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Duterte won’t negotiate with Maute terrorists
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['Llanesca T. Panti']
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2017-09-10 19:56:19+00:00
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President Rodrigo Duterte will not negotiate with the terrorist Maute Group even in exchange for the release of the group’s hostages in Marawi City.The President made the decision in connection with a renewed offer of former Marawi City Mayor Omar Solitario to help in negotiating the release of the hostages of the Maute Group even if the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAAP) already ruled out shielding Solitario from prosecution.Solitario is on the President’s list of politicians involved in the illegal drug trade but still managed to initially secure protection from the OPAPP last August 20.The concession was quickly revoked upon recommendation by Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, also martial law administrator in Mindanao.“They [members of the Maute Group] will be treated as criminals. If they surrender, they will be prosecuted. If they choose to fight, then the state has the right to kill them. Simply, they are rebelling,” Duterte said when asked if he remains open to negotiating with the Maute Group.Earlier, military spokesman Brig. Gen. Restituto Padilla declared Solitario as a terrorist and warned that protecting him will just prolong the Marawi conflict.According to Padilla, the former mayor should be arrested for the deaths caused by the Maute Group.“Solitario should not be taken seriously because he is a long-time supporter of the bandits in Marawi. In fact, he should be arrested for instigating the violence there,” he said last Friday.“We stand by the policy of no negotiation with whatever terrorist groups there are. Solitario is just looking for ways to escape liabilities for the crimes that he has committed. How could he say that the Maute-IS group is not the problem? That would be an insult to the Armed Forces and our heroes. There are 145 lives who have been sacrificed, who have given their all,” Padilla added.IS or ISIS refers to the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria.The President assured the Maute terrorists of due process if they surrender to the government.“We will give them due process, provide them with a lawyer. There will be no oppression, harassment… no violence will be inflicted upon them if they surrender,” Duterte said.“‘That is my guarantee. We won’t make them [members of Maute Group] hungry. I will not allow it. That is not how we treat people,” he added.Duterte declared martial law and allowed warrantless arrests in Mindanao last May 23 to suppress a rebellion in Marawi City, Lanao del Sur, led by the Maute Group.He eventually secured congressional approval in seeking extension of martial law in the whole of Mindanao until the end of the year.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/duterte-wont-negotiate-maute-terrorists/349892/
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Duterte to spend Holy Week in Davao
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['Catherine S. Valente']
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2018-03-22 23:54:54+00:00
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President Rodrigo Duterte is staying at his home in Davao City to observe the Holy Week, Malacañang said on Thursday.Palace spokesman Harry Roque said the President will be in Davao next week, and will travel abroad after the Lenten break to attend the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference in China from April 8 to 11.Earlier, Malacañang declared Maundy Thursday (March 29) and Good Friday (March 30) as regular holidays while Black Saturday (March 31), a special non-working holiday.Duterte, who has been criticizing the Catholic Church, had embarked on state visits in three Middle Eastern countries during the Holy Week last year.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/duterte-to-spend-holy-week-in-davao/387914/
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Resumption of peace talks welcomed
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['Roy Narra']
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2018-04-10 00:02:58+00:00
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The families and supporters of political prisoners welcomed President Rodrigo Duterte’s decision to resume peace talks with communists.Eleanor de Guzman, daughter of National Democratic Front (NDF) consultant Rafael Baylosis and wife of militant group Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) organizer Marklen Maojo Maga, said peace talks should be brought back to pave way for dialogues on different issues like land and socioeconomic reforms.“There is a need to continue this negotiation because it is important to have a discussion on comprehensive socio-economic reforms like land reform,” she said in Filipino in a rally outside Camp Crame, Quezon City, on Monday morning,She added the administration must uphold previously-signed agreements with the NDF like the Comprehensive Agreement on Respect of Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law and Joint Agreement on Safety and Immunity Guarantees.Duterte gave “one last chance” for peace talks months after he terminated dialogues with the NDF and Communist Party of the Philippines.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/resumption-of-peace-talks-welcomed/391554/
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Good Government commission fails to sell 9 assets
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['Ma. Reina Leanne Tolentino']
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2018-05-02 00:02:10+00:00
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The Presidential Commission on Good Government failed to sell nine pieces of property that were scheduled to be privatized in 2017, a Commission on Audit’s (CoA) audit report on the PCGG for 2017 showed.“The agency has not caused the reappraisal of assets subject of public bidding; thus, recovery of” P336-million “targeted income from sale of assets was not attained,” the CoA said.“The targeted recovered amount and proceeds from the administration of assets for the CY [or Calendar Year] 2017 as indicated in the GAA [or General Appropriations Act] amounted to P336,014.00 million. The amount corresponds to the agency’s privatization plan for CY 2017 as submitted to the Department of Justice on April 20, 2017,” it added.According to the audit report, the assets that were scheduled to be privatized during 2017 were a 2,335-square meter property in Francisco Evergreen Subdivision, Tagaytay City; a 1,000-sq.m. property in Barangay Santo Nino, Puerto Galera, Oriental Mindoro; a 300-sq.m. property in Barangay Balite, Calapan, Oriental Mindoro; a 5,952-sq.m property in Barangay Mabolo, Naga City; a 480-sq.m. property in Kingswood Street, Emerald Court Subdivision, Caloocan City; a 300-sq.m. property in Maligaya Street, Pangarap Village, Makatipo, Tala, Caloocan City; a 300-sq.m. property in Matahimik Street, Pangarap Village, Makatipo, Tala, Caloocan City; a 64,669-sq.m. property in Barangay Gregoria de Jesus, General Mariano Alvarez, Cavite; and a 268,128,000-sq.m. Bredco property on Rodriguez Avenue, corner, Bagong Dalan Road Barangay 35, Purok Malipayo Reclamation Area, Bacolod City.“The audit team noted that during the year, there was no public bidding conducted to privatize the assets enumerated in the privatization plan. It was further noted that the management also failed to dispose properties from previous years. The latest disposal of properties were made in CY 2014, wherein, only three out of the 11 real properties were privatized and none for the shares of stocks,” the CoA said.While the PCGG remitted P377,662,320.81 to the Bureau of Treasury, according to the commission, the sum stemmed from other activities.“The amount remitted to the Bureau of the Treasury under Funds 158 and 184 stemmed from activities other than what is stated in the plans and programs of the agency. As of December 31, 2017, the remittance to the Bureau of the Treasury amounted to P377,662,320.81 out of which P116,072,623.80 was deposited in escrow,” the CoA said.“While the audit team finds that the remittances for CY 2017 exceeded the targets set in the GAA, the same was not aligned with the privatization plans of the agency,” according to the commission.“The mandate of privatizing surrendered assets is necessary to prevent its further deterioration and to fulfill the agency’s mandate of remitting the proceeds from sale as required in Section 63 of Republic Act 6657 dated June 10, 1988,” it said.Republic Act (RA) 6657 is the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law.The CoA recommended that the PCGG make a priority the privatization plan’s implementation in order “to ensure the continuous support to the” Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program Fund.Under Section 63 of RA 6657, according to the audit report, sources of funding for the agrarian reform fund include receipts from recovered assets and from sales of ill-gotten wealth that were recovered through the PCGG.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/good-government-commission-fails-to-sell-9-assets/396195/
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PH, Japan sign 2 devt assistance pacts
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['Bernadette E. Tamayo']
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2018-11-08 00:02:35+00:00
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THE Philippines and Japan on Wednesday signed exchange of notes on two official development assistance (ODA) projects aimed at enhancing Manila’s defense and transport capabilities.The two ODA projects involve the helicopter maintenance equipment and the rehabilitation of the Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT3).Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. and Japanese Ambassador to the Philippines Koji Haneda signed the Exchange of Notes on Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF) UH-1H Parts and Maintenance Equipment to the Philippine Air Force (PAF) and on the MRT-3 rehabilitation.“Throughout the years, Japan has vigorously and unfailingly supported the priorities of the Philippine government for the well-being of the Filipino people — and in particular through economic and development assistance as well as in enhancing our defense and security capabilities,” Locsin said.Haneda reflected on the successes of Philippine-Japan partnership. Manila, and Tokyo celebrated the 60th anniversary of the normalization of their diplomatic relations in 2016.“With the signing of these two projects, let me assure you that we do not only mark our commitments on paper, we also pledge our all-out efforts in bringing these projects into successful completion,” Haneda said.The Grant Aid on UH-1H parts and maintenance equipment to the PAF, involves Japan’s grant of some ¥10.68 billion or about P5 billion worth of spare parts and maintenance equipment of UH-1H helicopters by the Japan Self-Defense Forces.Meanwhile, the MRT-3 rehabilitation project involves the complete rehabilitation of MRT-3 to restore its design capacity and reliability, the general overhaul of MRT-3’s entire fleet of 72 Light Rail Vehicles (LRVs), and day-to-day maintenance.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/ph-japan-sign-2-devt-assistance-pacts/464146/
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Marcos regime long over—lawmaker
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['Llanesca T. Panti']
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2017-07-13 21:15:40+00:00
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Ilocos Norte Gov. Imee Marcos has been disrespecting Congress even if the strongman rule of her late father, former President Ferdinand Marcos, is long over.This was stated by Rep. Doy Leachon of Oriental Mindoro after Marcos held a news conference defending the use of more than P66 million in tobacco funds to purchase 115 motor vehicles using cash advances and supposedly for the benefit of farmers.Under existing laws, tobacco funds cannot be spent on motor vehicles and cash advances cannot be used in purchasing such vehicles.“As a former legislator, she should recognize the mandate of Congress and should appreciate its power to call on individuals who can provide information it needs for investigation in aid of legislation. If Governor Marcos has something to say, she should say it in Congress,” Leachon said in a statement.The governor used to represent Ilocos Norte’s First District in Congress.Leachon said it is not unusual for Congress to invite governors to legislative inquiries, citing the cases of Governors Mark Lapid of Pampanga, Joselito Mendoza of Bulacan and Niel Tupas Sr. of Iloilo.“Why should Governor Imee be any different? Does being a Marcos make her above the law? As far as I know, the Marcos dictatorship is long done,” the lawyer, pointed out.He was referring to the then-president declaring Martial Law in 1972, abolishing Congress and courts in the process.Marcos then severed functions of the judiciary and Congress and shut down media organizations critical of his administration.Marcos’ Martial Law rule supposedly left at least 70,000 people either tortured or dead by extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances.“If she [Imee] is confident that she and her team did nothing wrong and everything is in order, then she has no reason to evade the summons of Congress. She says she has proof that the transactions were above-board and consistent with the law. If that’s the case, then she can share these with us. She spoke for 30 minutes straight during her news conference, and we have no problem giving her an hour to speak if it will shed light on the irregularities we have discovered,” Leachon said.“Governor Marcos’ dilatory tactics and constant efforts to dodge Congress reinforced suspicions that the transactions of the province under her watch were questionable. This is all on her for refusing to take responsibility for her actions,” he added.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/marcos-regime-long-lawmaker/338155/
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Gas P0.45 higher, diesel P0.10 lower
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['Jordeene Sheex Lagare']
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2017-08-14 22:00:47+00:00
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Flying V slashed diesel and kerosene prices by 10 centavos per liter but increased gasoline prices by 45 centavos per liter, effective 12:01 a.m., Tuesday.Eastern Petroleum, Pilipinas Shell, Phoenix Petroleum and Seaoil cut diesel prices by 10 centavos per liter, effective 6 a.m., Monday.Eastern Petroleum, Flying V, Pilipinas Shell, Phoenix Petroleum and Seaoil also raised gasoline prices by 45 centavos per liter, also effective 6 a.m., Monday.Pilipinas Shell and Seaoil lowered kerosene prices by 10 centavos per liter, also effective 6 a.m., Monday.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/gas-p0-45-higher-diesel-p0-10-lower/344436/
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‘New city’ set to rise in Bataan
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['Joseph Rey', 'Donnell Perdio', 'Sevilla Cruz-Felizardo', 'Mel Manalo']
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4/3/2017 0:00
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‘A “new city” promises to rise in Bataan, with P42 billion worth of high-end housing and commercial establishments underway in this town, Governor Abet S. Garcia announced yesterday.“This is another historic economic development in the province,” said Garcia, referring to the big construction and development projects dotting this coastal and forested, but strategic town.He said that a multi-billion investment has been sealed with Amanterra, a private developer owned by businessman Engr. Joel Alegre, who is the president and CEO of United Power Systems Phils., Inc. (UPSPI), a Manila-based firm.Impressed by the presentation made personally by Engr Alegre, Gov. Garcia said this is another breakthrough in the economic development of Bataan and will help the province in its dire need of housing and hotel facilities.In his recent meeting inside the Governor’s office in provincial Capitol here, Engr. Alegre told Gov. Garcia that the conversion of the 143 hectares of hilly area in Morong will make the town a place like no other with the construction of “Amaterra, a modern, world-class township in the heart of Bataan Peninsula,” the biggest so far commercial and housing project in Bataan.“A new city rises in Morong with the complete amenities of this commercial establishment,” Alegre told the governor. “This master planned project is a comprehensive mixed-use development that already has all the components of a self-contained community,” he added.It will include a high-end residential enclave; a business district with a central park; a lifestyle center with commercial strip; and a multi-building residential condominium.”
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Manila Bulletin
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https://news.mb.com.ph/2017/03/04/new-city-set-to-rise-in-bataan/
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Filipina under hospital detention in Kuwait
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['Bernadette E. Tamayo']
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2018-09-08 00:03:02+00:00
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THE Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) will extend all possible assistance to a Filipina domestic helper being held by authorities in Kuwait for allegedly stabbing her employer.In a statement, the DFA said the Philippine Embassy in Kuwait was assisting the distressed household service worker from Maguindanao and was in touch with Kuwaiti authorities investigating her case.“Our embassy in Kuwait continues to look after our kababayan (compatriot) Ulambai Singgayan and is coordinating with authorities to ensure that her rights are protected,” said Foreign Affairs Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs Sarah Lou Arriola.“Ulambai and her family here in the Philippines have our assurance that the DFA will provide her with legal and other assistance that she may require,” she said.Chargé d’Affaires Charleson Hermosura said Singgayan was facing felony charges and was under hospital arrest.“The employer is alive,” said DFA Assistant Secretary for Public Diplomacy Elmer Cato.Arriola said that as soon as the embassy learned about the incident, it sent a team to the hospital where Singgayan was being treated for injuries inflicted on her by members of her employer’s family.Initial investigation showed that Singgayan was beaten up after she allegedly stabbed her employer, who supposedly threatened to have her visa revoked and move her to another house where she would be killed.Hermosura said Singgayan had bruises in her face, chest and arms. An x-ray conducted in the hospital also showed internal bleeding in her abdomen.He said it was not immediately clear if Singgayan had been maltreated by her employer prior to the stabbing incident. He said Singgayan was deployed to Kuwait as a household service worker in February 2017.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/filipina-under-hospital-detention-in-kuwait/439191/
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DOST chief graces tissue culture lab opening
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['The Manila Times']
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2018-10-11 00:02:35+00:00
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Science and Technology Secretary Fortunato de la Peña attended the inauguration of the newly-constructed state-of-the-art tissue culture laboratory at the Philippine Coconut Authority-Albay Research Center (PCA-ARC) recently. Through the funding of the DoST-Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development (DoST-PCAARRD), a more spacious and fully-equipped culture room was constructed for better organization of tissue culture activities, and bigger growth room for the development of existing coconut tissue cultures. The existing screenhouse and humidity tent were also repaired for the ex-vitro establishment of tissue culture-derived regenerants. Father Salvador Nicolos Bilono 3rd officiated the blessing of the CSet Tissue Culture Laboratory, as well as the Food Processing Facility of PCA-ARC. Present for the unveiling of the marker were De la Peña, PCA Administrator Romulo de la Rosa, PCAARRD Crops Research Division Assistant Director Dr. Edna Anit, OIC Deputy Administrator for R&D Branch Erlene Manohar, Guinobatan (Albay) Municipal Mayor Gemma Ann Ongjoco and PCA-ARC Department Manager and CSet Program Leader Dr. Cristeta A. Cueto. Also present were PCA-ZRC Deputy Manager and CSet Project Leader Ramon Rivera; Bicol Consortium for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development Director and CSet Project Leader Marissa Estrella; DoST Science and Technology Information Institute Director Richard Burgos, DoST Region V Director Tomas Briñas; DoST-PCAARRD Institution Development Division OIC Director Ruel Carlo Tanqueco; other staff of DoST-PCAARRD and PCA; guests from the Department of Public Works and Highways Region V; and the local government unit of Guinobatan.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/dost-chief-graces-tissue-culture-lab-opening/450513/
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‘Overstaying’ students won’t get free tuition
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['Bernadette E. Tamayo']
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2017-08-08 22:12:53+00:00
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Government scholars will lose their privileges under the free tuition law if they “overstay” or fail to finish their course on time, according to Sen. Ralph Recto.Recto on Tuesday said free tertiary education law sets stringent conditions for the enjoyment of free matriculation, such as mandating the student to complete the course during the prescribed period.“Walang forever na student sa batas na ito [This law is not for those who want to be students forever],” said Recto, co-author of Republic Act (RA) 10931 or the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education.The law even sets a “one-strike rule” for public technological-vocational students, the Senate President pro-tempore said.Under RA 10931, a student in state-run technical vocational institutes (TVIs) loses the privilege if he fails “in any course.”For students in state universities and colleges (SUCs) and local government-funded local university and colleges (LUCs), they must finish the course “within a year after the period prescribed in their program,” Recto said, quoting the law.He added that for those taking up a four-year course, there is an “elbow room” for another year to finish it, subjectto situations that can be invoked by the students, and if an extension is granted, conditions will apply.Recto said students who have already attained a bachelor’s degree or comparable undergraduate degree from any higher education institution, whether public or private, are also barred from the program.“The same exclusion rule applies to students of state TVIs. Those who have received a certificate or diploma for a tech-voc course equivalent to at least National Certificate III and above can no longer qualify for free tuition,” he added.Before a student can avail of free tuition, he must pass the test and admission requirements imposed by the government school.“One must hurdle the qualifying exam, among others in the acceptance checklist. Free tuition should not be loosely interpreted as it is free to all,” Recto said.Government schools have also requirements to meet before they can receive funds to cover tuition waivers.They must follow implementing rules and regulations.There are budgeting, accounting and auditing rules that must be satisfied prior to fund release.One provision requires schools to establish a learner information system in accordance with the guidelines to be developed by the Commission on Higher Education (CHEd) in order to facilitate the tracking of students and their performance.They must also submit relevant information as determined by CHEd on school quality and performance.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/overstaying-students-wont-get-free-tuition/343193/
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Palace: Bear with ‘endo’ for now
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['Catherine S. Valente']
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2018-04-03 00:06:43+00:00
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Malacañang on Monday admitted that a total ban on contractualization in the country is not possible with President Rodrigo Duterte’s Executive Order (EO) as effecting the prohibition needs legislation.In a news conference, Senior Deputy Executive Secretary Menardo Guevarra said the executive branch cannot meet labor groups’ demand to end all forms of contractual work or “endo” (end of contract) as this would violate the law.“You know, that draft EO has been under study in our office for quite sometime. The main problem there is ‘yung mga gustong mangyari ay [the things that they want to happen are things that] the executive department is not empowered to do. Kailangan legislative action talaga [Legislative action is needed] because that’s in the Labor Code, the provision against contractualization,” Guevarra said in an interview with reporters.“So if you want something like a total ban on contractualization, you need a law to repeal or amend that particular provision of the Labor Code. An executive order is meant only to supplement or you know to give details, implementing details of what the law provides. But it cannot add or subtract or substantially alter what the law provides. That’s really more for Congress to do,” he added.Guevarra said all Malacañang would be able to do to aid the effort in ending contractualization is to make a strong push for it among Congress leaders.But he added that this would likely happen when the EO is released and labor groups are not satisfied with it.“As of this time [there has been] no actual liason or coordination with the legislative department. We’re still trying to do our best to come up with an executive order that can be acceptable to the labor sector. So that’s our priority,” Guevarra said.“[If the labor sector is still unhappy about the EO], the best EO that we can come up with, then that’s the time [when we will probably be having] consultations with Congress,” he added.When asked how different the EO would be from Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) orders, Guevarra said, “Honestly, not much… because the substantial provision, we can’t do much about it.”“We can only do something about strict implementation of what we already have… The total ban itself is something that we cannot do by EO,” he added.The President, in a speech in Davao City in February, said he cannot force employers to regularize contractual workers even as he made clear the need for a compromise that is “acceptable to everybody.”“I don’t think that I can really give them all because we cannot force the capitalists if they have no money or they do not want it or they are lazy [to implement it],” he added.Duterte, during his campaign for the presidency in 2016, vowed to end contractualization.“There’s a sheer number of people needing jobs. But because there are a few businesses to absorb the human resource, they want some radical change,” he said.But Malacañang spokesman Harry Roque Jr. explained that Duterte was not retreating from his promise to end contractualization.“I don’t think he has retreated. He has asked for more time to study the matter and that’s what he’s doing now,” Roque said in an earlier news briefing.On February 7, Duterte met with different labor groups in Malacañang where he asked for more time to study the proposal to give workers security of tenure and right to self-organization, collective bargaining and peaceful concerted activities as mandated by the Constitution.The meeting also touched on issues related to contractualization, wage setting, government cash subsidy, workers’ representation in tripartite bodies, recruitment and facilitation fees and freedom of association in economic zones.In March 2017, the DoLE signed Department Order 174, which sets strict regulations governing contracting and sub-contracting arrangements.The labor sector has expressed dissatisfaction with Department Order 174 and urged Duterte to sign the much-awaited EO, which bans all forms of illegal contractualization.Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello 3rd also earlier said the President was expected to sign the EO by March.But Roque said Duterte still needs more time to study possible remedies to address the issue of contractualization.“He [Duterte] has asked for more time to study the matter and that’s what he is doing now,” the Palace official added.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/palace-bear-with-endo-for-now/390170/
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‘PH troops more capable vs terror’
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['Dempsey Reyes']
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2018-05-19 00:08:58+00:00
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THE military exercises conducted by Filipino and US troops enhanced the capability of Philippine soldiers in fighting terrorists, Armed Forces chief Gen. Carlito Galvez Jr. said on Friday.Galvez said this year’s Balikatan (shoulder to shoulder) exercises were “relevant.”“It can be said that this year’s culmination [of Balikatan] is very timely and relevant to the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) as we also near the first year’s commemoration of the Marawi siege and its eventual liberation from the hands of the Maute group,” Galvez said during the closing ceremonies of the military exercises.With the closing of the 34th iteration of the Balikatan, Galvez said soldiers, especially those who participated in the downscaled exercises, are now “more capable” in beating terrorists or other enemies of the state.“Carrying out with us are added learnings and experience, especially now that we have shifted focus to addressing large counter-terrorism formation in urban environment,” the military chief said.Under Balikatan 2018, Philippine and US troops were trained on countering terrorism in urban areas.The exercises, mostly taking place in Northern Luzon provinces, included drills aligned with humanitarian assistance and disaster response (HADR) operations, counterterrorism and amphibious landing drills.Brig. Gen. Thomas Weidley of the US Marine Corps claimed that this year’s Balikatan was a “tremendous success.”“This training allows us to come together and operate as one team,” Weidley said in his closing speech.“Balikatan has and will continue to prepare our Armed Forces to work together to confront any and all challenges that may jeopardize the mutual defense that we have worked so hard to provide for one another,” he added.Around 5,000 Filipino soldiers and 3,000 US troops participated for this year’s drills.More than 70 members of the Australian Defense Force and the Japanese Self-Defense Force also joined the drills as observers.Galvez said the exercises “manifest” the strong ties between Manila and Washington.“We have committed to train side by side in order to advance the security and stability of our nations and our region,” he said.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/ph-troops-more-capable-vs-terror/399558/
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DoLE calls for unity in Asean labor standards
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['William Depasupil']
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2017-10-18 23:08:25+00:00
