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Pampanga gov hits Sandra Cam over STL
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['The Manila Times']
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2018-01-27 00:07:00+00:00
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Pampanga Gov. Lilia Pineda has defended her husband from accusations of a jueteng bagwoman that he is using the Small Town Lottery (STL) of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) as front of jueteng (an illegal numbers game) operations.The governor, reacting to bribe custodian-turned whistleblower Sandra Cam, on Friday shot down in a television interview the accusations against her husband-businessman Bong Pineda, telling Cam, “Huwag kang mag-akusa kung wala ka namang ebidensya [Stop accusing people if you have no evidence against them]!”The governor, according to a statement, was apparently irked by what she called as “theatrics” that Cam staged in a hearing on Thursday before the Senate Committee on Games and Amusement.The whistleblower told the Senate panel about a gambling lord who is allegedly protecting PCSO officials.When challenged by the committee chairman, Sen. Panfilo Lacson, to identify the person, Cam blurted out, “It’s Bong Pineda!”The former jueteng bagwoman claimed Bong Pineda owns and operates 16 out of 92 Authorized Agent Corporations of the PCSO.The governor denied accusations that they are close to Alexander Balutan, current PCSO general manager.She said she only sees Balutan when the PCSO gives financial assistance to the province.“Nagbibigay sila ng support, ng hundred millions dun sa mga maysakit… sa aming mga governor [The agency gives us support, in hundreds of millions for the sick… to us governors],” according to the governor.She dared Cam, a PCSO board member, to sit down and look for solutions to problems rather than accuse and point fingers at people.Records show that PCSO-STL made history by generating P15.7-billion revenue (P1.3 billion a month) in 2017 alone from only P4.7 billion a year in nine years.Balutan attributed the record high revenue to strong support, unflinching loyalty and dedicated service of the PCSO workforce.Earlier, he challenged STL critics to produce evidence proving he shortchanged the government revenue from the STL.“I will never gamble my impeccable military records as PMA [Philippine Military Academy] Cavalier and TOPS [The Outstanding Philippine Soldier] Awardee and more than 35 military service awards mostly won for gallantry in combat for these flimsy STL issues,” the PCSO general manager said.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/pampanga-gov-hits-sandra-cam-stl/376583/
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Duty Free to show record on tourism dept purchases
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['Benjie Vergara']
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2018-06-30 00:05:14+00:00
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Duty Free Philippine Corp. (DFPC) announced that it is creating a detailed record of the items pulled out from the DFPC by the Department of Tourism (DoT) last year to ensure accountability.DFPC Chief Operating Officer Vicente Pelagic Angala issued the statement on Friday following a Commission on Audit (CoA) report that former Tourism Secretary Wanda Tulfo Teo has purchased merchandise amounting P2.17 million from Duty Free Shops (DFS) using the DoT funds.CoA report showed that Teo bought “toiletries, kitchen wares, beddings, appliances, canned goods, branded bags, luxury brand cosmetics, chocolates and others” using DoT shares from Duty Free annual profits.Angala insisted that the DFPC has its own Interim Guidelines on the issuance and usage of Gate Pass Slips (GPS) for withdrawal of merchandise from DFS.He added that last year, the DFPC received official requests from the DoT for various Duty Free merchandise for Sponsorship and Corporate Giveaways by the tourism department.“These requests were evaluated and found compliant with the guidelines of GPS issuance and usage,” Angala said in a statement.According to him, usage of GPS for withdrawal of merchandise with commercial value is limited to contributions to other organizations, representation expenses, corporate gifts and sponsorships, conversion to office equipment or supplies, and subsidies and donations. Meanwhile, withdrawal of merchandise with no commercial value using GPS is limited to promo/sample items/materials and suppliers’ advertising materials.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/duty-free-to-show-record-on-tourism-dept-purchases/414155/
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‘Importing galunggong will not lower fish prices’
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['Llanesca T. Panti']
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2018-08-24 00:02:04+00:00
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Importing P1.4 billion worth of fish, specifically galunggong (round scad), won’t bring down rising fish prices, Rep. Jose Atienza of Buhay party said on Thursday.“This is a band-aid solution and a poor government intervention. It does not address the problem of dwindling fish production,” he said in a statement.The Agriculture department has claimed that the importation of 17,000 metric tons of galunggong will lower the price of fish to P75 to P80 per kilo.Atienza, however, was not convinced.“What difference will 17 million kilos make? That is just equal to 17 million households consuming one kilo each in a day. Ubos na ‘yan sa loob ng isang araw lang (That can be consumed in a day). The best way for the government to fight off rising fish or food prices for that matter is by producing more fish and more food,” he said.Atienza earlier sought the cleanup of municipal waters around Metro Manila and Luzon to revive fish production.“We cannot expect fish and other marine life to thrive abundantly in our highly toxic municipal waters. Illegal fish cages, industrial waste, untreated sewage and unchecked land reclamation have caused a rapid decay of the waters around Metro Manila,” he said.The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) gave assurances that it would see to it that the imported fish, set to arrive on Sept. 1, would be free of harmful substances.“The imported galunggong will be unloaded only in BFAR accredited cold storage facilities and will undergo thorough inspection to ensure that the fish commodity that will enter Philippine markets are safe and free of harmful substances,” Agriculture Undersecretary and BFAR National Director Eduardo Gongona said.The DA allowed the importation of galunggong from China, India and Holland to curb the increasing prices of fish and ensure food security.Galunggong is covered by the DA’s order on suggested retail price (SRP). Its market price must not exceed 10 percent of its SRP – P140 per kilogram.Also on Thursday, Rep. Carlos Isagani Zarate of Bayan Muna party-list slammed the government’s economic managers for easing tariff rates on imported rice and fish, saying this would wreak havoc on the economy.“Instead of lowering the prices of our staple food, it will in fact cause the increase of prices of the said products because importers and businessmen would just pass on their added cost to consumers. As a result, it will further jack up the already high inflation rate of 5.7 percent,” Zarate said in a statement.“Imported fish like galunggong can also be dangerous to our health because some may contain formaldehyde to preserve the fish. The Department of Health has in fact also previously warned consumers to be wary of imported fish because formalin can cause cancer and it should be probed by Congress,” Zarate added.With Reports from EIREENE JAIREE GOMEZ
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/importing-galunggong-will-not-lower-fish-prices/433808/
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Police, militants clash in anti-Trump protest
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['Jaime Pilapil']
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2017-11-10 22:47:38+00:00
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Although there were scuffles between the police and some 350 militants during a rally on Friday near the United States Embassy on Roxas Boulevard in Manila, the protest action ended peacefully, according to Manila Police District spokesman Supt. Erwin Margarejo.Margarejo said the 800 police officers were enough to prevent the protesters from crossing Roxas Boulevard as they were told to occupy only an area just before Mabini Street and United Nations Avenue.Twelve various groups joined forces to slam the visit of President Donald Trump to Manila in connection with the Association of Southeast Nations (Asean) Summit next week.One of the groups was Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan), which decried the “gunboat diplomacy” of Trump.Bayan spokesman Teddy Casiño condemned the American leader’s show of force especially a three aircraft carrier naval drill to coincide with the visit.The US 7th Fleet will hold a four-day exercise to start on November 11, a day before Trump’s arrival.The naval drill will involve the USS Ronald Reagan, USS Nimitz and USS Theodore Roosevelt and their strike groups.It will be held in the Sea of Japan just next to the Korean Peninsula.Trump had issued strong words against the supposed aggression being displayed by North Korea, a position being shared by the Philippines and the rest of Asean members.Margarejo said other groups that joined Bayan were Kabataan, Kilusang Mayo Uno, Kadamay, Lumad, Karapatan, Selda, League of Filipino Students, Sinag, Kilusang Mambubukid ng Pilipinas, Gabriela Women’s Party and Amihan.Gabriela Rep. Arlene Brosas said there is no potential inclusive growth in globalization, free market and liberalized trade.Asean is a 10-member regional bloc but they will be joined in Manila by allies the United States, Canada, and Australia.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/police-militants-clash-anti-trump-protest/361860/
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Garin behind purchase of Dengvaxia – Ona
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['Benjie Vergara']
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2017-12-18 21:30:18+00:00
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Former Health secretary Enrique Ona on Monday claimed that former Health Secretary Janette Garin should take the blame for the Dengvaxia mess because she advised former President Benigno Aquino 3rd to purchase the dengue vaccine.Ona, who arrived yesterday from a trip to the United States, said he is willing to face the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee to explain the purchase of the vaccine.He said Garin, then the Health secretary, advised Aquino to purchase the vaccine from Sanofi Pasteur.Ona told reporters he knew the possible effects of Dengvaxia on people who have never been exposed to dengue.The government, he added, failed to carefully review the long-term effects of Dengvaxia, particularly how it will affect people inoculated with it.Ona resigned as health secretary in 2014.Garin had earlier claimed that discussions for the purchase of the vaccine when Ona was the Health chief.Surigao del Sur Rep. Johnny Pimentel said officials behind the acquisition of the vaccine may be charged with graft.“The hustled purchase of P3.5-billion worth of Dengvaxia shots in 2015 may be considered highly detrimental to the government,” Pimentel, chairman of the House committee on good government and public accountability, said.Under the law, Pimentel said entering into any contract or transaction that is deemed “manifestly and grossly disadvantageous” to the government constitutes a corrupt and unlawful practice.“Officials found liable may be penalized with up to 15 years in prison, plus perpetual disqualification from public office,” he added.Pimentel likened the purchase of Dengvaxia to buying a defective car.He urged Sanofi Pasteur to return the P3.5 billion that the government paid for the anti-dengue shots.“The sooner they give us back the money, the better,” Pimentel said.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/garin-behind-purchase-dengvaxia-ona/369388/
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Repatriated workers get $100 upon arrival
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['Benjie Vergara']
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2017-11-01 22:28:08+00:00
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Around 105 Filipino workers who were repatriated from Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, were given $100 upon arrival at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) on Wednesday.Overseas Workers Welfare Administration Administrator Hans Cacdac and Department of Foreign Affairs Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs Sarah Lou Arriola welcomed them and gave the cash to each of the workers.The group of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) arrived at the NAIA via a Philippine Airlines flight.According to lawyer Raul Dado of the Office for Migrant Workers Affairs, the Filipinos are all runaways who did not receive salaries from their employers.The OFWs were elated when the welcoming government officials handed each of them the one hundred dollars.Dado said the money came from the fund of President Rodrigo Duterte, so that every OFW would have cash when they get home to their family. He did not elaborate.He added that several of the OFWs were victims of illegal recruiters.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/repatriated-workers-get-100-upon-arrival/360093/
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De Venecia’s tenure as envoy extended
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['The Manila Times']
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2017-09-06 21:43:43+00:00
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President Rodrigo Duterte has extended the services of former House Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr. as Special Envoy for Inter-Cultural Dialogue and Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), appointment papers released by Malacañang showed.De Venecia was appointed on September 4 and will handle the post from October 21, 2017 to October 20, 2018.He was first designated to the special ambassadorial post from April to September 2017.On May 9, Malacañang made an erroneous announcement, listing down de Venecia’s appointment with others who had their appointment papers signed by Duterte in April.The confusion apparently extended to the Department of Foreign Affairs as well since its spokesman Robespierre Bolivar said de Venecia was appointed Special Envoy for Inter-Cultural Dialogue.De Venecia served as Speaker of the House of Representatives from 1992 to 1998 and from 2001 to 2008.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/de-venecias-tenure-envoy-extended/349046/
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Demafelis ‘recruiter’ surrenders to PNP
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['Roy Narra']
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2018-03-02 00:03:36+00:00
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The alleged recruiter and the alleged processor of the papers of slain overseas Filipino worker (OFW) Joanna Demafelis both surrendered to authorities on Thursday.Agnes Tuballes, who surrendered to the Philippine National Police’s (PNP) Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG), however, denied that she had recruited Demafelis as a domestic helper in Kuwait.Tuballes is now under PNP custody.Marissa Ansaji Mohammad, who surrendered to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and who allegedly was the person who processed Demafelis’ papers, is now under the bureau’s custody.Tuballes said she merely referred Demafelis to local recruitment agency Our Lady of Mount Carmel Global E-Human Resources Inc., adding that Demafelis was only deployed to Kuwait “via” Ansaji, the agency’s secretary.According to her, she received P13,000 from an alleged employee of Mount Carmel for referring Demafelis.Tuballes did not identify the employee.CIDG Director and Chief Supt. Roel Obusan, however, disputed Tuballes’ claims of her employment with Mount Carmel.He said she was only using Our Lady of Mount Carmel’s name to recruit more Filipino women to work in the Gulf state.Tuballes said she felt guilty for not being able to help Demafelis, although she said the family never approached her when Demafelis went missing.A distant relative of Demafelis, she decried a news report that showed her picture and tagged her as one of those liable for Demafelis’ death.“Gusto ko lang pong linisin ang pangalan ko mula sa iresponsableng pagre-report… binu-bully na po ang mga anak ko. Sana po kinuha muna ninyo ang side ko [I want to clear my name in that report… My children are getting bullied. I wished that the news report got my side first],” she addedTuballes said she has been receiving threats since her name was linked to the Demafelis case.Obusan assured that they will give Tuballes protection over the threats she has been receiving.Tuballes said she used to work as a staff for Our Lady of Mount Carmel before she became a domestic helper in Hong Kong from 2013 to 2016.She added that she also worked in Qatar in April 2017 and then came back to the Philippines to work as a recruitment officer at Al Madinah Manpower.Obusan said Demafelis’ recruiter could be held liable for her death.Demafelis’ remains were identified on February 9 after she was found inside a freezer in Kuwait with bruises and a broken hip bone.Malacañang also on Thursday welcomed Tuballes’ decision to surrender to authorities.According to Palace spokesman Harry Roque, such move eased the trouble of the NBI of conducting a manhunt for her.“It is good that [Tuballes] surrendered because if she did not, she will be arrested. That is the order of the President, right after the President’s declaration [on the death of Demafelis], the President asked the NBI to summon the recruiter. It was because probably, we just wanted to find out exactly what her side is,” Roque said in Filipino in a news briefng.He added that the surrender would finally answer questions on the employment of Demafelis.Roque noted that the current structure of the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) requires an approved contract that is duly signed by concerned parties.The names of the parties should not be changed, he said.“We should know who the employer really is. Why is there a change in employer if it is not reported to the POEA?” Roque said.“It is a curious thing that the new contract [surfaced] and it is curious that in the case of Miss Demafelis, the employer is a new party. We should know and get answers [from Tuballes] on this matter,” he added.Last Friday, the Department of Foreign Affairs said Nader Essam Assaf and Mona Hassoun, a Lebanese-Syrian couple that are the main suspects in the OFW’s death, were arrested by the International Police (Interpol).The crime, along with several reports of abuse among OFWs in Kuwait, led President Rodrigo Duterte to declare a ban on deployment to Kuwait.The President, who was angered by how poorly OFWs are treated, last month threatened to extend the deployment ban to other countries.WITH REPORT FROM RALPH U. VILLANUEVA
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/demafelis-recruiter-surrenders-pnp/383439/
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Bus crash victims get cash aid
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['Catherine S. Valente']
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2018-03-24 23:16:24+00:00
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President Rodrigo Duterte has extended financial assistance to victims of a bus crash in Sablayan, Occidental Mindoro, that left at least 19 people dead.In a statement on Saturday, Malacañang spokesman Harry Roque said the families of those who died in the accident each received P20,000 in cash assistance, while the injured passengers got P10,000 and cellphone each.“Per the LTFRB [Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board], starting Monday, March 26, the families of those who died would directly be receiving P200,000 while those injured will receive P20,000 from the Passenger Accident Management and Insurance Agency,” he added.During the President’s visit to the families, Roque said, he ordered the cancelation of the franchise of Dimple Star.“In this regard, there will be a scheduled hearing on April 18, where the LTFRB will initiate the processing of the cancelation,” he added.“For the time being, the LTFRB has issued a 30-day preventive suspension order covering the entire fleet of Dimple Star, which consists 118 bus units,” Roque said.A Dimple Star Transport bus bound for Manila fell into a ravine at the boundary of Barangay Batong Buhay and Barangay San Agustin in Sablayan town on Tuesday night, March 20, killing 19 people and injuring 21 others.Dimple Star buses serve the following routes: Iloilo City to Cubao, Quezon City; Iloilo City to Parañaque City; San Jose, Occidental Mindoro to Sampaloc, Manila; Manila to San Jose, Occidental Mindoro; Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental to Cubao; Caticlan, Iloilo Market, Market to Cubao; and Romblon to Cubao.While under preventive suspension, the buses will be inspected for road worthiness while the drivers and conductors will have to undergo a road safety seminar and drug testing.Hilbert Napat, under whose name Dimple Star is registered, surrendered on Friday night to the Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG) after Duterte ordered his arrest.Napat arrived at the PNP headquarters in Camp Crame in Quezon City at 8 p.m. with his wife and his lawyer Samuel Torgano.He clarified that he was not arrested in his home in Cabuyao, Laguna, and said he surrendered when authorities came to his residence.“We volunarily came here to coordinate with the authorities to show that we have sincerity in helping the injured victims and the families of the victims who died,” Napat told reporters in Filipino.PNP-CIDG Director Roel Obusan said they are still studying if Napat has a liability in the incident.Meanwhile, Chief Insp. Emmanuel Luis Licup, regional director of Police Regional Office-Mimaropa, has ordered provincial police directors of Mindoro Occidental and Mindoro Oriental to hold Dimple Star buses that are bound for Mindoro and Iloilo City via Roxas Pier upon the directive of the President.Mimaropa refers to the Mindoro provinces (Mindoro Occidental and Mindoro Oriental), Marinduque, Romblon and Palawan.A statement said 44 buses were already held by the personnel of Mindoro Occidental and Mindoro Oriental Police Provincial Offices.The LTFRB has already suspended the operation of Dimple Star Transport’s 118 buses for 30 days.This is not the first time the bus firm was involved in a controversy.The Dimple Star Transport was fined P1 million in March 2016 for operating without special permits.In his speech at the 16th founding anniversary of the Supreme Tribal Council for Peace and Development Inc. in Davao City, Duterte ordered transport officials to embark on a nationwide crackdown on unregistered public utility vehicles (PUVs) in view of the fatal bus accident in Occidental Mindoro.“Now is the time for the government to prove itself and should take responsibility in protecting its people,” the President said in Bisaya.“I had a meeting with the Highway Patrol and the chief of police there. I told them to ‘apprehend all the colorum drivers and operators in the Philippines,’” he added.“Lock them up because I want them to experience life in jail.”Colorum buses operate without a franchise.The President also instructed authorities to impound the colorum vehicles and to conduct a drug test for PUV drivers.He said the arrest of the colorum public utility drivers and operators is valid because they are violating laws and regulations.“When a vehicle is not registered and uninsured, and you park it in terminals, that is considered as fraud,” Duterte explained, noting that the units are not maintained well by the owners.“We got used to vans that are unregistered, uninsured and have unmaintained engines and tires, and we do not do anything about it almost everyday,” he said.WITH A REPORT FROM
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/bus-crash-victims-get-cash-aid/388342/
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Central Luzon takes in 917 new policemen
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['Frederick Silverio']
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2017-02-04 21:56:41+00:00
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Camp Olivas, Pampanga: Police Regional Office (PRO) 3 (Central Luzon) Director Chief Supt. Aaron Aquino administered the oath of office of 917 new police recruits at the PRO3 headquarters. Supt. Enrico Vargas, acting Chief of Regional Police Personnel and Human Resource Development Division said the new recruits are composed of 697 males and 220 females with the rank of Police Officer 1 (PO1). After taking their oath the new police recruits will further undergo one-year training at the Regional Training Center 3 at Barangay Santo Niño in Magalang, Pampanga. The hiring of the 917 applicants completes the PO1 Attrition Recruitment Program for the year 2016, with initial 1,100 quota.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/central-luzon-takes-917-new-policemen/310548/
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Comelec chief in hot water over hacking
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['William Depasupil']
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2017-01-05 23:33:55+00:00
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COMMISSION on Elections (Comelec) Chairman Juan Andres Bautista is in hot water in connection with the hacking of the poll body’s website last year that left open to identity theft the personal information of more than 55 million registered voters here and abroad.The National Privacy Commission (NPC) on Thursday ruled that Bautista and the Comelec en banc were criminally liable for the cyber security breach, in violation of Republic Act (RA) 10173 or the Data Privacy Act of 2012.The NPC is an independent body mandated to administer and implement RA 10173, and to monitor and ensure compliance of the country with international standards for data protection.In its 35-page decision, the NPC accused Bautista of violating Section 22, which defines his role as head of the Comelec in complying with the security requirements mentioned in the law.Section 22 states, “All sensitive personal information maintained by the government, its agencies and instrumentalities shall be secured, as far as practical, with the use of the most appropriate standards recognized by the information and communications technology industry, and as recommended by the commission. The head of each government agency or instrumentality shall be responsible for complying with the security requirements mentioned herein while the commission shall monitor the compliance and may recommend the necessary action in order to satisfy the minimum standards.”The en banc, on the other hand, was faulted for violation of Sections 11, 20 and 21 of the same law.According to the NPC, Bautista and the poll body failed to implement needed security measures to protect data related to the personal information of voters, which include their fingerprints and addresses.It said that Bautista failed to appoint a data protection officer as provided by law.“Data privacy is more than the deployment of technical security; it also includes the implementation of physical and organizational measures, as well as regular review, evaluation and updating of Comelec’s privacy and security policies and practices,” the NPC pointed out.Bautista, in a statement, denied the accusations against him and the Comelec even as he vowed to contest the ruling.“With all due respect to the NPC membership, we believe that the NPC decision was based on the misappropriation of several facts, legal points and material contexts,” he said.The Comelec, through the Office of the Solicitor General, will file a motion for reconsideration with the NPC.Contrary to the findings of the NPC, Bautista maintained that the Comelec has done due diligence in protecting its data even before the hacking of its website in March 2016 by following generally accepted standards and international best practices with regard to its technology-related activities and services.The Comelec, according to him, aware of the gravity of the hacking, immediately undertook the necessary actions in response to the security breach even as it was at the height of preparations for the May 9, 2016 national and local polls.“Comelec, in good faith, cooperated with the proceedings initiated by the NPC despite the absence of Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR),” Bautista said, adding that the Comelec also submitted as well a compliance report detailing the actions it has taken.Bautista questioned as well the NPC decision pointing to him as solely responsible for the data breach, saying “these are matters that are best left to information technology [IT] experts.”“Unlike the NPC, which is run by IT practitioners, the Comelec en banc is currently managed by seven lawyers. Hence, we rely on our IT Department for expert advice on website/data security and privacy and IT-related matters,” he said.“Following the decision’s logic, if there is a breach of the Supreme Court website, will the Chief Justice be potentially liable?” the poll chief asked.The Comelec website was hacked and defaced early morning of March 28, 2016.It was the second time that hackers were able to bypass the website’s defense wall.According to Internet security provider Trend Micro, the hackers were able to copy the personal information of 1.3 million registered overseas Filipino voters and the fingerprints of 15.8 million other voters, which rendered them vulnerable to identity theft.Comelec spokesman James Jimenez has admitted that the Comelec website was put up without a strong security firewall, such that the hackers, after a series of attempts, were able to find loopholes in the system.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/comelec-chief-hot-water-hacking/305383/
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PH ready for terror attacks - Palace
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['Ralph Villanueva']
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2018-10-29 00:02:02+00:00
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PH ready for terror attacks – PalaceByhome/News/Nation/PH ready for terror attacks – PalaceTHE Philippines is prepared for terrorist attacks, Malacañang said on Sunday, a day after a Filipino-American was arrested for mailing bombs to the enemies of US President Donald Trump.Palace spokesman Salvador Panelo said there is no need for President Rodrigo Duterte to order the Philippine National Police and the Armed Forces of the Philippines to heighten security to address potential terrorist threats in the country.“The President has a standing order on the troops to do what they have to do with respect to the security problems of the country,” Panelo said in a radio interview.He said the Palace is also “not perturbed” with the security of President Rodrigo Duterte.“The Presidential Security Group (PSG) is doing a fine job. Apart from the mantle of protection being in place, the President is absolutely not bothered by any attempt against his life nor will it distract his focus on fulfilling his mandate by – and the directive of – the Constitution to protect and serve the Filipino people with integrity, dedication, and fidelity,” Panelo said.Agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) arrested Cesar Sayoc on Saturday for mailing at least 14 bombs to Trump critics including former president Barack Obama and former secretary of state Hillary Clinton.“[The terrorists] could be of any nationality or a descendant of any nationality. They are often faceless and unseen. One thing, however, defines them: They are evil and capable of terrible deeds,” Panelo said
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/ph-ready-for-terror-attacks-palace-2/458781/
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SONA ‘quiet’ on lake clean-up
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['The Manila Times']
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2017-07-25 22:22:03+00:00
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A lawmaker on Tuesday hailed President Rodrigo Duterte’s “concern for the environment and the preservation of the country’s natural resources” that he articulated in his second State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Monday.Lito Atienza, Buhay party-list representative and senior deputy minority leader, however, said he was “very disappointed that he did not mention anything about cleaning up Laguna de Bay and all bodies of water of illegal fishpens and fish cages which he had ordered during his first SONA.”According to Atienza, the Laguna Lake Development Authority (LLDA) claims to have removed more than 2,000 hectares of fishpens and fish cages from Laguna Lake but, he said, “this is far from the truth.”The LLDA, the lawmaker said, has not delivered the President’s order and commitment to liberate the lake from these structures and return it to the small fisherfolk who are the poorest sector.“They are all making money at the LLDA [because of] the continued operation of illegal fishpens and fish cages,” he added.“Our abundant natural resources are enough to feed the whole world but right now, it is feeding only the wealthy and the powerful enjoying our waters,” Atienza pointed out.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/sona-quiet-on-lake-clean-up/340596/
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Former PCSO official seeks house arrest, bail
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['Ma. Reina Leanne Tolentino']
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2016-12-20 21:42:35+00:00
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Former Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) General Manager Rosario Uriarte is asking the Sandiganbayan’s First Division to allow her confinement at home and/or to let her post bail for her provisional liberty for health reasons.Uriarte, previously at large, was charged with plunder before the Sandiganbayan in 2012 along with former President and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and several others over alleged misuse of PCSO funds covering the years 2008 to 2010.In July, the Supreme Court (SC) dismissed the case against Arroyo and Benigno Aguas, a former PCSO budget and accounts manager, for insufficiency of evidence.In a 14-page urgent omnibus motion, the defense asked the Sandiganbayan to allow Uriarte “to be confined at her home… [in] Quezon City for the 6 to 10 months that she will be undergoing chemotherapy, surgery and other possible courses of treatment; and/or…immediately be granted bail for her provisional liberty, and that the amount thereof be fixed in an amount in cash or surety as the Honorable Court may deem sufficient.”The court allowed her to be brought to St. Luke’s Medical Center in Quezon City last month for a medical examination and as a result of the findings, the defense said, her attending physicians laid down a general treatment plan in a medical abstract that was attached to the motion.Her place of detention at the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) in Manila “will unfortunately not provide the requisite environment” that would let her recover before the next treatment, it added.“The NBI premises would likewise expose her to possible infection-causing germs which accused Uriarte’s doctors have cautioned against,” the defense said.It added that considering the doctors have also warned her of the potential side effects of chemotherapy such as “fatigue, risk of infection, nausea and vomiting, hair loss, loss of appetite, mouth sores and diarrhea,” Uriarte “will be able to more properly and comfortably deal with said side effects at home where she can be attended to by family.”The defense said Uriarte’s home is near St. Luke’s Medical Center in Quezon City, thus she can be more easily rushed there if she suffers any complications arising from the treatment.The defense cited the SC ruling in August which granted, on humanitarian grounds, a bail petition of former senator Juan Ponce Enrile who was charged with plunder in 2014 along with several other individuals in connection with the pork barrel scam.It also cited the SC ruling, which acquitted Arroyo and Aguas in July.Plunder, being an offense punishable by life imprisonment, is not bailable as a matter of right but bailable in the court’s discretion when evidence is not strong.Other individuals who were charged with plunder in 2012 over the alleged misuse of PCSO funds were acquitted by the Sandiganbayan’s First Division last year as it granted their demurrers to evidence.These were former PCSO Directors Manuel Morato, Raymundo Roquero and Jose Taruc 5th as well as former Commission on Audit Chairman Reynaldo Villar.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/former-pcso-official-seeks-house-arrest-bail/302875/
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Impeach rap referred to House Justice panel
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['Mary Gleefer F. Jalea']
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2018-08-29 00:09:41+00:00
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The impeachment complaint against seven justices of the Supreme Court was referred to the House justice panel on Tuesday, the same day that one of the respondents, Teresita Leonardo-de Castro, assumed her post as chief justice.With the referral of the case, the committee has 60 session days within which to decide if the complaint is sufficient in form and substance.Justice committee chairman Salvador Leachon said the panel would hear the case on September 4.The complaint was filed against Associate Justices Diosdado Peralta, Lucas Bersamin, Francis Jardeleza, Noel Tijam, Andres Reyes Jr., Alexander Gesmundo and de Castro for voting to oust then Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno.Rep. Edcel Lagman, one of the complainants, said the complaint questions the motives of the justices in kicking out Sereno via quo warranto.“It is not a question of error in judgment. It is not a question of wisdom of decision. It’s a question of malice and the witting violation of the Constitution,” Lagman said in a press conference.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/impeach-rap-referred-to-house-justice-panel/435644/
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Better relations with US at hand
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['Yolanda Santos', 'General Problem']
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10/7/2017 0:00
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The Philippines is bullish about having “better” relations with the United States following the appointment of a special envoy.Presidential Spokesman Ernesto Abella has announced that President Duterte has reappointed Jose Manuel Romualdez as his special envoy to the United States.“We are confident that the re-appointment of Mr. Romualdez will usher in better PH-US relations and promote stronger cooperation between the two countries,” Abella said.Romualdez, a newspaper columnist, earlier declined the appointment as the envoy to Washington last year due a health condition. He has reportedly recovered and is now prepared to assume his government role.The President has not yet appointed a Philippine ambassador to the US, following his tirade against the longtime ally’s supposed interference in local affairs. At present, the Philippine Embassy in Washington DC is supervised by Chargé d’Affaires Patrick Chuasoto.Duterte earlier lashed out at then US President Barack Obama for criticizing his drug-fighting methods, and threatened to revoke a defense pact that allow American troops to visit the Philippines.The situation somehow improved when the President welcomed the election of US President Donald Trump who has supported his anti-drug efforts. Duterte compared himself to Trump, praising him as a realistic and a pragmatic thinker.
