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Most Pinoys ‘neutral’ on Bangsamoro – survey
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['Catherine S. Valente']
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2018-07-22 00:04:00+00:00
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Most Filipinos are “neutral” on the passage of the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) in Congress, the latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey showed.The poll, conducted from June 27 to 30 among 1,200 adults nationwide, revealed that 40 percent of the respondents were undecided on the measure that seeks to create a new Bangsamoro political entity in Mindanao.Some 31 percent of those polled agreed that Congress should pass the bill that would establish a Bangsamoro region, while 28 percent disagreed. The bicameral conference committee finalized the BBL on Wednesday but renamed it Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL).“This gives a net agreement score of +3 (percent agree minus percent disagree), classified by SWS as neutral,” the polling firm said.President Rodrigo Duterte is expected to sign the bill on Monday before he delivers his third State of the Nation Address.According to the SWS, opinion on the proposed Bangsamoro region has not always been neutral.In 2012, the year the Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro was signed, Filipinos tended to have a “moderately positive attitude” towards the agreement, the polling firm said.The net agreement scores ranged from +16 to +26, falling on the “moderate” category.However, the uproar that followed the killing of 44 members of the Philippine National Police Special Action Force in Maguindanao turned the moderately positive stance to moderately negative in 2015. Public opinion ranged from a neutral -8 to a poor -24.The latest survey showed that the public opposition to BBL before president Benigno Aquino 3rd ended his term had died down, with Filipinos taking a neutral stance towards the BBL, ranging from net +2 to +3.“While this is not as encouraging for advocates as was the moderately positive results through 2014, at least public opposition displayed in 2015 had died down,” the SWS said.But while Filipinos are neutral on the Bangsamoro measure, they tend to moderately agree that it will bring peace in Mindanao, the survey showed.A net agreement of +13 falls in the moderate category. However, responses differ in all areas of the country.Metro Manila was moderate both in its opinion towards the bill and its agreement that it will bring peace to Mindanao.The Balance of Luzon was also moderate (+19) in agreement that the BBL will bring peace in Mindanao, but it was neutral on whether Congress should pass the BBL or not.In the Visayas, where there is a moderately negative attitude on the passage of the BBL, the respondents become neutral (-4) on the question of whether the passage of the bill would lead to peace in Mindanao.Mindanao as a whole remains neutral on both questions, but slightly more positive on the prospects of the BBL bringing peace in the region (+7) than it was on the question of whether Congress should pass the BBL (-2).Nationwide, college educated respondents were moderately positive about the approval of BBL.Some 44 percent of agree, 25 percent of disagree, and 31 percent were undecided on the bill.Catholics and other Christians, who account for 90 percent of the sample, were neutral on having the BBL passed by Congress.Muslims, which form 7 percent of the sample, were very much in favor of the measure at +55.Iglesia Ni Cristo members, meanwhile, were moderately favorable to the bill with +27. The religious group only constitutes 3 percent of the sample.The latest SWS nationwide survey was conducted using sampling error margins of ±3 for national percentages and ±6 for regional percentages.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/most-pinoys-neutral-on-bangsamoro-survey/422115/
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Pass expanded maternity leave bill, House prodded
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['Llanesca T. Panti']
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2018-03-13 00:06:09+00:00
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Lawmakers and labor groups on Monday pushed for the passage of House Bill 4113 that seeks to expand maternity leave from 60 days to 100 days.Reps. Emmi de Jesus of Gabriela party-list, Bernadette Herrera Dy of Bagong Henerasyon party-list, Teddy Baguilat of Ifugao and Tom Villarin of Akbayan party-list joined the Public Service Labor Independent Confederation and Partido Manggagawa in calling for the approval of the measure that has been pending in plenary since December 2016.The expanded maternity leave covers all female workers in government and the private sector regardless of civil status. Under the bill, maternity leave can be availed of before or after delivery in an uninterrupted manner.De Jesus said at least five million women will benefit from the bill.“The maternity role of women is distinct, and the government should recognize such distinction that women have maternity health needs. This is not about discouraging employers from hiring women, but asserting women’s rights,” de Jesus said in a news conference.Under the existing law, the paid maternity leave for normal delivery is 60 days and 78 days for those who delivered via caesarean section.“It has long been established by studies that breastfeeding babies, at least until six months, is very crucial and very effective in keeping the child healthy. We need this bill passed because otherwise, not all working mothers have enough time to breastfeed their child,” Jessica de Ocampo, a factory worker of Philip Morris and Fortune Tobacco Corporation, said.“Since the existing law does not provide enough time for the mothers to breastfeed their babies, others are forced to breastfeed intermittently or stop breastfeeding altogether,” de Ocampo added.The Senate approved its own version of the bill last week, giving mothers 120 days of maternity leave.“The approval of the Senate counterpart bill last week underscores the need for the Lower House to finally take up and finish the deliberation on the 100-day maternity leave. It would be a way to honor and recognize women’s productive role in society at a time when we celebrate women’s contributions observance of the Women’s Month,” de Jesus said.The expanded maternity leave bill provides that an employee’s use of the 100-day maternity leave cannot be used as basis for demotion or termination. The transfer to a parallel position or reassignment from one unit to another in the same agency will be allowed provided that it will not involve a reduction in rank, status or salary.“This bill is not about sidelining women, but making them more productive in the long run. Women with children will be more motivated to go to work knowing that they have a child to raise,” Dy said.“The bill only provides women workers an option for longer maternity leave. It doesn’t necessarily mean that they will use all of it so this should not be a basis to discriminate women in the workplace,” de Jesus said.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/pass-expanded-maternity-leave-bill-house-prodded/385734/
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Public attorney sacked for grave misconduct
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['Jomar Canlas']
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2017-10-17 23:20:18+00:00
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THE Supreme Court (SC) has upheld the ruling of the Court of Appeals (CA) finding a public attorney guilty of grave misconduct and of being notoriously undesirable for uttering threatening remarks against her colleagues in the presence of Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) chief Persida Rueda-Acosta.In a ruling penned by Associate Justice Samuel Martires dated September 6, 2017 but was released only recently, the SC’s Third Division denied Melita Recto-Sambajon’s petition as it affirmed the May 25, 2011 decision and the July 13, 2011 resolution of the appellate court.On June 17, 2009, Acosta summoned Sambajon over the latter’s reaction to her reassignment from the PAO Legal Research Service-Central Office to the PAO Valenzuela City office.Initially, Sambajon denied reports that she had cried over her supposed reassignment. She, however, was overcome by emotion and uttered in anger, “Yung mga naghahatid [ng] maling impormasyon kay Chief ay paduduguin ko ang mata [Those who give wrong information to Chief (Acosta), I will make their eyes bleed].”Her outburst was witnessed by Marilyn Boongaling, Ma. Ruby Florendo, Alma Dumago-Latos and Tricia Larrissa Leofando, PAO personnel present at the time.On June 18, 2009, Sambajon, together with lawyer Froilan Cabarios, officer-in-charge of the Field Operation and Statistics Office, went to the office of lawyer Amelia Garchitorena, head of the Special and Appealed Cases, and asked her whether Herminia Polo, a SACS staff, told Acosta that she had cried after learning of her reassignment.Garchitorena responded that she told the PAO chief that Sambajon cried when the latter learned that she would be reassigned, and that during their conversation, Sambajon threatened “[w]hoever will feed any wrong information to the Chief [Acosta], I will shoot them conjoined through the eyes.”After a flag ceremony during the same year, Sambajon asked Nelson Acevedo, an administrative staff, where Boongaling was.When Acevedo told her that Boongaling was at the conference room, she responded, “Sabihin mo sa kanya, pag may nangyari sa anak ko babarilin ko siya [Tell her, if something happens to my child, I will shoot her].”While Acevedo was trying to pacify Sambajon, Boongaling emerged from the conference room and called Acevedo.After seeing Boongaling, Sambajon reiterated her threat and told the former that she would shoot her should anything happen to her child as she was pregnant at the time.For fear that she would carry out her threat, Boongaling reported the incident to Acosta on the same day.On August 17, 2009, Sambajon was formally charged for grave misconduct and for being notoriously undesirable.In a ruling on December 2009, Silvestre Mosing, PAO deputy chief, found Sambajon guilty of the offenses charged and accordingly dismissed her from the service.The dismissal was approved by Acosta.Mosing said there was substantial evidence to find Sambajon guilty of the offenses.The Civil Service Commission (CSC), however, disagreed, saying Sambajon’s hostile remarks did not amount to grave misconduct because it was not shown that she was tainted with a depraved and corrupt mind and that she intended to violate the law or to exhibit a flagrant disregard of established rule.But in its decision, the CA reversed and set aside the CSC resolution ruling that the PAO had the authority to appeal the resolution.Further, it disagreed with the CSC that Sambajon was guilty only of simple misconduct because the grave threats she uttered displayed a violent, dangerous, if not murderous, tendency toward her colleagues.The CA explained that the nature of Sambajon’s threat shows that it was not merely an error in judgment but motivated by a wrongful intent.It said her remarks amounted to grave threats, adding that her repeated threats evince a vicious cycle of violence and uncontrolled temper that could result in dire consequences if not promptly curtailed.This prompted Sambajon to elevate her case to the High Court.Under the Revised Rules on Administrative Cases, the SC held that both grave misconduct and being notoriously undesirable are categorized as grave offenses, punishable by dismissal.Concurring with the verdict were Associate Justices Presbitero Velasco Jr., Lucas Bersamin and Marvic Leonen.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/public-attorney-sacked-grave-misconduct/357064/
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Calm down over PUV phaseout, operators asked
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['Jefferson Antiporda']
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2018-01-16 20:38:05+00:00
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Public utility vehicle (PUV) operators planning to stage a transport strike to protest the implementation of the Transportation department’s modernization program were asked to calm down by Sen. Grace Poe.The program seeks to free the roads of dilapidated motor vehicles 15 years old or older.At the same time, Poe on Tuesday urged Transportation officials to submit their report on the latest developments regarding the PUV modernization program, which the Department of Transportation (DoTr) is set to roll out this year.The Pinagkaisang Samahan ng Tsuper at Opereytors Nationwide earlier said it would hold another strike to protest the “Tanggal Bulok, Tanggal Usok” program of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board.The transport group alleged that the campaign against run-down vehicles was part of the attempt of the government to phase out jeepneys.Poe, who heads the Senate Committee on Public Services, appealed to public transport operators to take it easy and think about the thousands of commuters that would be affected by their actions.“The lack of transportation hits the commuters hard and disrupts work and classes,” she pointed out.The DoTr launched the “Tanggal Bulok, Tanggal Usok” program on January 8, 2018 in a bid to ensure that all public utility vehicles operating in the country are roadworthy and safe.Poe called on the Transportation department to update the public on the modernization program so that they would have an idea on what to expect.The DoTr, during a Senate hearing on the modernization in December, promised to have a continuing dialogue with PUV organizations, operators and employees.Also during the hearing, Poe proposed that the DoTr try the program on specific areas, and focus first on doable tests, such as compliance with safety, road worthiness and smoke emission.“We want to know what has happened to the modernization program. Has the DoTr come up with clear guidelines on how to implement this? There are still many things to be ironed out,” the senator said.The Transportation department, according to her, should present details of the program to avoid confusion and misinformation among jeepney drivers and operators who would be greatly affected by the modernization program.The PUV modernization program as applied to jeepneys aims to gradually phase out old and dilapidated jeepneys, operating for 15 years or more, and replace them with environment-friendly vehicles equipped with more efficient engines, such as Euro 4 engines or electrically powered engines with solar panels for roofs.Drivers who will avail of the program are entitled to a start-up amount of P80,000, which can be used to pay the down payment for a new unit amounting to P1.6 million.While Poe believes there is a need to modernize the country’s public transportation, such as jeepneys, the program should not result in unjustly killing the source of livelihood of the drivers.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/calm-puv-phaseout-operators-asked/374651/
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EX-Marcos campaigner named UK ambassador
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['Jaime Pilapil']
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2017-02-17 20:57:30+00:00
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~Former Davao representative and 2016 campaign manager of Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has assumed office as ambassador-designate to the United Kingdom. Antonio Manuel Lagdameo arrived in London to assume his duties as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of the Philippines to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Lagdameo and his wife, Maria Linda Floirendo-Lagdameo, were welcomed at the Heathrow Airport Terminal by David Pearey, Special Representative of the Foreign Secretary, Protocol Directorate, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO); Chargé d’Affaires Gilberto Asuque; Consul General Senen Mangalile; and Administrative Officer Maria Theresa Jesusa Albano.Jaime R. Pilapil
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/ex-marcos-campaigner-named-uk-ambassador/312821/
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Written authorization required in filing complaint or information
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['Persida Acosta']
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2017-01-16 21:07:51+00:00
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Dear PAO,I was charged before the City Prosecutor of Makati City (Metro Manila) for violation of Republic Act 7610. The resolution to file against me was without question duly approved by the Senior Assistant City Prosecutor. I, however, observed that the Information filed in court regarding my case was only signed by the Assistant City Prosecutor. May I challenge the resolution and move for the quashal of the Information?NoraDear Nora,Yes. Clearly stated in the very recent case of Girlie M. Quisay v. People of the Philippines (G.R. No. 216920; ponente: Associate Justice Estela Perlas-Bernabe), decided by the Supreme Court on January 13, 2016, are the following:Section 4, Rule 112 of the 2000 Revised Rules on Criminal Procedure states that the filing of a complaint or information requires a prior written authority or approval of the named officers therein before a complaint or information may be filed before the courts, viz.:SECTION 4. Resolution of investigating prosecutor and its review.—If the investigating prosecutor finds cause to hold the respondent for trial, he shall prepare the resolution and information. He shall certify under oath in the information that he, or as shown by the record, an authorized officer, has personally examined the complainant and his witnesses; that there is reasonable ground to believe that a crime has been committed and that the accused is probably guilty thereof; that the accused was informed of the complaint and of the evidence submitted against him; and that he was given an opportunity to submit controverting evidence. Otherwise, he shall recommend the dismissal of the complaint.Within five (5) days from his resolution, he shall forward the record of the case to the provincial or city prosecutor or chief state prosecutor, or to the Ombudsman or his deputy in cases of offenses recognized by the Sandiganbayan in the exercise of its original jurisdiction. They shall act on the resolution within ten (10) days from their receipt thereof and shall immediately inform the parties of such action.No complaint or information may be filed or dismissed by an investigating prosecutor without the prior written authority or approval of the provincial or city prosecutor or chief state prosecutor or the Ombudsman or his deputy. x x x x (Emphases and underscoring supplied)Thus, as a general rule, complaints or informations filed before the courts without the prior written authority or approval of the foregoing authorized officers renders the same defective and, therefore, subject to quashal pursuant to Section 3 (d), Rule 117 of the same Rules, to wit:SECTION 3. Grounds.—The accused may move to quash the complaint or information on any of the following grounds:xxx xxx xxx(d)That the officer who filed the information had no authority to do so; x x x x (Emphasis and underscoring supplied)In the mentioned case, there was an allegation that a written authority was given to the Assistant City Prosecutor in the filing of the Information but records reveal that there was no such attachment. Hence by reason of the foregoing provisions of law, the Information against Girlie Quisay was properly quashed. The same may also apply in your situation provided that no written authority was given to the Assistant City Prosecutor by his senior that is attached in the information filed against you.Again, we find it necessary to mention that this opinion is solely based on the facts you have narrated and our appreciation of the same. The opinion may vary when the facts are changed or elaborated.We hope that we were able to enlighten you on the matter.Editor’s note: Dear PAO is a daily column of the Public Attorney’s Office. Questions for Chief Acosta may be sent to [email protected]
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/written-authorization-required-filing-complaint-information/307240/
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House okays insurance for land reform beneficiaries
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['Ralph Villanueva']
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2017-11-08 23:34:44+00:00
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THE HOUSE Committee on Appropriations has approved the funding provision of a substitute bill seeking to grant full insurance coverage to all qualified Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries (ARBs) of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP).The still-unnumbered bill is principally authored by Deputy Speaker and Ilocos Sur Rep. Eric Singson and Batangas Rep. Vilma Santos-Recto.The bill amends Section 37 of Republic Act (RA) 6657, or the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law, which mandates the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR), the Department of Finance and the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas to institute reforms to liberalize access to credit by agrarian reform beneficiaries.Support services to ARBs will also include full insurance coverage to all qualified beneficiaries, as defined in RA 1000 or the Agri Agra Law, who are actually tilling the land and capitalizing on crops as certified by the DAR.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/house-okays-insurance-land-reform-beneficiaries/361538/
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‘No’ to lower minimum age of criminal liability
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['Angelica Ballesteros']
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2016-11-16 22:12:54+00:00
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The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) on Wednesday opposed congressional bills seeking to lower the minimum age of criminal responsibility (MACR) from 15 years old to nine.In a position paper sent by DSWD Secretary Judy Taguiwalo to Reynaldo Umali, the chairman of the House Committee on Justice, she said House Bill 935 and HB 3973 are “anti-poor” and will “never result in lower crime rates.”“There is a need to distinguish between making children responsible for their actions and criminalizing them,” Taguiwalo’s position paper read.“Lowering the minimum age of criminal responsibility runs counter to available scientific knowledge about the cognitive, psychosocial and neurological development of children,” she said.Such intention, according to the Social Welfare secretary, would only result in more detained children, and will not be cost-effective since a higher public expenditure would have to be invested for detention.She said the age issue is anti-poor because a larger number of children in conflict with the law comes from poor families where parents are either unemployed and where a greater number of siblings result in even lesser per-capita resources.Taguiwalo noted that the two House bills violate the fundamental principles of social protection of children as provided by law.HB 935 was filed by Navotas City (Metro Manila) Rep. Tobias Tiangco while HB 3973 was filed by Nueva Ecija Rep. Estrella Suansing.Meanwhile, officials of the CHR headed by Chairman Jose Luis Gascon, in a separate position paper, opposed HB 2 filed by House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez and Capiz Rep. Fredenil Castro.The CHR said lowering the MACR oversimplifies the nature of juvenile offending and violates the fundamental principles of child protection and welfare.“We cannot overstress that juvenile offending will not be resolved by simply lowering the MACR,” the paper read.According to the CHR, detaining young offenders would harm children rather than do them good.“If the real intention of the legislators is to stop syndicates from using children to consummate their evil deeds, then focus should be directed on prosecuting the real perpetrators and ensuring that they suffer the highest degree of penalty provided for under our laws,” it said.The commission, instead, recommended that the government focus on implementation of the Juvenile Justice Welfare Act to ensure that the young offenders would be rehabilitated.Rather than pushing for a new law that would put children in detention, the CHR said lawmakers should also focus on funding the construction of Bahay Pag-asa (House of Hope) facilities in every city, as well as the employment of medical doctors, social workers, teachers and psychologists who will serve in the facilities.It added that law enforcers should step up the campaign against syndicates that continue to use children to commit crime.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/no-lower-minimum-age-criminal-liability/296881/
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Environmentalists file hazard raps vs steel firms
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['The Manila Times']
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2017-10-29 20:21:08+00:00
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Environmentalists have filed complaints at the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) against several industrial factories and steel mills located in the National Capital Region (NCR or Metro Manila), Region 3 (Pampanga) and Region 11 (Davao) for various violations of the Philippine Clean Air Act including the Environmental Compliance Certificate/ Environmental Impact Assessment law.Additional complaints against these same factories were also filed on Friday by Clean Air Philippines Movement Inc (Capmi) together with the Philippine Associations of Free Labor Unions at the Department of Labor and Employment for massive violations of the law on occupational safety and health hazards including other pertinent labor laws.Capmi president Manuel Galvez named the respondents as the Melter Steel Corp., Real Steel Corp. and Wan Chiong Steel Corp. in Pampanga; the Davao Mighty Steel Corp. in Davao City; and the Metrodragon Steel Corp. in Caloocan City.“We discovered that most of these industrial smelting plants and factories are using a bad technology imported from China in melting scrap metals. This bad technology called induction furnace results in an inefficient and incomplete combustion of recycled or scrap metal materials [used as materials in steel production] leading to massive and fatal air pollution production including toxic chemical emissions inside and outside these steel plants or mills,” Galvez said.“This controversial technology flourished years back in China during that country’s much criticized backyard steel factory boom and it contributed much to the industrial air pollution that China is now a victim of today. The incomplete combustion process in induction furnace also results in the creation of substandard, brittle and dangerous steel products that endanger life and limbs of Filipinos when these steel products are used in the construction of buildings, residential houses and other infrastructure in our country,” he added.“We are urgently appealing to President Rodrigo Duterte to immediately direct his government to investigate and act decisively on this new source of threat to the life and limbs of our people today,” Galvez said.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/environmentalists-file-hazard-raps-vs-steel-firms/359508/
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1 killed, 1 wounded in Pasig shooting
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['Neil Alcober']
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2016-10-18 21:24:58+00:00
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A man included in a barangay (village) drug watch list was killed while his live-in partner was critically wounded after unidentified gunmen fired at them as they walked along Atis Street in Pasig City (Metro Manila) before midnight on Monday. Killed was John Patrick Marcelo, 24, of Barangay San Miguel, Pasig City. Brought to the Rizal Medical Center was Juvilyn Mupan. Recovered at the crime scene were 19 fired cartridge cases. Police said Marcelo is on the watch list of drug suspects.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/1-killed-1-wounded-pasig-shooting/291909/
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De Lima’s ex-lover back in Camp Crame
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['Anthony Vargas']
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2016-12-01 21:20:57+00:00
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RONNIE Dayan, the driver-lover and alleged bagman of Sen. Leila de Lima when she was the secretary of the Department of Justice (DOJ) during the administration of then-President Benigno Aquino 3rd, is back in Camp Crame.Director General Ronald dela Rosa, Philippine National Police (PNP) chief, on Thursday confirmed that Dayan has been brought back to the camp, the police national headquarters in Quezon City.“Gusto niya magpa-secure muna rito … andito siya sa loob ng kampo [He said he wants to be secured here.. he is here inside the camp],” Dela Rosa told reporters at the sidelines of a news briefing in Camp Crame where he had presented two suspects in a foiled bombing near the US Embassy in Manila last Monday.Dayan was arrested by the police last November 22 in a village in San Juan town in La Union province.A P1-million reward was earlier offered by the Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption (VACC) for any information that would lead to the arrest of Dayan, who also confirmed de Lima’s earlier admission that they had a seven-year affair from the time she was a private law practitioner until she became Justice secretary.He was ordered arrested after he snubbed a summons issued by the House Committee on Justice that has been investigating the illegal drug trade inside the New Bilibid Prisons that allegedly benefited de Lima.Dayan appeared before the committee last November 24 and admitted that he had been receiving drug money for de Lima.After his House appearance, he was turned over to the custody of the PNP chief and immediately brought to a safehouse in Pangasinan province.Dayan is set to appear before the Senate justice committee on December 5 where he is expected to face drug lord Kerwin Espinosa, one of those who allegedly gave at least P2.8 million to Dayan as campaign money for the senatorial bid of the former Justice secretary.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/de-limas-ex-lover-back-camp-crame-2/299420/
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Bill seeks compensation for victims of armed conflict
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['Ma. Reina Leanne Tolentino']
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2017-01-28 21:28:46+00:00
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A lawmaker seeks to institutionalize the granting of compensation to civilians injured or whose family members were killed in armed conflict.Rep. Strike Revilla of Cavite has filed House Bill (HB) 2237 which seeks to give powers to the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) to administer a Civilian Compensation Fund.A victim’s family shall be paid P30,000 in case of death under the proposed law, which also allows injured civilians to reimburse expenses incurred for hospitalization, medical treatment, and loss of wages.“Any civilian, his or her family, or any other person dependent upon said civilian for support may file a claim with the Commission: Provided, that the claim must be filed within six (6) months after the date of the death, injury, compulsory abandonment of one’s residence, or occurrence of other similar events that resulted to material loss,” the measure states.HB 2237 also provides that the CHR shall indemnify the civilian if he incurs material loss as a result of armed conflict.“If indeed civilian authority is supreme over the military, this measure is just but one mode of easing the hardships endured by civilians caught in the crossfire as a result of the armed conflict between the military and rebel forces,” Revilla said in the bill’s explanatory note.The measure authorizes the appropriation of P5 million to kick-start the project.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/bill-seeks-compensation-victims-armed-conflict/309395/
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Draft order for OFW Bank under review
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['Mayvelin U. Caraballo']
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2017-09-21 20:58:36+00:00
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A draft for an Executive Order (EO) creating a remittance bank that will specifically cater to overseas Filipinos have been submitted for President Rodrigo Duterte’s review, according to the Finance department.“We were able to submit the draft EO in first week of September. We are ahead of schedule as we were expecting it to be submitted sometime in October,” Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez 3rd said in an interview.He explained that an EO will be needed to execute the Land Bank of the Philippines’ acquisition of the Philippine Postal Savings Bank (PostalBank) and rebrand it as the Overseas Filipinos Bank.“We need an Executive Order to execute the transfer of the bank from its current shareholders to the LandBank,” Dominguez said.“We are also proposing that the name be changed to Overseas Filipinos Bank from OFW Bank so that it is more inclusive and not only focused on workers,” he added.The Finance chief said that besides the remittance program, the bank would also offer loan programs for Filipinos abroad who are returning and would like to start businesses, build their homes or educate their beneficiaries here.Earlier, LandBank President Alex Buenaventura said the lender’s board had approved a a zero-value purchase of PostalBank.In June, Dominguez said PostalBank had a negative value of P580 million.The Overseas Filipinos Bank will have marketing officers located at consular offices abroad to service banking requirements of overseas Filipinos.Simultaneously, the bank, which will require a billion-peso capitalization, will also have to get approval from the central bank’s Monetary Board.A pilot test would be conducted in Dubai in January, to be followed by Bahrain, most likely by April next year.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/draft-order-ofw-bank-review/351972/
