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De Lima urges govt: back off China projects
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['Bernadette E. Tamayo']
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2018-08-25 00:02:29+00:00
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DETAINED Sen. Leila de Lima on Friday urged the Duterte administration to withdraw from the China-backed projects to prevent the Philippines from facing bankruptcy due to “questionable” Chinese loans.“We should learn from the mistakes and misfortunes of other countries in their dealings with China,” de Lima, chairman of the Senate Committee on Social Justice, Welfare and Rural Development said.The Duterte administration has allocated some P8.2 trillion to fund what it called “the golden age of infrastructure” under the “Build, Build, Build” program over the next six years, which would be reliant on Chinese loans.De Lima cited the cases of Mongolia which had to sell coal to China for only 11 percent of the international market price, and of Sri Lanka which had to offer debt-for-equity swaps to China over infrastructure projects, among others.The senator asked the government to take its cue from Malaysia Prime Minister Mahathir bin Mohamad who canceled three China-backed projects amounting to $22 billion to prevent “his country from falling into a debt trap.”She noted that Mahathir confirmed that the three China-backed projects — a railway connecting Malaysia’s east coast to southern Thailand and Kuala Lumpur and two gas pipelines — would be cancelled until Malaysia could find a way to pay its debts.“Our national leaders should exert all honest efforts in protecting our country and the Filipino people against imprudent debt accumulation,” she added.On November 7, 2016, de Lima filed Senate Resolution No. 222, which seeks an inquiry into the various investment deals entered into by the Duterte administration during President Rodrigo Duterte’s state visit to China in October 2016.On May 16, 2017, she filed SRN 377 urging the Senate to look into the possible economic effects of the multi-billion dollar loans and investments package offered by China to the Philippines under its Belt and Road initiative.In February, she filed SRN 628 seeking an inquiry on the “complete” terms and conditions of the loans entered into by the Philippine government to fund its “Build, Build, Build” Program to assess the possible impact of Chinese loans on Philippine economy and national security.She expressed concern over the administration’s apparent “lack of transparency” over the terms of Chinese loans to fund the infrastructure program because lenders, including China, pay around 2 to 7 percent finders’ fee for each agreement.She said the loans offered by China would have an impact on the Philippines’ foreign policy, including the country’s stakes in the contested islands in the South China Sea (West Philippine Sea).
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/de-lima-urges-govt-back-off-china-projects/434161/
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Palace keeps off Sereno oust rap
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['The Manila Times']
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2017-08-31 19:07:07+00:00
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Malacañang on Thursday said it would let the impeachment complaint against Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno run its course at the House of Representatives.Palace spokesman Ernesto Abella issued the statement after 25 congressmen on Wednesday endorsed the impeachment complaint filed against Sereno before the chamber.“A verified complaint for impeachment may be filed by any citizen upon a resolution or endorsement by any member of the House of Representatives,” Abella said in a statement.“The executive branch respects the separation of powers and, being their co-equal, we recognize the exclusive power of the House of Representatives to initiate all cases of impeachment,” he added.The complainant, lawyer Lorenzo Gadon, filed the verified complaint at the office of the House Secretary General, having vowed earlier to get at least 10 members to endorse it.Gadon said his complaint involved Sereno’s alleged betrayal of public trust, an impeachable offense under the 1987 Constitution, over the Supreme Court’s “whimsical” and “excessive” purchase of the latest model of the Toyota Land Cruiser amounting to P5.1 million, as well as her alleged failure to declare “exorbitant lawyer’s fees” allegedly amounting to $745,000, or P37 million.The luxury vehicle was purchased at P5.1 million even though it was only priced at P4.5 million, he added.The Supreme Court earlier approved requests from Gadon and other groups to release documents that would back their impeachment complaint.Gadon said he expects to get more documents, including Sereno’s Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth from 2010 onward, in the coming days.CATHERINE S. VALENTE
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/palace-keeps-off-sereno-oust-rap/347886/
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Special Action Force set to get 5 more battalions
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['Jing Villamente']
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2018-02-22 00:04:21+00:00
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The National Police Commission (Napolcom) recently approved the creation of five additional Special Action Battalions (SABs) for the Special Action Force (SAF) of the Philippine National Police (PNP).This is in compliance with a recent directive of President Rodrigo Duterte to beef up and enhance operational capability of the SAF in curbing criminality and terrorism.Rogelio Casurao, Napolcom vice chairman and executive officer, said the commission approved the strengthening of the Special Action Force under Resolution 2018-027, dated February 2, 2018, based on recommendation of the PNP for the activation of five additional battalions on top of the existing seven.The Special Action Battalions conduct long-range reconnaissance/surveillance operations deep into enemy territory through infiltration and extrication by air, land or sea.They are also mandated to provide support to other PNP units in their efforts to fight against syndicated crime groups.Casurao said the Napolcom banc also issued Resolution 2018-025 approving restructuring of the PNP Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) in order to achieve a highly organized investigative unit of the PNP.It also approved renaming of the Regional Criminal Investigation and Detection Units (RCIDUs) to CIDG Regional Field Units (CIDG RFUs).
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/special-action-force-set-get-5-battalions/381787/
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BIR files tax case vs trader
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['The Manila Times']
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2017-08-11 22:20:37+00:00
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The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) has filed a complaint with the Regional Trial Court (RTC) against Emilia Ng Sy for the collection of unpaid deficiency taxes based on assessments that became final, executory and demandable under Sections 203, 222 and 223 of the National Internal Revenue Code of 1997, as amended (Tax Code).Ng Sy, who was charged last June 9, is the sole proprietress of Crescent Hardware & Electrical Supply with office address at 1140 Abad Santos Street, Sta. Cruz, Manila.She is engaged in the business of trading hardware and electrical supplies.Ng Sy was assessed deficiency tax liabilities for taxable year 2008 in the sum of P636,707.73 million, inclusive of increments, broken down as follows: income tax (IT), P321,959.85; and value-added tax (VAT), P314,747.88.BIR Manila records of investigation showed that the respondent was served letter of authority, requests for presentation of records, subpoena duces tecum, preliminary assessment notice, final assessment notice, formal letter of demand with details of discrepancies and final decision on disputed assessments but failed to either pay or protest or to submit additional documents to refute the assessments, hence making the same final, executory and demandableSubsequent issuance of preliminary collection notices, final notices before seizure, warrants of distraint and/or levy and warrants of garnishment was ignored by the respondent, as the tax assessments remained unpaid.Ng Sy’s failure and continued refusal to pay her long overdue deficiency tax assessments, despite repeated demands, constitute willful failure to pay the taxes due to the government.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/bir-files-tax-case-vs-trader/343812/
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Teenagers’ Caloocan police killers charged
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['Jomar Canlas']
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2017-09-14 19:17:51+00:00
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Formal complaints have been filed before the Department of Justice (DoJ) for the death of 19-year-old Carl Angelo Arnaiz and 14-year-old Reynaldo de Guzman.Facing two counts of murder and torture and planting of evidence, which is a violation under Section 29 of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act, were Police Officer 1 Jeffrey Perez and PO1 Ricky Arquilita of Caloocan City Police Community Precinct 2 and taxi driver Tomas Bagcal, who was allegedly robbed by Arnaiz.The parents of Arnaiz and de Guzman, assisted by Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) chief Persida Rueda-Acosta, personally went to the DoJ to file the charges.Also with them were witnesses “Joe Daniel” and “Kai.”Joe Daniel stated in his affidavit that he saw how Arnaiz was shot at least seven times by two policemen.He said he saw the policemen alight a police patrol car parked along C3 Road and were followed by a handcuffed male.“Sa kanyang pagbaba ay nakita ko siya ay masasabi kong nakaposas kasi magkadikit ang kanyang dalawang kamay sa kanyang harap. Maya-maya ay nakita kong tumakbo yung nabanggit na tao sa may damuhan. Bago siya tumakbo ay napalingon ang nabanggit na tao sa aking direksyon kaya nakita ko ang kanyang mukha [When the man stepped down from the patrol car, I can say that he was handcuffed because his hands were in front of him. After a few moments, I saw the guy run toward a grassy area. Before he ran, he turned in my direction, thus I saw his face].“Pagkatapos ay bigla na lang siyang lumuhod na nakaharap sa pulis ang taong nakaposas at sumigaw siya: ‘Susuko na po ako!’ Doon na siya pinaputukan ng dalawang beses na magkasunod nung isang pulis na nasa malapit sa likurang bahagi ng police mobile patrol car. Napatagilid yung tao at napasubsob. Pagkatapos ay pinaputukan ulit siya nung isa namang pulis na drayber ng police mobile patrol car ng isang beses. Lumapit yung pulis na drayber ng police mobile patrol car at tinanggalan ng posas yung taong nakasubsob [Then, the man in handcuffs knelt in front of the policemen and shouted: ‘I will surrender.’ It was at the time that he was shot twice by the policeman near the rear of the mobile patrol car. The handcuffed male hit the ground. Then he was shot by the other policeman who was the driver of the car. The driver approached the man and removed the handcuffs from the man],” Joe Daniel narrated.He said that inside the police vehicle was another person, whom he described as “tao na mas maliit kesa sa lalaking pinatay [a person shorter than the handcuffed man who was killed].”De Guzman ‘silenced’Meanwhile, de Guzman’s parents believed that their son was intentionally killed so he can no longer testify on the case of Arnaiz.“Maaaring may nalalaman ang aming anak sa pagkamatay ni Carl Angelo kung kaya’t siya ay pinatahimik din noong pumutok ang balita ng pagkamatay ni Carl sa pamamagitan ng pagbaril ng mga pulis na sina PO1 Jeffrey Perez at PO1 Ricky Arquilita sa kanya. Ang pagpatay sa aking anak ay malinaw na isang paraan ng pagpapatahimik sa kanya upang hindi makapagtestigo sa kanyang nalalaman. Ang pagkatagpo sa bangkay niya sa Gapan, Nueva Ecija ay malinaw na paraan para mailigaw ang imbestigasyon sa pagkamatay nilang dalawa [Perez and Arquilita killed our son to silence him over the killing of Carl Angelo. They killed our son so that he would not be able to testify on the killing of Carl Angelo. That our boy’s body was found in Gapan City, Nueva Ecija, was clearly a diversion],” de Guzman’s parents stated in their joint affidavit.Arnaiz and de Guzman, who were both from Cainta, Rizal, were last seen alive on the night of August 17, 2017.Caloocan police earlier claimed that Arnaiz was killed in a clash on August 18 after robbing Bagcal.Forensic examination conducted by the PAO showed that Arnaiz was handcuffed and was possibly kneeling down when he was shot dead.‘Come out’ and testifyCaloocan Bishop Pablo Virgilio David on Thursday urged families of witnesses and victims of extrajudicial killings to “come out” and prove that the killings of teenagers amid the drug war campaign are not “isolated cases.”“If you are a relative of a victim of an extrajudicial killing or a witness to the extrajudicial killing of a particular victim, now is the time to come out and prove that Kian and Carl and Reynaldo were not isolated cases,” David said in a news briefing at the Commission on Human Rights Office.The bishop was referring to the recent killings of Kian Loyd de los Santos, Carl Angelo Arnaiz and Reynaldo de Guzman whose deaths in the hands of the police have caused public outrage.“I want to know if we are indeed committing a criminal offense when we respond to such requests [of giving shelter to witnesses to the de los Santos killing],” David said.He had taken custody of witnesses to the delos Santos slay.David said the Church is only “facilitating justice, not obstructing justice.”“’Obstructing’ is when [you give shelter to] fugitives from the law. But these are witnesses,” the bishop added.When asked whether he feels threatened by authorities for providing sanctuary to these witnesses, he said, “Personally, I do not feel threatened. I would like to test the sincerity of this government on [extrajudicial killings] because they said these are ‘isolated cases.’ And we are not believing that.”According to the bishop, the witnesses sought the San Roque Cathedral in Caloocan City for protection after giving testimony at a Senate hearing.He said he agreed because the witnesses’ legal guardians gave their consent.The Church has taken custody of David.WITH REPORT FROM GLEE JALEA
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/teenagers-caloocan-police-killers-charged/350685/
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Miss Universe 2016 Iris Mittenaere leaves Manila
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['Benjie Vergara']
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2017-02-02 21:49:22+00:00
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Miss Universe Iris Mittenaere of France flew to New York, home of the Miss Universe Organization (MOU), on board Philippine Airlines flight PR126 on Thursday afternoon Departing passengers at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) were delighte when they caught a glimpse of the newly crowned beauty queen at the airport’s terminal 2.Filipino travelers as well as foreign passengers however were not allowed to have selfies with Mittenaere.The 24-year-old French beauty was escorted by airport security. She stayed at the terminal 2’s Presidential Lounge before boarding the aircraft for her 4 p.m. flight.As Miss Universe 2016, Mittenaere will enjoy luxury accommodations in a New York City apartment for the duration of her reign.Other Miss Universe candidates left Manila on January 31 and February 1.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/miss-universe-2016-iris-mittenaere-leaves-manila/310268/
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Invest in OFW Bank, Bello prods Pinoys
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['William Depasupil']
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2017-07-10 19:52:15+00:00
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THE Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) is encouraging Filipino migrant workers to invest in the Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW) Bank that will be operational in October.Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello 3rd on Monday said interested OFWs may opt to use their credit lines with the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration.“Once the OFW Bank is launched you can borrow from your funds in OWWA to buy the shares of stocks so that you will become part owner. I want all OFWs to have shares in the banks and have their own credit facilities,” Bello said.The OFW Bank will handle the remittances and other banking needs of Filipino workers abroad.“By October the OFW Bank will be there. So instead of applying for a loan from the Land Bank or other banks, you can do it with the OFW Bank, your own bank,” he added.The creation of the OFW Bank is one of President Rodrigo Duterte’s three promises to migrant Filipino workers during the presidential campaign.The other two were the creation of a Department of OFW and to make it mandatory for the consul general to keep track of all Filipinos abroad and the provision of free airfare to abused overseas workers who want return home.The labor chief said that the OFW Bank will complement the OFW Integrated DoLE System (iDOLE), which will also be operational soon.The iDoLE-OFW ID card will serve as a debit card and an ATM card for the OFW Bank as well as a beep card for LRT and MRT, among other purposes.Meanwhile, Bello assured repatriated OFWs from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia of continued assistance while they are waiting for final court action on their unpaid wages and other monetary claims.Bello said the OWWA is continuously monitoring and following up their monetary claims.OWWA Deputy Administrator Brigido Dulay and Ceasar Chavez of the OWWA Repatriation Assistance Division said that they are coordinating with the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) in Al Khobar to hasten the processing of the OFWs’ monetary claims before the Saudi court.Dulay said they are also accommodating the labor cases filed by around 100 late-claimants so they can also receive their unpaid wages and benefits from their employers.WILLIAM B. DEPASUPIL
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/invest-ofw-bank-bello-prods-pinoys/337648/
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Duque: PAO charges ‘malicious’
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['Kenneth Hare Hernandez']
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2018-04-21 00:10:12+00:00
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Health Secretary Francisco Duque 3rd on Friday said a case filed against him by the Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) before the Department of Justice (DoJ) was “malicious and oppressive.”“The case filed by the Public Attorney’s Office is malicious and oppressive. Atty. Acosta’s actions are clearly unbecoming a public official and their counter-productive effects are prejudicial to the best interests of the service,” Duque told a news briefing.Persida Acosta heads the PAO.Duque was among the 38 respondents in a case filed earlier this week by the Public Attorney’s Office in behalf of the parents of 13-year-old Abbie Hedia.Hedia had her first dose of anti-dengue vaccine Dengvaxia on November 17, 2017 and, on February 10, she died from septic shock, viral encephalitis, acute gastroenteritis and severe dehydration.“While we are focusing on ensuring the health and wellness of the more than 837,000 children who received Dengvaxia, I will nonetheless answer these baseless allegations,” Duque said.Statements made by the PAO on the Dengvaxia issue, according to the Health secretary, can negatively affect other immunization programs such as that on measles.The DoH will launch a measles vaccination drive in the coming months.“The [department] will continue its efforts to attend to the health concerns of children vaccinated with Dengvaxia. While this recent case filed by the PAO is counter-productive, we need to move forward to ensure that gaps in Dengvaxia vaccination are addressed and that other important health programs of the DoH continue to serve the needs of our people,” Duque said.He questioned why he was among the respondents and former Health Secretary Paulyn Ubial was not.“What they [PAO] are saying is that Secretary Paulyn Ubial stopped the Dengvaxia vaccination sometime in 2016. She never stopped it, she continued it,” Duque said.“I’m wondering why I’m being impleaded but not Secretary Ubial. I think she is equally liable because she continued it despite knowing the red flags,” he added.Ubial, according to Duque, expanded the dengue immunization program to include community-based vaccination in July 2017 from former Health Secretary Janet Garin’s initial school-based program.He said he was the one who ordered the immediate suspension of the dengue immunization program on December 1, 2017, after learning of the Sanofi Pasteur’s health advisory on the possible side effects on November 29, 2017.“After Sanofi announced that Dengvaxia poses additional risks to seronegative recipients, I immediately suspended the program,” Duque added.He said it was also under his term that the government was able to refund P1.16 billion worth of unused vials of the vaccine.“The first thing we’ll do is to first answer all these allegations before the Department of Justice. And that depends on the ExeComm. [executive committee] on what the decision will be if there is a possibility of filing counter-charges,” Duque added.The government suspended its dengue immunization program after Sanofi Pasteur, the maker of Dengvaxia, warned in November last year that the vaccine may cause severe dengue to those who have never been exposed to the dengue virus.The dengue immunization program was initiated in 2016 as a school-based program under then-Health Secretary Garin.At least 830,000 people, many of them children, were said to have been inoculated with the Dengvaxia vaccine.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/duque-pao-charges-malicious/393759/
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Cigarette firm’s closure to hurt thousands of tobacco farmers
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['The Manila Times']
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2017-04-23 22:41:12+00:00
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Hundreds of thousands of Filipinos supposedly will be affected if the government makes good its threat to close down homegrown tobacco company Mighty Corp.Retired Regional Trial Court judge Oscar Barrientos, executive vice president of the embattled firm, over the weekend said about 7,000 employees and 55,000 tobacco farmers, and their estimated 350,000 family members and dependents, rely on Mighty Corp. for their livelihood.“We call on the Bureau of Internal Revenue [BIR] to act more responsibly in making statements regarding the case of [Mighty Corp.] and take into consideration repercussions of a cancelation of the license to operate of the company,” Barrientos, also the spokesman for the company, added.“The BIR should consider that this case impacts Mighty’s employees, tobacco farmers and their families, as well as suppliers and distributors who depend on the company,” he said.Barrientos called on the government to ensure due process for the tobacco firm as it faces charges of tax evasion.“We reiterate our pledge to fully cooperate with the government. But while we welcome the filing of these charges as an opportunity to clear the name of the company and its officers, we hope that the BIR will also show prudence in the conduct of its probe of the firm,” he said.Earlier, Mario Cabasal, president of the National Federation of Tobacco Farmers Associations andCooperatives, said tobacco farmers supposedly will bear the brunt if Mighty Corp.’s operation is shut down.“Most of us depend on Mighty for the purchase of our tobacco. They are our biggest buyer of local tobacco. If the government makes good its threat to close down Mighty Corp., tobacco farmers will bear the brunt of the closure,” Cabasal noted.He said Mighty Corp. is a regular buyer of Virginia and native tobacco.Considering that the company produces predominantly low-priced brands, according to Cabasal, the cigarette firm is the biggest buyer of local tobacco.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/cigarette-firms-closure-hurt-thousands-tobacco-farmers/323682/
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Adapt to change, shun intolerance, CBCP urged
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['William Depasupil']
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2017-01-29 21:07:36+00:00
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THE head of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) has urged his fellow bishops to adapt to rapid changes in society and explore new pastoral strategies especially for the youth, or risk losing their relevance.Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas, the CBCP president, lamented that the Church hierarchy’s influence has waned as shown by the bitter debate over the Reproductive Health Law in 2012 and efforts to catechize voters during last year’s elections.“Two generations ago, the authority of the head of the family or the parish or diocese was never questioned. Today, leaders are asked by what authority do they demand obedience and oblige compliance? It happens in our diocesan chanceries. It happens in the CBCP. It happens to all who hold authority,” Villegas said in his opening remarks during the 114th Plenary Assembly of the CBCP on Saturday at the Pius XII Catholic Center in Manila.He attributed this to “rationalization” and “pluralism,” which had led to the “the de-privileging of privileged philosophical or theological or scientific constructs.” Rationalization, he said, avoids true explanations and makes fallacious explanations attractive, while pluralism denotes a diversity of views and stands, rather than a single approach or method of interpretation.“There are rapid changes happening in Philippine society and it is imperative for us churchmen to acknowledge them so that our pastoral praxis can better answer the needs of the Filipino nation,” he said.“We can victims of change, but we can be its authors as well as its guardians. Pope Francis is providing us, pastors, with a sterling example of what it is to respond and at the same time to lead, to change boldly, but to hold to what is true faithfully as well.”No to fundamentalismVillegas however warned his fellow bishops against retreating to “fundamentalism” and intolerance.“When pluralism is perceived as a threat, fundamentalism becomes a very attractive proposition— because every fundamentalist looks for immovable anchorage, and in religions, this will take the form of the fundamental text. But fundamentalism is no harmless hermeneutic position, because it is also intolerant,” he said.At the same time, the Church, while a symbol of stability and permanence and “standing on solid rock” with Christ as cornerstone, should not be left as a “shell institution.”“We issue pastoral letters but are we still understood and relevant to the struggles and visions of our people? Can we listen to gutter language without judgment? Are we not becoming shell institutions—lovely to see with nothing inside?” Villegas said.Young agnosticsHe pointed out that “experiments” in the Philippine Church that have de-emphasized theological study and academic pursuits “have not altogether been fruitful and promising.”The CBCP chief called on priests and seminarians, as well as and religious and lay leaders, to “give themselves to the serious study of theology that enables them to answer the vexing problems in human hearts,” as well as “the agnosticism of many of the young, and the indifference of those who think that the days of religion have given way to the age of science.”The prelate challenged CBCP members to adapt to the “decoupling” of fixed spaces and times. “There are no longer fixed spaces and time for different activities,” he said. “Our generation of young Catholics seek Pokemon in our parish churches and accidentally find God while window shopping!”Unconventional Mass schedules at noon or late at night have been attracting young Catholics, he noted.“Maybe we should consider nocturnal ministry for call center agents? Are we ready to ride on Facebook as our pulpit to proclaim Christ to our young generation? And while many of us members of the clergy shirk away from what we take to be the ‘commercialization’ of the liturgy by celebrating the Eucharist in malls and in other public spaces, in the very least, we should ask ourselves whether or not we should be more accommodating in respect to our concepts of ‘sacred space,’” he said.The CBCP plenary assembly, which began on Saturday and ends today, is the first of two annual sessions where bishops tackled important Church issues. The next session will be in July.The plenary assembly is the highest decision-making body of the conference. When the assembly is not in session, the CBCP Permanent Council led by Villegas acts for and in behalf of the conference.WILLIAM B. DEPASUPIL
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/adapt-change-shun-intolerance-cbcp-urged/309561/
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Gov. Marcos prods SC to issue TRO
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['Rudy Lagasca']
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23/07/2017 0:00
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Ilocos Norte Governor Imee Marcos and six detained provincial officials have prodded the Supreme Court (SC) to issue a temporary restraining order (TRO) that would stop the House of Representatives from further proceeding with its investigation into the P66.45-million purchase of motor vehicles by the provincial government in 2011 and 2012.The House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability is set to resume its inquiry tomorrow and has summoned Governor Marcos as a resource person.The SC, on the other hand, is also set to deliberate tomorrow on the petition filed by the governor and the six detained provincial officials.Published reports stated that the House committee members have threatened the governor of arrest and detention should she fail to appear during the investigation.The threats prompted Marcos and the six detained provincial officials to seek relief from the SC on a petition for a Writ of Amparo against the “actual and threatened violations of their rights to liberty and security” by members of the House committee.The six provincial officials have been detained since May 29 on a contempt citation by the committee members for their alleged refusal to answer satisfactorily the questions aired by legislators during the inquiry.While the Court of Appeals (CA) has ordered the release of the six officials on a bail of P30,000 each, the House leadership refused to honor the release order and threatened them with detention until the adjournment of Congress in 2019.