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THE Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) has pushed for unity in labor standards among the 10-member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) amid employment opportunities in the region’s growing economic integration.Labor Undersecretary Joel Maglungsod made the pitch on Wednesday during the opening of the two-day 8th Asean Regional Tripartite Social Dialogue Conference at the Sheraton Hotel in Manila.Maglungsod cited, among others as example, the need for an even salary scale and unified occupational and health standards in work places and other best practices that can be uniformly adopted by the Asean-member countries.He pointed out that a unified stand on important labor standards would protect Asean countries from being taken advantage of by more prosperous states.“Hopefully we can have a common unity in the whole of the Asean. We should have at least a standard because usually Asean nations, it appears, are being used by rich countries. They [rich countries] will say they are moving [their operations] to another Asean country because it has a much cheaper labor. It’s unfair, thus the need for standards,” Maglungsod said.He, however, pointed out that whatever will be agreed upon at the end of the conference can only be enforced by a member-country in accordance with its laws.“We can’t enforce it because each member-country has its laws. What is important is we have an understanding, a unity on what we are going to do,” he said.In the same conference, the labor group Associated Labor Unions-Trade Union Congress of the Philippines and global union federation Building and Woodworkers International (BWI) called for improved labor standards and safer workplace in the light of the mobility of some nine million workers in the growing economic integration among Asean member-countries.BWI General Secretary Ambet Yuson said there is a need to raise the level of workers’ participation in the Asean, national and local levels to avoid a race to the bottom among workers in the regional bloc.“We have achieved minimum social dialogue in the region but it is not sufficient to gain social and economic justice for Asean workers. Social and economic justice should be Asean’s goal alongside economic growth through integration,” Yuson added.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/dole-calls-unity-asean-labor-standards/357351/
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House probes OFW ID project anomalies
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['The Manila Times']
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2018-07-25 00:02:25+00:00
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THE HOUSE will investigate alleged anomalies that have stalled the implementation of the government’s special identification system project for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs). “We’ve already filed the resolution enabling the House good government and public accountability committee to conduct the probe, after Labor Secretary (Silvestre) Bello himself acknowledged the irregularities,” said ACTS-OFW Rep. Aniceto Bertiz III. He said the House will also look into the spread of fraudulent Integrated Department of Labor and Employment (iDOLE) cards for OFWs. He added that these fake cards proliferated after the state-run security printer, APO Production Unit Inc., prematurely generated and released thousands of iDOLE cards lacking security features allowing counterfeiters to quickly reproduce phony iDOLE cards that are now being illegally sold to departing OFWs. Bello earlier said he already had the iDOLE project scrapped after several racketeers tried to engage in fraudulent business dealings around it. The iDOLE card is meant to conveniently replace the overseas employment certificate (OEC) that all OFWs have to present at immigration counters before they are allowed to leave the country.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/house-probes-ofw-id-project-anomalies/422982/
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Senate tries to beat deadline in laundering
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['Jaime Pilapil']
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2016-11-30 21:25:38+00:00
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Racing to beat the June deadline of Paris-based Financial Action Task Force (FATF), Sen. Francis Escudero on Wednesday announced that he is ready to deliver the sponsorship speech on December 5 for the amended Anti-Money Laundering Act or Republic Act 9160.The lawmaker said the Senate is determined to pass the bill before the deadline or else “they might make it difficult for our overseas Filipino workers.”Last Monday, the committee report of the Senate Committee on Banks, Financial Institutions and Currencies, of which he is the chairman, has been signed by majority of the members.“We can finally be compliant with the requirements set by the FATF and we would be free from sanctions, particularly on our refusal to include casinos in the AMLA,” Escudero told reporters.Included in the amended AMLC law are dealers in precious metals, dealers in high value goods, real-estate brokers, lawyers and accountants acting in behalf of clients whenever they receive cash exceeding P500,000 and the casinos.Those using checks, instead of cash, cannot escape AMLA either. Checks are subject to reportorial requirements by the bank, making it easier to trace money laundering.Barring impediments, the Senate and the House of Representatives are targeting passage of the bill by the first quarter of 2017.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/senate-tries-beat-deadline-laundering/299227/
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BACOLOD FIREWORKS VENDORS RAP POLICE CHIEF
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['The Manila Times']
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2018-01-04 20:14:41+00:00
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BACOLOD CITY: Fireworks vendors here have filed a complaint against the acting police chief of Bacolod City for allegedly confiscating their goods even if they have a permit from the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI). The complainants, led by Allan Pacheco, president of firework vendors, with Lilia delo Sario, Alonzo Sumagaysay, Erlinda Trasmane, Ester Tadia, Analyn Sumagaysay, Theresa Robaton, Metchel Bermudes, Jivy Lastimoso and Josephine Aguilar accused Senior Supt. Francisco Ebreo of irregularity. They alleged that at about 8:30 a.m. on December 31, Ebreo ordered members of the Bacolod City Police Office to confiscate illegal fireworks like 5-star. Pacheco said the confiscation of their goods was “illegal” because they have a permit to sell from the DTI. When sought for reaction to the complaint, Ebreo said fireworks such as 5-star are illegal under the Implementing Rules and Regulation of Executive Order 28 issued by President Rodrigo Duterte. He added that on December 31, they asked the vendors to surrender illegal firecrackers they were selling. When the police, however, conducted a test buy at the designated area for selling at the Reclamation Area, they found that some vendors are still selling illegal fireworks. This prompted Ebreo to conduct an operation and confiscate the illegal products. ”We are just implementing what is mandated by law,” he said.Eugene Y. Adiong
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/bacolod-fireworks-vendors-rap-police-chief/372237/
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2.2M applicants swamp Comelec
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['William Depasupil']
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2018-08-09 00:03:03+00:00
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THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) received more than two million applications for registration during the first month of the resumption of the continuing registration in preparation for the 2019 mid-term elections.Comelec spokesman James Jimenez said the number of applicants was high compared to the last registration period for the Barangay (village) and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections in May.“One factor in the upsurge in submissions is the influx of applicants intending to have their registration records transferred, since applications for transfers were not allowed in the previous rounds of voter registration ahead of the 2018 Barangay and SK Elections,” Jimenez said on Wednesday.Comelec records show that 2,297,606 applications were received from July 2 to July 28, 2018.The poll body will accept applications in all Comelec offices nationwide except in Marawi City, until September 29, 2018.Data from the Election and Barangay Affairs Department showed that there were more women applicants – 1,260,341 – than men – 1,037,265.Region 4-A had the most number of applicants with 372,834 applications, followed by Region 3 with 260,712, and National Capital Region, 255,796.Section 8 of Republic Act (RA) 8189 or The Voter’s Registration Act of 1996 provides for the system of continuing registration of voters.Satellite registration activities are also being conducted nationwide in barangay halls, public/private schools, commercial establishments, detention center/jail or resettlement areas, areas with indigenous community, and other public places to ensure wider voter participation.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/2-2m-applicants-swamp-comelec/428136/
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QC council approves body cameras for QCPD
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['The Manila Times']
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2018-08-27 20:48:26+00:00
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THE Quezon City Council approved a resolution introduced by Councilor Gian Carlo Sotto authorizing the procurement of 1,500 units of body-worn camera-video for the use of Quezon City Police District (QCPD) personnel as means to enhance crime monitoring and presentation. Part of the resolution states that Quezon City as the biggest city in the National Capital Region, both in terms of area and population, has seen the increased incidence of crimes against persons and properties, hence the QCPD must be provided with necessary infrastructure to ensure the safety and well-being of its residents as well as those engaged in business, employed, or while traveling in the city.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/qc-council-approves-body-cameras-for-qcpd/435265/
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Jinggoy not yet decided on Senate run
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['Ma. Reina Leanne Tolentino']
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2018-01-08 21:41:14+00:00
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Former senator Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada has yet to decide if he will again run for senator in 2019.Estrada was charged with plunder at the Sandiganbayan for the alleged irregular use of his Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) or pork barrel when he was a member of the Senate.“I haven’t decided but I’m going around the country to thank the people for their unwavering support,” he told reporters. “Pero siyempre andoon pa rin ‘yung inclination natin to serve our people on a national level (but of course the inclination to serve our people on a national level is still there).”He said the cases filed against him in court would have no effect on his bid, if ever, for a government position.He recalled that he had a pending plunder case along with his father, former president and now Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada, when he first ran for senator in 2004. He was eventually acquitted.His father was found guilty in 2007 but was pardoned by former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.The younger Estrada was released from detention in September after the Sandiganbayan’s Special Fifth Division, voting 3-2, allowed him to post bail.Estrada is one of three former senators charged by the Office of the Ombudsman in connection with the pork barrel scam. The other two are Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. and Juan Ponce Enrile.Enrile was allowed to post bail in 2015 for humanitarian reasons because of his age. Revilla is detained at the Philippine National Police custodial center in Camp Crame in Quezon City.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/jinggoy-not-yet-decided-senate-run/373106/
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Hold order issued vs party list lawmaker
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['Jing Villamente']
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2017-06-16 21:43:10+00:00
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The Manila regional trial court issued a hold departure order against billionaire and 1-Pacman party-list Rep. Michael Romero for allegedly stealing P3.4 million from his family-owned Harbor Center Port Terminal, Inc. (HCPTI).The two-page order was issued by Manila RTC Branch 11 Judge Cicero Jurado Jr. against Romero and one of his two co-accused, Edwin Jeremillo.“Furnish the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Bureau of Immigration a copy of this Order (HDO) together with the pertinent pictures and documents for their information and guidance,” Jurado sid in his order.Jurado in January issued an arrest warrant against Romero, Jeremillo, and Felicia Aquino for qualified theft. Romero has been evading arrest for close to six months now.“Despite the issuance of the warrant of arrest, both accused have evaded arrest. It was also pointed out that accused Michael Romero is currently the vice chairman of AirAsia Philippines, a low-cost airline based in Manila and an affiliate of AirAsia in Malaysia. Ergo, it was argued that it was easy for him to leave the country should he wish,” read the ruling, which approved the motion for the issuance of a HDO filed by the private prosecutor.The public and private prosecutors earlier tagged Romero – whose last known places of residence were at 7 Warbler St. Greenmeadows Subdivision in Quezon City and at Oracle Residences Katipunan Avenue, also in Quezon City – as a “flight risk.”Prior to the issuance of the arrest warrant, Romero has been very active in the House of Representatives and was a member of at least 15 committees.Earlier, House Majority Floor Leader Rodolfo Fariñas said the Congress leadership could not guarantee parliamentary immunity to Romero as it would have to respect the court’s orders.“The immunity from arrest applies only while the Congress is in session ‘in all offenses punishable by not more than six years imprisonment.’ Since (the order) stated that no bail has been recommended, it is obviously for an offense not covered by the immunity,” Fariñas said.The Court of Appeals has also upheld the validity of the arrest order against Romero, Jeremillo and Aquino.The neophyte lawmaker has been embroiled in a bitter legal battle with his own father, businessman Reghis Romero II, for the control of HCPTI, which operates the Manila North Harbor terminal.Jerome Canlas, the corporate secretary of Romero’s father, has accused the lawmaker of conspiring with Jeremillo and Aquino in stealing corporate funds by issuing 18 checks on April 27, 2007 to non-existent payees.Each cheque bore the amount of P200,000 for a total of P3.4 million – supposedly for “marketing expenses” and payable to the “National Food Authority and/or Felicia Aquino.”It was Romero and Jeremillo who signed and issued the checks, which in turn were cashed not by the NFA but by Aquino herself.In January, Romero was also barred by a Quezon City Regional Trial Court from claiming ownership of HCPTI, a move that exposed possible challenges in the ownership of the Manila North Harbor Port Inc., which has been taken over by conglomerate San Miguel Corp.Quezon City Branch 222 Judge Edgar Santos also ordered Romero and his affiliates, as well as their agents, employees and successors-in-interest, to stop acting on behalf of HCPTI as shareholder or member of the MNHPI board of directors.SMC president and chief operating officer Ramon Ang earlier said their group now controls 78.33-percent interest in the contested port terminal firm. Prior to the transaction, MNHPI was 65 percent owned by HCPTI and 35 percent by San Miguel-owned Petron Corp. SMC eventually acquired an additional 43.44-percent stake.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/hold-order-issued-vs-party-list-lawmaker/333185/
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Vega named govt corporate counsel
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['Catherine S. Valente']
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2018-10-02 00:01:08+00:00
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President Rodrigo Duterte has appointed Elpidio Vega as government corporate counsel, replacing Rudolf Philip Jurado who was fired by the Chief Executive for allegedly granting a gambling franchise to the Aurora Pacific Economic Zone and Freeport (Apeco).Vega, the deputy government corporate counsel, was promoted by the President to the post vacated by Jurado. His appointment paper was signed on September 27 but was released by Malacañang only on Monday.Jurado was fired by the President on May 28 for allegedly granting Apeco a franchise, which is solely done by government regulator Philippine Amusement Gaming Corporation.Vega was first appointed as deputy government corporate counsel during the administration of then president Fidel Ramos. He also served in this post during the administration of former president Joseph Estrada.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/vega-named-govt-corporate-counsel/447281/
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UP student council slams blogger
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['Jove Moya']
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2018-09-30 00:04:16+00:00
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The University of the Philippines’ student council on Saturday condemned blogger Drew Olivar for urging UP students to commit suicide on his video log, which resurfaced recently and went viral on social mediaIn the video he posted in February, Olivar urged UP students to hang themselves from the Oblation instead of conducting protest activities.The Oblation is the iconic symbol of UP, a monument of a naked human figure with arms outstretched and facing upwards. It comes from the Latin word “oblatio,” meaning to offer.UP student council President Yael Toribio said Olivar’s post was a big insult to UP graduates who died serving the Filipino people.“What he did is downright insensitive and insulting not only to the thousands of graduates of UP who shed blood, sweat, and tears to serve the Filipino people, but also to the growing and alarming number of Filipinos with mental health problems, including those who have committed suicide,” Toribio told The Manila Times.He said the attention given to Olivar prompts the blogger to produce more content that could hurt or offend people.“This is one of the many insulting remarks of the blogger. However, I do believe he does not deserve attention because it just gives him incentives to release more material that almost always attacks a certain group of people, whether it be members of the opposition or Filipinos with additional needs,” Toribio said.Olivar is facing a criminal case filed by the Metro Manila Police for his bomb warning on September 21, 2018, the 46th anniversary of the declaration of Martial Law.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/up-student-council-slams-blogger/446684/
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PAL WARNS AGAINST FAKE AIRLINE TICKETS
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['Benjie Vergara']
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2018-10-08 00:04:28+00:00
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~The Philippine Airlines (PAL) expressed concern over a scam that offers cut-rate airline tickets and fake identification cards through social media sites. PAL spokesman Cielo Villaluna said despite several warnings, many consumers still fall prey to the modus operandi involving the proliferation of fake airline tickets sold cheap online. Travelers are enticed to buy the tickets which are in the name of fictitious people but the buyers are offered fake IDs for presentation at airport check-in. PAL Express head of security Jorge Amba revealed that as of October 5, there were 68 apprehensions reported mostly in Zamboanga, Cagayan de Oro, Cotabato, Bacolod and Clark in Pampanga. But he said their airport front liners are trained to distinguish counterfeit IDs. “If you present a fake ID, you will surely miss your flights and will have tons of problems,” he added. Passengers caught using fake IDs and tickets can face criminal charges.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/pal-warns-against-fake-airline-tickets-2/449462/
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Free entrance to museums, other perks during teachers’ month
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['Francis Earl Cueto']
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2018-09-08 00:01:46+00:00
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IN recognition of teachers’ tireless dedication and unwavering commitment to service, the Department of Education (DepEd) is celebrating National Teachers’ Month (NTM) from September 5 to October 5.With the theme, “Gurong Pilipino: Turo Mo, Kinabukasan Ko,” the celebration highlights teachers’ invaluable contribution to the delivery of quality, accessible, relevant and liberating basic education in the country.As a token of gratitude, public and private partners are offering teachers the following:The Mind Museum – free entrance with one paying companion at a discounted rate (September 5 to October 5); Museo Pambata – free entrance for teachers and two companions, free gift items, 5 percent off in Pasalubong Gift Shop (September 5 to October 5) and free doll making and story making workshop (September 22); Ayala Museum – free entrance and one companion;Fundacion Sanso – free entrance and museum tour, lecture on Philippine history, art workshop and discount on souvenir shops; Metropolitan Museum of Manila – free entrance (September 6, 13, 20, and 27); Vargas Museum – discounted rate for teachers and companions; Yuchengco Museum – free entrance for teachers and discounts for their companions and 10 percent off on Museum products and publications (September 5 to October 5); Museum of Contemporary Art and Design – free guided tour for teachers for the show Extra Extra Ordinary (September 21); BenCab Museum – P100 discount on entrance ticket; Museo Kordilyera – free entrance; Museo Orlina – free entrance, guided tour for groups with minimum of five people and 10 percent off on selected souvenir items;National Museum and GSIS Museum – free entrance; Kenny Rogers Roasters – 10 percent off on products (September 5 to October 5); Executive Optical – 30 percent off on any purchase of complete eyeglass worth P2,000 and up (September 5 to October 5); Krizia – gifts for 10 lucky winners who will participate in an online activity; Bioessence – free Beauty Break Facial; Rags2Riches – gift voucher online; National Book Store – free Laking National Card; Rulls Cellphones and Accessories – discounts on products; Shopcore Inc. – 5 percent off on school supplies purchased online;Art in Island – free entrance (weekdays of September 4 to 28); Enchanted Kingdom – P700 only for Park and Agila Ticket with free EK souvenir and skill game coupons (August 30 to October 7), and free entrance (October 7); Star City – 50 percent off on ride-all-you-can tickets for a teacher and one companion; Manila International Book Fair – free entrance (September 12 to 16);Dermstrata – discounts on selected services (September 5 to October 5); LCC Department Store – 10 percent off on selected items (September 7 to October 5); and Riverbanks Center and its participating merchants – various treats and discounts.The NTM celebration, in coordination with the National Teachers’ Day Coordinating Council (NTDCC) and the National Teachers’ Month Coordinating Council, culminates with a grand celebration of the National Teachers’ Day and World Teachers’ Day on October 5 in Ormoc City, Leyte.The NTDCC is composed of the heads of DepEd, the Commission on Higher Education, Technical Education Skills and Development Authority, Department of the Interior and Local Government, Government Service Insurance System (GSIS), Social Security System, Home Development Mutual Fund, Land Bank of the Philippines and other government-owned and controlled corporations and private companies and organizations.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/free-entrance-to-museums-other-perks-during-teachers-month/439187/
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6 drug suspects killed in Caloocan encounters
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['Jing Villamente']
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2017-08-07 00:55:32+00:00
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Six drug suspects were killed and two others were arrested in separate shooting incidents over the weekend in Caloocan City.Danilo Dacumos, alias “Payat,” 48, of Phase 4, Block 17, Bagong Silang died instantly from bullet wounds in the body after he engaged lawmen in a shootout.Caloocan police chief and Senior Supt. Chito Bersaluna said members of Police Community Precinct (PCP) 3 were conducting “Oplan Galugad” along Phase 4 when they chanced upon Dacumos, a notorious robbery-snatching suspect involved in drug peddling in the area.When the policemen tried to accost him, Dacumos allegedly pulled out an unknown caliber of firearm and fired at the lawmen who fired back, killing the suspect instantly.Members of PCP 6 Drug Enforcement Unit (DEU) were conducting an anti-illegal drug operation when they spotted Dave Oseo, 23, and Randy Verenio, also 23, both of Santo Tomas Village, Barangay 167; and Edeliza Oseo, 32, of 27 Santa Isabel, Gulod, Novaliches, Quezon City while allegedly in the middle of a drug transaction inside HIC Snack House in Santo Tomas Village.When Dave Oseo sensed the presence of lawmen, he drew a caliber .38 revolver and opened fire at the DEU members who returned fire, killing Oseo also instantly.Verenio and Edeliza were arrested.The police recovered from Dave Oseo five plastic sachets of shabu and drug paraphernalia .Also in Barangay Bagong Silang, Jonard Orticio, 32 of Phase 9, Package 5, Block 65, Lot 66 was gunned down by members of PCP 3 at when he engaged the lawmen in another shootout.The police recovered from Orticio a caliber .38 revolver and three plastic sachets containing suspected shabu.In Barangay 188, Tala, three drug suspects were killed in a police anti-drug operation around 5 a.m. on Saturday.The slain suspects are yet to be identified.The police recovered from the suspects a caliber .45 pistol, a caliber .38 revolver, an improvised shotgun and four packs of suspected shabu with an estimated street value of P125,000.They are hunting down one alias “Daga,” allegedly the supplier of drugs in the area.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/6-drug-suspects-killed-caloocan-encounters/342900/
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UNICEF names QC model for infant care
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['Dempsey Reyes']
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2017-04-16 00:33:23+00:00
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INTERNATIONAL organization United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) recently named Quezon City as the model for a highly urbanized city to implement the organization’s integrated First 1,000 days program.The First 1,000 days is a program launched by UNICEF in year 2010, with a goal to put into place measures to take good care of infants from conception up to the child’s second birthday.The Quezon City Health Department accompanied UNICEF officials to inform Mayor Herbert Bautista about the locality’s latest achievement.However, UNICEF also called on Bautista to expand the city’s health programs and support the three other components of a child’s life including health, nutrition, and water sanitation and hygiene.Child protection and early education for children were the additional two components proposed by UNICEF.Georgina Belardo, UNICEF-Philippines child right and business specialist, believes that if the two additional components will also be integrated, the infant, even if it is still inside the mother’s womb, will be protected from deadly diseases from childhood to adulthood.She also disclosed that the city chief executive is “very positive” for the program initiated by UNICEF.The 1,000 days program is backed by the United States and Irish governments, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and several non-profit organizations.UNICEF has introduced the program in the provinces of Zamboanga del Norte, Mapanas in Northern Samar and Monreal in Masbate.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/unicef-names-qc-model-infant-care/322381/
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DFA loses arbitration case over passport deal
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['Jomar Canlas']
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2017-09-21 21:03:00+00:00
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THE Supreme Court (SC) has junked a petition filed by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) seeking to annul and set aside two procedural orders both issued by the UNCITRAL Ad Hoc Arbitral Tribunal in arbitration proceedings between the department and the BCA International Corporation.In a full-court decision penned by Associate Justice Diosdao Peralta, the SC’s Second Division held that under Article 33 of the UNCITRAL Arbitration Rules governing the parties, “the arbitral tribunal shall apply the law designated by the parties as applicable to the substance of the dispute.”“Failing such designation by the parties, the arbitral tribunal shall apply the law determined by the conflict of laws rules which it considers applicable,” the court said.“Established in this jurisdiction is the rule that the law of the place where the contract is made governs, or lex loci contractus.”In an Amended Build-Operate-Transfer agreement on April 5, 2002, the DFA awarded the Machine Readable Passport and Visa Project (MRP/V Project) to the BCA.In the course of implementing the MRP/V Project, conflict arose and the DFA sought to terminate the agreement.The BCA opposed the termination and filed a request for arbitration on April 20, 2006.The tribunal gave the BCA time within which to file its amended statement of claims and also gave the DFA time to formally interpose its objections.The DFA brought its case to the SC but did not get a favorable ruling there.“Wherefore, the court resolves to dismiss the petition for failure to observe the rules on court intervention allowed by [Republic Act] 9285 . . . in the pending arbitration proceedings of the parties to this case,” the High Court said.“It is clear that an appeal by certiorari to the Supreme Court is from a judgment or final order or resolution of the Court of Appeals and only questions of law may be raised. There have been instances when we overlooked the rule on hierarchy of courts and took cognizance of a petition for certiorari alleging grave abuse of discretion by the Regional Trial Court when it granted interim relief to a party and issued an order assailed by the petitioner, considering the transcendental importance of the issue involved therein or to better serve the ends of justice when the case is determined on the merits rather on technicality,” the SC held in its ruling dated July 19, 2017 but was released only recently.“However, in this case, the appeal by certiorari is not from a final order of the Court of Appeals or the Regional Trial Court, but from an interlocutory order of the Arbitral Tribunal; hence, the petition must be dismissed.”