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Pass healthcare bill, Senate urged
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['Catherine S. Valente']
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2018-07-27 00:10:28+00:00
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Malacañang on Thursday urged the Senate to pass a bill that seeks to provide universal healthcare coverage for Filipinos.The House of Representatives passed its version of the bill in September last year.“The President had sent a clear, loud, and unequivocal message regarding universal healthcare to Congress, and the House has done its part. It’s time for the Senate to do the same,” Palace spokesman Harry Roque Jr. said.Roque was the principal author of the Universal Health Care Bill when he was still a member of the 17th Congress.He said the measure was a “landmark” legislation since it would allow all Filipinos to have access to quality healthcare services regardless of their socio-economic status.“Napakalaking ginhawa ito para sa bawat Pilipino, lalo na sa mga mahihirap. Basta Pilipino ka, obligado ang gobyerno na bigyan ng benepisyo na pangkalusugan (This is a huge comfort for every Filipino, especially the poor. As long as you are Filipino, the government is obligated to provide health benefits),” he said in a radio interview.“Hindi magiging isyu ang kapasidad ninyo magbayad – importante lang ay ipinanganak kang Pilipino (Your capacity to pay will not be an issue – the only important thing is you are born Filipino),” the Palace official added.President Rodrigo Duterte, in his State of the Nation Address on Monday, urged the speedy passage of the bill, saying there is much room for improvement in the country’s healthcare system.“To this end, I urge the speedy passage of the Universal Health Care Bill authored by former Representative Harry Roque,” Duterte said.The President said the Philippine health care system has remained “highly fragmented,” leading to a “disparity” in health outcomes across social classes and geographical classifications.He also noted how “several policies and operational bottlenecks” have constrained universal healthcare.“We shall pool all our resources for health services under the [PhilHealth]; institutionalize primary care as a prerequisite to access higher level of healthcare; and supplement human resource gaps of the LGUs (local government units) through a National Health Workforce Support System,” Duterte said.He added that his administration aimed to “ensure that every Filipino gets the appropriate affordable and quality health services in appropriate facilities,” and that citizens will also be “protected from financial burden due to sickness.”Duterte, through Roque, had earlier marked as urgent the passage of the proposed bill.Under the House version of the Universal Healthcare Bill, all Filipinos will be covered by a national health insurance. PhilHealth will be changed into Philippine Health Security Corporation, which would pay for medical fees and products.A counterpart measure is pending at the Senate.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/pass-healthcare-bill-senate-urged/423702/
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MWSS VOWS ADEQUATE WATER SUPPLY
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['Jordeene Sheex Lagare']
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2018-05-13 00:01:34+00:00
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THE Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) alleviated woes of an imminent water supply shortage despite the onset of the dry season and La Mesa dam hitting its critical low level. “The main source of water for Metro Manila are the Angat and Ipo dams. Despite the extreme hot weather, Angat Dam’s water level remains high at 194.3 meters which is 14 meters higher than its required level of 180 meters. So there is adequate water supply to meet domestic and industrial demand in Metro Manila,” MWSS Administrator Reynaldo Velasco said. The water level at La Mesa dam hit 72.68 meters on Thursday, according to the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pag-asa). Pag-asa hydrologist Gine Nievares earlier confirmed this has been the dam’s lowest water level and the most abrupt drop in five years. Velasco made the assurance following his meeting with Maynilad President Ramoncito Fernandez and Manila Water Chief Operating Officer Geodino Carpio to resolve technical issues over raw supply allocation because of higher water demand by consumers during the summer months. Carpio added the National Water Resources Board has committed to increase water allocation from Angat Dam to La Mesa Dam by 172 million liters per day on top of the regular 4,000 MLD to cover the water in Metro Manila and its environs. NWRB Executive Director Sevillo David backed Velasco’s assurance and called on the consumers to converse water.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/mwss-vows-adequate-water-supply/398417/
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Meralco rates up in April
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['Jordeene Sheex Lagare']
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2018-04-07 00:10:38+00:00
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Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) announced on Friday an increase of P0.2250 per kilowatt hour (kWh) this month, the third time since January.In effect, electricity rates will now be P10.55 per kWh from P10.32 per kWh in March.In a statement, Meralco said power rates went up because of the P0.1773 per kWh increase in the generation charge.Typical households that consume 200 kWh will see an increase of P45 in their April bill.For those who consume 300 kWh, there will be an increase of P67.50; for those who consume 400 kWh, P90; and for those who consume 500 kWh, P112.50.Last month, Meralco said rates went up by P0.97 per kWh but they implemented only an P0.85 per kWh increase “to cushion the impact of the higher electricity rates on consumers,” adding that the P0.12 per kWh balance will be tacked on to the April bill.The generation charge for April rose by P5.4735 per kWh from P5.2962 per kWh last month.Higher rates from the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM) pushed up the April generation charge as WESM prices rose by P1.6441 per kWh because of tighter supply conditions in the Luzon grid.With warmer temperatures, power demand in the country’s largest island surged by about 357 megawatts (MW).The National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP) declared a yellow alert in Luzon because of forced plant outages and restrictions in the supply of natural gas from the Malampaya gas field offshore of Palawan that affected the output of several power plants.Natural gas supply from Malampaya continued to experience restrictions from February 26 to 27, March 3 to 5, and March 8 to 14.But the cost of power from independent power producers (IPPs) slightly offset higher WESM charges because of improved average plant dispatch.Meanwhile, Meralco said charges from facilities under power supply agreements (PSAs) remained stable, rising by P0.0077 per kWh.Because of higher generation charges, taxes and other charges increased by P0.0412 per kWh in April.Transmission charge to residential customers went up by P0.0065 per kWh on higher ancillary service charges levied by the NGCP.For 33 months, Meralco’s distribution, supply, and metering charges have remained unchanged after these rates registered reductions in July 2015.Shares of PSAs, IPPs purchases, and WESM purchases to Meralco’s total energy requirement reached 46 percent, 39 percent and 15 percent, respectively.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/meralco-rates-up-in-april/390871/
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Calida got P7.5M in excess pay
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['Ma. Reina Leanne Tolentino']
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2018-06-02 00:08:25+00:00
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Some officials of the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG), including Solicitor General Jose Calida, were paid honoraria or allowances that exceeded 50 percent of their annual basic salary, the Commission on Audit (CoA) said.According to CoA’s audit report on the OSG for 2017, the excess sums that they received totaled P10.77 million.“The honoraria/allowances paid to some OSG officials for legal services and advices rendered to client agencies had exceeded the fifty percent of the annual basic salary by ₱10,774,283.92 contrary to Item 4 of COA Circular No. 85-25-E dated April 25 1985,” CoA said.According to the audit report, Calida’s allowances exceeded 50 percent of his annual basic salary, or by P7.46 million.The others and the amounts received in excess of 50 percent of their basic salary were: Henry Angeles (P697,039.15), Herman Cimafranca (P62,454), James Cundangan (P448,707.83), Renan Ramos (P837,252), Rex Bernardo Pascual (P9,394), Bernard Hernandez (P136,814.72), Ma. Antonia Edita Dizon (P273,746.44), Raymund Rigodon (P363,894), Danilo Leyva (P50,051.82), Lilian Abenojar (P90,626), John Dale Ballinan (P99,026), Perfecto Adelfo Chua Cheng (P158,501.85), Leney Layug-Delfin (P70,626), and Gift Mohametano (P13,739.83).CoA said it had issued notices of disallowance dated February 21, 2014, August 12, 2016 and January 15, 2018, and that the first two disallowances were on appeal to its Commission Proper for resolution.“Pending resolution from the Commission on Audit, the OSG officers and employees who rendered legal services and advises to client agencies should have collected only the amount of up to 50 percent of their basic salary.The excess should remain in the Cash in Bank, Local Currency Current Account and could be earmarked and be given to the concerned officials and employees when a decision favorable to them will become final and executory,” according to the audit report.CoA recommended, among others, that the OSG “refund the excess amount received and deposit the same to OSGs Trust Fund.”The OSG commented in part that “COA Circular No. 85-25-E does not apply to the OSG lawyers. Section 1(i) of P.D. (Presidential Decree) No. 478 and Section 35(9), Chapter 12, Title III, Book IV of E.O. (Executive Order) No. 292, authorize the OSG lawyers to receive allowances and honoraria for the legal services they render without qualification, in addition to their regular compensation.”“The application of COA Circular No. 85-25-E means that not all client agencies can pay the OSG lawyers allowances and honoraria mandated by law. Once the fifty percent limit is reached by some client agencies, the other client agencies can no longer pay the said allowances and honoraria,” the OSG also said in part.But CoA said: “We still maintain our view that the receipt of honoraria/allowances in excess of 50% of their annual salaries must be subjected to limitation as set forth under COA Circular No. 85-25-E. The laws (RA No. 9417 and EO No. 292) allow the benefits, but the same laws having not fixed the amount of benefits to be granted, the allowances and honoraria must conform to the limitations stated in COA Circular No. 76-25 dated March 31, 1976, as amended by COA Circular No. 76-25-A dated June 30, 1976 and further amended by COA Circular No. 85-25-E dated April 25, 1985.”It also recommended that the OSG “require all handling lawyers to strictly comply with OSG Office Order No. 188 series of 2009 requiring the Task Force Team Leaders to report all honoraria directly received from client agencies together with the appropriate BIR form evidencing withholding of taxes to FMS OSG.”CoA made the recommendation after it found that “some allowances were directly remitted to OSG lawyers but not reported to” the Financial Management Service (FMS).“The failure of the OSG employees to report the allowances directly given to them by client agencies provides no assurance that the correct taxes were indeed withheld or no taxes were withheld at all,” CoA said.“The confirmation received from client agencies also revealed that the taxes withheld were not sufficient. These cases should not have happened had the receipt of honoraria/allowances were reported to the OSG through FMS and the correct withholding taxes have been deducted in compliance with BIR Regulation No. 10-2008 dated July 10, 2008,” it added.In the same audit report, CoA told the OSG to refund excess claims for travel allowance.“The allowable travel expenses prescribed in Executive Order (EO) 298 were not strictly followed resulting in excessive claims for local and foreign travel allowances totaling ₱53,796.00 and ₱78,096.64, respectively; thus, disallowed in audit,” CoA said.Also, it found that seven employees’ monthly take home pay in 2017 were below the P4,000 mandated minimum.“The reduction of the required net take home pay of the above employees was due to the repayments of unpaid amortizations on various loans availed,” CoA said.“We recommended that management strictly enforce and implement the provisions stipulated in the GAA on the minimum take home pay of employees,” it said.GAA is General Appropriations Act.According to the audit report, the OSG has “[a]djusted the net pay as of January 31, 2018 through settlement and restructuring of loans.”
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/calida-got-p7-5m-in-excess-pay/403263/
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Taiwan, PH team up in war vs illegal drugs
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['Jefferson Antiporda']
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2017-09-26 20:46:27+00:00
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Taiwan is not a source but an indispensable ally of the Philippines in the fight against transnational illegal syndicates that have been operating in the region, according to the Representative of the Taiwan Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) in the Philippines.Lin Song-huann said Taiwan has never been a source of illegal drugs being sold in the Philippines.Most of the illegal drugs circulating in the Philippines, he added, are manufactured locally, not overseas.Lin cited data from the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) that was disclosed in a recent dialogue with Filipino senators and other government officials.In a statement released on Tuesday by the TECO in the Philippines, Taiwan assured the Philippines that it would continue to cooperate with the country’s relevant authorities to eliminate the transnational drug syndicates.“Taiwan fully supports the Philippines’ combat against transnational drug syndicates. Taiwan and the Philippines have been working together to fight against illegal drugs for years,” the statement said.The Philippines and Taiwan have established cooperation mechanisms and systems to fight drug traffickers including the Mutual Legal Assistance Agreement Between TECO and Manila Economic and Cultural Office in Criminal Matters.Memorandums of understanding on combatting transnational crimes and on battling illegal drugs have also been signed between the two sides.The agreements involved inter-action and exchange visits between relevant agencies and the law enforcement officers of Taiwan and the Philippines that have produced tangible results in relation to the fight against transnational drug crimes.“The achievements of the bilateral Philippines-Taiwan cooperation were marvelous in the recent three years,” Taiwan said in a statement.The accomplishments included the filing of 12 drug-related cases resulting from the confiscation of over 1,000 kilograms of shabu and more than 8,000 kilograms of semi-finished products and raw materials; and discovery of three shabu laboratories, one distribution station and six shipments amounting to about P3.2 billion.The PDEA, the National Bureau of Investigation and the Philippine National Police have commended Taiwan’s contribution to the Philippines’ anti-drug efforts.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/taiwan-ph-team-war-vs-illegal-drugs/352969/
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Court upholds graft raps vs Lorenzo, Yap
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['Ma. Reina Leanne Tolentino']
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2018-10-04 00:01:31+00:00
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The Sandiganbayan’s Sixth Division stood pat on its ruling denying the pleas of former Agriculture Secretary Luis Lorenzo Jr. and former National Food Authority (NFA) administrator Arthur Yap to dismiss the five graft complaints filed against them in connection with the procurement of fertilizers.The court denied for lack of merit their motions for reconsideration and set their arraignment and pre-trial of the case on October 5, 2018.“After a second hard look at the issues raised by the accused, no compelling reason persuades this Court to rule otherwise,” the court said.On August 9, the court denied the motions to quash filed by Lorenzo and Yap, as well as the motion to dismiss filed by Tomas Guibani, former representative of the Philippine Phosphate Fertilizer Corporation (Philphos).The Office of the Ombudsman filed the cases before the Sandiganbayan on April 20, 2018.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/court-upholds-graft-raps-vs-lorenzo-yap/448055/
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Transportation safety board creation pushed
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['Jefferson Antiporda']
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2017-03-13 21:10:44+00:00
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IN light of road crashes, a senator on Monday reiterated the need for the creation of an independent agency dedicated to addressing worsening transport-safety woes in the country.Grace Poe, head of the Senate Committee on Public Services, noted that the Department of Transportation (DOTr) already has its hands full attending to various issues facing the transportation sector and having a dedicated agency focused on ensuring safety and determination of causes of road accidents would be a big help.The senator was referring to the proposed creation of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) under Senate Bill (SB) 162, mandated to determine probable causes of transportation-related accidents on land, sea and air including railway and pipeline systems.The NTSB would also be in charge of conducting safety inspections on land, sea and air transportation and appraising or assessing existing practices and policies of the transportation sector.Poe said the transportation board would be under the Office of the President and composed of seven members, with at least three-year experience sea, air or land transport.Among the duties of the board is to submit quarterly report to the President and Congress on their assessment of the country’s transportation system.The NTSB can recommend replacement of transportation officials who will be found remiss in their duties.Former Land Transportation Office (LTO) chief Alberto Suansing also on Monday said it is time for the country to have its own NTSB that would help in crafting transportation policies.Having the NTSB would enable Congress to come up with meaningful measures that would improve safety of the riding public, he added.The Automobile Association of the Philippines (AAP) expressed support to the proposal, saying the country needs a transportation safety body.Gus Lagman, AAP president, said the DOTr has too much in its hands and the NTSB could ease the load of the department.“It is a good proposal, in other countries they have road safety commissions,” he noted.Poe said the LTO and the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board should not wait for passage of the NTSB bill before cracking down on irresponsible public utility vehicle operators.According to her, the DOTr should pursue urgent nationwide roadworthiness compliance checks on units of all bus firms in wake of discovery that the bus involved in a road crash that claimed the lives of 15 people, mostly college students, was actually plying the roads for three decades already.She was referring to the tragic accident in Tanay, Rizal last month that killed the students from Bestlink College.The Senate Committee on Public Services will conduct a hearing today on measures calling for stricter regulation of land-based transportation.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/transportation-safety-board-creation-pushed-2/317047/
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DOF shoots down 2 Duterte promises
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['Jefferson Antiporda']
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2016-10-13 20:23:09+00:00
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Two campaign promises of President Rodrigo Duterte that would benefit farmers may remain just promises because no less than the President’s Finance secretary expressed doubt on their viability.At the Commission on Appointments (CA) public hearing on Thursday, Department of Finance (DOF) Secretary Carlos Dominguez 3rd said giving farmers free water could lead to wastage of the precious resource.Duterte, during his barnstorming in the May 2016 polls, promised farmers that he would make irrigation free if he was elected President.“I told [the President] that while it is a popular idea to eliminate irrigation fees, I think this is not such a good idea because people who get things for free tend to waste them,” Dominguez said in his reply to queries of Sen. Francis Pangilinan during the hearing.Pangilinan, chairman of the CA finance committee, wanted to know the position of Dominguez on several proposals concerning the agricultural sector in order for Congress to be able to come up with a priority legislation list.“If the water is free, people will not conserve it. It’s just the human nature that I observed. I think the irrigation fees should be paid to the irrigation cooperatives for continuous maintenance of the irrigation canals,”according to Dominguez, the Agriculture secretary during the administration of President Corazon Aquino.The Finance chief said he and the President agreed that a law needs to be enacted first before billions in coconut levy funds can be distributed to coconut farmers.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/dof-shoots-2-duterte-promises/291069/
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Lorenzana: US to build, fix facilities in PH camps under EDCA
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['Ako Madamosiya 毛むくじゃら']
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26/01/2017 0:00
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The enhanced defense cooperation agreement (EDCA) is still on despite President Rodrigo Duterte’s earlier pronouncements against the United States, defense secretary Delfin Lorenzana said on Thursday, January 26.In a press briefing at the DND headquarters in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City, Lorenzana relayed word from Pentagon officials that they will start constructing some facilities in the camps chosen under EDCA:Basa Air Base in Floridablanca, PampangaAntonio Bautista Air Base in Puerto Princesa, PalawanLumbia Airport in Cagayan de Oro City“They will fix the runway and put up facilities also for their troops, storage for their belongings if they are here but they can leave the building there and leave then come back again. That is the idea of EDCA,” he added.Lorenzana said President Rodrigo Duterte is aware of the situation.“He’s okay with it, he’s okay with EDCA. He said we will honor all agreements that were entered into by the previous government,” Lorenzana said.EDCA—a supplemental agreement to the existing visiting forces agreement (VFA) between the Philippines and the U.S.—was signed by former defense secretary Voltaire Gazmin and former United States ambassador to the Philippines Philip Goldberg in Manila on April 28, 2014.When asked when the projects will start, Lorenzana said they still don’t have any details on that.“We don’t know, it depends on the U.S. because they couldn’t appropriate. That’s what they told us last year. They couldn’t appropriate money until the issue of EDCA is ruled by the Supreme Court. So the SC ruled in January last year and it took them so many months until October last year also for the funding to be approved. So that’s part of their funding for fiscal year 2017.“They have funding but we do not know when they will start constructing some of the facilities that we agreed on,” he added.
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Manila Bulletin
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https://news.mb.com.ph/2017/01/26/lorenzana-us-to-build-fix-facilities-in-ph-camps-under-edca/
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Prosecutor of BoC fixer now Lucena City judge
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['Jomar Canlas']
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2018-02-03 00:07:14+00:00
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President Rodrigo Duterte has promoted the prosecutor who indicted Bureau of Customs (BoC) fixer Mark Ruben Taguba over the P6.4-billion shabu shipment from China.The promotion was contained in a transmittal letter of Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea to Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno, dated January 17, 2018, appointing Aristotle Reyes as a new judge in Quezon province.Until his appointment, Reyes was a Department of Justice (DoJ) state prosecutor.He will be assigned to Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 15 in Lucena City, Quezon.Reyes, accompanied by his wife Marilyn Vasquez-Reyes and their children, took his oath on Friday before Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio.Aside from indicting Taguba, who is now under detention for a non-bailable crime, he caused the filing of charges of violation of Republic Act 9165 (Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002) before the Manila RTC and the Valenzuela City RTC against Chen Julong, alias Richard Tan or Richard Chen; Li Guang Feng, alias Manny Li; Dong Yi Shen Xi, alias Kenneth Dong; Teejay Marcellana; Chen I-Min; Jhu Ming Jhun; Chen Rong Huan; and Eirene Mae Tatad.Tatad, the consignee of the P6.4-billion shabu shipment, was arrested by National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) agents on Friday.In a news conference, NBI spokesman Ferdinand Lavin said the consignee was among the eight accused in the case who were issued warrants of arrest on January 31.Lavin added that Tatad was arrested by the NBI in Iloilo where she was staying with her brother-in-law.Owner of EMT Trading, she said she was “not hiding” but just taking a vacation after their case was dismissed in Valenzuela.Meanwhile, other new appointments were made by the President: Jennifer Santos-De Lumen for RTC Cainta, Rizal; Ismael Macasaet for Batangas RTC; Noel Lindog for RTC Lipa City, Batangas; Raquel Aspiras-Sanchez for Tagaytay City, Cavite; Adeliza Magno-Gingoyon for RTC Imus, Cavite;Flordeliza Cabanlit-Fargas for RTC Trece Martires, Cavite; Suwerte Ofrecio-Gonzales for RTC Sta. Cruz, Laguna; Myla Villavicencio-Olan for RTC San Pablo City, Laguna; Virgilio Gesmundo for RTC Calamba City, Laguna; Eugene Ricardo Parrone for RTC Boac, Marinduque;Catherine Marino-Monsod for RTC Mamburao, Occidental Mindoro; Cefelene Goco for RTC Calapan City, Oriental Mindoro; Rosalie Ang Lui for RTC Naujan, Oriental Mindoro; Arlene Bayuga Guillen for RTC Puerto Princesa, Palawan; Patricia Angeles Cataquiz for RTC Sariaya, Quezon; Anna Zita Abuda Caballegan for RTC Antipolo City, Rizal; and Donna Borda Pascual for RTC Romblon, Romblon.The Judicial and Bar Council , which had shortlisted the appointee, 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.It is headed by Sereno, with ex-officio members Sen. Richard Gordon, Oriental Mindoro Rep. Reynaldo Umali and Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre 2nd.WITH REPORT FROM RAADEE S. SAUSA
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/prosecutor-boc-fixer-now-lucena-city-judge/377863/
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Duterte the diplomat
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['Catalyst Of Change', 'Richard Ochotorena', 'Beatriz Caniban Montebon Romo', 'Jo Banana']
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3/11/2017 0:00
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and refocused attention on our natural allies, our fellow Asians.Both Japan and China are wooing Duterte, who has emerged as an important diplomatic player in Asia even with the contentious disputes over land and maritime claims in the South China Sea. Duterte’s power comes from his strong leadership and this is something that world leaders recognize immediately.In October last year, China pledged $24 billion worth of investments and financing to the Philippines. China, “a good friend” to the country, said Duterte, has also been active in helping the government in its campaign against criminality and terrorism. Recently, it donated to the armed forces thousands of rifles and millions of ammunition, a welcome move especially after US Senator Marco Rubio blocked gun sales to the Philippine police.This year Japan is the one promising to help the Philippines build its social infrastructure with a $9-billion package of economic assistance over the next five years. The commitment was reaffirmed during Duterte’s two-day official visit to Japan this week, the second under his term.It is to Duterte’s credit that he has been able to maintain good diplomatic relations with both Japan and China, balance their key concerns and strategic interests, even as he seeks increased cooperation and assistance for the Philippines.While he is still prickly when it comes to the Philippines’ relationship with its former colonial master the US, the President appears to have dialed down his criticisms, even thanking them for providing technical assistance in the fight against the Islamic State militants in Marawi City.But irrepresible still, Duterte was also quick to point out that the sniper rifle that killed ISIS emir Isnilon Hapilon came from China.Last August, Duterte had a good meeting with US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson. Western media, which has been engaged in a massive campaign to malign Duterte with their exaggerated reports, were disappointed that Tillerson discussed counterterrorism and North Korea with Duterte instead of the much-ballyhooed subject of human rights.Asian leaders don’t care that Duterte peppers his speech with cussing and hyperbole, which of course, he reserves for the entertainment of the local Filipino audience. Neither, it seems, does the US, especially under the Donald Trump administration. It is only the critics of Duterte that are still hammering on this useless point while underrating his performance as president.For instance, Duterte’s notable pivot toward Asia is now reaping tremendous benefits. As pointed out by newly appointed presidential spokesman Harry Roque, Duterte’s Japan visit resulted in $6 billion worth of new trade deals and joint ventures.Crucially for a developing economy like the Philippines, the business agreements are in the strategic industries of power and renewable energy, iron and steel, shipbuilding, transportation, and agribusiness. The new business deals are more than three times the amount signed during Duterte’s first trip to Japan last year.Meanwhile, Japan’s $9-billion economic assistance to the Philippines includes soft loans to fund construction of the country’s first subway, an underground fast-train system from Quezon City to the airport in Parañaque, to be built with Japanese tunneling technology.“We want our relations with Japan to grow even more. Japan is our friend, closer than a brother; Japan treats us as a sovereign equal,” Duterte said. The two countries, he added, “are building the golden age of our strategic partnership.”It is a partnership that seems to have deepened last January when Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe visited Duterte in Davao City. Abe and his wife Akie were invited for breakfast in Duterte’s modest home, sat in the small kitchen table and ate sweet rice cakes and munggo soup. Duterte even showed Abe his simple bed with the very quaint mosquito net.Duterte has been described as a bit reserved and formal when you first meet him, but warms up fast and loves telling stories in his very own folksy manner. This is why his speeches appear to be rambling ones since he disdains the teleprompter and prepared speeches, which he finds “corny.”This is the authenticity that has endeared Duterte to millions of Filipinos, his massive and loyal support base that is the envy of global leaders everywhere. In Tokyo, where PM Abe returned the “home invite” by hosting a dinner in his house for Duterte, the Japanese leader recalled that a video clip of his Davao visit was posted in his Facebook page and received an unprecedented 1.3 million hits.The viral video was due to Duterte’s Filipino supporters, said Abe, as he joked, “I would like to encourage Japanese to pay more attention to my Facebook account.” Like Duterte he paid tribute to the “deep, warm, and family-like and brotherly relationship between Japan and the Philippines.”