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Manila Bulletin
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https://news.mb.com.ph/2017/07/23/gov-marcos-prods-sc-to-issue-tro/
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Mighty must pay P3B in full – Aguirre
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['The Manila Times']
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2017-04-18 22:18:29+00:00
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Three billion pesos in full, Department of Justice (DoJ) Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre 2nd said on Tuesday, referring to a compromise tax deal demanded by President Rodrigo Duterte from Mighty Corp. (Mighty), the oldest Filipino cigarette firm.“The President is asking for only P3 billion in one full payment if the government wants to have its cases against MC dropped,” Aguirre added.He noted that the President said a tax evasion complaint filed by the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) against Mighty before his office might drag on for years in court, thus, the compromise is in order for the government to be able to utilize the hefty sum on urgent needs.BIR officials who are conducting the auditing in Mighty’s warehouses are reportedly clearing only 80 master cases a day in the San Simon, Pampanga warehouse where the government seized 73,244 master cases.Each master case contains 50 reams or 500 packs that BIR officials are scanning one by one.Earlier, Duterte pronounced that the P3 billion will be given to the Department of Health to construct much-needed hospitals in the war-torn southern Mindanao provinces of Basilan and Sulu.To conduct preliminary investigation of the tax evasion complaint filed by the BIR, the DoJ has formed a panel of prosecutors composed of Senior Assistant State Prosecutor Sebastian Caponong Jr. as chairman and Assistant State Prosecutors Ma. Lourdes Uy and Mary Ann Parong as members.Almost a month ago, the BIR filed against the homegrown cigarette firm a complaint for unlawful possession of articles subject to excise tax without payment and for allegedly possessing false, counterfeit, restored or altered stamps in violation of Sections 263 and 265(c) of the National Revenue Code of 1997.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/mighty-must-pay-p3b-full-aguirre/322884/
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Customs seizes P20M iPhones
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['William Depasupil']
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2017-02-06 22:12:07+00:00
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Smuggled iPhone cellular phones worth about P20 million were seized by operatives of the Bureau of Customs (BoC) at the Manila International Container Port (MICP) after a week-long surveillance operations. Customs Commissioner Nicano Faeldon on Monday identified the consignee as Autum Way Enterprises and its broker Mario Botona Jr. of No.12 Fairlane Street, West Fairview, Quezon City (Metro Manila). Upon examination, some 400 pieces of iPhones were found concealed in sacks mixed with other items declared as wall clocks, shoe racks, fabrics and shoe material. The interception was the second in recent weeks after high-end cellphones were seized by the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service, raising alarm on the existence of rampant smuggling of cellphones, laptops and other gadgets.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/customs-seizes-p20m-iphones/310841/
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Govt is killing us softly, says educator
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['Neil Alcober']
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2018-01-13 21:39:58+00:00
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Private school administrators are dying a slow death, according to one of them.But a group to which Eleazardo Kasilag belongs heaved a sigh of relief when it heard from Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno that “doubling public school teachers’ pay is not a priority.”“It is double whammy for us [if the pay of public school teachers is made a priority],” Kasilag, president of the Federation of Associations of Private Schools Administrators (Fapsa), said in a statement[."We don’t get enough subsidy and public school teachers regularly enjoy automatic pay increase. Eventually, it will affect our already sordid state of education,” he added."It [the private schools not being subsidized] is like vaccinating some people, ignoring others and when outbreak comes, the entire city is affected. I think the responsibility of a leader is to define reality,” the Fapsa president said.Kasilag noted that administrators in the private schools feel that the government is really “killing them softly.”“It should be remembered that [Rep[Republic Act]57 that institutionalized kindergarten education in the public schools just paved the way to Early Years Act 10410, which only created the Early Childhood Care and Development,” he said.“In short, the government took away kindergarten from the private schools only to give it to the Department of Social Welfare and Development,” Kasilag added.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/govt-killing-us-softly-says-educator/374119/
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Govt gives female ex-rebels HK tour
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['Dempsey Reyes']
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2018-03-06 00:02:05+00:00
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All female former rebels from the 683 communist fighters who recently surrendered to authorities in the Eastern Mindanao Commnd (EastMinCom) area will be given a “special tour” to Hong Kong on a date yet to be determined while their documents are being processed.“It is still being finalized. The government will definitely [provide the trip]. As to the specific office, it will be discussed soon,” Maj. Ezra Balagtey, EastMinCom spokesman, said in a text message to The Manila Times on Monday.Also on Monday, the third and last batch of former members of the New People’s Army (NPA) was welcomed by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to its general headquarters, the EastMinCom said.Balagtey said the 190 ex-NPA fighters were flown via two C-130 aircraft from Davao City International Airport and Bancasi Airport in Butuan City, respectively, to Villamor Air Base in Pasay City.He added that the former rebels will dine with President Rodrigo Duterte in Malacañang later in the day.The 190 ex-NPA fighters are part of the 683 former communist rebels from various parts of Eastern Mindanao who were presented before Duterte last December 21 at Panacan, Davao City.“The activity is part of continuing activities of reintegrating the former rebels into the mainstream society and to give them a better perspective on life,” Balagtey said in a statement.The third batch will also be toured to Rizal Park (Luneta) and Intramuros in Manila for their historical and heritage trip to the country’s capital.Based on a media advisory sent by the AFP Public Affairs Office, the last batch of surrendering communist fighters will be welcomed by Lt. Gen. Salvador Melchor Mison Jr., the AFP vice chief of staff, at Camp Aguinaldo, the general headquarters of the military in Quezon City.Before their dinner with the President, Balagtey said the former rebels will be able to interact with their ex-comrades “who now work for and advocate peace and development.”
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/govt-gives-female-ex-rebels-hk-tour/384198/
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Palace hits IPU over plan to send court observers
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['Catherine S. Valente']
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2017-10-21 22:27:10+00:00
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Malacañang on Saturday scored the Inter-Parliamentary Union’s (IPU) plan to send a trial observer to monitor and report on the proceedings against detained Sen. Leila de Lima over drug allegations.In a statement, Presidential Communications Secretary Martin Andanar said the IPU cannot interfere with the internal affairs of the Philippines.“The Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU)’s recommendation to send an observer to monitor the case of Senator Leila de Lima is a classic example of bullying. We should stand up to this kind of meddling into our domestic affairs,” Andanar said.“Their intent is not to merely observe de Lima’s trial by our laws, but to meddle in our democratic as well as judicial processes,” he added.Andanar said, “Over and over, pronouncements from the IPU portray the Philippines as a lawless nation when there is abundant evidence to the contrary.”In its committee report released on Wednesday, the IPU said an observer is necessary to ensure a fair trial for De Lima.It again called for the senator’s release “in the belief that there is no evidence to justify” the charges against her.The IPU also said authorities involved should “ensure that due process is followed” and that there should be “proper assessment of evidence presented” by both the prosecution and the defense.“Should the criminal cases against Senator de Lima proceed, the delegation recommends that an IPU trial observer should monitor and report on respect for fair trial standards,” the organization said in its report.“The delegation considers it of the utmost importance that an IPU trial observer then monitor and report on respect for due process in the legal proceedings,” it added.De Lima has been detained on drug-related charges since February for allegedly receiving money from the illegal drug trade in the national penitentiary during her stint as Justice secretary.She is facing drug charges in three separate branches of the Muntinlupa City Regional Trial Court.The senator, a staunch administration critic, has repeatedly dismissed the charges against her as “political persecution.”A delegation of the IPU Committee on Human Rights of Parliamentarians visited de Lima in her detention cell in May.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/palace-hits-ipu-plan-send-court-observers/357856/
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Telcos scored for failing to send out ‘Lawin’ alerts
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['Jefferson Antiporda']
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2016-10-21 21:46:35+00:00
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TELECOMMUNICATION companies will have a lot of explaining to do on their failure to send out free mobile alerts to effectively warn the public of the arrival of super Typhoon Lawin (international code name: Haima) on Wednesday.Senator Grace Poe has filed Senate Resolution (SR) 211, urging the Senate Committee on Public Information and Mass Media to conduct an inquiry into the reported failure of telecommunication service providers to comply with Republic Act (RA) 10639 or the Free Mobile Disaster Alerts Act.Poe in filing SR 211 cited news reports on lapses of telecommunication companies to send out mobile alerts to those residing in areas identified to be directly affected by Lawin, one of the strongest typhoons to hit the country this year.Aside from the news reports, the senator also received information from residents in the affected areas that they were not able to receive alerts on their mobile phones before the super typhoon struck.“Such failure goes against the objective of the law to ensure the immediate dissemination of useful, timely and relevant information in order to help our people prepare for natural disasters,” Poe stated in her resolution.Section 4 of the Free Mobile Disaster Alerts Act, requires mobile phone service providers to send out alerts at regular intervals in face of impending tropical storm, typhoon, tsunami or other calamities.The alerts should consist of up-to-date information from relevant agencies and shall be sent directly to mobile phone subscribers located near and within the affected areas.Poe, chairman of the Senate committee, wants officials of the National Telecommunications Commission and the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council to provide information on their compliance with the law.RA 10639, which was authored by Poe, was signed into law on June 20, 2014 and its implementing Rules and Regulations were issued on July 21, 2015.“Our countrymen deserve to know who should be accountable for lapses in the release of mobile alerts on Typhoon Lawin, which could leave residents unprepared for the onslaught of the disaster,” she said.Telecommunication companies as well as individuals who would be found violating the law or spreading false or misleading information could face imprisonment of not more than six months and a fine ranging from P1,000 to P10,000.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/telcos-scored-failing-send-lawin-alerts/292473/
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NTC orders telcos to cut call, text rates
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['Ma. Lisbet K. Esmael']
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2018-07-20 00:07:48+00:00
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The National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) on Thursday ordered telecommunication firms to lower interconnection rates for voice and short messaging services (SMS).The NTC, in a memorandum circular, cut call charges from P2.50 to P.50 per minute and text messaging from P.15 to P.5 per SMS.The order will take effect 15 days after its publication. Telecommunizations companies will be given 10 to 20 days to comply with the directive.Interconnection allows subscribers of a telecom player to connect via SMS and call customers of another telco carrier.“The new interconnection charge shall be imposed not later than 20 days from the effectivity of this circular,” the order read.While the NTC said the order seeks “to reduce communication costs” and “make voice and SMS more affordable to the general public,” PLDT Chairman Manuel Pangilinan said there will be no impact on the price of its service to consumers.“I don’t want to give the impression that it will translate into lower prices, [when it will not],” he earlier told reporters.The business tycoon said given PLDT’s billion revenues, this would have a “minimal impact” on the group’s topline. “[P]robably revenues will drop by about P200 million,” he added.PLDT’s Head of Public Affairs Ramon Isberto said PLDT consumers have witnessed the lowering of costs in the past two years even if interconnection rates have not reduced.Globe President and Chief Executive Officer Ernest Cu, meanwhile, said the firm has yet to assess if the NTC order would lead to lower rates of its telco services.“[I]f it does, then it will have an impact [on our financial performance],” he said.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/ntc-orders-telcos-to-cut-call-text-rates/421398/
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IBM vows help for local govt units, communities
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['James Konstantin Galvez']
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2016-10-29 21:34:38+00:00
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Technology giant IBM has reaffirmed its commitment in supporting the Philippine government and the communities it serve through capacity building and innovation.Luis Pineda, president and country general manager of IBM Philippines, said the company will continue to deploy its Corporate Service Corps (CSC).“In the last eight years, 17 CSC teams have been to the Philippines to work with government and NGOs in projects that result to some game-changing innovations. By 2017, in time for the company’s 80th anniversary milestone here in the country, IBM is ready to deploy CSC team No.18,” Pineda said.These teams work with local governments, universities and business groups on a variety of initiatives ranging from upgrading technology for a government agency, increase international tourism to a government funded poverty alleviation initiative, and work with artisans to improving public water quality.In the Philippines, a 12-member CSC team worked with several key agencies of the government on core social economic challenges and to coordinate strategic action plans using information technology.“By utilizing IBM’s business solution expertise, we expect that this will ultimately lead to better citizen service for the Filipino people,” Pineda said.Over the course of one month, global IBMers from Australia, France, India, Italy, Mexico, Poland, Sweden, Turkey and the United States worked pro-bono as consultants for the Department of Interior and Local Government, Department of Science and Technology-Advanced Science and Technology Institute, and Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).Gene Lorica, officer in charge of the Assistant National Statistician for Systems Development Division and Information Technology and Dissemination Service of PSA, said the recommendations of the IBM team will be discussed to help officials come up with concrete action plans on how to effect the proposed change.“Their work will be used as one of the inputs in the preparation of the office’s work plan for 2017 in line with our thrust of having an enterprise architecture design,” he said.“We hope that this partnership is just a start or an initial partnership and IBM would consider follow through partnerships, for us to have at least a road map on how we will be able to come up with an integrated systems, databases, and processes to become a true solid responsive world class authority on statistics and civil registration,” Lorica added.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/ibm-vows-help-local-govt-units-communities/293787/
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SSS to cover 1,600 movie, TV workers
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['Mary Gleefer F. Jalea']
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2017-08-07 00:55:56+00:00
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The Social Security System (SSS) has signed a deal with the Katipunan ng mga Artistang Pilipino sa Pelikula at Telebisyon (KAPPT) or the Actors Guild of the Philippines that will include 1,600 television and movie industry workers as members of the pension fund for the private sector.“ArtistaSSSya” will cover SSS remittances of self-employed KAPPT members including actors, actresses, singers, producers, stage personalities, commercial artists and stuntmen.SSS Chairman Amado Valdez said, “Art is the highest form of expression, so we should take care of our people in the industry. We must ensure that they will have a secure future especially when they retire.”The SSS will designate an Account Officer (AO) to conduct on-site registration of all qualified KAPPT members.The AO will also facilitate processing of applications for a Unified Multi-Purpose Identification Card.The SSS will also hold information seminars and provide SSS reference materials to the KAPPT to educate its members.Orientations will be conducted to encourage the KAPPT members to use SSS online facilities, check their personal records or learn about payment options.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/sss-cover-1600-movie-tv-workers/342903/
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1,491 policemen groomed for promotion
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['Jing Villamente']
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2018-03-04 21:40:09+00:00
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The National Police Commission this week authorized Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Ronald de la Rosa to promote 1,491 police officers who passed the Napolcom special promotional examination conducted on July 30 last year.Rogelio Casurao, Napolcom vice chairman and executive officer, over the weekend said the authority was given to de la Rosa after the commission en banc approved Resolution 2018-026, dated February 2, 2018.“The special quota promotion is intended exclusively for the 1,491 PNP uniformed personnel who passed the Napolcom special promotional examination conducted last year,” according to Casurao.The special examination was administered to give 2,695 policemen the chance to be promoted by acquiring the appropriate eligibility.These policemen have not been promoted for at least nine years as of December 31, 2017.Casurao said out of the 1,497 passers, only 1,491 shall be promoted since the six passers have either retired (4) or passed away (1), while the other one shall be promoted under the 3rd level promotion program.The 1,491 police officers who shall undergo the special quota promotion process are distributed by rank: for Police Chief Inspector (3); for Police Senior Inspector (1); for Senior Police Officer 4 (8); for SPO3 (2); for SPO2 (3); for SPO1 (20); for PO3 (390); for PO2 (119); and for PO1 (945).“The chairman, vice chairman and members of the PNP Promotion Board, including the head and members of the secretariat, who shall fail to strictly observe and comply with the rules and regulations on the selection and appointment of PNP uniformed personnel shall be dealt with accordingly,” Casurao said.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/1491-policemen-groomed-promotion/384097/
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DBM: Doubling teachers’ pay bad for fiscal health
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['The Manila Times']
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2018-01-17 19:42:49+00:00
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Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno on Wednesday said he is not opposing the salary increase of teachers but said doubling their pay would negatively impact the country’s fiscal health.“The DBM [Department of Budget and Management] recognizes the important role of teachers. We are not strictly against the salary of teachers,” Diokno clarified in a news briefing.“I understand the crucial role teachers have in nation-building and I do believe they should be rewarded accordingly,” he said.Diokno noted that the take-home pay of teachers has already increased this year with the implementation of the Third Tranche of Salary Standardization Law (SSL).Currently, he said, an entry-level public school teacher (Teacher 1), having Salary Grade 11 under Tranche 3 of the SSL earns a monthly salary of P20,179.“Annually, he/she enjoys bonuses and allowances of P74,358. This rounds up the monthly compensation packages of teachers to P26,375,” according to Diokno.The Budget chief said that by 2019, the monthly salary of an entry-level teacher will increase to P20,754 and the total annual bonuses and allowances will increase to P75,508, rounding up their monthly compensation package to P27,046, or P671 more per month.Meanwhile, Diokno cited budgetary impact as the reason behind previous statements in which he cautioned against the doubling of teachers’ salaries.He said President Rodrigo Duterte’s instruction is “to look into increasing their salaries, not doubling them.”Diokno added that estimates show that doubling the salaries of teachers this year will require an additional P343.7 billion recurring cost for the national government.“Financing this P343.7 billion may require hiking the deficit from 3 percent of GDP [gross domestic product] to 5 percent of GDP, and it may put at risk the excellent international financial standing the Duterte administration has built over the past 18 months,” he said.The DBM chief added that “unmanageable budget deficit” may also result in credit rating downgrade for the Philippines.The Philippines currently enjoys an investment credit rating from major international credit ratings agency Moody’s Investors Service, Fitch Ratings and S&P Global Ratings.“[A downgrade] means, we will face higher interest rates in the future and greater debt service payments when borrowing from international financial insitutions. In other words, such policy will endanger our prudent medium-term fiscal policy,” he said.“Alternatively, we may raise more taxes or reduce other expenditure items,” Diokno added.“Raising P343.7 billion is a monumental task,” he said.“Consider that Package 1A of Train [Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion Act] is expected to deliver about P90 billion in revenues, yet this is only about one-fourth the amount needed to finance the doubling of salaries of teachers,” the DBM secretary added.On the other hand, he cautioned against sacrificing spending for other budget priorities such Build Build Build infrastructure program, free college tuition, Marawi City rehabilitation and cash transfer programs of the government, among other things.“We must think and prioritize long-term solutions for our country’s development and for the people’s general welfare,” Diokno said.MAYVELIN U. CARABALLO
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/dbm-doubling-teachers-pay-bad-fiscal-health/374905/
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Ex-beauty queen Lopez faces raps
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['Jing Villamente']
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2017-11-14 00:46:16+00:00
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Former movie actress and beauty queen Maria Isabel Lopez on Monday was summoned by the Land Transportation Office (LTO) for breaching the Asean lane during heavy traffic on EDSA last Saturday night.The lane is reserved for use of delegates to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) Summit in Manila November 13-15.Officials of the Department of Transportation (DoTr) and the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority’s (MMDA) Task Force Asean, meanwhile, are preparing a recommendation that Lopez’s driver’s license be canceled or revoked for what was supposedly a dangerous stunt that she pulled off along EDSA between Ortigas and Shaw Boulevard.In a text message sent to The Manila Times, LTO chief Edgar Galvante said a summons has been sent to Lopez, who will face charges, such as disregarding traffic signs for removing the traffic cone barriers just to get into the Asean lane; and violating the Anti-Distracted Driving Act for taking pictures of herself using her mobile phone and bragging on social media that she was able to used the lane.Galvante added that investigation of Lopez will be anchored on the truth and adherence to the rule of law.Lopez won the 1982 Binibining Pilipinas-Universe title.“We will confront her with her violations and mete her the appropriate penalties,” Gavante said in the text message.While Lopez made already a public apology on a late-night TV news program, the Multi-Agency Coordinating team for the Asean Summit involving DOTr, MMDA and the PNP (Philippine National Police) are one in recommending that she should be meted with the cancelation of her driver’s license for such a “big mistake” and security breach.Catalino Cuy, officer-in-charge of the Department of the Interior and Local Government, said Lopez is setting a bad example to motorists, particularly this time that the country is the principal host of the Asean Summit.“We will not allow someone like her to simply put our plans to naught,” Cuy added.After bagging the Binibining Pilipinas-Universe crown, Lopez entered show business and played sexy roles in many movies.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/ex-beauty-queen-lopez-faces-raps/362656/
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Tax reform slaps more expenses on the poor
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['Llanesca T. Panti']
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2017-06-02 23:55:08+00:00
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The poor and the middle class will spend more than the additional take-home pay that they are expected to earn under the Tax Reform, Acceleration on Inclusion (Train) bill passed by the House of Representatives on third reading on Wednesday night.Citing estimates from the Department of Finance, Rep. France Castro of Alliance of Concerned party-list noted that those earning P5,200 to P47,000 per month will also have to shell out additional P952 to P7,400 per month as a result of the Train bill, which hikes excise taxes on all fuels by P6 to P10 per liter, among other additional taxes.Those earning P112,000 to P2.7 million per month, on the other hand, will have to spend P13,000 to P135,000 more under the Train bill based on Finance department computation.The Train bill also removed the Value Added Tax exemption for residential lots valued at P1.5 million and below; house and lot and other residential dwellings valued at P2.5 million and below as well as lease of a residential unit with a monthly rental not exceeding P8,000.“This [Tax Reform bill] could shrink the middle class because aside from additional taxes on petroleum, the rental fees in apartments will also increase. Most of the lower middle class are the people renting apartments,” Rep. Teddy Baguilat of Ifugao said in a phone interview.In addition, the Train bill also raised the excise taxes on sugar-sweetened beverages by P10 to P20 per liter.“This is an issue of justice. A lot of workers, especially teachers, are overworked and underpaid. We have long been pushing for a lower income tax to enable these workers to lead a decent life. But this Train bill will run them over to the ground,” Castro said in explaining her no vote.“The DOF [Department of Finance] data is clear: The monthly income of subsistence poor will go down by P1,189 while that of a middle class worker will go down by P13,652 monthly. The indirect taxes caused by fuel taxes will hit everybody because of the consequent higher cost of goods and services,” she added.Rep. Carlos Zarate of Bayan Muna party-list said a professional earning P25,000 a month with three dependents (children) would have to shell out P29,828.80 annually or around P2,500 monthly because of the additional taxes caused by the tax reform package–a data also provided by the Finance department.Under the Train bill, those earning P250,000 and below in a year are exempted from paying income tax.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/tax-reform-slaps-expenses-poor/330631/
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Govt: No kill-Joma plot
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['Dempsey Reyes']
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2017-08-08 22:10:45+00:00
