangalan din pong Shiela Guo (Leal),” Magno continued.
(We also found another NBI clearance in our files under the name Shiela Guo [Leal])
“Subalit sa ating pagkukumpara ay lumalabas po na iba rin ang larawan nito kaysa dun po sa Shiela Guo sa sinasabing kapatid …” he added.
(However, when we compared it, it appears that the photo is different from Shiela Guo, who is supposedly her sibling)
NBI reported earlier that there was an Alice Guo who obtained a clearance in 2005.
READ: Third ‘Alice Guo’ applied for clearance in Quezon City – NBI
Magno said they were still locating Shiela, who had an address on Kalantiaw Street Project 8 in Quezon City.
Citing the similarities in the conflicting NBI records of sisters Alice and Shiela, Senator Risa Hontiveros then raised the possibility that their brother, Wesley, might also be using another identity.
But Magno said they were still checking their data base.
“So far po kasi yung Shiela pa lang yung nakuha namin. Yung Wesley hinahanap pa lang namin,” he said.
(So far, we have only obtained Shiela’s. We are still looking for Wesley’s.)
READ: Identity theft, scams via social media on the rise
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The NBI official later agreed with some lawmakers’ observations that there is already a “systematic scheme” of identity theft in the country.
Alice Guo has been at the center of the probe for her supposed ties to Pogo firms in her town in Bamban, Tarlac.
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GYS 2024 concludes South Luzon leg; leaves youth leaders hopeful for a better future | INQUIRER.net BrandRoom | Wed, 10 Jul 2024 13:01:35 PST | The Global Youth Summit (GYS), held annually by SM Cares and Global Peace Foundation (GPF) to inspire youth leaders to become catalysts for change, recently concluded its South Luzon leg which took place from June 8 to June 22, 2024 across SM Malls in Southern Luzon.
The GYS is an annual event that provides the youth with opportunities to use your voice, share your ideas, and help create long-term and sustainable solutions to the most pressing problems and challenges affecting you today.
SM Cares and GPF kicked off the South Luzon leg of this year’s GYS in Legazpi City, Albay last June 8, 2024, which focused on “SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Economies.” The event tackled the role of sustainability in ensuring the long-term viability of cities and economies.
The second GYS event in South Luzon was held in Sorsogon City, Sorsogon last June 9, 2024. Focusing on “SDG 14: Life Below Water,” the event underscored the importance of protecting our waters and marine life, a vital part of our planet’s ecosystem.
Last June 15, 2024, GYS visited Sta. Rosa, Laguna for its third South Luzon leg event. The focus was “SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy,” highlighting the importance of exploring renewable and sustainable energy sources.
With the South Luzon leg concluded successfully, SM Cares and GPF are now gearing up for the Mindanao Leg of GYS. If you’re a Mindanaoan youth leader and you want to use your voice to help address the problems affecting you, you can join GYS events to be held in the following venues: SM CDO Downtown on July 6, 2024; SM City General Santos on July 9, 2024; and SM Lanang Premier on July 11, 2024.
The fourth GYS event in South Luzon, held in Tanza, Cavite last June 16, 2024, focused on “SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth.” The event emphasized creating equal opportunities for quality employment and supporting micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs)
Please visit https://bit.ly/GYSRegistration to learn more about how you can be part of the movement towards a better world for youth like you!
The GYS is one of SM Cares’ numerous Programs on Children and Youth, supporting all 17 UN SDGs. Others include supporting projects with UNICEF and the Book Nook, a free library and community hub where parents and children can bond over books, workshops and activities.
This year’s 17-leg event aims to represent all 17 of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Each location highlighted a specific SDG, featuring insightful talks and engaging activities to empower the youth.
Aside from its Programs on Children and Youth, SM Cares also has programs on the environment, women and breastfeeding mothers, senior citizens, and persons with disabilities.
To learn more, visit https://www.smsupermalls.com/smcares/.
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This article is brought to you by SM Supermalls.
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Neda: Latest wage hike may leave 140,000 jobless | Julie M. Aurelio | Wed, 10 Jul 2024 05:40:00 PST | Socioeconomic Planning Sec. Arsenio Balisacan —photo from NEDA FB
Socioeconomic Planning Sec. Arsenio Balisacan —photo from NEDA FB
MANILA, Philippines — Around 40,000 to 140,000 workers in Metro Manila may lose their jobs because of the P35 hike in the daily minimum wage, but the government is optimistic that the higher pay will not affect the inflow of investments that fuel economic growth.
Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan on Tuesday downplayed the possible impact of the latest wage increase, which he described as “quite reasonable” and “not really constraining” to the economy.
“Our estimates so far suggest that the national output (gross domestic product) would be impacted negatively. But it’s a very small impact, it’s just one-tenth of 1 percent. It’s very negligible,” Balisacan said at a press briefing in Malacañang.
READ: P35 wage hike approved; labor groups furious
Balisacan, head of the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda), said the minimum wage increase might also increase the unemployment rate by a “very negligible number.”
“It could impact something like 40,000 to 140,000, depending on the [industry]. But still again, not as big as one would expect if those rate adjustments were much higher,” he noted.
He said that workers to be displaced by the wage hike would have new opportunities to find new work because of the growing economy and labor market.
“If you lose one job there, there are other jobs being opened up. During this period, there are 600,000 plus new employment. You know, these are new jobs opened up in the economy. As our economy continues to grow at 6 to 7 percent this year, that will be accompanied by quite a lot of jobs,” Balisacan pointed out.
He stressed that the government also wanted to improve the quality of employment—which translates to higher wages—to reduce poverty.
Balisacan referred to the latest labor force survey for May 2024 released by the Philippine Statistics Authority on Monday showing that the unemployment rate decreased to 4.1 percent from 4.3 a year ago.
“If you look at the numbers, the total additional employment created by our economy was something like 605,000 workers added in the pool of employed people. And that is very encouraging because if we look further, we zoom into the data, we find that the increase in employment came from jobs opened up in manufacturing, in industry and in services,” he said.
Balisacan added that many of those jobs were those that required middle-skilled workers, an indicator that the quality of jobs was encouraging.
“If we look at the type of workers, by class of workers, we see that the big increases are in the wage and salary workers, which is a good indicator of the quality of work. In the Philippine Development Plan, we used the proportion of wage and salary workers in the total employed workers as an indicator of quality. When we see that number rising, the quality of employment is rising and so it’s very encouraging that those numbers have increased between May 2023 and May 2024,” he said.
Balisacan noted that the latest wage increase was meant to adjust workers’ salaries to inflation and ensure that their purchasing power would not fall.
“For so long as those wage adjustments are not too high to discourage investments, those adjustments are welcome. That should not be a worry to the business community and us economic managers because the impact of uninflation or ungrowth is not that much,” Balisacan added.
The Neda official made the remarks a week after the approval of the increase in the daily minimum pay of workers in the National Capital Region by 5.7 percent to P645 from P610 for nonagricultural workers.
Labor groups and opposition lawmakers criticized the wage adjustment as an “insult” and a “disgrace” to Metro Manila’s workforce.
In 2023, the daily minimum pay in Metro Manila was increased by P40, which displaced around 20,000 workers, according to Labor Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma.
In the same briefing, Laguesma responded to criticism that this year’s P35 wage hike was a “pittance” by stressing that there was “no intention of the board to really go in that kind of direction.”
The Department of Labor and Employment is also monitoring the possible impact of wage increases on employment.
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“The adjustment is actually on the minimum wage. It’s the entry level, the floor level, to give social protection to workers so that they will not be subjected to undue low pay. I do hope that the adjustment will not have an adverse effect on our encouraging growth in our employment sector,” Laguesma said.