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/dfa-loses-arbitration-case-passport-deal/351978/
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Pinay global achiever honored in New York
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['The Manila Times']
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2017-03-06 21:12:54+00:00
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A Filipino known as a global women’s advocate was among the 18 women recognized recently by the Society of Foreign Consuls in New York (SOFC) during its International Women’s Day celebration at the Bohemian Hall of the Consulate General of the Czech Republic.Analisa Leonor Balares is chief executive officer and founder of Womensphere, an international non-government organization engaged in the global community helping women and young girls to create the future.Balares has under her name over 50 Womensphere conferences in America and Europe and is currently building the New Champions Womensphere Incubator Network that is dedicated to training and advancing women and young girls in leadership, innovation, entrepreneurship, sustainability and STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, mathematics).A product of Manila Science High School where she earned multiple national awards, she was a scholar at Lester Pearson United World College in Canada and Mount Holyoke College in Massachusetts.She earned her master’s degree in Business Administration from Harvard Business School and a certificate in Digital Filmmaking from the New York Film Academy.Prior to her fulltime involvement in women’s advocacy, Balares worked at Microsoft, Milestone Capital, Goldman Sachs High Technology Investment Banking, Morgan Stanley’s Energy Investment Banking Group, among others.She has been recognized as a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum, where she is one of the chairmen of New Champions 5050, the YGL community’s global initiative for gender parity and women’s empowerment.Balares was recently selected by the National Aeronautics Space Administration as a NASA Datanaut and is recognized as one of the New Leaders of America.Now, on its 6th year, SOFC International Women’s Day has been an occasion to celebrate the achievements of women throughout the many immigrant communities in New York who helped to strengthen the state’s vibrancy and diversity.Consul General Maria Theresa Dizon-de Vega, currently serving as one of the vice presidents of the SOFC together with SOFC President Consul General Isabel Nieto of Colombia, awarded a certificate of recognition to Balares.The 17 other awardees are from Algeria, Bangladesh, Barbados, Bulgaria, Colombia, Georgia, Haiti, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Jamaica, Kazahkstan, Kosovo, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Slovak Republic and Turkey.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/pinay-global-achiever-honored-new-york-2/315765/
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Help fight extremism, Muslim leaders urged
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['Fernan Marasigan']
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2017-03-05 20:30:09+00:00
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TOP security officials have urged indigenous Muslim leaders in southern Philippines to support the campaign against extremist groups that the government had vowed to wipe out by July this year.Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief of Staff Eduardo Año and commanders of Eastern Mindanao and Western Mindanao commands; commanders of the Philippine Army’s 1st, 6th and 10th Infantry Divisions and all battalion commanders in Mindanao met with the indigenous leaders during a three-day conference dubbed Mindanao Sultanate Summit on Peace and Security held recently.Also in attendance were some 450 Muslim traditional leaders from the various Sultanates of Mindanao.Describing the meeting as a first of its kind, Col. Edgard Arevalo, chief of the AFP Public Affairs Office, said, “This summit manifests our application of the convergence approach that is vital in defeating the Abu Sayyaf Group [ASG] and ensuring that vulnerable communities are protected from their violent ideology.”The ASG, which operates mainly in southern Mindanao, is a jihadist group linked to the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria or ISIS.“By involving indigenous Muslim leaders in Mindanao, we are a step closer in dissolving the terror group’s mass base support and prevent them from recruiting new members,” Arevalo pointed out.During the conference, the Department of National Defense and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) agreed to partner with the group of Mindanao Sultans headed by Sultan Abdulaziz Salem Mastura Kudarat V, the 25th Sultan of Maguindanao.Besides extremism, also discussed during the meeting were poverty reduction, community policing, terrorism and violent ideology.They were followed by a series of workshops aimed at preventing the spread of extremism.Other security officials present were Philippine National Police chief and Director General Ronald dela Rosa, Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Jesus Dureza, National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr., DILG Secretary Ismael Sueno and National Anti-Poverty Commission Secretary Liza Maza.“Aside from advancing the interests of and ensuring respect for traditional leaders in Mindanao, this summit is an opportunity for us to underscore their role in peace and security in the region,” Año said.“Terrorism and the spread of violent extremism cannot be solved by the military on its own. The active participation and involvement of the different stakeholders are a much needed help in ensuring the peace, security and development of Mindanao,” he added.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/help-fight-extremism-muslim-leaders-urged/315572/
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Richard Gutierrez charged with tax evasion
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['The Manila Times']
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2017-04-23 00:38:13+00:00
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The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) has filed a criminal complaint with the Department of Justice against R. Gutz Production Corporation and its president, Richard Gutierrez ,for two counts of willfull attempt to evade the payment of income tax and value added tax for the taxable year 2012, and for failure to file income tax return and first, second and fourth quarter VAT returns also for 2012.The case against respondents stemmed from a matching process conducted by the BIR on the information provided by third party sources against the respondents’ declarations based on VAT returns for taxable year 2012 that revealed an under-declaration of sales amounting to P39.604 million.“The summary list [of purchases] submitted by the respondents’ clients disclosed sales of P39.915 million while sales declared by the respondents per tax returns filed was P311.111 million,” the BIR said in a statement.Sought by The Manila Times for his reaction, the actor’s lawyer Marie Glen Abraham-Garduque stated: “Richard has not received any complaint from the BIR yet. He will answer at the proper forum as soon as he receives it.”In reply to the request of the BIR for a Certified Schedule of Purchases to validate the information it gathered, GMA Network stated that its purchases from R. Gutz was P624,052.29 and P39,291,883.38.Investigators also discovered that R Gutz failed to file its annual income tax return for taxable year 2012 as well as its second to fourth quarterly VAT returns for the same taxable year. The only return filed by R Gutz was its first quarterly VAT return for 2012.The respondents were notified of the findings at least thrice on September 8, 2014, January 20, 2017, and on March 29, 2017 when the BIR sent a copy of the notice through LBC and registered mail to R Gutz using the company’s address at No. 41 Derby Street, White Plains, Katipunan, Quezon City.“As a consequence of their acts and omissions, R Gutz and its President Richard Gutierrez were assessed an estimated aggregate deficiency tax liability for taxable year 2012 in the total amount of P38.57 million, inclusive of surcharges and interests, broken down into: IT [income tax] – P27.45 million; and VAT – P11.12 million,” the BIR said.Based on documents from the Securities and Exchange Commission, R Gutz is engaged in the of production, processing and marketing of telemovies, telesine, movies, recordings, television shows and other forms of entertainments, including events, sports, promotion of talents, movies, television and live shows for local and international consumption.The case against R Gutz and Gutierrez is the 21st filed under the Run After Tax Evaders program of the BIR under the leadership of Commissioner Caesar Dulay.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/richard-gutierrez-charged-tax-evasion/323629/
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AFP chief gets fourth star
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['Fernan Marasigan']
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2017-01-05 23:28:12+00:00
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~THE Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief of Staff Eduardo Año was promoted to a full-pledged general, almost a month after he assumed the top military post. Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana on Thursday pinned the fourth star on Año during a simple ceremony attended by his family and top AFP officials at the headquarters of the Department of National Defense in Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City. The AFP Public Affairs Office chief, Col. Edgard Arevalo, said Año’s promotion is an ad interim appointment signed by President Rodrigo Duterte on December 28, 2016. A seasoned intelligence and combat officer, Año was named AFP chief last December 7, replacing Gen. Ricardo Visaya who bowed out of the service after reaching the mandatory retirement age of 56.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/afp-chief-gets-fourth-star/305373/
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Stop drive vs tambays, rights group urges PNP
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['Mary Gleefer F. Jalea']
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2018-06-27 00:05:06+00:00
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The Human Rights Watch (HRW) on Tuesday urged the Philippine National Police (PNP) to immediately end its campaign against tambay or loiterers, saying it traumatizes communities already reeling from the drug war campaign.“The PNP should immediately end a crime prevention campaign that has disproportionately targeted ‘loiterers’ in low-income areas of Manila and other cities,” the international human rights group said in a statement.Phelim Kine, HRW deputy Asia director, said the campaign threatens detainees’ health and safety.Since the PNP started the campaign on June 13, around 8,000 people in Metro Manila have been arrested and detained in facilities that are “dangerously overcrowded,” HRW added.Usually, these loiterers have been caught for violating minor offenses such as breaking curfew hours, drinking in public places, or for roaming the streets half-naked.On June 18, Genesis “Tisoy” Argoncillo died under police custody in Novaliches, three days after he was arrested for “alarm and scandal.”Autopsy revealed that Argoncillo died from multiple blunt force trauma on his neck, head, and upper extremities due to homicide.Two fellow detainees are currently facing murder charges, but Argoncillo’s family suspects that police brutality was involved.“The PNP are again demonstrating their preference for wielding fear, intimidation, and arbitrary arrest to target vulnerable communities rather than respect for the rule of law,” Kine added, reiterating that torture and other ill forms of treatment are commonly experienced by detainees.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/stop-drive-vs-tambays-rights-group-urges-pnp/412833/
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Duterte imposes his formula on the Philippines
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['Victor Arches']
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9/1/2017 0:00
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Rodrigo Duterte has kept his word.“Forget the laws on human rights,” he declared in May at his final presidential campaign rally in Manila. “If I make it to the presidential palace, I will do just as I did as mayor. You drug pushers, hold-up men, and do-nothings, you better go out. Because, I’d kill you.”More than seven months after winning the presidency, Duterte is rolling out on a national scale the model of government he honed over 22 years and seven terms as mayor of this city on the southern island of Mindanao. Just as in Davao, blood is now flowing in the capital Manila and surrounding areas as the police and vigilantes, inspired by the President, conduct a wave of killings.A Davao-based human rights group, the Coalition Against Summary Execution (CASE), has compiled figures showing that death squads in the city were responsible for at least 1,400 documented killings between 1998 and 2015. Scaled up, Duterte’s war on drugs is now well under way across the nation, and the body count is setting records.Police have killed more than 2,000 people since he was inaugurated on June 30, and are investigating about 3,000 more deaths. Human rights monitors believe many of these were carried out by vigilantes with official sanction, a charge the government denies.In Davao, Duterte built a personality cult around his crackdown on crime. Part Mao, part Castro, part gun-toting Filipino warlord, the avowedly socialist mayor ruled his city as a lethal enemy of wrongdoers and a champion of the poor. His salute was a clenched fist – a symbol now emblazoned on souvenir mugs and other Duterte memorabilia.But there is another ingredient in Duterte’s appeal that makes him a more complex leader, and a potentially more potent one, than is appreciated abroad: The people of Davao say he gets things done. Residents laud his handling of city services. Businesses praise his pro-growth policy. A top official at the American Chamber of Commerce in the Philippines applauds his team of economic advisers.Samuel R. Matunog, a Davao lawyer, businessman and human rights worker, strongly rejects Duterte’s support for violence and killing. But he acknowledges there are elements of his administration worthy of support. “There are so many things that he does that I like,” he says. “Most important to him is the basic welfare of working people.”With the national levers of power in his grasp, Duterte is trying to apply to the Philippines, a nation of 101 million people, the same recipe of fear and populism that he employed in his efforts to tame Davao, a city of 1.6 million.‘A BIGGER DAVAO CITY’To advance the drug war, his political allies have introduced legislation to bring back the death penalty – and to lower the age at which people can be prosecuted for crimes to just 9. Meanwhile, he is promising a raft of measures certain to please wage earners and the poor – including free tuition at state universities and colleges, and free irrigation for rice farmers. He also wants to replicate features of the Cuban health system.The task of managing the more than $300-billion national economy dwarfs any challenge Duterte faced in Davao, to be sure. While his war on drugs is well advanced, his promised economic reforms have barely started.“He wants to make the Philippines a bigger Davao City,” Jesus Dureza, one of Duterte’s closest advisers, said in an interview on the President’s plan to boost the economy by eliminating crime and drugs. “But the work is much tougher as corruption and crime are well-entrenched in Manila, at the national level.”As president, Duterte is continuing his take-no-prisoners approach.In Davao, he shamed civil servants on a weekly radio and television program. In Manila, he has publicly humiliated his most outspoken critic, a senator who led an investigation into extrajudicial killings and now faces criminal charges. And he recently demanded the immediate resignation of the heads of the country’s top energy regulatory body after reports of corruption at the agency.In his crackdown on drugs and crime as mayor, most victims were drug users, petty criminals and street children. Most were either shot or stabbed to death in vigilante-style killings, CASE said.In a 2009 report, the international advocacy group Human Rights Watch (HRW) identified a consistent failure by police to seriously investigate these killings. Police in Davao, helped by neighborhood leaders, drew up lists that were used by death squads to target their victims, HRW alleged. The rights group also reported that acting and retired police officers worked as “handlers” for death-squad gunmen in Davao, giving them names and photos of targets, an allegation denied by Davao police.Duterte denies playing any part in the activities of the so-called death squads in Davao.The President has faced probes into the killings in Davao and since he took office in July, and none has proven he was responsible, a spokesman for Duterte said in response to questions from Reuters. The President’s critics “keep on picking on allegations of human rights violations,” he said. “If anyone is eroding democracy, it must be the rabid opponents who up to now cannot accept defeat and respect the results of elections.”SHOCK AND DISAPPROVALBut a similar pattern of violence is re-emerging nationally. In October, Reuters revealed the key role that neighborhood “captains” across the nation are playing in the drugs war. Many of the victims killed by law enforcement officers or vigilantes appeared on police “watch lists” that these low-level officials are helping to compile. A later Reuters investigation amassed evidence that suggested officers were summarily gunning down drug suspects and performing perfunctory crime-scene investigations and autopsies.“When will these killings stop?” said Congressman Gary Alejano, a former military officer and strong critic of Duterte’s methods. “The purpose of the war on drugs is to stifle opposition and castrate dissent. It is working.”
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Manila Bulletin
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https://news.mb.com.ph/2017/01/09/duterte-imposes-his-formula-on-the-philippines/
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Gambling lords seeking lawmakers’ help to stop STL
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['Jefferson Antiporda']
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2017-04-30 20:49:37+00:00
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THREATENED by the expansion of Small Time Lottery operation of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO), illegal gambling operators are allegedly trying to get the support of some lawmakers to stop the operation of the STL.The PCSO has expanded the operation of the STL in support of President Rodrigo Duterte’s all-out war against illegal gambling in the country.There are 56 authorized agent corporations (AACs) since PCSO expanded the STL last January and the office is evaluating 35 new agent corporations that if approved could help PCSO exceed its expected revenue of P27 billion this year in STL operation alone.Chairman Jose Jorge Corpuz of the PCSO said since the STL is already in placed nationwide, all existing numbers games in the country are considered illegal, including the operation of Meridien Vista Gaming Corporation (MVGC) of Charlie “Atong” Ang, a gambling operator.MVGC is reportedly involved in illegal numbers games operation using its jai-alai game as front.Unconfirmed report noted that big-time gambling personalities, including Ang, are asking some members of Congress to declare the STL illegal in order for them to continue the lottery’s operation.There were reports that Ang allegedly threatened to reveal names of lawmakers providing protection to illegal gambling operation if they would not act against the STL.Ang in a news conference last week accused Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aquirre 2nd and other government officials of plotting to eliminate him to stop his virtual jai-alai operation.But Aguirre dismissed Ang’s claims as mere fabrication and could be part of a demolition job in conspiracy with destabilizers of the Duterte administration.Senator Antonio Trillanes 4th also last week said he is planning to file a resolution calling for a Senate investigation of the alleged threat on Ang’s life.But the PCSO and its officials, Corpuz said, would remain focus on their objective to generate more revenues through the expansion of STL to ensure that more funds will be available for various government health projects and programs of the agency.The office assured the public that all its games are conducted in a transparent and professional manner wherein the integrity and truthfulness of every game can be expected.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/gambling-lords-seeking-lawmakers-help-stop-stl/324843/
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Manila fire victims seek assistance
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['Kimberly Malait']
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2018-06-19 00:02:23+00:00
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~By KIMBERLY MALAITABOUT 258 families in 60 houses that were razed in the fire that hit Geronimo Street in Sampaloc, Manila at 6 p.m. on Sunday are seeking assistance from the government and the private sector. Aside from additional supplies of food, sleeping mats and hygiene kits, the residents are seeking financial help as well as construction materials they may use in rebuilding their houses. Some residents have taken to collecting salvageable pieces of wood and steel from the remnants of their houses to sell as a temporary means of living. Meanwhile, classes in Moises Salvador Elementary School have been suspended as the classrooms are being used as temporary evacuation centers for the affected families. The Bureau of Fire Protection-Manila announced a fire out at about 1 a.m. on Monday. BFP Fire Senior Supt. Jonas Silvano said they are investigating the cause of the fire. No one was reported injured.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/manila-fire-victims-seek-assistance/409969/
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Firecrackers to be regulated, not banned
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['Micah Yvana M. Vardeleon']
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2016-11-16 22:09:06+00:00
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The Department of Health (DOH) has urged the public to avoid buying and using firecrackers in their households as Christmas festivities approach.As early as November, Filipinos start buying firecrackers in Bocaue, Bulacan, a place known for these, in preparation for Christmas and New Year celebrations.The DOH, however, discourages this practice as it advocates regulated use of firecrackers.“It is not a ban on firecrackers. It is just regulated use [of the firecrackers],” Health Secretary Paulyn Ubial clarified.She said the DOH is not stopping production, it is just minimizing the number of injuries.“The ones that will be lighting up the firecrackers and using them will be trained professionals and in controlled areas,” according to Ubial.This set-up, she said, is ideal to immediately address casualties in case of injuries.The Health department allows firecrackers for personal use only but pyrotechnics are okay, Ubial added.The Health secretary said President Rodrigo Duterte is supporting the regulation of firecracker use.An Executive Order on regulated use of firecrackers is expected before December 5.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/firecrackers-regulated-not-banned/296873/
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EU pledges €260M aid to Manila
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['Jordeene Sheex Lagare']
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2018-03-03 00:01:54+00:00
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The European Union (EU) said on Friday it has pledged a €260 million (P16.5 billion) grant to the Philippines despite the Duterte administration’s refusal to accept any financial assistance from the European bloc.The pledge came after the Philippine government formally rejected last month an aid amounting to €6.1 million (382.45 million), according to EU Ambassador to the Philippines Franz Jessen.The rationale behind the rejection was uncertain.Jessen previously said the documents for the aid were returned unsigned, which were supposed to be signed last December.The European official had added they informed contractors that about €39 million (P2.5 billion) worth of sustainable energy projects in Mindanao might no longer materialize.Still, the administration’s move to reject the fourth phase of the Trade Related Technical Assistance from the EU will not affect their €260 million development assistance between 2014 and 2020.“What we’re going today, I mean the ongoing cooperation that we have with the Philippines is €260 million,” European Commission’s Directorate General for International Cooperation and Development Director General Stefano Manservisi told reporters.The bulk of the amount will go to energy projects, with about €170 million to be earmarked for areas in Mindanao that are not connected to the main grid.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/eu-pledges-e260m-aid-manila/383637/
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Marawi folk to be part of govt rehab efforts
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['Catherine S. Valente']
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2018-04-03 00:02:35+00:00
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Malacañang on Monday assured the public that residents of Marawi City would be consulted on the government’s planned reconstruction of their hometown.In a news briefing, Senior Deputy Executive Secretary Menardo Guevarra said the “essence” of Marawi City will be considered in the restoration process of the war-torn city, the capital of Lanao del Sur province in southern Mindanao.“I’m sure that the residents themselves will be given an opportunity to make their own proposals on how to rehabilitate their own city… Maybe it’s just a sort of misunderstanding or hindi naman ganoon talaga ang ibig sabihin [or that’s not what it means]. But I doubt it very much whether you know the residents themselves of the city will not even be consulted on a manner by which their city will have to be rehabilitated,” Guevarra added in an interview with reporters.“There are cultural, historical aspects that need to be respected and considered. So when you are restoring something, you are bringing it back to its condition before, of course with much improvement but essentially the essence of Marawi City as a Muslim city will have to be taken into account in the restoration process,” he said.Guevarra made the statement after Sultan Abdul Atar, spokesman for the Ranaw Multi-Sectoral Movement, slammed the government’s task force in charge of rebuilding Marawi City, saying it was only consulting the local government, not the residents themselves.“These people [in the] Task Force Bangon Marawi should study the genealogy of the Maranaos.”