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The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Tuesday vehemently denied allegations hurled by Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) founding chairman Jose Maria “Joma” Sison that the military is plotting to assassinate him and overthrow President Rodrigo Duterte’s government.Brig. Gen. Restituto Padilla Jr, AFP spokesman, branded Sison’s accusations as “propaganda line” from the left-leaning group of CPP and its political wing, the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP), that was previously engaged in peace talks with the Philippine government.“Not true at all. This is once again a propaganda line of the Left to gain sympathy and toe the anti-US line that they usually take,” Padilla told reporters.The military spokesman is responding to a statement of the NDFP, saying it received reports from “several sources” in the AFP that military officers allegedly conniving with the US Central Intelligence Agency are supposedly planning to kill Sison and overthrow the Duterte administration.The statement was shared by Sison in his social media account and told reporters through Facebook message that he believes the remarks made by the NDFP.“I take precautions. That is how much I believe in it. The sources are reliable and have been reporting for some weeks already,” Sison said in a social media interview.“Best antidote by the NDFP to the plot is to expose it. Of course, I believe in the statement,” he added.From the NDFP’s statement also issued on Tuesday, it said the “first stage of the military plot” is to send a team to The Netherlands to “assassinate” the communist leader with orders supposedly approved by Duterte and AFP chief Gen. Eduardo Año.For the second stage, the NDFP pointed out, the AFP will “overthrow” Duterte for allegedly collaborating with the CPP and its armed wing, the New People’s Army.The NDFP’s statement originated from what the President had said that “he is in danger of being ousted by a coup and that he is therefore trying to avert this by appointing more military officers in his Cabinet and other high civilian officers.”The word war between the two sides erupted since the peace talks between the Philippine government and the NDFP were scrapped by Duterte himself over attacks launched against soldiers in the countryside.Año earlier said it was Sison who perpetrated the Plaza Miranda bombing in the 1970s, which killed two persons and wounded Liberal Party candidates for local and national elections at the time.Padilla reiterated Año’s statement that it was the communist leader who plotted the bombing.“You must remember who planned the Plaza Miranda bombing, who? It was Joma!” the military spokesman said.Despite the cancellation of the peace talks, however, the NDFP urged Duterte to release all political prisoners and “engage seriously” in the peace negotiations.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/govt-no-kill-joma-plot/343191/
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Ex-PNR general manager, 8 others face graft cases
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['Ma. Reina Leanne Tolentino']
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2017-11-15 22:04:41+00:00
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The Office of the Ombudsman has filed two counts of graft before the Sandiganbayan against former Philippine National Railways (PNR) General Manager Junio Norberto Ragragio and eight other individuals who were then with the PNR over alleged purchase of larch railroad ties in the total amount of about P47.13 million when what the board resolutions and bidding documents required were yakal railroad ties.Charged along with Ragragio in both cases were then-Division Managers Rosendo Calleja and Abdul Aziz Pangandaman; then-Department Managers Estelito Nierva and Ruben Besmonte; then-Attorney V Neofito Perilla; then-Assistant Department Manager Divina Gracia Dantes; and then-Principal Engineers Cesar Bocanog and Mario Arias.The Ombudsman’s office alleged in the first charge sheet that the nine accused, “conspiring and confederating with one another,” “g[a]ve unwarranted benefits, preference or undue advantage to Nikka Trading… by purchasing from Nikka Trading 9,090 pcs. Larch wood bridge ties, 428 pcs. Larch wood joint ties and 25 sets Larch wood switch ties in the amount of” about P37,747,832.60 “under Disbursement Voucher (DV) No. ENG-2013-02-283 dated March 4, 2013 and Veterans Bank Check No. 20579 dated April 26, 2013…”It alleged in the second charge sheet that the nine accused, “conspiring and confederating with one another,” “g[a]ve unwarranted benefits, preference or undue advantage to Nikka Trading…by purchasing from Nikka Trading 1,400 pcs. Larch wood bridge ties, 514 pcs. Larch wood joint ties and 16 sets Larch wood switch ties in the amount of” about P9,387,148.23 “under Disbursement Voucher (DV) No. ENG-2013-02-284 dated March 4, 2013 and Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) Check No. 8603215 dated March 7, 2013…”In both charge sheets, the Ombudsman alleged that “accused knew fully well that the Board Resolutions and all bidding documents required yakal wood bridge ties, joint ties and switch ties…”On Friday (November 10), the cases–which were filed on November 7– were designated by raffle to the Sandiganbayan’s Seventh Division.The court has the duty of determining whether there is probable cause to order the arrest of those accused and to hold them for trial.The Ombudsman’s office recommended a total of P60,000 bail for each accused.It recommended P30,000 bail each in each of the two graft cases.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/ex-pnr-general-manager-8-others-face-graft-cases/362962/
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Manila airport soon to have top-of-the-line CCTV cameras
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['Benjie Vergara']
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2018-01-10 21:42:36+00:00
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Some 1,600 top of the line Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras will be installed at the country’s premier airport complex to replace the old ones, the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) said on Wednesday.The CCTV project, which is now under bidding process, is part of the ongoing improvement of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) to equip the international gateway with high tech monitoring cameras.MIAA General Manager Ed Monreal said the high-tech CCTV cameras can enlarge a subject for identification purposes. Bidding for the P486 million CCTV project has started in coordination with the Department of Budget Management.“The project is very expensive because it would cover the whole airport complex including the perimeters of airport terminals,” Monreal said.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/manila-airport-soon-top-line-cctv-cameras/373441/
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Malacañang probes e-passport contract
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['William Depasupil']
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2017-04-06 21:36:46+00:00
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MALACAÑANG is conducting its own separate investigation of the allegedly anomalous P8-billion e-passport project of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) over discovery that the project was illegally sub-contracted to a questionable private entity, according to a party-list lawmaker.The 10-year contract for the printing of passports had been awarded by the DFA to APO-Printing Unit (APO-PU), a quasi-government entity, which, in turn, sub-contracted it to privately-owned United Graphic Expression Corp. (UGEC).Rep. Aniceto Bertiz 3rd of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) party-list disclosed the anomaly on Thursday in a speech during a seminar sponsored by Blas F. Ople Policy Center and Training Institute at the Diamond Hotel in Ermita, Manila.According to Bertiz, the sub-contracting deal was a “double whammy” because it was not only illegal per se but also grossly disadvantageous to the government because UGEC is a dubious firm.“UGEG was hastily created during the past administration with a very small capital [that is smaller than the amount of the contract]. There are people who benefited and pocketed [the money],” he said.“The Office of the President is also investigating this,” Betriz added.He said UGEC, with only P800 million in assets and some P200 million in cash, is heavily in debt.“What we originally probe is the delay in the issuance of passports but it opened a Pandora’s box that there was illegality in the contract of the DFA with APO-PU and UGEC. This is the cause of the delay because UGEC is heavily indebted,” Bertiz added.Earlier, Salvador Panelo, chief presidential legal counsel, said APO-PU committed grave abuse of discretion and could be held criminally and administratively liable for engaging UGEC’s services.Panelo added that the government printer “should refrain from engaging, sub-contracting or assigning the printing of passports to private entities, including UGEC [United Graphic Expression Corp.]” because it is beyond its authority.The Palace official pointed out that under a Memorandum of Agreement forged between APO-PU and the DFA on October 5, 2015, the government printer is “required by law, rules and regulations to use its own facilities, equipment and machinery in printing the passports for the DFA.”Curiously, the joint venture agreement executed by APO and UGEC on November 14, 2014 indicated that the government-owned printing facility had already anticipated the e-passport contract almost one year ahead of the formal signing of the MOA with the DFA.Panelo clarified that the outsourcing scheme by APO-PU resulted in a breach of a resolution by the Government Procurement Policy Board, as well as pertinent General Appropriations Act and Republic Act 9184 prescribing rules on public bidding.The Philippine Association of Free Labor Unions (Paflu) has called on Communications Secretary Martin Andanar to voluntarily step down to give President Rodrigo Duterte a free hand to look for a “more efficient replacement attuned to the challenges of the job.”The call came on the heels of the President’s announcement that Interior and Local Government Secretary Ismael Sueno has been fired “for loss of trust and confidence.”Paflu scored Andanar for keeping a tight lip on the e-passport controversy rocking the state-run APO-PU, an attached agency of the Presidential Communications Office, which Andanar heads.The President earlier enjoined Andanar to refrain from performing his task as presidential spokesman amid his frequent runs-in with media practitioners and other quarters that have not taken kindly to his statements and pronouncements on behalf of Duterte.Paflu president Eleuterio Tuazon tagged the ongoing vilification of the National Printing Office as a “vain and ill-advised attempt” to draw attention away from the questionable sub-contract between APO-PU and UGEC pertaining to the e-passport project.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/malacanang-probes-e-passport-contract/321406/
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More than 9,000 workers to lose jobs if Tadeco deal is voided
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['Kristeta Barrientos', 'Noel Lection', 'Joshua Zaragoza', 'Louis Acosta', 'Alex Montemayor', 'Dian Mercado']
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8/5/2017 0:00
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More than 9,000 laborers stand to lose their jobs in the banana plantation inside the Davao Penal Colony (Dapelco) should the joint venture agreement (JVA) between the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) and the Floirendo family’s Tagum Agricultural Development Company (Tadeco) be declared null and void, based on the results of an investigation conducted by the Department of Justice (DOJ).This possibility was raised by the Associated Labor Unions-Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (ALU-TUCP) President Michael Mendoza who expressed “grave concern and serious alarm” over the fate of 8,000 farms workers, 1,100 male inmates, and 101 women workers assigned to the Tadeco’s packing stations.Tadeco has been using the Dapelco in Panabo City, Davao del Norte to produce export-quality Cavendish bananas under the Del Monte brand.Mendoza also noted that the “inmates are called inmate-trainees, who receive a stipend equivalent to the daily minimum wage.”“After years of benign neglect from Government, we are met with the harshest legal findings, manufactured without hearing out the workers or the communities they have built from their blood and sweat,” Mendoza said.He underscored that the workers provided “the true human face to this controversy.”In a statement, Mendoza suggested that “corrective measures to the infirmities”in the BuCor-Tadeco deal must first be adopted to prevent the massive loss of jobs.He also asked President Rodrigo R. Duterte “to look into the plight of workers and their families who have been overlooked in this teleserye brouhaha.”“These workers have been (Duterte’s) avid supporters since he was still mayor, and they are just toiling day-to-day to provide a decent a life for their children,” Mendoza addd.Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez, who represents the first district of Davao del Norte, had earlier challenged the validity of the JAV between BuCor and Tadeco, saying that the contract was grossly disadvantageous to the government.Tadeco is owned by the family of Davao del Norte second district Rep. Antonio Floirendo Jr., who was a close friend of Alvarez until the controversy broke out.A DOJ panel, in its recommendation to Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II, said the JVA was “fraught with infirmities.”
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Manila Bulletin
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https://news.mb.com.ph/2017/05/08/more-than-9000-workers-to-lose-jobs-if-tadeco-deal-is-voided/
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39 Makati students shine in Singapore math contest
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['The Manila Times']
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2017-08-10 20:04:57+00:00
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Thirty-nine students from Makati City’s public elementary and high schools who joined the Philippine delegation at the 13th International Mathematics Contest held in Singapore from August 4 to 7 bagged numerous awards, including three gold medals, seven silver medals and 14 bronze medals.Makati Mayor Abby Binay congratulated the students and reiterated the city’s continuing commitment to providing “quality and relevant education for all.”“My warmest congratulations to our young achievers from Makati’s public schools who have once again brought honor to our city. Thank you for reciprocating our investments in your education. Your achievements fuel our resolve to develop globally competitive Makatizens through unlimited access to quality and relevant education,” she said in a statement on Thursday.The Philippines ranked first in the competition, which included participants from China, Thailand, Singapore, Taiwan, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Laos, Hong Kong, Iran, South Korea, Australia and India.The three students from Makati Science High School (MSHS) who won gold medals were Al Patrick Castro, Deanne Gabrielle Algenio and Reighne Clarence Evangelista.Other MSHS students reaped silver medals, namely, Mark Andrei Elpedes, Miguel Angelo Gomez, Jan Paul Aplacador, Riana Francine Tario, Albert Timothy Go and Shazel Catherine Policarpio.Rafael Oliveros of San Antonio National High School also took home a silver medal.A total of 14 students from public schools in Makati brought home bronze medals, including MSHS students Joseph Benedict Gatmen, Leidovic Keth Gellang, Angelo Josh Cuaresma, John Robbie Laurio, Jarek Taberdo, Miguel Carlos Yapan, Lesmon Andres Saluta and Russell Lei Padayao.Other bronze medalists were Leoj Phoebe Esquierdo (Bangkal High School) and five elementary-school students, namely, Michael Angelo Saluta (Pembo Elementary School), Laurence Hapin (Rizal ES), John Clarence Cruzado (West Rembo ES), Allainah Jade Pahunang (Comembo ES) and Jaoine Elinah Raguro (Bangkal ES Main).Fifteen delegates from the city’s public schools received merit awards: Jaycee Sarza and Cody Arris Saloma of East Rembo ES; Vivien Shane Lozano, Pembo ES; Mark Stephen Beloro, South Cembo ES; Katrina Day Jimenez, Benigno ‘Ninoy’ Aquino High School; and Zaira Mae Penoliar and Jesper Chris Tiongson, Gen. Pio del Pilar National High School.Other merit awardees were MSHS students Reynald Karl Vidal, Chelsea Jemimah Gupo, Clarence Jay Tamaca, Trisha Denise Castillo, Czyril Hieras, Joshua Miguel Omugtong, Niño Philip Ramones and Sophia Isabel Algenio.The city government provides free school supplies to all Makati public school students under its Project FREE (Free Relevant and Excellent Education). In addition to this, students at Makati Science High School each receive a P1,500-monthly stipend.Meanwhile, a Math teacher at Makati High School was named the official representative of the National Capital Region (NCR or Metro Manila) in the Asean Bridge Program, which was launched recently by the Australian government in partnership with the Department of Education.Owen Ombid is one of four Filipino teachers who qualified for the program after undergoing a series of interviews and demo teachings related to Information and Communication Technology (ICT). He is set to leave for Australia on August 12 together with three other teachers from schools in the Visayas and Mindanao.Designed for teachers, the program is aimed at building inter-cultural relationships through ICT, giving them the opportunity to enhance their knowledge and skills in ICT. It will send Filipino teachers to Australia, and also send teachers from Australia to the Philippines, for ICT training and cultural immersion.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/39-makati-students-shine-singapore-math-contest/343651/
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PH to bid Project NOAH goodbye in March
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['Lance Ceellot']
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29/01/2017 0:00
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PH government will shutdown Project NOAH (Nationwide Operational Assessment of Hazards) in March. A program which provides disaster prevention and mitigation for the country.The project needs to be shutdown due to lack of funds and will run until February 28. It was announced by Project NOAH executive director Dr. Mahar Lagmay through a radio interview.Project NOAH was launched under the administration of former President Benigno Aquino III in July 2012. As Philippines is vulnerable to typhoons, tsunamis, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions, the former administration see that appropriate measures must be implemented.Project NOAH was created in response to former President Aquino’s instructions to have a responsive program for disaster prevention and mitigation. The country’s warning agencies were able to provide a 6-hour lead-time warning to communities which are prone and vulnerable to flooding. The project uses an advanced technology to enhance current geo-hazard vulnerability maps.It’s mission is to “undertake disaster science research and development, advance the use of cutting edge technologies and recommend innovative information services in government’s disaster prevention and mitigation efforts.” As seen on the project’s website.
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Manila Bulletin
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https://news.mb.com.ph/2017/01/29/ph-to-bid-project-noah-goodbye-in-march/
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Probe of ‘undervalued’ Del Monte taxes sought
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['Llanesca T. Panti']
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2017-07-14 21:34:35+00:00
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Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez of Davao del Norte on Friday called on the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) to investigate alleged undervaluation of tax liabilities of pineapple giant Del Monte Philippines Inc.Alvarez was referring to the P65.4-million tax dues of Del Monte even if there has been a reported assessment that Del Monte’s tax liabilities amount to as much as P29 billion.“Why can’t the BIR collect that P29 billion instead of proposing new taxes under the tax reform bill, particularly on petroleum products?” Alvarez said in a radio interview.There is a pending plunder complaint filed before the Ombudsman against BIR Commissioner Caesar Dulay and 17 other officials and personnel in connection with alleged reduction of the tax liabilities of Del Monte.The plunder complaint filed by Danilo Lihaylihay said Del Monte was taxed with P21 billion for 2011 but this was lowered to P14 billion when Dulay assumed office and after a supposedly anomalous reinvestigation.It was alleged that for 2012, Del Monte paid only P20 million for a tax assessment worth P3.43 billion, and that for 2013, the tax was purportedly reduced to P30.3 million from the assessed amount of P5.2 billion.Del Monte has denied the purported tax irregularities covering 2011 to 2013 as alleged in the plunder complaint.“We need better tax collection, and its clear that we have taxes yet to collect which can fund government projects. The House Committee on Ways and Means can inquire into the matter jointly with the House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability,” Alvarez said.Under the proposed tax reform bill of the Duterte administration, all those earning P250,000 and below annually will be exempted from paying income taxes.The same bill, however, also hikes excise taxes on all fuels by P6 to P10 per liter and increases prices of sugar-sweetened beverages by around 140 percent.Other lawmakers backing the Del Monte probe are Johnny Pimentel of Surigao del Sur, head of the good government panel, and Rodel Batocabe of Ako Bicol party-list.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/probe-undervalued-del-monte-taxes-sought/338378/
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Arroyo son acquitted in raps over tax returns
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['Ma. Reina Leanne Tolentino']
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2018-03-30 00:07:17+00:00
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The Court of Tax Appeals’First Division has acquitted former lawmaker Juan Miguel “Mikey” Arroyo of the charge of failure to file income tax return for 2007 and the charge of failure to supply correct and accurate information in his ITRs for 2004 and 2006.“Mikey” is a son of former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, now also a lawmaker.In Criminal Case No. O-249, it was alleged that failure to file the ITR for 2007 resulted in basic deficiency income tax of P2.13 million.In Criminal Case No. O-247 and Criminal Case No. O-248, Arroyo was accused of failure to supply correct and accurate information in his ITRs for 2004 and 2006, respectively, as he allegedly “substantially under-declared his income for” 2004 and 2006, which resulted in basic deficiency income tax totaling P25.17 million.But the court said in a 69-page decision promulgated on March 21 that Arroyo “cannot be convicted of the crime of failure to file ITR under Section 255 of the NIRC of 1997, as amended, as he was not required to file a separate ITR for the year 2007. His employer’s Annual Information Return on Income Tax Withheld on Compensation (BIR Form 1604CF) is considered as his ‘substitute’ ITR pursuant to Section 2.83.4 of RR No. 02-98, as amended by RR No. 03-02.”NIRC is the National Internal Revenue Code.“As exhaustively discussed earlier, in these consolidated cases, the circumstantial evidence that there was an increase in accused’s net worths for the years 2004, 2006 and 2007 does not ipso facto lead to the conclusion that accused derived ordinary income that should have been declared in his ITRs and subjected to the regular income tax rates prescribed under Section 24 of the NIRC of 1997, as amended,” the court said.“Truth to tell, the probability that the increase in accused’s net worth resulted from his receipt of an ordinary income, subject to regular income tax rates, is equal to the probability that the increase arose from donations, gifts, inheritance and/or from passive or other income subjected to final tax, such as dividends, royalties, interests, capital gains,” it added.“Wherefore, in view of the foregoing, accused Juan Miguel M. Arroyo is hereby acquitted of the offenses charged in CTA Criminal Case Nos. O-247, O-248 and O-249 for failure of the prosecution to prove his guilt beyond reasonable doubt,” the court ruled.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/arroyo-son-acquitted-in-raps-over-tax-returns/389327/
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PH bags best diving destination award
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['Philippines News Agency']
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2018-08-06 00:03:34+00:00
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The Philippines won the “2018 Best Holiday Destination For Diving” award in the Beijing Diving and Resort Travel Expo 2018 held at the Beijing Exhibition Hall that ended on Sunday, August 5..Officials of the Department of Tourism and the Tourism Promotions Board received the award.THE Philippines bested more than 120 exhibitors from China, Indonesia, India, Malaysia, Maldives, and Taiwan.The three-day expo gathered about 25,000 diving enthusiasts and visitors.The DoT and TPB’s exhibition booth had the theme “Epicenter of the World’s Marine Biodiversity.”Philippine Ambassador to China Jose Santiago Sta. Romana said the Philippines is at the heart of the Coral Triangle, home to the world’s most vibrant and colorful marine ecosystems and most diverse species of marine wildlife in the world.“I assure you that no one knows the sea better than the Philippines, one of the few places where you can experience such rich marine biodiversity. I invite our Chinese friends to come to our country — not just to see our vast underwater fauna, but also to understand the importance of preserving marine life, ” Sta. Romana said.Tomasito Umali, the country’s Tourism Attache in Beijing, said scientific institutions like the California Academy of Sciences and the Swansea University see the Philippines as the “center of the center” of the world’s marine biodiversity and evolution.“When we say that the Philippines is the epicenter or the ‘center of the center of the center of world’s marine biodiversity’ it means that it is in the Philippines as well as between peninsular Indonesia and Malaysia — more than any other places on earth — where the most number or highest concentration of marine species can be found,” Umali said.At least eight diving centers and resort exhibitors participated in the Beijing expo — El Pinoy Resort Anilao, Inc., Kiss Diving Center Shop, Pier Uno Dive Resort, Devocean Divers Malapascua, Arkipelago Divers Inc., Tech Asia, Asia Divers/El Galleon, and Philippine Airlines.Chito Aquino, sales director of El Pinoy Resort in Boracay and Batangas, said the number of Chinese tourists who visited the Philippines continues to grow.“We invited more divers to come to the Philippines, this expo is an effective means to expose the best diving experience in our country. Every year, the number of Chinese divers and tourists (who visit) our country is increasing significantly. For example, in our resort, we are receiving at least 250 Chinese divers-guests every month,” Aquino said.PNA
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/ph-bags-best-diving-destination-award/427141/
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Panel probing sexual harassment revived
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['Catherine S. Valente']
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2017-03-03 20:28:17+00:00
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The government has rebuilt a committee that will probe sexual harassment cases against officials and employees in the executive branch of government.Signed by Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea in behalf of President Rodrigo Duterte, Memorandum Order No. 11 mandates the reconstitution of the Committee on Decorum and Investigation (CODI), which will deal with sexual harassment cases in the Office of the President.The order, signed on February 16 but only released to media in March, effectively amended Section 2 of a memorandum creating the CODI in 2007, mandating the committee to be composed of six members: three management representatives, one of whom shall be the chairman; one second-level employees’ representative; one first-level employees’ representative; and one accredited union representative.A majority of all CODI members is required to issue findings and recommendations.The chairman will only vote in the case of a tie between committee members.“The members of the CODI shall serve a term of two years unless replaced earlier… CODI member alternates may be designated by the appropriate unit concerned to act as members whenever the principal member is unable to attend a meeting of the CODI,” the memorandum read.The Civil Service Commission requires the creation of a CODI in every government agency to handle sexual harassment complaints.CATHERINE S. VALENTE
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/panel-probing-sexual-harassment-revived/315252/
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Liberal Party bares 3 senatorial bets
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['Ma. Reina Leanne Tolentino']
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2018-09-26 00:04:29+00:00
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The Liberal Party (LP) on Tuesday bared three candidates it would be fielding in the senatorial election next year.They are Sen. Paolo Benigno “Bam” Aquino 4th; Jose Manuel “Chel” Diokno, founding dean of the De La Salle University College of Law who leads the Free Legal Assistance Group; and former House Deputy Speaker Lorenzo “Erin” Tañada 3rd.Vice President Maria Leonor “Leni” Robredo, LP chairman, said the three scions of political families showed promise at a young age.“Ang tanging minana nila ay iyong magandang pangalan na naiwan ng mga nauna sa kanila. Pero ang tinatayuan nila, galing sa kanilang sariling pawis at dugo, matagal na rin na lumaban kahit karamihan — iyong dalawa sa kanila bata pa; pero nagpakita na ng kahusayan (They inherited their good names, but they reached their positions by sweat and blood. Two of them are young but they have shown their worth),” Robredo said when she introduced the three bets during the party’s National Executive Council meeting in Quezon City.She said Aquino was behind the Go Negosyo law and helped steered the passage of the Free College Education law.The final opposition slate will be announced on October 8, Robredo said. However, the party has yet to decide if it will fill the 12 Senate slots.In an interview after the event, she admitted that their bets may have a small chance of winning based on the latest Pulse Asia survey that was dominated by reelectionist senators.“It’s too early to talk about chances. Thing may change in the middle of the campaign season,” she told reporters.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/liberal-party-bares-3-senatorial-bets/445217/