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Comelec chief denies receiving P120-M bribe from South Korean firm | Jerome Aning, Krixia Subingsubing | Wed, 10 Jul 2024 05:05:00 PST | Comelec chairman George Erwin Garcia —INQUIRER.net file photo/Ryan Leagogo
Comelec chairman George Erwin Garcia —INQUIRER.net file photo/Ryan Leagogo
MANILA, Philippines — Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chair George Erwin Garcia on Tuesday branded as “malicious” and part of a “demolition job” a lawmaker’s allegation about bribe money being deposited in his offshore bank accounts during the bidding for the new automated elections systems (AES) service provider.
Garcia told reporters that he learned of the plot against him about two weeks ago and asked the National Bureau of Investigation to look into it.
READ: P1-B moved from foreign banks to poll exec’s offshore accounts – Marcoleta
“Let’s not beat around the bush. I’m the one being referred to. We have information about a planned demolition job against Comelec for two weeks already,” he said.
“In truth, I don’t have even one foreign account. I can swear to it anywhere,” he stressed, saying that he was ready to sign a waiver for the said bank accounts and to give away all the money found there.
Earlier in the day, Sagip Rep. Rodante Marcoleta said he would ask the House of Representatives to investigate the poll body’s P18-billion poll automation deal for the 2025 elections after his team discovered suspicious deposits totaling P120 million to a Comelec official’s offshore accounts during the bidding for the project.
According to Marcoleta, the money, which came from five accounts originating from South Korea, was transferred into 49 offshore accounts supposedly owned by the official, whom he did not name between June 22, 2023, and March 22 this year.
This timeline, he said, coincided with the Comelec’s “favorable” decisions to eventually award the AES contract to South Korean firm Miru Systems despite its shaky record overseas.
“This is intriguing information, and they are alarming to say the least,” Marcoleta said. “But we’re asking for your patience and you’ll have to bear with me as we’re still verifying some of these.”
Garcia attributed the demolition job against him to a group of individuals opposed to the Miru contract, saying they had been “peddling” the false information to several lawmakers in recent weeks.
He added that another allegation would soon be made, this time claiming that he has many properties in the United States.
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“I say categorically to the nation, as God is my witness, I don’t have any foreign account or any house or property in any foreign land,” Garcia said.
In a statement regarding the “false allegations,” Miru said it would stay focused on delivering the “best possible automated system” to fill the needs of Filipino voters.
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Banned beauty products still sold in some Taguig shops | Russel Loreto | Wed, 10 Jul 2024 05:20:00 PST | Inquirer file photo
Inquirer file photo
MANILA, Philippines — Environmental watchdog group EcoWaste Coalition issued a warning on Tuesday against the illegal sale of banned mercury-laced cosmetics at shops in Taguig City.
The group said that from June 29 to July 1, they found at least 20 retail kiosks and shops in nine barangays in the city selling skin-lightening products containing dangerous levels of mercury.
READ: Crackdown on toxic products
It added that their findings were reported to Mayor Lani Cayetano, leading to a meeting on July 8 between the city’s Business Permits and Licensing Office and EcoWaste to discuss possible measures to be taken against errant vendors.
READ: FDA urged to crack down on banned mercury cosmetics in Visayas
Among the banned products found to be for sale were Goree Gold 24K Beauty Cream (banned in 2023), 88 Total White Underarm Cream from Thailand (2021), Goree Beauty Cream with Lycopene (2017), Goree Day & Night Beauty Cream from Pakistan, (2017), as well as Chinese products Jiaoli Miraculous Cream (banned since 2010) and S’Zitang 10 Days Specific Eliminating Freckle AB Set (2015).
Aileen Lucero, the EcoWaste national coordinator, warned that consumers were being “tricked into using these facial creams that promise to lighten the skin tone and manage symptoms of ageing.”
The World Health Organization lists mercury as one of the 10 chemicals of major public health concern. When used in skin-lightening products, it inhibits melanin production, resulting in a lighter skin tone. However, repeated applications could lead to skin discoloration, rashes, scarring, or worse, damage to the kidneys, brain, and central nervous system.
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PH’s four FA-50s arrive in Australia, mark first-ever overseas deployment | John Eric Mendoza | Wed, 10 Jul 2024 20:01:32 PST | Philippine Air Force’s FA-50 fighter jets arrive at RAAF Base in Darwin City, Australia for Exercise Pitch Black 2024. PHOTO FROM THE PHILIPPINE AIR FORCE
Philippine Air Force’s FA-50 fighter jets arrive at RAAF Base in Darwin City, Australia for Exercise Pitch Black 2024. PHOTO FROM THE PHILIPPINE AIR FORCE
MANILA, Philippines — Philippine Air Force’s (PAF) four FA-50s arrived in Australia on Wednesday, the first-ever deployment of the country’s fighter jets for drills outside the country.
PAF spokesperson Col. Maria Consuelo Castillo said the four fighter jets, along with 162 personnel, arrived in Darwin City to participate in the Exercise Pitch Black in Australia.
“This exercise is a historic event as it is the first time that the PAF has sent its aircraft overseas for an international exercise,” Castillo said in a statement.
READ: PAF planes join Australia-led exercise
Previously, Castillo announced that six FA-50s would participate in the drills, but the deployment was slashed to four.
“We need to retain more aircraft here to respond to operational requirements here in the country,” Castillo told reporters in a text message.
READ: West Philippine Sea: Marcos OKd purchase of more fighter jets – AFP chief
The PAF contingent will participate in the multilateral war games which will run from July 12 to August 2.
The Philippines and Australia have an existing status of visiting forces agreement, which is a comprehensive legal framework for the presence of one country’s armed forces in the other.
Australia also regularly conducts drills with the Philippines and is a regular observer of the Balikatan exercises, the biggest annual war games conducted in the country.
To date, PAF currently uses a dozen of the South Korean-built light combat aircraft after retiring its remaining fighters in 2005. It was acquired from Korea Aerospace Industries for P18.9 billion during the administration of Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino Jr.
President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. also green-lighted plans to purchase multirole fighter aircraft, according to military chief General Romeo Brawner Jr.
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The continuing effort to build up PAF’s deterrence comes amid Beijing’s aggressive actions in the West Philippine Sea based on its assertion of sovereignty in the entire South China Sea, encroaching on Manila’s exclusive economic zone.
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Big Time Rush to perform in Manila this October as part of their Asian Tour | ecoloma | Wed, 10 Jul 2024 16:23:15 PST | (10 July 2024: MANILA, PHILIPPINES) – Global pop sensation Big Time Rush is gearing up to dazzle fans across Asia this October with their eagerly awaited debut tour! The group will take the stage in Manila, Bangkok, and Singapore. They will perform in Manila at the New Frontier Theater on Thursday, October 17, 2024, with tickets priced between PhP1,750 and PhP5,000.
Big Time Rush Fan Club members receive exclusive early access to tickets and VIP upgrades starting on Monday, July 15, from 10am to 11:59pm. To learn how to become a Big Time Rush Fan Club Member, visit www.BigTimeRushOfficial.com.
Mastercard cardholders have special access to presale tickets in Manila starting from 16 July (Tuesday) at 10am to 18 July (Thursday) at 10am. Visit www.priceless.com/music to find out more.
Live Nation PH members can secure tickets first during the exclusive Live Nation PH pre-sale on 19 July (Friday) from 10am to 11:59pm. Visit www.livenation.ph for free membership signup and presale access.
Tickets will be available to the public on 20 July (Saturday), starting at 12pm via www.ticketnet.com.ph and its outlets.
NEW FRONTIER THEATER, MANILA – THU, 17 OCTOBER
VOICE SPACE, BANGKOK – SAT, 19 OCTOBER
THE THEATRE AT MEDIACORP, SINGAPORE – MON, 21 OCTOBER
For complete tour and ticketing details, visit bigtimerushofficial.com & livenation.asia
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Guo cites health, death threats in ‘excuse letter’ to Senate | Marlon Ramos | Wed, 10 Jul 2024 05:10:00 PST | Suspended Bamban Mayor Alice Guo —Marianne Bermudez
Suspended Bamban Mayor Alice Guo —Marianne Bermudez
MANILA, Philippines — Suspended Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo cannot invoke her right against self-incrimination to avoid attending the Senate inquiry into her alleged involvement in the illegal activities of Philippine offshore gaming operators (Pogos), senators said on Tuesday.