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Manila Bulletin
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https://news.mb.com.ph/2017/07/10/better-relations-with-us-at-hand/
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Legarda vows to aid HEIs
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['Paul Parenas', 'Juan Barili']
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8/7/2017 0:00
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Senator Loren Legarda, chair of the Senate finance committee, vowed yesterday to provide adequate funds for the country’s public higher education institutions (HEIs).Legarda the other day spoke at the 50th Philippine Association of State Colleges and Universities (PASCU) General Assembly, where she underscored how important tertiary education is in today’s highly competitive and technology-based world.The promise of providing adequate funds for public tertiary education would be timely as the Senate and the House of Representatives prepare for their annual legislative responsibility of scrutinizing the annual national budget that every Philippine president submits to Congress after his or her annual State-of-the-Nation Address (SONA) delivered at the fourth Monday of the month of July.The education sector usually gets the lion’s share of the annual government expenditure.“We need to promote a culture of innovation to encourage creative thinking and knowledge creation and dissemination towards expanding and maintaining economic competitiveness. But in order to create an innovation ecosystem, we need to invest in higher education,” Legarda said.
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Manila Bulletin
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https://news.mb.com.ph/2017/07/08/legarda-vows-to-aid-heis/
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Caring for our senior citizens
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['Kia Eade']
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3/10/2017 0:00
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basic needs such as medicines and food remain beyond their reach.Senior citizens need care and support from society and government. When I was mayor of Makati, the city government formulated a host of programs and services for seniors beyond what is being provided by national law.The rationale was simple. Our senior citizens contributed to the growth and development of Makati. They worked hard and paid their taxes when they were younger. It is government’s obligation to repay their good citizenship.We Filipinos value our senior citizens. They cared for us when we were younger, and continue to care for our children in their twilight years. And they still have much to contribute to society. I know that senior citizens are able to find jobs in call centers. Those who were former professionals do consultancy work and have proven to be quite handy with computers and the latest gadgets. In localities, senior citizen organizations down to the barangay level are among the most active citizens organizations. But it breaks my heart when I see senior citizens forced to beg on the streets. A society must never allow its elderly to live lives of indignity and degradation.The noted writer and philantrophist Pearl S. Buck said these memorable words: “Our society must make it right and possible for old people not to fear the young or be deserted by them, for the test of a civilization is the way that it cares for its helpless members.”In my next column, I will discuss the unique programs and services for senior citizens which we began in [email protected]
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Manila Bulletin
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https://news.mb.com.ph/2017/10/03/caring-for-our-senior-citizens/
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De Lima-Roque word war heats up
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['Ralph Villanueva']
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2018-02-28 00:09:57+00:00
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Malacañang spokesman Harry Roque had some strong, choice words for detained Sen. Leila de Lima on Tuesday.He was reacting to de Lima statement that said Roque “sold his own identity in exchange for a possible Senate run.”“As I said, happy anniversary on your first year of detention. May you spend the rest of your life in jail. Good night. Goodbye. So that is my reaction,” Roque said before dropping the microphone in a news briefing.Last Saturday, Roque “greeted” de Lima “happy anniversary” on the first year of her incarceration for her alleged involvement in the illegal drug trade at the New Bilibid Prisons, the national penitentiary in Muntinlupa City.In the same statement on Saturday, he said de Lima’s incarceration shows that the criminal justice system in the country is “alive, effective and working.”“Senator De Lima has been detained because of drug charges. She is the mother of all drug lords by allowing the illegal drug trade to proliferate inside the National Bilibid Prisons when she was the Department of Justice [DoJ] secretary,” according to Roque.In a statement released on Tuesday, de Lima slammed the Palace spokesman, saying Roque sold his credibility as leverage for his quest for a bigger political seat.“Mr. Roque, I understand, aspires to one day call himself a senator. There is nothing wrong with that per se. But just because he has bartered his dignity and reputation as a human rights lawyer, in exchange for a senatorial berth in the President’s party, it doesn’t mean that everyone is willing to go down that path,” she said.De Lima downplayed the “kind, upstanding and definitely un-petty” greeting of Roque, saying while Malacanang is indeed “happy” to see her suffer, she does not feel sorry for herself.One of the Duterte administration’s most vocal critics, she said she knows she is behind bars because she stood for what is right.“The plain truth is I am under detention, not because I am the ‘mother of all drug lords,’ but because Duterte feared being held accountable for the bloodshed he had brought down with his war on drugs, and he–and his allies who have been at the wrong end of a DoJ investigation while I was DoJ secretary—have been frothing at the mouth to get even,” de Lima noted.“So, Mr. Roque may pretend all he wants that he speaks truths–but that is all it is: a pretense. Slowly, eventually, inevitably, the truth will set me free. But it will shackle Roque and his cohorts in shame. I am innocent. They are not,” she said.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/de-lima-roque-word-war-heats/383052/
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House okays amnesty for farmer loans
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['The Manila Times']
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2017-05-19 21:37:16+00:00
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The House agrarian reform committee has approved amnesty for unpaid loan interests secured by farmers, fisherfolk and other agrarian reform beneficiaries.The approval came after the panel approved House Bill 187 or the Agrarian and Agricultural Loan Restructuring and Condonation Act, which provides leniency on unsettled interests, penalties and surcharges on loans availed of by the farmers, fishermen and agrarian reform beneficiaries from the Department of Agrarian Reform, Department of Agriculture, People’s Credit and Finance Corporation, Cooperative Development Authority, National Food Authority and the Quedan and Rural Credit Guarantee Corporation.Specifically, the measure condones unpaid loan interests provided that the condonation resulted from force majeure or events beyond the reasonable control of a loan borrower that have a material adverse effect on the ability of the borrower to pay an obligation or to market aberration and will, in no case, be applied to the willful default of the borrower to pay such loan.Also, the condonation covers accumulated payments of not less than five percent of the principal loan, which shall have been paid at the time of application for the condonation.To encourage borrowing discipline and enhance creditworthiness, a process will be followed in consonance with the plan of payment such that a borrower will be granted a one-time condonation only.The condonation of unpaid interests, penalties and surcharges from loans acquired through conduit banks and financial institutions and the agencies mentioned above will then be in conformity with applicable general banking laws and regulations of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas.“The measure aims to facilitate the reintegration of the financial and bank standing of farmers, fisherfolk and agrarian reform beneficiaries and give them access to new and additional government credit programs,” Rep. Deogracias Victor Savellano of Ilocos Sur, one of the authors of the measure, said in a statement.“This will promote comprehensive rural development and agrarian reform through measures that will free farmers, fisherfolk and agrarian reform beneficiaries from the bondage of debt and poverty,” Rep. Anthony Bravo and Rep. Sabiniano Canama of COOP-NATCCO party-list said.The sectors covered by the condonation program include agricultural and agrarian reform credit secured through the Credit Assistance Program; agricultural and agrarian reform credit secured through the terminated credit program schemes of the Department of Agrarian Reform such as the Dutch Rural Development Assistance Program, DAR Direct Lending Financing Program, DAR Special Projects Office Direct and the SPO Window III Financing Program for Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries of the DAR and the Development Bank of the Philippines; Resettlement Loan Assistance Program of the DAR for individual agrarian reform beneficiaries; and agricultural credit secured through the High Yield Crop Loan Assistance Program of the Department of Agriculture.LLANESCSA T. PANTI
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/house-okays-amnesty-farmer-loans/328144/
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Push for solar, renewable energies, ‘coal-minded’ Malacañang urged
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['Jing Villamente']
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2016-12-22 20:16:36+00:00
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Pushing for solar power as the world’s cheapest form of new electricity generation, members of civil society and renewable energy advocates on Thursday reiterated their call on the Duterte administration to review and adjust its energy trajectory, which relies heavily on coal for generation of electricity.“The government can no longer hide under the guise of development in its support for coal,” said Gerry Arances, Head Convenor for the Center for Energy, Ecology and Development (CEED). “This latest report from the renewable energy sector confirms that not only does solar energy provide cleaner energy, but [also] more sustainable and cheaper electricity for all.”Arances was referring to a recent report from the Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF), a team of experts in cross-sectors and cross-geography trends spread across six continents, shows that solar now outranks wind as the cheapest form of renewable energy, and is outperforming coal and gas as well.The report showed that solar energy prices in China, India, Brazil and 55 other emerging market economies have dropped to about one third of its price in 2010.This is owed largely to China’s massive tapping into solar power, and the assistance it had provided to other countries financing their own solar projects.“Aside from cheaper electricity, solar energy that is gathered and distributed through community-managed ‘mini-grids’ can also solve the problem of energy’s costliness and riskiness in the countryside,” according to Arances.“Increased government support for solar energy would also enable communities in far-flung areas to finally be electrified, something that coal, which relies heavily on large mega-grids for distribution, has failed to do,” he said.The CEED has been vocal in highlighting the increasing economic cost of coal, as it is projected by economic experts as stranded asset, meaning that Filipinos will end up paying more for electricity generated from coal-powered plants in the next 25 years in their electric bills, as the technology is becoming more and more obsolete.“Despite this, the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Philippine Energy Plan (PEP) leads us to relying on more coal for the next 15 years, instead of transitioning away from it,” Arances said.According to the PEP, coal is set to have a big share in the country’s primary energy supply even under a low-carbon scenario, with coal still having a growth rate of 4.8 percent, giving it a 25.2 percent average share in the primary energy supply, he added.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/push-solar-renewable-energies-coal-minded-malacanang-urged/303265/
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Comment on Rappler plea, court orders SEC
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['Jomar Canlas']
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2018-02-17 00:03:11+00:00
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The Court of Appeals (CA) has ordered the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to comment on a petition of online news website-turned-blogger Rappler.The CA 13th Division, in a resolution dated February 7, 2018, ordered the SEC to file its comment within 10 days from notice and the petitioners were given five days to reply to the petition.“Without necessarily giving due course to the petition, the court resolves to direct respondent to file comment thereon [not a motion to dismiss], within 10 days from notice. Petitioners are given 5 days from receipt of the required comment to file a reply thereto,” the ruling stated.The resolution was approved by its ponente, CA Justices Rafael Santos, along with CA Justices Socorro Inting and Apolinario Bruselas.In addition, both parties were ordered to notify the court of any other pending cases involving the same issues.“The parties are required to promptly notify this court of any other cases or proceedings involving the same parties and issues in the court or other courts within 5 days from knowledge thereof, pursuant to the directive of the Supreme Court in AM No. CA 13-51-J dated July 2, 2013,” the resolution also stated.Santos will make his study and recommendation on the plea of Rappler to stop the SEC from revoking its license to operate.The agency had revoked the certificate of incorporation of Rappler Inc. and Rappler Holdings Corporation (RHC) allegedly for violating the Constitution and foreign equity restrictions in mass media.It ruled that Rappler violated the Foreign Equity Restrictions in Mass Media enshrined in the 1987 Constitution.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/comment-rappler-plea-court-orders-sec/380705/
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House poised to approve BBL
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['Llanesca T. Panti']
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2018-05-16 00:01:43+00:00
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The House of Representatives will approve the proposed Bangsamoro Basic law (BBL) on May 30, House Majority Leader Rodolfo Fariñas of Ilocos Norte said Tuesday.Three committees—the House panels on Muslim Affairs; Local Government and Peace, Unity and Reconciliation—voted to pass the measure on Tuesday.The bill seeks to replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao with a Bangsamoro Region that will enjoy fiscal autonomy and governed by the Bangsamoro Parliament elected by the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region’s inhabitants.House Bill 6475 includes an opt-in provision wherein all other contiguous areas of the ARMM may join the Bangsamoro region provided there is a resolution of the local government unit or a petition of at least 10 percent of the registered voters in the geographic area asking for their inclusion at least two months prior to the ratification of the BBL.“We are working on a timetable of passing the BBL before we adjourn sine die. I have met the opposing sides and formed a small committee to sift through the proposed BBL. The small committee will report to me [of their output] and then we go into a [all-majority bloc] caucus [to discuss it], send it to plenary and approve it by May 30,” Fariñas told reporters.Congress has nine session days before it adjourns sine die on June 4.“Our Muslim brothers are for the version of the BTC (Bangsamoro Transition Committee), while our Christian members also have amendments [to push for]. I told them in the small committee to find a middle ground. If not, I will be the one to find that middle ground. That is my job as the Majority leader, and I expect the majority to go with me,” Fariñas said.President Rodrigo Duterte said in April that he is willing to certify the BBL as an urgent bill.Under the bill, the Bangsamoro region will include provinces under ARMM, six municipalities in Lanao del Norte namely Baloi, Munai, Nunungan, Pantar, Tagoloan and Tangkal that joined the ARMM in a plebiscite in 2001, and the cities of Cotabato and Isabela.House Bill 6475 retains the national government’s power and control over defense and external security, and allows the establishment of the Bangsamoro Military Command of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.It also allows the establishment of the Bangsamoro Police Force.Government revenues generated from the exploration, development and utilization of all natural resources in the Bangsamoro, inclusive of mines and minerals, will be exclusively managed and accessed by the Bangsamoro government.Fossil fuels such as petroleum, natural gas, coal as well as uranium, however, will be co-managed and the revenues shared equally between the national and Bangsamoro governments.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/house-poised-to-approve-bbl/399047/
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Red Cross boosts leptospirosis prevention campaign
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['The Manila Times']
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2018-07-10 00:03:17+00:00
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The Philippine Red Cross (PRC) heightened its information drives nationwide to safeguard the community from being infected with leptospirosis and on full standby to provide medical assistance should the number of cases in the National Capital Region (NCR) continues to increase. PRC is closely coordinating with its partner hospitals in Metro Manila to augment medical provisions as the Department of Health (DOH) declared leptospirosis outbreaks in Quezon City, Taguig, Parañaque and Pasig with reported 368 leptospirosis cases since June 10 to July 4. Senator Richard Gordon, also PRC chairman, said they mobilized its staff and volunteers in its 104 Chapters nationwide to conduct health assembly, home visitation and health campaigns in coordination with the local municipal health office. The Quezon City chapter is monitoring the volume of suspected leptospirosis cases in the National Kidney and Transplant Institute (NKTI) which has catered to 123 patients from June 9 to July 4. The Rizal, Malabon and Caloocan chapters strengthened its information drives after the DoH put Mandaluyong, Malabon and Navotas under its watchlist over the risk of increase.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/red-cross-boosts-leptospirosis-prevention-campaign/417716/
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Govt to scrap 170,000 dilapidated jeepneys
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['Catherine S. Valente']
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2018-09-20 00:01:01+00:00
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Some 170,000 old and dilapidated jeepneys would be scrapped by 2020 as part of the government’s Public Utility Vehicle (PUV) Modernization Program, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) said on Wednesday.Transportation Assistant Secretary Mark de Leon said the scrapping of old jeepneys would be “compulsory” under the PUV modernization program.“We need to get these vehicles off the roads. The government gave you P180,000 as subsidy then you’ll still drive your old units?” he asked.The PUV modernization program, a flagship project of the Duterte administration, has been met with protests from the transport sector. Transport groups claimed that jeepney operators could not afford the high cost of replacing their gasoline-run jeepneys with solar-powered jeepneys.But de Leon said the “outdated” public transportation system was endangering the lives of commuters and the environment.“As mentioned earlier, 70 percent of Filipinos — imagine 70 million Filipinos commute daily. Their commuting experience is exemplified by unreliability, there’s too much inconvenience to the riding public,” de Leon said.“But this administration is bent on improving the public transportation, bent on improving jeepneys. Ninety percent of our jeepneys are 15 years old and above. So, let’s just focus on those figures,” he added.Under the government’s modernization program, jeepneys older than 15 years will be replaced by electric-powered or Euro 4 compliant vehicles. Euro 4 is a set of emission standards on particulate matter, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides and hydrocarbons.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/govt-to-scrap-170000-dilapidated-jeepneys/443090/
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Strict inspection of PNR trains, tracks sought
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['Jefferson Antiporda']
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2018-03-25 21:14:08+00:00
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THE chairman of the Senate Committee on Public Services has raised the need for the Transportation department to conduct strict inspection and maintenance of trains and tracks of the Philippine National Railways (PNR).The call was made over the derailment of a PNR train on Saturday afternoon.Sen. Grace Poe, the head of the Senate panel, said the incident should serve as a wake-up call on safety management and enforcement.“We have had incidents of derailment of PNR trains every year, and it’s simply unacceptable,” Poe added.“Whether it’s the MRT [Metro Rail Transit] 3, LRT [Light Rail Transit] 1 and LRT 2 or the PNR, we don’t want to see passengers getting offloaded and made to walk along the rails,” she said.The PNR and the Department of Transportation (DoTr), according to Poe, must make sure that all public transportation systems in the country are capable of bringing the people to their destination and back to their homes safe and unscathed.The Saturday incident, Poe said, has raised the need for the Transportation department to look into it and seriously enforce strict inspection and maintenance of the PNR trains, considering that a number of them are already old.The DoTr been allocated a budget for the PNR in the 2018 national budget that includes funding for a proposed extension of the PNR North from Manila to Clark in Pampanga and PNR South from Manila to Bicol as well as Phase 1 of the Mindanao Railway.Poe said while the projects would benefit passengers in the coming years, the government must ensure that the current PNR fleet is reliable, comfortable and safe.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/strict-inspection-of-pnr-trains-tracks-sought/388481/
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DILG chief: ‘Palit ulo’ not true
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['Jing Villamente']
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2017-03-21 21:42:01+00:00
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Interior and Local Government Secretary Ismael Sueno on Tuesday belied allegations of Vice President Maria Leonor Robredo of a “palit ulo” scheme of the Philippine National Police (PNP) in the government’s war on drugs.“What ‘palit ulo’? There is no such thing as ‘palit ulo’ in the anti-drug operations of the PNP. I respectfully request the Vice President to please corroborate her statement,” Sueno said.Robredo, in a You Tube message to a United Nations conference in Austria organized by the DRCNet Foundation, disclosed an alleged “palit-ulo” scheme allegedly perpetrated by the PNP.The DILG secretary urged Robredo to show concrete evidence about this alleged scheme, where authorities would supposedly take a family member instead, in case the original person on a drug list cannot be found.“It would help if Vice President Robredo presents to us solid proof about this so-called ‘palit ulo’ scheme so we can act on it immediately,” he said.The DILG-PNP leadership, according to Sueno, is open to suggestions from stakeholders on how to effectively win the war against drugs and has, in fact, revised its anti-drug strategy recently with the relaunching of Oplan: Tokhang, the first anti-drug campaign that had been suspended briefly, as Double Barrel 2.He said a letter sent by Robredo seeking information on the drug war was forwarded to Catalino Cuy, undersecretary for public order, who, in turn, acted with dispatch by forwarding the request to the PNP.“Wala namang tinatago ang [Nothing is hidden by the] PNP and, in fact, we have always been transparent about Oplan: Tokhang and we have been providing the public regular updates about Tokhang operations through the media,” Sueno added.He said the Office of the DILG Secretary has always been cordial to the Vice President and he himself had even paid a courtesy call to Robredo last year to discuss how they can work together to solve jail congestion in the country.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/dilg-chief-palit-ulo-not-true-2/318425/
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Disgruntled policeman resigns, reveals irregularities in PNP
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['Paul Parenas']
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28/04/2017 0:00
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A disgruntled police officer who spent two years of his career in police intelligence in this province had a mouthful to say against the organization he served as he tendered his irrevocable resignation at Camp Simeon Ola in Legazpi City earlier this week.In resigning, Police Officer 1 (PO1) Vincent Tacorda cried foul against his reassignment to the Regional Headquarters Support Group (RHSG) in Camp Ola, but also took aim at his former superiors in the Catanduanes Police Provincial Office (PPO), claiming he was ordered to misdeclare evidence seized during a number of drug raids.“Di ko na po kaya ang pressure; di ko na kaya ang sistema; ayaw ko na sa PNP (I can’t take the pressure anymore; I can’t take this system; I don’t like the PNP anymore),” Tacorda told The Manila Bulletin in an interview last Thursday.One of his claims is that in some anti-drugs operations his unit conducted in Catanduanes, Senior Superintendent Jesus Martirez, then officer-in-charge of the PPO, allegedly directed him not to declare all of the confiscated evidence such as drugs and cash.“Kasi wala daw budget ang kampo, ’yun na lang daw gagamitin for future use for the next operation,” said Tacorda, explaining why he was allegedly ordered to misdeclare evidence in a legitimate police operation.Tacorda also said there were instances he was ordered to plant evidence to support the arrest of certain individuals and that a certain chief of police had once ordered him to shoot a person under threat of being relieved from his post.In response, Senior Inspector Malu Calubaquib, spokesperson of the Police Regional Office-5 (PRO-5), said Tacorda’s accusations against his superiors and some police officers in Catanduanes remain unsubstantiated and irresponsible.“Airing their grievances to the media is apparently conduct unbecoming of a police officer. Applying the general rule: ‘He who asserts, not who denies, must prove,’” said Calubaquib, adding that Tacorda – who accuses without providing evidence – can be charged with libel.She added that Tacorda’s resignation is still under review and, thus, he is still a member of the PNP and should act like one.For his part, Sr. Supt. Jeffrey S. Fernandez, Catanduanes PPO director, said he has no knowledge about the past irregularities raised by Tacorda and advised him to bring his case to the proper forum if he had proof that these incidents actually happened.