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LTFRB punishes 8 ‘corrupt’ top officials
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['Nelson Badilla']
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2017-01-24 21:46:04+00:00
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Eight regional directors and 53 employees of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) were forced to leave their posts after they were found to have allegedly been involved in corruption.LTFRB board member Aileen Lizarda told a television program on Tuesday that four regional directors have resigned, two have retired and one was suspended after a board internal audit showed that they have engaged in corruption.The eighth director is being investigated, Lizarda said.Aside from the eight regional directors, 53 employees from different branches of the LTFRB were forced to resign or retire or were suspended also for alleged involvement in corrupt activities, she added.In the same TV program, Lizarda said the LTFRB leadership has discovered the supposed pattern of corruption in the agency.She, however, did not accuse the previous leadership of inaction on the corruption in the LTFRB.She disclosed that the corrupt officials raked in money from approval of franchises for public utility vehicles (bus, jeepney or taxi) using fake documents.President Rodrigo Duterte on several occasions said the LTFRB is one of the most corrupt agencies in the government.The others, according to the President, are the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), the Land Transportation Office (LTO) and the Bureau of Customs (BOC).According to Lizarda, bus operators pay from P300,000 to P500,000 for fake franchises, UV vehicles operators pay P200,000, and taxi operators have to shell out P60,000 in order to get franchises to operate.The corrupt LTFRB directors and employees have their “fixers” to do the illegal transactions for them.Lizarda said the “fixers” have contacts with the vehicle operators.“The fixer that the regional director brings connects with the operators outside, those who are willing to pay and cough up huge amounts,” she explained.“Technically, they [fake franchises] are all colorum because they were issued without any authority but we’re talking of hundreds and thousands nationwide,” she pointed out.Lizarda admitted that even the LTFRB in Davao City, Duterte’s turf in southern Mindanao, is not exempted from the illegal franchise scam.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/ltfrb-punishes-8-corrupt-top-officials/308548/
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Ban sale of assets of veterans’ hospital – GMA
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['Llanesca T. Panti']
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2016-12-22 20:17:04+00:00
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Former President and now Deputy Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo of Pampanga is seeking autonomy for and protection of assets of the Veterans Memorial Medical Center (VMMC) from being sold or related actions.Arroyo made the proposal under her House Bill 1240, which gives the VMMC greater flexibility and autonomy in serving the medical needs of Filipino veterans and retired soldiers and their dependents by making it a corporate entity.Under a corporation, the medical center will be governed by a Board of Trustees that will have the authority to set rules and regulations for the administration and operation of the hospital, as well as enter into agreements deemed desirable for the purpose of promoting its purposes and objectives.Section 16 of Arroyo’s bill provides that assets of the VMMC cannot be “sold, transferred, ceded, conveyed, assigned and encumbered.”“Recognizing the invaluable sacrifices and services of our veterans and military retirees, it is only imperative that a medical facility dedicated to serve their medical needs as well as their dependents must be provided stability, viability and ample resources to ensure that they receive quality medical and health services,” the lawmaker said in a statement.“All existing assets of the VMMC must be under the control and supervision of the hospital, with the issuance of all the corresponding certificates of landholding in its favor,” according to Arroyo, who was under hospital arrest in the VMMC from 2011 to 2016 for charges of electoral sabotage, graft and plunder.Since then, courts have cleared the former president of all the charges.“While the board may approve the implementation of contracts, mechanisms and financial instruments to give the hospital the flexibility to generate revenues and other resources from land grants and other [pieces of property], such arrangements should sustain and protect the hospital in accordance with law and be exclusive of the medical core zone of the hospital,” Arroyo said.The VMMC is currently under the control and supervision of the Department of National Defense, and its budget only accounts for one percent of the Defense’s department’s annual budget.But unlike other government hospitals such as the Philippine Heart Center, Lung Center, Kidney Center, Philippine General Hospital and Philippine Children’s Medical Center, it does not have its own charter and has no other source of income to support the free care and treatment of veterans and retirees and their dependents.The 55-hectare VMMC was earlier reported to have been the focus of a development plan by the Ayala group as a possible location of the North Integrated Transport System terminal.The Defense department, on the other hand, is also contemplating selling or leasing the golf course in the medical center.“The preservation of the value of the assets of the hospital shall be of primordial consideration,” Arroyo said.LLANESCA T. PANTI
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/ban-sale-assets-veterans-hospital-gma/303266/
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Nothing to worry about – de Lima
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['Bernadette E. Tamayo']
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2018-03-13 00:05:37+00:00
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Sen. Leila de Lima on Monday said the public had “nothing to worry about,” saying the CT scan of the liver she underwent was part of her routine and periodic medical examination.De Lima was taken to the Philippine Heart Center on Monday afternoon for the CT (computed tomography) scan of her liver.Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court Judge Amelia Fabros-Corpuz granted de Lima a one day furlough after the senator’s doctor said the senator should have her liver checked.“My physician ordered that I have to immediately undergo further examination, particularly ‘CT Scan (tri-phase) of the liver’ due to a finding of an impression of a ‘liver mass,’” de Lima said in a statement.“As prescribed by my doctor, the said test is necessary to determine if the “liver mass” is benign or malignant.”“There is nothing to worry about. This is just part of a routine medical check-up to determine if I should go through an operation to avoid any complications,” she added.“At bilang bahagi ng pananagutan ko bilang lingkod-bayan, agad ko pong ipagbibigay alam sa publiko ang resulta ng nasabing medical examination ukol sa estado ng aking kalusugan (As part of my obligation as a public servant, I will immediately inform the public of the result of my medical examination with regard to my state of health),” she said.De Lima is detained at the Philippine National Police Custodial Center on drug charges.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/nothing-to-worry-about-de-lima/385733/
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De Lima: Probe officials linked to illegal gambling
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['The Manila Times']
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2017-05-16 21:27:07+00:00
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The Senate should investigate allegations of corruption involving government officials that are behind Small Town Lottery (STL) operations in the country, Sen. Leila de Lima said on Tuesday.De Lima has filed Proposed Senate Resolution (PSR) 359 urging the Senate Committee on Civil Service, Government Reorganization and Professional Regulation to inquire into alleged links of administration officials to the STL operations.“Allegations of corruption involving Cabinet and other high-ranking government officials should be investigated with utmost urgency and scrutiny in order to protect the integrity of public office and ensure public trust in government,” she said in a statement.Gambling tycoon Charlie “Atong” Ang earlier said Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre 2nd and National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon want to eliminate him so they can control STL operations in certain provinces in the country.Ang accused Aguirre of working with his brother, Ogie Aguirre, in taking over STL operations in Southern Luzon provinces, including Laguna, Batangas, and certain provinces in the Bicol Region.According to him, Esperon works with other high military officials in controlling STL operations in Northern Luzon, including Pangasinan.De Lima noted that STL, a grassroots-based lottery and charity that is managed by the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO), was designed to stamp out jueteng, an illegal numbers game.“With the culture of patronage continually evolving, Section 7 (a) of [Republic Act] 6713, which only states that ‘public officials and employees shall not, directly or indirectly, have any financial or material interest in any transaction requiring the approval of their office’ no longer suffices in admonishing public officials against committing certain irregularities whether penalized by law or not,” she said.De Lima cited PCSO General Manager Alexander Balutan’s avowal to stop illegal gambling, which he said has been “the scourge of this country for the longest time, spawning corruption in different agencies and levels of government.”NIKKI J. DELOS REYES
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/de-lima-probe-officials-linked-illegal-gambling-2/327503/
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Palace lauds BoC for topping target
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['Catherine S. Valente']
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2017-04-07 21:26:38+00:00
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MalacaÑang on Friday lauded the Bureau of Customs (BoC) for exceeding its revenue collection target during the month of March by P1.08 billion or a total collection of P137.65 billion.“The continuing improvement in the performance of the BoC can be attributed to the determined effort of its leadership, as well as the zero-corruption policy of the administration and its unrelenting campaign against tax cheats,” presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella said in a statement.“Increased tax collection from the BoC will go a long way to sustain the government’s program to ramp up spending on vital infrastructure and social service to bolster the growing strength of our economy and provide a better life for our people,” he added.Based on its preliminary report, the BoC said it collected P37.654 billion in duties and other tariff last month, up 16 percent from P32.383 billion collected in the same period last year.This puts the bureau’s total collections at about P104.154 billion during the first three months of the year.The March collection also exceeded the Custom’s target of P36.572 billion by three percent.According to Customs data, 10 out of 17 BoC collection districts exceeded their March collection goals.This was led by the Manila International Container Port, which collected P11.721 billion in revenues as compared to its P11.30-billion target.Other ports that earned better than their targets also include Batangas (P8.5 billion in collections), Cebu (P1.68 billion), Cagayan (P1.266 billion), Davao (P1.321 billion), Clark (P131 million), San Fernando (P244 million), Legazpi (P77 million), Iloilo (P219 million) and Zamboanga (P32 million).The BoC is the second largest tax collecting arm of the government, traditionally contributing about 20 percent of total tax revenues.Last year, the bureau earned P396.365 billion, about 7.8 percent higher than the 2015 level of P367,534 billion.CATHERINE S. VALENTE
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/palace-lauds-boc-topping-target/321592/
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Govt studying expansion of OFW deployment ban
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['Catherine S. Valente']
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2018-03-04 00:03:06+00:00
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Malacañang on Saturday said the Philippine government is still studying a possible expansion of a deployment ban to other countries that treat overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) unfairly.In a news conference in Zamboanga dela Norte, Palace spokesman Harry Roque reiterated that President Rodrigo Duterte’s order to prohibit Filipinos from seeking jobs in Kuwait will remain in effect until justice is served to Joanna Demafelis, the Filipina domestic helper who was killed allegedly by her employers and found inside a freezer a year later.“Pinag-aaralan na rin po ng Department of Labor kung merong ibang mga bansa pa na dapat itigil ang deployment ng ating mga mamamayan [The Department of Labor and Employment is studying if there are other countries where we can impose the ban on the deployment of our fellow countrymen],” Roque told reporters.“Ang desisyon po ng Presidente, huwag munang magpadala ng ating mga kababayan sa Kuwait hanggang hindi po nabibigyan ng katarungan itong si Joanna [But the decision of the President, we will not send our fellow Filipinos to Kuwait until Joanna gets justice],” he said.Duterte was prompted to order the total ban on the deployment of OFWs to Kuwait after the gruesome death of Demafelis.Demafelis’ employers and primary suspects in her killing, Nader Essam Assaf, a Lebanese, and his Syrian wife Mona Hassoun, were separately arrested and are being questioned by authorities.Agnes Tuballes, the alleged recruiter of Demafelis, on Tuesday turned herself in to authorities.Police, however, said Tuballes, was free to go because she was not considered a suspect.Tuballes pointed to Our Lady of Mount Carmel Global E-Human Resources Inc. as the agency that facilitated Demafelis’ employment in Kuwait.She said she surfaced in order to clear her name.Meanwhile, Roque assured the public that the government would work to ensure justice is served and not delayed.“So tuluy-tuloy naman po ang proseso ng pag-kakamit ng katarungan pero sa panandalian po, wala pa rin tayong deployment sa Kuwait [So the process continues to achieve justice (for Demafelis) but for now the deployment ban to Kuwait stays],” he said.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/govt-studying-expansion-ofw-deployment-ban/383923/
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Govt to finance PUV modernization
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['Reicelene Joy Ignacio']
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2017-04-30 20:51:29+00:00
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A memorandum of understanding (MoU) on financing the government’s public utility vehicle (PUV) modernization program was signed by transport and finance officials on Sunday.Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade, Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board Chairman (LTFRB) Martin Delgra 3rd, Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez 3rd and Landbank President Alex Buenaventura signed the MoU in Davao, the same day the Davao-General Santos- Bitung route between Indonesia and the Philippines was launched. (See related story on Page 1)According to Tugade, the signing was conducted before Labor Day as a “gift” from President Rodrigo Duterte to workers in the country.Under the MoU, drivers and operators of public utility vehicles (PUVs) may borrow from Landbank to fund their purchase of modernized jeepneys at a 6 percent interest.“The signing of the memorandum of understanding is an expression of the DOF [Department of Finance], through Landbank, of supporting the modernization program of the DoTr [Department of Transportation] headed by the LTFRB,” Tugade said.Delgra said training for the PUV drivers will start in May at the Drivers’ Academy.All PUV drivers will be required to undergo the training for free.Dominguez said he hopes that the modernization program will help combat climate change as the new transport system will help promote clean air, move people efficiently and eliminate road congestion.According to LTFRB spokeswoman Aileen Lizada, the PUV drivers may avail of the loan upon the approval of local government units.“The only way to move forward is to partner with government financial institutions,” Delgra said.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/govt-finance-puv-modernization/324847/
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LTFRB to probe viral post on ‘colorum’ operations
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['Francis Earl Cueto']
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2017-08-22 20:38:25+00:00
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THE Land Transportation, Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) on Tuesday said it will investigate a viral post on social media that showed a screen grab of a Facebook chat on their official account.LTFRB Chairman Martin Delgra said the reply to a question posed by a Facebook user appeared to have been altered.The screenshot of the exchange of messages that was posted by television host James Deakin on his Facebook page has gotten nearly 13,000 shares and 19,000 reactions.Delgra said he spoke with the person who responded to the query on whether friends or officemates who carpool can be penalized like ride-sharing service Uber for “colorum” or unlicensed operations.The LTFRB Citizen Enforcer account replied “Yes sir” to the “colorum” question.Delgra said the actual reply was more elaborate and the screengrab was “just being hyped” online.The actual answer, he said, was: “When you take in a passenger for a fee, then you undertake a public transportation service. If you don’t, wala [No]. If you take in a friend for a fee, that’s it. It’s a very simple rule to follow.”
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/ltfrb-probe-viral-post-colorum-operations/346109/
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Defer judgment on Lopez –CA member
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['Llanesca T. Panti']
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2017-03-12 18:56:31+00:00
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A member of the Commission on Appointments (CA) has asked the commission to defer judgment on the ad interim appointment of Secretary Regina Lopez as secretary of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).In making the request, Rep. Josephine Ramirez Sato of Occidental Mindoro referred to the decision of Sen. Emmanuel Pacquiao, head of the CA Committee on Natural Resources, to end public hearings on Lopez’s appointment.Sato raised questions about Lopez’s definition of watershed, opinion on the Mining Industry Coordinating Council (MICC) review of mine closures and contract-cancelation orders and choices for important positions at the deparment.Lopez had admitted during a hearing that the 1995 Mining Law only prohibits mining in critical watersheds, not in all proclaimed watersheds.She, however, wants to ban mining in all proclaimed watersheds, insisting that it is within her power to institute government policies such as sparing all proclaimed watersheds from all mining extractions or where the government has awarded mining companies contracts to explore and extract minerals.“Lopez’s definition of watershed is clearly not in the law, which poses a big problem. Cabinet members should ensure they know the law, which they swore to uphold and enforce by heart,” Sato said in a statement.“I admire her passion, but the law is the law is the law. It may be harsh, it may be flawed, but that is the law. I am very much willing to hear from her what needs to be done and I will file a bill in the House of Representatives to make that happen. But it has to be done within the purview of the law. Any gaps in the law must be dealt with by amending the law or enactment of another law,” Sato, a lawyer, added.She said she shares Lopez’s anti-mining stance, with Occidental Mindoro under a 25-year mining moratorium during her term as governor.Her province is among the first local government units (LGUs) that banned mining for the protection and conservation of natural wealth in the entire province.“I ask these difficult questions to bring out the best in the nominees. It is meant to gauge their competence, not a personal attack,” Sato said.A presidential appointment can only be confirmed if all 25 members of the CA panel would agree to confirmation of the President’s nominee.“As far as hiring of consultants is concerned, it is [Lopez’s] prerogative to bring in her own team, but there is a law that protects civil servants against unjust removal from government positions. To lead the DENR effectively, she should be able to rally the people in the DENR behind her cause,” Sato said.LLANESCA T. PANTI
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/defer-judgment-lopez-ca-member/316784/
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Supreme Court killed RH Law – lawmaker
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['Llanesca T. Panti']
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2017-01-13 20:54:47+00:00
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The Supreme Court (SC) has effectively killed the Reproductive Health Law by preventing the government purchase of certain contraceptives, one of the principal authors of the measure said on Friday.Rep. Edcel Lagman of Albay, who defended the RH bill in protracted plenary debates during the 15th Congress that lasted almost a year, was reacting to a statement of SC spokesman Theodore Te that the High Court did not get in the way of the RH Law implementation.“Te was splitting hairs when he reiterated that the High Court did not derail the implementation of the Reproductive Health Law. While there is no direct injunction against the implementation of the RH Law, the Supreme Court has pierced the heart and soul of the RH Law by making the certification, procurement and access to contraceptives more difficult and cumbersome,” Lagman, a lawyer, pointed out in a statement.After the SC issued a temporary restraining order on the government purchase of Implanon and Implanon NXT in June 2015, the High Court even expanded the scope of the TRO in August 2016 by requiring the certification and re-certification of all contraceptives to be used under the RH Law, including those that have been traditionally certified for decades as safe and non-abortifacient.Implanon and Implanon NXT are long-lasting, reversible hormonal contraceptive implants that would prevent pregnancy for up to three years, Lagman said.“These are the implants of choice of women practicing family planning, and central to the RH Law is the informed choice accorded to women of reproductive age to determine the number and spacing of their children by voluntarily using modern, effective and safe contraceptives as a method of family planning,” Lagman said.President Rodrigo Duterte issued an Executive Order (EO) this week to go around the Supreme Court TRO.The EO, effective immediately, seeks to “intensify and accelerate the implementation of critical actions necessary and sustain zero unmet need for modern family planning for all poor households by 2018.”“When the Supreme Court halted the certification and re-certification by the Food and Drug Administration of contraceptive products and devices pending FDA’s compliance with its directive to adopt a more protracted quasi-judicial process instead of the regular and usual summary administrative process purportedly to observe due process, the Supreme Court practically derailed the enforcement of the RH Law so much so that by 2018 contraceptive supplies are expected to dry up,” Lagman said.Under Section 9 of the RH Law, the FDA is the primary authority that will determine which hormonal contraceptives, intrauterine devices, injectables and family planning products and supplies are safe, legal, non-abortifacient and effective.“All that is required pursuant to Section 9 is a “certification from the FDA that said product and supply is made available on the condition that it is not to be used as an abortifacient. The findings of administrative agencies like the FDA are accorded highest respect and adherence by superior courts because of the former’s acknowledged expertise,” Lagman said.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/supreme-court-killed-rh-law-lawmaker-2/306807/
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Army to deploy new lieutenants
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['Dempsey Reyes']
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2018-04-15 00:02:52+00:00
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The Philippine Army will be deploying a total of 168 new lieutenants to different units across the country.Lt. Col. Louie Villanueva, Army spokesman, over the weekend said the junior officers are graduates of the Officer Candidate Course “Gahiusa” Class of 2017 and Officer Preparatory Course “Lakanlawig” Class of 2016.“These young officers, after graduating from their respective foundation courses, have undergone additional training aimed at honing further their knowledge and skills for the real-world operational conditions,” Villanueva added.Villanueva said the training of the new Army lieutenants was focused on improving their individual war fighting competency, understanding the rule of law and human rights protocols and improving their leadership ability through the Basic Officer Leader Course of the Officer Candidate School.“The deployment of these new lieutenants will surely bolster the increasing demand for platoon leaders in the field especially that the Army is at the cutting edge of the government’s efforts in addressing the country’s internal security threats,” he pointed out.The deployment will also “improve” the “readiness condition” of ground forces, particularly in the 10 Infantry Divisions of the Army, Villanueva said.“At present, the Philippine Army is geared on enhancing its force structure by establishing additional 10 Infantry Battalions, one Ranger Battalion and Engineer Combat Battalion,” he added.Lt. Gen. Rolando Joselito Bautista, Army commanding general, reminded the newly-commissioned officers to not put their guard down while on the battlefield.“The moment you step on the battleground, I want you to remember this creed that guided me throughout the years–let your presence be felt by your men, motivation starts when your soldiers see you fighting side by side with them,” Bautista said in his message to the soldiers during send-off ceremonies at Fort Bonifacio in Taguig City.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/army-to-deploy-new-lieutenants/392581/
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Court resets ex-PCGG chief’s arraignment
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['Ma. Reina Leanne Tolentino']
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2017-10-21 22:24:07+00:00
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The Sandiganbayan’s Fourth Division has postponed the arraignment of former Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) chairman Camilo Sabio, who is facing graft charges for allegedly attempting to persuade his younger brother, a former magistrate, to help a litigant in 2008.The court reset the arraignment to October 27 because Sabio has yet to hire a lawyer to represent him.His former lawyer, Ro Megan Lea Abiog, earlier filed a motion to withdraw as counsel, saying that her earlier engagement was only for the purpose of representing Sabio in his plea to reduce the amount of bail recommended for his provisional liberty.The graft charges were filed by the Office of the Ombudsman last year.The Ombudsman alleged that Sabio “allow[ed] himself to be persuaded, induced, or influenced by Atty. Jesus I. Santos” — who was a GSIS board member at the time — “by readily acceding to the latter’s request to persuade his brother, [the late] Justice Jose L. Sabio, Jr., to help the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS)” in a case filed by the Manila Electric Company (Meralco) which was then pending with the Court of Appeals (CA).The case filed by Meralco against the GSIS stemmed from an ownership row. It was designated by raffle to the CA division then headed by Justice Sabio, who passed away in 2012.The Office of the Ombudsman also alleged that Sabio “persuade[d], induce[d], or influence[d] another public officer to perform an act constituting a violation of rule or regulation duly promulgated by competent authority when he suggested to his brother…to help the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS), a party defendant in a case filed by Meralco, which [was] pending before the Division of the said Court where [then-]Justice Sabio [was] the Chairperson, contrary to the Code of Judicial Conduct for the Philippine Judiciary.”The anti-graft office’s field investigators did not include the late Justice Sabio as a respondent “since records do not show that he had been influenced by his elder brother.”Also on Friday, the Sandiganbayan’s Fifth Division deferred Sabio’s arraignment for three counts of malversation and a charge for failure to render accounts.The court’s Fifth Division reset to November 17 his arraignment on these cases, which were filed against him earlier this year.The Office of the Ombudsman alleged that Sabio “misappropriated, misapplied, embezzled and took away” P632,428.03 “for his own personal use and benefit, to the damage and prejudice of the government in the aforementioned amount.”He supposedly received the sum as cash advances for “litigation and other related purposes.”