According to Senate President Francis Escudero, Guo’s attendance at the resumption of the hearing on Wednesday was mandatory and not up to her or her lawyers to decide as Sen. Risa Hontiveros had already subpoenaed her and her family.
READ: Escudero willing to sign arrest warrant vs Alice Guo
“If a subpoena has been issued on a person, you are ‘under [the] compulsion of law.’ That means it’s not your decision whether to attend [the Senate hearing] or not,” Escudero told reporters in an interview.
“If a court, the Senate or the House issues a subpoena, the witness is obligated to comply with it. So it’s not their call if [Guo] will participate,” he said.
READ: Alice Guo absent from Tarlac farm for weeks now – Senate OSAA
In a letter to Hontiveros on Tuesday, Guo formally informed the senator of her decision not to attend the hearing, citing her “worsening” physical condition and death threats against her.
“For a few months now, I have been the subject of malicious accusations. I have been ridiculed, my dignity has been debased and my personal life and even my identity have been questioned and mocked,” she said.
“Not to mention, I have been constantly receiving death threats that I cannot simply ignore as I am afraid that these threats may endanger my life,” Guo added.
According to her, she tried to seek medical help, but “medical professionals that I have consulted refused to issue a medical certificate stating my condition for fear that they may also experience the humiliation and ridicule that I am going through.”
In a statement, Hontiveros agreed with Escudero that the right against self-incrimination cannot be used to avoid accountability as she called on Guo and her lawyers to just follow the law.
“Our jurisprudence is clear and consistent. The Supreme Court has recognized that the invocation of the right against self-incrimination can only be done when a question is being asked,” she said.
“It’s an old excuse to avoid investigation,” she said. “If [Guo] really wants to clear her name, she should appear at the hearing, answer the questions properly and stop telling lies,” she added.
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According to Escudero, he will issue an arrest warrant against Guo should Hontiveros, the chair of the committee conducting the hearing, request one.
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South Korea Samsung union declares ‘indefinite’ strike | Agence France-Presse | Wed, 10 Jul 2024 14:37:30 PST | Members of the National Samsung Electronics Union gather during a rally outside of Samsung Electronics’ Hwaseong campus in Hwaseong, South Korea, Monday, July 8, 2024. Unionized workers at Samsung Electronics declared an indefinite strike Wednesday, July 10 to pressure South Korea’s biggest company to accept their calls for higher pays and other benefits. (Hong Ki-won/Yonhap via AP)
Members of the National Samsung Electronics Union gather during a rally outside of Samsung Electronics’ Hwaseong campus in Hwaseong, South Korea, Monday, July 8, 2024. Unionized workers at Samsung Electronics declared an indefinite strike Wednesday, July 10 to pressure South Korea’s biggest company to accept their calls for higher pays and other benefits. (Hong Ki-won/Yonhap via AP)
Seoul, South Korea — A union representing tens of thousands of workers at Samsung Electronics in South Korea said Wednesday it would extend a three-day strike indefinitely in a bid to force management to negotiate.
The strike is the biggest labour action in the tech giant’s history and steps up pressure on the chipmaker’s management, who last week predicted a huge second-quarter operating profit increase.
“(We) declare a second indefinite general strike from July 10, after learning that the management has no willingness to talk,” the National Samsung Electronics Union said in a statement.
READ: South Korea Samsung workers start strike, says union chief
More than 5,000 members stopped working Monday for what was meant to be a three-day strike, part of a long-running battle over pay and benefits.
The move follows a one-day walkout in June, the first such collective action at the company, which went decades without unionisation.
The union has more than 30,000 members — more than a fifth of the company’s total workforce.
Samsung told AFP Wednesday that the strike would not affect production.
“Samsung Electronics will ensure no disruptions occur in the production lines,” a spokesperson told AFP.
“The company remains committed to engaging in good faith negotiations with the union.”
But the union said it had confirmed “clear disruption in production,” and added that the longer the strike went on “the more the management will suffer.”
“Eventually, they will kneel and come to the negotiation table. We are confident of victory,” it added in a statement.
READ: Samsung Electronics forecasts major Q2 profit jump
The union blamed Samsung management for “obstructing” the strike, saying they did not appear willing to engage in dialogue.
It urged more workers to participate, including “those who are still hesitant”.
“Your determination is needed to advance our goals and victory. Let us unite our strength to protect our rights and create a better future.”
The union has been locked in negotiations with management since January, but the two sides have failed to narrow differences.
Workers have rejected the offer of a 5.1 percent pay hike, with the union having previously outlined demands including improvements to annual leave and transparent performance-based bonuses.
The impact of the strike “depends on various factors, (such as) duration of the strike, accordingly lost days of production and recoup strategy,” Neil Shah, research vice president at Counterpoint Research told AFP.
He added that it was also important “how Samsung management has prepared knowing this could happen and already have simulated the solutions to solve this quickly”.
Samsung Electronics managed to avoid having its employees unionise for almost 50 years — sometimes adopting ferocious tactics, according to critics — while rising to become the world’s largest smartphone and semiconductor manufacturer.
Company founder Lee Byung-chul, who died in 1987, was adamantly opposed to unions, saying he would never allow them “until I have dirt over my eyes”.
The first effective labour union at Samsung Electronics was formed in 2019.
Soon after, Lee Jae-yong, the founder’s grandson and current chairman of Samsung Electronics, declared an end to the firm’s no-union principle in 2020.
Samsung’s labour policy “failed to meet the demands of changing times,” Lee, then Samsung’s vice-chairman, said.
The firm is the flagship subsidiary of South Korean giant Samsung Group, by far the largest of the family-controlled conglomerates that dominate business in Asia’s fourth-largest economy.
It is the world’s largest memory chip maker and accounts for a significant chunk of global output of the high-end chips.
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Samsung recently predicted a more than 15-fold increase in its on-year second-quarter operating profits, thanks to growing demand for generative AI.
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PH gov’t to slash tariff on rice, other agri products – SolGen | Tetch Torres-Tupas | Wed, 10 Jul 2024 18:31:55 PST | Solicitor General Menardo Guevarra —INQUIRER PHOTO
Solicitor General Menardo Guevarra —INQUIRER PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines — Solicitor General Menardo Guevarra on Wednesday said the government would implement Executive Order No. 62, which lowers the tariff on imported rice and other agricultural products unless the Supreme Court (SC) restrains it.
The SC ordered the government, through the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG), to comment on the petition filed by several agri groups against the EO’s implementation.
SC Spokesperson Atty. Camille Sue Mae Ting said the order to comment was issued following the magistrates’ full court session last Tuesday.
“The Court without giving due course to the petition and prayer for TRO, required the respondents to file their comments within a non-extendible period of 10 days from notice,” Ting said at a press conference.
The government is required to comment on the prayer for a temporary restraining order as well as the main prayer of nullifying the EO.
“We have received a copy of the petition, but we have not received a copy of the SC resolution requiring us to comment. Be that as it may, the OSG is presently studying the legal issues involved,” Guevarra said.
READ: Supreme Court asked to nullify EO 62 lowering tariffs on agri products
https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1958023/supreme-court-asked-to-nullify-eo-62-lowering-tariffs-on-agri-products#ixzz8fZZc76LW
The petitioners immediately welcomed the Court’s decision to compel respondents to comment on their petition and urged Marcos Jr. and the other respondents to halt the implementation of the order pending the SC decision on the merits of the case.