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Manila Bulletin
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https://news.mb.com.ph/2017/04/28/disgruntled-policeman-resigns-reveals-irregularities-in-pnp/
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Bangsamoro law has no legal flaws — Zubiri
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['Bernadette E. Tamayo']
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2018-10-30 00:27:27+00:00
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SENATE Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri is certain that the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) has no constitutional infirmities, thus, it will stand legal scrutiny.The senator made the remark in reaction to the petition of Sulu Gov. Abdusakur Tan 2nd asking the Supreme Court to stop the implementation of the BOL, which created the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao and abolished the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).“I truly believe that the Organic Law that we passed can stand the test of constitutionality after careful scrutiny done by the Senate’s best legal minds and with consultations done with eminent constitutionalists and former chief justices and justices of the Supreme Court,” Zubiri said.“It’s unfortunate that the province of Sulu challenged the constitutionality of the BOL but it’s well within their rights to do so,” the senator said in a text message. “We hope that our Honorable Justices of the Supreme Court can look at this law as an out of the box solution for lasting peace in Mindanao within the framework of our Constitution.”“As its principal author and sponsor, I will adhere to the wisdom of the high court as the final arbiter on whether the BOL will pass the test of constitutionality once and for all so we can proceed to a just and lasting peace for Mindanao and the Philippines,” Zubiri said.In his 48-page petition, Tan claimed that Congress committed grave abuse of discretion amounting to lack of jurisdiction when it passed the BOL, which President Rodrigo Duterte signed into law in July 2018.Tan said BOL violated Sections 18 and 19 Article 10 of the 1987 Constitution which authorized the enactment of only one Organic Act to establish the ARMM, which is composed of the provinces of Basilan, Sulu, Tawi-Tawi, Lanao del Sur and Maguindanao.Under the BOL, the new Bangsamoro region will be composed of the ARMM, six municipalities of Lanao del Norte and 39 villages of Cotabato, and the chartered cities of Isabela and Cotabato subject to the approval of voters.Some areas in Mindanao were damaged by decades-old conflict between government forces and former Muslim secessionist groups such as the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) and Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).Zubiri said the livelihood and other needs of members of the MILF, MNLF and their women’s auxiliary forces should be addressed by rehabilitation, reconstruction and development packages as part of the “normalization process.”
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/bangsamoro-law-has-no-legal-flaws-zubiri/459450/
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Easier land titling to hog DENR’s 1st land summit
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['Neil Alcober']
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2018-01-13 21:39:31+00:00
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Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu has expressed hope that the National Land Summit to be held this month will help address uncertainty, complexity and other problems associated with land ownership, with concerned government agencies working together to make land titling easier and faster.“Land titling is an issue that has hounded our country’s land sector for the longest time because of the number of agencies involved in the land titling process,” Cimatu said over the weekend.“We hope to solve this and create synergy among the concerned offices to make land titling faster and easier,” he added.According to the chief of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), improved land administration and management is one of the major programs of the department for 2018.“This first-ever land summit signifies our strong commitment to implement this program and bring it to fruition,” Cimatu said.The DENR will hold the first-ever National Land Summit this month to also discuss issues and initiatives of the land sector, and create valuable partnerships to ensure synergy and cooperation among the land management and titling agencies in the country.Over 400 participants from various government agencies, the business sector, civil society and other stakeholders will gather at the Manila Hotel on January 16-17 for the summit, with the theme “Forging Stronger Alliances and Bridging Networks.”The country’s other three main titling agencies—Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR), Land Registration Authority (LRA) and National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP)—will also join the two-day conference.Social justice in land titling is also among the five priority programs that shall be adopted by the Program for Environment and Natural Resources for Restoration, Rehabilitation and Development to address environment and natural resources issues.Cimatu said the event is pursuant to Ambisyon Natin 2040, which represents the collective long-term vision and aspirations of Filipinos for themselves and for the country in the next 25 years, including owning a medium-sized house in a lot registered under their names.He said the government aims to achieve this by providing tenure security through land ownership and formal titles.The land summit supports Agenda No. 6 of the Duterte administration’s 10-point socioeconomic plan, which aims to “ensure security of land tenure to encourage investments and address bottlenecks in land management and titling agencies.”“Security of tenure is sacred for every Filipino and only a land title will seal ownership of it whether it is for personal or business use. The DENR is hitting hard on its goal to legitimize land ownership,” Cimatu pointed out.Day 1 of the summit will highlight the importance of land titling in socioeconomic development.Plenary sessions will be led by Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto Pernia, who will discuss the role of land tenure security in addressing socioeconomic agenda.Other speakers include Ian Lloyd from Land Governance Innovations, who will discuss the best practices in land administration system, and Presidential Adviser on Legislative Affairs Adelino Sitoy, who will speak about legislative reform agenda on land administration and management.There will also be presentations by the Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board, the Climate Change Commission on public land management; the NCIP, Land Management Bureau (LMB) and Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council on land ownership and land tenure; and the Department of Trade and Industry, Bureau of Local Government Finance and Foundation for Economic Freedom on the socioeconomic agenda.The LMB is a staff bureau of the DENR responsible for the administration, survey, management and disposition of alienable and disposable lands and other public lands not placed under the jurisdiction of other government agencies.Day 2 will see discussions on land governance innovation and land information management and security by representatives from the University of the Philippines College of Engineering, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, the UN Habitat, LMB, LRA and the National Mapping and Resource Information Authority.At the end of the summit, the participants are expected to present a Declaration of Commitment to address bottlenecks in land administration and management to Cimatu, who will forward the same to President Rodrigo Duterte.In support of the government efforts to promote social equity, the DENR’s regional offices are tasked to distribute public agricultural lands to those in the rural areas and to take charge of the processing of agricultural and residential free patent applications.Last year, the DENR launched the Land Administration and Management System-Philippines or LAMS, which aims to speed up the processing and delivery of land-related services in the country and promote transparency, accountability and integrity in the management of land records.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/easier-land-titling-hog-denrs-1st-land-summit/374125/
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Duterte: PH, Japan enter ‘golden age of strategic partnership’
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['Amir Sultan']
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30/10/2017 0:00
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a true friend which has stood squarely behind the Philippines in my country’s onward advance [to] greater peace, progress and prosperity,” Duterte said.“I thanked Japan for its full support for our efforts to bring just and lasting peace in Mindanao. Apart from its involvement in the peace process, Japan is already on the ground as we proceed with reconstructing Marawi and rebuilding the lives of those affected,” he added.“Our commitment and resolve show the desire to further expand cooperative ties. I dare say that, considering what we have accomplished and achieved, the Philippines and Japan are building a golden age [for] our Strategic Partnership,” he continued.According to Duterte, the commitment between the two allied countries, founded on democratic values, will stand the test of time.“Working together, we should have much to show and to be proud of in the years to come,” he added.Japan has long been providing assistance for peace and development in Mindanao. Since 2006, Japan has been providing concentrated assistance for community development, human resource development, institutional building and sustainable economic development under the Japan-Bangsamoro Initiatives for Reconstruction and Development (J-BIRD).In his statement, Abe recognized the importance the rehabilitation and reconstruction of Marawi City for his “dear and cherished friend” President Duterte, and for the affected Marawi citizens, and vowed to extend his government’s utmost support.“We will provide maximum support for the restoration and reconstruction of Marawi City and we will strengthen support for Mindanao and toward the establishment of an autonomous government, we will respond to the progress of processing,” he said.Abe also commended Duterte on how he was able to handle the threat of the Islamic State (IS) in Mindanao and vowed to support his objective to establish stability and development of the island.“I’d like to express my heartfelt respect for the leadership exerted by His Excellency President Duterte going forward in his efforts to fight terrorism and also for the stability in Mindanao and the development; and in his attempts to ensure this, we would like to provide full support to President Duterte’s approaches,” he said.In a briefer of Abe’s statement provided to members of the Japanese and Philippine media, Japan is set to send equipment for the rehabilitation and reconstruction of Marawi City and its surrounding areas.Japan is also considering to provide further assistance including possible support for road construction and improvement once the Philippine government’s post-conflict needs assessment on the war-torn city is completed.Japanese commitmentsBefore the Joint Press Statement of the two leaders, the Exchange of Notes on Yen Loan for the Cavite Industrial Area Flood Management Project was signed by Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano and Japanese Foreign Affairs Minister Taro Kono.In his statement, Abe said the Japanese government will speedily promote the building of the Metro Manila Subway Project, improve projects for the North South Commuter Rail, and enhance disaster reduction-oriented quality infrastructure cooperation.Abe said the Philippine and Japan will further promote bilateral cooperation in the areas of energy, employment creation, information and communications technology, environment, agriculture and disaster reduction.“I would like to work hand-in0hand with my close friend President Duterte to further deepen the bonds of friendship between our two countries and we’ll cooperate towards peace and prosperity of the region and international community,” he said.Duterte, on the other hand, thanked Abe for the warm reception and excellent arrangements accorded to him during his second visit to Japan.The President also said that, as strategic partners, cooperation between the Philippines and Japan was now expansive and multi-dimensional.“Our discussion today were very warm, open and comprehensive. Both sides recognized today that there is still ample room for even more significant growth in all areas of mutual concern,” Duterte said.Japan’s Y1-T assistanceDuterte also thanked Japan for its commitment to extended government assistance to the Philippines worth 1 trillion yen, or roughly P430 billion, for the next five years.“I am pleased with Japan’s reiteration that it is fully committed to the 1 trillion yen pledge [of] assistance to the Philippines,” he said.“This covers huge impact and high value infrastructure projects that my country needs to sustain and spur our economic growth. There will be some of the most ambitious and groundbreaking projects, including the Metro Manila Subway project, and major developments in the regions and provinces,” he added.Support for DuterteAbe also expressed support for Duterte, being the chairman of this year’s Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).“This year, President Duterte is serving as Chair of the ASEAN which is celebrating his 50th Anniversary. We will provide full support to ASEAN’s attempts to strengthen unity and centrality and its attempts to develop as a free and open community,” he said.“Two weeks from now, there will be a series of summit meetings of the ASEAN. And so that these meetings will be a success, we will provide our maximum support to President Duterte who will be serving as Chair,” he added. (Argyll Cyrus B. Geducos)
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Manila Bulletin
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https://news.mb.com.ph/2017/10/30/duterte-ph-japan-enter-golden-age-of-strategic-partnership/
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Zero votes in 2016 polls ‘statistically improbable’
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['Ma. Reina Leanne Tolentino']
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2017-10-20 21:07:13+00:00
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Presidential adviser on political affairs Francis Tolentino on Friday said he got zero votes in some towns, a result that was “statistically improbable,” adding that there were 2013 ballots in some ballot boxes in Calbayog City, Samar.Tolentino, former chairman of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority who lost in the 2016 senatorial elections, filed an election protest last year against Sen. Leila de Lima.He was at the Senate Electoral Tribunal on the third day of a ballot recount.He told reporters that “’yung Calbayog, Samar, nagtataka kami… merong mga ballots na from the 2013 elections and we’re referring to 2016 senatorial elections so kinukwestyon namin ‘yun, bakit ‘yung laman nung iba are 2013 ballots [the Calbayog, Samar [ballot boxes], we are wondering… there were 2013 election ballots and we’re referring to 2016 senatorial elections so we are questioning that, why the contents of some are 2013 ballots].”De Lima won the last of the 12 senatorial slots in the 2016 elections, with Tolentino losing by 1,332,972 votes.According to Tolentino, he got zero votes in Isabela City, Sumisip and Tabuan-Lasa in Basilan; Turtle Islands in Tawi-Tawi; and Parang and Matanog in Maguindanao.“Kinukwestiyon namin iyon… kasi for instance… province-wide I won in Maguindanao. So statistically improbable naman na may towns ka na zero when you won in the province…even in the capital town,” he said [We are questioning that… because for instance… province-wide, I won in Maguindanao. So it is statistically improbable that you have towns where you got zero when you won in the province… even in the capital town].”
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/zero-votes-2016-polls-statistically-improbable/357661/
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Coming week will be cloudy, rainy – Pagasa
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['The Manila Times']
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2017-07-09 18:10:40+00:00
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An intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ) affecting the Visayas and Mindanao will bring rains and thunderstorms to most parts of the country this week, the state-run weather bureau said on Sunday.According to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa), an ITCZ is a series of low-pressure areas that are formed by the convergence of northeast and southeast winds, which cause thunderstorms and rains.On Monday, Mimaropa, Central Visayas, Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga del Sur, Zamboanga Sibugay, Camiguin, Misamis Oriental, Lanao del Norte, Bukidnon, Misamis Occidental and Agusan can expect cloudy skies with light to moderate rains and thunderstorms.Partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rains and thunderstorms will prevail over the rest of the Visayas and Mindanao while Metro Manila and the rest of Luzon will experience partly cloudy with isolated rain showers and thunderstorms.Luzon and Visayas will experience light to moderate winds coming from the southeast and the winds coming from the south to southeast will blow over Mindanao.Pagasa said coastal waters throughout the country would be slight to moderate.ELSHA MAE ROBLES
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/coming-week-will-cloudy-rainy-pagasa/337452/
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Dasmariñas Village homeowners oppose cell sites, slam DICT chief
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['Hazel Marcos', 'Frank Castro', 'Em Pascua', 'Rio Nezz']
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26/06/2017 0:00
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Homeowners of Dasmariñas Village in Makati City described as ‘disturbing’ calls made by Information and Communications Technology Secretary Rodolfo Salalima to sanction homeowners’ associations which will obstruct government and telecommunications companies from building cell sites in gated subdivision as they fight to oust the cell sites from their community.“Atty. Salima should be reminded that he is no longer the chief counsel of Globe Telecom. He should balance the interest of the industry he once served with the interest of the industry he once served with the interest of the general public,” said Fides Lim, a member of Dasma Coalition Advocating Radiation Emission Safety or Dasma Cares and Dasma Accountability, Transparency and Service (ACTS).Salalima, last week, urged Congress to pass a legislation penalizing homeowners’ associations who will obstruct the government and telecommunications companies (telcos) from building cell sites inside private neighborhoods.In a press briefing on Monday, resident Betty Dante Aw said there is an already an alarming increase of cell sites within Dasmarinas Village that could pose potential longer-term, cumulative dangers to human health.“It started with four Outdoor Distributed Antenna System (ODAS) in 2008, now we have 55-57 ODAS and yet did not have better signals. We have to go outside the streets to have a good signal and we are radiated involuntarily, 24/7,” said Aw.These cell sites, consisting of ODAS are mounted on utility poles and planted on sidewalks across the village.The homeowners said the lease contract for the putting up of ODAS was entered into by the Dasmarinas Village Association (DVA) with Globe Telecom.However, both homeowners groups, with around 200 members, question why the village sidewalks were leased by the DVA to the telcom when it is prohibited by the Magna Carta for Homeowners and Homeowners Associations or Republic Act 9904.Citing Section 10 of the law, the homeowners’ groups said a homeowner association like Dasmarinas Village Association is prohibited to lease sidewalks within the subdivision.Moreover, under the 1998 Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board (HLURB) Locational Guidelines for Base Stations of the Cellular Mobile Telephone Service, Pasig System, Trunking Service, Wireless Loop Service and other Wireless Communication Services, one of the documents required in securing a clearance to erect a cell site of ODAS is a written consent of a homeowner whose property adjoins the cell site or ODAS, cited Lim.“No genuine consultation or referendum has ever been called to ascertain the true sentiment of about 2,489 homeowners and lessees on whether they are in favor of ODAS installations near their homes or even in parks where their children play,” Lim pointed.As a group, Dasma ACTS said it advocates transparency and honesty and in time will take steps to determine the true will of the homeowners – whether for or against ODAS.“We are not against technology per se. Technology and huge profits, however, should take a backseat to consumer health,” said Lim.Inspired by examples of other villages that opposed cell sites, the groups have also mounted a campaign called “No to ODAS on My Sidewalk.” The homeowners began submitting forms to the village association, expressing opposition to the installation of ODAS or cell tower on the sidewalk adjoining their property.Subdivisions including La Vista in Quezon City and Forbes Park in Makati City have opposed cell sites in their communities.