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/court-resets-ex-pcgg-chiefs-arraignment/357854/
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House bill protects grievers vs abusive morgues
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['The Manila Times']
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2017-05-07 22:33:32+00:00
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Five members of Congress have jointly proposed new legislation seeking to safeguard grievers against potential abuses by funeral homes, amid reports that crooked agents of the law have established lucrative rackets taking cuts from mortuaries that have been claiming the dead bodies of victims of fatal road accidents and violent crime.The proposed Griever’s Protection Act, or House Bill (HB) 5036, seeks to criminalize and punish the harassment or exploitation of families who have lost loved ones, and who are unable to pay for the services of the morgues that retrieved the remains of their departed kin.Makati City congressmen Luis Campos Jr. and Monsour del Rosario 3rd, together with their Manila counterparts Manuel Luis Lopez, John Marvin Nieto and Rosenda Ann Ocampo authored the bill.“The loss of a loved one is already an ordeal in itself, considering the emotional and financial hardship associated with taking care of the dead. We must not allow death care providers or rotten agents of the law to take advantage of the families of the dead,” Campos, a deputy minority leader, said in a statement on Sunday.“The proper burial of our departed is deeply enshrined not only in our culture, but also in our faith. Those who prey on family members of the dead for extra financial benefit deserve to be punished for violations against basic human decency,” he added.Under the bill, the following acts committed against a person who just suffered the death of a family member shall constitute a violation punishable by up to six months in prison plus a fine of up to P150,000:• Compelling by force, intimidation, deceit or any other means a person to undertake the services of a morgue, crematorium or any other death care provider;• Charging excessive fees for services rendered by those in the death care sector that are well above the “fair value” or average amount charged by those providing the same services in the same city or municipality; and• Failure to provide the nearest kin of the deceased prior written notice of the cost of services.Public officers who commit any of the infractions face additional administrative penalties.While still campaigning for President, Rodrigo Duterte had implied that he expects morgues to boom once he carries out his war on drugs.“If I become President, I advise you people to put up several funeral parlor businesses because I am against illegal drugs,” Duterte told journalists in a chance interview in November 2015.Under HB 5036, family members shall have the right to select which death care provider shall cater to needs of their deceased.Family members shall refer to “spouses, legitimate ascendants and descendants, relatives by blood within the fourth civil degree, and brothers and sisters, whether full or half-blood.”In instances when the deceased is a victim of a crime, was involved in an accident or any other instances where the family is not promptly notified of the death, “only the most basic services required to preserve the body may be rendered by the morgue retrieving the body.”
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/house-bill-protects-grievers-vs-abusive-morgues/326019/
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BoC destroys P5-M seized goods
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['William Depasupil']
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2018-09-17 00:05:20+00:00
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MORE than P5 million of assorted food stuffs and other seized goods were destroyed over the weekend by the Bureau of Customs (BoC) in separate facilities in Laguna and Bulacan provinces.Customs Commissioner Isidro Lapena said the condemnation process was in line with public interest and transparency in the disposition of forfeited goods.Condemed at the facility of Tritek Reverse Logistics Corp. in San Pedro City, Laguna were four 40-footer container vans of assorted foodstuffs worth at least P4 million.The shipments, which contained chocolate spreads, coffee creamer, creams, juices, and air fresheners, weres not covered by any certificate of product registration from the Food and Drugs Administration (FDA).They were automatically seized by the bureau pursuant to Section 1113 (Property Subject to Seizure and Forfeiture) in relation to Republic Act 9711 otherwise known as, FDA Act of 2009.They were consigned to IT Malingco Trading, and arrived on May 15, 2017 at the Port of Manila from the United States of America.Lawyer Erastus Austria, POM district collector, ruled that the forfeited items were “unfit for human consumption, have no commercial value, or the release thereof is contrary to law,” thus he ordered the condemnation of the articles by way of composting, rendering and pouring.At the same time, the BoC-Port of Subic also destroyed P1.5 million worth of prohibited used clothing or ukay-ukay, used tires, and other abandoned goods at the facilities of Epy Eco Auction and Waste Disposal Services, the accredited service provider of the Port of Subic for the condemnation of contrabands and abandoned goods, in Guiguinto, Bulacan.Subic District Collector lawyer Ma. Rhea Gregorio said the prohibited ukay-ukay and used tires as well as the assorted merchandise were abandoned by the consignees and have been consequently forfeited in favor of the government.She said that while the commercial proliferation of ukay-ukay and used tires is popular, the law prohibits their importation as provided by Republic Act 4653 (RA 4653).On the otherhand, Letter of Instruction 1086, s. 1980 prohibits the importation of used tires.Gregorio was joined by representatives of the Commission on Audit and the local government of Sta. Rita, Guiguinto, Bulacan.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/boc-destroys-p5-m-seized-goods/442265/
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Ortigas clan members hit estate inventory
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['Jing Villamente']
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2018-02-08 00:02:03+00:00
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Two members of the Ortigas clan are determined to recover their rightful share of inheritance from their grandmother, the late Remedios Miranda de Ortigas.In a statement to The Manila Times, Edwina Angelica Michelle Litton Ortigas and Francesca Litton Ortigas, daughters of the late Jose Miranda Ortigas, said they will be presenting evidence before the San Juan City Regional Trial Court in opposition to the estate’s administrator Fernando Ortigas’ inventory, “which we believe to be grossly understated.”“This will include evidence on properties that were excluded from the inventory, and those which were transferred to our uncles and aunts to our exclusion, prior to our grandmother’s death. Our hearing dates are set on April 26, May 10, and May 24, 2018,” the Litton-Ortigas sisters said.According to them, there will be hearings on February 15 and March 1 for administrator Fernando Ortigas to present the inventory and the supporting evidence.The two sisters felt they were robbed of their share of the inheritance due their father, one of the six children of the Ortigas matriarch and renowned philanthropist Francisco Ortigas Jr.The Ortigas couple were among the largest shareholders of Ortigas & Company Limited Partnership (OCLP), a real estate firm with a portfolio that includes the Greenhills Shopping Center, Ortigas Center, Tiendesitas and other prime locations such as Frontera Verde, Valle Verde and Greenmeadows.Documents showed that Litton-Ortigas sisters were left out of the extrajudicial settlement of the estate of Remedios, who died in 2012 without leaving a valid will.Documents showed that majority of the assets of their grandmother’s estate, including shares in OCLP, were transferred to the other five heirs–Victoria Ortigas-Arando, Francisco “Paqui” Ortigas 3rd, Eduardo Ortigas, Fernando “Nando” Ortigas and Remedios “Nenuca” Ortigas-Luzuriaga.In April 2013, the Litton-Ortigas sisters instituted an intestate case for administration of the estate of their late grandmother.Now on its fifth year, the case remains pending with the San Juan City Regional Trial Court.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/ortigas-clan-members-hit-estate-inventory/378809/
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CA junks libel case vs Quezon mayor
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['Jomar Canlas']
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2017-02-18 22:09:11+00:00
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THE Court of Appeals (CA) has upheld the ruling of the Regional Trial Court (RTC) of Quezon City (Metro Manila) dismissing the libel case filed by Rep. Danilo Suarez against Mayor Joselito Ojeda of Mulanay town in Quezon province. The case stemmed from a complaint filed by Suarez against Ojeda for allegedly uttering libelous statements such as “illegal activities” and “extortion,” which were aired live on television over Channel 8 and DWTI radio, both local stations in Quezon province. On May 26, 2015 RTC Judge Cleto Villacorta 3rd acquitted Ojeda of libel as well as of civil damages, prompting Suarez to seek redress with the appellate court. On January 23, 2017 verdict that was released only recently, Associate Justice Henri Jean Paul Inting of the CA’s 17th Division affirmed the RTC decision, adding that what Suarez was questioning were really errors of judgment. Concurring with the ruling were Associate Justices Marlene Gonzales-Sison and Ramon Cruz.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/ca-junks-libel-case-vs-quezon-mayor/312961/
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Open governance bodes real change–DBM chief
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['Mary Gleefer F. Jalea']
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2018-02-28 00:03:42+00:00
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Participation in transparency in governance will continue to promise “real change to Filipinos all over the world,” Department of Budget and Management (DBM) Secretary Benjamin Diokno said in a public forum on Tuesday.“We have further cemented our position as a global leader in governance. This is an administration that values participation in governance. We will make the government more transparent, accountable through the open government partnership platform,” the Budget chief and co-chairman of the Participatory Governance Cluster said in his speech.Around 400 participants including local and national government officials, public sector representatives and individual citizens took part in a town hall session in the first Luzon-leg Open Government and Participatory Governance Regional Dialogue in Quezon City on Tuesday morning.National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Director-General Ernesto Pernia, Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Secretary Martin Andanar, Interior Officer-in-Charge Eduardo Año, Commission on Higher Education (CHED) Officer-in-Charge Prospero de Vera, and Trade Undersecretary Zenaida Maglaya were among the officials who answered questions from the crowd concerning their respective units, projects and commitment plans.Among the issues taken up in the forum were preparations and projects under the federal government envisioned by the Duterte administration.“Most of our infrastructure development plans and projects will happen before the change in the Constitution. And these will not get in the way if there will be a change [since we are focusing] on regions outside Manila,” Pernia said when asked about the status of infrastructure programs.He reiterated that the government is already targeting the completion of at least half of the 75 flagship projects before President Rodrigo Duterte steps down in 2022.“We plan to strengthen the regions so that the transition to the federal form of government will be smooth and effective,” Pernia said.Año noted that the Interior department will continue to ensure that “power-hungry” officials will be removed from office if the transition will take place soon.“Our objective is [even if an official was voted by the people, if he is] corrupt, we will remove him until we have the right person who can govern,” he said.Andanar said the PCOO is already planning to construct media hubs and government satellite networks in rural areas and delegate barangay (village) information officers to help disseminate information to the masses.“We are building the first Mindanao media hub,.. and we also plan to do the same for the Visayas. Meanwhile, [we are readying] government satellite networks [that can give] satellite receivers [or cable boxes] so that people in over 42,000 barangay [village] can talk to the President,” Andanar said.According to Diokno, the forum is already on its fourth of a series of town hall sessions with citizens on key issues and their concerns about the government from their respective areas.Previous regional dialogues were also held in Bacolod City, General Santos City, and Zamboanga early this year in partnership with the Interior department and the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/open-governance-bodes-real-change-dbm-chief/383049/
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Binay seeks higher pay for teachers
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['Bernadette E. Tamayo']
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2018-10-09 00:02:09+00:00
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SEN. Nancy Binay has sought a law increasing the salary of public school teachers from P20,179 to P28,000 and non-teaching personnel from P10,510 to P16,000.The senator filed Senate Bill 2034 seeking to increase the monthly wage of public educators. The salaries of those occupying higher positions shall be adjusted accordingly.“Public school teachers play a significant role in educating the Filipino youth who in turn become the future leaders of this country,” Binay said. “They lead an extraordinary part in the lives of the Filipino people children, molding them to become responsible and respectful citizens in the future. It is imperative that major efforts be undertaken to give our teachers their just and rightful compensation.”She noted that as of January 1, 2018, the entry level salary of a licensed teacher is P20,179. For a non-teaching personnel who provide support to teachers, it is P10,510 per month.Binay said Republic Act 4670 or the Magna Carta for Public School Teachers was approved to promote and improve the social and economic status of public school teachers.Under SB 2034, the initial funding required for the wage increase would come from the savings of the executive branch and other possible sources that may be determined by the Office of the President and subsequent funds needed would be included in the General Appropriations Act for the year following the implementation of the measure.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/binay-seeks-higher-pay-for-teachers/449776/
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Firework injuries hit 105
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['Micah Yvana M. Vardeleon']
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2016-12-29 19:45:26+00:00
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Fifteen more cases were reported on Thursday, bringing the total number of firework-related injuries (FWRIs) to 105.The total number is 60 cases lower than last year’s tally.More than half of the reported FWRIs were from National Capital Region (NCR or Metro Manila) with 54.Manila recorded the most number of cases with 24, followed by Quezon City with 12.One case involving stray bullet was reported from Nueva Vizcaya.The 27-year-old victim sustained a wound in the head while he was inside his house last December 25.He was admitted to the Veterans Regional Hospital.Meanwhile, piccolo still accounts for the most number of injuries with 61.Majority or 47 were active users aged 15 years old and below.Hands are often the injured part with 66, then eyes with 21.MICAH M. VARDELEON
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/firework-injuries-hit-105/304262/
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Resign, group urges ‘leftists,’ ‘yellows’ holding govt posts
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['Jaime Pilapil']
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2017-10-04 21:01:01+00:00
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An advocacy group on Wednesday urged individuals who are tagged as “leftists” and “yellows” and are holding posts in the current administration to tender their respective resignations if they cannot vocally support President Rodrigo Duterte’s programs of governance.“There should be unity in the government of President Duterte. We urge these people to join the various programs [that] the President had made clear even before he took his oath of office like the war against drugs, independent foreign policy, peace process with rebel groups, end to contractualization, balanced economy, jobs and better and faster public services, “ Melvin Mitra, a former university professor and national president of Liga Indepencia Filipinas said.Mitra was referring to Liza Maza of Gabriela party-list and now head of the National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC), Terry Ridon of Kabataan party-list and street protester Joel Maglunsod, now Labor undersecretary.He was also referring to the yellows, namely Chief Justice Ma. Lourdes Sereno, Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales and Commission on Human Rights chief Chito Gascon.“Since you are holding government posts, we are challenging Maza and the rest to resign and go back to the streets if you cannot vocally support the President. Don’t stay in your posts and keep silent, “ Mitra said.He added that he supported Manuel Roxas 2nd in the May 2016 elections.“To the yellows, please respect the mandate of the President. If you are against the programs of President Duterte, you better leave the government,” Mitra said.He called Maza and Sereno “termites” who are ruining the Duterte administration.The group will picket today the gates of offices of Maza and Ridon in Quezon City.“We will hold protests right at the doorsteps of their offices to deliver our message. We want them to hear our call, “ Mitra said.“Termites have no place in the Duterte government. They better resign and go back to the streets. Stop hiding in your offices. Come out and defend the President or resign and voice out your opposition,” he added.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/resign-group-urges-leftists-yellows-holding-govt-posts/354543/
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Duterte vows to bring down drug trade in 5 yrs
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['Catherine S. Valente']
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2017-07-15 21:58:06+00:00
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President Rodrigo Duterte has vowed to press on with the administration’s war on drugs as he assured the public that the drug trade would dwindle to its lowest point by the end of his term.In a speech at the 11th Ambassadors’ Tour Philippine reception in Davao City on Friday night, Duterte said he would do everything to end the scourge of illegal drugs in the country within his term.“I have to stop drugs, really stop. And it will stop. I assure you, by the time I make my… kung buhay pa ako [if I am still alive]… five years from now, drugs will be at its lowest,” the President said.“I, Rodrigo Duterte, will defend and protect the Filipino nation… Nobody can really stop me,” he added.The President reiterated that there are four million drug addicts in the country.“You saw it when they started to surrender by the hundreds of thousands everyday. And you think that I have still to… due process. Meron naman talaga [there really is] due process,” he said.The President said the public should not listen to critics attributing the extrajudicial killings of drug suspects to the government.“Ngayon, kayong mga andiyan nakikinig, sinasabi ninyo na extrajudicial killing. Wala ‘yan [Those of you listening now, you claim that there are extrajudicial killings. There are none],” Duterte said.“So, find me a law—wherever you come from—point out to me a law in your country and in my country, which says you cannot threaten a criminal from destroying your country. Is there a law, which says you cannot do it? Is there a law which says that you cannot blurt such statements as: do not bring our children to perdition because you’ll not only lose your funds, you’ll lose your life?” he added.Duterte issued the statement anew following the resurgence of the illegal drug trade in the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) despite the presence of troopers, Special Action Force troopers and the resignation of Bureau of Corrections chief Benjamin de los Santos due to the issue.On Friday, Palace spokesmaan Ernesto Abella said the situation at the NBP is being addressed.“Certain actions may have been overtaken by events, especially by what has happened down South. But that is not the excuse,” Abella said, referring to the ongoing armed conflict in Marawi City, Lanao del Sur.“If you’re asking if the President is dismayed, definitely this presents quite a challenge. However, we’re up to it and we will make sure that is properly addressed,” Abella said.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/duterte-vows-bring-drug-trade-5-yrs/338558/
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OFW in Russia injured after fleeing employer
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['Jaime Pilapil']
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2017-02-27 22:00:17+00:00
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The Philippine Embassy in Moscow on Monday reported that it immediately sent representatives to the City of Yakutsk in Sakha Republic, 4,200 kilometers from the capital, upon hearing of an incident involving a female overseas Filipino worker (OFW) who sustained injuries to her back and leg.The Filipino who was not identified was injured after allegedly attempting to escape from her employer last February 12.The Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Investigative Committee are looking into the incident and have opened a case against the employer under Article 127.3 of the Russian Criminal Code for “unlawful detention with serious consequences.”After meeting with the OFW on February 15, embassy representatives spoke with various officials from the hospital, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) Representative Office in Yakutsk, the Investigative Committee and the Department of External Relations of Sakha Republic.Embassy officials were assured of the various agencies’ cooperation and protection of the rights of the Filipino woman.During the meetings, Vice Consul Jeffrey Valdez said the embassy’s priority is the protection of the rights and welfare of its citizen.Meanwhile, Philippine Embassy representatives traveled to Vladivostok in the Russian Far East, 9,000 kilometers from Moscow, to visit a Filipino seafarer detained for allegedly killing two of his colleagues aboard a ship in November last year.As the incident occurred in Russian waters, the Filipino is awaiting trial under the Russian judicial system.Christian Baggas, the embassy’s Assistance-to-Nationals Officer and Dmitry Khodzko, embassy interpreter, met the Filipino seafarer last February 9 at the office of the Investigative Office of Vladivostok that helped arrange the meeting.During the meeting, the Filipino seafarer, who was not identified as were his victims, was informed in his native language of his situation and was given an opportunity to speak by telephone with his family in the Philippines.Expressing remorse on what he did, he thanked the embassy representatives for the attention given to his case and informed them that he is being treated fairly and that he was assigned a lawyer.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/ofw-russia-injured-fleeing-employer/314477/
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Anti-crime group throws support behind Diño
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['Jaime Pilapil']
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2017-09-27 21:37:40+00:00
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The Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption (VACC) on Wednesday blamed allegedly corrupt men and women surrounding President Rodrigo Duterte for the ouster of Martin Diño as chairman of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA).VACC president Dante Jimenez said alleged corruption in the Duterte administration is exemplified by allegedly corrupt people at the SBMA who had lobbied for the sacking of Diño as the agency’s head.“We received complaints that some people surrounding the President are so corrupt. We accept with heavy heart the transfer of our chairman Martin Diño to the Department of Interior and Local Government [DILG].What we deeply dislike was the manner of his sacking. He was replaced like garbage and he was not given the opportunity of a proper turnover just like what he [got] when he assumed office,” Jimenez told a news conference in Manila.He did not name names.Diño had quarrels with some of SBMA officials, including board members, particularly on the powers of the chairman.“The SBMA is a hotbed of corruption like smuggling of drugs and fuel, among others. I’m sure it will remain a corrupt agency,” Jimenez, VACC founding chairman said.Diño was replaced by Wilma Eisma, who took her oath of office before Senior Deputy Executive Secretary Menardo Guevarra last Tuesday.He narrated that he was called to Malacañang by the President who himself relayed to him his transfer to DILG as undersecretary for barangay (village) Affairs.Diño was a former village chairman in Quezon City.Jimenez and Diño said they remain big supporters of Duterte and they will continue to “protect” the President.Jimenez said Diño was never accused of corruption and he remained clean up to this time.Diño reigned as SBMA chairman for 11 months and he claimed to have submitted to Malacañang P140-billion projects that investors he recruited are ready to invest at the SBMA.He cited an attempt to gift him with a luxury car in exchange for allowing the importation of 200 thousand metric tons of sugar, which, he said, would impoverish three million sugar farmers if he allowed it.Diño said there are 15 gasoline stations inside the SBMA and this is because gasoline in the area is free from value-added tax.“I suspect that illegal drugs are entering Subic too,” he added.According to him, he never received a salary for 11 months except per diem of about P30,000 for every attendance in board meeting.He said he had sought the help of the National Bureau of Investigation to probe the selling of a golf course at P1 per square meter.Diño admitted that he has no knowledge in running the SBMA but he said he learned in a short time and has lined up programs that will attract trillions of pesos in investments, mostly from Chinese businessmen.He said he had filed graft and corruption charges before the Office of the Ombudsman against some officials of the SBMA, including Esima, who he claimed was chief of staff of defeated 2010 vice presidential candidate Manuel Roxas 2nd of the Liberal Party.Among the charges filed were 13 cases against SBMA officials for alleged P24.1-billion graft and some 162 other cases.Diño said the PDP-Laban leadership has called him and assured the party’s support to him.He filed a certificate of candidacy for the 2010 presidential race but was replaced by Duterte.They are both PDP-Laban members.Diño said he is waiting for the official appointment letter and he is ready to assume his post as a DILG official.“I vow to clear the barangay of illegal drugs. But first we have to clear them of users and pushers,” he added.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/anti-crime-group-throws-support-behind-dino/353172/
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Navy to acquire Korean corvette
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['Dempsey Reyes']
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2018-05-12 00:05:15+00:00
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THE Philippine Navy is expecting a corvette from South Korea within the year, and is awaiting the approval offund requirements.Vice Admiral Robert Empedrad, Navy flag officer in command, said the budget for the Korean-made corvette amounted to P250 million.“Our expectation is that by June, the budget will be approved,” Empedrad said in a news conference late Thursday.“The ship will be delivered in three months,” he added.The Navy has formed a crew that will operate the corvette and was “ready anytime” to proceed to Korea to train and man the ship and to sail it to the Philippines.A corvette is a small warship considered as a fast missile-armed vessel, expected to operate in groups either with their kind or acting as a flagship for smaller missile boats.Russia is considered as the largest operator of corvettes, owning 53 ships.This is not the first time for the Navy to buy a ship from South Korea. Two frigates under the Navy’s frigate acquisition project will also come from South Korea.The frigate project became controversial, with an opposition lawmaker accusing Special Assistant to the President Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go of interfering in the project to favor another supplier.It led to the sacking of navy chief Ronald Joseph Mercado. Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said Mercado, who cleared Go of any involvement in the deal, delayed the project by six months.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/navy-to-acquire-korean-corvette/398185/
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No law needed to hike SSS pension by P2K
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['Nelson Badilla']
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2016-11-18 20:38:10+00:00
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The Social Security System (SSS) on Friday said it will implement the P2,000 increase in the monthly pension of its members once the proposed law is approved by President Rodrigo Duterte.Social Security Commission (SSC) chairman Amado Valdez, however, said SSS wants to make it sure that there will be “no legal impediments” in its implementation.Valdez, who was the former dean of the College of Law of the University of the East, said Congress should instead pass a resolution for the P2,000 pension hike for retired workers who are members of the SSS from 10 years to 20.He added that a resolution is better than a law so as to avoid the “legal challenge based on the principles of non-impairment of contracts.”Valdez said the implementation of the P2,000 increase will preserve the sustainability of the fund.The SSS charter obliges the fund to pay social security benefits of its members and beneficiaries in times of covered financial contingencies such as sickness, maternity, disability, retirement and death.Voltaire Agas, SSS chief legal counsel and senior vice president for legal affairs and enforcement, agreed with Valdez’s concerns for their connection with the “constitutionality” of a bill that would appropriate SSS funds, which are private in nature and already obligated to finance the benefits of currently contributing members.“We need to consider its [pension increase] impact from an actuarial and financial perspective as well as from a legal standpoint,” Agas said.The SSS will implement the increase in two stages: the initial P1,000 across-the-board pension increase to be given in 2017, and the remaining P1,000 increase taking effect in 2022 or earlier.“Implementing the pension increase on a staggered basis will help cushion its financial impact on the SSS fund. It will also provide SSS some leeway to shore up its funds by enhancing its generation of revenues through improved collections and innovative investment activities as allowed by law,” Valdez said.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/no-law-needed-hike-sss-pension-p2k/297235/
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Iloilo mayor fears for life, extends stay abroad
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['Nbi Agent']
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3/10/2017 0:00
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from September 30 to end of October.Mabilog and his camp earlier downplayed concerns when President Rodrigo Duterte announced in an August 28 speech that controversial Chief Insp. Jovie Espenido would be assigned to Iloilo City.In that speech, the President wondered out loud if Mabilog would stay alive with the assignment of Espenido, who gained notoriety for being the chief of police when former mayors Rolando Espinosa Sr. of Albuera, Leyte and Reynaldo Parojinog of Ozamiz City were killed in police operations. Both mayors were in the President’s list of narco-politicians.While the Philippine National Police (PNP) canceled Espenido’s assignment to Iloilo City, the President continued to accuse Mabilog as a drug protector.The President linked Mabilog to Melvin Odicta Sr., the alleged drug lord killed by unidentified assailants last year. The President also claimed that Mabilog’s house was built from drug money. Mabilog has denied both allegations.Mabilog has been out of the country since August 30. He initially attended international conferences in Japan and Malaysia, but went on a September 11-30 sick leave.Piad earlier said the mayor was diagnosed to be a diabetic.Mabilog’s wife Marivic and their two children are also abroad. In previous social media posts, Marivic said she regarded her family as under threat.Piad denied knowing Mabilog’s whereabouts.Asked when Mabilog would come back, Piad responded: “When he feels safe for his family. That is his primordial concern.”Mabilog previously said he will not resign despite Duterte’s accusations, saying as he had “the mandate of the people of Iloilo City to serve until 2017.”“Mayor Mabilog has no other request, but to continue to pray for the city. We all know that this is part of the challenge,” Piad added.