“SINAG and the whole agri sector welcome the order of the Supreme Court in requiring the respondents to file their comments within 10 days,” SINAG chair Rosendo So said.
“Considering that the matter of the constitutionality/validity of EO 62 is now pending before the SC, the pendency of this legal action should be respected by the respondents; defer any action in relation to EO 62 and, give due respect to the SC,” the group said.
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Harry Roque denies being legal counsel for raided Pogo hub | Charie Abarca | Wed, 10 Jul 2024 18:46:33 PST | Harry Roque
Harry Roque
MANILA, Philippines — Former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque on Wednesday denied allegations that he served as the legal counsel of raided Philippine offshore gaming operator (Pogo) Lucky South 99.
In a statement, Roque confirmed that he requested a rescheduling of the arrears payment of a lessee and principal of his client Whirlwind Corporation.
He also clarified that his client is a service provider to Lucky South, then a holder of a valid license from the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor).
Roque’s pronouncements came after Pagcor chief Alejandro Tengco disclosed during the Senate panel on women’s hearing that Roque reached out to his office to help Lucky South 99 reapply for its license.
Tengco said Roque was lawyering for the firm.
Roque also slammed panel head Sen. Risa Hontiveros for allegedly concluding that he lied to the media about only counseling for Whirlwind.
“I clarify that I did not consent to nor was I informed of my name’s inclusion in any submission by Lucky South with the Pagcor concerning license renewal. If her only basis is the organizational chart naming me as legal counsel of Lucky South 99, then I challenge her to prove that I had a direct hand in preparing the said document. No such evidence exists,” he said.
According to Roque, he has no reason to deny his legal engagement with Lucky South 99 if there is truth to it.
“Providing legal representation is why the legal profession exists. But the reality is that an attorney-client relationship is of the highest fiduciary relationship and cannot be presumed unless there is a clear retainer between counsel and client,” he said.
“As a lawyer, I could not directly engage with the Pogo because of a potential conflict of interest and given the soured lease contract between Whirlwind and Lucky South,” he added
Read: Harry Roque legal counsel for raided Pogo hub, Pagcor chief tells Senate
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Wise state spending, sustainable financing to drive growth —GlobalSource | Czashaine Mai T. Abella, Ian Nicolas P. Cigaral | Wed, 10 Jul 2024 10:54:05 PST | INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
The larger national budget being proposed for next year won’t guarantee significant economic gains, think tank GlobalSource Partners said, adding that wise spending and sustainable financing are the more important drivers of growth.
In a commentary sent to reporters on Tuesday, Diwa Guinigundo, analyst at GlobalSource, said the Marcos administration should spend more on critical infrastructure like power, as well as other priority areas such as health and education to ensure “judicious utilization” of its planned P6.352 trillion budget for 2025.
READ: No need to wait long: Upper-middle economy status coming this year —DLSU
Spending on those areas, Guinigundo explained, would “strengthen the country’s connectivity and digitalization” and boost production of both goods and services, which may help temper inflation and reduce poverty.
“Some market analysts seemed to have missed the point about the proposed significant increase in next year’s budget, equating it with additional push for higher economic growth,” Guinigundo, a former central bank deputy governor, said.
”As some academics correctly pointed out, the bigger magnitude is no guarantee of any significant gains in economic growth or development,” he added.
READ: PH economic growth slower than expected
The inter-agency Development Budget Coordination Committee (DBCC) last month unveiled the Marcos administration’s P6.352-trillion spending plan for 2025, which is equivalent to 22 percent of the country’s gross domestic product. The amount is 10.1 percent larger than this year’s outlay of P5.768 trillion.
House Speaker Martin Romualdez had said Congress would try to approve the proposed budget in three months. The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) is planning to submit the proposed spending plan to Congress “within one week” before President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. delivers his State of the Nation address on July 22.
Data showed that despite the bigger national budget for 2024, the economy grew 5.7 percent year-on-year in the first quarter, slower than the Marcos administration’s 6 to 7 percent target.
Among the GDP components, government spending grew 1.7 percent in the January to March period, lower than the 6.2-percent uptick in the first quarter of 2023. Economic officials said the El Niño onslaught had disrupted construction activities during the period, likely slowing down government expenditures on infrastructure as a result.
READ: 2024 GDP growth can still hit 6%, says Neda
Moving forward, the government said it would continue to catch up on its spending so it could make a bigger contribution to second-quarter GDP growth. Latest Treasury data showed state spending amounted to P2.3 trillion year-to-date, up by 17.65 percent.
Apart from wiser spending, GlobalSource’s Guinigundo said a “sustainable financing” to bridge a large budget deficit is also key to higher economic growth. That said, he explained that the Marcos administration’s decision to not impose new taxes and instead depend on collection efficiency may risk stoking higher borrowings.
“With the persistent issues in governance, the old formula of intensifying tax collection and ensuring compliance with tax laws may not deliver sufficient revenues,” Guinigundo said.
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“Short of what is required, the Government may also have to increase its borrowings,” he added.
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Roque’s bank documents found in raided Pampanga Pogo – PAOCC | Faith Argosino | Wed, 10 Jul 2024 16:13:17 PST | FILE PHOTO: Former Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque Jr. VALERIE ESCALERA/PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO
FILE PHOTO: Former Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque Jr. VALERIE ESCALERA/PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines — Bank documents of former Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque and his former executive assistant Alberto Rodulfo “AR” De La Serna were found in Lucky South 99 Corp., the raided Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (Pogo) hub in Pampanga, the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) said on Wednesday.
PAOCC spokesperson Winston Casio shared photos of the documents to the media after Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor) chief Alejandro Tengco revealed that Roque served as the legal counsel of Lucky South 99 Corp. during a Senate probe.
READ: Harry Roque lobbied for raided Pogo hub, Pagcor chief tells Senate probe
“We found bank documents of Roque together with the De La Serna docs found at Lucky South 99,” Casio said in a message.
“As previously stated, we found nothing suspicious about these documents initially. But with the latest statement of Chair Tengco that Roque pressured Pagcor to grant licenses to these scam farms, these documents take on a different character. This will now be a subject of investigation,” he added.
Casio also shared a certified true copy of a Pagcor document indicating that Roque is also the legal counsel of Lucky South 99, not just the Whirlwind Corporation, which leased the land to the former.
Six sets of People’s Liberation Army uniforms — including an “outstanding service medal” for a Chinese military sergeant, military pins, and two pairs of boots — were found in the facility.
Casio said authorities also found identification cards of a foreigner bearing different names, among what he called “a good number of disturbing discoveries” from the compound.
Last June 4, the PAOCC and the Philippine National Police conducted the raid, resulting in the apprehension of over 190 individuals inside the Pogo complex along Friendship Highway in Angeles City.
The PAOCC said its operation stemmed from a warrant issued by Judge Maria Belinda Rama of Malolos Regional Trial Court Branch 14 against officers and employees of Lucky South 99.
The warrant was issued after the PAOCC received a report that a female foreigner was sexually trafficked in the area and male foreigners were tortured.
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Palarong Pambansa 2024: Pre-Tournament live updates | bochoa | Tue, 09 Jul 2024 01:43:01 PST | Here are the latest pre-tournament updates of the Palarong Pambansa 2024 to be held in different venues around Cebu City and its neighboring cities from July 9 to 16, 2024.
READ MORE: Palarong Pambansa 2024: LIVE UPDATES
Bookmark this page to get the latest updates on pre-tournament news about the Palarong Pambansa in Cebu.
Scroll down for more updates.
The PALARONG PAMBANSA 2024: A CDN DIGITAL SPECIAL ONLINE COVERAGE is in partnership with:
The unpredictable weather in Cebu will not be a major problem for Palarong Pambansa 2024 after the organizers gave the assurance that contingency measures are in place for the week-long meet.