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Manila Bulletin
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https://news.mb.com.ph/2017/06/26/dasmarinas-village-homeowners-oppose-cell-sites-slam-dict-chief/
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Robredo not opposing martial law in Mindanao
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['Llanesca T. Panti']
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2017-05-24 22:06:28+00:00
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Vice President Maria Leonor Robredo has decided not to oppose President Rodrigo Duterte’s declaration of martial law in Mindanao on Tuesday, after she was briefed by the Armed Forces of the Philippines on the terrorist attack by the Maute group–an ISIS sympathizer–in Marawi City, Lanao del Sur.Robredo was briefed on Wednesday morning or ahead of the arrival of Duterte from his shortened official visit to Russia.“It is hard to say [whether the martial law declaration should cover the whole of Mindanao] because while the military operation is focused on Marawi, there’s a possibility that similar incidents could also spring from other parts of Mindanao. That’s why the appeal of our Armed Forces is for the public to be calm and responsible in disseminating information because false information would not help at this point,” Robredo told reporters.“What the military told me is that since we are still in the state of emergency and that is yet to be lifted as a result of the Davao bombing, this [martial law in Mindanao] is the next step. We would be waiting for further word from the President because under our Constitution, the President is mandated to give Congress information on why the declaration of martial law is necessary,” the Vice President, a lawyer, said.She was referring to the constitutional provision requiring the President to justify the declaration of martial law before Congress 48 hours after imposing it.Within those 48 hours, Congress, in a joint session, can revoke or uphold the martial law declaration.The Vice President expressed confidence in the competence of the military.“We should trust our soldiers in taking needed actions against terrorism. The Armed Forces leadership wants to normalize the situation in Marawi, and we should support them in their efforts. Our enemy here are the terrorists, and we should work together,” Robredo said.“They [military] assured me that they have control of the situation, and I thanked them for the service,” she added.Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez of Davao del Norte agreed with the President’s decision putting the entire Mindanao island under martial law.“As a Mindanaoan, I believe the President made the right call. There is chaos over there, and this is a lingering problem. We need to take action to address this, and the President has the power to declare martial law,” Alvarez said.The PDP-Laban, the political party headed by President Duterte, also backed his decision.“The PDP-Laban supports the decision of its party chairman, President Duterte, to declare martial law over the entire island of Mindanao. We believe that a temporary state of martial law, used properly, can be an effective tool to achieve the peace and development in Mindanao that our party has fought for throughout our existence,” the ruling party said in a statement.An ally of the President from another political party, Nacionalista Party congressman LRay Villafuerte of Camarines Sur, shared PDP-Laban’s sentiments.“The decisive move made by the President is a clear signal to all that the government is on top of the situation and is capable of protecting the citizenry,” Villafuerte, vice chairman of the House Committee on Defense, said in a statement.But for Rep. Gary Alejano of Magdalo party-list who is a former Marine captain, placing the entire Mindanao under martial law is worrisome considering that Maute attacks are confined only to Lanao del Norte province.“Aside from the Maute group, security problems in Western and Central Mindanao have been there for the longest time. This may mean that martial law could extend much longer than intended. Let us be vigilant that such declaration would not be abused in the process,” Alejano said.He clarified that he is counting on security forces to contain the Maute and other threat groups the soonest possible time and prevent any spillover to other parts of the country.“Let us pray for the safety of our soldiers and police and the community caught in between. Good luck to our troops!” Alejano said.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/robredo-not-opposing-martial-law-mindanao-2/329025/
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NFA, 2 other agencies back under Agri dept
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['Eireene Jairee Gomez']
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2018-09-20 00:05:45+00:00
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The National Food Authority (NFA) and two other agencies are officially back under the the Department of Agriculture (DA).Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol said President Rodrigo Duterte signed Executive Order 62 reverting back to the DA the NFA, the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) and Fertilizer and Pesticides Authority (FPA).In a Facebook post, Piñol said the EO was signed by Duterte on September 17. The order reorganized the NFA Council, making the secretary of Agriculture chairman and the NFA administrator vice chairman of the council.Members of the NFA Council include the heads of the departments of Finance, Trade and Industry and Social Welfare, the director general of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), the governor of Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, the president of Land Bank and a farmers’ sector representative appointed by the President.NFA spokesman Rex Estoperez said the order would mean “closer coordination” between the NFA and the DA that would help ensure food security and prevent another rice crisis.“Based on the EO that we are under DA now, closer coordination can be established. DA is on the production side while NFA on the marketing side, so we are seeing good collaboration between the two agencies,” Estoperez told The Manila Times in a phone interview.“However, whether we are under the Office of the President or the DA, we will implement measures that seek to ensure food security for our country because it is under our mandate,” he added.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/nfa-2-other-agencies-back-under-agri-dept/443120/
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Civilians constitute bulk of drug fatalities—PNP
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['Anthony Vargas']
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2016-10-15 22:03:22+00:00
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CIVILIANS remain the biggest casualties in the intensified campaign against illegal drugs since the Duterte Administration took over on July 1, 2016, data from the Philippine National Police (PNP) revealed over the weekend.Figures from the Directorate for Investigative and Detective Management (DIDM) showed that from July 1, 2016 to October 12, 2016, 1,959 incidents were monitored by the police wherein 2,151 persons were found dead or killed in legitimate anti-drug operations.Of those killed, civilians constituted the bulk — 2,046 — followed by 47 government employees, 33 elected government officials, 15 police personnel and 10 members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.The same data also revealed that in the same period, police recorded or investigated 530 incidents wherein 550 people were killed. Of the 530 recorded incidents of killings of drug suspects, 66 were allegedly perpetrated by “Motorcycle Riding Criminals,” 530 were already considered “case closed” and 345 others “case solved.”The PNP-DIDM explained that a case is considered closed if one of the offenders has been identified and there was sufficient evidence to charge him in court.On the other hand, a case is considered solved when the offender has been identified, taken into custody and has been charged before the prosecutor’s office or appropriate court.The PNP-DIDM data showed that as of 6 a.m. of October 15, 1,645 drug suspects have been killed since July 1.The National Capital Region (NCR) or Metro Manila has the most number of drug suspects killed at 514 followed by Central Luzon with 283 drug suspects killed.Rounding the top five regions with the most drug suspects killed are Southern Tagalog with 201 killed, Central Visayas, 117 and SOCCSKARGEN, 59.During the same period, police have arrested 29,331 drug suspects with the NCR accounting for the most number of those arrested at 6,958.The other regions with the most drug suspects arrested were Southern Tagalog with 5,097 followed by Central Luzon, 3,618, and Central Visayas, 2,463.Rounding the top five regions with the most number of drug suspects arrested was Northern Mindanao with 1,365 drug suspects nabbed by the police.Under the PNP’s “Oplan Tokhang,” 2,120,139 houses were visited by the police, resulting in the surrender of 744,916 drug suspects.Of those who surrendered, 690,687 are suspected drug users while 54,229 are suspected drug pushers.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/civilians-constitute-bulk-drug-fatalities-pnp/291417/
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Foreign detainees: Police stole P200,000 from us
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['William Depasupil']
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2016-12-14 20:45:33+00:00
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MORE than P200,000 in cash owned by several foreign detainees at the Bureau of Immigration (BI) Detention Center inside Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig City (Metro Manila) went missing after a surprise operation by policemen in different jail facilities inside the 48-hectare camp last Monday.Among the complainants is American detainee Conrad Pearson, who claimed to have lost an undetermined amount of cash intended for the medical needs of his son, Cunard, who is critically ill at the Tri City Medical Pasig.“I was on the phone with an American detainee Conrad Pearson trying to arrange help for his 19-year-old son Cunard who is critical in Tri City Medical Pasig when the phone went dead. The money stolen by the PNP [Philippine National Police] from these detainees, many of whom are held on bogus charges or simple visa overstay, seems to exceed P200,000,” a highly reliable source told The Manila Times on Thursday.The source said the police raiding team confiscated all the mobile phones, wallets and money, among other personal property of the 170 detainees in the BI jail.BI spokesman Ma. Antonette Mangrobang said the police raid was coordinated with immigration authorities, adding that a report by National Capital Region (NCR) PNP director Chief Supt. Oscar Albayalde said receipts were issued to their respective owners “and will be returned only to them on their scheduled deportation.”On the complaints of some foreign detainees, Mangrobang said she was not aware of the grievances, adding that the BI could not act on them till a formal complaint is filed.“I advised them to file a formal complaint addressed to Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morante,” Mangroban said.The raid on the BI jail was conducted on Monday by Regional Police Intelligence Operation Unit and Immigration operatives over reports of alleged proliferation of drugs inside the facility.The reports said the raid resulted in the confiscation of assorted unauthorized gadgets such as cellphones, pocket wi-fi and tables.Also recovered was an alleged white crystalline substance, which will be subject for confirmation test with the Crime Laboratory and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/foreign-detainees-police-stole-p200000-us-2/301719/
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Cimatu honors slain forest warrior
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['Neil Alcober']
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2017-09-23 20:32:26+00:00
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Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu on Friday visited the wake of slain barangay captain Ruben Arzaga in El Nido, Palawan, honoring him as a “Bayani ng Kalikasan.”“I salute Ruben, because he sacrificed his life to protect the environment. Because of his courageous act, we should honor him as ‘Bayani ng Kalikasan’,” Cimatu said in Filipino.Arzaga, 49, an active member of the El Nido-Taytay Managed Resource Protected Area Management Board, was shot dead by suspected illegal loggers that he and a team of local environmental law enforcers were about to apprehend in Sitio Batbat, Villa Libertad on September 14, 2017.Two of the suspects were later arrested and charged with murder and four counts of attempted murder. Cimatu said the DENR will provide a college scholarship to Arzaga’s daughter, Jesel Mae, 16, who is now in tenth grade.Arzaga’s killing was the second attack on forest protection officers by illegal loggers and timber poachers in Palawan in three weeks.On August 23, Lito Eyala, a forester from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), was shot by a suspected timber poacher while he and his team were patrolling the mountains of Barangay Bacungan in Puerto Princesa City.Eyala sustained two gunshot wounds in his back and nape. He underwent a surgery to remove the bullet lodged in his right jaw.Cimatu denounced the two incidents of shooting DENR’s forest protection officers by suspected illegal loggers.He also plans to strengthen the agency’s community environment and natural resources offices (CENROs) with the help of the military and police.“The DENR is also studying the possibility of foresters carrying firearms when they are conducting patrols or apprehending illegal loggers,” he said.Under the instruction of Cimatu, DENR Mimaropa Regional Director Natividad Bernardino and provincial environment officials met with Major General Galileo Gerard Kintanar of the Armed Forces of the Philippines-Western Command (WESCOM) and Palawan Police chief Senior Supt. Gabriel Lopez to discuss cooperation in addressing the issue of illegal logging.“WESCOM will help the DENR conduct regular aerial patrol and strengthen joint operations against timber poachers, illegal loggers and kaingeros [slash and burn farmers],” Bernardino said.“Apart from this, the WESCOM will train our forest rangers and foresters on basic security measures, including the use of firearms for self-defense,” she added.Palawan provincial environment and natural resources officer Felizardo Cayatoc deplored the attacks against forest workers, noting that illegal loggers have become more dangerous.“It would be impossible to accomplish our task of protecting the environment if our protectors are being killed; we need to equip them,” he added.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/cimatu-honors-slain-forest-warrior/352316/
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Get priest killers, Church prods police
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['The Manila Times']
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2018-06-13 22:38:11+00:00
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The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) appealed to the police to speed up its investigation of the slaying of Fr. Richmond Nilo so that his killers can be brought to justice.“We make our appeal once again to the police authorities to act swiftly in the investigation and to go after the perpetrators of this heinous crime and bring them to justice,” the CBCP said in a statement.Nilo, parish priest of St. Vincent Ferrer Parish in the Diocese of Cabanatuan, was gunned down on Sunday while getting ready to say Mass at a chapel in Mayamot, Zarazoga, Nueva Ecija. He was the third priest to be slain in six months.Fr. Marcelito Paez of Jaen town, Nueva Ecija was shot to death in December 2017, and Fr. Mark Anthony Ventura was killed in Gattaran town in Cagayan in April 2018.CBCP President Romulo G. Vallez called Nilo’s killing an “outrageously evil act.”The Philippine National Police has formed a task force to get to the bottom of Nilo’s death.Chief Supt. Amador Corpus said based on the initial investigation of Special Investigation Task Group “Nilo,” five men were involved in the operation to kill the priest.Corpus said the panel has identified one of the suspects. Two of the men were in the getaway car while three others followed Fr. Nilo until he reached the chapel.Police authorities have yet to establish the motive behind the killing.No to armsThe CBCP however rejected proposals to arm priests, saying it will bring more harm than good.“We are men of God, men of the church and it is part of our ministry to face dangers, to face death. But we would do it just like what Jesus did,” said Archbishop Romulo Valles.Bishop Oscar Jaime Florencio agreed with Valles, saying that arming priests would only aggravate the problem.“It will create more chaos, it will not solve anything,” Florencio said.Also on Wednesday, the Palace reiterated that there is no correlation between President Rodrigo Duterte’s tirades against the Catholic church and the killings of priests.Palace spokesman Harry Roque Jr. said the government is one with the bishops in condemning the killing of priests.“The government and the Philippine National Police have mounted investigations into these crimes and have vowed to bring the perpetrators to justice. The PNP shall also be working closely with the Church, especially the hierarchy and the clergy, on measures to protect our priests,” Roque said.He issued the statement after the Archdiocese of Lingayen-Dagupan led by Archbishop Socrates Villegas blamed the government for the attacks on members of the clergy.“They are killing our flock. They are killing us, the shepherds. They are killing our faith. They are cursing our Church. They are killing God again as they did in Calvary,” the statement posted on Facebook read.Priests also called on Duterte to “stop the verbal persecution of the Catholic Church because such attacks can unwittingly embolden more crimes against priests.”ROY D.R. NARRA, CATHERINE MODESTO AND
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/get-priest-killers-church-prods-police/407851/
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Arroyo won’t give zero budget to opposition
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['Ma. Reina Leanne Tolentino']
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2018-08-04 00:03:21+00:00
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Lawmakers from the opposition or who dislike House Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo will not have to worry about getting a drastic cut in their budget or even none under her leadership.“No. No. No. I have seen the list of zero budget. Everybody will be given a budget as a gesture of goodwill,” Arroyo, in an ambush interview on Friday, said in English and Filipino.“I was supposed to make a proper announcement but I have already said it; and almost everybody was against it but as a gesture of goodwill, they will not be given zero,” she added.The House Speaker, who is a congressional representative of Pampanga, was at the turnover of Watermaster to the local government of Calumpit, Bulacan to address flooding in the area.Arroyo reiterated that her role as a speaker is “mainly” two-fold — “to carry out the legislative agenda of President [Rodrigo] Duterte” and to “help congressmen who serve their constituents especially their most immediate needs.”“That’s to carry out the second function that I see as a function of a speaker — to help the congressmen serve their most immediate needs. That’s why I won’t give zero budget even to those congressmen who don’t like me at all,” Arroyo added.The House Speaker also said she would not allow herself to be distracted if people misinterpret her activities as aiming for a bigger role.“I can’t help if I do my duty people will interpret it differently. I can’t be distracted by that. I have to focus. That’s why from the beginning I talked about those two important functions and you can see that everything I’ve done has been consistent with what I say. Everything I’ve done,” she said.Arroyo, who replaced Davao del Norte Rep. Pantaleon Alvarez as House speaker, got 184 votes with 12 abstentations during the voting after the State of the Nation Address of President Duterte on July 23.Alvarez earlier said that his statement that lawmakers opposed to federalism would receive zero budgets was just a joke.Meanwhile, when asked about the minority row, Arroyo said, “That’s a matter for them to decide. Let them work that out.”Arroyo said her primary concern was moving the legislation forward, and that by staying away from those concerns, they were able to get the bicam on the coco levy, close the debate on tarrification, and settle the issue on the zero budget.According to House Majority Leader Rolando Andaya, her order was for all districts to have funds.“All districts should have funds. That is the clear directive of Speaker GMA). Appropriations proposed by the executive for projects and programs in a congressional district represented by a non-majority coalition member will not be drastically cut or reduced to zero,” Andaya said in English and Filipino.Andaya said, based on Arroyo’s word, there was also the possibility of augmentation if funds were found to be lacking.Davao City Rep. Karlo Nograles, who leads the House of Representatives’ Committee on Appropriations, would make sure that Arroyo’s directive would be followed, Andaya said.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/arroyo-wont-give-zero-budget-to-opposition/426350/
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LPA spotted off Surigao
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['The Manila Times']
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2017-11-16 20:31:53+00:00
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A low pressure area (LPA) was spotted off Surigao del Sur early Thursday morning, the state-run weather bureau said.The Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) reported that the LPA was seen 355 kilometers southeast of Hinatuan town.It is expected to bring cloudy skies with scattered to widespread rains and thunderstorms to Caraga, Northern Mindanao, the Zamboanga Peninsula and the Davao Region.The Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao and SOCCSKSARGEN (South Cotabato, Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani and General Santos City), Central Visayas and Eastern Visayas will have cloudy skies, scattered rains and thunderstorms.The regions of Ilocos, Cordillera and Cagayan Valley will be partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated light rains caused by the northeast monsoon.Metro Manila and the rest of Luzon and the Visayas region will have partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rainshowers because of localized thunderstorms, Pagasa said.GLEE JALEA
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/lpa-spotted-off-surigao/363311/
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Aim for zero deaths, Bato tells regional police chiefs
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['Dempsey Reyes']
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2017-12-31 17:38:24+00:00
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Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Ronald “Bato” de la Rosa on Sunday appealed to police regional directors to celebrate the New Year by achieving zero death and the lowest number of injuries caused by firecrackers.“I am appealing to your sense of urgency. Let us make this New Year celebration the safest ever for everyone by achieving zero death and the lowest number of injuries,” de la Rosa said in a statement.He added that the number of casualties in the regional directors’ respective areas of responsibility would be “reflective” of their leadership or lack of it.De la Rosa thanked all police officers and personnel as another year is about to start.“Thank you for rowing the boat that I captain in the same direction and with unfaltering intensity through the storms of 2017,” he said.“Good luck to us all and may the good Lord continue to guide us this coming 2018,” de la Rosa added.Last week, some of his policemen in Mandaluyong City were involved in a “mistaken identity” incident, resulted in the death of two persons and the woundings of two others.De la Rosa is yet to release a statement about the incident.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/aim-zero-deaths-bato-tells-regional-police-chiefs/371531/
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DOLE ‘winning war’ vs child labor
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['William Depasupil']
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2017-01-14 21:01:48+00:00
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THE Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) has declared that it is winning the war on child labor.“We have made significant strides in curbing child labor in poor communities, especially its worst forms,” Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello 3rd said.Bello noted that in September last year, the United States Department of Labor, in its study dubbed “Findings on the Worst Forms of Child Labor,” cited the Philippines for having accomplished great strides in its efforts to eliminate hazardous forms of child labor.“This is the fourth year in a row that the Philippines was cited positively by the study. The study highlighted the assessment of government’s effort in eliminating the worst forms of child labor,” he said.Child labor-freeBello also reported that as of November, the Bureau of Workers with Special Concerns has certified 60 barangays as child-labor free, bringing the total number of certified barangays to 219 since 2014.On the other hand, the DOLE Regional Offices awarded Child Labor-Free Establishment (CLFE) Certificates to 38 establishments, bringing the total number of certified establishments to 199 since 2013.The CLFE Certificate is conferred on an establishment that is not employing child labor and not using products or materials produced through the use of child labor.The grant of a CLFE Certificate aims to promote compliant and socially responsible business practices as the establishment-based component of the DOLE’s campaign to eradicate child labor.Anti-child labor policyBello issued Administrative Order No. 439, Series of 2016, or the Child Protection Policy of the Department of Labor and Employment, on August 16, 2016 which provides a framework of principles, standards, guidelines and procedures in relation to creating a “child-safe and child-friendly” organization; awareness-raising and prevention of abuse; personnel recruitment and training; management system; guidelines for appropriate and inappropriate behavior; guidelines for communication regarding children; and recognizing, reporting and responding to allegations of abuse.Yesterday, the “Makiisa Para sa 1 Milyong Batang Malaya” program also launched three major initiatives against child labor.These initiatives include a first comprehensive project on child labor with setting of help desks, a new project on child labor in gold mining, and a new child labor module in the conditional cash transfer program.The National Child Labor Committee, chaired by the DOLE, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), the Department of Education, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, the International Labor Organization (ILO) and Ban Toxics jointly launched the programs.According to the 2011 Survey on Children, 2.1 million Filipino children are subjected to child labor.“Child labor is complex and deeply rooted in poverty. Children suffer and risk their health or even their lives to work for their family’s survival. Ending child labor requires strong commitment and collective effort,” said Khalid Hassan, director of the ILO Country Office for the Philippines, who also managed projects that addressed child labor in Africa and Asia.DSWD initiativesMeanwhile, the DSWD launched the Strategic Helpdesks for Information, Education, Livelihood and other Developmental Interventions (SHIELD) as its first comprehensive program on child labor.It will focus on areas with high incidence of child labor by making services more accessible to children and their families, among others.The program aims to strengthen the capacity of local government units in eliminating the worst forms of child labor such as gold mining, deep-sea fishing and farming.DSWD Secretary Judy Taguiwalo said in a statement that most of the child laborers are engaged in hazardous work especially those who are in the mining industry.“We must immediately and urgently rally to respond to this concern because of the problem which is unabated. Children continued to be violated a thousand fold, especially those child laborers engaged in back breaking and hazardous work,” said Taguiwalo.Interventions will also include improving working conditions and providing support to establish models for operation that are legal and viable as well as compliant with labor, environmental and health standards.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/dole-winning-war-vs-child-labor-2/306918/
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Duterte mulls P500 subsidy for workers
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['William Depasupil']
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2018-02-09 23:56:30+00:00
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PRESIDENT Duterte is receptive to a proposal from organized labor for a monthly P500 cash or voucher subsidy to the country’s four million minimum wage earners to help workers cope with rising inflation and surging cost of living.The subsidy proposal was among the issues brought out by labor leaders during their meeting with Duterte in Malacanang on Thursday that focused on the issue of work contracting and sub-contracting.The vice president of the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP), Luis Manuel Corral, who explained the issue, said he told the President that it may cost the government P24 billion a year but it would mean a lot to the workers who are essential partners of employers and capitalists in helping and sustaining the country’s economic growth at a competitive level.“That is P2 billion a month or P24 billion a year but you’re buying peace. If that is the cost of building a nation, so be it. That’s what we told the President,” Corral said.According to the TUCP official, the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (Train) Law did not aim to go after taxpayers based on ability to pay so that the rich carry a higher tax burden.“Now people see the growth is happening. You have 6.7 percent growth and that shows that the Philippines is a tale of two cities because the reality on the ground is that the workers who generated and built this wealth are not part of the profits,” Corral said.“There is no trickle-down effect. So we are proposing that there be a cash subsidy or voucher subsidy of P500 [a month],” he added.Under the group’s proposal, the subsidy should only be limited to minimum wage earners who are members of good standing of the Social Security System for at least six months.“Only those in the[minimum] wage bracket. Above that, they can take care of themselves while those below already have the conditional cash transfer. Our target are only the four million minimum wage earners,” Corral said.The President, according to him, has directed the labor sector to form a four-member study group.The executive side would be composed of Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez and other economic managers.“I want a study group. Prepare your data addressed to me. Not necessasrily all of you, maybe only four [members]. Create your team, I’ll listen to your proposal,” Corral quoted the President as saying.He added that Duterte tentatively set the meeting on March 15 with an added instruction that Dominguez should be there as the “devil’s advocate” and then the other economic managers.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/duterte-mulls-p500-subsidy-workers/379285/
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PH, Russia forging consular agreement
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['Jaime Pilapil']
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2017-03-20 23:14:12+00:00
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Manila and Moscow seem to be one step closer to forging an agreement that will contribute to the protection of the rights and welfare of Filipinos in Russia.The agreement would also help protect the rights and welfare of Russians in the Philippines.Carlos Sorreta, Philippine ambassador to the Russian Federation, met with Evgeny Ivanov, director of the Consular Services Department of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, early this month and agreed to reinvigorate their efforts to complete a draft agreement that could be signed early this year.“One of the first things we did after I assumed my post here in Moscow in 2015 was to propose this agreement, given the importance we place on protecting our nationals here in Russia,” Sorreta said.“This agreement would reinforce our embassy’s ability to help Filipinos in need of assistance here in Russia. With increased protection, it is our hope that people-to-people exchanges will also be enhanced, particularly in the areas of trade, investment, tourism, education and culture,” he added.Ivanov informed Sorreta that discussions within the Russian government on the agreement are going well and that Russia will be formally responding with its own version shortly.Both sides agreed that the agreement must expand on existing international conventions on consular relations and will serve as a comprehensive document covering all aspects of consular relations.The Philippine Embassy in Moscow estimates that there are between 5,000 and 10,000 Filipinos living in Russia while as many as 40,000 Russians visit the Philippines every year.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/ph-russia-forging-consular-agreement-2/318275/