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/marawi-folk-to-be-part-of-govt-rehab-efforts/390167/
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5 make shortlist of first Duterte SC appointees
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['Jomar Canlas']
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2016-12-02 20:47:44+00:00
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FOUR Court of Appeals (CA) justices and one Sandiganbayan justice made the shortlist of the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) for two vacancies in the Supreme Court (SC).Topping the list is CA Justice Jose Reyes with 7 votes.Tied with 5 votes each are CA Justices Japar Dimaampao and Apolinario Bruselas and Sandiganbayan Justice Samuel Martires.Coming in fifth spot is CA Presiding Justice Andres Reyes with four votes.Justice Jose Perez’s replacement will be the first appointee of President Rodrigo Duterte to the High Court.The JBC will vote on the replacement of Justice Arturo Brion on December 9.In a recent ruling, the SC prohibited clustering of nominees by the JBC wherein the council selects and separates or clusters the names of candidates.The seven-man council, which is constitutionally mandated to screen and vet nominees to the President for vacant posts in the judiciary and the Offices of the Ombudsman and Deputy Ombudsman, is headed by Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno, with Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre 2nd, Sen. Richard Gordon and Mindoro Oriental Rep. Reynaldo Umali as ex-officio members.Retired SC Justice Angelina Sandoval-Gutierrez is the head of the executive committee Lawyer Jose Mejia represents academe, Milagros Fernan-Cayosa represents Integrated Bar of the Philippines and retired Judge Toribio Ilao represents private sector.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/5-make-shortlist-first-duterte-sc-appointees/299668/
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Negros signs MOU with Japanese school
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['Eugene Y. Adiong']
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2017-06-15 21:35:58+00:00
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BACOLOD CITY: Negros Occidental Gov. Alfredo G. Maranon, Jr. recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Miyakonojo Higashi High School in Japan that will pave the way for Negrense students to study and work in the country. Maranon signed the deal with the school chairman Yutaka Shimizu granting scholarships to 10 Negrense senior high school students at Miyakonojo City, Miyazaki Prefecture, Japan. Maranon said this is “the first time in the history of Negros Occidental that scholarship grants will be given to senior high school students to study in Japan starting 2018.” Miyakonojo Higashi High School vice chairman Brian Wee said the MOU is a milestone in their efforts to open the door of opportunities to Negrense students.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/negros-signs-mou-japanese-school/332906/
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DFA orders deployment of rescue team to Iraq
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['Michael Joe T. Delizo']
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2016-11-16 22:07:58+00:00
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A RAPID response team (RRT) has been ordered to go to Iraq’s city of Erbil in Kurdistan region to assist the Philippine Embassy in Baghdad in monitoring and preparing for any contingency that may arise as a result of escalating fighting in Mosul, which has been under the control of Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant.Erbil is only a few kilometers away from Mosul.Although the prevailing situation does not require a change in the current crisis alert level 4, Foreign Secretary Perfecto Yasay Jr. said appropriate steps would have to be taken early to ensure preparedness to lead overseas Filipinos workers (OFWs) in Kurdistan out of harm’s way.Yasay instructed Undersecretary for Migrant Workers’ Affairs Jesus Yabes to immediately deploy the RRT to Kurdistan, assess the situation in Mosul, issue advisories and alerts and engage with the Filipino community in Erbil and neighboring areas.The official said this is a proactive measure to assure OFWs in Kurdistan of the Philippine government’s readiness to assist them in times of crisis.There is no established Philippine diplomatic or consular presence in the Kurdistan region.As such, the Philippine embassies in Baghdad, Ankara and Tehran have been instructed to activate their crisis teams to prepare for contingencies in case the OFWs are transported across their borders.Charles Jose, Foreign Affairs spokesman and assistant secretary, said the latest report showed that there are more than 2,000 Filipinos in Iraq–300 of them in Baghdad, 1,500 in Kurdistan and the rest in Basra and southern provinces.The Department of Foreign Affairs is reminding all OFWs in Kurdistan to be vigilant and monitor advisories issued by the Philippine Embassy in Baghdad at all times.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/dfa-orders-deployment-rescue-team-iraq/296872/
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Training a new breed of journalists
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['Catherine A. Modesto']
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2018-05-30 23:59:13+00:00
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As a way to adapt to the massive technological change that has reshaped how news is reported and shared, The Manila Times College (TMTC) and the Asia Pacific College (APC) combined forces to incorporate two specialization tracks into its journalism curriculum in which putting substance to the “new breed of journalism” is the end in mind.“The curriculum aims to put substance to the new breed of journalism,” said Rhea Luz R. Valbuena, executive director, School of Computing and Information Technologies and curriculum designer of the information technology program.“This is to take into account the shifting practices in journalism, which is now really heading to the digital world. There will be no papers here in the future,” DanteFrancis M. Ang, vice chairman and dean of The Manila Times College and president of The Manila Times said, following the signing of the memorandum of agreement with APC last week.“New media is challenging traditional media. Everything is downloaded. If you do not have a media background, you cannot survive,” Ang added.Catering to the future of the journalism workforce—millennial generation (born in 1981 to 1996) and post-millennial generation (born in 1997 and later)—this specialized journalism program crafted by the two schools combines journalism education with either an information technology or multimedia arts degree.By 2030, the hyper-connected, tech savvy generation will make up 75% of the workforce according to statistics.It offers to teach students how to use technological tools like websites to their advantage and acquire skills such as fact checking of sources, so they may become empowered workers of their chosen field and purveyors of credible news.The specialization tracks each have 21 units of information technology (IT), which was designed by Rhea Luz Valbuena, and multimedia arts, which was constructed by Robert Besana, under the liberal arts degree journalism.The multimedia subjects are principles of design, drawing for multimedia such as simple illustrations and story boards, user interface and experience design, post production techniques, sound design, motion graphics design and illustration for journalism.“It is taking up journalism, but covering different areas of media platforms,” said Paulino Tan, APC president.The IT subjects, on the other hand, are IT-assisted reporting or using IT tools to efficiently report on, illustrate, analyze information and databases where lessons in User Interface and User Experience Design are part of the curriculum.Multi-IT platform journalism is also included in the required IT subjects where students are expected to be accustomed with online blogs, social media and other website or mobile sources and taught how to conduct email interviews, fact check their resources.What is more, they would be taught foundation of databases, business analytics, data management and foundations of information security in which detection and combating fake news subjects fall under.It is important to note, however, that this program is far-off from an IT or multimedia arts degree as there are a minimum number of units required by Commission on Higher Education to get a degree on those two courses. The main objective of this program is to add value to the budding journalist by teaching them timely skills.“Basically, you are writing about IT, but you are not using IT to deliver,” APC managing director Ma. Teresita Medado explained.But students will be enrolling on fewer subjects should they decide to pursue IT or multimedia arts as their completed subject would be credited, said Tita Valderama, TMTC training coordinator.“The students will get a diploma if they complete the requirements for BA Journalism and a certificate if they finish 21 units of either IT or multimedia arts,” said Valderama.The same goes for the students of APC. If they finish the requirements of the required track of journalism, they also get a certificate and then a diploma for either multimedia arts or information technology.This collaboration stemmed from identifying the problems common among graduates and from there, they worked backwards and identified what training they need, said Besana.Additionally, Ang cited bloggers who are now part of the Presidential Press Corps do not have professionalism and discipline, so they saw an opportunity to catch up and produce a generation of “disciplined and professional” journalists.Their partnership serves as synergy of expertise between TMTC and APC because TMTC, according to Ang, does not have the expertise in multimedia arts and information technology.“We hope to bring new things and we cannot do this alone. We are also excited to bring in the competencies and of Manila Times College in journalism as well,” said Paulino Tan, APC president.The program will kick off in June 2018.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/training-a-new-breed-of-journalists/402882/
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NGO launches project for Marawi pupils
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['Francis Earl Cueto']
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2018-10-21 01:10:21+00:00
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Nongovernment organization Save the Children Philippines has launched the “Balik-Marawi, Balik Eskwela” project worth P1.9 million for displaced school-age children in Marawi.Save the Children Philippines said hundreds of families continued to live in tents and children miss out on school even one year after the end of hostilities in Marawi.The project, which will run from October 2018 to February 2019, is in partnership with Insular Foundation Inc. The agreement was signed by Muyot and Nina Aguas and Mona Lisa de la Cruz of Insular Life on Oct. 17, 2018, the anniversary of the end of the Marawi siege.Lawyer Albert Muyot, chief executive officer of Save the Children Philippines, said the project is in support of the government’s rehabilitation of the conflict stricken province.It facilitates purchase of school materials such as teacher’s tables, children’s armchairs and teacher kits for Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) and implementation of interventions.Muyot said humanitarian assistance is still needed particularly by children who need to return to school.He said the project targets 1,000 displaced school-age children in Marawi and those attending schools in Lanao del Sur to have access to safe and equipped learning spaces.“The project aims to provide the most basic supplies and furniture for children to be able to continue their education in environments that are conducive for learning,” said Muyot.Save the Children Philippines has continued humanitarian and development assistance to displaced families in Marawi through its program office in Iligan City which opened last year.About 86,000 children were affected by the siege with an estimated 22,700 of them still missing out on their classes, according to the Child Protection Rapid Assessment (CPRA) of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).“The conflict has left scars to hundreds of children that are difficult to heal,” Muyot said. He said that the DSWD report cited the psychological impact of humanitarian crises on children. Children trapped in conflict suffer from psychological stress, sleeping problems, nightmares, withdrawal, lack of focus and feelings of guilt, the report said.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/ngo-launches-project-for-marawi-pupils/454953/
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Meralco November rates up
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['Jordeene Sheex Lagare']
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2017-11-09 19:18:40+00:00
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THE Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) announced on Thursday an increase of P0.3436 per kilowatt hour (kWh) in its electricity rates, which will reflect in the November billing statement.Meralco said in a statement this will bring the overall rate to P9.6272 per kWh from P9.2836 per kWh in October.It attributed the latest rate adjustment to a P0.1925 per kWh increase in the generation charge.For households that consume 200 kWh a month, they will see a P68.72 increase in their monthly bill; for 300 kWh, P103.08; 400 kWh, P137.44; and 500 kWh, P171.80.The power firm also raised rates by P0.0345 per kWh last month.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/meralco-november-rates-2/361710/
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House to tackle Duterte impeachment complaint
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['Paul Parenas']
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7/5/2017 0:00
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The House committee on justice is expected to immediately tackle the impeachment complaint against President Duterte as the House of Representatives leadership is bent on referring the complaint to the House panel this week.House Majority Leader and Ilocos Norte Rep. Rodolfo Fariñas, chairman of the powerful House committee on rules, said they will calendar the ouster complaint, filed by MAGDALO party-list Rep. Gary Alejano in the plenary agenda for referral to the House committee on justice, chaired by Oriental Mindoro Rep. Reynaldo Umali.“The impeachment complaint against the President will be referred to the justice panel this week,” he said.Deputy Speaker and Batangas Rep. Raneo Abu casts doubts that Alejano’s complaint will prosper in the Lower Chamber.“Expect no fireworks here. The allies of President Duterte will reject this political exercise being baseless, unfounded and divisive. The Chief Executive is a very popular leader and we have been witnessing his commitment to serve the interests of the poorest of the poor,” he said.Alejano admitted that he does not have enough numbers to propel his impeachment bid, but he remains “optimistic” that his colleagues would see its merit.
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Manila Bulletin
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https://news.mb.com.ph/2017/05/07/house-to-tackle-duterte-impeachment-complaint/
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Bautista appeals to estranged wife to stop the ‘media circus’
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['V. M. Varga', 'Jan Rune']
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10/8/2017 0:00
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For the sake of their four kids, Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairman Andres Bautista appealed to the camp of his estranged wife “Patricia” to stop the “media circus.”The poll chief said since cases have already been filed and will be filed, they should just follow the due process.“Pakiusap ko na lang (I’m appealing) for the sake of the kids, let’s all, cases have been filed, will be filed in court, let the courts decide. Let’s follow due process of law, lets go to the courts, let’s not try this in the media because it’s not doing good for my kids,” he said in an interview.According to Bautista, as it is one of their kids haven’t been going to school since the controversy while another always wanted to sleep.“This circus is really at their expense,” he said.At this point, Bautista said his primary concern is his children.“I don’t want to worry about what they will say. As far as I’m concerned my primary concern is with respect to my kids,” he said.“I know they have already been damaged. What I am just trying to do is to mitigate and hopefully give them a fair opportunity to grow up as stable individuals. That’s all,” Bautista added.Earlier, the wife of Bautista accused him of having an unexplained wealth amounting to nearly P1 billion which include several bank accounts, properties, and other assets not declared in his Statements of Assets, Liabilities, and Networth (SALN) which the poll chief already denied.The poll chief, in turn, accused his wife of stealing cash, GCs, ATM cards and other financial documents belonging to him and his family.Many of these, Bautista alleged, were embellished, doctored or fabricated by her wife’s lawyers.He also accused his wife of repeatedly attempting to extort and blackmail him using her lawyers and media contacts.During the interview, the poll chief showed to the media the demand letter sent by his wife’s camp last February. He also showed the cover letter of the draft impeachment complaint prepared against him.In the demand letter, Patricia’s camp asked for the following as part of her share: P500 million cash which include the P200 million trust fund for their children and their property at the Pacific Plaza Towers in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City.While in the draft impeachment complaint, it said that complainants file the impeachment complaint for the impeachment of Bautista upon the grounds of betrayal of public trust, culpable violations of the Constitution, and graft and corruption.Bautista said the draft impeachment complaint was sent to his sister via LBC last June.The poll chief already filed cases against his wife at the Taguig City Prosecutor’s Office, Tuesday.Bautista said the cases are grave coercion, qualified theft and robbery, and also for extortion which is in the form of grave threats.
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Manila Bulletin
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https://news.mb.com.ph/2017/08/10/bautista-appeals-to-estranged-wife-to-stop-the-media-circus/
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Stop illegal gambling, Sweepstakes asks LGUs
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['Jefferson Antiporda']
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2017-03-14 21:49:14+00:00
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THE Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) on Tuesday called on local officials in the country to help the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte eradicate illegal gambling and help the agency promote and protect the operation of the Small Town Lottery (STL) in their respective areas.Alexander Balutan, PCSO general manager, at the same time reminded local government executives that they could face prosecution and be disqualified from holding public office if they were found responsible for continuous illegal gambling operations in their localities.Balutan said partnership with local government units (LGUs) is very important in the fight against the operation of illegal numbers games like jueteng, masiao and swertres.“I’m urging you [LGUs] to help the Duterte administration eradicate these corrupt-laden gambling activities and let’s just work together to promote and protect our expanded STL operation,” he added.Duterte recently issued Executive Order (EO) 13, which seeks to intensify the anti-illegal gambling campaign of the government and aims to give more muscle to Republic Act 9287 or the Illegal Gambling Law.Under the law, government officials who will be found involved in illegal gambling operations as collector, agent, coordinator, controller, supervisor, maintainer, manager, operator, financier or capitalist could face a jail term of 12 to 20 years and a fine ranging from P3 million to P5 million.Balutan said police officers are not exempted from EO 13 and those who would fail to apprehend illegal gambling suspects will also be charged.The PCSO official made the reminder to warn LGUs that allow illegal gambling to flourish in their respective localities of the consequences they could face.Balutan noted that the government is losing millions in revenue each day that jueteng and other illegal numbers games are allowed to continue.At present, the expanded STL has 56 Authorized Agent Corporations operating in various areas in the country and are expected to generate up to P27 billion worth of revenues.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/stop-illegal-gambling-sweepstakes-asks-lgus/317209/
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Govt to impose SRP for rice
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['The Manila Times']
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2018-10-19 00:05:49+00:00
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THE government will implement suggested retail prices (SRPs) for rice beginning October 23, Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol said on Thursday.For regular milled imported rice (25 percent brokens), the SRP is P37 per kilo or less. For well-milled imported rice (5 percent brokens), it is P40 per kilo or less.For regular milled local rice, the SRP is P39. For well-milled local rice, it is P44 or less.Piñol, who also heads the National Food Authority Council (NFAC), said there would be no SRP for special rice.“The imported rice will be clearly identified as imported Vietnam, imported Thailand, imported Pakistan, whatever. And local rice will properly be identified as Philippine local rice,” he said.“There will be no more use of Sinandomeng, fake Dinorados, no more Super Angelica, no more yummy rice. These are the reforms,” he added.The agriculture chief pointed out that “there is no uniformity in the market,” which prompted the DA to impose SRPs for rice to stop profiteering and bring down prices of the staple.“We will have to rationalize the whole thing and this is for the protection of [the Filipino consumers,” Piñol said."There is no effect to our farmers. Actually we work out everything so that the farmers will also be protected,” he added.A consulting team or council will be formed so that each sector will be represented in the monitoring of the prices of rice in the market, he said.Piñol expects prices of rice to go down by the end of the month with the start of the local harvest season and the arrival of imported grain.Pork, chickenThe Agriculture department will also impose SRPs for chicken and pork starting October 23 as part of the government’s efforts to bring down prices.For chicken, the SRP will be farmgate price with a maximum cap of P50, according to Chester Warren Tan, president of National Federation of Hog Farmers Inc.The standard for pork regular cut will be farm gate price plus P70. SRPs for choice cuts, however, will still be defined.Farm gate prices are what farmers or livestock growers charge traders before the produce is brought to the market."If our farmgate price is low, the consumers will also enjoy a low price because the SRP will be based on the farm gate prices,” Tan said.Jayson Cainglet, spokesman of the Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura, said with the imposition of SRP, the agriculture sector would no longer be blamed for inflation."Economic managers always look at prices of pork and chicken when it comes to food prices. We want to clarify that inflation is not driven by the farm produce but rather the alleged profiteering of some retailers in our markets,” he said.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/govt-to-impose-srp-for-rice-2/453725/
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DOLE seeks workers’ support on ‘endo’
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['William Depasupil']
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2016-10-28 20:33:09+00:00
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THE Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) has admitted that eliminating contractualization or endo (end of contract) and other prohibited labor practices would not be easy without the help of the workers.During a recent employees’ union assembly and before a group of lay ministers in Manila, DOLE Undersecretary Joel Maglunsod, a former labor leader, said illegal labor practices can only be resolved with the active participation of the workers themselves.“We cannot do it alone. We will not be successful in what we are fighting for without the support and active support of the workers,” Maglunsod said in Filipino.Earlier, workers from Bukluran ng Manggagawang Pilipino and allied organizations Sanlakas and Partido Lakas ng Masa said millions are still plagued by contractualization after the Duterte administration’s first 100 days in office.Maglunsod said the government is implementing a number of initiatives to address the problem, which include a continuous massive information campaign against illegitimate contractualization and endo practices.“Through the conduct of orientations, the department would be able to clarify and address issues on the government’s efforts to end illegitimate contractualization. [These issues] are being raised by various employers’ associations and other stakeholders,” he added.Industries that have high incidence of contractualization are being assessed first, including manufacturing and service (malls, food chains, hotels and restaurants) and corporate farms.The assessment is in support of an earlier three-pronged action plan aimed at ensuring strict enforcement of labor laws through inspection, joint assessment and compliance visit; policy review of existing Implementing Rules and Regulations, particularly on contracting and sub-contracting; and amendment of the Labor Code provisions on contracting and sub-contracting and security of tenure.“Clearly, these efforts would not prosper unless there is support and commitment from both our employers and workers,” Maglunsod said.Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello 3rd earlier announced that 16,183 workers had been voluntarily regularized by their employers as the DOLE stepped up efforts to eliminate illegal contractualization practices.But labor groups said “DOLE’s much-acclaimed performance does not even reach 1 percent of the more than 1.3 million contractual workers in establishments employing 20 or more workers.”WILLIAM B. DEPASUPIL
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/dole-seeks-workers-support-endo/293620/
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Blind army officer to join Heroes Run
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['Bonga Go']
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29/10/2016 0:00
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An Army officer who lost his sight from an improvised explosive device (IED) explosion in Maguindanao will participate in the 5th Heroes Run today.Second Lieutenant Jerome Jacuba, who is still confined at the Armed Forces of the Philippines Medical Center (AFPMC) in Quezon City, confirmed through an interview that he will run in the 5-kilometer category despite his condition.Jacuba cannot see anything except for glimpses of light. He is determined to run and be an inspiration, not just to his fellow soldiers, but to the people.“Joining the Heroes Run is a self-reaffirmation that I can still do something for the Philippine Army and for the families of my fellow soldiers in spite of my present circumstances,” Jacuba said.“I also would want to set a good example to my daughters,” he added.Jacuba is a loving father to two young daughters. His youngest child, turning two years old this year, was only 22 days old when he last saw her.“I will be running because I want to inspire the people and tell them that anyone can be a hero,” he added.Jacuba will be assisted by his brother, PFC Joevanny Jacuba, who is also an Army enlisted personnel.It has been six months since Jacuba lost his eyesight. He still has scars from the IED shrapnels, and grains of sand are still embedded in his skin. But, with the fortitude he has shown, his heart and soul is healing fast.There was a brief but powerful personal encounter between President Duterte and Jacuba when the President visited the AFP Medical Center last July. It was a moving sight to behold when the President embraced Jacuba as he thanked the soldier for the sacrifices he had to endure for the country.Jacuba recently finished a six-week short course on Non-Visual Desktop Access (NVDA). He can now use basic computer features, such as Word, Excel and Powerpoint. He is using a laptop, installed with NVDA features, given to him by the President.Army Spokesman Col. Benjamin Hao said the Heroes Run is an annual fund raising event spearheaded by the Philippine Military Academy Alumni Association, Inc. (PMAAAI) benefiting families of fallen soldiers and those who were wounded in action.Hao said The 5th Heroes Run 2016 will be held simultaneously in Manila, Iloilo and Davao on Oct. 30; and in Baguio City on Nov. 13.