Cebu City Sports Commission (CCSC) Chairman John Pages told the media that they have identified alternative venues for outdoor sports that will be affected by heavy downpour and that they would carry on the games until the evening if the weather will not be favorable early in the day during the meet scheduled from July 11 to 15.
The official mascot of the Palarong Pambansa is the “Matatag,” inspired by Cebu’s rarest bird, the Cebu Flowerpecker.
The Cebu Flowerpecker was once declared instinct, but its species was rediscovered in 1992. Matatag represents not just its namesake, but also Palaro’s theme “Beyond Sports.”
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Palarong Pambansa 2024 organizers assured all athletes competing in the medal-rich track and field event that the newly-renovated rubberized track oval of the Cebu City Sports Center (CCSC) will be ‘adjusted and repaired’ prior to the official start of the games on July 11.
Francis Cesar Bringas, the assistant secretary of the Department of Education (DepEd), announced that the rubberized track oval will be ready come Thursday’s kick off of the centerpiece track and field event.
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Cebu athletes are now busy prepping for this year’s Palarong Pambansa.
Luckily, they agreed to a quick chat with CDNDigital through the only and longest running sports talk show in Cebu, CDN SportsTalk, to share their preparations for the much awaited national meet.
Palarong Pambansa will officially open on Tuesday, July 9, at the Cebu City Sports Center.
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Two student athletes, who will be participating in the Palarong Pambansa 2024, were confirmed of having dengue fever.
Dr. Peter Mancao, chief of Cebu City Medical Center (CCMC), told reporters on Monday, July 8, that the patients were already admitted at the CCMC since Friday.
CEBU CITY, Philippines – Delegates and the public will be able to experience a fair weather throughout the week for Palarong Pambansa 2024.
Engineer Alfredo Quiblat Jr., chief of Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) in Mactan, on Monday, July 8 said that no typhoons or low-pressure area are expected to enter the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) this week, affecting Metro Cebu.
Next week, from July 16 to July 18, there is expected to be a low likelihood of typhoons entering PAR.
With two days left before the official kickoff of Palarong Pambansa 2024, acting Cebu City Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia said that everything is now in place.
“We’re very much prepared akong gi tan-aw nga murag naa jud tas one hundred percent ani obviously, kay tungod gyud sa atong mga preparations nga gipangbuhat,” he said.
Still, Garcia said that they will continue to look into the needs of the visiting student-athletes to address their concerns, including the need for stable water supply at the billeting quarters and conduct of extensive price monitor to make sure that they do not end up buying overpriced goods.
The condition of the newly-renovated rubberized track oval at the Cebu City Sports Center (CCSC) has sparked concerns less than a week before the official start of Palarong Pambansa 2024, following reports of ‘visible signs’ of damage.
Netizens have also expressed their frustrations on social upon learning of the damages found on the oval.Observations were raised on the detachment of the rubber from its base, a bumpy surface, and the presence of water trapped inside the rubber base, among others.
Read full story here
Renowned sports physician Dr. Rhoel O. Dejaño left no stone unturned in making sure that the Palarong Pambansa’s medical team is ready for the week-long competition next week.
In an interview, Dejaño, the “Sportsman of the Year” awardee of the 38th SAC-SMB Cebu Sports Awards told CDN Digital that he planned and designed Palarong Pambansa’s medical team from the Olympics.
Dejaño followed such a blueprint after he served as one of the volunteer sports physicians in the 2016 Rio Olympics.
Fast forward to 2024, Dejaño was tasked to lead Palarong Pambansa’s medical team that will oversee the welfare of more than 12,000 athletes from 19 regions competing in 34 sports.
Slight changes were made to the official playing venues of the Palarong Pambansa 2024.
This was officially announced by Cebu City Sports Commission (CCSC) Chairman John Pages, who is also one of Palarong Pambansa’s overall organizers.
Pages said that it’s important to announce the changes for everyone’s awareness, especially the delegates and their families who will be here in Cebu during the meet.
Click here to check out the list of playing venues for the multi-sporting meet.
The Palarong Pambansa 2024 App can now be downloaded from both the iOS App Store and Android’s Play Store starting today, June 5.
Four days before the opening of the most-awaited, grandest week-long sports celebration in the country, Palaro enthusiasts can now access the app and view the game schedules on the Palarong Pambansa official website.
For the first time, Palarong Pambansa will feature a new app offering YouTube live streams of games, venues, medal standings, news updates, and tourist spots near the venues.
Click here to read full story.
Cebu City is set to add exciting innovations when it hosts the Palarong Pambansa 2024 to level up the excitement about the national games.
This was announced by the local organizers during a press conference at the newly-renovated Cebu City Sports Center.
Assistant School Division Superintendent Adolf Aguilar of DepEd Cebu City unveiled several firsts in the athletic meet set to unravel from July 9 to 16 2024.
Click here to read full story.
The Cebu Provincial Government and highly-urbanized cities have pledged their full support for Cebu City’s upcoming hosting of the Palarong Pambansa in July 2024.
The aim is to transform the event into a significant tourism and economic boost.
Governor Gwen Garcia announced that Cebu Province, along with cities of Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu, will collaborate with Cebu City to ensure the success of the Palarong Pambansa 2024.
Read full story here.
With two to three typhoons expected to enter the Philippines this month according to PAGASA, many are wary about the weather for the upcoming Palarong Pambansa, which will kick off from July 9-16 at various venues.
However, the Palarong Pambansa local organizers have already implemented contingency plans to ensure the games will continue with minimal disruptions during the rainy season.
According to Assistant School Division Superintendent Adolf Aguilar of DepEd Cebu City, they have already observed how Palaro organizers handled weather issues during last year’s games in Marikina.
Read full story here.
Vice President Sara Duterte has confirmed that she will be present during the upcoming opening ceremony of the Palarong Pambansa 2024 in Cebu City.
She announced this to local media during an ambush interview in Cebu City on Saturday, June 29.
Palarong Pambansa 2024 will take place from July 6 to 16, with the opening ceremony scheduled on July 9 at the Cebu City Sports Center. Aside from Palaro, she will also be attending other events such as the National Learners’ Convergence and a national press conference in the province in July.
Click here to read full story.
The official billeting quarters of the 17 regions vying in July’s Palarong Pambansa has been officially announced by the local organizers.
Around 10,000 to 12,000 athletes, excluding delegates from the said regions will converge in Cebu for the week-long national-level meet backed by the Department of Education (DepEd).
Click here to read full story.
Philippine President Ferdinand “Bong-Bong” Marcos Jr. will attend the opening ceremony of the Palarong Pambansa 2024 on July 9, at the Cebu City Sports Center (CCSC).
This was confirmed by the Cebu City Sports Commission (CCSC) Chairman and one of Palarong Pambansa’s main organizers, John Pages to CDN Digital.
Click here to read full story.
Cebu City Sports Commission (CCSC) chairman and one of the Palarong Pambansa 2024 organizers, John Pages, expects all delegations for the upcoming games to arrive by today.
Over the past few days, hundreds of athletes, coaches, and delegates from the 19 regions of Palarong Pambansa have flocked to Cebu ahead of the July 9 opening.
Click here for the full story.
One of the many ways to show support to our athletes is to be present in every sporting event of Palarong Pambansa 2024.
Your physical presence will surely boost the confidence and give inspiration to these athletes.
This year’s Palarong Pambansa should be a memorable one not just for the athletes but also members of their families who will be traveling to Cebu for the national meet.
Click here for the full story.
The PALARONG PAMBANSA 2024: A CDN DIGITAL SPECIAL ONLINE COVERAGE is in partnership with:
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Pagasa: Fair Tuesday weather with possible rain showers nationwide | John Eric Mendoza | Tue, 09 Jul 2024 07:35:25 PST | MANILA, Philippines – Warm weather and possible rain showers are expected in most parts of the country on Tuesday, while cloudy skies and rain are forecast in Palawan and the Visayas, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration’s (Pagasa).