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Leyte bettor bags P234.2M lotto pot
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['Jefferson Antiporda']
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2017-09-11 20:48:47+00:00
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A lone bettor from Leyte province is now more than P200 million richer after hitting the Superlotto 6/49 jackpot of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) during Sunday night’s draw.PCSO General Manager Alexander Balutan said the winner got the combination 29-25-19-23-07-30 to bag the Superlotto pot amounting to a total of P234,261,400.The winning ticket, according to Balutan was bought from a lotto outlet in the New Public Market at Villabe, Leyte.Apart from the jackpot winner, 122 other bettors will be getting the consolation prize of P19,540 for correctly guessing five of the six number winning combination.Total ticket sales for Sunday’s Superlotto draw reached a total of P47,699,760.Meanwhile, there were no winners for the Ultralotto 6/58 jackpot of P50,000,000 but four bettors got the consolation prize of P169,270 after getting five numbers of the winning combination 34-37-39-26-23-10 correct.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/leyte-bettor-bags-p234-2m-lotto-pot/350052/
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Manila policeman killed in ambush
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['The Manila Times']
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2017-08-15 20:14:52+00:00
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The wife of a slain Manila police officer on Tuesday denied allegations that her husband was involved in the drug trade and that he was the one behind the murder of a female police officer last March 19.Jenalyn Piniano, 34, wife of Police Officer 2 Mark Anthony Piniano, 34, said her husband received several death threats before he was shot dead on Tuesday at about 7 a.m. near San Marcelino Street and Ayala Boulevard in Ermita, Manila, just few meters away from the main gate of the Technological University of the Philippines (TUP).Driving his motorcycle, Piniano, a resident of Pacheco Street, Tondo, was bringing his 15-year-old daughter to nearby Emilio Aguinaldo College (EAC) when five persons—two each riding in motorcycles and one lookout, also in a motorcycle—shot him in the head and body, killing him instantly.Investigators recovered more than 20 spent shells of .45 caliber pistol and .9 mm pistol.Piniano’s daughter was unharmed but a student of TUP was hit by a stray bullet in the leg.Police were scrutinizing the closed-circuit television footage of Barangay 660 that caught how Piniano was waylaid by the gunmen.The policeman was brought to Mary Chilles Hospital where he was declared dead.Piniano, whose last assignment was at Manila Police District Headquarters Support Unit before his death, was the main suspect in the killing of Police Officer 1 Jorsan Marie Alafriz.Alafriz was a known anti-drug advocate and was active in anti-drug operations in Santa Cruz district where Piniano was assigned before he was transferred to MPD Support Unit.Alafriz was assigned to the Barbosa Police Community Precinct in Quiapo for nine months before her death.“My husband had several death threats and lately he had not been going to the office. He was asked to go to the office today. I was wondering why they know exactly the movements of my husband. They really had a plan to kill him,” Mrs. Piniano said in Filipino.Piniano was in police uniform when he was waylaid.The MPD headquarters are just a stone’s throw away from EAC.“He was being implicated in the killing of a police officer. He had nothing to do with that. When the murder happened, he was with me in a hotel,” Mrs. Piniano said, sobbing.She called on President Rodrigo Duterte for help, asking for justice.Meanwhile, MPD Director Joel Napoleon Coronel identified Piniano as high-value target for being suspected as active in the drug trade.Mayor Joseph Ejercito Estrada ordered Coronel to resolve the ambush of Piniano.“Whatever the motives and circumstances, we owe it to the policeman’s family to investigate the case. I have tasked our city police force to leave no stone unturned to ensure that justice is served,” Estrada said.The MPD Homicide Section is on top of the investigation, including the review of the CCTV footage.JAIME R. PILAPIL
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/manila-policeman-killed-ambush/344655/
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Court upholds axing of DA official over fertilizer scam
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['Jomar Canlas']
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2017-11-12 23:03:32+00:00
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THE Court of Appeals (CA) has affirmed the Office of the Ombudsman’s decision dismissing from the service a Department of Agriculture (DA) official after he was found guilty of administrative charges in connection with the allegedly anomalous purchase of liquid fertilizers in 2004.In an 18-page decision, the CA’s Sixth Division denied for lack of merit a petition for review of Rodolfo Guieb, former DA-Regional Unit IV officer-in-charge.“The November 12, 2014 decision and November 6, 2015 joint order of the [Ombudsman] are hereby affirmed,” it said.Guieb allegedly conspired with non-government organization (NGO) Masaganang Ani Para sa Magsasaka Foundation Inc. (MAMFI) in the anomaly.In the ruling approved by Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales, Guieb allegedly conspired with MAMFI and several others to give “unwarranted benefits, privilege and advantage” to the NGO “by causing and/or approving the procurement from MAMFI of 3,240 bottles of liquid fertilizer without public bidding.”MAMFI has also been linked to the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) anomaly and is among the NGOs allegedly run by businesswoman Janet Lim-Napoles, alleged mastermind of the pork barrel scam.A disbursement voucher was allegedly approved, making it appear that MAMFI was qualified to implement the DA’s Farm Inputs and Farm Implements Program (FIFIP) and that it submitted all the needed documents for its accreditation as project implementor.The Ombudsman’s office found Guieb guilty of dishonesty, grave misconduct and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service.It imposed on him the penalty of dismissal from the service with accessory penalties.According to the anti-graft office, Guieb allegedly facilitated the release of P3.25 million in public funds to the prejudice of the government.This accusation prompted Guieb to seek redress with the CA.The decision penned by Associate Justice Pedro Corales and concurred in by Associate Justices Japar Dimaampao and Amy Lazaro-Javier dismissed Guieb’s arguments that he had no hand in the anomalous procurement.“Notably, nothing in the records indicate that Guieb issued any written notification to [former Regional Executive Director Dennis Araullo] and [former Governor Joel Reyes], or any other superior officer to whom he imputes ultimate responsibility for his act,” the CA said.“All told, the records cast doubt on Guieb’s protestations of good faith and regular performance of official functions,” it added.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/court-upholds-axing-da-official-fertilizer-scam/362368/
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Region 12 accepts more student transferees
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['Jerry N. Adlaw']
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2017-06-15 21:37:10+00:00
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OVER one thousand student transferees from Marawi City were enrolled in several public schools in Region 12 (South Cotabato, Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani and General Santos) and the number is expected to increase in the coming weeks. Department of Education (DepEd) Region 12 director, Arturo Bayocot, said transferees were enrolled in various public elementary and high schools in General Santos City, Cotabato City, Sultan Kudarat and Koronadal City. “Our schools will accept displaced students until June 30,” Bayocot said in a radio interview. The parents and guardians have been advised to process their children’s enrollment not later than the end of this. Education Secretary Leonora Briones has said that about 22,000 students in Marawi are affected by the siege. Region 12 recorded about 1.096 million enrollees in public elementary and high schools, including transferees during the first week of classes.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/region-12-accepts-student-transferees/332907/
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294 Vehicles towed for illegal parking
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['Reicelene Joy Ignacio']
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2017-03-12 18:53:23+00:00
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~By REICELENE JOY IGNACIOA total of 294 illegally parked vehicles were towed and impounded last week, according to the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA). Anti-illegal parking operations were conducted from March 6 to March 10 in in Quezon City, along Scout Borromeo, Scout Bayoran and Scout Tobias; Panay Avenue; Mother Ignacia Avenue; and Eugenio Lopez Drive. The MMDA also cleared road obstructions along Mabuhay Lane 1, which traverses the cities of San Juan, Mandaluyong and Makati, particularly Barangay San Isidro in Makati, and the villages of 141k, 142, 143 and 147 in the PasayCity-Taft Avenue area. Turned over to the Quezon City Tricycle Regulatory Unit, according to the MMDA, were 21 illegally-parked tricycles. “This way, the motoring public would have an unimpeded travel to their destinations in Makati and Manila via the Mabuhay Lanes,” MMDA General Manager Tim Orbos said. He encouraged motorists to use the lanes instead of EDSA during rush hours. A total of 8,323 motorists were cited for various traffic violations in the whole month of February this year while 1,871 were apprehended from March 1 to March 10, the MMDA said. The traffic violations were recorded using CCTV cameras placed along Metro Manila roads.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/294-vehicles-towed-illegal-parking/316842/
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Diokno rejects calls to lower VAT rate
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['Mayvelin U. Caraballo']
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2018-06-12 00:04:29+00:00
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Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno on Monday rejected proposals to reduce the value-added tax (VAT) rate.“No. I think we should see how things develop first,” Diokno told reporters when asked if this was a good time to cut the VAT rate from 12 percent to 10 percent.He said the government should first complete the five packages under its Comprehensive Tax Reform Program (CTRP) before reducing the VAT rate.“I think it’s not time to go back to 10 percent. You start with broadening the base first. If you have a broad base you can afford to have a lower VAT rate,” he explained.Senate President Vicente Sotto 3rd earlier said the Senate is considering reducing the VAT as well as introducing other measures to mitigate high inflation rate while protecting the government’s revenue stream.In January, Sen. Risa Hontiveros filed the “Bawas VAT” bill that seeks to reduce the VAT rate to 10 percent from 12 percent beginning next year.Senate Bill 1671 aims to reduce the impact of the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion law that raised taxes on fuel, cars and sugar-sweetened beverages, among others.The bill states that once the collections from a 10-percent VAT reach 4.5 percent of gross domestic product, the rate can be further reduced to achieve full alignment with the Asean norm of 8 percent.In February, the Department of Finance said it is not closing its doors to lower sales taxes but that revenue losses will have to be offset by getting rid of existing exemptions.“If we can bring up our collection rate, say to 7 percent by eliminating exemptions, of course we are open to reducing the rate of the VAT,” Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez 3rd said. “There might be a possibility to reduce the rate by eliminating all exemptions, that is one possibility, but we haven’t calculated that yet but definitely we have to look at all the alternatives.”“Unfortunately in the past VAT has been used as a fiscal incentive which is really wrong. There is no other country in the world which has so many exemptions,” he added.The Finance department has claimed that over P300 billion in potential revenues is lost annually due to income tax holidays and other incentives.Based on 2015 data, income tax holidays and special rates enjoyed mostly by large businesses accounted for P86.25 billion of the revenue losses.The bulk, or P159.82 billion, was due to exemptions from paying VAT on imports.Modernizing fiscal incentives is among the features of the CTRP Package 2, which was submitted to the House of Representatives in January.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/diokno-rejects-calls-to-lower-vat-rate/407090/
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The heart of a charity worker
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['The Manila Times']
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2018-05-16 00:03:19+00:00
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Evangeline “Vangie” Villegas, a social worker at the office of Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) General Manager Alexander Balutan, understands the plight of patients who seek financial or medical assistance.A single mother who struggled to support four children, including a child who had a heart illness, Vangie would always encounter angry patients during interviews but she has learned the art of handling them well. To calm them, she patiently encourages them to settle down and tells them that she is ready to listen to them.“May mga pasyente ditong naninigaw, nagwawala. Minsan ang lakas ng boses rinig na rinig sa buong opisina.‘Yun ang pinaka-ayoko sa lahat. Napapahiya talaga kami. Sinabi ko, ‘Sir kalma po kasi andito po tayo sa opisina’ (There are patients who would shout, and the entire office can hear them. That’s what I do not like, it’s embarrassing for us. So I tell them “please calm down we are in the office),” Vangie said.In a day, Vangie interviews 40 to 50 patients a day.“Some of them were from provinces, complaining the slow processing of their requests or would follow up their previous requests,” she said.For the first quarter of 2018, the PCSO has catered to 120,356 beneficiaries of Individual Medical AssistanceProgram (IMAP) and has already released P2.35 billion IMAP assistance, a 39.96 percent increase from the same period last year.A native of Davao City, Vangie, 55, used to work as an airport supervisor in a concessionaire in one of the airline companies, but her salary was not enough to support her children, including her sick child who needed three vials a day for his treatment that time.“Isang vial P5,900 ang presyo, three vials a day ang kailangan n’ya. Nung time na ‘yun naghahanap ako ng malalapitan, doon ako humingi ng tulong kay [then] Mayor Duterte, mayor pa s’ya ng Davao noon. ‘Di ko pa alam ‘yung PCSO noon. S’ya yung tumulong sa anak ko,” recalled Vangie, referring to President Rodrigo Duterte who gave assistance enough to buy six vials.Sadly, her son died of heart enlargement at the age of 14 in 2006.Vangie’s misfortunes didn’t end there. In 2014, their house was hit by fire. Devastated, she visited her relatives in Manila and took that as an opportunity to start over again with her children.With the encouragement of a friend, Vangie, who has a degree of Bachelor of Science in Commerce, major in accounting, applied at the PCSO and she was immediately hired as a clerk.She started by assisting social workers who were assessing patients. She prepared transmittals, answered e-mails, and handled phone calls.When PCSO Chairman Jorge Corpuz and Balutan took over the agency, some of the experienced social workers under the previous administration resigned. Vangie decided to step forward and started entertaining patients seeking financial assistance and the rest is history.Vangie’s tipsVangie advises patients to submit complete requirements to avoid delays.Upon submission of documentary requirements, the social worker will review the documents.Requests for hospitalization expenses needs a personal letter to the general manager, original/certified true copy of medical abstract, signed by the doctor with license and PTR number, final hospital billing, endorsement from the hospital to accept PCSO guarantee letter, and photocopies of patient’s ID and immediate relative who will process the documents.If a patient is discharged from the hospital and still has a remaining balance, a notarized promissory note is needed. Additional documents will be required for laboratory procedures, requests for chemo drugs or medicines, implant/prosthesis, and hemodialysis.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/the-heart-of-a-charity-worker/399049/
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Police nab Omar Maute’s wife in Iligan
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['Maka Pili', 'Parasa Bayan', 'Simon Antonio']
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5/11/2017 0:00
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Authorities arrested , Sunday, a woman, who admitted being the wife of slain terrorist Omar Maute, a report from the regional police office here said.Police Regional Office 10 identified the woman as Minhati Madrais, also known as Baby.Madrais, who was carrying an Indonesian passport, admitted being the wife of Maute, one of the founders of the Maute Group which laid siege in Marawi City for five months starting in May.Madrais was arrested inside a house she was sharing with her children.Seized from the residence were essential components in the making of improvised explosive devices (IEDs), including four blasting caps, two detonating cords, and a time fuse.Police said a team of law enforcers and military operatives raided Madrais’ residence in Steele Makers Village, Barangay Tubod, Iligan City, on the strength of an Arrest, Search and Seizure Order (ASSO) 1.Iligan City police chief Sr. Supt. Leony Roy Ga said Madrais admitted to investigators that she was Omar’s wife.Omar and another extremist leader Isnilon Hapilon were killed last October 16 that very much led to the collapse of the Maute Group’s stronghold in Marawi City.According to Ha, intelligence operatives were able to establish the presence of Madrais in Tubod.“We were able to trace her relationship with Omar through the photos provided to us. In some of the photos she was with Omar,” Ga said..He said Madrais could hardly speak local languages, but could converse in English.Ga said they were in the process of establishing Madrais’ participation in the terroristic activities of the Maute group, even as he said it was probable that she had a role in the group’s operations due to her relationship with Omar.He said they will also examine the suspect’s cellphone to check if she had any contact with other members of the Maute group.Based on the police’s investigation, Madrais moved to Iligan from Marawi at the height of the conflict there.Madrais told police said she was taken to Iligan when the Marawi siege erupted, but could not identify who brought her there.Ga said Madrais will be charged with illegal possession of explosives. She will be brought to the City Prosecutor’s Office for inquest on Monday, November 6.The police chief said they have taken custody of her children, but will coordinate with the City Social Welfare and Development for assistance.
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Manila Bulletin
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https://news.mb.com.ph/2017/11/05/police-nab-omar-mautes-wife-in-iligan/
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Former ‘Times’ editor-in-chief ricky Agcaoili, 72
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['Frederick Silverio']
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2016-11-24 22:14:16+00:00
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BOCAUE, Bulacan: A former editor-in-chief of The Manila Times, Frederick “Ricky” K. Agcaoili died peacefully inhis sleep at 5:45 a.m., Wednesday morning, after a bout with pneumonia. He was 72.A veteran and respected editor, he last worked as a consultant at Business Insight Malaya upon his retirement as section editor at Manila Bulletin in 2012.He was editor-in-chief of The Manila Times under the Gokongweis and its executive editor under Chino Roces. He was among the founding editors of The Philippine Star.Agcaoili also worked as an editor at the Tribune, Times Journal, Times Mirror, Philippine Daily Express and Evening News. He also served as editor of the Presidential Press Office during the administrations of President Fidel V. Ramos and President Gloria M. Arroyo.His remains lie in state at Chapel C, Krus na Wawa Memorial Park, 371 MacArthur Highway, Barangay Wakas, in this town.His cremated remains will be brought to the Garden of the Divine Word Chapel, Christ the King Seminary Compound, 1101 E. Rodriguez Sr. Avenue, Quezon City on Saturday, November 26 at 8 p.m.Interment will be on Sunday, November 27, at 11 am.He is survived by Zeny and Meloi, Allan, Pinky, Peachy, Jay, Agnes, Xavier and TJ.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/former-times-editor-chief-ricky-agcaoili-72/298239/
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Bishop: Term extension violation of Constitution
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['Ashley Jose']
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2018-01-06 23:02:04+00:00
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A Catholic bishop has called on the public to be vigilant on “no election” or “no-el” rumors swirling around the 2019 mid-term elections.“No-el is another specter of [a] looming dictatorial government. Hence, we citizens should be vigilant to avoid [a] political pitfall,” Bishop Arturo Bastes of Sorsogon said on Saturday.On Wednesday, House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez said during a television interview that there is a possibility that the 2019 polls would not be held as scheduled because of a proposed shift to a federal form of government.“Indeed, the shortening of the term[s] of office [of incumbent officials] may be allowed. Extension of [those] term[s] smacks of an imminent dictatorship, which happened during the presidency of Marcos,” the Sorsogon bishop said, referring to then-President Ferdinand Marcos.Marcos’ rule was ended by a popular revolt in 1986, catapulting Corazon Aquino to the Philippine presidency in the same year.Bastes said he is against the idea of extending the term of any government official.He added that any term extension must never be allowed because it is a clear violation of the 1986 Constitution.Presidential Communications Secretary Martin Andanar, however, assured the public on Friday during a roundtable discussion with The Manila Times editors and reporters that elections would take place next year.“No matter what, there will be elections,” he said.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/bishop-term-extension-violation-constitution/372733/
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MANILA POLICE NET 12 IN DRUG DRIVE
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['Kimberly Malait']
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2018-09-09 00:02:06+00:00
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Twelve drug suspects were apprehended by the police in separate anti-illegal drug operations in Manila on Saturday. Elements of the Manila Police District (MPD) Sampaloc Police Station (PS-4) arrested Amelita de Alagdong and Allan Paul Alde in a buy-bust along Domingo Santiago Street in Barangay 576 around 1:50 a.m. They conducted the operation after receiving a report from a concerned citizen about alleged drug activities led by the suspects in the area. After verifying the report, the operatives proceeded to transact with the suspects through police poseur-buyers. Upon completing the transaction, the police immediately arrested the suspects and brought them to the police station. Confiscated from De Alagdong and Alde were two sachets of suspected shabu and P1,100 buy-bust money in different denominations. Meanwhile, the Pandacan Police Station (PS-10) also arrested six alleged drug suspects in a buy-bust conducted along Eusebio Extension, Pandacan. Operatives identified the suspects as Angelita Peralta, 70; Arnold Dulay, 37; Rolando Bautista, 37; Dante Guelas, 36; Jomel Garcia, 18; and Kurt Verman Palakpak, 18. Recovered from the suspects were six sachets of suspected shabu with an estimated average weight of 0.0168 grams and street value of P3,300. Nabbed by officers of the Santa Cruz Police Station (PS-3) along Palanca Street were four drug suspects identified as Ning Tuandato, 49; Naida Dizon, 44; Annaliza Manalo, 40; and Lito Quibo, 35. The suspects were initially approached by the police for drinking in a public area. When frisked, they yielded four heat-sealed sachets of suspected shabu. The arrested suspects were charged with violations of the Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 and will be brought to the City Prosecutor’s Office for proper inquest proceedings.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/manila-police-net-12-in-drug-drive/439668/
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125K jobs up for grabs on Independence Day
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['William Depasupil']
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2018-06-07 00:02:41+00:00
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ABOUT 125,000 local and overseas jobs will be offered in various job and business fairs in 21 sites across the country during next week’s celebration of the 120th Philippine Independence Day.Labor Undersecretary Jacinto Paras on Wednesday said 621 employers will participate in the event.He added that the number of venues and available jobs will possibly increase because the Labor department continues to encourage more employers to join.“I call on jobseekers to take advantage of the employment facilitation service that the DoLE is bringing closer to the public,” Paras said in a news briefing.“We make sure that there is no illegal contracting and subcontracting jobs that will be offered,” he added.For local jobs, employers are looking for production machine operators, military and police officers and enlisted personnel, construction workers, customer service representatives, masons, carpenters, company drivers, service crew, production workers and retail and sales agent.For those seeking overseas employment, the top vacancies are for service worker/hotel workers, nurses, engineers, technicians, forecourt (petrol filler), butchers, sales personnel, hospital workers, and carpenters.The countries of destination are the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Malaysia, Japan, Oman, and New Zealand.To increase their chances of being hired on the spot, jobseekers should bring their resume; 2 x 2 ID pictures; certificate of employment for those formerly employed; diploma and/or transcript of records; and authenticated birth certificate.The job and business fairs will be held in Rizal Park, Manila; Porta Vaga Mall Veranda in Baguio City; Nepo Mall, Dagupan City; Candon Civic Center, Candon City, Pacoy Ortega Gymnasium in San Fernando City, La Union; Tuguegarao People’s Gym, Metro Town Mall, Tarlac City; Freedom Park, Kaingen, Kawit, Cavite; Sunstar Mall, Sta. Cruz, Laguna; Ayala Mall, Legazpi City; 888 China Town Square, Bacolod City; Negros Oriental Convention Center; Cebu City Sports Complex; Provincial Covered Court, Catbalogan City; KCC Mall de Zamboanga; Zamboanga del Norte Cultural Convention and Sports Center, Dipolog City; Davao City Recreation Center and KCC Mall Convention Center in General Santos City.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/125k-jobs-up-for-grabs-on-independence-day/405240/
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‘Ill-equipped’ Fire bureau can’t stop tragedy
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['Llanesca T. Panti']
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2017-06-21 21:42:50+00:00
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The Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) took nine hours to put out the fire in Resorts World Manila (RWM) that suffocated 37 people for lack of equipment, an official said on Wednesday.Director Bobby Baruelo of the BFP made the admission when asked by Rep. Harry Roque of Kabayan party-list why the BFP was only able to put the fire under control at 9:56 a.m. when the fire started around 12:30 a.m.Baruelo said the BFP was not able to enter areas that were on fire because of thick smoke and that the bureau concentrated on stopping the blaze that had reached the escalators.“The fire started shortly after 12 midnight. Can you exactly tell us what did you do all the while until 9:56 a.m. the next day? Did you just put out the fire in the escalators for nine hours? The smoke was so thick? Don’t you have equipment to deal with that?” Roque said.“We have equipment, your honor, but they were not sufficient. We have self-contained breathing apparatuses, pero talaga pong kulang [but they were really not enough].”Resorts World Manila was attacked by a lone gunman identified as gambling addict Jessie Carlos last June 2.Carlos, who had been banned in casinos by the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor) in March this year, stormed the entertainment and casino complex heavily armed and firing at LED screens and tables, which caused the fire, eventually suffocating employees and guests.RWM President Kingston Sian disclosed during the hearing that the Philippine National Police recovered a bag of casino chips from Carlos worth P113 million and a second bag of casino chips worth P52 million was also recovered later.Some P300 million in casino chips are missing, he said.Sian assured the public that the RWM tragedy won’t happen again.David Chua Ming Huat, chairman of the board of Traveller’s Hotel Group Inc., which owns RWM, made a statement during resumption of the congressional inquiry after missing the first two hearings.“Allow me to express our deepest sympathies to the families of those who perished and were injured. I would like to assure you that the safety and security are key priorities of Resorts World Manila, an international brand owned by global conglomerates and benchmarked against international standards,” Chua, who is based in Hong Kong, told lawmakers.“As such, we will never compromise safety and security because it may impact on our stakeholders,” Chua said.He expressed willingness to resume RWM’s operations and appealed to lawmakers to consider the complex’s contribution to the Philippines such as the $1.3 billion for RWM; $1.1 billion for Resorts World Westside City; 1,934 hotel rooms; 1,620 hotel rooms still in the pipeline; the Marriott Grand Ballroom, the largest in the country, which Chua said has boosted the country’s position as a global destination for meetings, conferences and other events; P40 billion in license fees and other taxes; 25,000 direct and indirect jobs and 6,000 staff since 2008; and P1-billion investment for constructing school buildings, computer laboratories and barracks for the Philippine Military Academy cadets through the RWM Foundation.“This [RWM incident] is a tragic wake-up call not just for us. We hope that through the assistance of Congress and other government agencies, we can start the painful and difficult task of rebuilding as it is also our task to take care of our 6,000 personnel,” Chua said.Based on an account of RWM Chief of Security Armeen Gomez, the RWM is not equipped to deal with simultaneous emergencies.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/ill-equipped-fire-bureau-cant-stop-tragedy/334108/
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P1M worth of shabu seized in Taguig City
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['Rj Carbonell']
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2017-10-31 22:17:51+00:00
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A suspected drug pusher was arrested by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) in Taguig City during a recent buy-bust wherein P1 million worth of shabu was seized.PDEA Director General Aaron Aquino, in a statement on Monday, said the illegal drug was confiscated from suspect Dhan Usman, also known as Rahib Usman.On October 25 around 8 p.m., PDEA Regional Office IV-A agents conducted an entrapment on Road 14, Maguindanao Street, New Lower Bicutan, Taguig City, which resulted in the arrest of Usman.Seized from the suspect were 200 grams of a white crystalline substance believed to be shabu with an estimated market value of P1 million.Usman would be facing charges for violation of Section 5 (Sale of Dangerous Drugs) of Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/p1m-worth-shabu-seized-taguig-city/359858/