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Manila Bulletin
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https://news.mb.com.ph/2017/11/03/duterte-the-diplomat/
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Pass Dengvaxia bill, Senate urged
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['Catherine A. Modesto']
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2018-08-30 00:01:30+00:00
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The Department of Health (DoH) urged the Senate to approve the bill that seeks to allot P1.16 billion as supplemental budget “exclusively” for those vaccinated with Dengvaxia.Health Secretary Francisco Duque 3rd made the call after the Senate cancelled deliberations on the bill on August 15.“We are making an appeal in behalf of the children vaccinated with Dengvaxia who are the intended beneficiaries of this supplemental budget. We are urging our honorable senators to pass the Senate version of the bill,” Duque said in a statement.He added that the DoH is “stretching its resources” to attend to the health needs of vaccinated individuals.The P1.16 billion will come from the dengue-vaccine manufacturer Sanofi Pasteur’s refund for unused vials of Dengvaxia, which the government returned due to its health risks.Of the amount, P945 million will be used for medical assistance; P148.3 million for supplies and medicines and P67.6 million for the salary of health workers, the DoH said.President Rodrigo Duterte certified House Bill 7449 as urgent on May 29, giving the DoH a supplemental budget to help about 890,000 children inoculated with Dengvaxia during the mass immunization program of former health secretary Janette Garin.HB 7449 was approved on third and final reading by the House Appropriations Committee on May 22.In November 2017, Sanofi Pasteur said Dengvaxia poses potential dangers to those who have not had dengue, prompting the government to stop the immunization program.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/pass-dengvaxia-bill-senate-urged/435944/
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Duterte to visit Myanmar, Thailand
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['Jaime Pilapil']
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2017-03-16 21:39:29+00:00
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The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Thursday announced that President Rodrigo Duterte will go to Myanmar and Thailand for official visits starting this week.Duterte and his entourage will leave for Nay Pyi Daw in Myanmar on Sunday.They will stay there overnight then proceed to Bangkok on Monday until Wednesday.In Myanmar, formerly Burma, Duterte will meet with President U Htin Kyaw and Nobel Peace Prize awardee Aung San Suu Kyi.In Bangkok, the President will meet with Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha where they are expected to discuss issues of mutual concerns, including political, economic, agriculture, energy, education and defense cooperation.Duterte is also expected to share with Thai officials information on various developments in the country, as well as priorities and programs of the Philippines for its Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) chairmanship this year.The Asean Summit is slated last week of April in the Philippines.The President is scheduled to meet with members of the Filipino community in Thailand, where more than 16,000 Filipinos are living and working.Bilateral relations between the Philippines and Thailand will reach 68 years in June 2017.The relations have always been considered to be strong and vibrant, with exchanges at the highest levels taking place regularly since the establishment of relations in 1949.Duterte’s visits are part of the President’s introductory visits to countries in Southeast Asia, according to DFA spokesman and Assistant Secretary Charles Jose.Jose said Myanmar and Thailand are the only two remaining countries in the region that the President has not yet visited.Duterte is slated to hold bilateral talks with President U Htin Kyaw, who will also host a state banquet in honor of the Philippine leader.He is also scheduled to meet with other high-level government officials, including State Counselor and Foreign Minister Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and the Commander-in-Chief of Defense Services, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing.Duterte will also meet with members of the Filipino community in Nay Pyi Taw.Myanmar is home to approximately 1,800 Filipinos.Data from the Philippine Embassy there show that many of them are employed in foreign firms and international organizations.Philippine-Myanmar diplomatic relations are over 60 years old with ties formally established in 1956.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/duterte-visit-myanmar-thailand-2/317586/
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Oil firms impose hefty price hike increase
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['Jordeene Sheex Lagare']
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2018-07-31 00:04:17+00:00
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OIL companies again imposed a hefty price increase, a week after slashing pump prices.The price of diesel went up by 95 centavos per liter, gasoline by P1.15 per liter and kerosene by 85 centavos per liter.Caltex, Flying V, Petro Gazz, Phoenix Petroleum, Pilipinas Shell, PTT Philippines, Seaoil and Total adjusted their fuel prices at 6 a.m. Tuesday.Industry players hiked their prices as oil prices jumped up in the global market on Monday. Reports said Brent crude futures closed at $74.42, up 13 cents or 0.2 percent. Last week, Brent recorded its first gain in four weeks after gaining 1.7 percent last week.On the other hand, the US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures closed at $69 a barrel, up 31 cents or 0.5 percent.Last week, oil companies cut the prices of diesel and gasoline by P1 per liter and 70 centavos per liter, respectively, while the cost of kerosene decreased by P1.25 per liter.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/oil-firms-impose-hefty-price-hike-increase/425048/
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PhilHealth denies owing hospitals P9B
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['Mary Gleefer F. Jalea']
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2018-05-13 21:21:15+00:00
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THE Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) on Sunday rejected allegations it owed private hospitals P7 billion to P9 billion, calling the figures “erroneous and inaccurate.”“In summary, our initial data analytics show that the allegations of Dr. [Rustico] Jimenez on the alleged unpaid claims are erroneous and inaccurate,” PhilHealth said in a statement.This was after Jimenez, president of the Private Hospital Association of the Philippines Inc. (PHAPI), said in a radio interview that hospitals might shut down soon because of the failure of PhilHealth to pay its supposed debts.Jimenez said PhilHealth owed 15 members of PHAPI claims amounting to P7 billion to P9 billion pesos.PhilHealth however said it owed only P183.2 million in unpaid claims.“We immediately looked at the claims profile of a randomly chosen 12 hospitals in his list (as the others are with similar names still needing clarification from Dr. Jimenez) and found out that PhilHealth has paid them a total of P3.75 billion already for the period 2014 to 2018,” the agency said.“Summing up PhilHealth’s payments of P3.75 billion and another P50.85 million in impending payments for in-process claims on record, less those already denied payments and returned-to-hospital claims (7,602 + 10,714 claims = 18,316 claims x P10,000 Average Value Per Claim = P183.2 million) quickly gives us an idea how overly bloated PHAPI’s claims are against the state health insurance agency,” PhilHealth added.Also contrary to Jimenez’ allegation that PhilHealth’s payments to member-hospitals were often delayed, the agency reiterated that it paid hospital claims “at an average of 50 days nationwide, with the shortest average claims processing time at 38 days for those submitted through third-party solutions providers.”PhilHealth also said that it would put up a “reconciliation portal” for its partner-hospitals to provide them with a summary of pending, denied, and in-process claims “to promote better efficiency and transparency.”“We also call upon our hospital partners to come to our regional and local health insurance offices so together we can check and reconcile our records,” PhilHealth said.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/philhealth-denies-owing-hospitals-p9b/398620/
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PDEA increases manpower for drug war
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['Jing Villamente']
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2017-02-18 22:16:43+00:00
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The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) is strengthening its organizational structure and beefing up the number of its personnel to boost its readiness in the war on drugs.PDEA Director General Isidro Lapeña said a newly-approved Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB) Resolution has created an additional 1,280 regular plantilla positions and led to the adoption of necessary modifications in the organizational set-up of the agency, particularly in the field of intelligence and investigation.“The approved modifications in the organizational structure and staffing pattern of PDEA will be endorsed to the Department of Budget and Management for appropriate and immediate action,” he said.“In cognizant of the challenges posed by the enormity of the country’s drug problem and the suspension of the conduct of anti-drug operations by other law enforcement agencies, PDEA has to carry the brunt of all anti-drug operations all over the country. The situation prompted us to strengthen our organizational structure,” Lapeña added.PDEA has limited workforce of 2,271 regular-plantilla positions of personnel presently deployed in its national services and regional offices nationwide. Out of these are 1,274 Drug Enforcement Officers or DEOs, who serve as front liners in the government’s anti-drug campaign, 761 are administrative personnel and 236 are technical personnel.“The approval of the DDB Resolution means that an additional 1,280 warm and able bodies will be joining our roster as PDEA braces for a tough grind ahead,” Lapeña said.The resolution also led to the creation of a new PDEA Counter-Intelligence Service that will have three Divisions: Internal Counter-Intelligence; External Counter-Intelligence; and Security Division, to be manned by 24 personnel. The existing Counter-Intelligence and Security Division of the PDEA Intelligence and Investigation Service will be replaced by Financial Investigation Division (FID) to be occupied by 11 personnel.“The newly-formed FID will strengthen our efforts against suspected money launderers, particularly drug syndicates, who ‘wash’ their illegal drug transactions and proceeds being routed through banks and other regulated entities,” Lapeña noted.In addition, the DDB Resolution also led to the renaming of the Maritime Drug Enforcement Coordinating Center of the PDEA-IIS to Technical Operations Support Division (TOSD).Lapeña said that the TOSD will assume new functions that are not only limited to maritime drug enforcement but also the technical support mechanisms to all types of operations, in particular on intelligence-related support.“It is all about doing more with less. These changes will make PDEA sufficiently equipped and numerically upgraded to wage an all-out war against illegal drugs,” the PDEA chief said.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/pdea-increases-manpower-drug-war/312983/
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CBCP proposes overhaul of PH justice system
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['William Depasupil']
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2016-12-16 21:13:30+00:00
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THE highly-influential Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) has proposed to the Duterte administration the overhauling of the country’s criminal justice system amid moves by Congress to re-impose the death penalty.The CBCP president, Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas, made the appeal during a recent prayer rally in San Carlos City in Pangasinan, even as he reiterated that the death penalty is not a deterrent against crime but a stronger judicial system is.The prelate pointed out that Congress’ move for the restoration of capital punishment in the country is a “lazy approach” at putting a stop to the commission of heinous crimes or any forms of criminal acts.“Cleanse the police ranks! Fix all the courts! Tighten [the security] at the Bilibid and other prisons. Death penalty is a lazy form of penalty instead of helping reform those who made mistakes,” said Villegas in a statement posted at the CBCP website.The prelate pointed out that the Church doesn’t take for granted the pain and agony felt by the victims and their families, but stressed that when a mistake is made and an innocent person is executed as punishment, such error can no longer be corrected.“But the solution is not killing criminals. Our alternative is fullness of life for the guilty and the innocent. Fullness of life for the poor and the rich. Fullness of life for sinners and saints,” said Villegas.“We are not protesting without a solution. We are protesting with an alternative. Reform the criminal justice system,” he further said.“If there’s death penalty but the criminal justice system is corrupt, slow and one-sided, rapist and plunderer, and pusher and killer will remain confident [to commit crime]. It’s business as usual,” he further said.The House Committee on Justice has recently approved a proposed measure seeking the restoration of capital punishment on all heinous crimes.It maybe recalled that the through the 1986 Constitution, the death penalty was abolished but only to be restored in 1994 by former President Fidel Ramos with the enactment of Republic Act 7659 or the Death Penalty Law.But it was again abolished in 2006 by former President and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.According to the International Commission of Catholic Prison Pastoral Care, 124 out of 194 countries had abolished the death penalty in their penal system.WILLLIAM B. DEPASUPIL
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/cbcp-proposes-overhaul-ph-justice-system/302189/
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Senators seek review of distracted driving IRR
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['Jefferson Antiporda']
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2017-05-18 21:08:49+00:00
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SENATORS have raised the need to review the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of the Anti-Distracted Driving Act that took effect on Thursday, saying that some of the provisions are confusing and could lead to abuse.Senate Majority Leader Vicente Sotto 3rd and Sen. Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito both agreed that there is a need to look into the IRR of Republic Act (RA) 10913, particularly on the use of navigational apps that have been helpful to motorists.According to Sotto, some provisions in the IRR are “too stiff” that they could lead to abuse or become another source of corruption.The senators called for the immediate review of the rules on the day the Land Transportation Office (LTO) started the implementation of RA 10913 that prohibits motorists from using their mobile phones and electronic gadgets while driving.Drivers who want to use their mobile phones and electronic gadgets must look for the nearest designated emergency bays and stop there or they will be apprehended.Motorists caught violating that law shall pay a fine of P5,000 for the first offense, P10,000 for the second offense, P15,000 and suspension of driver’s license for three months for the third offense and P20,000 fine and revocation of driver’s license for the fourth offense.Motorists are also prohibited to use their phones and gadgets when caught in a traffic jam.LTO Chief Edgar Galvante said the motorists could use navigational apps like Waze, Google map and others provided that they only rely on the audio features of the apps and not use the screen of their phone or gadget.Electronic gadgets and phones with hands-free capability must also be placed somewhere in the vehicle’s interior that does not block the driver’s line of sight.“It [IRR] may be too stiff. We should review it,” Sotto said.Apart from the review, according to Ejercito, the LTO should temporarily suspend the implementation of the law until issues on the IRR are ironed out.“I think that will be the prudent thing to do to avoid confusion. I am really confused,” he said in a text message.While Ejercito agreed that drivers who use their mobile phones while driving should be arrested, there should be more leeway on the use of navigational apps because these are useful to drivers.The LTO is the lead implementing agency of the act but may deputize members of the Philippine National Police, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority and traffic enforcers of local government units to carry out enforcement functions and duties.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/senators-seek-review-distracted-driving-irr/327887/
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Motorists with ‘8’ plate numbers to be arrested -- PNP highway patrol group
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['The Manila Times']
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2018-11-15 19:41:34+00:00
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THE Philippine National Police-Highway Patrol Group (PNP-HPG) will start arresting motorists using the special plate with the number “8,” its director said on Thursday.“I already issued to all chiefs nationwide to conduct a crackdown of plates with ‘8’ as their plate number…We will help the Congress to find those who are using those [ordinary] motorists using special plates,” Chief Supt. Roberto Fajardo said.Fajardo’s directive came after Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo ordered a recall of all protocol license plates with the number “8” issued to former congressmen.Arroyo’s order stemmed from a road rage incident on Monday night in Tarlac City involving the arrest of one Jojo Valerio whose Toyota FJ Cruiser had the plate number “8” and who was later found out to be an entertainer and not a lawmaker.Pampanga 1st District Representative Carmelo Lazatin 2nd denied that he was related to Valerio who claimed that the lawmaker owned the vehicle used in the road rage incident.PNP Chief Director General Oscar Albayalde also on Thursday told reporters that policemen should remain courteous when flagging a motorist carrying the plate number “8”.“We have to be courteous whether it’s 8 or an ordinary plate…They can’t simply deny an offense because you’ll not be flagged down by a highway patrol [officer] if they did not see any offense,” he said.Besides the plate “8”, there are other special plates for ranking government officials: “1” for the President,” 2″ for the Vice-President, “3” for Senate President, “4” for the Speaker, “5” for Chief Justice, “6” for Cabinet Secretaries, “7” for senators, “9” for associate justices of the high court, and “10” for presiding justice, other justices of the Court of Appeals and the Solicitor General.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/motorists-with-8-plate-numbers-to-be-arrested-pnp-highway-patrol-group/468169/
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FDA files raps vs Belo Group
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['Kenneth Hare Hernandez']
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2018-02-15 00:02:07+00:00
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The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) filed administrative and criminal charges against The Belo Medical Group (BMG) for selling unregistered cosmetic products.Last week, the FDA ordered BMG to halt the sale of 11 cosmetic products.FDA Director General Nela Charade Puno said some of the company’s employees face contempt or obstruction of justice charges because of their refusal to allow FDA agents to inspect their clinic and pharmacy.“The Belo Medical Group’s pharmacy is under FDA’s jurisdiction and we have legal authority to enter and inspect it, in reasonable hours and manner. They can be cited for contempt or obstruction of justice for their refusal,” she said.Regulatory Enforcement Unit chief Allen Bantolo identified the cosmetic and drug products that the FDA stopped BMG from selling as ZO Medical by Zein Obagi; MD Glycogent Exfoliation Accelerator 10 percent concentration; ZO Medical by Zein Obagi Foamacleanse Gentle Foaming Cleanser for all types; ZO Medical by Zein Obagi Oclipse Sunscreen/Primer SPF 30 Protection; Belo Illuminating Cream Alpha Arbutin+Liquorice; and Belo Prescriptives Keralyt 2 Cream; ZO Medical by Zein ObagiMD Melamix Skin Lightener & Blending Creme Hydroquinone USP 4 percent; ZO Medical by Zein Obagi MD Melanin Skin Bleaching & Correcting Creme Hydroquinone USP 4 percent; Belo Prescriptives Acne Astringent; Belo Prescriptives Belo White; Belo Prescriptives DLC Peeling Creme; and ZO Medical by Zein Obagi MD Cebatrol.These products did not pass through the FDA registration and certification processes.“The Belo Medical Group, or any drug or cosmetic company for that matter, may claim that their products are safe and their efficacy are proven. But they cannot sell them to the public unless they have undergone product evaluation and certification from the FDA, a measure that the government undertakes to ensure their safety and efficacy,” Bantolo said.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/fda-files-raps-vs-belo-group/380266/
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Maute death count now 523
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['Blackie Hawkie', 'Mr. Troliling']
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6/8/2017 0:00
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The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) yesterday said that the number of Isis-inspired Maute Group terrorists killed in the ongoing battle inside Marawi City continued to increase following the death of another enemy.According to AFP spokesman Brig. Gen. Restituto Padilla, another Maute Group fighter was killed in the battle over the weekend, bringing the total to 523.The total number of firearms seized or recovered from the enemy also increased and its now already 602.Five more buildings in two barangays have been cleared by troops, who continue to “push foraward” in efforts of finally clearing the city of the terrorist.The Marawi siege is already on its 76th day.Padilla, meanwhile, said that an additional three more soldiers were added to the list of fatalities on the government side, bringing the number to 125 as of 7 p.m. Saturday.He added that based on information provided by the AFP’s Joint Task Force Marawi, the terrorists are still holding at least 100 hostages. Men and women hostages were also reportedy separated by the enemy.“That’s the information we have received on the ground,” Padilla said as he also disclosed that “troops are slowly moving, inch-by-inch, to avoid enemy fire and bombs, IEDs (improvised explosive devices), and booby traps set-up by the Maute Group.”
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Manila Bulletin
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https://news.mb.com.ph/2017/08/06/maute-death-count-now-523/
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500 Leyte leaders joining PDP-Laban
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['Isang Lahi']
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18/10/2017 0:00
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Close to 500 provincial officials and local leaders completed the PDP-Laban Basic Membership Seminar held here Wednesday.PDP-Laban Eastern Visayas President Marjorie R. Jaramilla told Manila Bulletin the one-day seminar was hosted by former Energy Secretary Carlos Jericho L. Petilla, Leyte Governor Leopoldo Dominico L. Petilla and Palo Mayor Remedios L. Petilla.Jaramilla said the party’s national leadership through Senate President Aquino Pimentel III approved the seminar which is a requirement for the Leyte officials before they are officially accepted into the administration party.Former secretary Petilla said the local leaders of Leyte are joining PDP-Laban to show that Leytenos are united in their support for the programs of President Duterte, especially the shift to the federal form of government.Leyte 3rd District Rep. Vicente S. Veloso discussed the planned revision of the 1987 Constitution which will pave the way for the formation of a federal government.Veloso said the House committee on constitutional amendments chaired by Southern Leyte Rep. Roger G. Mercado is consolidating the bills filed in Congress for the shift to federalism.Among those who joined the seminar were Leyte Vice Governor Carlo P. Loreto, Baybay City Mayor Carmen L. Cari, Vice Mayor Michael Cari, League of Municipalities of the Philippines President Sandy Javier, PCL Leyte President Wilson S. Uy, Leyte Association of Barangay Chairmen President Noly Caña, city councilors of Baybay and board members of Leyte.