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Manila Bulletin
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https://news.mb.com.ph/2016/10/29/blind-army-officer-to-join-heroes-run/
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Additional flights to boost Siargao tourism
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['Eduardo Valdez', 'Max Galope Cuarto']
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2/2/2017 0:00
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Additional flights to and from the paradise island of Siargao in Surigao del Norte province are expected to draw more foreign and local tourists.Gov. Sol F. Matugas and Surigao del Norte 1st District Rep. Francisco Jose Matugas ll said that the additional flights to and from Sayak (Siargao) Airport, will make it easier for tourists to accesss the island, renowned for its pristine beaches and world class surfing areas.“Aside from boosting our tourism industry, the livelihood of our local villagers will also increase,” Gov. Matugas told the Manila Bulletin yesterday.Siargao Island is the acknowledged surfing and game fishing capital of the Philippines.It is the home to world-surfing breaks. The most well-known of these is the “Cloud 9” in General Luna town, which is where the annual Siargao World Surfing Cup is held every September.Cebu Pacific, through its wholly-owned subsidiary Cebgo, increased flight frequencies to Siargao starting yesterday.Passengers will be able to choose from 12 weekly flights between Cebu and Siargao.“With these additional frequencies extended by this airline company, tourists can explore more our island, one of the most beautiful islands in the Philippines,” Rep. Matugas added.He said that he has asked the national government and the House of Representatives to earmark P1.2-billion for various infrastructure projects on the island.He said the P1-billion [fund] will be allocated for the construction of more roads and bridges while P200 million will be allocated for seaports and multi-purpose buildings.“Tourism facilities are very vital, especially now that Siargao Island is already in the world map of tourism,” the neophyte Surigao del Norte solon said.He added that he also got the nod from the national government for an additional budget this year for urban planning for the entire Siargao (20 million), the 2017 World Surfing Cup (10 million), World Game Fishing Tournament (10 million), and P350 million for the Sayak Airport upgrade.
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Manila Bulletin
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https://news.mb.com.ph/2017/02/02/additional-flights-to-boost-siargao-tourism/
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No threat to Miss U pageant–police
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['Anthony Vargas']
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2017-01-10 21:19:52+00:00
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THE Philippine National Police (PNP) on Tuesday said it has not monitored any direct threat to the Miss Universe beauty pageant to be held in the country this month.“As far as direct threat… as of now we don’t have any direct threat concerning the staging of the Miss Universe pageant… the monitoring is continuous,” Senior Supt. Emmanuel Licup of the Security Task Force for Miss Universe told a news briefing in Camp Crame in Quezon City.Since the beauty pageant is an international event, according to Licup, it will be a good platform for terrorist groups to stage attacks.But, he said, the PNP will make sure that none will happen.The last time that the country hosted the Miss Universe beauty pageant was in 1994, with Sushmita Sen of India being crowned the winner that year.“The PNP will make sure that none of these things [attacks] will happen during the staging of this pageant,” Licup said.The police official added that all eyes will be on the Philippines and that the PNP will take the opportunity to showcase the country as a tourist destination since the pageant will also highlight the peace and order situation in the country.Licup said they will be deploying around 1,300 police personnel in Metro Manila alone to provide security, adding that the deployment of forces in the provinces where some pre-pageant activities will be held depends on the regional director.Licup said the Aviation Security Group is also involved in coordination with airport authorities, together with the Intelligence Group and the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group.An inter-agency security committee will be headed by the Department of the Interior and Local Government, which has direct supervision over the PNP.Licup said police personnel have been told not to post for selfies with the Miss Universe candidates.He added that the candidates will not be allowed to have appointments on their own, according to a briefing by organizers of the Miss Universe beauty pageant.The police official said no roads will be closed during the staging of the pageant.Licup said there is no plan to jam cellphone signals during the event.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/no-threat-miss-u-pageant-police-2/306214/
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House junks impeach rap vs SC justices
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['Mary Gleefer F. Jalea']
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2018-09-12 00:08:26+00:00
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THE Committee on Justice of the House of Representatives on Tuesday dismissed an impeachment complaint filed against the seven Supreme Court justices who voted to oust then-Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno via quo warranto.Voting 23-1, the panel favored a motion filed by Rep. Ramon Rocamora, saying the complaint was insufficient in substance.The House hearing was presided over by Oriental Mindoro Rep. Salvador Leachon (First District) and attended by Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.“The requirement of substance is met if there is a recital of facts constituting the offense charged and determinative of the jurisdiction of the committee,” complainant Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman said, citing Rule 3, Section 4, of House Rules on Impeachment.Lawmakers, however, found the complaint insufficient in substance for lack of concrete evidence that supports it.“Reading the complaint, I found it an opinionated and speculative recital of facts,” 1-Sagip partylist Rep. Rodante Marcoleta said.Rep. Henry Oaminal of Misamis Occidental (Second District) said there is nothing in the complaint that supports violations committed by the SC justices.“I believe that the impeachment complaint is more of a political rather than a legal one,” he added.“These justices should not be punished for respecting a co-equal branch of government, and instead should be lauded for recognizing the system of checks and balances,” Rep. Strike Bautista Revilla of Cavite (Second District) said.In his rebuttal, Lagman said the quo warranto petition against Sereno was “malevolent, orchestrated, conspiratorial and malicious.”He added that although the complaint was political in format, it was technically judicial in essence.Aside from Lagman, Representatives Teddy Baguilat of Ifugao and Gary Alejano of Magdalo party-list filed the complaint on August 23 against then-Associate Justice Teresita Leonardo-de Castro and her colleagues Diosdado Peralta, Lucas Bersamin, Francis Jardeleza, Noel Tijam, Andres Reyes Jr. and Alexander Gesmundo for allegedly committing culpable violation of the Constitution and betrayal of public trust in connection with their May 11 decision to remove Sereno outside of impeachment.De Castro was later appointed Chief Justice.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/house-junks-impeach-rap-vs-sc-justices/440469/
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Honasan, ‘JV’ back longer military rule in Mindanao
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['Bernadette E. Tamayo']
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2017-12-08 22:15:45+00:00
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SENATORS Gregorio Honasan and Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito on Friday expressed support to a proposal from military and police officials to extend martial law in Mindanao for another year amid continued terror threats in the region.The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) reportedly received reports that Islamic State-inspired local groups continue to recruit members from communities along Lake Lanao.Senate President Aquilino Pimentel 3rd said he expects a formal letter of request from the AFP and the PNP “for [martial law] extension to be given to the Senate on Monday.”“Then, I will immediately take this up with my colleagues. We have no choice. It’s our constitutional duty,” Pimentel said in a text message.Honasan noted that the recommendation came from two key bureaus of the Department of National Defense and the Department of Interior and Local Government involved on the ground in national defense and security, public order and safety in coordination with local government units.“If and when the President asks for it from Congress, everything is procedural by law. Better for us to have it when we need it than to need it and not have it, expeditiously,” according Honasan, chairman of the Senate Committee on National Defense.“We cannot take chances with terrorism. It is a worldwide concern, It’s a clear and present danger that is already here as evidenced by the Marawi rebellion [staged by the Maute extremist group in May],” Ejercito said.Senators Francis Escudero, Grace Poe, Joel Villanueva and Juan Miguel Zubiri, on the other hand, want to listen first to a briefing scheduled by the AFP and the PNP before deciding on whether to support or reject martial law extension.The Senate minority group, however, warned that it will reject the proposal to extend martial law in southern Philippines.In a joint statement, five of the six opposition senators said, “We, members of the minority, support the position of Mindanaoans for ‘no’ martial law extension on their home island.”The statement was jointly released by Senators Franklin Drilon, Francis Pangilinan, Antonio Trillanes 4th, Paolo Benigno Aquino and Risa Hontiveros.They said “lifting military rule, specifically in Marawi, will hasten the return of affected residents to their homes, according to its citizens.”“Martial law, together with the air strikes, was the reason why they fled Marawi in the early days of the Maute siege. And martial law is also the reason why they are afraid to return, even in cleared areas,” the senators added.“After the pronounced liberation of Marawi and the announced focus on rehabilitation and trade, what will be the role of the people of Marawi in the planning and rehabilitation of their city?” the minority bloc said.It asked what guarantees evacuees have that they can return to their old location and restart their life.“As security forces reign supreme during martial law, would not military rule actually get in the way of a people-centered rebuilding and rehabilitating of the once vibrant city?” the opposition senators asked.“What is the need for martial law? Would martial law suspend bidding in the reconstruction of the city?” they said.Ejercito said that in his four visits to Mindanao since martial law was declared on May 23, he was able to talk with local government officials, locals and businessmen. “They are all satisfied with martial law in Mindanao.”He noted that warlords and private armies cannot move around and their movements are now restricted. “Also, the problem of thousands of loose firearms in Mindanao can now be addressed with martial law in effect.”“Ordinary folk feel that they are safer and there is now a level playing field as a result of the restriction of movements of the private armies,” Ejercito said.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/honasan-jv-back-longer-military-rule-mindanao/367466/
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Bill wants fees waived for first-time jobseekers
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['Bernadette E. Tamayo']
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2017-12-26 00:03:50+00:00
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THE Senate wants first time jobseekers, such as new college graduates, exempted from paying government fees in the issuance of documents required for employment.Sen. Joel Villanueva, chairman of the Senate Committee on Labor, has sponsored the passage of Senate Bill (SB) 1629 under Committee Report 191, titled “First Time Jobseekers Assistance Act of 2017.”SB 1629 is the consolidation of similar bills filed by Senators Juan Edgardo Angara, Grace Poe, Joseph Victor Ejercito, Nancy Binay, Antonio Trillanes 4th, Loren Legarda and Villanueva. It is pending second reading approval.“It is the policy of the State to recognize the role of the youth in nation-building. As such, it shall promote and protect their rights, interests and well-being, by, among others, access to government services to enable the young people, especially first-time jobseekers to find employment,” Villanueva said.SB 1629 provides that government agencies, including government-owned and controlled corporations, local government units, government hospitals “should not collect” fees or charges from a first-time jobseeker provided that such fee or charge is paid in connection with the application for the granting of licenses, proof of identification clearances, or other documents usually required in applying for job locally or abroad.Covered documents under SB 1629 are: police clearance certificate, National Bureau of Investigation clearance, barangay (village) clearance, medical certificate from public hospitals operated by the Department of Health, birth and/or marriage certificate, tax identification number, the Unified Multi-Purpose ID card, and other documentary requirements issued by the government that may be required by employers from first-time jobseekers.New graduates who want to avail themselves of the benefit must submit certified true copies of their diplomas or certifications from academic, vocational or technical institutions.Any person found guilty of fabricating or falsifying any document would be liable under Article 172 of the Revised Penal Code.Beneficiaries must avail themselves of the benefit “only one time and within one year from the date of graduation or leave of absence or enrolment.”The waiver of fees “shall not include those collected in connection with an application to take a professional licensure examination conducted by the Professional Regulation Commission, application for passport from theDepartment of Foreign Affairs (DFA), authentication of documents from DFA, application for a career service examination with the Civil Service Commission, and application for a driver’s license from the Land Transportation Office.”The Public Employment Service Office in cities and municipalities nationwide should serve as a “one-stop shop” for first-time jobseekers to secure all documents necessary for their employment application.SB 1629 also mandates concerned government agencies to maintain a roster of all individuals whose fees were waived, for submission to a database to be maintained by the Department of Information and Communications Technology.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/bill-wants-fees-waived-first-time-jobseekers/370633/
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11 more Sayyaf gunmen surrender
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['James O Sullivan', 'Jun Idol']
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22/06/2017 0:00
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The military said yesterday that 11 more members of the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG), including a sub-leader, chose to surrender with their firearms amid the intensified conduct of combat operations launched by the military and the ameliorating support of the local government in Basilan.Ibrahim Malat Sulayman, a sub-leader of the ASG and native of Macalang, Albarka, and 10 more Abu Sayyaf members yielded to the Joint Task Force Basilan through a simple ceremony at the Sumisip Municipal Hall Complex in Barangay Buli-Buli, Sumisip, Basilan at 10 a.m. yesterday.The Abu Sayyaf members were identified as Salimbawa Ahlil Tanjal alias Salim Toong Masud; Salasni Ambing Mahawan, alias Ado Emmong; Ahmad Abbi, alias Bolkia, all listed under Nurhassan Jamiri; Mar-ie Cabulut Indama, listed under Furuji Indama; Muhammad Kalung-Hassan, Salman Hawkasa; Husael Fernandez; Roy Mendoza Cabiangan; Ebtor Asano; and Madja Palinta.Turned over by the ASG members were seven high-powered firearms and four other guns, along with firearm magazines and ammunition.“With the continuing pressure employed by the troops on the ground, we are confident that more Abu Sayyaf members will be compelled to cross the line. This feat will convince us even more to intensify our offensives against the remaining fighters,” said Lieutenant General Carlito G. Galvez, Jr., the Commander of the Western Mindanao Command.Sulayman and 10 of those who surrendered were turned over to the Sumisip local government for further disposition.
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Manila Bulletin
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https://news.mb.com.ph/2017/06/22/11-more-sayyaf-gunmen-surrender/
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Lawmaker seeks task force to curb inflation
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['Ma. Reina Leanne Tolentino']
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2018-09-16 00:25:00+00:00
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Rep. Michael “Mikee” Romero of 1-PACMAN party-list has proposed the creation of a presidential task force to combat inflation.Inflation hit a nine-year high of 6.4 percent in August.“To steer the country out of the inflation rut it is in, I suggest to President Rodrigo Duterte that he constitute a presidential task force to combat inflation,” Romero said in a statement on Saturday.“Our inflation problems started during the lean months for rice last year. With the peso depreciating even further this year, imported fuel will become more expensive and worsen inflation. The people want swift action now,” Romero said.“We could have a bleak Christmas if the strike force on inflation is not formed now and pushes inflation back to below 4 percent,” he added.Inflation accelerated to a new five-year high in May but the 4.6 percent result — up from 4.5 percent a month earlier — was lower than expected, raising expectations that price increases were nearing their peak.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/lawmaker-seeks-task-force-to-curb-inflation/441976/
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Firecracker injuries reach 42 from Dec 21
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['Kenneth Hare Hernandez']
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2017-12-28 00:08:37+00:00
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The Department of Health-Epidemiology Bureau recorded 42 firecracker-related injuries, 55 percent lower than the same period in 2016, since the start of the surveillance period on December 21.The 42 firecracker-related injuries were recorded in sentinel hospitals, including 24 from Metro Manila.Among the 24, 16 of the cases came from Manila while Pasig City, Las Piñas City and Quezon City reported two cases each.Taguig City and Valenzuela City each had one case.This was 51 cases or 55 percent lower than the 93 cases reported for the same period in 2016 and 70 percent lower than the five-year average from 2012 to 2016.At press time, there have been no recorded deaths, fireworks ingestion and stray bullet injuries.Majority or 39 of the cases involved men with ages ranging from 11 months to 62 years.Thirty-five of the cases involved blast injuries without amputation; four, eye injuries; and three, amputation because of blast injuries.Illegal firecracker piccolo remains as the top cause of the injuries with 26.Other illegal firecrackers used were boga and whistle bomb.Earlier, Health Undersecretary Gerardo Bayugo said he expects a lower number of cases this year since President Rodrigo Duterte issued Executive Order 28 last June 20.EO 28 stipulates that the use of firecrackers must be confined or limited only to community fireworks displays to minimize the risk of injuries and casualties.The Health department has been on Code White since December 21 to heighten response to firecracker-related injuries during the Christmas season and especially during the coming New Year celebration.Code White refers to the readiness of hospital manpower, such as general and orthopedic surgeons,anesthesiologists, internists, operating room nurses, eye doctors, and eye, nose and throat, as well as head and neck specialists, to respond to any emergency situation.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/firecracker-injuries-reach-42-dec-21/370883/
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High court resets oral arguments on ICC case
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['Jomar Canlas']
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2018-08-14 00:05:16+00:00
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The Supreme Court (SC) has set a new schedule on the oral arguments on a petition filed seeking the nullification of the Philippine’s withdrawal from the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC).In its Twitter account, the SC said arguments will be heard on August 28 instead of August 14.The petitions were filed by Senators Francis Pangilinan, Franklin Drilon, Paolo Benigno Aquino 4th, Risa Hontiveros and Antonio Trillanes 4th, and the Philippine Coalition for the International Criminal Court (PCICC).Named respondents were Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano, Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea, UN Ambassador Teodoro Locsin Jr. and Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo.The two petitions argued that the withdrawal violates the 1987 Constitution.The PCICC said the Executive Department cannot invalidate the treaty since it can only be voided by the Senate or the Supreme Court.“Entering into a treaty or international agreement requires participation of Congress, that is, through concurrence of at least 2/3 of all the members of the Senate,” the senators said.The ICC has heavily criticized the Duterte administration’s drug campaign.In March, Locsin officially served notice to the UN through a one-page note verbale the government’s decision to withdraw from the Rome Statute.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/high-court-resets-oral-arguments-on-icc-case/429978/
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On English and Bisaya, and understanding Duterte
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['Ugly Whites']
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11/7/2017 0:00
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that’s your problem, not his.Supporters of Duterte get his fondness for hyperbole and the crass street humor. But many Metro Manilans still don’t understand why he can’t act more ‘presidential’ and stop with the cussing already. These people had better find a Visayan or Mindanaoan friend to explain things for them, such as how the cuss word “p—ina” is almost as common in the south as “s—t” is with the average American. And how exaggeration is an art form for southern politicians like Duterte and the much lamented Miriam Defensor-Santiago, who once told immigration employees they should be chopped into a thousand pieces and fed to the sharks in Manila Bay.Andanar’s translators are likely intended for the diplomatic corps who would be attending the SONA, some of whom consider English a second language and Filipino and Visayan, totally foreign ones. But Filipinos in this country are also not as adept in languages as we appear to the world.Listening to one of Duterte’s speeches, the one he gave in Digos City, Davao del Sur recently, my transcription came to an abrupt halt once the President started speaking in Bisaya, which I don’t understand. I can speak and write Filipino, but unfortunately, not Visayan or any of the regional dialects. I started wishing for an instant translator because his audience in Digos was up in stitches with all his jokes that I couldn’t understand.There’s a disconnect between the people from Metro Manila and Luzon, and those from Visayas and Mindanao, and language and culture have a lot do with this. One can sense Duterte’s awkwardness in talking in Filipino. Compare this with his totally relaxed mode when speaking in his native Visayan. Duterte was born in Maasin, Leyte, although he grew up in Davao and speaks a variant of Cebuano, the Davaoeño Cebuano.But Duterte when in public seems more comfortable talking in English than Filipino, which has not evolved as well as the proponents of the 1974 bilingual education had projected, that is into a national language that will be spoken well by everyone in the country.This brings to mind the case of India, which like the Philippines has many languages and dialects, in fact hundreds more than we do. India tried to promote Hindi to serve as their main language but there was strong resistance from the non-Hindi speakers especially those from southern India.Today the country recognizes 22 Indian languages for its official communications, apart from English, but no national language. I asked a friend from India how they communicate with their countrymen from other regions, and she said: “In English.”Filipinos’ English language proficiency was once considered as good as the native speakers of the U.S. and Europe. But this skill set is fast deteriorating, and we see the degraded English everywhere, in media especially on local television, in the schools, and even call centers have complained that they can’t get enough applicants who can communicate well in English.The bilingual education policy introduced in 1974 has received much of the blame for this, but the overall decline in the quality of public schools, the lack of updated materials and equipment, and loss of good teachers to jobs overseas, are also contributing factors.Former president and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has proposed a bill to strengthen the use of English as the medium of instruction from preschool up to the tertiary level. Congress should support this bill if it wants to preserve the country’s edge over others, our competency in the English language.We have to make the choice now: do we want to compete in the world marketplace? Then we cannot let go of English. Everyone else in the world is trying to learn English, which has become the lingua franca of international business. Learning English and Filipino (and other regional dialects) need not be mutually exclusive. Students and young people have an amazing capacity to absorb knowledge and languages. We just need better teachers and schools.