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Espinosa police ‘killers’ summoned
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['Jomar Canlas']
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2016-12-14 20:31:37+00:00
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The Department of Justice (DOJ) on Wednesday summoned the police officers who were implicated in thekilling of Albuera Mayor Rolando Espinosa.DOJ prosecutors earlier issued subpoenas in connection with preliminary investigation of the case.The preliminary investigation of a complaints filed by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), set two hearings on the case on December 20, 2016 and January 8, 2017, 10 a.m., at the DOJ Multi-Purpose Hall.The panel, headed by Senior Assistant State Prosecutor Lilian Doris Alejo, will determine if the complaints forwarded by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) shall warrant a filing or dismissal of the case.Alejo will be joined in the panel by Senior Assistant State Prosecutor Olivia Torrevillas, Assistant State Prosecutors Jinky Dedumo and Karla Cabel and Prosecution Attorney Moises Acayan.The Alejo team of prosecutors will be tasked to evaluate the complaints filed against members of the PNP-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group who were involved in the serving of warrants against Espinosa and a fellow inmate at a sub-provincial jail last November 5.Charges for the crime of murder, robbery, malicious procurement of search warrant, perjury and planting of evidence under the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act were filed by the NBI before the Department of Justice on December 2 against 25 people, including Supt. Marvin Marcos, former CIDG Eastern Visayas director, and other members of the raiding team.Also charged with perjury and malicious procurement of search warrant was Paul Olendan, the witness used by the police to obtain the search warrants against Espinosa and Raul Yap from Judge Tarcelo Sabarre Jr. of the Regional Trial Court branch 30 in Basey, Samar.The NBI said testimonial and forensic evidence has shown that the mayor, a “narco politician,” was killed in a police rubout.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/espinosa-police-killers-summoned/301715/
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DTI assists families of slain soldiers
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['Anna Leah E. Gonzales']
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2017-12-23 20:15:53+00:00
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The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) recently gave livelihood packages to the beneficiaries of soldiers who were slain in action in Marawi.“[The] DTI acknowledges the ultimate sacrifice made by our soldiers who fought and died during the Marawi siege. In the spirit of the season and as a show of continued support from the Duterte administration, we decided to forego the usual department-wide Christmas party and use the funds instead to help the families of the slain soldiers,” Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez said on Friday.Over 29 families of soldiers killed in Marawi each received a Kabuhayan Starter Kit, a book on stories of DTI-assisted entrepreneurs to inspire them, several gift items and gift certificates, and toys for their children.“We also offered equity financing packages for the negosyo [businesses] they would like to pursue,” said Lopez.The JVO Foundation also gave food packs for each of the families. Gift certificates amounting to a total of P100,000 were also raffled off to the families.Lopez said the DTI also earlier reached out to help the soldiers who were wounded during the Marawi fighting by holding the “TNKS Po! Trabaho, Negosyo, Kabuhayan ‘Kaya Natin ‘Yan’” event at the AFP Medical Center in Quezon City on December 3, 2017.DTI gave out Christmas gifts and raffle prizes to the wounded soldiers and their dependents.The government also offered negosyo mentoring and consultations on how to start their own business.Livelihood packages will also be given once they select their preferred business.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/dti-assists-families-slain-soldiers/370291/
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Poll period, gun ban start today
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['William Depasupil']
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2018-04-14 00:08:49+00:00
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ALL permits to carry firearms are suspended starting today with the start of the 37-day election period for the synchronized Barangay (Village) and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK or Youth Council) elections on May 14.Also, the seven-day filing of certificates of candidacy (CoC) for barangay and SK candidates commences also today and will end on April 20.James Jimenez, Commission on Elections (Comelec) spokesman, on Friday said the national gun ban would take effect at 12:01 a.m. of April 14.“The Comelec is duty-bound to strictly implement the firearms ban,” Jimenez added.Comelec checkpoints, he said, will also be established across the country to enforce the prohibition.Aside from the ban on the bearing, carrying and transporting of firearms and other deadly weapons, the availment or engagement of the services of security personnel or bodyguards is also strictly prohibited.Comelec Resolution 10197, promulgated on September 14, 2017, states, “During the election period, no person shall bear, carry or transport firearms or other deadly weapons in public places, including any building, street, park, private vehicle or public conveyance, even if licensed to carry the same, unless authorized in writing by the commission.”Exempted from the gun ban are regular members of the Philippine National Police, the Armed Forces of the Philippines and other law enforcement agencies of the government that are duly deputized in writing by the Comelec for election duty may be authorized to carry and possess firearms during the election period.The Comelec, however, said, “When in the possession of firearms, the deputized law enforcement officer must be in full uniform showing clearly and legibly his name, rank and serial number, which shall remain visible at all times, and in the actual performance of his election duty in the specific area designated by the commission.”According to Jimenez, the poll body may issue gun ban exemptions to other qualified individuals, “who by nature of their official duties, profession, business or occupation, such as but not limited to cashiers, disbursing officers, persons who are under the Witness Protection Program, etc., are considered as high-risk individuals.”All applications/requirements for gun ban exemptions shall be filed with the Committee on the Ban on Firearms and Security Personnel at the Comelec main office, 8th Floor, Palacio del Gobernador Building in Intramuros, Manila.Qualified to vote in the SK polls are duly registered Filipino citizens who are at least 15 but not more than 30 years of age on the day of the elections; a resident in the barangay for at least six months on Election Day; and not otherwise disqualified by law.Jimenez pointed out though that only qualified voters who are between 18 and 24 years old are allowed to run in the SK polls.He reminded candidates for the youth polls that that they need to declare under oath that they are not related within the second degree by affinity or consanguinity to any incumbent, elected national or local officials as provided for under Republic Act (RA) 10742 or the SK Reform Act of 2015.RA 10742 states that candidates should not be related within the second degree of consanguinity or affinity to any incumbent, elected national official or to any incumbent regional, provincial, city, municipal or barangay official in the locality where they are running.For the barangay elections, one should be at least 18 years of age on or before the day of the elections; and must be a resident of the Philippines for at least one year and living in the village where he/she intends to vote, for at least six months immediately preceding the barangay elections; and should not otherwise be disqualified by law.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/poll-period-gun-ban-start-today/392406/
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Senate panel eyes more power for NTC
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['Jefferson Antiporda']
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2017-02-02 21:51:51+00:00
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THE Senate committee on economic affairs wants the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) to have more power to carry out its mandate to go after erring telecommunication companies.Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian, chairman of the committee, said the NTC, the agency in charge of regulating and supervising public telecommunications services, needs more power to impose penalties against telecommunication companies that fail to deliver satisfactory services to consumers.The grant of additional power will be included in the committee report to be submitted by Gatchalian following the investigation held by the panel on the operation and regulation of the telecommunications industry.The Senate hearing was called to determine if the government has ample regulatory mechanisms to make the playing field even.“Telecommunications is a public utility, and just like other public utilities, it has to be regulated to make sure that the playing field is even, to make sure that customers are getting the value that they are paying for,” Gatchalian said.The committee learned during the hearing that the NTC has had difficulties in imposing drastic penalties against Globe Telecoms and Smart Communications Inc. for their failure to provide satisfactory service to subscribers.NTC Deputy Commissioner Edgardo Cabarios told senators that they have failed to compel Globe and Smart to deliver the minimum speed of 12 megabytes per second (mbps) in Internet connectivity.The two companies have claimed in their advertisements that they can provide that kind of Internet speed.Gatchalian noted that because of limitations in the law, the NTC cannot do anything to force Globe and Smart to deliver what they promised to their subscribers.He added that for such transgressions, the two companies are only required to pay a penalty of P200 per day.“The NTC needs more teeth to better regulate the telecoms industry. I will make sure that it gets the same powers like the ERC (Energy Regulatory Commission),” Gatchalian said.The ERC regulates the energy sector. It has extensive powers, including quasi-judicial powers, to control and penalize erring power companies.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/senate-panel-eyes-power-ntc-2/310270/
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Strife in South to end within Duterte term–Muslim leader
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['William Depasupil']
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2017-03-15 21:26:27+00:00
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THE almost five decades of Muslim insurgency in southern Mindanao will end within the term of President Rodrigo Duterte, according to a Muslim leader.Former Tawi-Tawi Gov. Almarim Centi Tillah, now Duterte’s special envoy to the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), said political will and government sincerity in achieving peace, full understanding of the Muslim psyche and the support of the OIC will finally resolve the conflict.Tillah, in a statement, explained that pivotal in ending the Muslim rebellion is how to bring together the Nur Misuari-led Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) under Al-Hajj Murad Ebrahim, the two biggest Muslim groups in Mindanao.“I don’t see any convergence as of now. But the OIC is pivotal here because all Muslims are members of the ummah, the world Muslim community. Whatever is the prescription of the OIC is taken seriously by Muslim organizations,” he said in an interview with The Manila Times.Tillah pointed out that all MNLF and MILF peace agreements —1976 Tripoli Agreement, 1987 Jeddah Accord, 1996 Government of the Republic of the Philippines-OIC-MNLF Jakarta Peace Agreement and 2014 GRP-MILF Comprehensive Peace Agreement —were all signed through the moral suasion of the OIC.“My prescription is to harness the good offices of the OIC for that international pressure and to make all local government units [LGUs], from the barangay, municipal and provincial levels pro-active. They must be involved in this drive, and so with the multi-sectoral groups, including NGOs [non-government organizations] and the religious leaders, particularly the Muslim imam, ustadz and sultans,” he said.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/strife-south-end-within-duterte-term-muslim-leader/317412/
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May's cabinet in chaos as Brexit minister quits
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['The Manila Times']
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2018-11-15 18:41:30+00:00
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British Prime Minister Theresa May suffered a huge blow on Thursday as Dominic Raab quit as her Brexit secretary over a proposed EU withdrawal agreement.May was preparing to start selling her Brexit deal to parliament, boosted by news that Europe is preparing a rapid summit to sign off on the agreement.But the ground began to shift beneath her when Raab said he could not back the draft deal.“I cannot reconcile the terms of the proposed deal with the promises we made to the country in our manifesto,” he said.“You deserve a Brexit secretary who can make the case for the deal you are pursuing with conviction.“I must resign.”Raab, who had been in place since July, resigned less than an hour after Shailesh Vara quit as a junior Northern Ireland minister over the draft accord.The pound sterling lost nearly one percent of its value against the dollar following Raab’s resignation, wiping out gains since Tuesday as the draft agreement emerged.At 0900 GMT, the pound stood at around $1.2870, compared to $1.2992 at 2200 GMT on Wednesday.May had secured her cabinet’s collective approval for the agreement during a five-hour meeting on Wednesday, an important step that helped allay growing fears in the business community of a disorderly divorce.She was due to set out the terms of the draft withdrawal agreement with the European Union to parliament’s lower House of Commons, which must approve the deal before Brexit day on March 29.European Council President Donald Tusk said in Brussels that unless problems emerge as EU member states examine the deal, he will host a summit to sign the accord in Brussels on November 25.May’s governing center-right Conservative Party—which does not command a Commons majority—was already split between Brexiteers and those who wanted to remain in the union, and now many on both sides of that divide oppose her deal.Raab had backed Britain leaving the EU in the 2016 referendum, while Vara wanted the UK to stay in the bloc.‘Threat’ to UK unityIn quitting the cabinet, Raab said he believed the regulatory regime proposed for Northern Ireland presented a “very real threat” to the United Kingdom’s integrity.Raab added that he was opposed to “an indefinite backstop arrangement” to guarantee the Irish border remains free-flowing, saying the EU would hold “a veto over our ability to exit.”Vara said the withdrawal agreement fails to leave Britain as a “sovereign, independent country.”The outraged response by many MPs to the deal has heightened concerns that even when finalised, it will not pass parliament.Hardline Brexit supporters have cried betrayal over the agreement’s vision of a close future relationship between Britain and the EU.May insisted it “brings back control of our money, laws and borders, ends free movement (of people), protects jobs, security and our union.”But she conceded there were “difficult days ahead” as she seeks to woo MPs.Speaking in Brussels, Tusk said EU member states would have until Tuesday next week to examine the deal and to agree the wording of a parallel political statement setting out goals for the bloc’s future relations with London.Ater that, preparations will begin for an EU summit on the following Sunday to sign the deal.“As much as I am sad to see you leave, I will do everything to make this farewell the least painful possible, both for you and for us,” said Tusk.The deal covers citizens’ rights, Britain’s financial settlement and plans for a post-Brexit transition period during which both sides hope to agree a new trade deal.The most controversial element is the “backstop” plan to keep Britain in a customs union with the EU until a trade deal is agreed that avoids the need for border checks with Ireland.Many Brexiteers fear this would leave Britain a “vassal state”, tied to the bloc indefinitely.‘No Brexit?’In a statement outside Downing Street late Wednesday, May said her deal was “the best that could be negotiated.”She said if MPs rejected it they faced Britain leaving without agreement, which experts says could lead to potentially catastrophic economic and legal disruption.She also raised the risk of “no Brexit at all”, a warning likely intended for her euroskeptic MPs but which was seized upon with enthusiasm by campaigners for a second referendum.A small but growing number of Conservative MPs back a second vote with the option to stay in the EU, although May has rejected the idea. AFPAFP/CC
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/mays-cabinet-in-chaos-as-brexit-minister-quits/468157/
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DFA chief commits Manila’s adherence to human rights
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['Jaime Pilapil']
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2017-02-28 22:30:29+00:00
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Secretary Perfecto Yasay Jr. of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) recently told world leaders at the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland that the Philippines is resolutely and uncompromisingly committed to human rights and firmly adheres to due process and strict observance of the rule of law.Yasay spoke before the world leaders last February 27 at the opening of the High Level Segment of the 34th Session of the Human Rights Council (HRC), saying the adherence to human rights is in line with the mandate of the Philippine Constitution and with the country’s obligations under existing human rights treaties.He said the Philippine is a champion of human rights in the United Nations, reminding world leaders that in 1947 the country was among the members of the first UN Commission on Human Rights, which drafted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.Six decades later, in 2006, the Philippines became a founding member of the Human Rights Council.“Abiding respect for human rights is deeply rooted in the Filipino national consciousness, forged by historical experiences. Fundamental freedoms and human rights are vital” to Filipinos and the nation and “are held sacrosanct by Philippine laws,” Yasay said.He clarified that the overarching rationale for the government’s anti-illegal drug campaign was to uphold the people’s right to “safe communities” and to protect the Filipino public “from the deadly scourge of drugs,” citing that over 30 percent of the country’s population are under the age of 14.“The government abides by its solemn duty to uphold rule of law and due process as required under the Philippine justice system and remains resolute in continuing to promote, protect and uphold human rights of all persons within its jurisdiction,” Yasay said.His presence at the Human Rights Council in Geneva demonstrates the Philippines’ commitment to its international obligations, in particular with the United Nations and its mechanisms.The Philippines, Yasay said, shares the view that the HRC is essentially a forum and platform for multilateral dialogue, constructive engagement, understanding and cooperation among states and other relevant stakeholders for the promotion, protection and fulfillment of all human rights.The Philippines is among the 47 member states of the HRC, sitting for 2016-2018.The council is the principal organ of the United Nations dealing with the promotion and protection of human rights.Yasay is the second Foreign Affairs head who participated in the High-Level Segment, the first being Alberto Romulo, who also addressed the HRC at its 7th Session in March 2008.The UN Human Rights Council is headquartered at the UN Office in Geneva and meets for its regular sessions thrice a year, i.e., March, June and September.The March session features high-level dignitaries from UN member-states.For this year, 107 dignitaries, including the President of Palestine, are lined up for the three-day High-Level Segment.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/dfa-chief-commits-manilas-adherence-human-rights/314651/
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Prosecutors appeal junking of graft case vs Lapid
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['Ma. Reina Leanne Tolentino']
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2016-10-30 18:33:48+00:00
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The prosecution asked the Sandiganbayan’s First Division has to reconsider its ruling dismissing the graft case filed against former Pampanga Gov. Manuel “Lito” Lapid and several others in connection with the alleged anomalous purchase of fertilizers in 2004.The court on September 30, 2016 threw out the case because of the “unjustified” delay in the investigation of the case by the Office of the Ombudsman.But the prosecution said the time consumed to investigate the complaint was “reasonable.”“With all due respect, the Honorable Court erred in its finding that accused Lapid, Aquino-Abubakar, Aquino and Vasquez’s constitutional right to speedy disposition of cases have been violated,” the prosecution said in an 11-page motion for reconsideration.Lapid’s petition to dismiss the case was adopted by private respondents Ma. Victoria Aquino-Abubakar, Leolita Aquino, and Dexter Alexander Vasquez.The anti-graft court was urged to give particular regard to the facts and circumstances peculiar to the case.“Fertilizer scam cases consist of complex issues, voluminous documents, various respondents and various witnesses mostly of poor farmers, where tedious investigative efforts were applied in the immediate disposition of the preliminary investigation of these cases,” the prosecution pointed out.According to the court, the Office of the Ombudsman’s preliminary investigation took three years and a month. The complaint was filed in 2011 but a case was only filed against Lapid and the other respondents last year.In dismissing the complaint, the Sandiganyan said ”no plausible explanation was given to justify the delay” in the investigation.In its motion for reconsideration, the prosecution said: “Extraordinary complication should have been considered such as the degree of difficulty of the questions involved, several number of accused and witnesses offering evidence of anomaly, coupled with the several extensions filed by them are events that effectively stymied the normal work activity or disposition of these cases. To be exact, the last pleading filed by the accused was in July 2014. The Information was filed on 04 November 2015.”“Based on records, accused were given ample time to refute the complaint against them. Despite the original period given to file their appropriate pleadings several extensions were asked and given to them by the Office of the Ombudsman. Such that, to fault the Office of the Ombudsman and include the period spent for the allowance on extensions asked to file their counter-affidavit and other several motions for the production of documents and the like is unfair for the prosecution,” it added.State prosecutors also dismissed as unfounded the claim of Lapid, Aquino-Abubakar, Aquino, and Vasquez that their right to speedy trial was violated.“It was not shown how they suffered from the alleged violation of their right to speedy disposition of the case. Their claim is baseless and, to our mind, completely imaginary,” they said.“As regards the Honorable Court’s ruling that the delay is prejudicial since the defense witnesses are unable to recall accurately the events of the distant past, it must be stated that both the accused and the prosecution stand equally prejudiced if their material witnesses cannot be located or fail to remember the relevant events as a result of further delays in trying these cases,” the prosecution added.The Ombudsman had alleged that the fertilizer was purchased without public bidding and that procurement rules were violated when direct purchasing was resorted to “despite the availability of a suitable substitute offered at a much lower price in the locality.”The fertilizer was allegedly sold at P1,250 per liter when its real value was supposedly only P150 per liter, according to the Ombudsman.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/prosecutors-appeal-junking-graft-case-vs-lapid/293915/
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Release of ex-Palawan mayor denounced
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['Jefferson Antiporda']
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2018-01-08 21:54:14+00:00
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ANTI-crime advocates condemned on Monday the decision of the Court of Appeals upholding the release from jail of former Palawan Gov. Joel Reyes, the alleged mastermind in the killing of broadcaster Gerry Ortega in 2011.Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption (VACC) Chairman Dante Jimenez said the appellate court ruled in favor of Reyes despite enormous evidence and testimonies that supported the allegation that Reyes was responsible for Ortega’s death.“We are very disappointed with the decision. But we also know that the decision is not yet final and that the Ortega family could still bring the case to the Supreme Court,” Jimenez said.The CA special division voted 3-2 to dismiss the murder complaint filed against Reyes and ordered the lower court to stop hearing the case.Reyes was released on January 5.Ortega, who was also an environmentalist and a civic leader, was gunned down by a hired gunman on January 24, 2011 in Puerto Princesa, Palawan.Prior to his death, Ortega has been critical of the former Palawan governor and other local officials of the province because of the alleged use of Malampaya funds.Reyes, his brother, former Coron Mayor Mario Reyes, and other individuals were charged with murder.Reyes and his brother went into hiding in 2012.The Reyes brothers were arrested in Phuket, Thailand in October 2015.The CA, in its ruling said the Regional Trial Court in Palawan has no basis to continue with the trial and should stop the hearing of the case.“Why would the CA stop a lower court from hearing the case? They ruled in favor of Reyes when other suspects in the case have been convicted,” Jimenez said.AppealThe VACC found an ally in the Palace, which vowed that the Duterte administration will leave no stone unturned in appealing the appellate court’s decision.“The President remains the chief implementor of the laws. The case was filed by the Executive department, and we have gotten the decision of the Regional Trial Court that there is a strong evidence of guilt against Joel Reyes, prompting the court to deny his petition for bail. As such, we will exercise all legal options to reverse this decision of the CA,” Palace spokesman Harry Roque said.“The government will exhaust all remedies, including filing a motion for reconsideration. I will meet with Solicitor General [Jose] Calida and Justice Secretary [Vitaliano] Aguirre this week to address this case,” he added.Roque, who served as legal counsel in the Ortega case prior to his election to congress as Kabayan party-list representative in June 2016, said President Rodrigo Duterte authorized him to express his comments assailing the CA ruling that cleared Reyes.He said the Supreme Court already issued a ruling that the RTC should determine if there was probable cause so it would be absurd for the CA to issue a contrary decision.“The presentation of evidence by the prosecution and the defense were already done before I was elected to Congress. It is not true that this case [vs. Governor Reyes] is a miracle. It is a travesty of justice. The petition [lodged before the CA] is on whether there is probable cause to charge Governor Reyes. The Supreme Court already ruled on that,” Roque said, referring to the ruling penned by Associate Justice Marvic Leonen.“The decision of the lower court said that the evidence of guilt was strong against former Governor Reyes, that is why I find it alarming that the CA decision overruled a Supreme Court decision, [and that the CA] assumed the judgment of the lower court which had the opportunity to see the physical evidence, see and probe the demeanor of the witnesses,” he added.with LLANESCA T. PANTI
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/release-ex-palawan-mayor-denounced/373120/
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Former VP Binay receives international scout award
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['Neil Jayson Servallos']
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2018-10-21 01:04:13+00:00
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Former vice president and Makati City congressional candidate Jejomar Binay on Saturday was awarded the Bronze Wolf Award for “exemplary leadership and service” to scouting by the World Scout Committee (WSC).The Bronze Wolf is the highest honor given to a volunteer scout leader worldwide, and is given by the WSC, the executive body of the World Organization of the Scout Movement.Binay, who served as chairman of the Asia-Pacific Regional Scouting Committee, called on fellow scout leaders to fulfill the mission of the scout movement to develop the youth’s physical, moral, intellectual and social responsibilities as citizens and individuals.“I hope that those among us who are leaders in their own right are making a conscious and sustained effort to be catalysts of holistic growth among the youth, taking every opportunity to bring out the best in them and help them achieve their full potential,” Binay said in the awarding ceremonies on Saturday at the Philippine International Convention Center.Binay first joined the scout movement as a cub scout.He was regional chairman of the Asia-Pacific Scouting Committee for 12 years where he enlisted several Asian countries into the organization.Binay was also part of the transition team that transferred the World Scout Bureau Global Office then in Geneva, Switzerland to Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/former-vp-binay-receives-international-scout-award/454939/
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Lawmakers: Duterte is no criminal
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['Llanesca T. Panti']
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2016-12-22 20:17:49+00:00
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Lawmakers, who are also lawyers, do not see President Rodrigo Duterte as a criminal even if the President had admitted to killing at least three people when he was on a crime-busting job as mayor of Davao City in southern Mindanao.Party-list Rep. Harry Roque of Kabayan and Rep. Rodel Batocabe made the assertion in light of a statement made by UN High Commissioner Zeid Ra’ad al-Hussein calling Duterte a killer and a criminal.The UN official also chided the Philippine government for failing to launch judicial proceedings against Duterte.Al-Hussein issued the statement after Duterte delivered a speech that went, “In Davao, I used to do it personally. Just to show to the guys [police officers] that if I can do it, why can’t you? I’d go around in Davao with a motorcycle, with a big bike around, and I would just patrol the streets, looking for trouble. I was really looking for a confrontation so I could kill.”“While I appreciate the concern of Commissioner al-Hussein, I am not certain if such a statement is consistent with the generally accepted principles of law. It is well recognized that one of the most fundamental principles of criminal law is the presumption of innocence, which provides that one must be considered innocent unless proven guilty,” Roque said.“The violence plaguing our nation is deplorable and needs to be addressed immediately. However, it is one thing to promote the rule of law, and another to label leaders as criminals. The judgment that the Philippine government receives from the international community has not been fair or productive,” he added.More than 5,000 drug suspects have been killed either by the police or vigilante groups since Duterte assumed the presidency last June 30.Batocabe argued that the UN should build its case against Duterte first before condemning the Philippine President as a murderer.“By all means, let them [UN] probe the President so long as they will comply with due process and rules of evidence. As it is, it is just a publicity ploy by the UN,” he said.“If they are really serious in probing [the President], they should be ready with sufficient and convincing evidence instead of relying on supposed admission by the President. If they pursue the probe based on that [admission], the UN might end up embarrassed,” Batocabe added.Roque said it is better to be vigilant rather than over-eager.“Does the UN still expect to be welcomed to investigate the facts on the ground when the High Commissioner has made statements that appear to prejudge the scenario? We are currently facing a deadlock that can only be resolved through greater prudence and diligence,” he added.LLANESCA T. PANTI