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Manila Bulletin
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https://news.mb.com.ph/2017/10/18/500-leyte-leaders-joining-pdp-laban/
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Singapore to help PHease traffic congestion
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['The Manila Times']
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2017-08-31 19:06:44+00:00
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The Department of Transportation (DOTr) on Friday signed a memorandum of understanding with the Singapore government for possible development of an intelligent transport system (ITS) to ease traffic congestion in Metro Manila.Under the memorandum DOTr Secretary Arthur Tugade and Singapore Cooperation Enterprise (SCE) Chief Executive Officer Kong Wy Mun agree to help the Philippines improve its traffic systems by sharing Singapore’s practices in traffic and transport management and introducing the ITS.The SCE is an agency formed by the Singaporean Ministry of Trade and Industry and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs that aims to promote international trade and to link Singapore companies to other countries.The agreement also states the willingness of both parties to work hand in hand on recommending and adopting suitable traffic management policies and use of the ITS.It includes the installation and implementation of various traffic control systems, as well as the utilization of congestion management, traffic enforcement and surveillance and incident management systems.REICELENE N. IGNACIO
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/singapore-help-phease-traffic-congestion/347885/
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SM vows support to disaster resilience
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['Jaime Pilapil']
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2016-10-22 22:36:24+00:00
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The head of SM Prime Holdings pledged to include disaster resiliency in its business models during the meeting of the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR) private sector alliance for disaster resilience held in Washington D.C. recently.Hans Sy was the only Filipino international board member of the UNISDR private sector alliance, also called Arise. SM Prime is the secretariat of Arise Philippines.“Our commitment to disaster resiliency has always been at the core of our business and we will further find ways to innovate in order to make business more responsive to the needs and demands of our times,” Sy said.UNISDR has called on business leaders to make the risks posed by natural and man-made hazards to be put at the front and center of its investment choices in order to curb disaster-related economic damage around the globe.Citing super typhoon “Haiyan” (“Yolanda”) and more recently, Hurricane “Matthew,” as a result of climate change, the UNISDR said disaster risk reduction (DRR) should be the topmost consideration in all business decisions because of the costly consequences of disasters.Some 100 private sector representatives from different industries such as construction, insurance, retail, tourism, consulting and technology attended the meeting which was aimed at reviewing ongoing projects to build resilience and identify gaps to reach the global goals set out in the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction.The Sendai Framework, a 15-year plan to curb disaster deaths, the number of affected people and the scale of economic losses, was adopted by the international community in March 2015. It is closely linked to the Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change.SM Prime has been spearheading disaster resiliency and management in the private sector through the annual Top Leaders Forum, which brings together the UNISDR, government officials and business leaders to discuss best practices in DRR and how to adopt them in their business operations and bring them to the communities where they operate.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/sm-vows-support-disaster-resilience/292636/
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Tesda chief to probe corruption in agency
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['Nelson Badilla']
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2017-05-12 21:03:41+00:00
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The head of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda) on Friday disclosed that he is set to create a team that will conduct a thorough investigation of possible massive corruption and irregularities in the agency.Director General Secretary Guiling Mamondiong said he sensed that the corruption and anomalies in Tesda started in 1994, when the agency was founded.Tesda was created through Republic Act 7796.Mamondiong said his plan to investigate corruption and irregularities in Tesda stemmed from information that about 29 million students have enrolled in the agency.Only 28 million, however, have finished the programs they enrolled in at the agency, he said.Out of 28 million, there were only 10 million who underwent assessment, according to Mamondiong.But he said only eight million students were given national certificates by Tesda.NELSON S. BADILLA
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/tesda-chief-probe-corruption-agency-2/326896/
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Facebook to launch independent body for calls on content
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['The Manila Times']
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2018-11-16 11:47:39+00:00
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SAN FRANCISCO: Facebook announced Thursday it is creating an independent body to make potentially precedent-setting calls on what content should be yanked from the social network.The announcement came as Facebook reported it has ramped up its ability to quickly detect “hate speech” and other posts violating community rules, with the leading social network under pressure from regulators in various countries and activists to root out abusive and inappropriate content.“I have come to believe that we shouldn’t be making so many decisions about free expression and safety on our own,” Facebook chief executive Mark Zuckerberg said in a media briefing.Content spied by artificial intelligence software or reported by users is now reviewed by an internal system that Facebook has been ramping up.An independent body to be constituted in the coming year will act as a “higher court” of sorts, considering appeals of content removal decisions made by the social network, Zuckerberg said.The composition of the appeals body along with how to keep it independent while remaining in line with Facebook principles and policies was to be determined in the coming year.Facebook also planned next year to begin releasing content removal summaries quarterly in a tempo on par with earnings reports, according to executives.“We have made progress getting hate, bullying and terrorism off our network,” Zuckerberg said.“It’s about finding the right balance between giving people a voice and keeping people safe.”Challenges faced by the California-based social network include the fact that people naturally tend to engage with more sensational content that, while perhaps at the edge of violating Facebook policies, are unhealthy for civilized discourse, according to Zuckerberg.“We see this in cable news and tabloids too,” Zuckerberg said.“A lot of our work is to insure that borderline content that comes close to violating our content gets less attention not more.”Bullying represents a tougher challenge to AI systems, because it tends to be personal and subjective. For example, someone might playfully mock a friend in a post that could also be interpreted to be mean.Detecting bullying or hate can also require understanding of the gamut of languages used at Facebook, along with cultural contexts.“We are getting better at proactively identifying violating content before anyone reports it, specifically for hate speech and violence and graphic content,” Facebook said in the new transparency report.“But, there are still areas where we have more work to do.”Facebook said that since its last transparency report, the amount of hate speech detected proactively, before anyone reported it, has more than doubled.“The single biggest improvement comes from AI and machine learning,” said product management vice president Guy Rosen. AFP
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/facebook-to-launch-independent-body-for-calls-on-content/468562/
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ConCom eyes 3 supreme courts
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['Bernadette E. Tamayo']
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2018-05-22 00:08:28+00:00
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THE Consultative Committee (ConCom) tasked to draft a new constitution has proposed the creation of three supreme courts and specialized courts to “speed up the delivery of justice.”The proposed three high tribunals are the Federal Supreme Court, the Federal Constitutional Court and the Federal Administrative Court—all expected to “make for a more efficient judicial system and unclog the dockets” of the Supreme Court.The draft new Constitution provides for the “joint jurisdiction” of Congress and the judiciary in removing impeachable officials—meaning lawmakers will initiate the complaint against an impeachable official, who will then be tried by the Constitutional Court.Congress, composed of elected representatives, will be the “political arm” of impeachment, while the Constitutional Court will be the “judicial arm.”A number of countries, such as Spain, Italy and South Africa, have separate constitutional courts tasked to review legislation and acts of government for constitutionality.The Philippine Supreme Court handles constitutional questions, on top of other cases as part of the regular court system.The ConCom also wants to remove “non-judicial functions” from the Supreme Court such as resolving electoral protests of senators and members of the House of Representatives.The proposal is to abolish the Senate Electoral Tribunal (SET) and House Electoral Tribunal (HRET), to be replaced by a special court to try electoral protests of senators and representatives so that justices would be able to “focus” on resolving cases.Former chief justice Reynato Puno, ConCom chairman, said “the sense of the committee is that the process of impeachment should be both political and judicial in nature.”He raised the need to change the “characterization” of the impeachment process.“Now, we have ‘wrinkle’ developing in the process of impeaching impeachable officials of the government. And I’m referring to the use of quo warranto as a ground to remove an official of the government who is also subject to impeachment,” Puno said.Puno was referring to the removal of Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno through quo warranto, in which she was found to have been disqualified by the high tribunal for lack of integrity given her failure to submit all of her statements of assets and liabilities.Sereno had argued that impeachable officials like her could only be removed through impeachment and conviction, not quo warranto.The proposed impeachment prosecution body will be composed of 12 members from the Senate and 12 from the House. The body will be presided by the Senate president.“Again, you will note that the decision of this joint body will not be voted upon separately by each house. If the joint body decides that there is enough ground to impeach, prepares the indictment, then that indictment is filed immediately and directly to the (proposed Federal) Constitutional Court,” he said.The Federal Supreme Court will be composed of one chief justice and eight justices: three of them to be appointed by the President, three to be appointed by the Federal Constitutional Court en banc, and three to be appointed by the Commission on Appointments or Congress.It will review final judgments and orders of lower courts except those within the exclusive jurisdiction of the Federal Constitutional Court and Federal Administrative Court, issues of jurisdiction of any lower court, and criminal offenses in which the penalty is life imprisonment or death.The Federal Constitutional Court will be composed of one presiding justice and eight associate justices. Three of them must be recognized experts in constitutional law, to be appointed by the President. The three other members will be appointed by the Federal Administrative Court en banc and the rest, by the Commission on Appointments or Congress.It will be mandated to resolve disputes involving constitutionality of a law, treaty, international or executive agreement; presidential decrees (PDs), orders, instructions, ordinances and other regulations; administrative issuances of the Federal Government or any of its departments and agencies and laws passed by the legislative assemblies of the federated regions; any matter involving pure questions of constitutionality; and cases of impeachment against all impeachable officials.The Federal Administrative Court will be composed of one presiding justice and eight associate justices: three justices with expertise on administrative and election laws to be appointed by the President and six others to be appointed by the Federal Supreme Court en banc and the Commission on Appointments or Congress.It will have exclusive jurisdiction to review, on appeal or certiorari, the decisions, judgments, final orders or resolutions of quasi-judicial bodies.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/concom-eyes-3-supreme-courts/400226/
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Padre Pio relic to visit several PH churches
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['Catherine A. Modesto']
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2018-09-06 00:01:55+00:00
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The heart relic of the famed stigmatist St. Padre Pio of Pietrelcina will leave its home in Italy to visit the Philippines from October 6 to 26.The rector of the National Shrine of Padre Pio in Sto. Domingo, Batangas, Joselin “Jojo” Gonda said the Philippines would be the fourth country to host the relic.St. Padre Pio’s heart relic has only been in three other countries — the United States, which it visited for 10 days; Paraguay, eight days; and Argentina, five days.Bishop Ben Famadico, chairman of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines, said the visit aims “to draw the faithful to Christ.”“Amid pain, Christ was with him [Padre Pio]. He serves a reminder that Christ never left us,” Famadico added.Padre Pio is the patron saint of confessors, adolescents and civil defense volunteers.Gonda said Filipinos who are in “near hopelessness” because of political conflicts and economic difficulties could use the historic visit to their advantage by venerating before St. Padre Pio and asking for “recovery” of the country.“This year will mark two milestones in St. Padre Pio’s life. First on September 20, we will commemorate the centennial of Padre Pio’s receiving the stigmata or the five wounds of Jesus. Second, we will celebrate his golden death anniversary on September 23,” Gonda added.The San Giovanni Rotondo in Foggia, Italy is the home of St. Padre Pio.The heart relic will make its first stop at the National Shrine of Padre Pio from October 6 to 7.On October 8 to 10, it will be open for veneration at the Manila Cathedral in Intramuros.On October 11 to 13, it will be in Cebu Cathedral and on October 14 to 16, in Davao Cathedral.On October 17, it will be in Lipa Cathedral, and it will return to the National Shrine of Padre Pio on October 18 where it will stay until October 26.The historic visit was made possible through the initiative of the Lipa archdiocese, led by Archbishop Gilbert Garcera and Gonda.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/padre-pio-relic-to-visit-several-ph-churches/438539/
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Poe seeks probe of defective police cars
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['Jefferson Antiporda']
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2018-07-03 00:01:29+00:00
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SEN. Grace Poe on Monday said she would push for a Senate investigation of the acquisition by the Philippine National Police of defective patrol cars worth P1.8 billion.“I will push for an inquiry to look into these and determine the culpability of the PNP officials, among others,” Poe said.She made the statement after the Commission on Audit confirmed in a report that the 2,054 Mahindra vehicles purchased for P1.8 billion were defective.Poe, who was the chairman of the Senate Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs when the procurement of vehicles was being planned, questioned the way the terms of reference for the PNP patrol jeeps bidding were crafted.According to her, the terms of reference eliminated known brands with track record and countrywide presence as far as service centers are concerned.“These COA findings validate my concerns to a large extent,” said Poe in a statement.State auditors in a report that was secured by The Manila Times confirmed its 2017 PNP consolidated annual audit report citing a number of issues involving the Mahindra vehicles.The report said several issues were raised against the vehicles, including problems on high fuel consumption, difficulty in acceleration at higher speed, tough maneuverability due to the vehicle’s narrow body, low engine performance, heavy smoke emission, limited interior space, absence of service centers and lack of spare parts.Sen. Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito, one of the lawmakers who questioned the purchase of the vehicles, said it was a waste of taxpayers’ money.He said given the meager resources of the police, the PNP should have acquired vehicles and equipment that are durable and reliable.“We cannot afford to waste public funds on vehicles and equipment that are not reliable,” the senator added.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/poe-seeks-probe-of-defective-police-cars/415244/
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US warship sails near Spratlys
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['Agence France-Presse']
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2018-10-02 00:03:26+00:00
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WASHINGTON, D.C.: An American warship has sailed through waters off the contested Spratly Islands in the South China Sea, in the latest implicit challenge to Beijing’s sweeping territorial claims in the region, the Pentagon said Sunday.“Guided-missile destroyer USS Decatur conducted a freedom of navigation operation,” an official told Agence France-Presse. “Decatur sailed within 12 nautical miles of Gaven and Johnson reefs in the Spratly Islands.”The official said all US military operations in the area “are designed in accordance with international law and demonstrate that the United States will fly, sail and operate wherever international law allows.”The 12-mile distance is commonly accepted as constituting the territorial waters of a landmass. Beijing claims all of the Spratly chain.There was no immediate reaction from China, but a similar US operation in July, involving the disputed Paracel islands, prompted a furious Beijing to deploy military vessels and fighter jets.The Paracels, north of the Spratly Islands, are claimed by China, Taiwan and Vietnam.On May 25, the guided-missile destroyer USS Dewey sailed less than 12 nautical miles from a reef in the Spratly archipelago.China claims nearly all of the South China Sea, though Taiwan, the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia and Vietnam all claim parts of it.Further angering those countries, and the US, Beijing has moved aggressively to build reefs into artificial islands capable of hosting military planes.US-Chinese relations have been strained on multiple levels since Donald Trump became president in 2017. A trade war launched by Trump has infuriated Beijing, as did his authorization of a $1.3 billion arms sale to Taiwan, which China considers a rebel province.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/us-warship-sails-near-spratlys/447285/
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No more ‘faulty’ housing policies by Christmas
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['Llanesca T. Panti']
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2016-11-01 20:40:24+00:00
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Vice President Ma. Leonor Robredo has vowed to end all faulty housing policies by December.In a chance interview in Naga City (Camarines Sur) where she visited the grave of her late husband and Interior and Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo on Tuesday, the Vice President identified five problematic housing policies: Housing backlog is addressed by building houses even if relocation sites do not have access to water, electricity, livelihood, mass transportation, among other basic needs; developers have difficulty in securing permits to build housing projects; titling of land is needed before the government is allowed to build a housing project; processing of conversion of agricultural land to residential land is very slow; and housing projects are inaccessible to the poor.“We are trying to change a lot of things. We are evaluating on whether a certain policy is insufficient or just downright wrong, and the first thing that we saw is the defective metrics in measuring the accomplishment [of addressing housing backlog]. We have been doing inspection, and at least 80 percent of what I saw do not have access to basic needs,” Robredo, chairman of the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council, said.The Vice President cited that local government units are not consulted over their possible hosting of relocation sites, virtually forcing them to accept the relocates even if the LGUs do not have the capacity to provide water supply and other basic needs of the relocation sites.“As a result, the relocation ends up a failure because people will only reside there for a while, then they will sellit. They will return to Manila to become informal settlers again. So as far as we are concerned, we are reviewing the defective policies and I have a self-imposed deadline to iron these all out by December,” Robredo said.The country’s housing backlog for the next six years is at 5.6 million.“It takes developer a long time to secure a permit to build a housing project, thus the 5.6 million backlog and the average of a measly 200,000 houses built in a year. Since it takes a lot of time to secure a permit, developers are avoiding socialized [low-cost] housing. We really want this addressed by streamlining the process,” Robredo said.“We want to cut the processing time and ease the number of documents needed, considering that a land has to be titled before the government is allowed to build a housing project and the slow processing of conversion of agricultural land to residential land. Lastly, we want to make these housing projects available to the poor,” she added.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/no-faulty-housing-policies-christmas/294220/
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Free tuition for medical students in SUCs sought
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['Jefferson Antiporda']
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2017-06-18 19:31:36+00:00
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THE Commission on Higher Education’s (CHED) move to provide free tuition for medical students in select state universities and colleges (SUCs) is a good start but it should also convince Congress to act and pass a law that would ensure the continuity of the program, Sen. Juan Edgardo Angara said on Sunday.Angara expressed hope that with the initiative of CHED, lawmakers would now find it necessary to make the passage of Senate Bill (SB) 1157 a priority.The bill seeks to establish a medical scholarship program in the country.It also intends to finance the medical schooling of a beneficiary who, after completing his studies and passing the medical board examinations, will serve as a doctor in the public hospital in his home province.Angara, author of SB 1157, said the proposal is also aimed at addressing the continuing need for doctors in provincial public hospitals to perform the required medical services to those who cannot afford to avail of the services of private hospitals.Under the bill, the medical scholarship program will not only include free tuition but also allowance for prescribed books, supplies and equipment, clothing and uniform, housing accommodation, transportation and other related miscellaneous living allowances.The proposed scholarship program shall accept at least one beneficiary from every province in the country.The number of beneficiaries per province shall depend on the number of medical doctors needed for each province as determined by the Department of Health (DoH).Angara’s bill was referred to the Senate Committee on Health and Demography then headed by Sen. Risa Hontiveros last September 2016 but not a single hearing was conducted by the panel chairman.The committee on health is now led by Sen. Joseph Victor Ejercito after Sen. Emmanuel Pacquiao moved to replace Hontiveros last February along with other Liberal Party senators holding other committee chairmanships.“The lack or the maldistribution of doctors and healthcare professionals in the country is truly alarming. Most doctors and medical specialists are concentrated in urban centers and larger municipalities, leaving far-flung communities largely unserved,” Angara noted.Based on DoH data, there is one doctor for every 33,000 Filipinos, far from the World Health Organization standard of one doctor for every 20,000 population.Recent data from the Philippine Statistics Authority showed that three out of five Filipinos die without seeing a doctor, nurse or any other allied health professional.Angara commended the CHED for giving priority to the education of medical students in the country but to be able to sustain it, Congress needs to support the passage of SB 1157 so that the budget will be assured every year.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/free-tuition-medical-students-sucs-sought/333516/
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Duterte defends order to retain drug-tainted CIDG-8 head
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['James O Sullivan']
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5/12/2016 0:00
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“Whatever the reason be, that’s my discretion,” so said President Rodrigo Duterte as he denied breaking protocol when he ordered Philippine National Police director general Ronald dela Rosa not to remove Supt. Marvin Marcos as head of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) in region 8.“I do not have to explain to you, the whole Republic of the Philippine and the critics why I made the order for him (Dela Rosa) just to sit down and do not remove him (Marcos),” said Duterte in his speech during the Christmas tree lighting ceremony in Malacañang on Monday, December 5.He stressed that as head of government and chief executive, the police is under him and the PNP chief is under his supervision and control.“Protocol?… What do you mean protocol? I ordered the transfer or the retention and you asked me about protocol. There is no such thing as protocol,” said Duterte.“When there is absolute control and supervision, I can modify and mend, revoke any order in this executive department. Congress and Supreme Court, wala tayong pakialam.“As president, I do not have to give you the rationale or the reason why I ordered the reinstatement right away… Kasi I have a purpose there. Huwag ka nang magtanong kung ano,” he continued.The president also clarified that it was not a “reinstatement” but just an order to hold Marcos’ relief.Duterte’s order to retain Marcos as CIDG-8 director was made days before the raid at the Leyte sub-provincial jail in Baybay City that resulted in the death of Albuera mayor Rolando Espinosa Sr. who was facing drug charges. The raid was led by Marcos.“So (now), they are questioning my motive. Na ganoon raw… they are now assuming that maybe I knew about the operation then now ang bago nila is ako ang nag-utos sa loob. Whatever the reason be, that’s my discretion,” he pointed out.