“Due to the easterlies, cloudy skies with scattered rains are expected in areas of Visayas and Palawan,” said Pagasa weather specialist Rhea Torres in an early morning bulletin.
“As for the rest of the country, while we are seeing cloud [bands], it is not expected to last until the afternoon,” Torres said.
“We are expecting warm weather except chances of rain showers and isolated thunderstorms in the afternoon and night,” she said.
No weather disturbance is expected in and around the Philippine area of responsibility in the coming days.
No gale warning is in effect over the country’s seaboard.
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7-Eleven Slurp, Bite, and Jam Music Fest: Last chance to redeem e-stamps on July 9, 2024 | bfernandez | Tue, 09 Jul 2024 09:35:16 PST | It’s the official last call to see 7-Eleven’s first-ever Slurp, Bite, and Jam Music Fest happening this July 11, 2024, at SM Seaside Concert Grounds, Cebu City. Catch the vibrant lineup featuring Juan Karlos, KZ Tandingan, TJ Monterde, and BGYO. Other talented artists such as Cebu band Wonggoys, DJ Phillip, and MC Tom Candy will also take center stage.
Each buy grants one (1) e-stamp where a total of three e-stamps will guarantee a General Admission Standing ticket and 10 e-stamps for a VIP Standing ticket. On the other hand, CLiQQ users or Rewards Card holders come with a special perk as they can conveniently receive two (2) e-stamps for every purchase. Not a member yet? Customers can still sign up now and speed up securing their desired ticket.
Tickets to this exclusive music fest can be secured through the purchase of a Large Slurpee and Big Bite Brown Hotdog combo for as low as P85. The promo runs until July 9, 2024 only so the more a customer slurps and bites, the better the chances of joining this epic event.
Each buy grants one (1) e-stamp where a total of three e-stamps will guarantee a General Admission Standing ticket and 10 e-stamps for a VIP Standing ticket. On the other hand, CLiQQ users or Rewards Card holders come with a special perk as they can conveniently receive two (2) e-stamps for every purchase. Not a member yet? Customers can still sign up now and speed up securing their desired ticket.
When submitting and monitoring the entries, simply create an account via http://www.711slurpbitejam.com. Promo joiners can redeem their e-stamps by uploading their receipts as proof of purchase. If one wishes to head straight to the event, General Admission tickets can also be secured on the website for only P711 until July 11. But, VIP tickets are available for the first 100 customers for the same price of P711. Payment must be made within 24 hours at any 7-Eleven store nationwide.
This musical night is especially brought about by the expansion of the OG beverage, Slurpee. In leveling up its brain-freezing chill, 7-Eleven is joining up with OPM icons to stage a thrilling good time—expertly blending delectable delights with exciting surprises.
Hurry now to a nearby 7-Eleven store and get snacking quick. Seize the opportunity of jamming with some of the hottest names in the OPM industry, made possible by Slurpee and Big Bite Hotdog.
Cheers to 40 years with 7-Eleven and like us on 7-Eleven Philippines Facebook, follow @711ph on Instagram, and @711philippines on Twitter and TikTok for more information.
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Cebu City hosts spectacular Palarong Pambansa opening ceremony | dbongcac | Tue, 09 Jul 2024 18:29:14 PST | The lighting of the urn ceremony during the opening of the Palarong Pambansa 2024 was performed by Cebu’s 2019 Southeast Asian Games (SEAG) gold medalists in dancesport, Wilbert Aunzo and Perl Marie Cañeda. | Photo: Josh Almonte
The lighting of the urn ceremony during the opening of the Palarong Pambansa 2024 was performed by Cebu’s 2019 Southeast Asian Games (SEAG) gold medalists in dancesport, Wilbert Aunzo and Perl Marie Cañeda. | Photo: Josh Almonte
CEBU CITY, Philippines— Cebu City rolled out the red carpet for delegates of the Palarong Pambansa 2024 with a dazzling opening ceremony at the Cebu City Sports Center (CCSC) on Tuesday, July 9.
Marking its return to Cebu after 30 years, the national games welcomed 19 competing delegations and over 12,000 athletes with an extravagant showcase of local culture and talent.
The event kicked off with vibrant “Sinulog themed” performances by over a thousand dancers representing various dance groups and universities, showcasing Cebu’s rich cultural heritage.
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READ: Alternative playing venues in place in case of bad weather— Pages
President Ferdinand “Bong Bong” Marcos Jr. officially declared the Palarong Pambansa 2024 open.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. | CDN Digital photo
Joining President Marcos were esteemed guests including Special Assistant to the President Antonio Lagdameo Jr., Department of Interior and Local Government Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr., Philippine Sports Commission Chairman Richard Bachmann, Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia, and Acting Cebu City Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia.
READ: Cebu City now 100% ready to host Palarong Pambansa – Raymond
Notably absent were Vice President Sara Duterte-Carpio and suspended Cebu City Mayor Mike Rama, who had initially confirmed their attendance to the opening program.
The ceremonial duties included “Cebuano Hotshot” and Acting Cebu City Vice Mayor Dondon Hontiveros, and Central Visayas athletes Kenneth Cole and Mary Antoinette Cortes who led the torch relay. The lighting of the urn was performed by Cebu’s 2019 Southeast Asian Games (SEAG) gold medalists in dancesport, Wilbert Aunzo and Perl Marie Cañeda.
READ: CCSC’s rubberized track oval shows ‘visible signs’ of damage
Palarong Pambansa gold medalist Mitchloni Dinauanao led the “Oath of Sportsmanship” and Ma. Jeanette Obiena, head of the technical officiating officials, led the “Oath of Officials.”
The afternoon program was highlighted by performances showcasing Cebu’s vibrant history and Catholic heritage, delighting not only the delegates but also thousands of spectators gathered at the CCSC grandstand.
Originally scheduled for 5:30 p.m., the opening program and performances commenced earlier than planned due to the early arrival of Marcos Jr. from Compostela town in northern Cebu, where he was a special guest at the Steel Asia Compostela Works earlier that day.
Despite the last minute schedule change, the performers delivered an outstanding production numbers, complemented by special lighting effects and a fireworks display.
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By providing an email address. I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy. | Inquirer | https://cebudailynews.inquirer.net/583243/cebu-city-hosts-spectacular-palarong-pambansa-opening-ceremony | null | null | null | null | null | null |
Alleged rebel dead in Camarines Sur clash | Ma. April Mier-Manjares @MaAprilMierINQ | Tue, 09 Jul 2024 12:29:20 PST | Camarines Sur. INQUIRER FILES
Camarines Sur. INQUIRER FILES
LEGAZPI CITY — An alleged member of the New People’s Army (NPA) was killed in a clash on Monday, July 8, with government troops in Tinambac town in Camarines Sur.
Major Frank Roldan, spokesperson of the 9th Infantry Division of the Philippine Army, said in a report on Tuesday, July 9, that Vergel Balcueva, Disan, Joey, and James, died in the 10-minute firefight around 9 a.m. with the 83rd Infantry Battalion in Barangay San Ramon.
READ: Suspected NPA rebel killed in Camarines Sur clash
Authorities recovered an M16 rifle and other personal belongings at the clash site.
Roldan said Balcueva was the leader of the Front Operational Command of the Sub-regional Committee 2.
He was facing two charges for attempted murder, two frustrated murders, and illegal possession of firearms, ammunition, and explosives.
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Duterte says she ‘prays’ for DepEd’s success | Luisa Cabato | Tue, 09 Jul 2024 14:09:01 PST | Vice President at the opening ceremony of the Palarong Pambansa, July 31, 2023 | PHOTO: INQUIRER.net/Ryan Leagogo
Vice President at the opening ceremony of the Palarong Pambansa, July 31, 2023 | PHOTO: INQUIRER.net/Ryan Leagogo
MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Sara Duterte on Tuesday said she prays for the success of the Department of Education’s (DepEd) goal to foster optimal education for the Filipino youth.