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/lawmakers-duterte-no-criminal-2/303260/
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6 plead not guilty to Malampaya fund misuse
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['Ma. Reina Leanne Tolentino']
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2018-02-25 00:05:00+00:00
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Tuason and several other individuals pleaded not guilty to a graft charge and to a charge of malversation through falsification that they are facing before the Sandiganbayan’s Third Division along with other individuals in connection with Malampaya funds in 2009 to 2010.Those who entered a plea of not guilty during the arraignment on Friday were Tuason, former Candaba (Pampanga) Mayor Rene Maglanque, Evelyn de Leon, Eulogio Rodriguez, Simplicio Gumafelix and Gerald Apuang.Meanwhile, Alejandro Garro, Paquito Dinso Jr. and Napoleon Sibayan refused to enter any plea, thus the court entered a plea of not guilty on their behalf.The court reset to April the arraignment of several other accused including former Department of Budget and Management (DBM) Secretary and now Camarines Sur First District Rep. Rolando Andaya Jr., who has a pending motion for bills of particulars.“Sure. This gives us an opportunity to show [that] not everyone was involved in it… As regards my point, from my standpoint… I’m in a good situation and I’m in a position now when minds are calm… I was ordered to release and that’s it… To be accused of what happened downstairs, which my department [then] and the people in my department [then] have no dealings whatsoever, it’s beyond their control. [Perhaps], we should be able to explain that at this point…,” Andaya said in an interview when asked on a remark made on Thursday by President Rodrigo Duterte.On that day, in Iloilo, the President said in a speech that “[s]omebody has to account for the loss of [the Malampaya funds].”The Commission on Audit’s (CoA) Special Audits Office earlier recommended that an investigation be immediately conducted to determine those who may be responsible for the allegedly “questionable” releases of the Malampaya funds.It made the recommendation in a sectoral performance audit report on the Malampaya fund releases by the Budget department to various implementing agencies from 2004 to 2012.Deferred also on Friday was the arraignment of Jo Christine Napoles and James Christopher Napoles, who have a pending motion seeking the nullification of charge sheets, and that of their mother Janet Lim-Napoles.Earlier, the Office of the Ombudsman filed cases before the Sandiganbayan against 25 individuals.These were: Andaya, former DBM Undersecretary Mario Relampagos; former Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) Secretary and now Masiu, Lanao del Sur Mayor Nasser Pangandaman, former Undersecretary Narciso Nieto, former Director Teresita Panlilio, then-Chief Accountant Angelita Cacananta and then-Chief Administrative Officer/then-Budget Officer V Ronald Venancio; former Candaba mayor Maglanque; Janet Lim-Napoles and her brother Ronald Francisco Lim; Jo Christine Napoles; James Christopher Napoles; Reynald Lim; Tuason; de Leon; Ronald John Lim a.k.a. John Lim, Rodriguez, Gumafelix, John Raymund de Asis, Rodrigo Galay, Garro, Dinso, Apuang, Sibayan and Winnie/Ma. Winnie Villanueva.Cacananta and Ronald Francisco Lim have also filed motions asking the court to nullify the charge sheets.In filing the cases last year, the Ombudsman alleged that Andaya, Relampagos, Pangandaman, Nieto, Panlilio, Cacananta and Venancio, “conspiring with one another and with” Janet Lim-Napoles, Jo Christine Napoles, James Christopher Napoles, Reynald Lim, Tuason, de Leon, Ronald Francisco Lim, Ronald John Lim a.k.a. John Lim, Rodriguez, Gumafelix, de Asis, Galay, Garro, Dinso, Apuang and Sibayan, “together with” Maglanque [then a private individual]and Villanueva, “cause[d] undue injury to the government and/or g[a]ve unwarranted benefits, advantage and preference to” non-government organizations [NGOs] in the total amount of P900 million.The NGOs and amounts involved were the: Micro Agri Business Citizens Initiative Foundation Inc. (P55 million); Tanglaw Para sa Magsasaka Foundation Inc. (P72.5 million); Abundant Harvest for People’s Foundation Inc. (P75 million); Bukirin Tanglaw Foundation Inc. (P75 million); Dalangpan Sang Amon Utod Kag Kasimanwa Foundation Inc. (P75 million); Kasaganahan Para sa Magsasaka Foundation Inc. (P75 million); Kaupdan Para Sa Mangunguma Foundation Inc. (P75 million); Masaganang Buhay Foundation Inc. (P75 million); Ginintuang Alay sa Magsasaka Foundation, Inc. (P77.5 million); Saganang Buhay sa Atin Foundation Inc. (P80 million); Gintong Pangkabuhayan Foundation Inc. (P82.5 million); and Karangayan Para sa Magbubukid Foundation Inc. (P82.5 million).Last year, the Ombudsman found basis to file cases of plunder, graft and malversation through falsification of public documents against the 25 individuals but later reconsidered its finding of basis to charge them with plunder.According to the Ombudsman, they were “found to have” supposedly “acted in concert” allegedly “to divert the fund releases drawn from the P900 million Malampaya funds allocated by the DBM to the DAR in 2009, which was” allegedly “malversed and coursed through the NGOs” supposedly “controlled by Napoles…”
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/6-plead-not-guilty-malampaya-fund-misuse/382448/
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PH pushes Korean denuclearization
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['Catherine S. Valente']
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2018-11-15 00:04:48+00:00
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President Rodrigo Duterte said the Philippines welcomed “positive developments” in the Korean peninsula after leaders of North Korea and South Korea agreed on a broad plan to ease tensions during their third summit in Pyongyang in September.In his intervention during a working dinner with Southeast Asian leaders in Singapore on Tuesday, Duterte was optimistic that “lasting peace and stability” would flourish amid commitments to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula.“We urge concerned parties to continue working towards the realization of lasting peace and stability, and reiterate our support for the complete, verifiable, and irreversible denuclearization of the Peninsula,” he added.In April, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in made a historic move when they signed a declaration that seeks “peace, prosperity, and unification” of the Korean peninsula, thus putting an end to decades-long conflict in the region.Two months after, Kim and United States President Donald Trump vowed to work toward “complete denuclearization” of the Korean Peninsula during their landmark June summit in Singapore.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/ph-pushes-korean-denuclearization/467719/
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Senators seek penalties vs ‘fake news’ purveyors
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['Jefferson Antiporda']
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2017-06-11 19:42:36+00:00
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In a bid to protect the public from disinformation that is currently rampant in the country, senators are planning to file a bill that will stop individuals and groups responsible for creating and spreading false information or “fake news.”Senators Grace Poe and Joel Villanueva over the weekend said they are convinced that the widespread proliferation of fake news should be addressed by penalizing those wittingly or unwittingly disseminating it just to malign other people and institutions.The two cited the latest blunder of Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre wherein he accused Senators Paolo Benigno Aquino 4th, Antonio Trillanes 4th and other individuals identified with the opposition of meeting with local leaders in Marawi City, Lanao del Sur, weeks before the Maute terror group attacked the city.The Justice secretary even showed a photo to make it appear that Trillanes, Rep. Gary Alejano of party-list group Magdalo and Aquino administration political adviser Ronald Llamas had met in Marawi City.It was later learned, however, that the photo was taken in Iloilo Airport in 2015.Poe, chairman of the Senate Committee on Public Information and Mass Media, said the proliferation of fake news on the Internet is very alarming and adversely affecting public and private interests.What is very concerning, she added, is knowing that the Justice secretary is willing to exploit such fake news like a troll without even exerting effort to at least verify the information just to malign political opponents.It was not the first time that Aguirre made such false claim.In January, he apologized to Sen. Francis Pangilinan, whom he accused of being behind a plot to pin him down in the P50-million extortion controversy at the Bureau of Immigration.Poe said authors of fake news as well as sites wittingly hosting the same should be made liable for their actions because they have been causing a lot of damage.Villanueva said he would file a bill penalizing those who “maliciously” create and intentionally spread fake news in print, broadcast or online media.Those who author lies and fake news, according to him, should not be tolerated, most especially when the public interest is at stake.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/senators-seek-penalties-vs-fake-news-purveyors/332233/
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New petition vs ‘tokhang’ operations filed before SC
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['Jomar Canlas']
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2017-10-18 23:11:18+00:00
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Another petition questioning the tokhang anti-drug operations of the Manila Police District (MPD) has reached the Supreme Court (SC).President Rodrigo Duterte last week ordered the Philippine National Police to stop all tokhang operations and transfer to the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) the leadership of the government’s campaign against illegal drugs.But despite this mandate, MPD operatives still continued such operations, prompting members of the religious and several residents of San Andres Bukid, Manila, to file a petition for a writ of amparo before the High Court.A writ of amparo is a remedy available to any citizen whose right to life, liberty and security is violated or threatened with violation by any unlawful act or omission of a public officer, or of a private individual or entity.The petitioners were represented by lawyers from the Center for International Law- Philippines.In a 60-page petition of the 47 petitioners, led by Sister Ma. Juanita Daño of the Religious of the Good Shepherd, and Francisco Blanco Jr., brother of an alleged tokhang victim, they pleaded before the SC to bar the MPD Station 6 “from conducting any anti-illegal drug or anti-criminal operations in San Andres Bukid without the required coordination and presence of representatives from the barangay (village), the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, the media and such other persons required to be notified or having the authority to be present at and observe such operations.”It was alleged that there had been 35 “drug-related deaths in the area” in the last 13 months and these covered 26 villages.Among the victims were relatives of several of the petitioners.The petitioners also pleaded for immediate issuance of a temporary protection order, which stops the respondents from making any threat or act that will violate their right to life, liberty and security, and that of their immediate families or relatives.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/new-petition-vs-tokhang-operations-filed-sc/357353/
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Lawmaker seeks 10-day paid bereavement leave
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['Llanesca T. Panti']
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2018-05-27 20:59:24+00:00
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A proposal has been filed at the House of Representatives to grant government and private sector workers 10-day paid bereavement leave.Rep. Luis Raymund Villafuerte Jr. of Camarines Sur made the proposal under House Bill (HB) 6043 pending before the House committees on labor and employment, and civil service and professional regulation.HB 6043 provides that the paid 10-day bereavement leave will cover employees who lost an immediate family member up to third level of consanguinity or affinity.“Among others, this bereavement leave is sought to provide employees adequate time to make the necessary wake and/or burial arrangements, as well as to reach out to family members and friends for emotional support during this difficult time,” Villafuerte said in a statement.“House Bill 6043 also ensures the non-diminution of benefits and security of tenure to those who avail themselves of the proposed bereavement leave,” he added.Villafuerte argued that while existing laws currently provide a variety of paid days-off and leaves for employees, there is no legally-mandated time off for those who have lost a family member.“In fact, the discretion to grant employees the space to grieve and recover from the loss lies solely on the employer who may or may not permit the same. This scenario contradicts the state policy to provide employees with humane working conditions that foster their productivity and maintain their dignity,” he said.Other authors of the measure were representatives Nancy Catamco of North Cotabato, John Marvin “Yul Servo” Nieto of Manila, and Jose Antonio Sy-Alvarado of Bulacan.A similar bill was filed by Sen. Grace Poe in the Senate.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/lawmaker-seeks-10-day-paid-bereavement-leave/401568/
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Poll expert hits recall of counting machines
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['Jaime Pilapil']
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2016-10-15 22:04:55+00:00
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An election watchdog on Saturday denounced the move of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to release supposedly unused vote counting machines (VCMs) to Smartmatic, arguing that the move violates the Protective Protection Order (PPO) of the Presidential Electoral Tribunal (PET) on the pending election protest of former senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.Glenn Chong, convener of the Consortium for Clean and Credible Elections and vice chairman of Reform Philippines Coalition, branded as highly suspicious the decision of the Comelec to agree to the recall of 1,356 VCMs which were allegedly not “deployed and/or used” during the elections, since it is being made amid an election contest involving the vice presidential race.“Deployed and/or used connote two things – deployment to the municipalities and deployment to the precincts in cases where the VCMs actually malfunctioned. On the first, if they were not deployed to the municipalities at all, then it is a violation of the protocol which provides that there should be reserved VCMs on standby in every municipality,” Chong said.“If that is the case, the Comelec should be held liable for wasting almost 100 million of the people’s money on machines that they did not intend to use in the first place. On the second, if they were deployed to the municipalities but were not deployed to the precincts, then they are still covered by the PPO since there was in fact a deployment and Comelec has no business agreeing to their recall,” he added.Earlier, the Supreme Court ordered the Comelec to preserve and safeguard the integrity of all ballot boxes, their contents, VCMs and all other election-related paraphernalia – including the automated election equipment and records – in all 92,509 clustered precincts used in the May polls.Chong said he got hold of a letter dated September 27, 2016 by Comelec Commissioner Christian Robert Lim to PET chairperson, Chief Justice Ma. Lourdes Sereno, informing her of the poll body’s decision to grant the request of Smartmatic to release the 1,356 VCMs beginning October 26, 2016.Lim said the VCMs were not deployed and/or used during the elections. Hence, they are considered not covered by the PPO.“It bears to emphasize that since the units were not actually deployed and/or used during the said elections, the Commission considers the same as not within the scope of the Precautionary Protective Order (PPO) issued by the Honorable Tribunal. Accordingly, the Commission intends to begin releasing the said VCMs on 26 October 2016,” Lim told Sereno.Accordingly, the Comelec, through Executive Director Jose Tolentino Jr., has invited the parties in the election protest involving the vice presidency to a briefing on the release of the VCMs on October 19, 2016 at 10 a.m. at the JAM Liner warehouse in Santa Rosa, Laguna.Tolentino’s letter, however, failed to mention whether the machines will be opened for inspection.But Chong said given the highly irregular actions of the Comelec in the conduct of the elections, such move is dubious.“Comelec, being a serial violator of our election laws, has been committing highly illegal acts from the beginning. Since 2010, it allowed Smartmatic to get away with at least eighteen blatant violations of its contract. Before the elections, it adamantly refused our request for an inventory of all machines as a guarantee of the integrity of the elections. Then on the day of elections, there was the ‘cosmetic script’ change in the Transparency server during the transmission of votes,” the lawyer said.“It refused all requests to subject the system to a platform and system audit by third party IT experts. Then there was its plan to strip the data from the VCMs despite the issuance of the PPO. Now, they want to give the VCMs to Smartmatic without even subjecting it to inspection. This is too much,” he added.“The syndicate is at play again and this is another attempt to hide the truth,” Chong said.He challenged the Comelec to subject the machines to a thorough inspection by IT experts before their release to ensure that they indeed were not deployed or were not used in any way during the last elections.“If the Comelec has nothing to hide, then they should open the VCMs for a thorough inspection. We should not let them get away with it again. Their nefarious plans should be stopped,” he said.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/poll-expert-hits-recall-counting-machines/291420/
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Romero richest House member
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['Llanesca T. Panti']
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2018-07-16 00:10:39+00:00
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1-Pacman party-list Rep. Michael Romero is still the richest member of the House of Representatives with a net worth of P7.29 billion.The amount is P282 million higher than the wealth he declared in 2016.Based on the 2017 summary of the Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth released by the House, Romero declared assets of P7.3 billion and liabilities of P37 million.The second richest, Emmeline Aglipay-Villar of DIWA party-list, declared a net worth of P1.4 billion. Aglipay-Villar, the wife of Public Works Secretary Mark Villar, was recently appointed by President Rodrigo Duterte as undersecretary of the Department of Justice.She was followed by Rep. Alfredo “Albee” Benitez of Negros Occidental, who had a net worth of P1 billion, Rep. Imelda Marcos of Ilocos Norte with P920 million, and former Speaker Feliciano Belmonte, Jr. of Quezon City, P861 million.Rounding up the top 10 richest lawmakers were Representatives Virgilio Lacson of Manila Teachers party-list with P791 million, Bayani Fernando of Marikina with P739 million, Vilma Santos-Recto with P538 million, Antonio Floirendo, Jr of Davao del Norte, P523 million and Yedda Romualdez of Leyte, P478 million.Former president Gloria Arroyo of Pampanga was ranked 11th with P464 million. She was followed by Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez of Davao del Norte, who declared a net worth of P91 million.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/romero-richest-house-member/419765/
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Saudi needs 1,000 Filipina nurses
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['William Depasupil']
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2018-07-10 00:07:22+00:00
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THE Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has opened job opportunities for Filipina nurses under a government-to-government program, according to the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA).POEA Administrator Bernard Olalia said the Kingdom’s Ministry of Health needs 1,000 female specialist nurses for areas such as neonatal intensive care unit, coronary care unit, intensive care unit, nursery, emergency room, surgical wards and obstetrics and gynecology, among others.Applicants should have a bachelor’s degree in nursing “with or without board license” from the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) or Saudi Council Certificate/Prometeric passer, and should have a minimum of two years experience.Olalia said those hired will get a salary of SR4,100 (P58,302), free food and accommodation as well as paid annual vacation.Qualified applicants may register online at www.poea.gov.ph or www.eregisterpoea.gov.ph. They can personally submit the required documents at the Manpower Registry Division, Window S or T, Blas F.Bldg, formerly POEA Bldg., Ortigas Ave. corner EDSA, Mandaluyong City.In a related development, the PhilJobNet, the Department of Labor and Employment’s internet-based job and applicant matching system has recorded more than 17,000 vacancies.Production machine operators were the most in demand with 6,000 vacancies followed by call center agents (3,061 vacancies), according to the Bureau of Local Employment (BLE). Also wanted are machine operators, domestic helpers, customer service assistants, salesmen, and cashiers.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/saudi-needs-1000-filipina-nurses/417748/
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Iloilo bettor bags P53-M Grand Lotto prize
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['Neil Jayson Servallos']
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2018-09-28 00:01:25+00:00
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A lone bettor from Iloilo province won more than P53 million for correctly guessing the winning combination for the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office’s (PCSO) Grand Lotto 6/55 drawn on Wednesday night.The winner got all six numbers — 34-09-28-24-19-42 — to bag P53,449,633.The winning bet was placed on a lotto station in Lopez Jaena St. in the municipality of Barotac Nuevo.The Grandlotto 6/55 is drawn every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.The Ultra Lotto, whose jackpot prize P765 million is the biggest in lotto history, will be drawn tonight.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/iloilo-bettor-bags-p53-m-grand-lotto-prize/445938/
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PH, US troops hold medical mission
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['Dempsey Reyes']
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2017-06-22 22:16:07+00:00
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The Philippine and United States militaries will conduct humanitarian assistance engagements starting today in line with the US Pacific Command (PACOM)-directed humanitarian assistance mission program.The program, known as the Pacific Angel 2017 (PACANGEL 17), serves as the commander of the US PACOM’s humanitarian assistance and civil military operations mission.The program will provide training for American and Filipino service members with the partnership of non-government organizations and other multilateral international participants. Together, they will provide medical, dental, optometrical and engineering assistance in the city of Bogo and San Remigio town in Northern Cebu.Throughout the 10-day engagement, Filipino and American troops will partner with local schools and health clinics to repair infrastructure. They will increase interoperability by learning the best medical practices from one another, while giving back to the community as friends, partners, and allies.The Philippines will serve as the first of the four humanitarian assistance engagements venues that will make up for PACANGEL 17.The American mission program will also be held in different Asian countries including Tam Ky, Quang Nam Province in Vietnam; Northern and Western Divisions in Fiji; and Gorkha, Nepal.PACANGEL 17 promotes regional humanitarian assistance and civil military operations interopability amongst the US military, US Agency for International Development, the host nation and multilateral military and civilian participants and non-government organizations based in the host country.On its 10th year, the main goal for 2017 is to ensure that the “region’s militaries are prepared to work together to address humanitarian crises.”
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/ph-us-troops-hold-medical-mission/334328/
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DoLE issues guidelines on profiling child laborers
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['William Depasupil']
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2018-04-12 00:04:42+00:00
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Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello 3rd on Wednesday ordered the release of guidelines on the profiling of child laborers aimed at providing more protection to children and effectively keep them away from being used as laborers.“Given the insufficient data on child laborers, it is necessary to first conduct nationwide profiling of the target child laborers and their families which will serve as a basis for the provision of appropriate services and interventions necessary to remove the children from child labor,” Bello said in an order issued last week.Child labor refers to any work or economic activity performed by children under 18 years of age that subject them to any form of exploitation or is harmful to their health and safety or physical, mental or psychological development.On the 2011 survey conducted by the Philippine Statistics Authority, an estimated 2.1 million children aged 5 to 17 years were engaged in child labor and 97.7 percent of whom were in hazardous child labor.The data, however, does not provide the names and locations of the child laborers.In his order, Bello directed DoLE regional/field offices to consolidate data from their social partners for the identification and profiling of the target child laborers to assess their needs and refer them to concerned agencies for provision of services and assistance needed by children and their families.The profiling of the target child laborers will come from the National Household Targeting System for Poverty Reduction of the Department of Social Welfare and Development and through the Community-Based Monitoring System implemented by various local government units.The Labor department, as the lead agency in the implementation of the Philippine Program against Child Labor and as the chairman of the National Child Labor Committee will be responsible for monitoring and reporting if a child has already been removed from child labor.These initiatives are aligned with the Philippine Development Plan 2017-2022, which targets to reduce the cases of child labor by 30 percent or 630,000 from the estimated 2.1 million child laborers nationwide.According to a 2017 report of the United States Department of Labor, the Philippines has made significant strides in curbing child labor in poor communities at its worst forms.It was the fifth year in a row that the Philippines was cited positively by the US report, which highlighted the assessment of Manila’s effort in eliminating the worst forms of child labor.Based on Findings on the Worst Forms of Child Labor report, the Philippines is one of the two out of 23 countries in Asia-Pacific to receive a significant advancement rating, the highest ranking in the assessment.The US Department of Labor commended the DoLE’s issuance of a revised list of hazardous work and activities prohibited for children or the Guidelines for the Employment of Migratory Sugarcane Workers and the Revised Rules on Labor Laws Compliance System, which gives priority to assessment of establishments and workplaces that employ children.Also cited in the report are the regular conduct of training for Labor Laws Compliance Officers on Child Labor Assessment in enhancing DoLE personnel’s capacity in detecting and assessing child labor incidents and the hiring of additional labor laws compliance officers.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/dole-issues-guidelines-on-profiling-child-laborers/392004/
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4 days left for Kuwait OFWs to seek amnesty
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['Jefferson Antiporda']
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2018-04-08 20:09:05+00:00
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At least 6,500 overstaying overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in Kuwait have not yet sign up for repatriation and they only have until April 12 to do so, according to the Philippine Embassy in Kuwait.This would mean that the embassy needs to process more than 1,500 amnesty applicants a day, until Thursday, for it to be able to accommodate everyone.Philippine Ambassador to Kuwait Renato Villa earlier reiterated his appeal to overstaying Filipinos in the Gulf state to register as soon as possible and not wait until the last minute because they may not be entertained anymore.According to Villa, there are more than 10,000 overstaying and “runaway” Filipinos based on data from the Ministry of Interior of Kuwait and over 4,100 have been repatriated since January.In February, the Kuwaiti government agreed to extend the amnesty offered to overstaying Filipinos to April 22, from February 21.The decision was made after Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano formally conveyed the extension request to Kuwaiti Ambassador to Manila Musaed Saleh Ahmad Althwaikh.Villa said the embassy set an earlier deadline to make sure that all necessary documents and clearances would be processed before the end of the amnesty program set by the Kuwaiti government.He said the processing of documents needed for repatriation would take 10 days and they also anticipated the practice of most applicants to do things at the last minute.Villa said those who would not be able to avail of the program would be subjected to arrest, fine and lifetime ban in Kuwait starting April 22.Embassy officials have been appealing to undocumented Filipinos in Kuwait to register early in order to avail of the amnesty and avoid being the subject of a crackdown by the Kuwaiti government.They made the appeal after noticing a decline in the number of registrants from the time that the Kuwaiti government announced the extension.There were even days when there were no applicants, the embassy said.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/4-days-left-for-kuwait-ofws-to-seek-amnesty/391359/
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Top officials get new posts in PNP reshuffle
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['Rj Carbonell']
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2017-12-11 22:30:24+00:00
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The Philippine National Police (PNP) on Monday reshuffled some of its top officials.PNP spokesman Chief Supt. Dionardo Carlos said the Senior Officers’ Placement and Promotion Board (SOPPB) recommended the reshuffle because Director Manuel Felix, of the Integrated Police Operations in Western Mindanao (DIPO-WM), will be retiring.Chief Supt. Joseph Adnol, head of the Drug Enforcement Group (PDEG), will take over the Philippine National Police Academy (PNPA). He recently drew flak for saying that the police “do not need body cameras, they need God.”Senior Supt. Albert Ignatius Ferro will replace Adnol as chief of PDEG.Ferro was the former head of the Anti-Illegal Drugs Group (AIDG) which was abolished after it was linked to the kidnap-slay of South Korean Jee Ick-joo.Chief Supt. Marcelo Morales meanwhile was named director of the Regional Office 12 (SOCKSARGEN) while Chief Supt. Rodelio Jocson will head the Maritime Group.Chief Supt. Renato Angara will lead the Information Technology Management Service while Senior Supt. Petronillo Baldebrin was named deputy director of the Police Regional Office 2 (Cagayan Valley).