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Manila Bulletin
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https://news.mb.com.ph/2016/12/05/duterte-defends-order-to-retain-drug-tainted-cidg-8-head/
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Police in Espinosa case face sanctions
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['Jing Villamente']
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2017-02-09 21:23:01+00:00
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Refusing to divulge contents of its report, the National Police Commission (Napolcom) on Thursday said it recommended sanctions against policemen involved in the fatal shooting of jailed former Albuera (Leyte) Mayor Rolando Espinosa and another inmate.Napolcom Vice Chairman Rogelio Casurao said the commission found probable cause to issue the recommendation based on the pieces of evidence gathered when former Criminal Investigation and Detection Group Region 8 head Supt. Marvin Marcos and his team served a search warrant on Espinosa who was killed in the Leyte provincial jail last November 5.Casurao, however, added that they would give way to the Philippine National Police (PNP)-Internal Affairs Office (PNP-IAS) to announce and release the finding, since the IAS went to the crime scene. The office is in a better position to announce the findings, being more aware of the actual ground situation, he noted.The PNP-IAS has concluded its preliminary conference on the case and is slated to come up with a resolution this February on whether to dismiss police officers or spare them from any liability.Based on its investigation, Casurao said they have discovered lapses and other violations of standard operating procedures when Marcos’ team served the search warrant on Espinosa inside the jail facility.According to him, there was a breach of standard police procedures in serving the search warrant and the use of excessive force.He pointed out the lack of coordination between members of the operating team and their superiors as well as the jail officers.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/police-espinosa-case-face-sanctions/311346/
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21 Pinoy seafarers stranded in India
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['Neil Jayson Servallos']
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2018-10-07 00:02:15+00:00
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The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said 21 Filipino seafarers have been stranded for more than three months at a port in India after their employers abandoned them in June.The Philippine embassy in New Delhi has been instructed to help the seafarers.Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano on Friday ordered the embassy to send consular officers to Kakinada Port in southeastern India, 1,800 kilometers away from New Delhi, where the seafarers are.The Filipinos have been stuck on the vessel MV Evangelia M, a Liberian-flagged bulk carrier abandoned by its Greek owners.The DFA’s Office of Migrant Workers Affairs was also directed to request assistance from the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration to ensure that the maritime company in Manila would facilitate the repatriation and the payment of the salaries of the stranded seafarers.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/21-pinoy-seafarers-stranded-in-india/449108/
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Co-ops: We didn’t cause P25-B tax loss
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['Llanesca T. Panti']
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2017-06-01 21:30:45+00:00
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The 14-million strong Cooperative Development Authority (CDA) has cried foul over claims of the Finance department that the government is losing P25 billion worth of revenues from Value-Added Tax exemption for cooperatives.The CDA is a government agency that regulates cooperatives in the Philippines.CDA Chairman Orlando Ravanera issued the statement on Friday or just a day after the House ofRepresentatives approved the tax reform bill, which retained the VAT exemption for cooperatives particularly: sales by agricultural cooperatives duly registered with the CDA to their members as well as the sale of their produce, whether in its original state or processed form, to non-members; gross receipts from lending activities by credit or multi-purpose cooperatives duly registered with the CDA; and sales by non-agricultural, non-electric and non-credit cooperatives duly registered with the CDA.“The judgment made by some government officials against cooperatives was grossly unfair and foul. Cooperatives are job generators and tax makers, and certainly not abusive enterprises nor serve as tax shields,” Ravanera said in the statement.He noted that the 7.6 million cooperative members, whom the Finance department claims belong to rich cooperatives, really belong to 751 registered cooperatives with members coming from the broad and marginalized basic sectors of society, not the affluent ones or oligarchs.On the average, the CDA chief said, each of the 4,271 cooperative members only earn a total of P8,102.25 from transactions of bigger cooperatives in one fiscal year.“Deducting the operational expenses, the salaries and wages of cooperative employees that contribute income taxes, the indirect taxes, employees’ benefits and the 30 percent statutory reserves intended for various purposes such as organizational stability and development, community and social development projects, human capital capacity-building activities, particularly the membership and community-based trainings, at the net, such amount would in actuality become a pittance when it finally reaches the pockets of each member,” Ravanera said.“Should we then deprive them of a little additional income from their sacrificial pooling of skills, knowledge and resources through long years of self-help and mutual help efforts just because they have built their very own above-average cooperatives by repealing VAT exemption privilege?” he added.Ravanera called out the Finance department for pushing for a new law mandating the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) to audit all cooperatives even if the existing laws already provide for such.“The books of accounts and accounting records of the cooperatives can be examined by the BIR. In addition, the CDA is placing these enterprises [under] full scrutiny under the agency’s regulatory activities such as inspection, examination and even investigation,” he said.“The CDA has also institutionalized the accreditation of Cooperative External Auditors to protect the members and the public from exploitative and irregular acts,” Ravanera added.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/co-ops-didnt-cause-p25-b-tax-loss/330434/
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Air Force to get 2 more fighter jets from korea
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['Fernan Marasigan']
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2016-11-29 21:06:48+00:00
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THE Korean Aerospace Industries, Ltd (KAI) will deliver the second batch of fighter jets to the Philippine Air Force on December 1.Piloted by KAI personnel, the two FA-50PH with tail No. 003 and 004 will touch down at the Air Force City in Clark Air Base, Pampanga at about 11:30 a.m.Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana will attend the arrival ceremony, according to Lt. Col. Antonio Francisco Jr., director of the Air Force’s public information office.The first batch of supersonic jets arrived in the Philippines on November 28, 2015. The remaining batches are expected to be delivered in 2017.The Department of National Defense (DND) sealed the jet acquisition contract with KAI at a cost of P18.9 billion.|It originally planned to procure a squadron or 24 jets but reduced it to 12 because of funding problem.President Rodrigo Duterte had said the acquisition of fighter jets by the previous administration was a waste of money. Military and defense officials said Duterte wants to prioritize the internal security operations.The Philippines was the first Southeast Asian country to have supersonic fighter jets when it acquired 23 brand-new F-5 jets in 1965 from the US under a bilateral assistance pact.The FA-50s will replace the F-5 jet fighters, which were retired in 2004.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/air-force-get-2-fighter-jets-korea/299049/
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SC allows trial of Maute cases in Metro Manila
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['Jomar Canlas']
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2017-07-18 22:55:10+00:00
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The Supreme Court (SC) has formally granted a plea for the transfer of the trial of the cases concerning the attacks in Marawi City to Metro Manila from Cagayan de Oro City.During Tuesday’s en banc session, the SC agreed to changing the venue of the hearing of the criminal charges against the Maute Group and their cohorts in courts in Taguig City where those arrested are detained.Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre 2nd welcomed the SC ruling.“That is great news for the DoJ [Department of Justice] and its panels of prosecutors in Cagayan de Oro,” Aguirre said.“It will solve a lot of problems like where the detainees are to be confined and whether we are going to rent a new place to hold the inquests and conduct preliminary investigations,” he added.”The court, in a resolution dated June 27,2017, acted on two letters of the Secretary of Justice dated 13 and 14 June 2017, noted the same and designated the Regional Trial Court of the National Capital Judicial Region stationed in Taguig City, instead of the Regional Trial Court of Cagayan de Oro City, to speedily act on all prosecutions and incidents arising from the violent incidents in Marawi City involving the Maute Group,” the court ruled.Aguirre pleaded before the High Court to allow hearing of the cases at an appropriate venue inside the premises of the Special Intensive Care Area located inside Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig to ensure greater security for the Maute detainees.The plea was granted after the Justice secretary sent an appeal-letter to the High Court to transfer the trial outside Mindanao and hold it in Taguig City because of security concerns.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/sc-allows-trial-maute-cases-metro-manila/339128/
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Prosecutor rank given to PAO chief
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['Jomar Canlas']
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2017-03-07 22:14:47+00:00
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The Supreme Court (SC) has empowered the Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) by giving its chief and lawyers special rank of and salary enjoyed by a prosecutor of the Department of Justice (DOJ).This came about after the High Court junked a petition filed by the Career Executive Service Board (CESB) against the Civil Service Commission (CSC) covering the officials of PAO.In a 33-page decision penned by Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno, the SC en banc ruled to dismiss the petition for certiorari and prohibition for lack of merit.It affirmed the questioned issuance of the CSC under Decision 110067 and Resolution 1100719 dated February 15, 2011 and June 1, 2011, respectively.The dispute concerns the classification of certain positions of PAO, including the position of PAO chief Persida Rueda-Acosta, along with its deputies and regional public attorneys.The SC was petitioned by the CESB in order to determine whether the positions are properly included in the Career Executive Service (CES) and whether the occupants of these positions must obtain third-level eligibility to qualify for permanent appointment.Also, the SC was asked whether the positions are considered part of the CES and be declassified.The SC ruled that the CSC committed no grave abuse of discretion when it ruled in favor of PAO officers andlawyers.It said the agency’s lawyers should be treated like members of the National Prosecution Service (NPS).“To fulfill the legislative intent to accord equal treatment to senior officials of the PAO and the NPS, parity in their qualification for appointment must be maintained. Accordingly, the revived qualifications of those in the NPS must also be considered applicable to those in the PAO,” the decision read.Also, the SC said the CSC may properly review decisions reached by the CESB, an agency attached to it.“The CESB effectively amended the law when it required that the PAO officials obtain third-level eligibility before they could become permanent as this requirement is not provided in the law,” it added.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/prosecutor-rank-given-pao-chief/315965/
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BoC suspends guidelines on ‘balikbayan’ privileges
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['William Depasupil']
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2017-10-06 21:11:50+00:00
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BUREAU of Customs (BoC) Commissioner Isidro Lapeña has ordered the temporary suspension of the implementing guidelines on the availment of duty- and tax-free privileges on balikbayan (returnee) boxes containing personal effects and household goods sent by overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) to their families in the Philippines.Lapeña on Friday said he was compelled to stop the implementation after receiving complaints from Filipino migrant workers on the tedious requirements before one can avail of such privileges on balikbayan boxes.Ordered suspended by the BoC chief were Customs Administrative Order (CAO) 05-2016, Customs Memorandum Order (CMO) 04-2017 and the registration requirements of deconsolidators.CAO 05-2016 and CMO 04-2017 provide guidelines on the implementation of duty- and tax-free privileges on balikbayan boxes.Under these two orders, qualified Filipinos while abroad (QFWA) must accomplish the Information Sheet, submit a photocopy of their Philippine passport, a copy of invoice and proof of purchase of the goods contained in the box to be qualified for the P150,000 tax exemption.Lapeña pointed out that a balikbayan box symbolizes the hardship of OFWs, and their love for the families they left behind in the Philippines.“Although it is our duty to facilitate Customs clearance of balikbayan boxes, we cannot set aside the sentiments of our fellow Filipinos abroad,” he said.According to Lapeña , a consultation would soon be conducted with stakeholders aimed at drafting necessary amendments to CAO 05-2016 and CMO 04-2017.The suspension of the two orders would remain in effect until March 31, 2018.“With the suspension of the current procedure on balikbayan boxes, the previous regulation will be enforced,” Lapeña said.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/boc-suspends-guidelines-balikbayan-privileges/354905/
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PH’s Maya-1 launched into space
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['Reginan Kurt Ivan Abang']
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2018-07-01 00:04:39+00:00
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THE rocket carrying the Filipino-made cube satellite the Maya-1 was launched into space in Cape Canaveral, Florida on Friday.The Falcon 9 CRS-15 rocket lifted off at 5:41 Philippine Standard Time.The rocket, part of the SpaceX Resupply Mission, was carrying supplies and experiments to the International Space Station.In a statement, the Department of Science and Technology’s Advance Sciences and Technology Institute said the cube satellite will collect data through its “Store-and-Forward” System. It is also equipped with two cameras for collecting videos and pictures for research, carries an automatic packet radio service digipeater that can communicate through ham radios, and a low-cost global positioning system (GPS).The Maya-1 is one of the three cube satellites that were launched into orbit. The other two are Bhutan’s BHUTAN-1 and Malaysia’s UiTMSAT-1.Joven Javier and Adrian Salces developed the Maya-1 in Kyushu Institute of Technology in Japan under the country’s Scientific Earth Observation Microsatellite (PH-Microsat) program, a joint venture of DOST-ASTI and the University of the Philippines-Diliman. The cube satellite was first turned over to the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) on April 1, 2018.PH-Microsat was behind the development of Diwata-1, the country’s first microsatellite launched into space in 2016.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/phs-maya-1-launched-into-space/414714/
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Metro subway gets traction from Duterte-Abe meeting
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['Catherine S. Valente']
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2017-11-14 23:33:37+00:00
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President Rodrigo Duterte has reaffirmed to Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe the strong relationship of the Philippines with Japan, with the two countries exchanging notes on proposed infrastructure projects, and economic and social development programs.Duterte and Abe met during a bilateral meeting at the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) Summit in Manila on Monday.“There’s a thing here that says that I should reaffirm, and I am reaffirming this by [stating] in the strongest possible language that we have a very strong bond. It’s almost a sentimental attachment for many years,” Duterte said in his speech during the meeting.The President then reiterated his appreciation for the support of Japan during the recent armed conflict in Marawi City.He also expressed his gratitude to Abe for turning over trainer aircraft, machinery and radar to the Philippines.“We are aware that you have been helping us, especially in Marawi even during the siege and we appreciate it very much. In behalf of the people of Marawi, I’d like to thank you again,” Duterte said.The President also thanked the Japanese government for making it possible for him to have an audience with Japanese Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko during his official visit to Japan last month.“One of the things that I would, maybe, remember for all time,” Duterte said of the rare opportunity to meet the imperial couple.During the bilateral meeting, Duterte and Abe witnessed the exchange of notes between several agencies of the Philippines and Japan.The two leaders first witnessed the exchange of notes for the Metro Manila subway project between Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano and Japanese Ambassador to the Philippines Kojie Haneda.The Japanese government intends to provide 104.53 billion yen (approximately P46 billion) for the first phase of the project, which is expected to transport approximately 500,000 passengers per day in 2027 or two years after the completion of the project.The subway will run from Mindanao Avenue in Quezon City to Food Terminal Inc. in Taguig City and may be extended to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.The Philippines and Japan also exchanged notes on the arterial bypass road along the Philippine-Japan Friendship Highway in Plaridel, Bulacan, and on economic and social development programs.The grant includes provision of equipment for the rehabilitation of Marawi City for the Department of Public Works and Highways and coast watch radars to increase the Philippine Coast Guard’s anti-terrorism capabilities in Western Mindanao.Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez 3rd and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Chief Representative in the Philippines Susumu Ito had an exchange of loan agreements on the Cavite Industrial Area Flood Risk Management Project.Department of National Defense Undersecretary for Finance, Ammunitions, Installations and Materials Raymundo Elefante and Commissioner Yoshiyuki Suzuki of the Acquisition Technology and Logistics Agency signed the Amended Letter of Arrangement on the transfer of Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force trainer aircraft TC-90s.In October 2017, Japan pledged a total of 1 trillion yen or roughly P456 billion worth of economic assistance for the infrastructure projects in the Philippines by exchanging notes on the provision of a yen loan.A portion of the 1-trillion yen financial package includes a 104.53-billion yen loan for the first phase of the Metro Manila Subway Project, aimed at solving the transportation and traffic congestion problem in the Philippine capital.About P356 billion (800-billion yen) is needed to complete the entire subway project and Japan, known for its high-speed bullet trains and efficient transportation system, might provide more aid to complete the project.For this loan package, Japan has agreed to a 0.1 percent per annum rate of interest, payable for 28 years after a grace period of 12 years.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/metro-subway-gets-traction-duterte-abe-meeting/362824/
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Sotto seeks amendment to drugs act
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['Bernadette E. Tamayo']
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2018-01-01 21:13:49+00:00
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SEN. Vicente Sotto 3rd wants to amend the Dangerous Drugs Act by not requiring anymore drug dependents to seek court order to be admitted in government-run rehabilitation centers.He filed on December 5 Senate Bill (SB) 1628 that aims to streamline the process for the admission of drug dependents in government drug rehabilitation facilitiesSB 1628 amends Section 3, 54, 77 and 81 of Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 to achieve this purpose.Sotto noted that with the full implementation of the Duterte administration’s war on drugs, thousands of users are voluntary submitting themselves to reform and undergo drug rehabilitation treatment.“However, one of the challenges faced by the surge of these drug users or dependents is the delay in the process of admission for treatment in government facilities,” he said.“To streamline this process, this bill aims to require that the petition for voluntary confinement be a non-litigious matter before the Dangerous Drugs Board [DDB],” Sotto added.SB 1628 intends to amend Section 77 of RA 9165 that mandates the DDB to refer to the court any application for rehabilitation from drug dependents. The court will then order the applicant be examined for drug dependency.Sotto wants to cut the long process before a drug dependent be admitted to a government-run rehabilitation center.However, the bill also provides that “the applicant shall bear the treatment and rehabilitation costs if he or she opted to be treated in a private rehabilitation center.”Sotto said that in the Philippines, “there is a stigma that a known user of prohibited drugs is deemed as a continuing nuisance to the society.”According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, like other chronic diseases, addiction can be managed successfully.Treatment enables people to counteract addiction’s powerful disruptive effects on the brain and behavior and to regain control of their lives, Sotto said.“Under our Constitution, it is our policy of the State to protect and promote the right to health of the people and instill health consciousness among them,” he added.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/sotto-seeks-amendment-drugs-act/371675/
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Martires to be fair on Duterte cases
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['Llanesca T. Panti']
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2018-07-28 00:10:32+00:00
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Newly appointed Ombudsman Samuel Martires has vowed to be impartial on cases that would involve President Rodrigo Duterte and his family.Martires made the assurance when he visited the Office of the Ombudsman on Friday, a day after his appointment as top corruption-buster was announced by Duterte.He is expected to take over as Ombudsman on Wednesday, August 1, after the Supreme Court en banc approves on Tuesday his early retirement as associate justice of the high court.“If the evidence will show that there is a probable cause for the filing of charges against any member of the [First] family, why not? That is the reason why I was appointed here,” Martires, told reporters.“But if there is not enough evidence, I hope the public will also accept that [fact],” Martires, who will serve a fixed term of seven years as Ombudsman, added.It can be recalled that President Duterte had repeatedly threatened Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales of impeachment in the middle of the Ombudsman’s office probe on alleged ill-gotten wealth of the President and his family stemming from a plunder complaint filed by Sen. Antonio Trillanes 4th before Duterte won the Presidency in May 2016.The President even accused the Ombudsman’s office of extorting public officials in exchange for the government prosecutors dismissing the complaint against the public officials involve.Morales, a retired Supreme Court justice and the aunt of lawyer Manases Carpio who is the husband of the President’s daughter and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte, has denied all of the President’s accusations.President Duterte and his family were eventually cleared of these charges. Likewise, a panel of Ombudsman prosecutors cleared the President’s son and former Davao City Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte over the smuggling of P6.4 billion worth of illegal drugs via the Bureau of Customs’ express lane.But based on the Ombudsman’s records, Paolo Duterte is still under probe for alleged violations of the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees and Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act; An Act Declaring Forfeiture in Favor of the State Any Property Found to Have Been Unlawfully Acquired by Any; and Conduct Prejudicial to the Best Interest of the Service, Grave Misconduct and Serious Dishonesty.President Duterte has called on Martires to do what is right, and the new Ombudsman vowed to do exactly that.“I really need to do what is right, just like how I did it when I was a justice in the Sandiganbayan and the Supreme Court,” Martires said.At the necrological services for the late Minister of Justice Ricardo Puno Sr., Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra stressed that Martires was the best man for the job.Meanwhile, former Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez called on the officers and personnel of the Office of the Ombudsman to “give him (Martirez) a chance. “I am sure he would be independent and fair” to the cases that are pending before the Office of the Ombudsman,” she added.Senate President Vicente Sotto 3rd said, “I’m sure he will do well. Track record shows that. It’s perhaps the reason he has the trust and confidence of the President.”Senators Panfilo Lacson, Francis Escudero and Francis Pangilinan also expressed hope that Martirez would resolve graft and corruption cases pending in his office with haste and integrity.“We hope Ombudsman Martires will not be a tool of anyone, and will go after corrupt officials by building a strong case backed by evidence,” Pangilinan said.Detained Sen. Leila de Lima said under Carpio-Morales’s watch, the Office of the Ombudsman “reduced its case backlog drastically.”“Her legacy should not be wasted by the next Ombudsman,” de Lima added.Martires vowed that he would not let opportunists use his office to file harassment cases against their respective political rivals as he does not have a “persecution complex.”Rep. Tom Villarin of Akbayan party-list, however, warned that Martires’ appointment is disturbing considering Martires’ past decisions favoring Duterte and the Marcoses.Villarin cited that in 2011, then Sandiganbayan Justice Martires junked graft charges against then mayor Rodrigo Duterte over the demolition of a park built by Duterte’s then political rival, former Speaker Prospero Nograles of Davao City.Martires also wrote the decision dismissing a 24-year old P50-billion damage suit filed against the family of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos and family, their crony and former Trade Minister Roberto Ongpin in relation to the Binondo Central Bank during martial law.“If Martires wants to prove his detractors wrong and convert the non-believers, his first move is to declare his independence and cut off ties with whoever he owes a debt of gratitude,” Villarin added.With Reports from BERNADETTE E. TAMAYO AND JOMAR CANLAS
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/martires-to-be-fair-on-duterte-cases/423991/
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PH, Kuwait approve draft agreement on OFWs
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['William Depasupil']
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2018-03-20 00:07:05+00:00
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THE Philippines and Kuwait labor panels have approved the draft Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that would provide strong guarantees on the safety and welfare of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), particularly household service workers (HSWs).Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello 3rd said on Monday that the agreement was reached Friday night after two days of deliberations which, he admitted, almost collapsed after the two panels failed to agree on two contentious issues – to allow Filipino workers to deposit their passports with the Philippine Embassy and give them direct access to their loved ones and with labor and foreign affairs officials.Bello said the MoU was expected to be signed within the week, but clarified that even after its signing, the total deployment ban would remain until the demand of the President for justice for Filipina household service worker Joanna Demafelis, whose body was found inside a freezer in an abandoned apartment in Kuwait, was served.Labor Undersecretary Jacinto Paras, for his part, said that aside from the Demafelis issue, the President also wanted the Kuwait government to give its assurance in writing through a bilateral agreement that abuses and maltreatment of Filipino workers would stop.The agreement, Paras added, must also state that Kuwaiti employers must immediately be penalized if found guilty of maltreatment through a process that will be summary in nature.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/ph-kuwait-approve-draft-agreement-on-ofws/387238/
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New guidelines to restrict media coverage of House proceedings
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['Mary Gleefer F. Jalea']
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2018-09-25 00:05:24+00:00
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Reporters may no longer be allowed to hold “ambush” interviews if the House of Representatives approves proposed guidelines for media coverage.Eastern Samar Rep. Ben Evardone, chairman of the Committee on Public Information, told reporters on Monday that members of the media might be “restricted” once the guidelines are officially implemented.Evardone defended the House move to impose new rules on media coverage, saying “it is not totally wrong to have media guidelines.”House Resolution 2149, filed by Cristina Roa Puno of Antipolo City’s First District, said the adoption of the guidelines “is imperative to guarantee freedom of the press and of information, while ensuring public order and safety.”“To warrant that the Proposed Rules is at par with international standards of media coverage and press freedom, it was patterned after the rules of the House of Representatives of the United States of America and various parliaments of nations that rank highest in the press freedom index, such as the Norwegian Storting and the Swedish Rikstag,” a portion of the resolution read.The guidelines would likely restrict reporters from conducting ambush interviews at the House lobby and other areas, and require them to show letters of consent to respective departments before covering the lower chamber, Evardone said.He said the measure had been discussed with Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.“I have reservations on the draft guidelines, we will not issue that unless everyone agrees,” he added.Puno said the resolution was revised and “had gone through consultations even with media members.”“Please be assured it does not in any way curtail press freedom. As a media practitioner, I made sure of it. This is just for the safety of both members and media members and also to safeguard order and security within the house,” said Puno, a former news anchor and TV personality.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/new-guidelines-to-restrict-media-coverage-of-house-proceedings/444862/
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Employers told to release 13th month pay on time
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['William Depasupil']
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2016-11-01 20:43:04+00:00
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WITH a little over 50 days to go before Christmas, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) reminded employers to release the 13th month pay of workers on time or not later than December 24.Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello 3rd on Tuesday said all workers who have rendered at least one month of service are entitled to a 13th month salary as mandated by law, except those who are holding managerial positions, among others.“All employers are required to pay their rank-and-file employees the 13th month pay, regardless of the nature of their employment, and irrespective of the methods by which their wages are paid, provided they worked for at least one month in a year,” Bello added.Labor laws and their implementing rules and regulations mandate the payment of 13th month pay.“The 13th month pay is a labor standard provision of the law that the DOLE does not compromise as to its payment. And employers are duty-bound under the law to report their compliance with this worker benefit,” Bello said.Under the Labor Code, every covered employer is required to make a report of compliance to the nearest DOLE regional office not later than January 15 of each year.Contractual workers are entitled as well to a 13th month pay under a DOLE regulation issued in 2011 by former Labor chief Rosalinda Baldoz.Under the regulation, contractual employees are entitled to 13th month pay and other benefits provided under the Labor Code including the right to self-organize and negotiate a collective bargaining agreement.Employees excluded from coverage of 13th month pay law are managerial employees; those covered under the Civil Service Law; household helpers and person in the personal service of another; those paid on purely commission, boundary or task basis; those paid monthly for performing specific work except those paid on a piece-rate basis; and those already receiving 13th month pay or its equivalent, Christmas bonus, mid-year bonus, cash bonuses and other payments amounting to not less than one-twelfth (1/12) of the basic salary.The 13th month pay is defined to mean one-twelfth (1/12) of the basic salary of an employee within a calendar year.The basic salary includes all remunerations or earnings paid by an employer to an employee for services rendered, but may not include cost-of-living allowance or COLA, profit-sharing payments, cash equivalents of unused vacation and sick leave credits, overtime pay, premium pay, night shift differential pay, holiday pay and all allowances and monetary benefits which are not considered, or integrated as part of the regular or basic salary of the employee.Employers failing to pay the 13th month benefit are liable to money claim cases that aggrieved employees may file with any DOLE regional office.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/employers-told-release-13th-month-pay-time/294227/
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Baguio enthrones 3 new sultans
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['John Ishmael Fagyan', 'Keyser Söze']
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21/08/2017 0:00
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The Sultanate of Baguio-Benguet has three new Muslim sultans.Sultan Mohammad Amin Baab Torres, together with the 16 and 28 Royal Houses of Lanao representatives, confirmed yesterday the enthronement of Sultan Andres Roberto Moran as Sultan Cabugatan; retired-Colonel Omar Adigue as Sultan Makapundug; and Akjer Hadji Hakim as Sultan Ma-Amor.Sultan Ali Andrada, of the 16 Royal Sultans of Mindanao, announced the proclamation of the three at the enthronement ceremony led by the Sultan Torres Foundation in this city last Saturday.Guro Naguib, member of the Lanao Royal Sultanate, administered the oath of the three new sultans before hundreds of witnesses from the Muslim communities of Baguio and Benguet.Sultan Torres explained that the enthronement of the three was decided to be able to help the over 8,000 Muslims residing in this area, especially in peace and order and campaign on illegal drugs.