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Manila Bulletin
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https://news.mb.com.ph/2017/07/11/on-english-and-bisaya-and-understanding-duterte/
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Bishop hits ‘numb’ govt leaders
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['Catherine A. Modesto']
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2018-09-14 00:01:15+00:00
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Manila Auxiliary Bishop Broderick Pabillo on Thursday hit “blind” and “numb” government leaders for fighting the “wrong” fight and “inventing enemies” instead of acting on pressing problems.Pabillo lamented the “misdirected” focus of government, which it said was “fighting the wrong enemy” — Sen. Antonio Trillanes, whose amnesty was recently revoked by President Rodrigo Duterte for being allegedly invalid from the beginning.“Where is the attention of our government? Buying arms from Israel, ordering Sen. Trillanes put behind bars with the flimsy reason that his amnesty given years ago is invalid, accusing people here and there of destabilization moves. The government is in total disconnect with the people,” Pabillo said in his blog.“Government institutions are being mobilized to court martial Trillanes, although he is now a civilian, to get a warrant of arrest for the senator, to apprehend the vocal critic, and now mobilizing the communications offices to sound the alarm of destabilization. They do not act upon the loud and cry of the poor,” the prelate said.“How blind and numb leaders can become,” he added.Pabillo also slammed Duterte’s “misguided” supporters who “blindly” accept and defend everything he says or does.“Instead of using their influence to call on their beloved leader to see the dangers the people are now facing, they continue to cheer him up and defend him in his wrong directions,” he said.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/bishop-hits-numb-govt-leaders/441157/
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No word on 14 Pinoy crew of sunken carrier
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['Jaime Pilapil']
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2017-04-03 20:03:52+00:00
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Department of Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary Charles Jose on Monday said he is yet to receive any information on the 14 Filipino crew of a South Korean ore carrier that sank in the South Atlantic last Friday.A total of 22 crew are missing, eight of them Koreans.Jose said the two Filipino crew found alive on a raft have not reached ports in Uruguay or Brazil and that Philippine Embassy personnel in those countries are awaiting the sailors’ arrival.“The two rescued Filipino seamen are still onboard the freighter that rescued them. The freighter is still in the Atlantic Ocean as part of the search and rescue operations for the missing crew. We are monitoring where the two rescued Filipinos will eventually be taken,” he told reporters in a Viber message.Jose did not give the names of the two rescued Filipino crew and those of the 14 others.South Korea’s Polaris Shipping based in Busan was sailing from Brazil to China carrying iron ore when it sent a distress signal to the ship operator.JAIME R. PILAPil
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/no-word-14-pinoy-crew-sunken-carrier/320778/
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Another disbarment case filed vs de Lima
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['Jomar Canlas']
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2017-01-10 21:16:07+00:00
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Another disbarment case has been filed again against Sen. Leila de Lima.The filing of the case was made after the Supreme Court (SC) directed de Lima to explain the disbarment case filed against her by a certain Fernando P. Perito, a lawyer.During deliberations of the SC en banc on Tuesday after its holiday break, the senator was ordered to file her comment to the complaint-affidavit of Perito.De Lima was given 10 days to file her comment to the case.The High Court gave no details on the nature of the disbarment case in view of the strict confidentiality in the handling of an administrative case.De Lima was dragged into the controversy for allegedly receiving drug money from a New Bilibid Prisons inmate and her romantic affair with her driver-bodyguard Ronnie Dayan.Currently, two separate disbarment cases are pending with the SC against de Lima.One was filed by the Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption in connection with her admission for immorality over the Dayan affair and the other over her defiance of a temporary restraining order (TRO) issued by the SC under then-Chief Justice Renato Corona when she headed the Department of Justice (DOJ).The TRO was issued in connection with the powers of the DOJ secretary to issue a watch list order stopping then-President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo from leaving the country.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/another-disbarment-case-filed-vs-de-lima/306211/
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No reimbursements, PCSO tells patients
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['The Manila Times']
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2018-05-05 00:02:08+00:00
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FOLLOWING repeated queries and “misconceptions” that the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) reimburses cash payments made by patients, families, or relatives to hospitals, a PCSO official reiterated that the agency does not allow reimbursements of any kind.“Based on our program, reimbursement is not allowed. We encourage everyone to file requests for financial or medical assistance prior to discharge. A final bill must be submitted and a social worker will determine the appropriate amount, depending on the status of the patient,” said Larry Cedro, PSCO assistant general manager for the chariy sector, during a news conference on April 28 at the Mount Malarayat Golf and Country Club in Lipa City, Batangas.The event highlighted the 2018 first-quarter report of the agency led by PCSO General Manager Alexander Balutan, who disclosed P15.9 billion in earnings from various lottery games.“For the first quarter, we have 120,356 IMAP (Individual Medical Assistance Program) beneficiaries, a 34.09-percent increase from the same period last year. The agency also spent P2.35 billion for IMAP assistance, a 39.96-percent increase from the same period last year,” said Balutan.The IMAP provides financial assistance to all individuals with health-related problems. Patients must submit a letter of request, a medical abstract and final hospital bill.After assessment, the PCSO will issue a guarantee letter to the hospital or partner health facility, which assumes the obligation of a specific amount due from the client for services rendered.“If you pay it using your personal loans or credit cards, we will treat it as a settled case. Remember, we are using public funds and PCSO is accountable for that. Our basic requirement is no reimbursement is allowed,” Cedro said.If a patient is classified as “F” and admitted in the charity ward of a government hospital, the patient is entitled to receive 100 percent of his or her medical expenses.In a private charity ward, a patient can receive a maximum of 70 percent, and in a private hospital, the subsidy is up to 60 percent.“For chemo and radiation therapies, we have a scheme. We enroll the patient to the program briefly. If the patient needs 6 cycles, we can cover 50 percent of that requirement or 3 cycles. For rehabilitation, we require quotation,” Cedro said.At present, there are 58 “At-Source-Ang-Processing” (ASAP) Desks in partner hospitals and facilities, and 63 PCSO branches where patients, relatives, and families can directly seek financial assistance without the need to go to the main office or to the Lung Center of the Philippines.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/no-reimbursements-pcso-tells-patients/396860/
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Bishops: Be vigilant vs terrorism threat
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['Ashley Jose']
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2018-03-09 00:05:05+00:00
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The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) on Thursday warned the public to be vigilant, citing a statement of National Capital Region Police Office chief Oscar Albayalde that members of the Maute terror group are possibly hiding in Metro Manila.“In our time now, we should always be vigilant because there are always groups who are out to make trouble,” Manila Auxiliary Bishop Broderick Pabillo said.On Saturday, Abdul Nasser Lamondot, an alleged sub-leader of the Maute group, was arrested along with his wife, Raisalam Lomondot, by officers of the Manila Police District (MPD) in a joint police-military operation in Tondo, Manila.Fr. Jerome Secillano, the executive secretary of the CBCP’s Public Affairs Committee, has also called for public vigilance and urged law enforcers to tighten security especially with the observance of Holy Week.“The public should be vigilant lest we become victims of possible terror acts,” he said.“Law enforcers should tighten security. They should be more visible in public, more important, they should improve and make intelligence gathering efficient and truly reliable,” Secillano added.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/bishops-be-vigilant-vs-terrorism-threat/384861/
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Pimentel cool to Duterte, Sara probe
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['Jefferson Antiporda']
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2018-02-06 00:04:18+00:00
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SENATE President Aquilino Pimentel 3rd on Monday said the Senate would only be wasting its time if it will approve the resolution filed by Sen. Antonio Trillanes 4th seeking an investigation of the alleged undisclosed bank transactions of President Rodrigo Duterte and daughter Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte.Trillanes’ Resolution 602 directs the Senate committee on banks, financial institutions, and currencies to conduct an inquiry into the possible violation of the anti-money laundering act by the President and his daughter.Trillanes cited a report published by Vera Files about the supposed failure of the President to fully disclose in their respective statement of assets, liabilities, and net worth (SALN) their joint deposits and investment at the Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) which exceeded P100 million.The report lists down alleged transactions made by Duterte and his daughter from 2006 to 2014 in BPIGreenhills, San Juan City (Metro Manila) branch and Julia Vargas branch that were not declared in their SALN.But Pimentel said if Trillanes has evidence to back his allegations, he should file a case in the proper body.“If this is part of just making this issue land in the news then this should not be allowed. It will be a tragic waste of time by the Senate,” the Senate president said.Mayor Duterte downplayed Trillanes’ call, saying the lawmaker’s claims are based on gossip.“I feel sad for Trillanes and his tireless attempt to rehash and recycle an issue that has already been proven as gossip,” she said in a statement.“The senator cannot file a case because there is no basis for it. I have said this before and I am saying it again—Trillanes is lying,” she added.Palace spokesman Harry Roque also dismissed Trillanes’ resolution.“Lumang tugtugin. Lumang balita para nang sirang plaka (That’s no longer new, it sounds like a broken record),” Roque told reporters.with CATHERINE VALENTE
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/pimentel-cool-duterte-sara-probe/378376/
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Contractualization EO needed – Villanueva
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['Jefferson Antiporda']
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2018-04-04 00:07:13+00:00
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THE Senate needs to get the clear position of the executive branch on labor contractualization before it could come up with a legislation on the matter, Sen. Joel Villanueva said Tuesday.Villanueva, who chairs the Senate Committee on Labor, Employment and Human Resources Development, said the executive order (EO) on prohibiting labor contractualization is crucial in the crafting of a law that could put an end to the illegal practice.The senator was reacting to the statement of Senior Deputy Executive Secretary Menardo Guevarra that congress should pass a law that would totally ban labor contractualization because an EO is not enough.“I agree that a law is necessary to end unjust contractualization. But an EO is important because we have to consider the real position of the implementing agency on this matter,” Villanueva said in a statement.The senator said his committee is in the final stage of preparing the committee report on labor contractualization that would be submitted to the plenary.Senate Bill 1116 or the Contractualization Act of 2016 filed by Villanueva and Sen. Loren Legarda and Senate Bill 117 which seeks to prohibit labor-only contracting authored by Senate President Aquilino Pimentel 3rd are pending in the labor committee.Villanueva said inputs coming from the implementing agency would help ensure that the law on ending contractualization will really address the unfair labor practice.“Unfortunately, while DOLE attended the committee hearings, they have not submitted a clear position on the issue,” he added.The senator said they expect the EO, which has yet to be crafted by the executive branch, to provide the framework and guidance for the implementation of a national policy on labor contractualization.“We cannot legislate based on news items or without knowing the clear position of the executive on this matter. We want to ensure that what we are legislating is useful and effective,” Villanueva said.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/contractualization-eo-needed-villanueva/390283/
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Balara shopping center exempted from zoning
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['The Manila Times']
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2018-08-29 00:04:07+00:00
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THE Quezon City Council has approved the grant of a Certificate of Exemption to RVA Place Inc. for the construction of a two-story shopping center in Capitol Hills Drive, Barangay Old Balara. City Resolution 7430-2018, introduced by Councilor Marvin Rillo, provides an exemption to RVA Place owned by Roberto Antonio from City Ordinance 2502-2016 or the Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance of 2016. The QC Planning and Development Office considered the location of the San Antonio Place shopping center as a Low Density Residential Zone.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/balara-shopping-center-exempted-from-zoning/435611/
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Palace: We’ll get back SCS islands
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['Catherine S. Valente']
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2018-02-08 23:59:06+00:00
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Saying only the Philippines can legally build on territories in the disputed South China Sea (West Philippine Sea), Malacañang said China will have to return someday what belongs to the country.In an interview aired on his Facebook page on Wednesday night, Palace spokesman Harry Roque said the Philippines one day would “thank” China if it would be able to ask them to leave the artificial islands it has reclaimed in the disputed sea.“There will come a time when China’s might had ceased, when we will have to thank them for the islands because it is only the Philippines that can legally build on those artificial islands,” Roque added.“Clearly, eventually, those artificial islands will be ours if we can ask China to leave the islands,” he said.In recent years, China significantly expanded its claims to most of the waterway as it continues to build and militarize artificial islands.It has also refused to acknowledge the July 6, 2016 arbitral ruling, which states that Bejing’s argument to assert sovereign rights over the resource-rich area was baseless.On Monday, reports said Beijing has nearly completed military installations in at least seven reefs in the contested waters.But the Palace official reiterated there was “nothing new” in the developments.“There is nothing new happening in the islands now,” Roque said, adding that the Philippines had already filed diplomatic protest regarding Chinese build-up in the disputed sea.“They are saying they have completed, it is effectively a military base but we’ve known that. And we have protested that. Much as we don’t want it, you when asked a question what can we do, I’m literally asking the question because we have protested already,” he said.“They are saying we should protest, we did that. Do you want to protest every minute, everyday? What else will the DFA [Department of Foreign Affairs] do if that is the case?” Roque added.The Palace official reiterated that the Philippines would not wage a war against China.“No, we don’t want [that]. And moreover, why should we even bother because there is already a decision in our favor. That those islands anyway are in our exclusive economic zone,” Roque said.“The truth of the matter is, better to have friendly relations now because while we can’t stand up to them, let’s not give them the opportunity to use their weapons in these artificial islands against us,” he added.On Wednesday, Roque said the Philippine government is “not being too soft” on Beijing despite the latter’s activities in the disputed sea.Prior to the Duterte administration, China had been at odds with the country after it continued to insist claims over the disputed waters despite a 2016 ruling from the United Nations arbitral tribunal recognizing the country’s extended continental shelf in the contested waters.President Rodrigo Duterte restored warm ties with China, especially with Chinese President Xi Jinping.In November 2017, Duterte said the South China Sea issue is “better left untouched,” rejecting confrontation and instead pushing for “cooperation.”
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/palace-well-get-back-scs-islands/379060/
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CBCP: End labor contractualization
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['William Depasupil']
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2016-11-25 21:00:19+00:00
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THE influential Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) has called on President Rodrigo Duterte to take the moral high ground of defending Filipino workers against the exploitative and illegal end-of-contract and other labor contractualization practices of big businesses.CBCP president and Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas made the appeal in a pastoral letter amid conflict between the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and labor groups on the issue of contractualization, which the President wanted to abolish.“We urge the President, his Cabinet and the legislature to be resolute in this respect and to side with those who have for so long labored under the exploitative conditions of contractualization,” the CBCP said.The five-page pastoral letter “Our Country and our Faith” was released on November 22 after a meeting of the CBCP Permanent Council in Manila.The letter dwelt on relevant socio-political issues besetting the country such as labor, poverty, pending legislative measures on family life and the government war on drugs.In the same letter, the CBCP lauded Duterte’s effort to put a stop to contractualization but noted that its implementation is lenient to big establishments that employ thousands of employees, apparently referring to big shopping malls, among others.The bishops said it is also aware of the business sector’s concern that a total ban on contractualization will supposedly slow down the economy.The CBCP conceded that they do not have answers for such complicated issues but said taking up the cudgels for the oppressed and the exploited is morally right.“There is no moral justification for the exploitation of the working Filipino, and for denying the laborer the benefits of permanent employment,” the bishops said.Labor and Employment Secretary Silvstre Bello 3rd clarified earlier that when the President announced a total ban on endo (end of contract) and contractualization, he was only referring to “illegal contactualization” but not those allowed under existing laws and DOLE Department Order (DO) No.18-A.Bello explained that a total ban on contractualization is not possible as there are legal activities that require contractual employment.“We are not saying we are promoting contactualization. What we are saying is that a total ban is not really viable because under existing laws there are contractual relations [that] are allowed,” he said.Bello pointed out that the law allows outsourcing of workers as in the case of security guards and seasonal and project-based employees.He assured labor groups advocating for a total ban on contractualization that the DOLE would revisit DO No.18-A, which has become the mechanism to circumvent the law against contractualization.Under DO 18-A, companies are required to regularize 80 percent of their employees and to keep 20 percent contractual.The DOLE is set to issue anytime now a new policy on contractualization.Started in 1989, contractualization, otherwise known as endo or “555” or contractualized work, is a work scheme whereby workers are hired by a principal employer through a contract forged with manpower service providers and contractors to meet increased production demand.After five months or less, however, contractualized workers’ contracts are terminated and renewed for employers to avoid payment of the mandated minimum wage, social and health insurance benefits, leave credits and other wages and benefits that regular employees receive.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/cbcp-end-labor-contractualization/298420/
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China policy not working – Drilon
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['Jefferson Antiporda']
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2018-07-23 00:07:13+00:00
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Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon on Sunday urged the government to reassess its “appeasement” policy on China, saying it has not brought in investments or benefits.Drilon said compared to Vietnam that has been very aggressive in asserting its claims in the South China Sea (SCS), the Philippines got fewer foreign direct investments from China in spite of Manila’s accommodating stance.“For me, the appeasement policy on China has no direct effect on the country’s economy,” he said in a radio interview.Citing records, he said Chinese investment in the country in 2017 was only $31 million. Beijing invested $2.17 billion in Vietnam in the same year.The senator added that Chinese tourist arrivals in the Philippines last year — 968,447 — was puny compared to the four million Chinese who visited Vietnam.“At the end of the day, it would only mean that the national interest of China and whatever the policy of Vietnam in terms of their attraction as an investment destination are that ones that prevailed,” Drilon pointed out.He said Vietnam got more from China despite its aggressiveness in asserting its claims in the SCS.“The policy of appeasement is not working and we want to hear (from the President) his plans in order for the Philippines to take back islands that belongs to us, as declared by the court,” Drilon said, referring to the 2016 ruling of the arbitral tribunal on the case filed by Manila that questioned China’s maritime claims.The international court declared on July 12, 2016 that the Philippines has exclusive economic rights over reefs and waters that lie within its 200-mile exclusive economic zone in the West Philippine Sea.The tribunal also declared as invalid the nine-dash line claim of China and ruled that there was no overlapping entitlement between the Philippines and China.Majority of Filipinos, based on the surveys conducted by the Pulse Asia and Social Weather Stations, believe that it was “important” for the Philippines to assert its territorial rights over the contested waters.Drilon expressed the need for the government to come up with peaceful and diplomatic means for the Philippines to regain its sovereignty over the islands in the WPS.“We should be more assertive on our claims on these islands,” he added.The minority leader added that the Senate, through the initiative of Senate President Vicente Sotto 3rd and foreign relations committee Chairman Loren Legarda, could conduct hearings and invite experts who could give suggestions what peace pursuits the country can carry out in the WPS.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/china-policy-not-working-drilon/422326/
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Scrapping import permits to raise meat prices - group
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['James Konstantin Galvez']
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2016-11-27 20:50:08+00:00
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Scrapping import permits to raise meat prices – grouphome/News/Nation/Scrapping import permits to raise meat prices – groupThe country’s largest group of meat processing companies has called on the Department of Agriculture (DA) to reconsider its decision to cancel all meat import permits, warning that the move will raise the prices of meat products such as ham during the holidays.In a letter sent to DA Secretary Emmanuel Piñol, the Philippine Association of Meat Processors Inc. (PAMPI) said the cancellation of all import permits for agriculture products was ill-timed because of the oncoming holiday demand.“Prices will be pressed hard to recover the added costs of demurrage for goods that cannot be released while awaiting the authenticity certificates. There will be added plug-on charges for refrigeration service. The delay may cause port congestion all over again. These consequences translate to higher costs of the finished products at the retail end,” PAMPI Executive Director Francisco Buencamino said in the letter.Piñol said he cancelled all issued import permits of agricultural products, especially meat and plant products, effective November 23 in response to complaints from domestic livestock and poultry producers on the alleged recycling of import permits by some importers.“I issued instructions for immediate cancellation of import permits, both meat and plant products, because of the persistent recycling and technical smuggling,” Piñol said.“The only way to check this is to recall all permits issued,” he added.The DA asked traders holding valid import permits to update their permits with the DA.Importers are now required to secure certificates of validity and authenticity from the DA’s Office of the Secretary for the release of imported meat products by quarantine officers.PAMPI, however, said the sweeping order only results in more bureaucratic procedures that are prone to abuse.“By our interpretation, we are reminded of the old saying, ‘you cannot burn a whole house down just to catch a rat’ as this seems to have been the approach taken,” Buencamino said.PAMPI said the DA’s reasons for canceling all importation permits are insufficient.“We recommend that, at the end of the day, both industry and government ought to lock arms to fight smuggling, technical or otherwise, by discussing the issues first and discovering points of weaknesses and defaults in the system or process,” the group said.“A general shutdown is excessively sweeping and hurts more the legitimates rather than the illegitimates. We are most willing to support your efforts at controlling or stopping smuggling altogether. And we will cooperate with you,” the group told Piñol.“It is to the interest of the consuming public that selling prices during the Christmas/New Year season be held back or controlled as best as we can because of the higher demand. The controls now in place will only satisfy the domestic livestock and poultry producers with higher retail prices of wet market meats but will make the majority of the market pay for their gains,” it added.“We must work for the benefit of the majority of our consumers and not only the livestock producers. We at the Meat Processing Sector will be deeply disadvantaged by this present situation. We would like to request for a reconsideration of this action, and to confer with you on the best and optimal way of handling this concern,” PAMPI said.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/scrapping-import-permits-raise-meat-prices-group/298745/
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New PNP chief to give court ‘Tokhang’ records
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['Roy Narra']
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2018-04-08 00:10:52+00:00
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The incoming chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP) has promised to comply with an order of the Supreme Court (SC) to submit data on 4,000 individuals who were documented to have been killed in police anti-drug operations.“Of course, we will follow the SC’s order although I know that the [PNP] is already fixing the papers for it,” Oscar Albayalde said on Saturday.Albayade added that he is also willing to submit data he had collated as the chief of the National Capital Region (Metro Manila) Police Office (NCRPO).Outgoing PNP chief Ronald de la Rosa had been reported to be hesitant to submit the data on the 4,000 victims to the SC.De la Rosa said sharing the data might endanger the lives of the policemen who participated in the anti-drug operations.In its order, the High Court asked the PNP to provide documents containing the names of the 4,000 individuals and their addresses, police operational plans, the policemen who participated in the operations and other important information on “Operation Tokhang” from July 1, 2016 to November 30, 2017.It also asked for the names of PNP crime scene investigators who gathered evidence and processed the bodies of the victims, as well as for the list of “neutralized” suspected drug lords or those who were killed or captured by authorities.Twelve SC justices affirmed their order in a session in Baguio City on April 3, rejecting Solicitor General Jose Calida’s appeal on the decision.Calida on December 5, 2017 cited the sensitivity of the documents that he said could affect national security.Chief Supt. John Bulalacao, PNP spokesman, said they will plead to the SC through Calida to extend the deadline for submitting the data, which is 15 days after the decision was made.He said the geographical set-up of the country will make it hard for them to comply with the deadline.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/new-pnp-chief-to-give-court-tokhang-records/391178/