Duterte, the outgoing education secretary, said this in her message for the opening ceremony of Palarong Pambansa 2024 in Cebu City.
READ: DepEd, Cebu City seal pact for 54th edition of Palarong Pambansa
“We recognize the annual Palarong Pambansa as a tradition of the Department of Education that plays a deep and meaningful role in developing our students and preparing them for greater competitions in life,” she said in Filipino.
“Alongside the opening of the 2024 Palarong Pambansa in Cebu City today is my prayer and aspiration for the success of our goals to promote appropriate, timely, and quality education for the Filipino youth,” she added.
The Vice President also thanked teachers, coaches, parents, and the staff involved in the event.
“To our athletes, you will not go home as losers because your participation in our competitions is already a victory for each of you,” she said.
“May you carry with you the lessons of friendship, discipline, perseverance, and resilience towards fulfilling your dreams,” she added.
Palarong Pambansa is an annual scholastic multi-sport event attended by the 17 DepEd regional athletic associations and delegates. It opened on July 9 and will last until July 16.
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By providing an email address. I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy. | Inquirer | https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1959362/duterte-says-she-prays-for-depeds-success | null | null | null | null | null | null |
President Marcos attends Palaro opening but VP Sara a no show | rgabuya | Tue, 09 Jul 2024 19:02:52 PST | President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., encourages the thousands of athletes competing in this year’s Palarong Pambansa in Cebu City to uphold sportsmanship, unity, and camaraderie. | Christian Dave Cuizon
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., encourages the thousands of athletes competing in this year’s Palarong Pambansa in Cebu City to uphold sportsmanship, unity, and camaraderie. | Christian Dave Cuizon
CEBU CITY, Philippines — This year’s opening of the Palarong Pambansa had high-profile personalities, including President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., in attendance.
But some of the core officials behind the event, particularly Vice President Sara Duterte and suspended Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama, were no-shows.
The country’s largest inter-regional sports meet, tha Palaro opening officially kicked off on Tuesday, July 9 at the Cebu City Sports Center (CCSC).
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In attendance were Marcos, Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia, and acting city officials Raymond Alvin Garcia (Mayor) and Dondon Hontiveros (Vice-Mayor).
The President’s sister and Senator Imee Marcos also visited the CCSC prior to his arrival.
The Palaro opening spanned for three hours and involved the ceremonial lighting of the urn to signal the start of the week-long competition.
Marcos, in his speech, lauded organizers for introducing new segments into the Palaro like the dancesports category which he described as a fitting tribute to the host Cebu City.
The Queen City of the South has gained reputation for its thriving dancesports scene, both nationally and internationally.
The President also reminded athletes and coaches from the 17 regions to always uphold unity and camaraderie throughout the week-long contest.
It was earlier reported that Duterte, the outgoing Education secretary, will be attending the Palaro opening ceremony on Tuesday. Rama was also invited by the city government to join the event.
The Vice-President, however, shared photos of her visit and offering prayers at the Basilica Minore Del Sto. Niño de Cebu a few hours before the arrival of Marcos.
The centuries-old Basilica is located just a few blocks away from CCSC.
As the former Education Secretary, VP Duterte was actively involved in the preparation of the Palaro on a national level.
Like VP Duterte, suspended mayor Rama was hugely credited for bringing the Palaro back to Cebu City after 30 years.
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Shabu worth P1.1M seized from high-value suspect in Rizal bust | Delfin T. Mallari Jr. @dtmallarijrINQ | Tue, 09 Jul 2024 12:26:42 PST | INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
LUCENA CITY — More than P1.1 million worth of shabu (crystal meth) was confiscated Monday from a big-time drug trafficker in Binangonan town in Rizal province.
Members of the local police drug enforcement unit caught “Vandolf” after he sold P7,000 worth of shabu to a poseur buyer in a buy-bust operation at 9:43 p.m. in Barangay Pagasa, the Police Regional Office 4-A said in a report on Tuesday, July 9.
Seized from Vandolf were at least 34 plastic sachets containing 170 grams of meth worth about P1,156,000 in the Dangerous Drugs Board valuation.
READ: Shabu worth P239,000 seized from 3 suspects in Rizal busts
The operatives also confiscated a motorcycle believed to have been used by Vandolf in his illegal activities.
Police tagged him as a high-value individual in the local drug trade.
Authorities were tracking the source of the shabu.
Vandolf was detained at the local police jail and is facing charges of violating anti-drugs law.
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Oil firms hike prices anew | Lisbet K. Esmael | Tue, 09 Jul 2024 05:10:00 PST | INQUIRER.net photo
INQUIRER.net photo
MANILA, Philippines — Oil prices went up on Tuesday for a fourth straight week, with Shell Pilipinas, Cleanfuel, Seaoil, Jetti and Caltex announcing in separate advisories an increase per liter of 65 centavos in diesel and 60 centavos in kerosene.
Gasoline saw the biggest upward adjustment at P1.60 per liter.
The increases, which were higher than last week’s, took effect at 6 a.m. on July 9, except for Cleanfuel, which said it would implement the new prices at 4 p.m.
READ: 4th fuel price increase seen in as many weeks
Rodela Romero, director of the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Oil Industry Management Bureau, attributed the increase to continuing Middle East tensions and other external factors.
“Geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, unexpectedly large withdrawals in the US crude inventories and optimistic forecasts for summer fuel demand have all contributed to pushing prices in oil products higher,” she said.
Following several upward price movements, data from the DOE showed that as of July 2, the prices of gasoline, diesel, and kerosene posted year-to-date net increases per liter of P9.25, P8.40 and P1.75, respectively. —with a report from Thony Rose Lesaca
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By providing an email address. I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy. | Inquirer | https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1959167/oil-firms-hike-prices-anew | null | null | null | null | null | null |
PH, Japan ink defense pact amid China aggression | Frances Mangosing, Marlon Ramos, Melvin Gascon | Tue, 09 Jul 2024 05:55:07 PST | MILITARY ACCESS President Marcos (center) witnesses the ceremonial signing of the Reciprocal Access Agreement between Japan Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa (second from left) and Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. in Malacañang on Monday. With them are Japan Defense Minister Minoru Kihara (extreme left) and Foreign Secretary Enrique Manalo. —Marianne Bermudez
MILITARY ACCESS President Marcos (center) witnesses the ceremonial signing of the Reciprocal Access Agreement between Japan Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa (second from left) and Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. in Malacañang on Monday. With them are Japan Defense Minister Minoru Kihara (extreme left) and Foreign Secretary Enrique Manalo. —Marianne Bermudez
MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines and Japan on Monday boosted their defense ties by forging a Reciprocal Access Agreement (RAA) allowing the entry of military troops and equipment into each other’s jurisdiction for combat training and disaster response.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. witnessed the signing ceremony in Malacañang, which coincided with the courtesy call by Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa and Defense Minister Minoru Kihara.
Kamikawa described the pact as a “landmark achievement,” while Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. said “this is another milestone in our shared endeavor to ensure a rules-based international order.”
READ: Japan and the Philippines: Charting a Path toward Strategic Synergy
The RAA was signed by Teodoro and Kamikawa, while Foreign Secretary Enrique Manalo and Kihara served as witnesses. It will take effect after its ratification by the legislatures of the two countries.
The deal is the first of its kind to be signed by Japan in Asia and comes amid a rise in aggression by Chinese vessels particularly in the West Philippine Sea.
READ: Trilateral pushback against China
Both the Philippines and Japan, two of the United States’ closest Asian allies, have taken a strong line against what they see as an increasingly assertive China in the South China Sea, a region where Beijing’s expansive claims—which an international tribunal in 2016 said had no legal basis—were in conflict with those of several Southeast Asian nations.