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Manila Bulletin
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https://news.mb.com.ph/2017/10/03/iloilo-mayor-fears-for-life-extends-stay-abroad/
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PWD, companions to get 20% discounts
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['Reicelene Joy Ignacio']
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2018-02-08 23:58:40+00:00
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The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board has ordered the granting of a 20 percent fare discount to persons with disability (PWD) by all public utility vehicles (PUV) through a newly issued memorandum circular (MC), the Department of Transportation said on Thursday.The MC 2018-004 was issued pursuant to Republic Act 10754 or An Act Expanding the Benefits and Privileges of Persons with Disability.“Under the MC, PWD can avail of the discounted fares provided they present documents such as identification card issued by the National Council for the Welfare of Disabled Persons or duly authorized LGU [local government unit] officials,” the DoTr said in a statement.“PWD can also avail of the full 20 percent fare discount from Transportation Network Vehicle Services (TNVS), such as Grab and Uber and taxi service, regardless of the number of his or her companions,” the agency added.The MC provides the slapping of a P5,000 fine for the first offense, and P10,000 for the second offense plus a six-month suspension of their Certificate of Public Convenience for violators.For the third and final offense, operators would have their franchises canceled or revoked, as stated under the MC.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/pwd-companions-get-20-discounts/379059/
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Math wizards recognized by Zambo gov’t
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['Happy Folger']
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13/09/2017 0:00
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The city government held a special ceremony recognizing the achievements of 25 students of Zamboanga City Chong Hua High School (ZCHHS) who reaped medals in various international mathematics competitions held in the past months.City Mayor Maria Isabelle Climaco awarded the “Certifico de Reconocimiento” (certificate of recognition) to each of the students including ZCHHS Principal Dr. Simon Chua.Climaco led the recognition ceremonies during Monday’s flag-raising.Leading the math wizards was Sean Anderson Ty, a Grade 11 student, who reaped a bronze medal in the 58th International Mathematics Olympiad (IMO), regarded as the most prestigious and most difficult math contest in the world which was held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil from June 12-23, 2017.Ty becomes the first student to have garnered the IMO medal since the Philippines participated in the contest in 1988.“We are very proud of your achievements,” Mayor Climaco told the students as she congratulated not only the students but the parents, guardians and coaching staff for providing the needed support and guidance to the students that eventually resulted in their victorious representation. “You did not only bring honor to the city but to the entire country,” she told the students.
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Manila Bulletin
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https://news.mb.com.ph/2017/09/13/math-wizards-recognized-by-zambo-govt/
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P10-B budget to aid Marawi pushed
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['D P']
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13/06/2017 0:00
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billion supplemental budget was proposed yesterday to cover rehabilitation efforts for war-torn Marawi City.Deputy Minority Leader and Kabayan Partylist Rep. Harry L. Roque filed House Bill 5874, titled “Tindeg Marawi” Bill, as he called on Congress colleagues to spare no effort in helping the city in Lanao del Sur recover after being converted into a battleground between terrorists and military forces.Earlier, Quezon City Rep. Winston “Winnie” Castelo, chairman of the House Committee on Metro Manila Development, assured Marawi City residents that the Lower House will demonstrate its solidarity in government’s bid to rebuild their city.Castelo called for the establishment of a rehabilitation fund and program for the immediate and long-term rehabilitation of Marawi City.In HB 5874, Roque proposed the appropriation of R10 billion supplemental budget to be allocated to government agencies that will be tasked to rebuild the besieged city.The amount will be divided among the Department of National Defense (DND), the Department of Education (DepEd), the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), and the National Housing Authority (NHA).Roque said each agency will get an equal share of the allocated amount.Under the bill, the funds shall be used to provide humanitarian assistance to victims of the siege of Marawi City and for the rehabilitation of destroyed infrastructures, properties, and businesses.
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Manila Bulletin
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https://news.mb.com.ph/2017/06/13/p10-b-budget-to-aid-marawi-pushed/
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PCSO’s 86 health desks to help patients nationwide
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['Jefferson Antiporda']
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2017-03-31 21:52:52+00:00
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IN response to President Rodrigo Duterte’s order to bring the charity service of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) closer to the people, the state-run institution has approved 44 new “health lanes” in its partner-hospitals nationwide.PCSO General Manager Alexander Balutan said with the approval of new heath lanes or “At-Source-Ang-Processing” (ASAP) help desks, the PCSO now has a total of 86 public and private hospitals where people with health needs could file their request for medical assistance.“This is consistent with the directive of President Duterte to bring the PCSO’s charity services to the people. The PCSO walks the extra mile to reach you, it’s charity for all,” Balutan added in a statement.The President earlier directed the PCSO to provide funding to the government’s “free-medicine-for-all” program.Assistant General Manager for Charity Sector Dr. Larry Cedro explained that ASAP is a delivery system of the Individual Medical Assistance Program (IMAP) program of the PCSO to expedite processing of request for medical assistance.He said with the establishment of new ASAP desks, people seeking medical help no longer have to go to the main office of the PCSO or its branches to file their requests.Under the ASAP program, if an individual is admitted to a partner-hospital, the relative of the patient can approach the social services of the partner-hospital and submit the required documents.The medical social worker at the PCSO desk will evaluate the application and transmit results and pertinent information to the PCSO for validation and determination of the financial assistance to be granted.The PCSO already has 42 operational health desks in various partner-hospitals nationwide, 34 of which are in Metro Manila and eight in various provinces and, with the 44 new desks in hospitals, more people are expected to access the assistance program of the charity agency.The PCSO sources its funds for charity programs and projects from the expanded Small Town Lottery (STL), Lotto and Keno games.In 2016, a total of 319,091 Filipinos nationwide became IMAP beneficiaries, an increase of 27.7 percent from 2015, which came up to 249,751.In Metro Manila, government-run partner-hospitals include Amang Rodriguez Memorial Medical Center, Dr. Jose Fabella Memorial Hospital, East Avenue Medical Center, Jose R. Reyes Memorial Medical Center, Justice Jose Abad Santos Hospital, Las Pinas General Hospital and Satellite Trauma Center, National Children’s Hospital, Ospital ng Muntinlupa, Philippine Children’s Medical Center, Philippine Heart Center, Quirino Memorial Medical Center, Rizal Medical Center, San Lazaro Hospital and Tondo Medical Center.Private partner-hospitals include Asian Hospital and Medical Foundation Inc., Capitol Medical Center, Cardinal Santos Medical Center, Delos Santos Medical Center, FEU-Dr. Nicanor Reyes Medical Foundation Medical Center, Hospital of the Infant Jesus, J.P. Sioson General Hospital and Colleges Inc., Makati Medical Center, Manila Doctors Hospitals, Manila Med (Medical Center Manila), Mary Johnston Hospital, MCU-FDMTF Inc., Metropolitan Medical Center, Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, St. Jude General Hospital and Medical Center, St. Luke’s Medical Center-Global City, St. Luke’s Medical Center-Quezon City, St. Martin de Porres Charity Hospital, UE-Ramon Magsaysay Medical Center and Victor R. Potenciano Medical Center.Provincial partner-hospitals that are government-run are Batangas Medical Center, Bulacan Medical Center, Davao Regional and Medical Center, Mandaue City Hospital and Southern Philippines Medical Center, while partner-private hospitals are Brokenshire Integrated Health Ministries Inc., Castro Maternity Hospital and Medical Center and Dela Salle University Center.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/pcsos-86-health-desks-help-patients-nationwide-2/320301/
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Stop vote counters’ return to Smartmatic – Marcos
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['Jaime Pilapil']
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2016-10-19 21:53:53+00:00
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The camp of former senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Wednesday said they will seek a temporary restraining order (TRO) from the Presidential Electoral Tribunal to oppose the Commission on Elections (Comelec) returning 1,365 Vote Counting Machines (VCMs) to technology provider Smartmatic, saying the move has no approval from the Supreme Court (SC).Jose Amorando, lawyer for Marcos, said the vote counters were part of the Precautionary and Protection Order (PPO) released by the electoral tribunal last August.Also on Wednesday, lawyers for Marcos and Vice President Maria Leonor Robredo and officials of the Comelec and Smartmatic went to where the 1,365 VCMs were kept–the JAM Liner Warehouse in Barangay Pulong, Santa Cruz, Santa Rosa, Laguna, south of Manila.Marcos is protesting the proclamation of Robredo after the May 9, 2016 polls, saying he was cheated in three provinces and some areas of the country through manipulation of the VMCs and Comelec servers.“According to the PPO issued by [the Presidential Electoral Tribunal], all machines, election paraphernalia that were used during the last elections should be preserved, and should not be tampered with in preparations for whatever proceedings in the protest of [Marcos]. Now, these contingency machines were used during the last elections as contingency VCMs. Some of them were deployed admittedly during the earlier meetings in different areas. Some of them were left here in Santa Rosa. At least that’s what Comelec Director Jose Tolentino presented in our meeting this morning,” Amorado told reporters in a chance interview.The Marcos lawyer said he will file the necessary motion next week.Tolentino, Smartmatic general manager Elie Moreno, election watchdog Glenn Chong and Robredo’s lawyer Beng Sardillo went to the warehouse.Sardillo said the Vice President does not oppose the return of the VCMs to Smartmatic.Chong described the act of Comelec as suspicious because it only informed the Presidential Electoral Tribunal that it was allowing Smartmatic to retrieve the machines without asking permission first.“The importance of this move is to remove any doubt on whether these machines were actually tampered with. In so far as our technical people are concerned, there is no way that the Comelec will be able to prove that these machines were not actually used. Plus, from the legal standpoint, these machines were used actually as contingency machines. Whether they were opened is beside the point,” Amorando said.He added that they expect the electoral tribunal to move fast and maybe by November they will start the recount of protested election precincts.Tolentino said the turnover of the 1,365 VCMs will continue on October 26 unless they receive an order from the tribunal prohibiting the transfer.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/stop-vote-counters-return-smartmatic-marcos/292111/
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PH vows to compensate slain Viet fishers
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['Dempsey Reyes']
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2017-10-26 20:33:40+00:00
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President Rodrigo Duterte has vowed proper compensation to the kin of the two Vietnamese fishermen who were killed last month while allegedly poaching in the South China Sea (West Philippine Sea), according to Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana.The commitment was made after Lorenzana held a dialogue with his Vietnamese counterpart, Ngo Xuan Lich, in Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City on Thursday, or two days after the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Defense Ministers’ Meeting concluded.The Department of National Defense (DND) said Lorenzana relayed Duterte’s assurance to the families of the two Vietnamese who died 30 nautical miles west off Bolinao, Pangasinan.It added that the DND chief told Lich that personnel of the Philippine Navy involved in the incident are under investigation by proper authorities including the leadership of the Philippine Navy, the Philippine Coast Guard and the Philippine National Police.Days after the incident, Vice Adm. Ronald Joseph Mercado, the Philippine Navy chief, ordered the removal of the commanding officer of the Patrol Ship 19 (PS-19) Miguel Malvar, the Navy ship involved in the incident.Mercado and then-Armed Forces chief Gen. Eduardo Año ordered the removal of the officer to pave the way for a “thorough and impartial inquiry” into the ship’s alleged ramming of the boat carrying the two fishermen and five other Vietnamese.Lorenzana assured Lich that the case will be “expediently resolved in a manner that is satisfactory to all parties.”Speaking to reporters by phone, DND spokesman Arsenio Andolong said the amount of compensation was not mentioned by the President himself as relayed by the Philippine Defense chief but added that Lorenzana’s counterpart in Vietnam was thankful.“You know how diplomatic meetings go, he was thankful, [other details] were not elaborated since the issue was somehow sensitive,” Andolong said.“The context was that he [Lich] was thankful that we are doing this. We assured them that there will be expeditious resolution of the case. The President made the offer for compensation,” he added.Andolong denied that the compensation offered by Duterte was an admission of guilt on the part of the Philippine government.“We already said that we will not interfere with ongoing investigations [by other agencies]… the provision of the compensation was because [the incident] happened,” he said.“Not necessarily admission of guilt but if the results of the investigations would turn out there was [something] wrong [with how the police and the military dealt with the situation], then that’s what is going to happen and the [Defense] secretary expressed his sincerest apologies for the incident,” Andolong explained.During the meeting, Lich suggested the establishment of a concrete mechanism between the Vietnamese and Philippine navies to prevent a similar incident from happening again to which Lorenzana agreed.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/ph-vows-compensate-slain-viet-fishers/358913/
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Navy engineering brigade starts Marawi rehab
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['The Manila Times']
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2017-12-17 21:54:05+00:00
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THE Philippine Navy confirmed on Sunday that the Naval Combat Construction Brigade or Seabees are assisting in the rehabilitation phase in wartorn of Marawi City in Lanao del Sur, which the Islamic State-linked Maute terrorists held under siege for five months.Captain Lued Lincuna, Philippine Navy spokesman, said around 50 heavy equipment operators were deployed to Marawi last September 9, when the battle for Marawi City was still ongoing.“They were equipped with seven assorted heavy equipment to participate in the rehabilitation of Marawi and they are now conducting clearing operations and repair of essential infrastructures,” Lincuna told reporters in a text message.The Seabees is an engineering unit of the Navy, which is tasked with handling combat engineering and amphibious construction in support of Fleet-Marine operations.Armed Forces Chief Gen. Rey Leonardo Guerrero said that since last month, military engineering units from the Navy, Army and Air Force have been deployed to handle debris and clear the most affected areas of Marawi City.The military had said that rehabilitation of Marawi City would require martial law to prevent any future attacks from remnants or supporters of the Maute group.On May 23, President Rodrigo Duterte declared martial law in Mindanao after military operations to serve the warrant against former Southeast Asian IS “emir” Isnilon Hapilon.Because of the foiled operations, the Maute group alongside Hapilon attacked the city and laid siege to the whole city with the end in view of establishing an IS province in Marawi.In October, security officials declared the liberation of Marawi City, weeks after Hapilon and Maute leader Omarkhayam Maute were confirmed killed by military ground forces. The two terror leaders were among the 920 extremists killed while the siege went on for five months.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/navy-engineering-brigade-starts-marawi-rehab/369257/
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De Lima wants drug tests in jails
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['Bernadette E. Tamayo']
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2017-07-10 19:53:03+00:00
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DETAINED Sen. Leila de Lima has sought “mandatory and unannounced” drug tests for both prisoners and their custodians to put a stop to the reported unabated drug abuse in penal institutions nationwide.The senator filed Senate Bill 1496 or the “Drug-Free Prisons Act of 2017” that seeks to conduct regular drug tests in all detention facilities nationwide, including the New Bilibid Prisons (NBP) in Muntinlupa City.“With this measure, it is envisioned that our detention facilities and correctional institutions shall finally be rid of the scourge of illegal drugs,” de Lima, who is detained at the Philippine National Police (PNP) Custodial Center on drug charges, said.“Reports that our penal institutions are at the crux of the illegal drugs trade in the country are not new,” she added.She deplored the admission of the Duterte administration that illegal drug use and trade continue to flourish inside the national penitentiary despite its campaign to weed out drug operations at the NBP.“Barely months from taking over, inmates were found to still be able to do drugs in NBP. A year after taking over, the current justice secretary (Vitaliano Aguirre 2nd) has admitted there has been a resurgence of the drug trade,” she said.“It appears that in spite of the early pronouncements of the DoJ Secretary and the PNP Chief (Ronald de la Rosa), the current measures being implemented are still ineffective in eradicating the drug problems in our penitentiary system,” De Lima said.Under SB 1496, mandatory and unannounced drug tests will be conducted on all detainees, prisoners and their custodians in facilities maintained by the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology and the Bureau of Corrections, as well as the custodial centers of the PNP, National Bureau of Investigation, and the Armed Forces of the Philippines.“Once a detainee or prisoner tests positive for drug use, he shall be required to undergo a drug dependency examination and be transferred to a rehabilitation facility for detainees and prisoners who use illegal drugs,” De Lima said.She said that government employees and officials assigned in detention facilities who will found positive for drug use will also undergo a drug dependency examination “without prejudice” to being subjected to administrative and criminal sanctions.BERNADETTE E. TAMAYO
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/de-lima-wants-drug-tests-jails/337650/
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Lawmaker admits casino gambling
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['Llanesca T. Panti']
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2017-06-21 21:34:13+00:00
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A lawmaker has inadvertently admitted to gambling in casinos during a congressional inquiry into the Resorts World Manila incident where a lone gunman caused a fire that suffocated 37 people early this month.Rep. Rodito Albano of Isabela, a member of the Commission on Appointments, made the admission when he was asking about the position of Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor) Chairman Andrea Domingo on his bill proposing a P3,000 entrance fee for casino players.Albano said such fee would deter gambling addicts, such as the lone gunman–Jessie Carlos–who was buried in debts prior to the incident.“We don’t have a problem with that proposal. Passing the law is the call of Congress. Once the law is passed, we will implement it. As of now, we charge a P100 entrance fee,” Domingo said.She was referring to Pagcor-operated casinos dubbed collectively as Casino Filipino.Resorts World is not operated but is merely regulated by Pagcor because Pagcor is both a casino operator and regulator.“I have never been charged P100 when I enter the casino. Is there such a thing?” Albano said.Domingo was clearly flustered, quipping “Bawal ho yatang maglaro ang mga [I think]… [government officials] are banned from playing in casinos].”Albano wiggled his way out by noting that the law only bans government employees, not elected officials like lawmakers, from playing in casinos.“We are not banned from playing in casinos because we were elected by the people. The electorate already know that the people they elect also gamble. The law prohibits gambling [in casinos] for those covered by the Civil Service Law,” he said.“Some of us also play in casinos, just [a] few. We are not addicts,” Albano added.Under the Civil Service Law, civil servants engaged in gambling will be reprimanded for the first offense, suspended for one to 30 days for the second offense and dismissed from the service for the third offense.This law covers every branch, agency, subdivision and instrumentality of the government, including every government-owned or controlled corporation whether performing governmental or proprietary functions.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/lawmaker-admits-casino-gambling/334093/
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Trump, Brexit big poser to Asean – economist
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['Jaime Pilapil']
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2017-03-16 21:40:36+00:00
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A former official of Denmark and an economic expert has advised the Association of Southeast Nations (Asean) to work hard to attain growth since member countries of the regional bloc could not expect much from the government of President Donald Trump.Professor Joergen Oerstroem Moeller, who had predicted Brexit (UK leaving the European Union), said Asean and, on larger scale, Asia are benefiting much from economic globalization.Moeller on Wednesday spoke before a forum arranged by the Nordic Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines(NCCP).The chamber is composed of countries in the Nordic and Baltic regions.The Nordic region counts Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden and the Baltic region, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.In his recent paper (ISEAS Perspectives), Moeller said, “Asia needs growth to maintain social stability. Trump’s victory and Brexit usher in changes that are still unknown except that they differ from the established paradigm.The region can no longer rely on economic globalization and the US as guardian of the system to the same extent as before. It is up to Southeast Asia – together with other Asian countries – to shape conditions for a new growth pattern anchored on a more self-sustaining Asian supply chain.”According to him, there are problems that Asean, as a group, could solve rather than addressing the problems individually.Meanwhile, Joona Selin, executive director of NCCP, said the European Union is in full support of the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte despite human rights and other controversial issues that it faces.“There are investments we have committed and we are determined to push through. Our interest is very strong because the Philippines has a seven percent growth,” he noted.Selin said the 500 million people in the Asean states are a huge market for Europe and the regional association is a very fertile economic bloc with so many learning curves with six percent growth.He added that the Philippines as Asean Summit chairman this year could usher in a cooperation between the Asean and the European Union and take advantage of investment opportunities.Total trade between the Philippines and the Nordic and Baltic regions was 652 million Euros in 2015, with Philippine exports from the regions at 425 million Euros and imports at 227 million Euros.Among the companies from the Nordic and Baltic regions investing in Asean are major multinationals, SMEs and start-ups, representing industries such as energy and clean technologies, maritime and logistics, healthcare and pharmaceuticals and financial and corporate services.Moeller’s recent publications are “The Veil of Circumstance, Technology, Values, Dehumanization and the Future of Economics and Politics, 2016” and “How Asia Can Shape the World from the Era of Plenty to the Era of Scarcities, 2011.”