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PCSO readies medical aid to Mayon evacuees
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['The Manila Times']
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2018-01-17 19:42:15+00:00
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The Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO), through its Charity Assistance Department (CAD), will be providing medical assistance to evacuees and families affected by eruptions of Mayon Volcano in Albay in the Bicol Region.“I’ve already instructed our Charity Assistance Department to keep tab of the situation on the ground, [especially in] evacuation centers. And also, coordinate with the provincial hospital there and other hospitals [for immediate assistance to those who will need help],” PCSO General Manager Alexander Balutan said on Monday.Balutan added that the agency will shoulder the hospitalization of victims and will provide medicines for the evacuees.Albay province was placed under a state of calamity on January 16 to allow the local government to fully mobilize all agencies and resources to respond to emergencies.As of January 17 at 8 a.m., the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Center of Albay had reported 36 barangay (villages), 9,291 families and 37,739 persons affected in Legazpi City, Tabaco City, Ligao City, Daraga, Camalig, Guinobatan, Malilipot and Santo Domingo.Dr. Jose Gochoco Jr., officer-in-charge of the Office of the Assistant General Manager for Charity Sector at the Lung Center of the Philippines in Quezon City, said Balutan’s instructions have been relayed to all PCSO branches in the Bicol Region to join hands and provide assistance to the Mayon victims.“We will maximize our assistance, depending on the patients’ needs and the severity of the situation. We will act accordingly. We are on standby,” Gochoco added.The PCSO has a yearly calamity fund of P100 million approved by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) for natural and man-made disasters.Requests for financial assistance are being made in the hospital or health facility through the Individual Medical Assistance Program (IMAP).Patients who are confined in any health facility, those receiving health care management as outpatients, those who are undergoing dialysis, receiving cancer treatment and needing medicines, cardio and transplant procedures or rehabilitative therapy can avail of the IMAP.Albay social worker Charo Loilo reported that apart from portable toilets, no immediate health assistance is needed as the people are still being evacuated.“We just noticed people going back to their homes to take a bath or do their personal necessities. Portalets [portable toilets] are needed right now,” Loilo said.Some of the common health issues encountered in the past included cuts and bruises during evacuation, high blood pressure, respiratory sicknesses and infections (caused by ash falls and fumes), asthma, severe coughs and colds and heart attacks.On Monday, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) reported that while Mayon Volcano is not yet “explosive,” authorities are not discounting possible eruption as pyroclastic flow, which contains volcanic gas, ashes and fragments, is slowly flowing out of the crater.Alert Level 3 has remained in Mayon Volcano in Albay, which means a “hazardous” eruption is possible within weeks or even days.The Phivolcs will raise Alert Level 4 should there be an indication of hazardous explosion with “lava fountaining” based on gas content and frequency of recorded tremors.As of 2017, it had recorded 51 eruptions in Mayon.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/pcso-readies-medical-aid-mayon-evacuees/374904/
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Taguig city issues ATM cards to students
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['James Konstantin Galvez']
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2018-03-25 19:44:35+00:00
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In line with its Financial Literacy Program, the Taguig City government has started providing ATM savings accounts to students to teach them how to manage their finances at an early age. Policy and Scholarship chief Rene Lopos said more than 2,000 students of Taguig Science High School (TSHS) and Senator Renato “Compañero” Cayetano Memorial Science and Technology High School (SRCCMSTHS) had received their ATM cards. “We want them to discipline themselves when they receive their allowances. Through their savings account, the children will have the choice to withdraw or deposit their money so that they can use them for more important transactions,” Lopos added. Under the program, Lopos said, the monthly P1,000 allowance provided by the city government to each TSHS and SRCCMSTHS student will be deposited directly in their savings accounts. The P1,000 allowance per student every month is an increase from the P500 that was previously granted to them. The money can be spent for books, school projects and other school-related items. The program included a two-day Taguig City Financial Literacy Seminar that was led by Landbank of the Philippines’ Vice President/Relationship Officer Rossana Coronel at the Taguig City University Auditorium on March 15 and 16. Among the topics discussed were the importance of saving and the dos and don’ts when saving. Students do not have to worry if they can still use their savings account even after graduating from high school since they can continue using their ATM account if they become recipients of various scholarship programs of the city. Taguig City offers nine scholarship programs. Because of its big investment in education, Taguig City claimed the top spot in the National Achievement Test for elementary and high school students for two consecutive years, in 2014 and 2015. In college, a P625-million scholarship fund supports students enrolled in the University of the Philippines, Ateneo de Manila University and De La Salle University, among others. The city has also extended this scholarship program to graduate, law and medicine students.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/taguig-city-issues-atm-cards-to-students/388475/
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11 MM roads closed for weekend road reblocking
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['Neil Jayson Servallos']
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2018-10-27 00:01:14+00:00
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The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) said it would close 11 roads in Metro Manila for reblocking and repairs starting at 11 p.m. on Friday to 5 a.m. on Monday. It said the repair works would be conducted by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), Globe Telecom Inc. and Manila Water. Motorists are advised to avoid the affected areas and use alternate routes until these reopen on Monday. The DPWH will do repairs on EDSA (southbound) after Scout Borromeo Street near GMA 7 Station beside MRT Station; (northbound) beside Trinoma Mall (sixth lane from the center island); Batasan Road, Sinagtala Street to Batasan – San Mateo Road (fourth lane); General Luis Street (westbound) near Mendoza Drive and between Ambrocia and Reynaldo streets (first lane center island); C-5 Road (southbound) fronting SM Aura and after Lanuza Ave.; A.H. Lacson Avenue corner Aragon Street and P. Florentino Street and G. Tuazon Street corner Masbate Street. Globe will have works on Commonwealth Avenue near pedestrian footbridge and Jocfer Bldg., and along Commonwealth near N. Zuzuaregui Street; and Roosevelt Avenue (northbound) from Manga Street to KM Post 10 (first lane from sidewalk). While Manila Water will have repairs on Visayas Avenue (northbound), Visayas Avenue Road 1 Intersection (first to half of 2nd lane from sidewalk) and C-5 Road (southbound) in front of Solace.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/11-mm-roads-closed-for-weekend-road-reblocking/458010/
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Militants slam ROTC in Senior High School
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['Neil Alcober']
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2017-02-08 22:07:23+00:00
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A left-leaning student group on Wednesday denounced the return of a mandatory Reserve Officers’ Training Course (ROTC) for Senior High School (Grades 11 and 12) students.“The students stood up against the ROTC program. Through protests and collective actions, mandatory ROTC was removed from college. We have voiced opposition against the proposals of reviving it in college. But even President [Rodrigo] Duterte had the gall to approve the program in Grades 11 and 12. This is unacceptable. It is an insult to the victims of the violent program and the students who fought against it,” JP Rosos, national spokesman for the League of Filipino Students (LFS), said in a statement after Duterte on Tuesday approved the ROTC’s return.“The ROTC is bankrupt to its core. It instills fear and blind obedience stemming from its fascist and corrupt nature. It must never be revived,” Rosos added.He said it is foolish to think that ROTC through the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) can teachnationalism.“The ROTC through the AFP can never instill genuine love for the country. The AFP is the same institution that celebrates the incursions and violations of our national sovereignty committed by US imperialism and its allies.It is even the first one to defend the port visits and military exercises of US troops in Philippine territory. Worse, the AFP proudly defended the basing of US forces inside our country through EDCA [Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement] and other lopsided agreements. What love for the country can the AFP teach when they are the ones who welcome the re-occupation of foreign entities in the Philippines?” Rosos added.According to him, the ROTC holds an abusive and violent history.He pointed out that the core of the program relies on physical, verbal and psychological abuse.“The ROTC is far from instilling discipline. Through abuse and violence, it instills fear and blind obedience, not any sort of discipline,” Rosos said, adding that the program has always led to countless infringement of student rights.He recalled the case of Mark Welson Chua from the University of Santo Tomas in Manila.Chua was killed after he exposed corruption in the ROTC at the university.Rosos added the case of two female students from the state-run Polytechnic University of the Philippines in 2014.He narrated that these students suffered hazing and corporal punishment from their officers.Rosos cited video of student cadets from the University of Mindanao-Tagum who were being punched repeatedly in the chest and stomach.“Several cases are being reported that student cadets are being violated and abused by their officials. This is not discipline, just plain violence and abuse of power. The ROTC is nothing but fascist machinery that needs to be taken down,” he said.Through the ROTC, according to him, military troops are allowed to enter universities and colleges violating the LFS-DND [Department of National Defense] Accord.He said some military personnel also go as far as basing themselves in schools that violates various international humanitarian laws.“It is also foolish to think that such violent and abusive program will be able to teach discipline and love for the country. It is impossible,” Rosos added.“If the government really wants to teach love for the country and instill patriotism, then the government should give more time in discussing the history of the Filipino people and our struggle for national liberation. Also, a fascist program like the ROTC can never teach critical thinking to our students—a necessary skill needed for the patriotic spirit to flourish among the youth,” he said.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/militants-slam-rotc-senior-high-school-2/311182/
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Storm to bring rains until Good Friday
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['The Manila Times']
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2018-03-27 00:03:24+00:00
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A tropical storm with international name “Jelawat” will bring rain in most parts of the country until Good Friday when Filipino Catholics commemorate the passion and death of Jesus Christ.The Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration said the tropical storm will be named “Caloy” once it enters the country.As of 10 a.m. Monday, Jelawat was located 1,320 kilometers (km) east of Hinatuan, Surigao del Sur. It was packing maximum sustained winds of 65 kilometers per hour (kph) and gustiness of up to 80 kph as it continued to move west northwest at 23 kph.“We don’t see it making landfall based on its forecast track,” Pagasa’s weather specialist Meno Mendoza said.Meanwhile, Metro Manila and the rest of Luzon will have partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated light rains due to the northeast monsoon.The rest of the country will have partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rainshowers, Pagasa said. Glee Jalea
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/storm-to-bring-rains-until-good-friday/388668/
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Albayalde vows fair promotion in PNP
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['Roy Narra']
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2018-04-22 00:09:43+00:00
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Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Oscar Albayalde on Saturday assured policemen that they will be promoted or transfered under a policy that is fair to everyone in the police forceIn a news conference in Camp Crame in Quezon City, Albayalde said a policeman would be promoted based on seniority, merit and competence.He added that an oversight committee will review qualifications of policemen for promotion or transfer.Albayalde’s statements came after a text message circulated about certain police officials who got promoted despite lacking qualifications.“I do not know if they were already promoted or if they will be transfered to another post. This will be reviewed by the oversight committee if they are qualified for a promotion,” he said.In the text message, an anonymous texter complained that a certain police official was recommended for a promotion despite being an absentee for two years.“I hope they respect the law and policy of the PNP. They should be ashamed because they are not qualified,” the text in Filipino read.Albayalde called on his subordinates to be obedient to him at all times.“We all know that we cannot gain or command loyalty from everybody. I cannot please everybody and I will never go for that. The fastest ticket to failure is when you try to please everybody. We are in a uniformed organization so we expect obedience,” he said.Albayalde officially assumed his new position on April 19.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/albayalde-vows-fair-promotion-in-pnp/394167/
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State of calamity declared in Ormoc City, Kananga town
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['The Manila Times']
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2017-08-10 20:04:24+00:00
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President Rodrigo Duterte has declared a state of calamity in Ormoc City and Kananga town in Leyte province a month after a 6.5 magnitude earthquake struck the two areas.Duterte signed on August 7 Proclamation 283, declaring the state of calamity on recommendation of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.The declaration would “hasten the rescue, recovery, relief and rehabilitation efforts of the government and the private sector,” as well as “control the prices of basic goods and commodities” in the areas.It would also give the government ample latitude in using funds for the rescue, relief and rehabilitation of affected areas.Duterte directed all government agencies to attend to the needs of the earthquake victims.He also ordered the military and the police “to undertake necessary measures to ensure peace and order in the affected areas.”CATHERINE S. VALENTE
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/state-calamity-declared-ormoc-city-kananga-town/343650/
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BIR salary-law exemption risks security of tenure
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['Mayvelin U. Caraballo']
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2017-08-08 00:40:03+00:00
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The Department of Finance (DoF) said Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) employees should be ready to lose their security of tenure if the tax agency will push for their exemption from the Salary Standardization Law (SSL).“I already said many times, you want to be exempted, to do that you will also be exempted from security of tenure,” Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez 3rd told reporters in a recent interview.Dominguez explained that in exchange for special treatment regarding their salaries, the BIR employees will have to be treated like private-sector employees.“You want to be paid like [those in] the private sector, [then] you should also have the same terms of employment [as those in] the private sector, no security of tenure. That’s one of the points that we brought up,” he said.The tax bureau wants to exempt its revenue personnel from the coverage of the law in its desire to attract more professionals to its fold through a more competitive pay scale especially for entry-level positions.It said its workforce at present numbers just over 10,000, well below the 25,00 approved plantilla positions.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/bir-salary-law-exemption-risks-security-tenure/343134/
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Transport strike fizzles out
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['Mary Gleefer F. Jalea']
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2017-09-26 20:45:37+00:00
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The president of transport group Stop and Go Coalition called off Day 2 (Tuesday) of what he described as a “successful” strike that the group began on Monday.“Napagkasunduan namin na hindi na muna kami babalik sa kalsada. Ang importante, naipahiwatig namin ang mga hinaing sa [We agreed to not return to the streets. What is important is that we had voiced out our gripes against a planned] jeepney phaseout,” Jun Magno said.Members of the transport group on Monday protested in front of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) Central Office in Quezon City, slamming the phase-out of public utility vehicles (PUVs) as “anti-poor.”Under the phase-out, the government proposes that a jeepney operator buy a new PUV for P1.6 million, a price that requires the operator to pay P800 a day before the vehicle can be his.The supposedly nationwide two-day strike hardly affected commuters in Luzon and the Visayas as most jeepney drivers continued to ply their routes.According to LTFRB spokesman Aileen Lizada, the strike had “very minimal” effect.Lizada said only 5,000 passengers were affected around Metro Manila on Monday, not even reaching one percent of around 10 million riders of public utility jeepneys in the National Capital Region (Metro Manila).Magno, without elaborating, warned of a bigger protest anytime soon.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/transport-strike-fizzles/352968/
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6,000MW at risk over limbo at regulatory body
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['Llanesca T. Panti']
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2018-02-01 00:01:03+00:00
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The country is at risk of losing more than 6,000 megawatts (MW) of power supply in a year because of the inability of the Energy Regulatory Commission to approve applications of power generation facilities to operate amid the suspension of ERC officials, ERC Chairman Agnes Devanadera said on Wednesday.In a congressional hearing on the bill seeking the abolition of the ERC, Devanadera noted that without a fully staffed ERC Board, the body cannot take action on pending approval of the applications of the power generation facilities for certificate of compliance (CoC), the requirement needed for them to be in operation.Citing ERC estimates, she said the CoC permits of 43 power plants good for 2,977 megawatts are up for renewal, while those of 58 other power plants that can provide 2,281 megawatts are due for resolution.Grant of provisional authority to operate for 24 power generation facilities good for 840 megawatts is also pending.“If the suspension [of ERC officials] will go on and the ERC won’t function for a year, these power plants will not be allowed to operate. We tried to simulate what will happen if ERC does not function for a year, and these are the data [of power supply that we would lose],” Devanadera said.In December 2017, Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales ordered the suspension of four ERC commissioners namely Gloria Victoria Yap-Taruc, Alfredo Non, Josefina Patricia Magpala-Asirit and Geronimo Santa Ana for a year after they were found guilty of conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service, aggravated by simple misconduct and simple neglect of duty, for allowing the Manila Electric Company to skip public bidding concerning Meralco’s power supply requirementsConsidering the ERC’s role in maintaining the country’s power supply, Rep. Carlos Uybarreta of 1-CARE appealed to his colleagues not to take extreme action by abolishing the ERC altogether.“The ERC is mandated to protect the interest of the consumers, and they have to balance it with the interest of the stakeholders namely the power generation facilities, as well as the transmission and distribution utilities. They have a lot on their plate. Other than take a drastic move, we should be able to help them,” Uybaretta said.President Rodrigo Duterte earlier called for the abolition of the ERC, citing corruption in the light of the suicide of former ERC Director Francisco Villa Jr.Villa took his own life in November 2016 amid escalating pressure to approve P400- million worth of procurement contracts for a certain Jose Morelos without public bidding.Congressional investigations of Villa’s suicide revealed that then-ERC Chairman Jose Vicente Salazar did not want to investigate the circumstances leading to the suicide of Villa.Power producers have joined calls for the Duterte administration to restore normal operations of the ERC, saying the power industry needs a fully functional commission.“On behalf of its members, PIPPA [Philippine Independent Power Producers Association Inc.] respectfully emphasizes our concern that the energy industry needs a fully functional commission in order to implement their mandate in accordance with EPIRA [Electric Power Industry Reform Act of 2001],” PIPPA said in a letter to the President.It stated in its January 24 letter that with out a working ERC and putting a pause to its important work, the regulator would not be able to act on pending power supply agreements (PSAs), price determination regulation, compliance certificates and licenses.“These approvals and licenses are dependent on the ERC and will negatively impact everyone from the generators, distribution utilities and ultimately to the consumers,” the group said.The absence of ERC commissioners will be detrimental not only to the Philippine energy sector but to every consumer who depends on energy security.“Accordingly, we express our sincere hope that this matter can be resolved quickly and fairly, and so that the entire industry can move forward and work to achieve energy security, reliability, accessibility and affordability for all consumers,” PIPPA said.Earlier, it expressed its support to the ERC after the Office of the Ombudsman suspended the four commissioners.Since last year’s suspension, many have been pressing the government to restore the regular ERC functions by appointing temporary commissioners.Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi had said Malacanañg informed him that it was mending legal aspects of the power vacuum within the ERC.Duterte is yet to respond to the Department of Energy’s requests to appoint temporary commissioners for the ERC and place the regulatory body under its administrative supervision.with JORDEENE B. LAGARE
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/6000mw-risk-limbo-regulatory-body/377527/
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Toledo hits daughter’s ‘fiction’
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['Roy Narra']
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2018-06-15 00:07:39+00:00
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Baha’i spiritual leader Antonio Toledo on Thursday denied the allegations made by his daughter that he raped her and was an irresponsible husband and father.Toledo told The Manila Times the accusations of his daughter, journalist and researcher Andrea “Drei” Toledo, were all fabrications.Andrea claimed that her father was a New People’s Army leader.In her story titled “The life of a communist cadre,” the younger Toledo claimed that her father raped her. She also said Toledo did not take care of his wife Virginia when she suffered a stroke, and that he had a mistress in the rebel group named “Linda.”But Toledo refuted his daughter’s allegations.“She’s painting me as someone irresponsible. Someone who did not take care of her mom. That is not true. She was the one na sisipot-sipot (who would just pop up). I was there every day for almost nine months in the hospital….She was helping, yes, she was. Pero for her to say na (But for her to say) I was mostly irresponsible, I was not caring for my wife, fiction na yun (that’s fiction),” Toledo said.He added that he is practicing Baha’i Faith and not using it as a cover.Toledo also denied his daughter’s claim that he is a drinker.“I think she was referring to one instance…nakatira pa kami sa Muntinlupa tapos `yung isang (we were living in Muntinlupa and a) group of neighbors, nandoon sa harap ng tindahan at nagpumilit ako na uminom ako (were forcing me to drink). I just took ng isang (one) gulp…ever since, ikinagalit niya [iyon] (she got mad),” he said.No such thing as ‘Ka Linda’He also denied his daughter’s claim that he had a guerilla wedding with someone named “Ka Linda,” had children with her, and married Virginia.Toledo shared that his daughter went to his younger sister Rose Marie to tell her about “Ka Linda.”He added that Andrea could have associated him in the concept of “married to the bullet” based on the story of her aunt Perla, who was once a rebel and was married to an NPA member.In her narrative, Andrea slammed her father for spreading the news that his father Simeon was bipolar when there was no hospital record to prove such claims.She also denied that she was diagnosed with bipolar disorder.Toledo maintained that he never said his father was bipolar.“Hindi ko sinabi na bipolar `yung father ko (I did not say that my father was bipolar) but he has his own psychological difficulty but I did not use the term bipolar…Retired na siya noong nagmamanifest `yung ganoong behavior, (he was already retired when the behavior manifested,) he explained.Toledo said Andrea was diagnosed as bipolar when she entered the University of the PhilippinesDiliman.Rape also a ‘fabrication’Toledo also denied raping his daughter.“Fabrication na naman `yan (That’s another fabrication). Where she got that, di ko talaga matanto (I have no idea),” he said.He said Andrea started to make such claims when she was exposed to child abuse cases she heard from United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund in the 2000s.“Around that time, she made those claims, saying God is her witness. I’m also saying God is my witness,” Toledo said.“How can I apologize for something I did not do?” he added.EastMinCom clearanceToledo welcomed the statement issued by the Eastern Mindanao Command clearing him of any involvement with the communist group.“Mabuti naman at ginawa nila `yun. Kasi sila ang makakapagsabi talaga whether nasa intelligence ito o hindi (It’s a good thing that they did that because they are the only one who can really say if someone is in their intelligence list).Lt. Gen. Benjamin Madrigal Jr., EastMinCom commander, had said they had no information on Toledo’s alleged involvement with the NPA.Maj. Ezra Balagtey, EastMinCom spokesman, also confirmed that Toledo was not on the list of NPA members under their military surveillance.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/toledo-hits-daughters-fiction/408143/
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PAO serving indigents well despite ‘overwhelming’ caseload
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['Ma. Reina Leanne Tolentino']
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2017-06-10 21:57:51+00:00
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The Public Attorney’s Office ably represented indigent clients despite the “overwhelming” amount of cases it handled in 2016, according to the Commission on Audit (COA).Based on COA’s 2016 annual audit report on PAO, 1,688 public lawyers assisted a total of 8.84 million clients and handled 850,298 cases.Each lawyer assisted an average number of 5,237 clients and handled an average number of 511 cases.“Despite the overwhelming caseloads, the public attorneys ably represented indigent clients who are accused in court. They skillfully facilitated the release and favorable disposition of cases of indigent clients, by way of acquittals, dismissal of cases, or for some other reasons, their cases were favorably disposed of, totalling 148,716,” COA said in its “Operational Highlights” in the audit report’s executive summary.“On their scheduled activities, the public attorneys and staff of the PAO-Central Office, Regional and District Offices have alternately been providing legal and inquest proceedings assistance even during night time, weekends and holidays. Legal assistance includes legal advice, attending to the legal needs of the suspects in the police stations within the territorial jurisdiction of the concerned PAO regional/district offices, up to 10 p.m. everyday, and remain on call even beyond 10 p.m., to attend to inquest calls in police stations nationwide,” COA said.The PAO, which was created in 1972, aims to deliver free legal service to poor or needy citizens in civil, criminal, labor and administrative cases. Most of its offices can be found at the Halls of Justice nationwide.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/pao-serving-indigents-well-despite-overwhelming-caseload/332031/
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President urged to certify PC bill urgent
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['The Manila Times']
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2016-10-26 22:26:17+00:00