Moments before the signing ceremony, President Marcos expressed delight that the two countries’ efforts to forge the defense agreement “have come into fruition.”
The RAA was committed by both countries at the inaugural Philippines-Japan Foreign and Defense Ministerial Meeting or 2+2 in April 2022 and negotiations began in November during Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s visit to the Philippines.
The Presidential Communications Office did not release the text of the agreement or provide other details.
After the RAA signing, top diplomats and defense officials of Manila and Tokyo met for their second 2+2 meeting to discuss “issues of common concern” and ways forward in their bilateral cooperation.
Manalo and Teodoro led the high-level meeting with their counterparts Kamikawa and Kihara.
“The RAA brings our defense partnership to an unprecedented height. We also explored other measures to enhance and coordinate our defense and security policies,” Manalo said.
“With this signing, we look forward to increase cooperation and work in order to bring this agreement not merely in exchanges of signed deeds but actual work and actions in order to bring stability in this part of the world,” Teodoro added.
Japan, which last year announced its biggest military buildup plan since World War II in a step away from its post-war pacifism, does not have any claims to the South China Sea, but has a separate maritime dispute with China in the East China Sea, where they have repeatedly faced off.
It has supported the Philippines’ position and has expressed serious concern over China’s actions, including recent incidents that resulted in damage to Philippine vessels and injured a Filipino sailor.
The Philippines has a Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) with the United States and Australia. Tokyo, which hosts the biggest concentration of US forces abroad, has similar RAA deals with Australia and Britain, and is negotiating another with France.
Reacting to the agreement, China on Monday said the Asia-Pacific region did not need any military bloc, or any groupings that could incite bloc confrontation or a “new cold war.”
China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said the cooperation between countries “should not undermine the mutual understanding and trust between other countries in the region.”
“Any move that undermines regional peace and stability, and harms regional solidarity and cooperation will be met with vigilance and opposition from people in regional countries,” Lin said at a press briefing in China.
Senators on Monday expressed confidence that the signing of the RAA would help fortify the country’s defense of its territorial waters.
“Anything that strengthens and increases our military’s capability is a deterrence to a possible conflagration. I fully support this agreement,” Senate President Francis Escudero said in a Viber message.
Escudero’s predecessor, Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri, was elated that the two countries had finally inked the military deal.
Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada also welcomed the signing of the RAA, saying that any partnership that “strengthens our country’s close security relationship with a regional partner is an encouraging and welcome development.”
“Aside from joint military exercises, the RAA plays a crucial role in coordinating humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations,” he added.
Sen. Imee Marcos, who heads the Senate foreign relations committee, said that improving the country’s defense ties with other nations in the Asia-Pacific region was good for the country, “[but my committee] will scrutinize every line and every word of that treaty once [it] is referred to us to make sure that it is aligned with the national interest of the country.”
Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel III, meanwhile, said it would be better for the government to pursue economic agreements instead of securing military deals.
“[We should trade] products, not gunpowder,” he said.
House Assistant Minority Leader Arlene Brosas also warned that the RAA would result in violations of the country’s sovereignty and heighten tensions in the Indo-Pacific region.
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Bagong Alyansang Makabayan and the Asia-Wide Campaign against US-Japanese domination and aggression of Asia released a joint statement condemning the agreement, arguing that it “provokes China and further incites conflict between the Philippines and China.” —with reports from Jane Bautista, Russel Loreto, Jeannette I. Andrade and Inquirer Research
For comprehensive coverage, in-depth analysis, visit our special page for West Philippine Sea updates. Stay informed with articles, videos, and expert opinions.
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By providing an email address. I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy. | Inquirer | https://www.inquirer.net/408358/ph-japan-ink-defense-pact-amid-china-aggression/ | null | null | null | null | null | null |
West PH Sea: China tried but failed to block medical evacuation of sailor – PCG | John Eric Mendoza | Tue, 09 Jul 2024 11:30:54 PST | FILE PHOTO: The BRP Sierra Madre, a Navy warship that now serves as a military outpost, keeps watch over Ayungin (Second Thomas), located within the country’s exclusive economic zone. Philippine Daily Inquirer/Niño Jesus Orbeta
FILE PHOTO: The BRP Sierra Madre, a Navy warship that now serves as a military outpost, keeps watch over Ayungin (Second Thomas), located within the country’s exclusive economic zone. Philippine Daily Inquirer/Niño Jesus Orbeta
MANILA, Philippines (Updated) — The China Coast Guard on Sunday tried but failed to block the medical evacuation of a navy personnel stationed in Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal in the West Philippine Sea, according to the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG).
Commodore Jay Tarriela, PCG spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea, said the country’s coast guard deployed its assets to assist sick personnel in BRP Sierra Madre (LS-57).
“The PCG faced numerous obstructing and delaying maneuvers by CCG vessels, but they remained steadfast to their humanitarian mission and was able to complete the transfer of the sick personnel from the LS-57 RHIB to the PCG RHIB,” Tarriela said in a statement.
READ: West PH Sea: CCG, militia vessels intercept 2 PCG boats near Ayungin
It was West Philippine Sea monitor Ray Powell who first reported on Sunday that a 102-meter-long CCG ship, along with at least six maritime militia vessels, tried to block PCG’s ships BRP Cabra and BRP Cape Engaño.
Tarriela confirmed that the PCG deployed BRP Cabra and BRP Cape Engaño to accompany a rigid hull inflatable boat (RHIB).
“Despite the threatening presence of various CCG small vessels, the PCG RHIB was able to return to the main PCG vessel without further interruption. The sick personnel was then provided with urgent medical attention. The personnel is now stable,” Tarriela further said.
PCG spokesperson Rear Admiral Armand Balilo told INQUIRER.net on Tuesday that the navy personnel was rushed to Western Command headquarters due to dehydration.
Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad, navy spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea, thanked the PCG for ensuring the safety of the navy sailor.
“We would like to thank the coast guard for being part of the effort to ensure the safety and security of our people deployed on BRP Sierra Madre,” Trinidad said in a press conference.
Powell said Beijing’s latest actions in the medical evacuation create a dilemma for Manila.
“This incident spotlights the dilemma in which China’s blockade of Ayungin Shoal has placed the Philippines,” Powell told INQUIRER.net in a message on X (formerly Twitter).
“For Manila to recognize Beijing’s stated pre-notification requirement—even for basic humanitarian missions—runs counter to Manila’s assertion of its freedom of navigation and resupply rights to its own outpost within its own exclusive economic zone,” he added.
China said that the Philippines should “notify” them “in advance” when conducting resupply missions to Ayungin Shoal, a proposition rejected by the latter.
China previously attempted to prevent similar medical emergencies in Ayungin Shoal.
Last May 19, the CCG rammed a PCG boat transporting a sick BRP Sierra Madre personnel in an incident that also saw the former’s seizing and dumping of food and other supplies airdropped by the Philippine military aircraft for the naval outpost.
On June 17, a CCG boat also rammed a Philippine military boat while navy personnel were applying a tourniquet to the right hand of a sailor who lost his thumb due to an earlier ramming incident during the resupply mission for BRP Sierra Madre.
The CCG actions during naval outpost resupply that time led to what the military deemed as the “looting” of seven firearms and the destruction of two navy boats.
READ: West Philippine Sea: Navy’s June 17 encounter with CCG incurs P60M damage
Manila is holding the line in the West Philippine Sea as Beijing asserts sovereignty in almost the entire South China Sea — including most of the exclusive economic zone of the country’s western section — even if such a claim has been effectively invalidated by the arbitral award issued in July 2016.
The landmark ruling stemmed from a case filed by Manila in 2013, a year after its tense standoff with Beijing over Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal, whose lagoon the latter now has effective control of.
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Beijing, which asserts its claim through a “ten-dash line,” continues to reject the historic ruling.
READ: PH ‘trying everything’ to cool down WPS tension
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