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/trump-brexit-big-poser-asean-economist/317588/
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SHS voucher application results out
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['Neil Alcober']
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2017-05-17 20:47:24+00:00
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THE Department of Education (DepEd) has released results of recently reopened online applications for Senior High School Voucher Program.All applicants who completed and submitted their application between May 1 and May 15 may check the results ahead of the scheduled release dates through the Online Voucher Application Portal at http://ovap.deped.gov.ph.The qualified voucher recipients (QVRs) may also download their QVR Certificates from the OVAP website.The QVR certificates are to be submitted to the non-DepEd senior high school the QVR will enroll in. The voucher must be redeemed this coming school year 2017-2018.The SHS Voucher Program is a financial aid for Grade 10 completers who wish to continue their studies in private schools, public universities, colleges or technical vocational institutions offering SHS.The Education department has allotted P24 billion for the voucher program in private schools for the coming school year.The allocation is twice the current budget and will cover an estimated 1.4 million student grantees who will enroll in Grades 11 and 12 in private schools.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/shs-voucher-application-results/327671/
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Charter review over ‘by July’
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['James Konstantin Galvez']
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2018-02-09 00:00:27+00:00
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Former senator Aquilino Pimentel Jr. on Thursday said they expect to complete the review of the Constitution before the State of the Nation Address (SONA) of President Rodrigo Duterte in July.“Basically, they want us to submit the proposal by June toward the end of July [2018] so the President can already report the results of the consultative committee recommendations for Congress to take up,” according to Pimentel.“I think that was the most important thing that they want us to take up,” the veteran lawmaker said as a 19-member review panel held its first meeting also on Thursday to tackle the workflow and timeline for the review.Pimentel called for more women, indigenous people and marginalized sector representation in the panel “to hear the broader sector of our society and give their inputs on the proposal.”“I want to emphasize that even as I am an advocate of federalism, it doesn’t mean that we don’t have to listen to those who don’t believe that we should have a federalist structure. Because… democracy is all about [hearing all sides],” he said.There are still six slots available in the panel but this number would still be subject to the discretion of the President, Pimentel said.Duterte had appointed only 19 members to the consultative body on Charter change, including top magistrates, lawyers and members of the academe and former officials.Former Chief Justice Reynato Puno was appointed as head of the body.Pimentel said he would urge the consultative committee that all deliberations should be open to the public and the media to ensure transparency in the administration’s effort to review the Charter.“There should be no secret deliberations. We are a free country and therefore the freedom of speech and of the press must already be exercised by the people now,” he added.Thursday’s meeting was not open to the media and tight security was implemented at the Philippine International Convention Center in Pasay City.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/charter-review-july/379063/
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Duterte prefers male appointees
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['Catherine S. Valente']
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2018-06-24 00:03:50+00:00
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President Rodrigo Duterte prefers appointing men to government posts because they can take a barrage of orders and not complain.In his speech in an event in Davao City on Friday night, Duterte explained his preference for male appointees, noting that there are some tasks that cannot be delegated to women.“Ayaw ko ng babae. Gusto ko lalaki kasi marami akong utos (I don’t like women. I prefer men because I have many orders). Suddenly I will just tell you “go to Marawi because nobody is supervising there. Mapagawa mo ba ‘yan sa babae? Ipasubo mo? (Can I ask that from a woman? Put her in harm’s way?),” the President said.He added that there are positions meant for women, such as the top post at the Department of Tourism.Duterte recently appointed Bernadette Romulo Puyat as Tourism secretary, replacing Wanda Teo.“Ako nasanay ako sa lalaki. Pero ‘yung mga posisyon na di kailangan — tourism (I’m more used to men. But there are certain posts, such as the tourism portfolio, that are suited for women),” Duterte said.Apart from Puyat, the other women in the Duterte Cabinet are Education Secretary Leonor Briones, acting Social Welfare Secretary Virginia Orogo, and National Anti-Poverty Commission Secretary Liza Maza.The President had also appointed other women to top government posts, such as Gina Lopez as Environment secretary, Judy Taguiwalo as Social Welfare Secretary, and Vice President Leonor “Leni” Robredo as Housing secretary. The appointments of Lopez and Taguiwalo were rejected by the Commission on Appointments, while Robredo quit her Housing post.Duterte has been criticized for his bias against women and for jokes and acts deemed inappropriate.In one of his interviews, the President said he would not want a woman to become the next Ombudsman.Recently, Duterte appointed a number of women in top positions in the judiciary, most recently Davao del Norte judge Dorothy Montejo-Gonzaga as new Court of Appeals (CA) Associate Justice.Malacañang earlier announced the appointments of Emily Aliño Geluz as CA Associate Justice and Georgina Dumpit Hidalgo as Sandiganbayan Associate Justice.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/duterte-prefers-male-appointees-by-catherine-s-valente/411827/
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P322-M projects damaged by ‘Agaton’
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['The Manila Times']
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2018-01-18 18:24:43+00:00
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Infrastructure projects worth P322 million were damaged by Typhoon Agaton in the Western Visayas, according to the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).Aklan, Capiz and Negros Occidental were the provinces in the region that were affected by the typhoon, the DPWH said.Agaton was the first typhoon to hit the country in 2018.“The restoration/rehabilitation costs for these damages were estimated by theconcerned District Engineering Offices, and are subject for validation by the Central Office,” Oliver Zamora, chief of the Maintenance Division of the DPWH Regional Office VI, said in a statement on Thursday.“The rehabilitation of these damaged infrastructure will be undertaken once the validation is done and budget is available,” Zamora added.REICELENE N. IGNACIO
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/p322-m-projects-damaged-agaton/375102/
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Over half of the elderly in PH have no pension
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['The Manila Times']
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2017-12-01 21:13:32+00:00
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OVER half of the elderly in the Philippines have no pension or social protection despite progress in recent years, according to the International Labor Organization (ILO).In its World Social Protection Report 2017/19, the ILO lauded the Duterte administration’s efforts to increase benefit levels of senior citizens receiving contributory pension and to increase the social pension coverage of indigent senior citizens.It noted though that even with the progress, 40 percent of Filipino senior citizens are still left without income security even as it pointed out that social protection remains one of the major agenda of the administration as reflected in the Philippine Development Plan 2017-2022.Recently, the Social Security System (SSS) provided a P1,000 monthly increase in the pension of retired Social Security System (SSS) members.It plans to give another P1,000 increase at the latest by 2022 or at the earliest by 2019, depending on the status of the SSS’ fund.The Philippine Development Plan has identified adopting and institutionalizing the Social Protection Floor as one of the strategies to achieve universal social protection under a strategic framework to reduce vulnerability of individuals and families.Specific strategies include establishing an unemployment insurance system, enhancing social protection for the informal sector, improving the social pension system, expanding health insurance packages and strengthening mechanisms to ensure enrolment in the social security system, among others.Further, it also highlights the need to address implementation issues on convergence, planning and mainstreaming at the local level and better data collection.The Philippines, the report pointed out, is not the only country that has serious gaps in its social protection system, saying that only 29 percent of the world population enjoy comprehensive social protection and more than 1 out of 2 persons have no protection at all.As such, it said, many were left vulnerable to poverty, inequality and social exclusion, constituting a major obstacle to economic and social development for any country.A comprehensive social protection, the report added, is considered the engine of the world economy, yet Asia clearly lags behind when it comes to the protection of its population.“The decades-long development model dominating the region prioritized economic growth at the expense of redistributive policies. Consequently, a large share of the population are denied the right to social protection,” it said.“This is in contrast to countries like China, Thailand, Mongolia, Brunei Darussalam and Timor-Leste which have considerably expanded their coverage through the use of universal tax funded pensions,” according to the report.Khalid Hassan, Director of ILO Manila Country Office, said the Philippines should follow the path that China and other countries have taken in providing social protection to their citizens.“The ILO’s new report shows many countries, regionally and across the world, are prioritizing their social protection systems. We think this is a good time for Philippines to follow the same path and extend protection to its elderly through the launch of a universal pension,” Hassan added.WILLIAM B. DEPASUPIL
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/half-elderly-ph-no-pension/366154/
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DFA urges 400,000 Pinoys in Malaysia to go home
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['Jefferson Antiporda']
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2018-08-11 00:08:35+00:00
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THE Department of Foreign Affairs on Friday appealed to some 400,000 undocumented Filipinos in Malaysia to avail themselves of the voluntary deportation program of the Malaysian government to avoid paying penalties or even jail if caught staying illegally in the country.Philippine Ambassador to Malaysia Charles Jose, in a statement, assured Filipinos who have no legal immigration status of immediate assistance from the embassy on their return home through the voluntary deportation program offered by the Malaysian government.“We appeal to our undocumented kababayan (compatriots) in Malaysia to take this opportunity to be able to return to their loved ones in the Philippines without jail time or fines,” Jose said.The ambassador explained that the repatriation program, which will end this month, allows undocumented migrants to leave Malaysia without having to serve jail time or settle compounded penalties.Those who want to avail themselves of the program only need to pay a fixed discounted penalty of 300 Malaysian ringgit regardless of length of overstay, and a 100-ringgit exit fee.The embassy, according to Jose, has assisted about 50,000 Filipinos from January 2016 to June 2018, by way of issuance of travel documents and the payment of exit fees and one-way airfare to the Philippines.He said the repatriation program coincided with the end of the Malaysian Government’s rehiring program on June 30. It allowed qualified undocumented foreign workers to apply for valid working permits and regularize their status under Malaysian law.Jose said only 8,000 Filipinos –or 2 percent of the estimated number of undocumented Filipinos in Malaysia – applied for the rehiring program, despite the unrelenting information campaign of the embassy for them to register.Filipinos who wish to avail themselves of the program but have no valid passports are advised to proceed to the embassy in Kuala Lumpur for interview and processing of their travel documents.Along with the travel document or passport, they will be provided an endorsement letter which they will take to the Immigration Department.The embassy also reminded Filipinos in Malaysia to always carry with them their identification and legal documents in the wake of the intensified campaign by the Malaysian government against undocumented immigrants.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/dfa-urges-400000-pinoys-in-malaysia-to-go-home/428822/
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Poe seeks probe into teachers’ loan payments
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['Bernadette E. Tamayo']
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2017-11-25 21:24:43+00:00
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SEN. Grace Poe has sought an inquiry into the Department of Education’s (DepEd) directive allowing teachers’ loan payments to be deducted from their salaries.Poe filed Resolution 546 seeking a probe into the report that some teachers “received only P300 to P600 for the previous’ months’ payroll” because of DepEd’s directive.“The state should remember that in building the lives of students, we are also building a nation,” she said.“It is thus fitting that the country honors and recognizes the people who mold us and, by doing so, ensure that the country is in a constant supply of professionals, scholars and future leaders,” Poe added.She noted that under Section 47 of the 2017 General Appropriations Act, “in no case shall mandatory contributions and loans by government employees from private and public lending institutions reduce the employees’ monthly net take home pay to an amount lower than P4,000.”DepEd allegedly violated the 2017 GAA when it issued on July 31 DO 38-2017 stating that automatic salary deductions already incorporated in the payroll should be continued “even if this effectively reduces the NTHP [net take home pay] to lower than the P4,000 threshold.”The order also provided that premiums and loan payments due to state insurer Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) and the Home Development Mutual Fund (Pag-Ibig Fund) should be prioritized over other contributions or loans.Poe said the latest directive is being blamed for allowing loan payments to be deducted from teachers’ salaries that result in a “shrunk take-home pay,” according to the Alliance of Concerned Teachers party-list and the Teachers’ Dignity Coalition.DepEd defended its move saying that “discontinuing or reducing existing deductions could result in the imposition of penalties upon borrowers that would be very disruptive, as it would require significant changes in the payroll system, and would also lead to unreasonable exercise of discretion as to which deductions should be retained or postponed.”The total loan obligation of DepEd personnel with GSIS was pegged at P23 billion or about 10 percent of total portfolio of the GSIS. It was reported that the DepEd has a high default rate of almost 40 percent.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/poe-seeks-probe-teachers-loan-payments/364969/
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Singapore couple starve Pinay maid, granted bail
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['Jaime Pilapil']
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2017-03-27 22:23:06+00:00
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A Singaporean couple on Monday were sentenced to a total of 15 months in jail after pleading guilty to starving their Filipino maid who lost 20 kilos, from 49 kilos to 29 kilos, over 15 months.The couple, however, are out on bail of $3,000 (RM9,495) each pending appeal.Domestic worker Thelma Oyasan Gawidan had been employed by freelance trader Lim Choon Hong, 47, and his wife Chong Sui Foon, also 47.Lim was sentenced to three weeks in jail and fined $10,000 (RM31,651) while Chong got three months.Gawidan, who now works for another employer, was given only two meals a day, causing the 40-year-old to lose weight and be admitted to Tan Tock Seng Hospital.The Straits Times reported that Lim was convicted in March last year of a charge of contravening the Employment of Foreign Manpower (Work Passes) Regulations 2012, which requires employers to pay and provide adequate food and medical treatment for their domestic helpers.Chong was found guilty of abetting Lim in committing the offense.The report said the first meal, which was usually provide around 1 a.m. to 2 a.m., consisted of two to three slices of plain white bread and one to two packets of instant noodles.In some instances, Chong would mix small portions of vegetables and meat with the instant noodles.The second meal, according to the report, was provided late morning or early afternoon, and consisted of five to six slices of plain white bread.The couple’s food and that of their children were greater in quantity and higher in nutritional value than what their helper was rationed with.Worse, Gawidan had to ask for permission before drinking water, only to be given tap water.The maid was not allowed to use their toilets and was forced to use the common toilet in the condominium.She could only take a shower once or twice a week and Chong would stand inside the toilet while she was taking a bath.Lim, in defense, said his wife had previously suffered from anorexia nervosa — an obsessive desire to lose weight by refusing to eat — and from obsessive-compulsive disorder, adding that because of her preferences, their lifestyle “revolved around food and cleanliness.”
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/singapore-couple-starve-pinay-maid-granted-bail/319537/
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Bill on correction of birth records passed
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['Llanesca T. Panti']
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2017-02-18 22:16:20+00:00
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The House Social Services panel has approved a measure that will allow parents and guardians to correct simulated birth records in a span of ten years sans liability to ease adoption proceedings, among others.The unnumbered substitute bill specifically seeks to rectify the simulated birth records and prescribe administrative adoption proceedings, as well as extend the prescriptive period for the rectification of simulated births by amending Republic Act No. 8552 or the “Domestic Adoption Act of 1998.”The proposal amends the Domestic Adoption Act of 1998 by providing for a ten-year amnesty period to enable people to legalize the relationships with children they supposedly adopted.The bill also has a provision for administrative adoption where petitions for rectification and petitions for adoption could be filed with the local social welfare and development office. The decision will then depend upon the evaluation made by the regional directors of the Department of Social Welfare and Development, appealable to the DSWD Secretary.A simulation of birth refers to the tampering of the civil registry to make it appear on the record of birth that a child was born to a person who is not a child’s biological mother, causing such child to lose his or her identity and status.Rectification of simulated births, on the other hand, is provided for under Domestic Adoption Act of 1998 but the prescribed five-year period for the rectification of simulated births ended in 2003.“Many well-meaning and mostly poor Filipinos who wish to adopt a child as their own resorted to the practice of simulating birth. This bill will grant poor people an easier and less expensive way to legalize their supposed adoption,” Rep. Xavier Romualdo of Camiguin said in his sponsorship speech on the measure.The same bill also amends the Domestic Adoption law by sparing the person who simulated the birth of a child from any liability, provided that the simulation of birth was made for the best interest of the child and that he/she has been consistently considered and treated by that person as his/her own daughter.Furthermore, a person who simulated a birth won’t be punished if the application for correction of the birth registration and petition for adoption will filed within 20 years from the effectivity of the proposed law, provided that an individual complies with the procedure as specified in Article of this Act and the requirements as determined by the DSWD.“The current system of adoption has proven tedious and expensive for many parents who wanted to adopt, making the practice of simulation of birth has become a convenient alternative. More than providing amnesty for criminal and pecuniary liabilities, the purpose of the law is not for the parents but for the protection of the child,” Rep. Rene Relampagos of Bohol pointed out.“The rectification of the child’s birth records will give the child all the benefits of adoption and ensure his/her status as well as his/her rights under the law and society,” he added.Another author and former president and now Rep. Gloria Arroyo of Pampanga, for her part, included that the administrative adoption proceedings should not be limited to those who are rectifying simulated birth records.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/bill-correction-birth-records-passed/312982/
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Lawmaker seeks higher pay for ‘barangay’ officials
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['The Manila Times']
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2017-09-24 19:47:57+00:00
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A lawmaker has filed a bill that will give barangay (village) officials an increase in salary and regular benefits.The proposal came amid the recent approval by the House of Representatives and the Senate to postpone this year’s scheduled barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK or Youth Council) elections.It was recently filed by Kabayan party list Rep. Ron Salo under House Bill 6033 or the Barangay Officials Salary and Benefits Act.According to Salo, village officials are among the lowest paid public officials and are not entitled to regular benefits given to government employees despite the importance of the barangay, the basic political unit of the government,The bill, if passed, will give the next batches of elected village chairmen Salary Grade 15 or P27,565 a month, the next batches of elected Sangguniang Barangay members Salary Grade 12 or P21,387 a month and the next batches of appointed village secretaries and village treasurers Salary Grade 10 or P18,217 a month.Aside from the salary increase, the barangay officials will also be entitled to salary increases as well as Government Services Insurance System (GSIS), PhilHealth and Pag-IBIG fund benefits.“Bottom line is this. We expect these local leaders to really function. We should match our expectations with commensurate compensation,” Salo said.The scheduled village and SK elections have been postponed to October of next year.RALPH VILLANUEVA
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/lawmaker-seeks-higher-pay-barangay-officials/352582/
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Oil firms offer fuel discounts to public utility vehicles
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['Jordeene Sheex Lagare']
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2018-09-13 00:02:35+00:00
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TEN oil companies heeded the Department of Energy’s (DoE) plea to provide additional discounts to jeepney drivers to help alleviate the impact of rising pump prices.Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi earlier called on other industry players to continue giving fuel discounts to public utility vehicles (PUVs).Caltex, Filpride, Jetti Petroleum, Petron, Phoenix Petroleum, PTT Philippines, Seaoil, Pilipinas Shell, Total and Unioil are giving discounts ranging from P1 to P3 per liter to PUVs.In March this year, the DoE signed a Memorandum of Agreement with Petron, Pilipinas Shell, and Phoenix Petroleum under which the three companies would give at least P1 per liter discount to PUVs such as buses, jeepneys, and taxis.“Enhancing competition in the downstream oil industry indeed benefits our consumers. At a time like this, it is crucial that the government and industry stakeholders come together to jointly provide solutions that would help fight inflation,” Cusi said.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/oil-firms-offer-fuel-discounts-to-public-utility-vehicles/440760/
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‘Higher’ passing rate in 2016 Bar exams
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['The Manila Times']
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2017-04-26 20:11:21+00:00
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A higher passing rate for the 2016 Bar examinations is expected by the Supreme Court (SC) en banc.According to a well-placed source of The Manila Times, SC Associate Justice and 2016 Bar examinations chairman Presbitero Velasco Jr. has projected the passing rate to be at least around 40 percent.The SC en banc has set a special en banc session on May 3.The source said Velasco even wanted the 40 percent to go higher but added that would depend on the number of examinees who obtained a final average of 75 percent in all eight Bar subjects without any disqualification.The SC en banc has the discretion to lower the passing grade upon the recommendation of the chairman of the Bar examinations.The High Court has set on May 23, 2017 the oath-taking of the 2016 Bar passers at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) in Pasay City (Metro Manila).A total of 6,831 law students had qualified to take the 2016 examinations, which were held at the University of Santo Tomas in Manila on four consecutive Sundays of November.A student is deemed to have passed the examinations if he or she obtains an average of 75percent and without any grade in any subject lower than 50 percent.There were 7,146 examinees in 2015 when the passing rate was 26.21 percent.In the last 10 years, the highest passing rate was 31.95 percent in 2011 when 1,913 of 5,987 examinees made the grade.JOMAR CANLAS
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/higher-passing-rate-2016-bar-exams/324210/
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‘Half of women at risk of dementia, stroke’
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['Agence France-Presse']
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2018-10-03 00:01:38+00:00
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PARIS: Nearly half of women and one in three men are at risk of developing stroke or degenerative neurological diseases such as dementia and Parkinson’s during their lifetime, according to a study published Monday (Tuesday in Manila).Dutch researchers considered all three conditions “in order to grasp how big the problem of incurable brain diseases in late life really is,” said the study’s senior author Arfan Ikram.“We grouped these diseases together not only because they are common but also because there are indications that these often co-occur and might share some overlapping causes,” Ikram, of the Erasmus MC University Medical Center Rotterdam in the Netherlands, said.This could mean there are also overlapping ways to delay or avoid getting the diseases, and the research found that some preventive strategies may cut the risk by between 20 and 50 percent.For the study, published in the Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery and Psychiatry, researchers tracked more than 12,000 healthy people over the age of 45 from 1990 to 2016.Over the 26 years, 5,291 people died. Nearly 1,500 were diagnosed with dementia — 80 percent withAlzheimer’s — while 1,285 had a stroke and 263 developed Parkinson’s.The results indicated that the likelihood of women aged 45 years or older getting the diseases was 48 percent, while it was 36 percent for men.The gender split is mostly due to the fact that men die earlier than women, Ikram said.Two percent of GDP“Our study does not show some sort of protective effect for men,” he said. “Instead it is merely due to fewer men surviving to old age.”Because they live longer, women have an increased risk of such diseases, and the study found women were twice as likely as men to develop both dementia and stroke.While there are no cures for these diseases, a healthy lifestyle — a good diet, not smoking or having diabetes — can protect against stroke and help prevent the onset of dementia, Ikram said.There are also indications that a healthy lifestyle can reduce the risk of Parkinson’s, he added.The cost of the three neurological diseases is believed to be more than two percent of the world’s annual economic productivity (GDP), the researchers said in a statement.Worldwide, about seven percent of people over 65 suffer from Alzheimer’s or some form of dementia, a percentage that rises to 40 percent above the age of 85.The number afflicted is expected to triple by 2050 to 152 million, according to the World Health Organization, posing a huge challenge to healthcare systems.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/half-of-women-at-risk-of-dementia-stroke/447755/
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SSS 11-month net income down by 21%
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['Mayvelin U. Caraballo']
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2017-02-28 22:28:23+00:00
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State-run Social Security System (SSS) on Tuesday said its net income as of end-November 2016 eased by 21.74 percent as the growth in expenditures surpassed the rise in revenues during the period.In a statement, the SSS said its net income for the 11-month period in 2016 dropped to P28.96 billion from the P37 billion recorded the year before.Expenditures for January-November 2016 increased by 18.39 percent to P131.06 billion from the P110.7 billion recorded in 2015, amid the 25.46- percent increase in disbursements in retirement benefits.Meanwhile, the agency’s revenues grew 8.34 percent to P160.02 billion from the P147.7 billion recorded in the same 11-month period in 2015.NELSON S. BADILLA
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/sss-11-month-net-income-21/314650/
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PHASE 1 OF MEGA REHAB CENTER TO OPEN NOV. 29
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['Jing Villamente']
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2016-11-20 21:49:34+00:00
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The first of the four phases of the 10,000-bed Mega Drug Treatment and Rehabilitation Center in Fort Magsaysay, Nueva Ecija is set to open on November 29, 2016. Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Undersecretary John Castriciones over the weekend said an inter-agency task force that will oversee the establishment of drug abuse treatment and rehabilitation centers (DATRCs) nationwide is preparing for the planned launching. “While the government and our law enforcement agencies are striking hard on drug lords and coddlers, we have a soft heart for drug users and dependents who are the victims of this drug menace. With the opening of this facility, the government is fulfilling its promise to assist and help those who are willing to mend their ways,” Castriciones added. He said the first phase of the mega drug rehab center has 2,500 beds. “This is part of the President’s directive to build at least two rehab centers in Luzon, one in Visayas and one in Mindanao with the long-term goal of having at least one in every province,” according to Castriciones, who represented DILG Secretary Ismael Sueno.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/phase-1-mega-rehab-center-open-nov-29/297516/
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PAL’s direct Clark-Virac flights start Dec 15
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['The Manila Times']
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2017-10-11 20:10:56+00:00
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Flag carrier Philippine Airlines on Wednesday said it will start operating direct Clark – Virac flights thrice a week on December 15, 2017.The route was an initiative of Catanduanes Lone District Rep. Cesar Sarmiento, who has been urging airline officials to expand air links to Virac.Sarmiento heads the House Committee on Transportation.“As a company imbued with public interest, it is important to respond to the needs of the flying public, particularly the untapped markets. I am pleased with PAL’s positive response to my request for this much-needed service,” he said in a statement.Sarmiento noted that there will be a spur of economic and tourism activities between the two provinces given the new direct air route.PAL flights will depart Clark at 6 a.m. ,Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and arrive in Virac at 7:30 a.m.Return flights on the same days will leave Virac at 8 a.m.The flag carrier said it will utilize the 76-seater Bombardier Q400 fleet for the new route.REICELENE N. IGNACIO
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/pals-direct-clark-virac-flights-start-dec-15/355955/
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Davao Airport Authority eyed
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['Happy Folger', 'Duterte S Mental Breakdown']
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15/06/2017 0:00
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A business leader in Mindanao has called on the House of Representatives to pass into law the House Bill 2002 which seeks the creation of a Davao International Airport Authority, as he emphasized the need to decentralize the management of the airport from the national government to expedite the implementation of development initiatives.Davao City Chamber of Commerce and Industry Inc. (DCCCII) president Arturo Milan on Wednesday said that the management of the airport cannot implement projects on its own because it is dependent on the national government.He said the government can replicate the model of Mactan Cebu International Airport Authority to make Davao City airport inviting to both tourists and business executives visiting the city.He said if the proposed body takes over management of the airport, it can immediately plan out development projects and implement them on its own.The F. Bangoy International Airport, also known as the Davao International Airport, is currently being managed by the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP).“When it is ‘authority,’ the Davao International Airport will have flexibility rather than the current set up you depend so much on the national. It’s really a must now, if we want a more responsive Davao airport,” he said.“We need to upgrade our airport because it is where the first contact of the investors is. They need to have a good impression of our region by way of our airport terminal. We are pushing to improve airport. Overall passenger experience has to be improved a lot, in terms of aircon, ventilation, and X-ray machines. They have to work efficiently all the time,” he said.