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Manila Bulletin
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https://news.mb.com.ph/2017/08/21/baguio-enthrones-3-new-sultans/
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Palace bucks Facebook deal with Rappler
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['Catherine S. Valente']
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2018-04-17 00:08:30+00:00
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Malacañang on Monday expressed opposition to Facebook’s move to tap online news outlets Rappler and Vera Files for its third-party fact checking program aimed at reducing fake news on the social media platform.“I would say that the efforts of Facebook to counter fake news is the solution and not legislation. However, there are those who are complaining that the chosen ‘police of the truth,’ so to speak are sometimes partisan themselves and of course this is the problem with truth that can be subjective depending on your political perspective,” Palace spokesman Harry Roque said in a news briefing.“And that is why I commiserate with those who object to the selection of Rappler and Vera Files because they know, we know where they stand in the political spectrum,” he added.Rappler earned the ire of President Rodrigo Duterte because of its critical reports. Vera Files has been fact checking the President’s claims in his speeches, evaluating the truthfulness of his statements.Heads of Rappler and Vera Files have been called to testify in a Senate probe on the proliferation of fake news online and have pointed to the Duterte camp as a source of false information.With the launch of Facebook’s third-party fact checking initiative, supporters of Duterte threatened to leave Facebook and urged the public to transfer to Russian social media platform VK.Rappler and Vera Files were tapped by Facebook to regulate content shared on the social media platform.The third-party fact-checkers will also provide more contexts to improve the quality and authenticity of stories in the News Feed.Earlier, musician and Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. executive Jimmy Bondoc threatened to leave Facebook if the fact checking initiative with Vera Files and Rappler pushes through.Bondoc said he would stay on the social media platform because of the petition asking Facebook founder and chief executive officer Mark Zuckerberg not to choose Vera Files and Rappler.Roque said the Palace was not discounting the possibility of Duterte’s supporters on Facebook shifting to another sites following the network’s effort.“It’s a free market place of ideas. My advice is for the Facebook users to make their wishes known to Facebook and of course the possibility of shifting is always there. Of course there’s a worldwide movement to delete Facebook not just because of their moves in the Philippines but because also of privacy concerns,” he added.In a separate statement, the Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) also expressed its opposition to Facebook’s tie-up with the two online news outlets.“We give our all-out support to them in their efforts to combat the creation and spread of false news that have poisoned our shared space and dumbed down, if not encouraged, vicious discourse in our online community—and that has served no one in any good way,” Presidential Communications Undersecretary for New Media Lorraine Marie Badoy said.But she added, “We would also like to register our protest at the choice of fact-checkers by Facebook.”Badoy said PCOO officials would raise their concerns with the social media platform during a meeting.“This will be on the agenda when we finally get to sit with them soon. Efforts are underway for both the PCOO and Facebook to sit across the table and discuss and hopefully, reach agreements that will get us closer to our shared goal of responsible and intelligent use of social media,” she said.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/palace-bucks-facebook-deal-with-rappler/393034/
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Labor seeks congressional inquiry into SSS operations
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['William Depasupil']
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2017-11-30 00:03:14+00:00
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ORGANIZED labor has sought a legislative probe of all aspects of operations of the Social Security System (SSS) amid a controversy hounding the state pension fund that raised doubts on the integrity of private workers’ money.The Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) made the call on Wednesday, saying the fund is facing a crisis of credibility triggered by the stock market placement controversy involving four ranking officials of the SSS.TUCP spokesman Vicente Camilon Jr. said of paramount importance is protection of the fund that comes from contributions of 34.6 million SSS members.In House Resolution 1482 filed by TUCP Rep. Raymond Mendoza, the labor group asked the House Committee on Banks and Financial Intermediaries to look into the operations of the SSS in response to the alarm raised in the controversy on the allegedly questionable purchase of shares of stock in the open market by the four officials of the pension fund amid efforts to increase premium contribution from workers.“Workers are concerned that the intramurals among SSS high officials might be compromising the fund and endangering the future of SSS members,” Mendoza said, adding that there is an immediate need to assure that workers’ funds are not only intact but, more important, not in the hands of crooks.The TUCP reiterated its strong objection to the proposal to raise the monthly contribution of SSS members from 11 percent to 12.5 percent in order to sustain the fund and to be able to provide more benefits to SSS members.It said SSS officials should first strengthen their collection mechanisms and go after errant employers rather than raising the contribution of workers.The congressman countered the SSS’ assertions that they are running after non-compliant companies, saying the prevailing corporate culture within the pension is laxity in filing cases against erring employers.“Workers believe that the real problem is the non-remittance by employers of collected workers’ money as contributions which the SSS must resolve first before proposing any addition to members’ contribution as a last resort to sustain its operations and meet its future obligations, and that a heroic effort to go after employers guilty of non-remittance may already address the financing required to maintain the life of the fund,” Mendoza said.The TUCP refuted the SSS’ assertion that the passage of the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion exempting low-income taxpayers from Personal Income Tax will make it affordable for workers to make additional contributions to the SSS.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/labor-seeks-congressional-inquiry-sss-operations/365682/
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Pichay seeks dismissal of case at Sandiganbayan
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['Ma. Reina Leanne Tolentino']
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2018-09-16 00:21:28+00:00
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House Deputy Speaker and Surigao del Sur Rep. Prospero Pichay Jr., who served as acting chairman of the Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA) board of trustees, asked the Sandiganbayan’s Fifth Division to dismiss the breach of conduct case he is facing in connection with the grant of P1.5 million to the National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP) for a chess tournament.The court earlier granted Pichay permission to file a demurrer to evidence in the case.Pichay said the complaint against him should be dismissed for lack of evidence.In 2016, the Office of the Ombudsman charged Pichay before the Sandiganbayan with violation of Section 7 (a) of Republic Act (R.A.) 6713 otherwise known as the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees.The Ombudsman claimed that Pichay had financial or material interest in the transaction since the money was used to mount the 2nd Chairman Prospero Pichay, Jr. Cup International Chess Championship.Pichay however denied this.“Accused respectfully submits that the sponsorship given to the [NCFP] simply cannot be equated and deemed to be financial or material interest within the context of Section 7 (a) of RA 6713. Records will bear it out that there is no proof or even allegation that accused Pichay earned or gained pecuniary benefit from the questioned sponsorship given to NCFP,” he said.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/pichay-seeks-dismissal-of-case-at-sandiganbayan/441966/
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Sparing ‘lumad’ from terrorist tag not absolute – DND chief
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['Roy Narra']
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2018-03-18 00:09:23+00:00
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The Department of National Defense (DND) over the weekend said lumad (indigenous peoples) will not beaffected in the government tagging of members of rebel groups as terrorists.In a statement released on Saturday, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana clarified that the label will only apply to leaders, regular fighters and supporters of rebel groups such as the Communist Party of the Philippines and the New People’s Army (NPA), the CPP’s armed wing.The statement came a day after a group of lumad rallied in front of Camp Aguinaldo, the national headquarters of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, in Quezon City.The group said the tagging of the members of the CPP and the NPA as terrorists will result in massive operations targeting them.“Only lumad who joined the NPA regular ranks and those who actively support the CPP/NPA in whatever form will be included [in the labeling] as terrorists and will be the object of security operations. The rest of the peace-loving lumad need not worry,” Lorenzana said.The Defense secretary vowed that the indigenous peoples will be protected by the military and police as long as they are not members of the communist rebel groups.According to non-government organization Save Our Schools Network, 3,000 lumad have fled their communities because of armed conflicts between the Philippine Army and the NPA.President Rodrigo Duterte last year terminated peace talks between the government and the CPP, the NPA and the National Democratic Front (NDF) and tagged them as terror groups.The NDF is an umbrella group that counts the CPP and the NPA as members.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/sparing-lumad-from-terrorist-tag-not-absolute-dnd-chief/386932/
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More senior citizens committing suicide–study
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['Jaime Pilapil']
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2017-04-11 22:00:22+00:00
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Blame it on rapid economic and social changes but more and more senior citizens are taking their own lives, according to a recent study.University of the Philippines Professor Clarita Carlos said this in her pioneering book “Population Ageing in the Philippines, Issues and Challenges.”Carlos cited statistics from the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, saying contrary to belief that older people enjoy emotional stability and well-being because of their age, the rapid social and economic changes have made them feel isolated and thus prone to depression, leading them to commit suicide.Her book was published in partnership with SM Cares, the corporate social responsibility arm of SM Prime.World Health Organization (WHO)/EURO Multicenter Study of Suicidal Behavior in 13 European countries revealed that the average suicide rate among people who are older than 65 years at 29.3/100,000 and suicide attempt rates, 61.4/100,000.While there is little data on the incidence of suicide among older people in the Philippines, Carlos noted that the figure has been steadily increasing for the past several years.National Statistics Office records showed that from 1984 to 2005, suicide rate went up from 0.46 to 7 for every 200,000 for men and 0.24 to 2 for every 200,000 for women.The suicide rate in the Philippines is 2.5 for men and 1.7 for women (per 100,000 population), according to the Department of Health’s National Center for Mental Health.The WHO placed the worldwide average for suicides at 10.7 percent per 100,000.The lower figure, Carlos said, may have been caused by under-reporting because taking one’s life is considered taboo especially for a predominantly Catholic country like the Philippines.“Elderly suicide is a fast growing trend in the world’s richest economy but it is also positively ignored.Industrialization and modernization have disrupted traditional family dynamics. As younger people migrate to cities and join highly competitive worlds, they may lose the desire to live and care for their parents in their old age. This leaves many of them [parents] to fall into depression,” she added.Carlos said suicide is the biggest challenge among the elderly and the figure will continue to increase over the years as the population of older people will continue to grow.She added that the ageing of the population has become a challenge not just for developed countries but also developing countries like the Philippines.The number of older persons is projected to grow by 56 percent from 901 million in 2015 to 1.4 billion in 2030.By year 2030, the population of older persons will be more than the number of children aged 0-9 years with 1.4 billion for the former and 1.3 billion for the latter.“The ageing of our population is unprecedented. A combination of decreasing fertility rates and the increasing life expectancy has produced an ageing population. People are living longer because of advances in medicine, better nutrition, better health care, better education and overall well-being of society,” Carlos said.It is therefore important, she added, that the government, the private sector and all stakeholders work hand in hand in making sure that the needs and aspirations of older people are met in the light of the various challenges and implications of an ageing population.In taking part in the book’s publication, SM Prime President Jeffrey Lim explained that SM has always believed in the inclusivity of services that should cater not just to the young but the old as well.“There has been a lot of focus on understanding millennials but very little about senior citizens. It is about time that we give attention to our elders as well. With the ageing population, it has become necessary that we give them respect and dignity to pursue a life of fulfillment in their sunset years,” Lim said.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/senior-citizens-committing-suicide-study/322149/
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POEA warns again of fake online jobs
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['William Depasupil']
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2017-01-06 20:10:39+00:00
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The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) on Friday reiterated its warning that cautions job applicants on fake job offers proliferating in the Internet through email and social media.“We were informed that in addition to the previous modus operandi of these unscrupulous scammers, which include sending e-mails to unsuspecting job seekers, they are now prowling for victims in social media. I advise our jobseekers to be extra cautious, and apply only at recruitment agencies licensed by POEA, and deal with licensed agencies with legal job orders,” Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello 3rd said after receiving a report from the POEA.The POEA report said it recently received a forwarded email informing a recipient that he was selected for a supposed employment in Canada with employer representatives already in the Philippines to interview applicants.The sender promises non-payment of placement and processing fees but applicants are asked to pay P3,800 for slot reservation.The email sender claims existing partnership with a licensed recruitment agency in the Philippines for the supposed conduct of a seminar and processing of employment documents.Various jobs are offered including farm laborers, fruit pickers, factory workers, medical staff, caregivers, engineers, truck drivers and office workers.The scammer entices applicants by offering remunerations such as high salaries, 250 percent overtime pay and paid vacation.The applicants are instructed to send the reservation fee through a money remittance company.After receiving the payment, however, the scammer stops communicating with the victims.According to the POEA, job scammers usually use e-mail and social media to advertise fake job openings, using the names of big companies to give a semblance of truth.It said another revealing sign that an employment ad is a scam are the glaring spelling and grammatical mistakes.The POEA lists down the following precautionary measures on how to avoid illegal recruitment:(1) Do not apply at recruitment agencies not licensed by POEA.(2) Do not deal with licensed agencies without job orders.(3) Do not deal with any person who is not an authorized representative of a licensed agency.(4) Do not transact business outside the registered address of the agency. If recruitment is conducted in the province, check if the agency has a provincial recruitment authority.(5) Do not pay more than the allowed placement fee. It should be equivalent to one month salary, exclusive of documentation and processing costs.(6) Do not pay any placement fee unless you have a valid employment contract and an official receipt.(7) Do not be enticed by ads or brochures requiring you to reply to a Post Office (P.O.) Box, and to enclose payment for processing of papers.(8) Do not deal with training centers and travel agencies, which promise overseas employment.(9) Do not accept a tourist visa.(10) Do not deal with fixers.Applicants may also visit http://www.poea.gov.ph/air/howtoavoid.htm.WILLIAM B. DEPASUPIL
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/poea-warns-fake-online-jobs/305536/
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Bato wants Sayyaf's police girlfriend sacked
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['Fernan Marasigan']
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2017-04-24 20:15:48+00:00
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Bato wants Sayyaf’s police girlfriend sackedhome/News/Nation/Bato wants Sayyaf’s police girlfriend sackedIS police superintendent Maria Christina Nobleza, who was arrested in Bohol in the company of a suspected terrorist, a Trojan horse rolled into the Philippine National Police (PNP) by the terrorist Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG)?Police officials on Monday posed this questioned even as PNP chief, Director General Ronald “Bato” de la Rosa, wants Nobleza booted out from the police service for “sleeping with the enemy.”Investigation conducted by the PNP revealed that Nobleza, the deputy regional director of the Davao Regional Police Office’s Crime Laboratory, is the girlfriend of suspected bomb expert Reenor Lou Dungon alias Kudre, a relative of slain ASG founder Abdurajak Abubakar Janjalani.“They were boyfriend-girlfriend. I don’t know if they are already living in. They fell in love with each other. But whatever personal thing she was doing was no longer sanctioned by the PNP. She has a relationship with an Abu Sayyaf [terrorist]… She was arrested, we will file criminal and administrative charges against her and she would be surely booted out of the police service. She is sleeping with the enemy,” de la Rosa noted.The two were arrested after they drove past a police checkpoint on April 22 in Barangay (village) Bacani, Clarin, Bohol.They were aboard a Nissan Navara (FGN 270), driven by Dungon in the company of an elderly woman said to be the mother-in-law of slain Malaysian terrorist Zulkifli Bin Hir alias Marwan; slain ASG leader Khadaffy Abubakar Janjalani; Abu Solaiman, another ASG leader, and Ahmed Akmad Santos, the leader of the Islamic militant Rajah Sulayman Movement.A teenager with them is said to be Santos’ child.“She is really a hardcore mother-in-law of the members of the Abu Sayyaf… [she is a scary mother-in-law. The husbands of her children are all] Abu Sayyaf leaders,” de la Rosa said in a news conference at Camp Crame in Quezon City in describing the elderly woman.Tagging them as “high-risk,” he wanted the arrested persons transferred to Camp Crame.“They are all high-risk. Many will have interest in them so they should be brought here to Camp Crame so that the public will be at peace. That no one will possibly sow terror. Let them create trouble in Camp Crame so that we would be happy here,” de la Roa said.Nobleza was formerly assigned to the defunct PNP Anti-Illegal Drugs Group before she was assigned deputy of the Crime Laboratory in Davao.During the arrest, she reportedly threw away her cellphone but it was immediately retrieved by police operatives who upon examining it found out that she was exchanging text messages with the remaining Abu Sayyaf bandits in Bohol who were asking to be rescued.“Initially, it would appear that they are trying to rescue the remaining ASG members there [Bohol] but we are yet to establish if indeed that was their plan. The people may say or speculate it was a rescue operation but we cannot immediately declare so until we finish our investigation,” the PNP chief said.When asked if Nobleza may have infiltrated the PNP, de la Rosa replied that he cannot say if she is already an ASG member.“She could have been used through her personal connections because she is the girlfriend of an Abu Sayyaf member. Do you think other policemen or soldiers have no relatives on the enemy side? It is their personal choice if they shift loyalty to the enemy of the state. But then they have to answer for the consequences of their actions. That’s why we will dismiss her from the service and charge her,” according to the PNP chief.Pressed to describe what had happened to Nobleza, de la Rosa said, “That’s what we are saying in [the] Visayan [language], ‘Nabuang sa gugma’ or got stupid for love. Because of her love for an Abu Sayyaf man, she allowed herself to be used. If there was really a rescue attempt, she was used and that proved she was a weak police officer and therefore should be dismissed from the service.”
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/bato-wants-sayyafs-police-girlfriend-sacked/323872/
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Senate Oks Human Settlements dept
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['Bernadette E. Tamayo']
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2018-10-09 00:05:32+00:00
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THE Senate on Monday approved the landmark measure creating the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) to consolidate all housing agencies under one body.The senators passed on third and final reading Senate Bill 1578 to streamline bureaucracy and compel shelter agencies to “work together more harmoniously and connect their plans and programs.”Sen. Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito, chairman of the Senate Committee on Urban Planning, Housing and Resettlement and sponsor of the bill said that for the last 30 years, the country has “been deprived of a rational and systematic way of addressing the nation’s housing needs.”The senator said the country is facing more than two million housing needs this year. The figure is projected to balloon to 6,571,387 by the end of 2022.“We continue to be challenged with problems of overcrowding, restrictions in unlocking land for human settlements, increasing number of homeless people and multiplying families living in slums, riverbanks and danger zones,” Ejercito said.“What we need is one housing department with one board working towards one direction…creating the roadmap for housing and urban development, leading its implementation, setting the general direction for everyone and able to follow through each and every project with clear functions, policies, budget and financing,” he said.He said the creation of the DHSUD would combine the administrative functions of the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council and the planning and regulatory functions of the Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board.The proposed housing department would be responsible for all housing and urban concerns, including planning, policy making, regulations, program coordination and performance monitoring.Under the bill, the department would be composed of the Office of the Secretary, the Bureaus of Policy Development, Coordination, Monitoring and Evaluation, Environmental, Land Use, and Urban Planning and Development, Housing and Real Estate Development Regulation and the Homeowners Association and Community Development.It also proposes the creation of a National Shelter Board to address housing policies and plans as well as to reduce bureaucracy. The board will be composed of the secretary of the DHSUD, the director-general of the National Economic and Development Authority, the secretaries of the Departments of Finance, Budget and Management, Public Works and Highways, Department of the Interior and Local Government, the heads of the key shelter agencies, specifically the National Housing Authority, Home Guaranty Cooperation, National Home Mortgage Finance Corporation, Home Development Mutual Fund and the Social Housing Finance Corporation.“Currently, the governing boards of the key shelter agencies are operating and meeting separately. The proposed National Shelter Board will rationalize and streamline the governing Boards of the different shelter agencies to come up with a moare holistic and coherent plan for the housing and urban development sector,” Ejercito said.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/senate-oks-human-settlements-dept/449778/
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House approves mental health bill
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['Ralph Villanueva']
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2017-11-20 22:15:21+00:00
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THE HOUSE of Representatives approved on Monday House Bill 6452 or the Comprehensive Mental Health Act on third reading.All 223 congressmen present voted for the measure that aims to ensure a community of healthy Filipinos by giving them access to an integrated, organized and efficient mental health care system.The bill seeks to strengthen the functions of the Philippine Council for Mental Health (PCMH) and reconstitutes its composition. The duties and responsibilities of government agencies and all mental health service providers will be delineated.Mental health services will also be provided in all regional, provincial and tertiary hospitals in the country.The bill also mandates local government units (LGUs) to establish and upgrade hospitals and facilities with adequate and qualified personnel, equipment and supplies in providing mental health services and in addressing psychiatric emergencies.Mental health will be integrated in the educational system and will promote the research and development on the subject.The House also approved on third and final reading the Medical Scholarship and Return Service Program Act.The bill aims to provide financially disadvantaged students access to medical education, protect and promote the people’s right to health and address the shortage of medical practitioners in the country.The bill establishes a Medical Scholarship and Return Service Program for deserving students in state universities and colleges (SUCs) or in private higher education institutions (PHEIs).
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/house-approves-mental-health-bill/364004/
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Raps filed vs importers of illegal drugs, sugar
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['William Depasupil']
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2018-08-18 00:05:14+00:00
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THE Bureau of Customs (BoC) has filed criminal charges before the Department of Justice (DoJ) against the importer of the two abandoned magnetic lifters that were found to contain 355 kilos of shabu worth P2.4 billion.Vedasio Cabral Baraquel, the registered owner of importing firm Vecaba Trading, was charged with violating Section 1401 (Unlawful Importation) in relation to Section 118 (g) (Prohibited Importation), pursuant to Section 4 and 5 of Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.The shipment arrived at the Manila International Container Port (MICP) on June 28 and was declared abandoned after Vecaba Trading failed to file an entry document within the required 30-day period from the date of discharge.The BoC also filed unlawful importation and large-scale agricultural smuggling against the officers of Red Star Rising Corp. in connection with the firm’s abandoned shipment that was found to contain P60 million worth of sugar.They were identified as Dante P. Lunar, Leonardo C. Mallari, Richel Paranete Llanes, August Presillas Templado and Bernie Abrina Rubia.Red Star’s shipments were declared in the manifest as packaging materials, kitchen utensils and kraft paper.The Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) has also issued a certification that Red Star is not a registered trader and has no pending application as trader for the Crop Year 2018-2019.Customs Commissioner Isidro Lapeña said that the bureau would file more criminal charges in the coming weeks against erring importers and brokers.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/raps-filed-vs-importers-of-illegal-drugs-sugar/431581/
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DILG to intensify campaign for federalism
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['Jing Villamente']
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2018-07-02 00:02:05+00:00
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The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) is more driven to push for constitutional change following the result of a recent Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey that showed one out of four or 25 percent of Filipinos were aware of federalism.“The numbers look promising and we’ll take it as an opportunity to further accelerate our campaign for constitutional reform,” Jonathan Malaya, assistant secretary for Communication and Public Affairs, said.The DILG also cited the huge turnout of the Federalism roadshows conducted in Baguio and Dumaguete as proof of the ramped up efforts to promote federalism in the regions.“Let’s see how the results will fare after we’ve brought our information campaign to all 17 regions. I’m certain that not only will awareness rise, but support will also escalate,” Malaya said.The DILG was tasked by President Rodrigo Duterte to lead the administration’s campaign to push federalism and has joined forces with the Consultative Commission to Review the 1987 Constitution to conduct consultations, town hall meetings, conventions, and speakers’ training in all 17 regions of the country. The roadshows started on June 18.The SWS survey conducted from March 23-27, 2018 found that one out of four Filipino adults were aware of federalism.It also showed that people in the provinces (27%) knew about federalism more than those in urban areas (24%). Awareness on and support for federal governance was highest in Mindanao, followed by Metro Manila, Visayas, and Balance Luzon.The survey also showed that the more that people understood federalism, the more that they agree with a federal shift.“The survey also reveals that among those who knew about federalism, around 37% actually supported the federal shift, while only 29% were opposed to it,” Malaya said.According to the SWS report, net agreement with the federal system was moderately strong because Filipinos have “much trust” in the President and are satisfied with his performance.Malaya is optimistic that the roadshows being conducted by the DILG will not only increase public awareness on federalism, but will also gain overwhelming support from the regions.Next week, the DILG will bring the roadshow to Legazpi City.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/dilg-to-intensify-campaign-for-federalism/414929/
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De Lima wants BI investigated
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['Bernadette E. Tamayo']
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2018-08-19 00:05:46+00:00
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For not collecting express lane chargesSen. Leila de Lima has sought an inquiry into the Bureau of Immigration’s failure to collect “express lane” charges from June to December 2017 that resulted in the loss of government revenues amounting to over P869 million.In its 2017 report, the Commission on Audit (CoA) found that the BI lost ₱869.24 million for “misinterpreting” President Rodrigo Duterte’s veto on the use of the funds to pay for its employees.In 2016, the President vetoed the proposed use of express lane charges collected by the BI for the salaries and overtime pay of personnel.De Lima filed Senate Resolution 839 urging the appropriate Senate committee to probe BI’s supposed misinterpretation of the President’s veto message.“There has to be a level of accountability from the officials who committed this gross misinterpretation of law, less we continue to suffer from imprudence or intentional misfeasance by our public officials tasked with implementing our laws,” she said.The BI stopped collecting express lane charges in June 2017, the senator said.The CoA said “it is only the use of express lane charges collected that was vetoed by the President and not the collection from express lane charges.”She said BI’s gross misinterpretation of the President’s veto message cost the government a substantial amount in revenues which could have been used to fund programs and projects.She also raised the need to craft legislation to ensure accountability for gross misinterpretation of the law by public officials who are tasked to enforce them.“There is a need to look into the current laws and regulations among our revenue generating offices to ensure that there are sufficient safeguards against losses brought about by misappreciation of laws and similar acts or omissions,” de Lima said.The BI collected P568.52 million between January and May 2017, but the CoA noted that only P56.85 million of that amount was recognized in the general fund, contrary to the President’s instruction. The remaining P511.67 million was recorded under the trust liabilities account.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/de-lima-wants-bi-investigated/432125/
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Edukasyon.ph teams up with ‘The Manila Times’
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['Elshamae Robles']
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2017-09-05 21:54:48+00:00
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The Manila Times and Edukasyon.ph have signed a Memorandum of Agreement under which the latter will give the former a listing access to its one-stop website for education and career information.The Manila Times President and CEO Dante Francis Ang 2nd and Henry Motte-Muñoz, founder and president of Edukasyon.ph, a social enterprise that connects students to education opportunities through an online platform , inked the agreement on Tuesday at The Manila Times office.The partnership enables The Times to provide Edukasyon.ph a weekly feature in its education section. It will also allow the participation of The Manila Times College, which serves as training ground for students specializing in journalism, in the educational fairs of Edukasyon.ph nationwide.The social enterprise entered into the partnership as part of its advocacy to promote career awareness among the Filipino youth by helping students map their education pathway.Whether in senior high school or college, Edukasyon.ph assists students in exploring their education options as they choose the right course and school for themselves.“We firmly believe that education is not an end in itself, but rather a stepping stone to a successful career, whether it is as an employee, as an entrepreneur, or as a professional,” Muñoz said.“No matter where you are, [through Edukasyon.ph] you will find a list of schools that offer those courses,” he added.Serving as the top source for students seeking higher education opportunities in and out of the country, Edukasyon.ph has listed 99 percent of schools in the Philippines on its platform.Through its interactive lectures and exhibits, Edukasyon.ph aims to introduce a better perspective of the educational tracks to students that will completely meet their talents and interest.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/edukasyon-ph-teams-manila-times/348873/
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Senators oppose closure of Boracay
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['Jefferson Antiporda']
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2018-03-17 00:08:38+00:00