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/top-officials-get-new-posts-pnp-reshuffle/368098/
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De Lima victim of ‘mistrial of century’
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['Dempsey Reyes']
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2017-02-22 20:53:38+00:00
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THE criminal charges filed by the Department of Justice (DOJ) against Sen. Leila de Lima constitute a “mistrial,” according to former senator Rene Saguisag.In a chance interview after the book relaunching of Primitivo Mijares’ “The Conjugal Dictatorship” at the Bantayog Ng Mga Bayani center on Tuesday night, where Saguisag was a guest, he said the criminal charges against de Lima make for “the mistrial of the century.”“To me, it is the mistrial of the century,” Saguisag told The Manila Times.For him, he said, the allegations being aired by President Rodrigo Duterte and DOJ Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre 2nd against de Lima, a former Justice secretary, should not be tolerated.“Because the President has said she is guilty, Aguirre has said she is guilty, that should not be allowed,” the former senator added.On February 20, the Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court (RTC) has assigned three cases filed by the DOJ on de Lima’s “links” to the illegal drug trade inside the New Bilibid Prisons–the national penitentiary– to its three branches.On the same day when the charges were filed, de Lima asked the Muntinlupa RTC to dismiss the cases raffled off to RTC Branches 204, 205 and 206.Saguisag, a lawyer, likened the word war between Duterte and de Lima to one of the biggest cases in the United States during the 1970s when former American President Richard Nixon vilified mass murderer Charlie Manson.He said the White House, during the term of Nixon in the 1970s,was quick to apologize on their “prejudgements” against Manson.“The President’s oath is to do justice to every man, but to beat up your political opponent everyday, that is not right,” Saguisag said in Filipino.The former senator added that de Lima had “offended” Duterte when she investigated summary executions in Davao City when the latter was the mayor there and when de Lima was then-chairman of the Commission on Human Rights.“Because of that, [I think] de Lima enraged the then-mayor That is why this is the mistrial of the century,” Saguisag said.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/de-lima-victim-mistrial-century/313638/
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Labor exec in iPhone ‘theft’ issued subpoena
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['Llanesca T. Panti']
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2018-06-15 00:01:53+00:00
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The Quezon City Prosecutor’s Office subpoenaed Labor Undersecretary Jacinto Paras in connection with the theft complaint filed against him by Rep. Tomasito Villarin of Akbayan party-list.Villarin accused Paras of attempting to steal his IPhone X, worth P74,000, during one of the committee hearings of the House labor panel last March.Villarin claimed that Paras put his phone and charger above his phone and then left. The lawmaker later found his phone in another room, and the CCTV showed it was Paras who left it there.The subpoena ordered both parties to appear before the Office of the Quezon City Prosecutor on July 2 and 16.“No motion to dismiss will be entertained. Only counter affidavits will be accepted. Otherwise, it is to be deemed that the party concerned waived his or her right to present evidence,” the subpoena read.The subpoena was signed by Quezon City Senior Assistant Prosecutor Rodrigo del Rosario.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/labor-exec-in-iphone-theft-issued-subpoena/408130/
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Immigration to deploy 170 personnel to airports
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['William Depasupil']
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2017-04-05 20:22:17+00:00
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The Bureau of Immigration (BI) is deploying an additional 170 immigration officers to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) and other international airports as a remedial measure to address the bureau’s manpower shortage that had resulted in queues before immigration counters.The additional immigration officers were picked up on Wednesday from the BI main office in Intramuros, Manila and other immigration field offices in various parts of the country.In a memorandum order, Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente directed 150 immigration officers currently assigned at the bureau’s main office and field offices nationwide to immediately report to the NAIA and assist in processing of arriving and departing international travelers.The 20 other immigration officers, who originally were assigned to BI field offices in Pampanga, Davao, Aklan and Cebu, are to report to the airports in Clark (Pampanga), Davao (Davao City), Kalibo (Aklan) and Mactan (Cebu) to augment the number of BI personnel assigned there.“With the fielding of these additional immigration officers, we are confident that those queues before our counters will be lessened so as not to inconvenience travelers who are going on vacation here and abroad for the Lenten season and Easter,” Morente said.The BI chief disclosed that he had ordered the cancelation of all approved leaves of Immigration employees during the month.Pending applications will also be disapproved, he said.Morente explained that the deployment to the airports is only temporary and that the affected employees will be recalled to their old units after the Lenten break.He conceded that the employees’ reassignment will cause a slight slowdown in operations of the offices that they will temporarily vacate.Professionalism, prudence“I appeal to our rank-and-file to remain patient and focused on their responsibilities as everything is being done to address their financial plight that resulted from the loss of their overtime pay,” Morente said.“We stand together in this quest for what is due and proper. We must continue to act with professionalism and prudence, strong and confident in the belief that justice will prevail,” he added.Earlier, Morente and Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre 2nd appealed to President Rodrigo Duterte to reconsider the latter’s veto of the use of the BI’s express lane collections in paying the overtime services of the bureau’s organic personnel and the salaries of its contractual employees.They proposed that the overtime pay be temporarily reinstated until Congress enacts a new immigration law that will upgrade the salary scale of BI employees.Immigration employees also on Wednesday, in a two-page open letter addressed to the President, pleaded for retention of the express lane fund in the bureau to be utilized for their unpaid overtime.“Our dear President, without your help, about 1,000 of us or 40 percent of our workforce will automatically lose our jobs and will join the unemployed sector of our country. With a meager pay, the rest of us will wallow in poverty,” the letter read.It said, “Our families will suffer tremendously. We will have very limited resources to pay for our monthly bills and rents. We will face extreme difficulties in providing for the basic needs of our loved ones. Our children may not finish their education.”According to Red Mariñas, BI Port Operations Division chief at the NAIA, more than 3,000 BI officers are on leave as of February 17 this year, including front liners at the country’s premier airport.An airport official who requested anonymity said fear of mass resignation of Immigration officers will put the premier airport vulnerable to illegal entry of suspected terrorists who would take advantage of the lack of officers who are experts in profiling undesirable aliens.Vulnerable to terroristsThe letter senders said, “Our airports, border-crossing stations in the South [Mindanao], field officers and sub-ports nationwide will be undermanned, or worse, unmanned. There will be queues in the airports and other BI offices and our borders will be vulnerable to the terrorists. Because of these dangerous consequences, our national security might be compromised.”They noted that “the express lane system has been in place for almost 30 years now. It has been the source of ultimate compensation for the bureau’s personnel and only the passage of the new immigration act will answer the deficiencies that the express lane has effectively addressed.”DBM Secretary Benjamin Diokno earlier assured that a total of P224.835 million has been appropriated in Fiscal Year 2017 General Appropriations Act specifically for the overtime pay of BI employees.Mariñas, however, said the DBM is yet to release the overtime pay and many employees mostly casual ones have opted to resign because they could no longer cover their expenses.The Department of Justice (DoJ) has already confirmed the legal basis for the utilization and disbursement by the bureau of the express lane fund.According to the DoJ, since there is a law that specifically exempts the collections for overtime service from provisions of Section 63 of Presidential Decree 1445, the express lane fund may not be remitted to the national treasury.Meanwhile, passengers of international flights are advised to be at NAIA Terminals 1, 2 and 3 at least four to five hours before their respective estimated times of departure because of the lack of immigration personnel manning the BI counters there.With BENJIE L. VERGARA
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/immigration-deploy-170-personnel-airports-2/321204/
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No link between Boracay closure and casino - Palace
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['Ralph Villanueva']
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2018-03-21 00:01:40+00:00
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No link between Boracay closure and casino – PalaceByhome/News/Nation/No link between Boracay closure and casino – PalaceMALACAñANG on Tuesday dispelled any speculation that there is a connection between the decision of President Rodrigo Duterte to close the world-famous Boracay sland to the pending building of a multimillion-dollar casino in the tourist destination.Macau’s Galaxy Entertainment and the Philippines’ Leisure and Resorts World Corporation are set to secure a provisional license for the construction of a $500-million (P26-billion)resort in Boracay on Wednesday.“The President has said that he does not sign anything as far as contracts are concerned. This is a Pagcor contract so it must be Pagcor that will sign this,” Palace spokesman Harry Roque, Jr. said.Pagcor is the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation.“Number one, there is no decision made by the President yet. There is a recommendation, the President will act on the recommendation and I see no link between the casino and any decision the President will make, his decision is exclusively for what is best to protect the environment of Boracay,” Roque said.He slammed the speculation that the closure of Boracay is a part of Duterte’s plan to pave the way for the building of the casino on the island.“That is nonsense. The President is still yet to decide. He has said in an interview with select opinion writers that it is the protection of the environment in Boracay that will determine his course of action,” Roque said.“The problem in Boracay, the solution is there but it is not being followed by companies. There are waste-water facilities there, in fact it is in the law, a zero discharge in the area is also possible. The amount of the investment is not a burden, as long as the proper technology to protect the environment particularly from discharge into the oceans is all in place,” he added.On February 10, Duterte called the island a “cesspool” because of the environmental problems afflicting its waters.He earlier threatened to charge Boracay local government officials for serious neglect of duty for letting the island turn into a biohazard.On March 6, the President said he will be putting the world-famous tourist destination under a state of calamity to address the environmental problems there.The next day, Duterte threatened to arrest anyone who will not cooperate with the rehabilitation of the island.“You are at fault here. You are responsible for the damage all these years, including the local officials who are all nonchalant [about] the problems [in Boracay]. I will arrest all of you,” he said.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/no-link-between-boracay-closure-and-casino-palace/387414/
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DILG: Investigate ‘anomalous’ anti-drug software project
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['Dempsey Reyes']
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2017-04-25 20:15:00+00:00
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An investigation of an allegedly anomalous software project for the agency’s flagship program known as Mamamayang Ayaw sa Anomalya, Mamamayang Ayaw sa Iligal na Droga (MASA MASID) has been ordered by Catalino Cuy, Interior undersecretary and officer-in-charge.The order came after reports received by the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) said one of its partners in the anti-illegal drug drive, the Drug Abuse Warning Inc. (Dawn), allegedly collected a significant amount of money from different barangay (villages) as payment for the MASA MASID Database and Reporting System (MMDRS) software and hardware.“We have received reports about the irregular activities of Dawn which may be considered as material misrepresentation and violation [of] the agreement it has entered into with the DILG,” Cuy said.“For this, I have ordered an investigation of the matter and pending thereof, prudence dictates that the aforesaid partnership with Dawn be suspended until further notice,” he added.In January, the DILG signed a memorandum of agreement (MoA) with Dawn wherein the group offered to donate a data gathering and analysis software system for MASA MASID to monitor drug-related incidents in a particular community at no cost to the government.Under the agreement, Dawn offered to donate a copyrighted public surveillance system called “Dawn 2016 Series,” which shall gather data on suspected drug users and pushers in communities.It electronically forwards the same information to concerned government and/or law enforcement agencies for further verification and appropriate action for any acts of violation by the suspected drug dependents.The partnership between the DILG and Dawn was suspended by Cuy after he received reports that there is an alleged P75,000 charge for each set of MMDRS software and hardware in all villages.Cuy said “[i]t is very clear” in the MOA that the system coming from Dawn shall be donated to the DILG at no cost to the agency and the agreement signing “was not in any way” engaged with procurement of software or hardware or other goods.He added that the villages’ procurement of the MMDRS hardware was not indicated in the signed MOA nor was it disclosed during meetings with the DILG.Cuy directed the DILG Legal and Legislative Liaison Service and its Internal Audit Service to conduct the investigation of the MASA MASID software project and to submit a comprehensive report on their findings and recommendations.He advised the central, regional and field personnel of DILG as well as local chief executives on the suspension of the MOA with Dawn regarding implementation of the MASA MASID program.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/dilg-investigate-anomalous-anti-drug-software-project/324052/
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LPA to bring rains over Eastern Visayas – PAGASA
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['Mary Gleefer F. Jalea']
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2018-06-20 00:03:22+00:00
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THE trough of a low pressure area (LPA) will bring light to moderate rains over Eastern Visayas, the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Admnistration (Pagasa) said on Tuesday morning. The state-run weather bureau located the LPA 655 kilometers east northeast of Guiuan Eastern Samar at 9 a.m. “So far, the LPA has no direct effect on the country and it has low chances of developing into a typhoon in two to three days,” senior weather specialist Chris Perez said. The southwest monsoon or habagat will bring cloudy skies with light to moderate rains and isolated thunderstorms over the Ilocos Region, Cordillera Administrative Region and Babuyan Group of Islands. Metro Manila and the rest of the country will have partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rainshowers caused by localized thunderstorms. Pagasa said.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/lpa-to-bring-rains-over-eastern-visayas-pagasa/410303/
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Duterte to check on OFWs in Kuwait
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['Catherine S. Valente']
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2018-02-08 23:59:28+00:00
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President Rodrigo Duterte is planning to visit Kuwait amid the issue involving the situation of Filipinos working in the Gulf state, Malacañang confirmed on Thursday.Speaking to reporters, Palace spokesman Harry Roque confirmed that Kuwaiti Ambassador to the Philippines Saleh Ahmad Althwaikh extended the invitation during his meeting with the President in Malacañang on Wednesday night.“It’s confidential… but since he [Duterte] already announced it, yes, then I can make confirmation. Although I was told I should not but the trip is in the offing to Kuwait,” Roque said during a news conference.The Palace official did not provide details on when Duterte would visit Kuwait but added that the President wanted to personally check on the situation of overseas Filipino workers (OFW) there.“I don’t know [the other details] because only the President met with the ambassador. No one was allowed in the room. I can only surmise that the invitation was made during the meeting,” Roque said.“Kuwait wants to assure the President that [Filipinos]are protected in Kuwait and to see for himself,” he added.Duterte earlier ordered a suspension of deployment of Filipino workers to Kuwait over the deaths of Filipinos there.According to the President, all Filipinos in Kuwait might as well go back home if another Philippine worker dies in the Gulf state.“One more incident about a woman, a Filipina being raped there, I’m going to stop, I’m going to ban [deployment there],” Duterte said in a speech late last month.“I’m sorry. The Filipinos there, you can all go home. Tutal kapag umalis kayong mga [Anyway, if you all return to the Philippines], they will also be having a hell of a time adjusting there,” he added.Duterte said he does not want a quarrel with Kuwait but he issued an appeal to Kuwait and other Arab nations to ensure that OFWs there are treated humanely.On Monday, Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello 3rd announced that they are still mulling whether they will “make the suspension a total ban or to lift it.”An estimated 250,000 Filipinos are working in Kuwait, 75 percent of them as domestic helpers.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/duterte-check-ofws-kuwait/379061/
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Fans brave rains, visit departed idols
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['The Manila Times']
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2017-11-01 22:26:16+00:00
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HEAVY rains did not stop cemetery-goers from visiting their departed loved ones and idols at the Loyola Memorial Park in Marikina City on Wednesday, All Saints’ Day in the Philippines.The cemetery-goers had set up tents and carried umbrellas to protect themselves from the rains and offered baskets and bouquets of flowers and lighted candles for celebrities such as actress Nida Blanca, rapper Francis M. and senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago, among other famous personalities who are buried in the memorial park.Santiago, dubbed as the “Iron Lady of Asia,” was remembered by some fans and friends.“Matalino kasi siya, ‘tsaka may puso siya sa Senate. Pag alam niyang tama yung sinasabi niya, pinaglalaban niya talaga [She was intelligent,”she had heart. She fought for what is right],” Ceejhay Luzero, 21, said.Luzero added that he voted for the departed senator in the 2016 presidential elections because of her “good dignity at work.”Santiago placed fifth overall in those elections and lost to President Rodrigo Duterte.Still, she won the hearts of the youth as she dominated university polls during her bid for Malacañang.Santiago died five months later in her sleep after she was diagnosed with lung cancer. She was 71.The late senator was also visited by the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority Chairman Danilo Lim and Marikina City Mayor Marcy Teodoro on October 30.Manila Mayor and former President Joseph Estrada also sent flowers for Santiago.A few fans also remembered the late actress Dorothy Jones, more popularly known as Nida Blanca and visited her tomb on Wednesday.Joseph Dawa, 32, made sure to visit his idol every year on All Saints’ Day.“Every year tuwing Undas pinupuntahan ko ‘tong si Nida. Sinisilip ko lang yung idol ko. Lahat ng pelikula niya patol na patok sa masa [I visit her tomb every year. All her movies were a hit with the masses],” Dawa said.He added that he used to collect CDs, DVDs and even newspaper clippings that feature the veteran actress up until her death.Blanca was found murdered, beaten and stabbed 13 times in the back seat of her Nissan Sentra in the parking lot of the Atlanta Centre in Greenhills, San Juan City on the night of November 7, 2001.The multi-awarded actress was popularly known for her portrayal of “Marsha” in a long-running television sitcom, “John en Marsha,” with leading comedian Dolphy.The Loyola Memorial Park has kept its security tight in anticipation of the increase in visitors within the day, in coordination with the City Health Office, Philippine National Police, Department of Social Welfare and Development and local information and assistance desks.Police authorities noted that the number of cemetery goers has significantly decreased to 7,000 this year, and will not even reach the usual 30,000-annual crowd expectancy because of heavy rains.GLEE JALEA
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/fans-brave-rains-visit-departed-idols/360084/
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Enrile plea to dismiss ‘pork’ case denied
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['Ma. Reina Leanne Tolentino']
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2017-04-28 20:12:15+00:00
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The Sandiganbayan’s Special Third Division stood pat on its ruling that denied former Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile’s plea for dismissal of a plunder case filed against him and several other individuals in connection with the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) or pork b arrel scam.In a resolution promulgated on April 27, the court thumbed down his motion for reconsideration.“In sum, the court finds that accused Enrile has failed to present any sound reason for the court to overturn its resolution promulgated on January 31, 2017,” the Sandiganbayan’s Special Third Division said.Enrile’s camp earlier asked the court to throw out or nullify the Information (charge sheet), arguing that there is no evidence against him and saying the Information failed to charge the offense of plunder.In its January ruling, the court found that “the Information sufficiently alleges the ultimate facts constituting the crime of plunder.”This prompted the defense to file a motion for reconsideration, arguing in part that “the court does not reflect accurately the basis of the accused’s ‘Motion to Quash…’”But in its April ruling, the court found Enrile’s motion for reconsideration “devoid of merit.”It said the January ruling “reflect[s] accurately” his ground in asking for the quashal of the charge sheet, adding that he raised the same argument.The court, in part, added that Enrile “claims that the Information should be quashed on the ground that the facts alleged therein do not constitute the offense of plunder. This issue had been duly considered and thoroughly passed upon by the court” in its earlier ruling.It thus denied “for lack of merit and/or for being pro forma” the motion for reconsideration filed by the defense.Sandiganbayan Presiding Justice Amparo Cabotaje-Tang, who concurrently leads the court’s Third Division, penned the ruling, which was concurred in by Associate Justice Sarah Jane Fernandez and Associate Justice Zaldy Trespeses.Enrile was charged along with his former aide Jessica Lucila “Gigi” Reyes and alleged pork scam mastermind Janet Lim-Napoles as well as Napoles’ then-employee John Raymund de Asis and her nephew Ronald John Lim.He is one of three former senators namely, Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. and Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada, who were charged in June 2014 along with Napoles and several other individuals in connection with the PDAF scam.Both Revilla and Estrada are detained at the Philippine National Police Custodial Center in Camp Crame in Quezon City, while Enrile is out on bail after the Supreme Court granted his bail petition on humanitarian grounds.Napoles is serving a life sentence at the Correctional Institute for Women in Mandaluyong City (Metro Manila) after a Makati City (Metro Manila) court found her guilty in a serious illegal detention case filed against her by pork scam witness Benhur Luy.REINA TOLENTINO
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/enrile-plea-dismiss-pork-case-denied/324555/
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Mindanao airport operations ‘normal’
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['Reicelene Joy Ignacio']
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2017-05-28 19:32:19+00:00
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The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) has reassured the public of normal airport operations in the Mindanao region despite peace-and-order issues in Marawi City, Lanao del Sur.“Our operations remain normal in all our airports in the Philippines, even in Mindanao,” CAAP spokesman Eric Apolonio said in a radio interview over the weekend.“We do not expect anything unusual to happen,” Apolonio added.According to the CAAP spokesman, there has been no negative report from the 13 airports in Mindanao, the Philippines’ second-biggest group of islands.“There has been no untoward incident recorded,” Apolonio said.“We are implementing security protocols in all places,” he added.Airline company Cebu Pacific previously said it continues to operate normally in Mindanao airports.It, however, advised its passengers to be at the airport at a much earlier time before their scheduled departure to give time for security inspection.REICELENE JOY N. IGNACIO
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/mindanao-airport-operations-normal/329759/
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OFW plight also a priority – CHR
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['Mary Gleefer F. Jalea']
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2018-03-25 21:14:40+00:00
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The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) over the weekend said the rights of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) remain one of its priorities along with rights violations under the government’s war on drugs.“Even in the background, this sector remains to be one of our priorities, while working on more prominent issues, such as alleged human rights violations linked to the government’s campaign against illegal drugs,” according to a CHR statement.It announced on Saturday that it plans to put up a rights observatory meant to gather information on the plight of OFWs and give recommendations to the government on how it can protect the migrants’ rights further.The announcement came after the case of Joanna Demafelis hogged the headlines.Demafelis was a domestic worker whose body was found in a freezer in Kuwait more than a year after she was reported missing.Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello 3rd said last week that the Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) will arrange a memorandum of agreement with Kuwait regarding the matter on the first week of April.On February 9, President Rodrigo Duterte declared a total ban on sending Filipino workers to Kuwait over Demafelis’ death.The CHR said it is working with the DoLE, the Philippines Overseas Employment Administration and the National Human Rights Committee on agreements to protect OFWs in countries such as Nigeria and Qatar.It called on the government to address human rights abuses locally and abroad.“Every Filipino or Filipina deserves the government’s equal protection wherever they may be–regardless if it is about alleged human rights violations linked to the government’s campaign against illegal drugs or those concerning the rights of migrant workers. It is, after all, a government of the people, by the people and for the people,” the CHR statement said.Latest Philippine Statistics Authority data shows that the number of OFWs who worked abroad between April and September 2016 reached 2.2 million.Of this number, there were 85 reported deaths in Kuwait alone from abuse, as stated in a Senate joint inquiry in February 2018.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/ofw-plight-also-a-priority-chr/388482/
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Senior citizen killed in Cavite drug operation
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['Michael Apolinario Ellaga']
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24/03/2017 0:00
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A senior citizen was shot dead after he opened fire at police officers who were conducting an anti-illegal drugs operation against another individual Thursday night in Barangay Poblacion II in this upland municipality.Zosimo Rotairo Rosanes, 67, a resident of Barangay Guyam Malaki in Indang municipality, Cavite, died on the spot due to several gunshot wounds to the body.The target of the operation, Hernando Fajardo Peji, alias Bubut, 52, was cornered and arrested by the police.Police Officer 3 Dante C. Baje, case investigator, said Rosanes was a cohort of Peji.He added that the operation was hatched after a search warrant was issued by the Sta. Cruz, Laguna, Regional Trial Court Branch 27 Judge Cynthia R. Mariño-Ricablanca.Baje said that Rosanes fired at the members of the police team who he spotted approaching the residence of Peji.The police officers were prompted to return fire and mortally wounded Rosanes.Recovered from Rosanes were his loaded .38 caliber homemade revolver and a purse containing a key, coins and three sachets of shabu in his pocket.Peji yielded three sachets of shabu and drug-using items.
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Manila Bulletin
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https://news.mb.com.ph/2017/03/24/senior-citizen-killed-in-cavite-drug-operation/
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Trillanes coup hearing starts
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['Neil Jayson Servallos']
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2018-10-05 00:03:15+00:00
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The Makati Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 148 will hear on Friday, October 5, the coup d’etat case filed against Sen. Antonio Trillanes 4th.During the legal proceedings, evidence to prove that the senator did apply for amnesty will be presented.The senator underwent similar procedures during the first and last hearing of his rebellion case at the Makati RTC Branch 150 on September 14. The court issued a warrant for his arrest.Branch 150 Judge Elmo Alameda said arrest warrant was issued because of Trillanes’ failure to present his amnesty application form.Trillanes wil not be attending the court proceedings but he expressed confidence that his legal team can handle it.Asked if he was worried that he would again be ordered arrested, Trillanes said he would point to the Department of National Defense since it is the department that has custody of such documents.“I implore the court to turn its attention to DND for the application form. All application forms are submitted to the office where we applied for it. It’s a massive stupidity if you’ll look for it from the person who applied,” he said
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/trillanes-coup-hearing-starts/448393/
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‘Speedy’ judge top contender for Sandiganbayan post
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['Jomar Canlas']
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2018-03-17 00:03:01+00:00
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The judge who in one month convicted a Canadian drug trafficker topped the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) shortlist for a vacancy in the anti-graft court Sandiganbayan.In a voting conducted by the JBC, headed by acting Chief Justice Antonio Carpio, Makati Regional Trial Court (RTC) Judge Gina Bibat-Palamos got six votes from the seven members of the council.Palamos convicted Jeremy Douglas Harold Arthur Eaton within one month after the filing of a case against the Canadian on July 13, 2016.The judge convicted Eaton on August 31, 2016.Palamos sentenced Eaton to life imprisonment and ordered him to pay a fine of P500,000 after he sold 160 ecstasy pills to an undercover agent on Mercado Street in Makati City.Also making it to the JBC shortlist is Makati RTC Judge Ronald Moreno with five votesSanta Cruz (Laguna) RTC Judge Divina Gracia Bustos-Ongkeko and Ligao (Albay) RTC Judge Edwin Ma-alat got four votes each.The post at the anti-graft court became vacant as a result of the appointment of former Sandiganbayan Justice Alexander Gesmundo to the Supreme Court (SC).Meanwhile, Evalyn Arellano-Morales with seven votes topped the race for another vacancy in the Court of Appeals that was caused by the early retirement of CA Justice Melchor Sadang.Also making it to the JBC list were Bansalan (Davao del Sur) RTC Judge Loida Posadas-Kahulugan andTuguegarao City (Cagayan) RTC Judge Raymund Reynold Lauigan with five votes each.With four votes were Masbate City RTC Judge Arturo Clemente Revil, Marikina City RTC Judge Acerey Pacheco, San Mateo (Rizal) RTC Judge Lily Biton and Quezon City RTC Judge Judges Mary Angelene Quimpo-Sale.The Judicial and Bar Council 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 Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno, who is on forced indefinite leave of absence, with ex-officio members Sen. Richard Gordon, Oriental Mindoro Rep. Reynaldo Umali and Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre 2nd.Retired SC Justice Jose Catral-Mendoza is the head of the Executive Committee.Lawyer Jose Mejia, who represents the academe; Milagros Fernan-Cayosa, the Integrated Bar of the Philippines; and retired Judge Toribio Ilao, the private sector, are regular members of the JBC.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/speedy-judge-top-contender-for-sandiganbayan-post/386599/
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Councilman to press raps vs Las Piñas village chief
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['The Manila Times']
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2018-05-20 00:01:06+00:00
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A Las Piñas councilman said he would not back down on his legal fight against Robert Cristobal, the chairman of Barangay (village) Daniel Fajardo in Las Piñas City.Demetrio Fajardo, who filed a complaint against Cristobal before the Department of the Interior Local and Government, said he wanted to expose the irregularities happening in their village.“Itutuloy ko ang kaso sa DILG. Walang pumipilit sakin at gusto ko talaga ilabas ang mga nangyayari sa barangay,” (I will push through with the complaint I filed at the DILG. No one is forcing me. I really wanted to expose what is happening in the village) Fajardo told The Manila Times.He added that the camp of Cristobal was “afraid” because this was the first time that someone filed a complaint against the village chief since he became barangay chairman in 2010.“Pumunta ako mag-isa sa Office of the President at DILG para magreklamo. Walang may alam,” (I went to the Office of the President and DILG alone to file a complaint. No one knew) Fajardo said.Fajardo claimed that Cristobal violated the residency rule of the Commissions on Elections because he does not reside in the village. He said Cristobal did not hold sessions from June 2017 to January 2018 but members of the village council received honoraria.In his administrative complaint, Fajardo said Cristobal’s failure to call a single session for eight months was in violation of Republic Act 7160 or the Local Government Code, which mandates barangay councils to hold a “minimum” of two sessions per month.“Walang imbitasyon na may meeting (There was no invitation to a meeting.) At dalawa kaming kagawad na di alam na may meeting, at bakit naaprubahan ang (There are two of us council members who were not aware of any meeting and why did they approve the) 2018 budget without my knowledge?” Fajardo said.Cristobal denied Fajardo’s allegations.“We always hold sessions every Tuesday of the month. Dapat di na siya palaging sinasabihan (He should not always be told [about the session]. That is automatic. Kailangan ba parating may (Should there always be) notice of session?” he said.But Fajardo refuted this, saying he went to the barangay hall every Tuesday of the month to ask when a session would be held and was always told “tatawagan ka nalang namin kung may session (we will call you if there is a session).”When asked about the minutes of the meeting signed by him presented by the secretary and treasurer of the village before The Times, Fajardo said, “Siguro fine-fake nila ang aking (Maybe they are forging my) signature.”Catherine Modesto
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/councilman-to-press-raps-vs-las-pinas-village-chief/399849/
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PCSO earnings hit P20-B mark in April – Balutan
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['The Manila Times']
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2018-05-17 00:05:28+00:00
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THE Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) earned P20.8 billion from lotto, Small Town Lottery (STL), and other products in the first four months of the year, 29.30 percent higher than the collection in the same period last year, General Manager Alexander Balutan said on Wednesday.“Our STL earnings are unprecedented for a total of P7.8 billion from January to April with an increase of 101 percent from the same period last year. Of course, Lotto including Digit Games are still at the forefront with P10 billion and Keno at P1.8 billion. The Instant Sweepstakes also rose to P727 million,” Balutan said.Although Lotto and digit games earned P10 billion in four months, its sales decreased by 5.08 percent compared with the same period last year; while Keno increased at 12.48 percent.For the month of April, Lotto earned P2.3 billion, a 0.22 percent increase from the same period last year, he said.“’Yung lotto games kasi are jackpot-driven sales. Ina-associate kasi natin ‘yan sa jackpot prize natin. Kapag mataas ang jackpot natin, malaki din ‘yung nagiging sales. Tapos meron din tayong three days na walang sales nu’ng Holy Week kaya apektado talaga ang lotto sales (Lotto games are jackpot-driven. We associate that with our jackpot prize. If the prize is big, sales are high. We had no sales for three days during Holy Week so our earnings was affected),” Balutan explained.STL earnings hit P1.9 billion in April, just a tad lower than the figure in March.“From 84, we now have 81 STL operators. We terminated three Authorized Agent Corporations (AACs) recently due to repeated violations of the STL-Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) especially various cases of under-remittance of the Presumptive Monthly Retail Receipt (PMRR),” Balutan said. “We will not hesitate to terminate them.”Balutan earlier warned that STL revenues would slow down because some AACs were sanctioned or terminated.“STL operators are now learning to grasp the rudiments of gaming. While we understand that majority of them are new to gaming, they should pay the correct PMRR. Let us continue supporting President Rodrigo Duterte’s all-out war against gambling. For our part, we will strengthen our IRR to completely eradicate jueteng, masiao, swertres, peryahan ng bayan, and all forms of illegal gambling,” Balutan said.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/pcso-earnings-hit-p20-b-mark-in-april-balutan/399232/
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