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Manila Bulletin
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https://news.mb.com.ph/2017/06/15/davao-airport-authority-eyed/
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Duterte declares June 26 a holiday
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['Catherine S. Valente']
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2017-06-16 21:42:47+00:00
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President Rodrigo Duterte has declared June 26 a regular holiday throughout the country in observance of Eid’l Fitr.Malacañang announced on Friday that the declaration was made through Proclamation No. 235, which was signed by the President on June 16.“In order to bring the religious and cultural significance of the Eid’l Fitr to the fore of national consciousness, it is necessary to declare Monday, 26 June 2017, as a regular holiday throughout the country,” the proclamation said.Since June 26 falls on a Monday, this means Filipinos will also have a long weekend next week.Eid’l Fitr marks the end of Islamic holy month of Ramadan. It is celebrated by the Muslim world for three days after the end of the month of fasting.“The entire Filipino nation should have the full opportunity to join their Muslim brothers and sisters in peace and harmony in the observance and celebration of Eid’l Fitr,” the proclamation said.CATHERINE S. VALENTE
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/duterte-declares-june-26-holiday-2/333184/
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Manila traffic chief faces extortion raps
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['Jaime Pilapil']
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2017-02-02 20:50:51+00:00
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~A Vendor in Divisoria on Thursday filed extortion complaint against the head of the Manila Traffic and Parking Bureau (MTPB), saying Dennis Alcoreza and his men have been extorting P100 daily from 6,000 night vendors. In a 2-page affidavit, Magnolia Balana Geraldino of Tondo, Manila who is a vegetable vendor for 24 years along Ilaya Street filed robbery through extortion complaint before the General Assignment Section of Manila Police District. Also named respondent was Raffy Alejandro, husband of Barangay 293, Zone 28 (Binondo area) Chairman Marissa Alejandro. “A certain Jun and Oday every night direct me to collect P100 per table since July 2016 after the street vending was reorganized,” the self-confessed collector said in Filipino. She urged Mayor Joseph Estrada to investigate and stop the extortion activities of Alcoreza and his men. However, Alcoreza denied the allegations, saying a syndicate, not his men, are behind the illegal collection of fees. A sources of The Manila Times said, not less than P20-million per month is being collected from Divisoria night market vendors by Alcoreza’s men who demand P15,000 goodwill money from every new-comer vendor.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/manila-traffic-chief-faces-extortion-raps/310255/
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UK official for Asia meets top PH officials
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['Michael Joe T. Delizo']
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2016-12-03 21:05:55+00:00
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THE United Kingdom’s minister for Asia and the Pacific is in Manila for three-day talks on trade, prosperity and security with top Philippine officials.A news release from the British Embassy on Saturday said that Minister Alok Sharma will hold dialogues with Vice President Leni Robredo and a number of other senior politicians.He is also scheduled to meet with the British Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines and other business leaders, and will deliver a keynote speech at the Royal Institution’s Global Conference on Good Governance.Sharma’s visit in the country comes on the heels of the trip of British Prime Minister’s Trade Envoy to the Philippines Richard Graham last August.“The UK and Philippines have a longstanding and strong relationship, with links that get ever stronger. More than 17,000 Britons live in the Philippines and trade between our countries continues to grow,” Sharma said.The embassy noted Exports of UK goods to the Philippines grew by more than a third last year.Sharma added, “As we leave the EU [European Union] we have a great opportunity to work ever more closely with partners in Asia and Philippines will be key among that. The next few days will be an important chance to discuss trade, security and the rule of law.”
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/uk-official-asia-meets-top-ph-officials/299809/
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PDEA steps up war on drugs, enlists local officials
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['Jing Villamente']
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2017-02-02 21:48:11+00:00
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With the suspension of the massive police campaign against illegal drugs, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) vowed to intensify its drive against the drug menace by enlisting the help of barangays (villages).“The PDEA is not fighting a lonely battle from here on. We are bringing the fight to the grassroots level. We need everyone to follow our lead, get involved and contribute in the best way possible,” PDEA Director General Isidro Lapeña said on Thursday.He stressed that barangays are the first line of defense thus it is important for village officials to be “self-policing and self-reliant” against dangerous drugs.“Drug syndicates thought that there will be a slackening in the pace of the national anti-drug campaign. They are wrong. The war on drugs has not waned. PDEA is coming in at full force and has no intentions of backing down from the challenge,” Lapeña said.He added that the agency will be “lean but mean” and will take on all drug personalities, whether these are big time dealers or street level pushers.Lapeña pushed the creation of anti-drug abuse councils nationwide.The PDEA only has 1,791 personnel, 928 of whom are Drug Enforcement Officers or DEOs, who serve as front liners in the anti-drug campaign. They are deployed in regional offices across the country.In light of the involvement of some policemen in the killing of Jee, who was arrested based on a fake arrest warrant, the PDEA chief warned his men against doing criminal acts.“I will impose punishment without hesitation,” he said.He allayed fears that the campaign against illegal drugs had hit a snag because of the deactivation of all anti-drug units of the Philippine National Police (PNP).“The PDEA will make adjustments in filling the gap left behind by the PNP by tapping other government agencies and the barangays as force multipliers to help in the national anti-drug campaign as provided by law,” Lapeña said.“The PNP, though prevented to conduct anti-drug operations, shall maintain close coordination with the PDEA on all drug-related matters such as gathering, processing and validating anti-drug information and monitoring of drug personalities, including self-confessed drug users and pushers who voluntarily surrendered nationwide,” he added.Other law enforcement agencies like the National Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Customs shall continue to conduct anti-drug operations, with the help of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) whose personnel will reinforce anti-drug operations in hostile territories and mountainous areas.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/pdea-steps-war-drugs-enlists-local-officials/310267/
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JBC votes on two SC vacancies
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['Jomar Canlas']
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2016-12-01 21:23:33+00:00
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The Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) is set to vote on Friday on vacancies for two Supreme Court (SC) Associate Justices, who shall be the first appointees of President Rodrigo Duterte in the tribunal.The council will vote first on a shortlist of nominees whose names will be submitted to Duterte for his approval.The new appointees will occupy the seats to be vacated by Justices Arturo Brion and Jose Perez.The Supreme Court on Tuesday declared unconstitutional and illegal the powers of Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno and the JBC to clip the power of the President of the Philippines in making appointments in the judiciary.By unanimous vote, it voided JBC’s “clustering” of the shortlist of nominees for all positions in the judiciary.Among the SC applicants who were interviewed recently are Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) chief Persida Rueda-Acosta, Rita Linda Ventura Jimeno, Pasig City (Metro Manila) Regional Trial Court (RTC) Judge Rowena Apao-Adlawan and Court of Appeals (CA) Justice Japar Dimaampao.Other applicants are Sandiganbayan Justice Samuel Martires, Chief State Counsel Ricardo Paras and CA Justice Noel Tijam.There are other applicants for screening but they will no longer be interviewed because their previous interviews are still valid, according to the JBC.These are CA Presiding Justice Andres Reyes; CA Justices Rosmari Carandang, Jose Reyes , Stephen Cruz and Apolinario Bruselas; Sandiganbayan Justice Alex Quiroz; and Quezon City RTC Judge Reynaldo Daway.The seven-man JBC, which is constitutionally mandated to screen and vet nominees to the President for vacant posts in the judiciary and the Offices of the Ombudsman and Deputy Ombudsman, is headed by Sereno, with ex-officio members Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguierre 2nd, Sen. Richard Gordon and Mindoro Oriental Rep. Reynaldo Umali.Retired SC Justice Angelina Sandoval-Gutierrez, head of the Executive Committee; lawyer Jose Mejia representing the academe; Milagros Fernan-Cayosa representing the Integrated Bar of the Philippines; and the newest member retired Judge Toribio Ilao representing the private sector are the other regular members of the JBC.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/jbc-votes-two-sc-vacancies/299421/
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New MMDA chief takes on traffic problem
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['Riko Mambo']
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5/8/2017 0:00
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Two extra lanes have been added to Roxas Blvd. from Vito Cruz to T.M. Kalaw, visibly improving the flow of traffic in that perennially crowded route that connects Metro Manila to Cavite and Southern Luzon.Elsewhere in Metro Manila, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) has been steadily enforcing traffic rules. During a one-month period from May 24 to June 23, it recorded 7,586 no-contact and 92 out-of-line apprehensions, and apprehensions of 80 colorum buses and eight cargo vehicles.It towed 578 illegally parked vehicles and impounded 2,523. Its impounding areas at Ultra in Pasig City and Tumana in Marikina City have run out of space so that MMDA announced last week that it is auctioning off 153 vehicles unclaimed since 2007 to 2012.Immediately upon assuming his post as chairman of the MMDA, retired General Danilo Lim said he would take a “back to basics” approach to the problem of Metro Manila traffic, focused on the strict enforcement of traffic rules and regulations.He said he would go after colorum vehicles operating without franchises, ambulant vendors blocking the movement of vehicles, and illegally parked cars. But he said he also realizes that these are just symptoms of the problem of corruption. These would not dare to do what they do if they were not in contact with someone in authority, he said.Chairman Lim also closed down three bus terminals in Quezon City, for lack of necessary permits and for violating traffic regulations. Seven other terminals are due for inspection. The many bus terminals along EDSA have been determined to be one cause of traffic jams, especially in the Cubao area.These are among the moves taken by the MMDA in recent weeks. There is yet no major comprehensive plan. That would require major steps such as the construction of new roads and overpasses, opening of new areas to meet the expanded needs of the metropolis, and substantially raising the level of efficiency of the mass transit systems to encourage Metro Manilans to use them rather than their private vehicles.Until such a major overhaul of Metro traffic can be effected, we will have to get by with the many moves now being taken by the MMDA and its new chairman. Every little move helps. Together, they should improve traffic in the whole of Metro Manila, particularly on EDSA, Quezon Ave. and Quezon Blvd., España, Aurora, Rizal Ave., Taft, and Roxas Blvd., Metro Manila’s main arteries.
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Manila Bulletin
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https://news.mb.com.ph/2017/08/05/new-mmda-chief-takes-on-traffic-problem/
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Crimebusters commend NBI for P3.3B drug haul
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['Jaime Pilapil']
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2017-01-16 21:12:35+00:00
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The Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption (VACC) on Monday commended the anti-drug task force of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) for a P3.3-billion drug haul in December last year.VACC founding chairman Dante Jimenez personally handed a commendatory certificate to Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre 2nd and NBI Director Dante Gierran during the flag-raising at the bureau’s headquarters on Taft Avenue in Manila.Also present to receive the commendation was the entire team of the Task Force Against Illegal Drugs led by its head Roel Bolivar and his deputy Ross Jonathan Galicia.The December 23 operation netted a total of 890 kilos from various operations in San Juan City and Pasay City (both in Metro Manila) and Bacoor City in nearby Cavite province.The biggest catch was in a house along Manga Street in San Juan City where 529 kilos of methamphetamine hydrochloride or shabu was confiscated.Another house along Wilson Street in the city yielded 101 kilos of shabu.Prior to the two operations, four drug peddlers on board a car parked in front of a mall in Greenhills, also in San Juan, were nabbed.Then, from a house along Bonifacio Street, confiscated were 155 packs of shabu.The same NBI team arrested a couple who were caught in possession of 3.5 kilos of shabu in Pasay City before they conducted a raid in Bacoor City.Aguirre directed NBI agents to continue their operation against illegal drugs despite the fact that a recent law, Republic Act 10867, which redefined the NBI’s role against criminality and delisted illegal drugs as the bureau’s primary task.“I am now mandating you to conduct unrelentless operations against illegal drug,” he said, adding that the NBI has the power to go after drug syndicates.“Provided, however, that the President or the Secretary of Justice may direct the NBI to undertake the investigation of any crime when public interest so requires,” Aguirre said, citing an RA 10867 provision.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/crimebusters-commend-nbi-p3-3b-drug-haul/307244/
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Isabela bettor wins P7.8M lotto jackpot
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['Jefferson Antiporda']
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2018-01-10 22:03:02+00:00
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A lotto bettor is now P7.8 million richer after hitting the jackpot of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office’s (PCSO) lotto 6/42 during Tuesday night’s draw.PCSO General Manager Alexander Balutan said the winner correctly guessed the winning combination 07-11-27-28 -42-34 to bag the jackpot amounting to P7,893,045.According to Balutan the lone bettor bought his ticket from a lotto outlet in Baligatan Public Market, Ilagan, Isabela, using lucky pick (computer-generated numbers).Meanwhile, 29 other lotto 4/42 players will be getting P20,340 each as consolation prize after getting five of the six-number combination right.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/isabela-bettor-wins-p7-8m-lotto-jackpot/373446/
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Mayors unite to tackle drug war
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['Nelson Badilla']
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2017-03-11 20:52:05+00:00
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The Anti-drug war, corruption and criminality will be discussed in the general assembly (GA) of the country’s 1,400 municipal mayors on Monday.The theme for the first GA of the League of the Municipalities of the Philippines (LMP) under the Duterte administration is “Pagkakaisa ng LMP Laban sa Droga, Korapsyon at Kriminalidad.”With this, President Rodrigo Duterte , who is the guest speaker, is expected to discuss further his administration’s agenda against the drug menace, corruption and criminality.The LMP’s GA that will be held at the Manila Hotel will end on March 15.LMP National President, Mayor Maria Fe Brondial of Socorro, Oriental Mindoro, said the theme is very important and relevant since they are consistent with the agenda of the Duterte administration.LMP is an organization of all the municipalities of the Philippines, mandated by law, with the primary purpose of ventilating, articulating and crystallizing issues affecting municipal government administration and securing solutions to these issues.Mayor Sandy Javier of Javier, Leyte, the LMP executive vice-president, and Mayor Abraham Burahan of Hadji Panglima Tahil, Sulu, the LMP secretary general, are hoping all members of the organization will attend the activity to show to Duterte the LMP’s strong support for his administration.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/mayors-unite-tackle-drug-war/316643/
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Contractualization policy ready by Dec.
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['William Depasupil']
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2016-10-26 22:31:41+00:00
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THE Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) is coming out before the end of the year with a policy or guideline on contractualization, which the labor sector blames as a cause of the country’s high unemployment rate.According to DOLE Secretary Silvestre Bello 3rd, the move would be based on proposals of employer and labor groups made during a dialogue on the issue last week.“We will come up with a policy or guideline that will be enforced by the department before the year ends. We will decide whether we will end contractualization, allow contractualization or come up with a balance of the two positions,” Bello said in a statement on Wednesday.The DOLE, he added, is studying a proposed “win-win structure” submitted by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) with the support of various employers’ groups, including Employers’ Confederation of the Philippines, Federation of Filipino-Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Philippine Association of Local Service Contractors.The DTI and the employers’ groups pushed hiring of workers as regular employees by their contractors with full benefits, including leave credits, 13th month pay and coverages by the Social Security System and PhilHealth.But the Association of Labor Unions (ALU) said the labor sector remains firm on its call for an “absolute” ban on contractualization and rejected as well the proposal of the DTI and employers’ groups.“We want an absolute ban on contractualization. Our proposal is for employers to be regularized by the employers, not by the labor contractors. We want the principals to regularize their workers to maintain an employer-employee relationship,” ALU spokesman Alan Tanjusay told The Manila Times in a phone interview.“Our last meeting did not result in any agreement between the labor sector and the employers’ groups. It was a stalemate,” he said even as he expressed confidence that the policy being crafted by the DOLE would be on the side of the workers.Bello said after consultations with labor and employers’ groups in the Visayas and Mindanao, the labor groups can come up with their unified proposals.He expressed confidence that the government can end contractualization or “endo” (end of contract) in the country.“Putting a stop to ‘endo’ will not be that easy but I am confident that with the determination of the department and the support of our partners, we can put an end to illegitimate contractualization and provide security of tenure to all our workers,” Bello said.Under “endo,” workers are hired and fired after five months so that employers can skirt regularizing them and granting them benefits and job security.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/contractualization-policy-ready-dec/293273/
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Tax package to fund free medicines
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['The Manila Times']
|
2017-11-03 20:28:13+00:00
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THE Senate version of the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (Train) aims to expand the government’s free medicines for the poor.Sen. Juan Edgardo Angara, chairman of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means, on Friday said Senate Bill (SB) 1592 also seeks to fund construction of more public hospitals in remote areas.“Poor Filipinos still face the problem of limited access to low-cost, safe and quality essential medicines,” according to Angara, author and sponsor of SB 1592.“It is our duty to make essential health services available to all Filipinos, giving priority to the needs of underprivileged patients,” the senator said.Congress is set to resume session on November 13 after a month-long break.But the Senate opted to adjust the resumption to November 16 since its legislative work would be affected by the country’s hosting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) Summit from November 13 to 15.Senate Majority Leader Vicente Sotto 3rd said the chamber would tackle Train amendments on November 23 to 24, possibly passing the proposed tax reform law before the end of the month.Angara noted that the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has 11 partner hospitals that are implementing the Libreng Gamot Para sa Masa Program (Lingap), which entitles poor patients to free medicine assistance.The free medicine program is now available at the Philippine General Hospital, Jose Reyes Memorial Hospital, East Avenue Medical Center, Lung Center of the Philippines, Philippine Children’s Hospital, and San Lazaro Hospital–all in the National Capital Region (NCR or Metro Manila); Jose B. Lingad Memorial Hospital in San Fernando, Pampanga; Western Visayas Medical Center in Iloilo City; Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center in Cebu City; Southern Philippines Medical Center in Davao City; and Davao Regional Hospital in Tagum City.According to the DSWD, approximately 13,000 indigent patients have already benefited from the program.“It is our hope that more poor Filipinos would benefit from free medicines,” Angara said.He cited a World Health Organization study, which showed that major causes of deaths in low-income countries can be treated effectively with simple essential medicines.Angara also authored SB 972 mandating all government district hospitals, local health units and barangay (village) health centers in all cities and municipalities to provide free medicines for the poor.BERNADETTE E. TAMAYO
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/tax-package-fund-free-medicines/360552/
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