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STRICT compliance with existing laws, not total closure, should be the main focus of the government in its efforts to restore world-famous Boracay, according to senators.Although they acknowledged that over-commercialization has resulted in serious degradation of the island, closing Boracay for one year is not the best solution that could be offered to residents who mostly depend on the tourism industry.“A complete shutdown of the island will displace 30,000 direct and indirect workers who are considered low-skilled workers. Poverty and hunger will also worsen if unemployment will arise,” Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian said.He added that there are other ways that would effectively resolve problems being faced by Boracay, inclusing immediate closure and filing of cases against 300 violators of the building code and environmental laws.The government, Gatchalian said, should also make a priority the filing of administrative cases against local government officials who neglected to perform their mandated duties to manage and protect the island.The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), he added, should also issue a 30-day ultimatum to all business establishments on the island to improve their waste disposal systems.“A 90-day phasing of the improvement of critical infrastructure such us drainage systems and solid waste management must also be undertaken,” Gatchalian said.Sen. Nancy Binay said while most of the senators agree that a moratorium on building construction must be imposed by the DENR, the Department of the Interior and Local Government and the Department of Tourism need to consider the negative effects of their proposal.“The likely loss of jobs hasn’t quite resonated, which may be caused by the impact of a total closure,” Binay added.Sen. Joel Villanueva also objected to the proposed one-year closure of Boracay, saying the problems could be addressed by simply ensuring compliance with existing laws such as the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act and the Solid Waste Management Act.On a proposal to use force, Villanueva also said he is in favor of such provided that it would only cover those who blatantly violate laws.Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu on Thursday recommended the closure of Boracay for a year to allow rehabilitation and recovery of the island.Sen. Joseph Victor Ejericto said the proposal of the DENR should be considered to allow the island to recuperate from the abuses it received from over- development.“That will be worth considering. We might as well save Boracay and enjoy it longer than to see its demise by not acting on the problems,” he added.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/senators-oppose-closure-of-boracay/386601/
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Recto seeks repeal of ‘burdensome’ CPD Law
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['Bernadette E. Tamayo']
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2018-10-13 00:05:25+00:00
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SENATE President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto on Friday raised the need to repeal the Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Law amid complaints that it is burdensome.“It is time for Congress to heed the clamor of 3.2 million registered Filipino professionals to unburden them of this law,” Recto said.He said that fellow senators have been “bombarded by appeals” from professionals in all disciplines, from all over the country, especially teachers and nurses, who protest against the hurdles in getting CPD credits and their PRC licenses renewed.Recto cited as example a large nurses alliance who complained that nurses lack the money and the time to complete the 45 CPD units which can cost between P15,000 and P30,000.The senator also noted that in one online poll reportedly conducted by the PRC, 90 percent of the respondents want CPD Law or Republic Act 10912 “abolished.”“At a time when red tape is being shredded, rules simplified, the period of validity of licenses lengthened, I.T. (information technology) maximized for remote transaction and even online learning, compulsory requirements of dubious value like CPD go against this trend,” he said.He said that like many pieces of legislation, its intention was good, but not its implementation.“It is not the first time that what was appealing in theory, failed in practice. And because no law is written in stone, Congress, which bears collective responsibility for its passage, should correct the mistake it has made,” he said.He added, “Pulling the plug on the CPD experiment should give all of us time to ponder other means of improving professional competence without the coercive force of the CPD model.”“I am confident that together, we can find a system for professional development that will be embraced by all without the disruptions, inconveniences and the high expenses the present one causes,” Recto said.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/recto-seeks-repeal-of-burdensome-cpd-law/451470/
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Bello reorganizes DOLE agencies
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['Philippines News Agency']
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2017-02-26 00:01:59+00:00
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Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello 3rd has reorganized the agencies and offices of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).Through Administrative Order No. 41, the DOLE chief re-clustered the agency’s services to effectively implement its programs and render efficient public service.“We have to do this for greater efficiency, cost-effectiveness and consistency in policy and program implementation to better serve the needs of the workers and immediately respond to their issues and concerns,” Bello said in a statement.The order designated Undersecretary Joel Maglunsod as the head of the Labor Relations and Special Concerns Cluster, who will supervise the policy and programs operations of the Bureau of Labor Relations, Bureau of Working Conditions, Bureau of Workers with Special Concerns and National Conciliation and Mediation Board.He will be supported by Assistant Secretary Ma. Gloria Tango.On the other hand, Undersecretary Ciriaco Lagunzad 3rd will lead the Workers Welfare and Protection, Human Resources, and Financial Services cluster. He will oversee the policy program coordination of the Overseas Workers’ Welfare Administration, Employees’ Compensation Commission, and Occupational Safety and Health Center.Lagunzad will be supported by Assistant Secretary Amuerfina Reyes. The two will also look after the DOLE’s human resources and financial affairs, as well as to handle or take charge of the department’s internal auditing services.Undersecretary Dominador Say will be leading the Employment and Policy Support Cluster, with the support of Assistant Secretary Alex Avila.He will supervise the Bureau of Local Employment, Institute of Labor and Studies and the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration and the Planning Service and Information and Publication Service.The Human Capital Development and Regional Operations Cluster will be headed by Undersecretary Bernard Olalia. He will be assisted by Assistant Secretary Federico Abuan Jr.The Legal, Legislative and International Affairs cluster will be handled by Undersecretary Claro Arellano with Assistant Secretary Ma. Joji Aragon.PNA
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/bello-reorganizes-dole-agencies-2/314195/
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Hundreds of mothers show support for breastfeeding
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['Agence France-Presse']
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2018-08-06 00:02:20+00:00
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Hundreds of mothers simultaneously nursed their babies in public on Sunday, some of them two at a time, in a government-backed mass breastfeeding event aimed at combating child deaths.About 1,500 women, some of them wearing tiaras and superhero T-shirts, sat on the vast floor of a Manila stadium and let their babies suckle to the beat of dance music.“Breastfeeding is love. It is difficult, but we do it for love,” said Abegirl Limjap, a pregnant 38-year-old property manager in a “Super Mom” superhero costume as she nursed her two boys, one aged five and the other 11 months.The annual event aims to draw public support for a government campaign to get more mothers to switch to breast milk from infant formula, organizer Rose Padua told Agence France-Presse.The World Health Organization and the United Nations Children’s Fund recommend that children be given breast milk within the first hour of birth and be exclusively breastfed for their first six months.Globally however, three in five babies are not breastfed early, putting them at higher risk of death and disease, the two UN agencies said in a report earlier this year.Twenty-seven children out of every thousand died before the age of five in the Philippines in 2016, according to WHO data.WHO and UNICEF estimate about half of Filipino babies were initiated into early breastfeeding in 2013, barely changed from 46 percent in 2003.“It’s an empowering moment,” said first-time mother Joyce Balido, 29, as she cradled her four-month-old girl at the mass breastfeeding event.“It was very difficult to establish a milk supply at first. I am sleep-starved but I committed myself to have my daughter exclusively breast-fed,” added Balido, an engineer.Sixty-one other mass breastfeeding events were held in other Philippine cities over the weekend, said Padua.She said the country was on course to beat last year’s attendance of 4,775 nursing mothers in 25 events.AFP
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/hundreds-of-mothers-show-support-for-breastfeeding/427139/
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DOH under fire over turtle-egg 'smuggling'
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['William Depasupil']
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2017-03-09 22:17:32+00:00
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DOH under fire over turtle-egg ‘smuggling’home/News/Nation/DOH under fire over turtle-egg ‘smuggling’HEALTH Secretary Paulyn Ubial can be charged in court in connection with alleged smuggling of more than 5,000 pieces of marine turtle or pawikan eggs from the Turtle Islands by a medical team from the Department of Health (DoH), according to a cause-oriented group.Lawyer Restituto Mendoza of the group Action for Good Governance raised the alarm on Thursday in reaction to a recent report that Ubial tried to intervene for and in behalf of Dr. Sangkula Laja and his team from the Tawi-Tawi provincial health office after they were caught in possession of the marine turtle eggs.“Instead of the mandatory filing of the necessary criminal charges against her erring subordinates, Ubial pleaded Environment Secretary Regina Lopez for clemency for Laja and his team.“The utter disregard of the law by Ubial and invocation of clemency before a co-equal department of government are acts that cause undue injury to the public and the environment. Ubial’s ignorance of the law that commands her to charge her subordinates and tells her that [Lopez] has no power to grant clemency to violators is dangerous, inimical to public interest and unpardonable,” Mendoza said.The lawyer explained that mere possession of endangered species and its derivatives, such as the eggs of the marine turtles, is punishable under Republic Act 9147 or the Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act.He said violators will have to face a jail term of up to six years and a fine of up to P500,000.Mendoza quoted the March 2 report as saying that Ubial’s action on the matter only amounted to endorsing Laja’s explanation to Lopez, accompanied by a request for clemency.“May this matter be treated with compassion and forgiveness,” Ubial supposedly asked Lopez in the report.The eggs were hidden in five boxes and were only visible when Laja personally distributed the eggs to his staff in “sando” bags aboard a Navy vessel, the report stated.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/doh-fire-turtle-egg-smuggling/316360/
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DoTr reviews proposal to take over MRT 3
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['Reicelene Joy Ignacio']
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2017-12-25 00:02:43+00:00
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The Department of Transportation (DoTr) is reviewing an unsolicited proposal of the Metro Pacific Investments Corp. (MPIC) to be the new maintenance provider of the Metro Rail Transit (MRT)3, according to the Transportation secretary.In a chance interview, Tugade said, “For the MRT 3, we are doing three clusters of approach.”“First is the replacement of spare parts, second is the fixing of the infrastructure including appointing a new service provider, and third is to complete the review of the unsolicited proposal of a big company,” he added.Tugade did not mention the name of the company.Earlier this year, however, the DoTr gave the original proponent status to the MPIC, which is led by Manuel V. Pangilinan, for its unsolicited proposal to rehabilitate, maintain and operate the MRT 3.The proposal is yet to be evaluated by the National Economic and Development Authority before proceeding with a Swiss Challenge.The MPIC said it will be investing P20 billion for the proposal that is higher than its its previous P12-billion budget.The necessity for a new maintenance provider was the result of the DoTr’s decision to terminate its contract with Korean firm Busan Universal Rail Inc. over glitches experienced by the train system.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/dotr-reviews-proposal-take-mrt-3/370490/
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Agreement allows Filipino farmers to plant rice in PNG
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['Eireene Jairee Gomez']
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2018-02-18 21:27:22+00:00
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An agreement with the Papua New Guinea government allowing Filipino rice farmers to plant rice in the 46-million hectare nation with a population of only 8 million will improve the rice industry in the Philippines, according to Department of Agriculture (DA) Secretary Emmanuel Piñol.“The proposed project will not only ensure the Philippines of stable rice supply but will also employ thousands of rice farmers and agriculture graduates from the Philippines,” Piñol said.In a bilateral meeting with PNG Prime Minister Peter O’Neill, President Rodrigo Duterte officially informed PNG officials that he will dispatch an agriculture delegation that Piñol will head to establish stronger agricultural and fisheries cooperation between the two countries.President Duterte will visit PNG in November to attend the APEC Summit and witness a harvest in a rice demonstration farm.Initially, a team of 22 farmers will fly to PNG next month to start the development of a 100-hectare rice demonstration farm within a Seventh Day Adventist College compound in Port Moresby.Most of the farmers in the first group are Ilocanos and Ilonggos from North Cotabato who will receive an initial salary of P25,000 per month from a private company who will engage them.In line with the project, Piñol asked the International Rice Research Institute to set up a satellite office in PNG and recommended to the PNG government to set up an office, which will serve as the sole administrator for buying rice from local farmers and for setting prices.According to Piñol, this will be the third engagement between the Department of Agriculture of the Philippines and the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries of PNG after a bilateral meeting between Duterte and O’Neil during the APEC Summit in Vietnam last year.In initial discussions, the proposed bilateral agreement involves allowing Filipino companies to lease PNG lands to plant rice to supply the national requirement of the country estimated to be 400,000 metric tons.Any excess production could be shipped back to the Philippines as PNG rice exports or could be exported to other countries in the South Pacific that have already manifested their interest to buy PNG-produced rice.“I told President Duterte that even if the Philippines will achieve rice sufficiency by 2020 as projected by the DA, population growth will overtake the capacity to produce rice because of limited irrigated farm lands,” Pinol said.“The President was briefed that to prepare for the future, the Philippines must consider outsourcing its rice supply rather than rely on imports from Vietnam, Thailand, Pakistan, Cambodia and other countries,” he added.Because of the very close relationship between the two countries and the presence of Filipino investors in the area, including processing and canning of tuna, it was decided, after consultations with top officials of the DA, that PNG is the more ideal country for the rice outsourcing program.The DA said it is enthusiastic to establish a rice model farm equipped with modern farming technology in PNG to really help develop the country’s rice industry.Papua New Guinea is a country with 46 million hectares of arable land with only an eight million population and imports about 300,000-400,000 metric tons of rice every year, mostly from Australia.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/agreement-allows-filipino-farmers-plant-rice-png/381170/
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Gordon chided over Mamasapano probe
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['Bernadette E. Tamayo']
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2017-07-17 21:37:18+00:00
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SEN. Antonio Trillanes 4th on Monday took to task Sen. Richard Gordon for his “eagerness” to reopen the investigation of the massacre of 44 members of the Special Action Force (SAF) in Mamasapano, Maguindanao in 2015.Trillanes said Gordon, chairman of the Senate blue ribbon and public order committees, expressed no interest in conducting an “exhaustive” probe of extrajudicial killings of drug suspects.He was areacting to Gordon’s plan to invite former President Benigno Aquino 3rd to the inquiry if he gets the go-signal from the Senate leadership to proceed with his plan to reopen the probe of the Mamasapano tragedy.Trillanes noted that the 16th Congress had already conducted a “thorough” probe of the Mamasapano clash between the SAF and a combined force from the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters on January 25, 2015.When” it comes to [investigating] thousands of Filipinos getting killed at present, he [Gordon] has no time,” he said.Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales has ordered the filing of charges against Aquino for alleged usurpation of authority when he instructed then-Philippine National Police chief Alan Purisima to handle Oplan Exodus despite knowing that the latter was under suspension at the time in relation to an earlier graft case.The SAF troops were sent to Mamasapano to arrest Malaysian terrorist Zulkifli bin Hir and Filipino bombmaker Basit Usman.They were ambushed, however, after they completed their mission to neutralize Zulkifli.Sen. Grace Poe, meanwhile, has advised fellow senators to “be prepared” for the possibility that Aquino will evade answering their questions concerning his involvement in the botched execution of Oplan Exodus.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/gordon-chided-mamasapano-probe/338931/
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Ex-VP Binay rejects federal system
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['The Manila Times']
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2018-11-15 00:03:31+00:00
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Former Vice President Jejomar Binay expressed on Wednesday his opposition to the proposed shift to a federal government, saying the proposed draft on the federal charter would be rejected by Filipinos.Binay, who will run for a seat in the House of Representatives in 2019, said a shift to a federal government was “not timely” and would not likely be implemented.“Federalism matatalo yun (will lose), hindi tatanggapin ng Filipino (Fiipinos will reject it),” Binay said, adding that federalism was one step to secessionism.He said the government should instead push for better economic provisions to spur growth.Senate leaders last month rejected the draft charter of former president and Speaker Gloria Arroyo, saying time was running out.If Arroyo’s proposal is not passed, it would have to be refiled in the 18th Congress, which starts in July 2019.Consultative Committee member Aquilino “Nene” Pimentel Jr., a proponent of federalism, said Binay should read the draft and help Filipinos understand federalism.“I have always maintained that the success of the federalism idea will depend on the understanding of the people,” Pimentel said, adding that secession “will be prohibited even if we become federalized.”
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/ex-vp-binay-rejects-federal-system/467716/
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AFP brass get vital posts
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['Fernan Marasigan']
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2017-01-12 20:05:41+00:00
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PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte has designated two top-ranking military officials to vital positions in the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).In a simple ceremony at the AFP headquarters in Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City, Maj. Gen. Salvador Mison and Rear Admiral Narciso Vingzon assumed the position of AFP vice chief of staff and deputy chief of staff, respectively.The posts were left vacant last month after the designation of Gen. Eduard Año to the top military post fupon the retirement of AFP chief Gen. Ricardo Visaya.Mison moved up to the second highest post in the AFP, getting the post vacated by Lt. Gen. Glorioso Miranda, who was appointed last month as acting commander of the Philippine Army.As the new vice chief of staff, Mison not only takes over the role of being next in command of the AFP but he will also act as an important link between the AFP chief of Ssaff and the area commanders.Aiding the chief of staff in the administration and management of the AFP organization, the vice chief of staff will also sit as the chairman of various AFP Boards such as the Office of the Ethical Standard and Public Accountability, Selection of Medal for Valor, Housing, Legislative Affairs and Gender and Development.Meanwhile, Vingson, assumed the post vacated by Mison.He was also named concurrent Inspecror General, a post also left vacant after its former head, Maj. Gen. Oscar Lactao, was designated as commander of the AFP Central Command.“Rear Admiral Vingson is the concurrent Inspector General. He will still head the office until the assumption of a new Inspector General,” Col. Edgard Arevalo, chief of the AFP Public Affairs Office, said.Vingson, a member of the Philippine Military Academy “Sandiwa” Class of 1985, spent almost 12 years of sea duty aboard various Philippine Navy commissioned vessels, among them BRP Alberto Navarette (PG-394), BRP Iloilo (PS32) and BRP Ang Pangulo (AT25), the presidential yacht.Prior to his assumption as the Inspector General in December 2016, he held the positions of Commander, Naval Education and Training Command, and Deputy Commander, Philippine Fleet.As the new deputy chief of staff of the AFP, Vingson will become the principal conductor of all activities of the AFP Joint, Personal and Special Staff.He is now the nominal commander of the Technical and Administrative Service, and will also sit as council chairman of various board and committees in the AFP, according to Arevalo.The deputy chief of staff automatically assumes as the chairman of the AFP Educational Benefit System, AFP Commissary and Exchange Service, AFP Commissioned Officers Club, AFP Golf Club and AFP Provident Fund.Año said the positions of the vice chief of staff and deputy chief of staff are vital in influencing the success of the AFP.“They may be working out of the public’s sight but their duties are equally crucial in ensuring that our efforts as one organization are unified and in line with our overall mission of protecting the people and the nation,” he added.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/afp-brass-get-vital-posts/306563/
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Robredo’s camp: Lies led to failed impeach bid
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['Llanesca T. Panti']
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2017-05-03 20:26:50+00:00
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The refusal of members of the House of Representatives to endorse an impeachment complaint against Vice President Maria Leonor Robredo proves that the complaint is baseless, her camp said on Wednesday.Ibarra Gutierrez, legal adviser of the Vice President, made the response a day after the Impeach Leni Team failed to get a member of the House of Representatives to endorse their impeachment complaint as required by the 1987 Constitution.The Impeach Leni Team accused Robredo of culpable violation of the Constitution, betrayal of public trust and graft and corruption.It said the Vice President turned her back on the people when she criticized before the United Nations the government’s anti-drug war that she said left 7,000 summarily executed.The team added that she committed graft and corruption when she misdeclared her Meralco (Manila Electric Co.) assets in her Statement of Assets and Liabilities and Net Worth and when she misused Home Development Mutual (Pag-Ibig) Fund money in sponsoring a convention in the United States on empowerment, a subject not related to housing.Gutierrez said in a statement, “Their claims in their impeachment complaint are lies. The Vice President’s track record in public service is untainted. The government did not spend anything during her trip to the United States in August 2016. This is not funded by the HUDCC or any agency under the HUDCC’s ambit.”Robredo briefly headed the HUDCC or the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council.“Saying the truth about our country is not betrayal, but fulfilling a mandate to protect the lives and fight for the rights of our people. The fact that not a single lawmaker wants to endorse the impeachment complaint against the Vice President shows that their claims are weak and baseless,” Gutierrez added.The 1987 Charter provides that “a verified complaint for impeachment may be filed by any member of the House of Representatives or by any citizen upon a resolution or endorsement by any member thereof, which will be included in the Order of Business within ten session days, and referred to the proper committee within three session days thereafter.”“We are not surprised that there are people who are after the impeachment of the Vice President. This is a part of the widespread campaign to steal her mandate, which was given to her by the people [in the] last elections,” Gutierrez said.Robredo’s fellow Liberal Party member and Rep. Teddy Brawner Baguilat of Ifugao warned his colleagues against the political adventurism of what he described as the questionable Impeach Leni Team.“Much like the extrajudicial killings, this attempt to file an impeachment complaint [against] the Vice President abuses discretion. Without a willing endorser, it appears that the impeachment complaint against the Vice President is being peddled among members of the House like some cheap product, in the hope that someone, anyone, would allow themselves to be used for a publicity stunt,” Baguilat said in a statement.“I urge my colleagues to not put their name to something that is patently baseless, and I would like to caution the group behind the impeachment complaint against using any member of Congress to further their cause,” he added.Baguilat then assured Robredo of his support and vowed to block attempts to oust the Vice President.“I am firm in my belief that she is doing her job to serve the Filipino people, this despite the concerted efforts to prevent her from doing all that she can for the nation. I appeal to the sense of fairness, objectivity and public duty of my other colleagues in the House, to see this strained impeachment complaint for what it truly is: an insidious campaign against the Vice President,” he said.“Ultimately, this is a half-baked attempt to destabilize our country’s leadership, especially considering the President’s command to put a stop to [this and other] complaints,” Baguilat added.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/robredos-camp-lies-led-failed-impeach-bid-2/325347/
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PAL plane grounded in Riyadh
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['Benjie Vergara']
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2017-04-07 21:25:50+00:00
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Philippine Airlines (PAL) on Friday apologized to Manila-bound passengers who were stranded in King Khaled International Airport in Riyadh after a plane of the flag carrier was grounded because of an “aircraft situation” in the Saudi Arabian capital.Flight PR655 was originally set to depart Riyadh on April 6 at 6:50 p.m. local time when the aircraft encountered technical issues.“Due to an aircraft situation, the flight did not push through and 388 passengers disembarked. Passengers were given hotel accommodation by PAL, except for several who were not allowed by immigration authorities to leave the airport being holders of exit passes only,” PAL said in a statement.The airline corporate communications office said PAL Riyadh officials are coordinating with immigration authorities in Saudi Arabia “to allow the said passengers to leave the airport and return tomorrow for the flight.”PAL said all efforts are being made to ensure immediate departure of the stranded passengers from Riyadh.It added that the target departure date of PR655 is April 8 at 4 a.m. local time and will arrive at 6:30 p.m. Manila time.BENJIE L. VERGARA
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/pal-plane-grounded-riyadh-2/321590/
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Disaster operations center on ‘blue alert’ for ‘Crising’
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['Philippines News Agency']
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2017-04-16 00:35:02+00:00
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The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) has placed its Operations Center on “blue alert” footing as Tropical Depression Crising made landfall in Hernani, Eastern Samar on Saturday afternoon.“The NDRRMC Operations Center has maintained its Blue Alert Status, with representatives of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, Philippine National Police, Bureau of Fire Protection, and Philippine Coast Guard rendering duty for prompt coordination and monitoring for possible effects,” the agency said on Saturday.The NDRRMC has also disseminated its severe weather bulletin and weather advisories to all regional, city and municipal disaster response units through text and fax messages, and websites.Crising had maximum sustained winds of up to 45 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 62 kph.The state weather bureau Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) expects moderate to occasionally heavy rains within Crising’s 250-kilometer diameter.The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said that nearly 1,000 passengers were stranded in various ports in the Bicol region.In an advisory, the PCG said a total of 962 passengers, 10 vessels, four motor bancas and 146 rolling cargoes in the ports of Albay, Sorsogon and Camarines Sur were left stranded as of 8 a.m. Saturday.In the province of Albay, 249 passengers, seven vessels and 26 rolling cargoes were stranded at the port of Tabaco.A total of nine passengers were stranded in Bulan port while 30 passengers, one vessel and one motor banca were stranded in Pilar. Both ports are located in Sorsogon.Meanwhile, 25 passengers in Pasacao, and 59 passengers and three motor bancas in Guijalo were stranded in Camarines Sur.The ports in Albay, Sorsogon, and Camarines Sur have cancelled the trips from the tropical depression.The latest bulletin from Pagasa stated Crising has slightly weakened as it moves closer to the Samar provinces.Tropical cyclone warning signal No. 1 has been raised over the provinces of Sorsogon, Burias Island, Masbate, Aklan, Antique, Iloilo, Capiz, Northern Cebu, Northern Negros Occidental, Northern Samar, Eastern Samar, Samar, Biliran, Leyte and Southern Leyte.PNA
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/disaster-operations-center-blue-alert-crising/322382/
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‘Inday’ intensifies, to dump more rain in Metro, Luzon
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['Mary Gleefer F. Jalea']
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2018-07-19 00:04:38+00:00
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Tropical depression “Inday” will likely intensify into a storm before it leaves the country, the weather bureau said on Wednesday.“Inday,” the ninth storm to enter the country this year, will continue to enhance the southwest monsoon and bring rains over Ilocos Region, Cordillera Administrative Region, Cagayan Valley, Bataan and Zambales.Metro Manila and the rest of Luzon will have partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rainshowers, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa).As of 5 p.m. on Wednesday, “Inday” was packing winds of 60 kilometers per hour from the previous 55 km/h and gustiness of up to 75 kilometers per hour. It was 755 kilometers east of Basco, Batanes, moving east at 25 kilometers per hour, weather specialist Ariel Rojas said.The storm is expected to leave the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) on Saturday morning.Also on Wednesday, the Pagasa raised yellow rainfall warning over Zambales, Tarlac, and Nueva Ecija. This means heavy rains may cause flooding in low-lying areas.The weather bureau said the amount of rainfall that soaked Metro Manila was one third of the 455 millimeter (mm) rain brought by tropical storm “Ondoy” (international name: Ketsana) in 2009.From early Tuesday to early Wednesday, 142 mm of rain was recorded, weather services chief Esperanza Cayanan said in a press briefing.The heavy downpour and intense flooding prompted local government units to suspend classes in most areas of Luzon on Tuesday and Wednesday.In Metro Manila, the heaviest rainfall peaked from 5 a.m. to 8 a.m. with 59.5 mm rainfall recorded in Quezon City and 43.7 mm in the city of Manila on Tuesday.Cayanan said from July 9 to July 17, some areas in the western sections of Luzon have received a month’s rainfall. These include San Jose, Mindoro and Coron Island.“Our lands and mountains are already saturated that’s why we are now very prone to landslides,” Cayanan warned.Pagasa advised residents in Luzon, especially those living in low-lying and mountainous areas, to take extra caution against flooding and landslides.It said heavy rains may lash Luzon on Friday as “Inday” gains strength.Delayed deliveryThe National Food Authority (NFA) said the heavy rains delayed the distribution of government-subsidized rice.NFA spokesman Rex Estoperez said as of July 16, 197,400 metric tons (MT) or 3.9 million bags of rice have been delivered. The NFA imported 250,000 MT of rice from Vietnam and Thailand.Estoperez said the NFA was unable to distribute the stocks because of the bad weather.“In Subic, we still have two vessels, one which arrived last June 4, but we have not been able to distribute the stocks because of the rains,” Estoperez said in a phone interview.“The 250,000 MT is already here in the Philippines but the problem is Metro Manila and Luzon areas were affected by this typhoon, we are unable to distribute all of our stocks,” he added.WITH REPORTS FROM FRANCIS EARL A. CUETO AND EIREENE JAIREE GOMEZ
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/inday-intensifies-to-dump-more-rain-in-metro-luzon/420922/
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Mayor detained in his own town’s jail
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['Mind Hack']
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4/11/2016 0:00
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The mayor of Banga town in South Cotabato who was arrested for possession of firearms and ammunition Thursday is now being detained at the jail of his own town, while awaiting resolution of his petition to post bail.Mayor Albert Palencia has been transferred to his own town’s police detention facility from Gen. Santos City where he was processed by agents of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG).“I hope I can post bail today so I will be out while the case is pending in court,” Palencia, who was accused of being a drug lord and gambling lord, an allegation he vehemently denied.Agents of the PNP-12 Regional Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operations Task Force (RAIDSOTF) on Thursday raided the house of Palencia based on 18 search warrants issued by a local court.Police seized four bullets for cal. 380 from Palencia’s house and a rifle grenade from his piggery in Barangay Punong Grande, Banga, South Cotabato.Palencia was No. 3 in President Duterte’s second batch of narco list.Palencia denied he owned the bullets and the rifle grenade but he said he will abide by the processes the police are applying on him, including being detained in his town’s police lock-up cell.“I have never been involved in illegal drugs, our town employees for the past four years know that pretty well…“I am supportive of the anti-drug campaign of the government,” Palencia, who owns six luxury cars the police also searched in yesterday’s raid, said.Aside from his home and piggery, the police also searched his cars, including a US-made RAM car and Hummer vehicle, but no drugs were found.“The raid also clears my name, the police found no drugs in my house and that erases intelligence information that I am a drug lord and that I maintain a drug laboratory,” he told DXOM-AM Radyo Bida.“I understand the police in carrying out their jobs…it’s better they have proven that I was not into drug because they got nothing or any drug in my house,” he added.Palencia said the raid was in order, his rights were not violated and it was done in the presence of local TV networks.However, the main door of his home was broken and the CCTV camera was destroyed by the raiding team.“I assured the police that I will not run away, I did not hide or evade arrest because I know I am not a drug lord or a gambling lord,” Palencia said.South Cotabato Gov. Daisy Fuentes said the raid on Palencia’s house was expected.“I told him his name has been floating in the narco list, I asked him to surrender but he refused saying he was not hiding anything,” Fuentes added.
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Manila Bulletin
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https://news.mb.com.ph/2016/11/04/mayor-detained-in-his-own-towns-jail/
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HealthJustice wants more control over tobacco
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['The Manila Times']
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2017-06-03 21:39:35+00:00
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HealthJustice Philippines, a think tank and advocacy group with legal expertise in tobacco control and health promotion, supports the World Health Organization (WHO) in calling all countries to prioritize and accelerate tobacco control efforts as part of the responses to the 2030 Agenda of sustainable development.WHO is campaigning to combat the threats posed by tobacco by encouraging government and civil society participation in actively developing tobacco control plans and strategies for a sustainable and tobacco-free development.More than 7 million deaths caused by tobacco use are recorded every year, a figure from WHO that is predicted to grow to more than 8 million a year by 2030 without intensified action on the part of governments. Tobacco use is a threat to any person, regardless of gender, age, race, cultural or educational background. It brings suffering, disease, and death, impoverishing families and national economies.Smoking worsens poverty because the money spent on cigarettes eat up what little money that poor families may spend on food, health care, shelter and education. According to the Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS), the average monthly expenditure for cigarettes in the Philippines was P678.40 and 55.5 percent of current smokers attempted to quit smoking because of the price of cigarettes.“Smoking is not just a simple habit – it is an addiction which contributes to the vicious cycle of poverty in the Philippines. A study shows that the lowest quintile of the population spends more on cigarettes than on their health or education. Poor families’ consumption of cigarettes will not decline if they just shift to cheaper brands. Smoking also harms their families and other people around them due to exposure to second-hand smoke,” said HealthJustice Philippines President Mary Ann Mendoza.Government’s roleThe smoking ban in the Philippines signed by President Rodrigo Duterte on May 16, 2017 forbids the use of tobacco in all public and enclosed places, and is a positive step toward achieving expanding smoke-free places in the country.Under the local government code, local government units (LGUs) have the responsibility to enact ordinances for the general welfare of their constituents. They also have the full authority to implement them within their areas of jurisdiction, including the imposition of penalties on offenders.“Both the national and local government should do their part in implementing the smoking ban. We also encourage LGUs to strictly regulate indoor designated smoking areas to protect people, especially the children, from the harms of second and third-hand smoke by complying with the standards set forth by the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, a treaty signed by the Philippines in 2005,” Mendoza added.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/healthjustice-wants-control-tobacco/330786/
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Banana rice tereces? DepEd reviews textbooks
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['Francis Earl Cueto']
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2018-08-15 00:01:14+00:00
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THE Department of Education on Tuesday said it would review all textbooks and learning materials being used by public school students across the country after the discovery that one of these books dubbed the country’s Banaue Rice terraces as “Banana Rice Tereces.”Education Secretary Leonor Briones said the error was one of several they spotted.“Ongoing ang curriculum review. Hindi lang sa senior at junior pero buong curriculum. Kailangan talagang rebyuhin. Hindi na dapat kami maghintay ng press o publiko na makakita ng mali (The curriculum review is ongoing. A review is in order. We no longer have to wait for the public to tell us about these errors),” Briones said.Another book identified the island of Samar as “Cebu.”Briones has asked Congress to revise a law that would allow them to write the textbooks instead of private companies.The education secretary said her department had also raised with the Commission on Audit the issue on P25 million worth of textbooks damaged because of insufficient warehousing facilities.The CoA earlier flagged DepEd for alleged poor planning that resulted in the damage of textbooks.In its 2017 report released over the weekend, the audit agency found that 820,682 textbooks were left inside printing press Lexicon Press, Inc. because DepEd had no available storage facility.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/banana-rice-tereces-deped-reviews-textbooks/430423/
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Tearful ‘Bato’ bids PNP farewell
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['Roy Narra']
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2018-04-17 00:02:09+00:00
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Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Ronald “Bato” de la Rosa on Monday bade farewell to the organization he headed for almost two years and thanked police officers and staff for being with him in his “rollercoaster” ride.“I achieved a lot of things and I could not have done it without my men,” a tearful de la Rosa said in Filipino during Monday’s flag-raising rites.“If I didn’t reach your level of expectation, I am sorry,” he added.The outgoing PNP chief expressed no regret for the actions and decisions he made, saying he always used his “heart and brain.”He said one of his legacies was bringing the police closer to the public.“Ordinary citizens are not scared to come to me and ask for help so what more on local police,” he said. “I don’t expect all 100 percent of Filipinos will look up and trust me because some of them really don’t but generally, we brought back the respect of the public to us since we are now addressing drug issues.”De la Rosa became a household name for his active involvement in the administration’s war on drugs. The PNP’s Operation Tokhang and Operation Double Barrel however became more controversial with the killing of teenagers who police said were involved in illegal drugs.The Philippine Military Academy (PMA) also on Monday gave a testimonial parade to de la Rosa.De la Rosa, who belongs to PMA Sinagtala Class ‘86, will leave his post on April 19. He will be replaced by National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) chief Oscar Albayalde.In his speech, de la Rosa thanked his alma mater for “fulfilling his dream” to be part of the force.He also thanked President Rodrigo Duterte for making him the first PNP chief from Mindanao.“I thank Rodrigo Duterte for his trust and confidence in me and giving me the biggest break in my career as a police officer,” de la Rosa said.He received the PMA Outstanding Alumnus Award at the end of the ceremony.The President named de la Rosa as head of the Bureau of Corrections.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/tearful-bato-bids-pnp-farewell/393032/
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House passes bill opening access in data transmission
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['Ralph Villanueva']
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2017-11-01 22:19:43+00:00
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A BILL seeking to promote open access in data transmission and grant the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) additional powers has been approved at the House of Representatives on its second reading.House Bill 6557 or the Open Access in Data Transmission Act, principally authored by Tarlac Rep. Arthur Yap, said the passing of the bill will allow data transmission to be further improved, given the Philippines’ limited infrastructure.The bill also seeks to protect the public interest by its ability to access data networks.Data transmission refers to the process of sending digital analog signal over a communication medium to computing networks and communication or electronic devices.It enables the transfer of devices in a point-to-point, point-to-multipoint and multipoint-to-multipoint environment.According to the bill, the open access approach in the regulation of data transmission services sector can be provided through a speedy and efficient registration process and the promotion of fair and open competition.“Data transmission is a key factor in communications and this measure seeks to establish a regulatory framework to develop efficient and effective data transmission in the long term,” Yap said in a statement.The bill also aims to establish a strong and independent regulatory body and system that will ensure and enhance fair competition in the sector of data transmission.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/house-passes-bill-opening-access-data-transmission/360062/
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Sandigan’s Alexander Gesmundo goes to SC
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['Llanesca T. Panti']
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2017-08-14 22:06:31+00:00
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President Rodrigo Duterte has appointed anti-graft court justice Alexander Gesmundo as associate justice of the Supreme Court (SC).Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea confirmed the appointment of Gesmundo–who will assume the post because of the retirement of SC Associate Justice Jose Mendoza–in a message to reporters on Monday.Prior to his appointment to the High Court, Gesmundo served as the chairman of the Sandiganbayan’s Seventh Division and the Sandiganbayan’s Committee on Rules.Gesmundo obtained his law degree from the Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU) School of Law (1984) and later earned his economics degree from the Lyceum of the Philippines.He is the vice chairman of the Philippine Judicial Academy’s Department of Remedial Law, according to a profile provided by ADMU.The profile said Gesmundo started his government career in August 1985 as a trial attorney under the Office of the Solicitor General.He was then feted as the Most Outstanding Solicitor in 1998 and was eventually promoted to Assistant Solicitor General in August 2002.Gesmundo also served as a member of the Court of Tax Appeals and the Committee on Revision of the Rules of the CTA in 2004.He is the second Sandiganbayan justice whom President Duterte appointed to the High Court after Samuel Martires, who was appointed last March.Gesmundo is already the third Supreme Court justice appointed by the President after Martires and former Court of Appeals Associate Justice Noel Tijam.Duterte would still be able to appoint at least eight more Supreme Court justices since eight justices are scheduled to retire during his administration.These justices set to retire as they hit 70 years of age include Presbitero Velasco Jr. and Justice TeresitaLeonardo-de Castro (2018); Antonio Carpio, Mariano del Castillo, Francis Jardeleza and Lucas Bersamin (2019); and Diosdado Peralta and Estela Perlas-Bernabe (2022).By the end of his term in June 2022, President Duterte would have appointed 11 of the 15 magistrates of the High Court.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/sandigans-alexander-gesmundo-goes-sc/344439/
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Judges told to be careful when using social media
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['Jomar Canlas']
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2017-08-18 22:53:02+00:00
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The Supreme Court (SC) through the Office of the Court Administrator (OCA)warned judges and court personnel to be “cautious and circumspect” in their use of social media.SC Administrator Jose Midas Marquez issued a circular on Thursday stressing that “[a]s the visible personification of law and justice, judges and court employees have a higher standard of conduct.”“It has been observed that some judges and court personnel have been taking active part in social networking sites by sharing personal photographs and updates and posting their views and comments on certain issues and current events. While judges and court personnel are not prohibited from engaging in social media, they are reminded that when they do, they do not thereby shed off their status as members of the judiciary,’” Marquez stated.The OCA head cited the words of the high court in an administrative case in 2014.“Using a social networking site, e.g., Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, is an exercise of the freedom of expression; however, there are restrictions upon a judge’s conduct inherent in public office.”He also cited Section 6, Canon 4 of the New Code of Judicial Conduct which provides that in the exercise of freedom of expression, judges and court personnel “shall always conduct themselves in a manner as to preserve the dignity of the judicial office and the impartiality and independence of the judiciary.”“All told, judges and court personnel who participate in social media are enjoined to be cautious and circumspect in posting photographs, liking posts and making comments in public on social networking sites, for ‘public confidence in the judiciary (may be) eroded by their irresponsible or improper conduct,’” the circular read.The order covers judges and court personnel of the first and second level courts.The first level courts include the Metropolitan Trial Courts, Municipal Trial Courts, Municipal Trial Courts in Cities, Municipal Circuit Trial Courts and Shari’a Circuit Courts.In the second level courts are the Regional Trial Courts and Shari’a District Courts.It was pointed out that while it may be acceptable to be “sharing” and “liking” posts, posting photographs and commentaries, however, this may not be considered true for SC judges and employees, members of the judiciary “due to the higher standard of integrity, candor and fairness reposed in them.”“[I]n communicating and socializing through social networks, judges must bear in mind that what they communicate — regardless of whether it is a personal matter or part of his or her judicial duties — creates and contributes to the people’s opinion not just of the judge but of the entire judiciary of which he or she is a part,” the circular pointed out.“This is especially true when the posts the judges make are viewable not only by their family and close friends, but also by their acquaintances and the general public.”
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/judges-told-careful-using-social-media/345362/
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A national ‘Brigada’ for Marawi’s schools
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['Simon Antonio', 'Parasa Bayan', 'Maka Pili', 'Rey David', 'Lucas Temoteo', 'Kwak Kwak Kwak', 'Berdugo Katapang']
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24/10/2017 0:00
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will focus on the physical repair of the battered school buildings. Donor institutions are welcome to “adopt” a damaged school.“We are inviting the whole country,” Secretary Leonor Briones said. “It will be a national Brigada and all are invited to participate.” She said it needs donations of construction materials such as cement, lumber, paint, galvanized iron, and tools. And it needs volunteers to help do the work as in the usual Brigada Eskwela projects but on a much larger scale.Aside from the damage to the schools, there is danger of improvised explosive devices that may have been left by the rebels and their Islamic State cohorts in the buildings where they made their last stand. The danger posed by these “booby traps” had held back the advancing troops and they continue to pose a danger to all of those now involved in cleaning up in Marawi.As it assesses the physical damage to the schools, Secretary Briones said, the DepEd is also considering other immediate needs, such as psycho-social debriefing for teachers and students. A first batch of teachers attended a Psychological First Aid session held in Cagayan de Oro City, with funds committed by President Duterte.The rehabilitation of Marawi is now underway on so many fronts, and the restoration of the school system is of utmost importance. Thousands of students were able to shift to other schools in Region 10, and in other regions of the country. But the people of Marawi are now returning to their homes and when their children return to their schools, these should be safe from all possible danger and fully restored as part of the rehabilitation of Marawi City.
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Manila Bulletin
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https://news.mb.com.ph/2017/10/24/a-national-brigada-for-marawis-schools/
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Duterte wins court case over village funds
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['Jomar Canlas']
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2017-07-09 18:14:02+00:00
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The Supreme Court (SC) recently ruled in favor of President Rodrigo Duterte, in his previous capacity as mayor of Davao City, in connection with alleged withholding of funds appropriated to a barangay (village) in the city.In a ruling, the SC’s First Division granted a petition filed by Davao City, represented by Duterte, city accountant Rizalina Justol and city administrator Windel Avisado, and reversed two resolutions of the Court of Appeals (CA).The CA earlier granted the petition for mandamus initially filed by Robert Olanolan, chairman of Barangay 76-A, Bucana, before the Regional Trial Court (RTC) of Davao City.Olanolan’s petition sought to compel the Davao City government to release around P8.5 million allocated to Barangay Bucana during Olanolan’s stint.The SC, however, ruled that Olanolan’s petition has become moot and academic since the funds from which the allocation is supposed to be sourced have already been exhausted.“At any rate, petitioner points out that the issue in this case has already been rendered moot and academic. In particular, petitioner states that the release of the barangay funds corresponding to the aggregate amount of respondents’ claim is no longer possible given that the budget for the year 2005 has already been exhausted,” it said.The case stemmed from an election controversy after Olanolan’’s proclamation as chairmanof Barangay 76-A, Bucana on July 15, 2002.Olanolan’s rival , Celso Tizon, filed an election protest before the Municipal Trial Court in Cities (MTCC) of Davao City.Tizon’s election protest was initially dismissed by the MTCC but was later granted by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) Second Division on appeal.Tizon, thus, was proclaimed as the chairman of the Barangay Bucana .This prompted Olanolan to file a motion for reconsideration, which was denied, as were subsequent petitions seeking to nullify the Comelec’s ruling and restrain Tizons’s assumption into office before the SC.The SC, in light of the pendency of Olanolan’s petition, issued a status quo ante order (SQAO), which led to his reinstatement as village chairman.After being reinstated, Olanolan presided over proceedings, leading to the passage of a village ordinance appropriating a total of P8.5 million for his barangay for 2005.The High Court eventually recalled the SQAO, prompting Olanolan to file a motion for reconsideration.JOMAR CANLAS
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/duterte-wins-court-case-village-funds/337453/
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Hazard pay for public prosecutors eyed
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['Ma. Reina Leanne Tolentino']
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2018-06-21 00:03:13+00:00
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Valenzuela City Rep. Wes Gatchalian has proposed that public prosecutors be granted hazard pay equivalent to 25 percent of their basic salary.Gatchalian, in House Bill 7870’s explanatory note, highlighted the realities of constant threat and actual killing of public prosecutors.“Prosecutors discharge a vital and indispensable role in the Philippine criminal justice system. They are the frontline of the law who ensure that those who are guilty of crimes are justly dealt with. By their very job description, they come face to face with some of the most hardcore criminals in this country, the risk is therefore undeniable,” he said in a statement.The lawmaker cited the killing of Quezon Assistant Provincial Prosecutor Reymund Luna, Makati City Prosecutor Rolando Acido, Quezon City Prosecutor Johanne Mingao, Rizal Assistant Provincial Maria Ronatay, Mandaluyong City Prosecutor Pablito Gahol, and Quezon City Deputy Prosecutor Rogelio Velasco, among others.Gatchalian said that granting public prosecutors hazard pay would also insulate them from bribery attempts.“For some of the most well-connected criminals and syndicates, it is a carrot or stick method. Either they threaten our prosecutors or they attempt to buy them out. My belief therefore is if our prosecutors are properly compensated, it is also a means to shield them from these influences,” he said.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/hazard-pay-for-public-prosecutors-eyed/410568/
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Resorts World: No crisis plan for emergencies
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['Llanesca T. Panti']
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2017-06-07 21:25:08+00:00
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The Resorts World Manila (RWM) management on Wednesday admitted that it has no crisis plan in case of multiple emergencies such as a gunman wreaking havoc and setting the place on fire.Armeen Gomez, RWM’s chief of security, made the admission during a House probe of the Resorts World tragedy wherein a lone gunman identified as Jessie Carlos set casino tables on fire and shot LED screens around 12:30 a.m. on June 2, resulting in a fire that killed 37 employees and guests.“We have a crisis plan in a specific case of a shooter or a fire, but we don’t have a crisis plan wherein there is an active shooter and a fire happening at the same time. I have to say that when I saw it myself, it was really confusing,” Gomez told lawmakers.He said the police operation against the gunman and rescue efforts for those trapped in the building were also hampered by lack of equipment such as gas masks.Despite the lack of equipment, Gomez added, RWM’s emergency team and the Phililppine National Police were able to evacuate 12,154 people to safety.Resorts World President Kingston Sian said the multiple emergencies did not only overwhelm the security personnel but the people there who panicked.“We were able to evacuate more than 12,000 people, but it is very unfortunate that that we suffered fatalities.The fire complicated the matter. When there is a fire, people would run away from the fire. But since there is also an active shooter during the fire, the people chose to hide [in rooms] because of fear of being shot,” Sian added.“There was an initial impression that there could be a lot of gunmen because of multiple gunshots ricocheting. I believe that was what happened. We are still grieving for the lives lost,” he said.National Capital Region Police Office Director Oscar Albayalde said the Resorts World management had to wait for two hours before informing the police that there is another fully functioning CCTV monitoring room in the nearby Remington Hotel–something that could have helped the police locate the gunman and rescue the trapped individuals earlier.“I asked where the CCTV rooms were. Several times. I was told the CCTV rooms were evacuated as early as 12:20 am [when the attack happened],” Albayalde added.The Resorts World management said cameras on the second floor–where Carlos went amuck and razed tables and fired at LED screens–stopped working because of the smoke 25 to 38 minutes after Carlos’ rampage.“It was only until when the PNP chief [Ronald de la Rosa] arrived around 3:30 a.m. that we were informed of a second CCTV monitoring room in Remington Hotel,” Albayalde said.Gomez also admitted that he knew about a second monitoring room in Remington Hotel because he was getting updates from his deputy, Alfred Legarte.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/resorts-world-no-crisis-plan-emergencies-2/331477/
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PCSO employees undergo drug test
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['The Manila Times']
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2018-06-27 00:04:58+00:00
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Hundreds of officers and employees of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) submitted themselves to a drug test on Monday to show their support for President Rodrigo Duterte’s campaign against illegal drugs and to prove that the agency is drug-free, General Manager Alexander Balutan said on Tuesday.Balutan said 554 officers and personnel were tested for drugs.“Apart from the anti-illegal gambling campaign, PCSO is fully and strongly supporting the President’s all-out war on drugs,” Balutan said.“This is not to ‘catch’ employees who are using drugs. The random testing is to promote safety by deterring regulated employees from misusing drugs and abusing alcohol,” he added.Dr. Bernard Regalado, medical director and head of drug testing laboratory of Asia Pacific Medical & Diagnostics, Inc., said based on guidelines issued by the Civil Service Commission, if a government official or employee tests positive for drugs, the case is treated as a medical issue.“We don’t immediately judge the person based on one-time confirmed positive that he’s already drug dependent.This is only a medical issue or concern. This is not for outright termination. This is not even a criminal liability because he wasn’t diagnosed medically,” he explained.The employee concerned shall undergo a Drug Dependency Examination to determine if he or she falls under the category of experimenter, occasional user, or chronic user/drug dependent.A drug dependent is declared unfit to work and has to undergo rehabilitation for up to six months (minimum) with an 18-month post rehabilitation care.He will be given a chance to go back to work after rehabilitation but he needs to comply with the terms and conditions and prove that he is not a drug dependent.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/pcso-employees-undergo-drug-test/412831/
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