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A bill has been filed in the House of Representatives seeking to restore the Philippine Constabulary (PC), with the elite Special Action Force (SAF) as the first batch of officers, to concentrate on suppressing domestic security threats, particularly terrorism and insurgency.The author of the measure, Surigao del Sur Rep. Johnny Pimentel, has asked President Rodrigo Duterte to certify as urgent House Bill 3768, which proposes to bring back the PC by revising the 1990 law that created the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the 1998 statute that gave the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) primary jurisdiction over internal security.“Considering it was the President himself who first broached the renewal of the PC, we’re asking him to certify our bill as urgent. But that is really up to the President, whether he certifies the measure,” Pimentel, a member of the House Committee on National Defense and Security, said.In any case, the lawmaker added, he is “dead serious” about his proposal to reinstate the PC.“With the President’s resolve to chart a truly independent foreign policy, it has become absolutely imperative for Congress to release the AFP from its duties in maintaining internal security,” Pimentel said.The AFP’s three existing service commands – the Army, Navy and Air Force – should now concentrate entirely on preparing to defend the national sovereignty and territory against external threats, the lawmaker added.As proposed by Pimentel, the new PC would have jurisdiction in civil law enforcement, and its pioneers would be the SAF, the national mobile unit of the PNP patterned after the renowned Special Air Service of the British Army.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/president-urged-certify-pc-bill-urgent/293271/
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UP Diliman campus jeepney fare increased to P7
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['Dempsey Reyes']
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2017-02-26 21:33:20+00:00
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An official of state-run University of the Philippines in Diliman, Quezon City over the weekend released a memorandum saying fare for jeepney rides inside the campus will now be at P7.Memorandum No. 17-07 from Vice Chancellor for Community Affairs Nestor Castro referred to the jeepneys inside the UP Diliman campus with the routes of Ikot and Toki, a jeepney vehicle that is only making trips around the area of the UP campus in Quezon City.The memorandum was signed by Castro on February 22 and was released to the public on February 24.From the original fare of P6, the fare will now be P7 in line with an order coming from the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) seeking a P1 increase for minimum fares for taxis and public utility jeepneys (PUJs).The LTFRB order was approved on February 6 and took effect for all PUJs operating in Metro Manila, Central Luzon and Southern Tagalog.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/diliman-campus-jeepney-fare-increased-p7/314308/
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4 SC justices to vie for chief justice post
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['Jomar Canlas']
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2018-07-26 00:06:42+00:00
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At least four Supreme Court (SC) Associate Justices will vie for the position of chief justice that was left vacant with the ouster of Maria Lourdes Sereno.Associate Justices Lucas Bersamin, Diosdado Peralta, Andres Reyes Jr. accepted their nomination while Teresita Leonardo-de Castro is expected to do the same on Thursday.Bersamin submitted the required documents on Tuesday to the Judicial and Bar Council.Bersamin, de Castro and Peralta were appointed to the high court by then President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. Reyes was an appointee of President Rodrigo Duterte.Bersamin, the fifth most senior magistrate of the high court, penned the decision granting bail to former senator Juan Ponce Enrile and led the declaration of the pork barrel of lawmakers and the Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP) of the Aquino administration as unconstitutional.Peralta, the fourth most senior justice, is a graduate of the University of Santo Tomas College of Law.He served as prosecutor of Manila and later became a judge in Quezon City. He also served as presiding justice of the Sandiganbayan.He penned the controversial ruling allowing the burial of former president Ferdinand Marcos at the Libingan ng mga Bayani.Reyes meanwhile served as a judge in Makati City and San Mateo, Rizal. He was later appointed justice in the Court of Appeals.Reyes penned the ruling denying the petition for bail of pork barrel scam queen Janet Lim-Napoles.De Castro, the third most senior justice of the SC served as a justice at the Sandiganbayan.It was she who penned the ruling that convicted former president Joseph Estrada.The JBC will hold its first deliberation on the nominees on August 3.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/4-sc-justices-to-vie-for-chief-justice-post/423263/
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Oil firms impose hefty price cuts
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['Jordeene Sheex Lagare']
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2018-11-12 21:49:11+00:00
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Oil companies implemented a hefty price rollback on Tuesday, slashing the price of gasoline by P2.30 per liter and diesel by P2 per liter.Caltex, Eastern Petroleum, Flying V, Jetti, Pilipinas Shell, PTT Philippines, and Seaoil adjusted their prices at 6 a.m. on Tuesday.Petro Gazz and Phoenix Petroleum slashed the price of gasoline by P2.50 per liter.The price of kerosene was cut by P1.85 per liter.This brings the common price of diesel to P43.60 per liter, gasoline by P51.70- P51.90 per liter, and kerosene by P53.17 per liter, based on the Department of Energy’s (DoE) weekly oil monitoring.Last week, the price of diesel went down by 90 centavos to P1 per liter, gasoline by P1 to P1.10 per liter, and kerosene by 65 centavos per liter.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/oil-firms-impose-hefty-price-cuts/466642/
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PACC probes Customs X-ray bidding
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['William Depasupil']
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2018-10-01 00:05:30+00:00
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THE Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC) is investigating the bidding conducted by the Bureau of Customs (BoC) for the supply of various state-of-the-art X-ray machines worth P1.3 billion over alleged irregularities.PACC Commissioner Manuelito Luna disclosed on Sunday that the graft complaint against the BoC’s Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) was being reviewed by the anti-graft body’s lawyers.“It is now pending evaluation by our lawyers and after evaluation we will determine if there is a need for further validation,” Luna told The Manila Times.The complaint was filed before the anti-graft body by one of the bidders that participated in the X-ray project bidding held at the BoC last July 31, 2018. The bidders included Facilities Protection Inc., Casedist Inc., Defense and Protection Systems Phils., Inc. and Cyclix Technologies Inc.The complaint claimed that BoC’s BAC, led by Deputy Commissioner Gladys Rosales, ignored established rules and regulations to ensure competitive public bidding to favor the joint venture of Astrophysics Inc.-Astrophysics Asia Inc.-Genesis Transunited Inc., which eventually won the bidding.The complaint claimed that what the BoC-BAC did was a violation of the system of accountability set forth under Republic Act (RA) 9184, or the Government Procurement Reform Act.“The conduct of the said public bidding was attended by serious irregularities and blatant disregard of rules and regulations established to ensure competitive public bidding,” the complaint said.The bidding, which involved four lots, was for the supply, delivery, installation and commissioning of various X-ray machines with a total project amount of P1,362,190,000.The complaint argued that Astrophysics should have been disqualified from the bidding for non-submission and/or non-attachment in its Philippine Government Electronic Procurement Process (PhilGEPS) certificate of its audited financial statement (AFS) as required under the 2006 Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of RA 9184, and discrepancy in the computations of its net financial contracting capacity (NFCC).They also pointed out that Rule 9 Section 30.1 of the IRR mandates the BAC to “check the submitted documents of each bidder against a checklist of required documents to ascertain if all are present, using a non-discretionary pass/fail criterion.“With this, it is clear that Astrophysics should have been [given outright] a failed rating” but instead, “the BAC even provided Astrophysics an extraordinary opportunity to remedy the failure by requesting the latter to submit the updated AFS during the bid evaluation,” it added.“[T]he mere act of the Committee in requesting Astrophysics to submit the same is a blatant irregularity in the bidding process,” it further said.Astrophysics Asia submitted its AFS for 2016 as indicated in its PhilGEPS membership database, which it said “clearly, does not reflect the true and current financial capability of the company,” the complaint alleged.“To reiterate, Astrophysics should have submitted its current AFS, the lack thereof would be an infraction of the mandate to file an updated AFS with the BIR (Bureau of Internal Revenue,” it said.But the BoC-BAC, through lawyer Francis Tolibas, head of the bureau’s Technical Working Group (TWG), denied the allegations, saying that the bidding process was transparent and above board.Tolibas explained that the PhilGEPS certificate of registration and membership of Astrophysics is valid until September 13, 2018 and thus compliant with the 2016 IRR of RA 9184 and Government Policy Procurement Board (GPBB) Circular 07-2017.“Even if it is still valid, the company extended its Platinum Membership (in PhilGEPS) until September 13, 2019 and furnished the same to the technical working group during the post-qualification,” Tolibas told The Manila Times.According to Tolibas, the BoC saved a total of P116,838,000 from the P1,362,190,000 approved budget when the it awarded the contract to Astrophysics, which offered the lowest calculated bid, at P1,245,352,000.Of the five bidders, only two were declared eligible, Astrophysics Venture and Casedist Inc. The bids of the three others were disqualified.The bid of Defense & Protection System Phils., Inc. was declared “failed” due to its submission of an expired PhilGEPS certificate of registration and membership, while that of FPI Joint Venture and Cylix Technologies Inc.-Advanced Security and Safety Solution Inc. Joint Venture were both declared failed due to the lack of authority of their respective representatives to appoint and authorize their joint venture representatives.A total of four lots were auctioned, namely: 15 units of fixed type machines (P8.5 million each), 25 units of hand-carried (P6.99 million each), four mobiles (P24.985 million each) and six portals (P160 million each).Astrophysics participated in all four lots, and Casedist in two lots — the fix and hand-carried X-rays.Astrophysics was the lone bidder in the mobile and portal X-ray machines (lots 3 and 4). The total ABC for lots was P1.099 billion, while lots 1 and 2 (fixed and hand-carried X-rays), where Casedist participated, was only P300.250 million.Tolibas explained that Casedist was not qualified in lots 3 ad 4 because it had no previous supply contract amounting to at least 50 percent of the P1.3-billion approved budget of the Customs’ X-ray project.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/pacc-probes-customs-x-ray-bidding/447084/
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Setting minimum age a tall order for House
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['Llanesca T. Panti']
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2017-02-22 20:56:40+00:00
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The House justice committee is still undecided on the minimum age of criminal liability that the Duterte administration wants lowered from 15 to nine years old, Rep. Ron Salo of Kabayan party-list said on Wednesday during a hearing of the panel’s sub-committee on correctional reforms.Salo heads the Technical Working Group (TWG) designated to consolidate proposed bills on lowering the age of criminal liability.“Based on the [TWG] meetings, one thing is very clear: Everyone is in agreement that children in conflict with the law (CICL) below 15 years old should be made accountable and responsible for their actions. However, almost all the resource persons and many of other members of Congress who attended the meetings are opposed to these CICL as criminals,” he said.“As such, we respectfully beg the indulgence of the sub-committee that we were not able to finish crafting the substitute bill in time for today’s hearing,” Salo added.He disclosed that Deputy Speaker Pia Cayetano of Taguig City (Metro Manila), has proposed to rephrase the title as An Act Expanding the Scope of the Juvenile Justice and Welfare System and Strengthening the Social Reintegration Programs for Children in Conflict with the Law.“With such a slight change in the title and in the terminology, we will be able to capture the primary intent of the authors of the various bills and the President himself of making CICLs below 15 accountable and responsible for their actions and make them undergo the necessary rehabilitative measures and programs of the government and consider the primary objections of the resource persons and child advocates of not branding children as criminals,” Salo said.He assured critics of the bills that all other provisions of the proposals provide for the rehabilitation of the children in conflict with the law.The TWG requested another week for submitting the substitute bill.But for party-list Rep. Arlene Brosas of Gabriela and Rep. Carlos Zarate of Bayan Muna, the changing of the title of the bill does not change the fact that children will be sent to jail because they were victimized by adults.“This committee [acts] like King Herod, who was willing to kill children. Even if we call it by any other title, the essence of this bill is the lowering of the the age of criminal liability,” Brosas said.According to Zarate, “The law at present [putting the minimum age of criminal liability at 15 years old] is yet to be implemented fully. We should give this law a chance, first. Yes, this law has loopholes but lowering the age of criminal liability is not a solution.”Lawmakers from the minority bloc led by Minority Leader Danny Suarez of Quezon shared the sentiments of their Makabayan colleagues, saying children cannot be treated as criminals.“We cannot even fit the inmates in our existing jails and we still want to jail the children? Putting children in prison will destroy their future,” Suarez said.“Why are we punishing the children in the first place? The ones who should be punished here are adult members of syndicates. These minors who commit offenses are victims here. They were abandoned or neglected by their parents, are uneducated. These are mitigating circumstances, not aggravating circumstances,” Rep. Alfredo Garbin of Ako Bicol party-list said.Rep. Harry Roque of Kabayan party-list, said a nine-year-old child, for example, cannot be made criminally liable because the child’s brain is still developing at that age.“We should help the child in conflict with the law to be reformed,” according to Roque.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/setting-minimum-age-tall-order-house/313641/
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House to pass P3.7-T budget in Oct
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['Llanesca T. Panti']
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2018-08-29 00:14:32+00:00
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The House of Representatives will approve the proposed P3.757-trillion budget for 2019 on third and final reading on October 12, Majority Leader Rolando Andaya Jr. said on Tuesday.Andaya gave the assurance after the Department of Budget and Management agreed to restore portions of the budget cuts in the Health, Education and Public Works departments. The lawmaker met with Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno, Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez 3rd, Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea and House Appropriations panel Chairman Karlo Nograles in Malacañang yesterday.“We will pass the budget by October 12. We agreed that we need to restore budget cuts. We will restore some, but not everything. We have a unified voice,” Andaya told reporters.“We will not have a reenacted budget. Both sides have explained the merits of their position, and we agreed to help each other find source of budget [by realigning funds within the budget]. We also agreed that the obligated funds of agencies can be spent within a year and a half,” he added.The House earlier stopped budget deliberations after lawmakers rejected the cash-based budget system proposed by the Budget department that sought to slash the budget of the Department of Public Works and Highways by P95 billion, the Education department by P77 billion and the Health department by P35 billion.Andaya said the DBM would likely submit a supplemental budget to fund the implementation of the Bangsamoro Organic Law and the Supreme Court ruling increasing the local government units’ Internal Revenue allotment.Andaya estimates the funding requirement for these two items at P140 billion.“We are looking at unprogrammed fund or submitting supplemental budget as options for DBM. We need income and programmed loans to fund the supplemental budget. Offhand, we agreed upon the funding requirement [for supplemental budget],” Andaya said.“We have to remember that the Treasury must issue a certification that there is funding available for the supplemental budget first before it is submitted to Congress,” he added.The BOL abolishes the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao and replaces it with Bangsamoro Region.The High Court ruling, on the other hand, increased the IRA take of LGUs.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/house-to-pass-p3-7-t-budget-in-oct/435652/
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DoH sets anti-measles vaccination campaign
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['Kenneth Hare Hernandez']
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2018-04-13 00:04:44+00:00
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The Department of Health (DoH) will conduct an anti-measles vaccination drive to combat the spread of the disease in the country.The campaign came after outbreaks were recorded in the first quarter of the year.The National Measles Supplemental Immunization Activity (SIA) will be conducted on April 25-May 25 in Metro Manila and in Mindanao on May 9-June 8.Children six months to 5 years old are targeted by the vaccination campaign.Health workers are instructed to practice standard immunization safety procedures to prevent adverse events following immunization (AEFI) and transmission of blood-borne infections.They are also advised not to use vials with any sign of contamination or breakage.According to government data, 4,168 measles cases were reported nationwide from January 1 to March 26.Out of the 4,168 reported cases, 723 were laboratory-confirmed measles with a total of 13 deaths.Most of the confirmed cases came from Davao Region (27.73 percent), Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (21.59 percent), Zamboanga Peninsula (14.32 percent), Soccksargen (10.45 percent) and Northern Mindanao (10 percent).Although Outbreak Response Immunization by the Health department is being implemented in affected provinces, the measles virus transmission continues to affect individuals.In a statement on Thusday, Health Secretary Francisco Duque 3rd asked parents to bring their children to local hospitals to be properly attended.“In the event of a serious AEFI, we advise parents to immediately bring their child to any DoH hospital, the local government hospital for proper treatment and management,” according to Duque.To allay fears of the public regarding immunization, the Health chief said measles vaccination is safe and side effects are “generally mild and transient” and severe and systemic reactions following vaccination are rare.“Rest assured that your DoH is deeply committed to protecting our children against serious and often fatal vaccine-preventable diseases like measles through the provision of vaccination,” he added.Last March, the Health department declared an outbreak in Negros Oriental after 19 cases of measles were reported in the towns of Bacung, Mabinay, San Jose, Santa Catalina, Siaton and Valencia and Dumaguete City.A village in Taguig City also declared an outbreak in March after seven cases were reported.In February, the DoH reported a measles outbreak in Zamboanga City, prompting the agency and the local government to launch a massive immunization program in villages.According to the latest data from the City Health Office, five children have died since the declaration of the outbreak.The parents of two fatalities had refused vaccination for their children.In January, local government units in Davao declared a measles outbreak in the province with 222 people affected.Measles is an acute and contagious disease caused by a virus.It is characterized by a profusion of small red spots on the skin.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/doh-sets-anti-measles-vaccination-campaign/392168/
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Expect license plate initial delivery in March 2018 – DoTr
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['The Manila Times']
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2017-12-07 20:40:38+00:00
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Initial delivery of license plates will be made in March 2018, the Department of Transportation (DoTr) said on Thursday.The DoTr cited issuance by the Land Transportation Office (LTO) of the notice of award to winning bidder Trojan Computer Forms Manufacturing Corporation and J.H. Tonnjes E.A.S.T. GmbH & Co. KG Joint Venture.“Amid perception that the agency is not moving forward with the supply of license plates, the LTO chief [and] Assistant Secretary Edgar Galvante is on top of the situation and is proceeding with the procurement of license plates with dispatch and in accordance with existing procurement laws,” it said.“The LTO clarified that the agency has already issued the notice of award to the winning bidder in the procurement of license plates in the amount of P978.8 million on December 1, 2017,” the DoTr added.In 2013, procurement of motor vehicle plates was questioned before the Commission on Audit and has since remained pending.The procurement should have covered the supply of license plates from 2014 to 2018.In 2016, the Supreme Court issued a temporary restraining order preventing the LTO and the DOTr from releasing 700,000 license plates turned over by the Bureau of Customs after the supplier-importer failed to pay the required Customs duties.Galvante requested an additional P400 million to be included in the LTO’s 2017 budget to pay the duties.Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade has approved the request and has set aside P1 billion instead from the DoTr’s budget for the procurement.According to the DOTr, the winning bidder “has already been required to provide the performance security. Initial delivery is expected sometime in March 2018.”“The LTO assures the public that the agency is doing the best it can, in compliance with existing laws and regulations, to deliver the license plates,” it said.REICELENE N. IGNACIO
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/expect-license-plate-initial-delivery-march-2018-dotr/367335/
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Suspended ERC execs urged to resign
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['Llanesca T. Panti']
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2018-06-19 00:12:21+00:00
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The four Energy Regulatory Commission commissioners recently suspended by the Office of the Ombudsman should resign, lawmakers said Monday.Representatives Johnny Pimentel of Surigao del Sur and Teddy Baguilat of Ifugao made the call after commissioners Gloria Victoria Yap-Taruc, Alfredo Non, Josefina Patricia Magpala-Asirit and Geronimo Sta. Ana were again issued three-month suspension without pay by Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales over neglect of duty. They were accused of allowing the misuse of Bill Deposits (BD) by commingling it with the capital or operation cost of the Manila Electric Company (Meralco).The commingling of funds defeated the purpose of BDs which is to guarantee the payment of bills, the Ombudsman said.The four ERC officials were earlier slapped a year-long suspension without pay by the Ombudsman for allowing power distribution utilities, including Meralco, to bypass the bidding process for power supply agreements filed before the ERC.“It’s time they resign, considering that we have also completed our committee report and recommended [the] further investigation of the same ERC commissioners,” Pimentel, who heads the House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability, said.He was referring to the House probe on Meralco’s seven power sharing agreements (PSAs) with its affiliates that were exempted from competitive bidding.“The best move for them is to resign or for the President [Rodrigo Duterte] to fire them. Their prolonged suspension would render them inutile in performing their jobs anyway,” Baguilat said.Rep. Carlos Zarate of Bayan Muna said the Ombudsman’s successive suspension orders against the ERC officials affirm his contention that the ERC is colluding with Meralco.“The Ombudsman’s new decision strengthens the joint committee report [of Pimentel’s panel] especially since these four commissioners and the company involved are one and the same. This is definitely more than a whiff of corruption,” Zarate said.“It only shows that ERC’s deals with power distribution utilities stinks,” he added.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/suspended-erc-execs-urged-to-resign/409986/
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New DoT ad campaign under review
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['Reicelene Joy Ignacio']
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2017-06-14 22:00:51+00:00
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THE country’s new tourism campaign that was recently unveiled by the Department of Tourism may still be revised because of criticisms that it is similar to the promotional ad of South Africa, an official said Wednesday.“Everything is not final. We are also sensitive to the reactions. There could be revisions and we might call for a meeting,” Tourism Assistant Secretary Ricky Alegre said in a radio interview.The video entitled “Sights” shows Japanese retiree M. Uchimura dancing with the locals at the Banaue Rice Terraces in Ifugao, riding an ATV in Paoay and enjoying snacks on Calle Crisologo in Vigan City.Toward the end of the video, Uchimura, took out his walking stick to navigate Calle Crisologo, revealing that he is blind.Netizens immediately criticized the video, saying it was copied.Alegre said the department has asked the maker of the ad campaign, McCann Worldgroup, to review the material.“Secretary Wanda has been very sensitive to the reaction regarding the ad,” Alegre said.“There are similarities but it’s a different creative matter. The one that we have is a real Japanese resident,” he said.The Department of Tourism has a budget of P650 million for its tourism ads with McCann, which won the deal last year.Sen. Nancy Binay said the DOT should penalize the advertising agency for coming out with “unoriginal” work.Binay, chairman of the Senate Committee on Tourism, said it was not the first time that the Tourism department came out with a controversial advertising material.In 2010, the department and ad agency Campaigns and Grey were also criticized for the “Pilipinas kay Ganda” logo, which netizens claimed was lifted from Poland’s tourism logo.In 2012, the “It’s more fun in the Philippines” was also questioned because of its striking resemblance with the “It’s more fun in Switzerland” tagline made in 1951.“We should start penalizing ad agencies for giving our departments, especially the DoT, ripped off creative handles or not-so-original work,” Binay said.and Jefferson Antiporda
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/new-dot-ad-campaign-review/332741/
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Makati turns off lights for Earth Hour 2018
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['James Konstantin Galvez']
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2018-03-22 23:53:37+00:00
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MAKATI City government, with fellow environmental advocates from the barangay (villages) and the business community, will convene on Saturday along Ayala Avenue for the ceremonial switching off of lights for one hour in observance of Earth Hour 2018. Makati Mayor Abby Binay said the event will be held at the Fountain Area of Tower One and Exchange Plaza, Ayala Triangle Gardens, Ayala Avenue in Makati, where registration will start at 6 p.m. “We call on Makati residents, institutions and business establishments to once again show our solidarity with cities and nations around the world in healing our planet,” Binay said. Themed “Let Nature Shine” with #Connect2Earth, the event will officially start at 6:30 p.m. and the ceremonial switching off of lights will be from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m. According to Department of Environmental Services chief Leopoldo Parumog, the yearly celebration of Earth Hour has helped in reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the city. A City Resolution was passed in 2008 declaring 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. as “Earth Hour” of Makati City and encouraging observance among all residents and households, as well as owners or managers of business establishments and buildings.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/makati-turns-off-lights-for-earth-hour-2018/387910/
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Beached whale had plastic trash, fish nets in stomach
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['Dörte Planert']
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18/12/2016 0:00
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An initial check conducted by the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) here reportedly revealed that the sperm whale, which was found beached in front of a resort in Babak District in the Island Garden City of Samal Saturday, had large amounts of plastic trash, fishing nets, hooks and even a piece of coco lumber in its stomach.According to BFAR Region 11 Director Fatima Idris, the debris were found inside the stomach of the 37-foot whale as the agency conducted a necropsy Sunday. She said the whale was a juvenile male.Cetacean expert Darrel Blatchley had earlier suspected that the whale could have either choked on plastic trash or was mortally wounded by propellers of vessels plying the Davao Gulf.News of the whale washing up the beach on a resort in Samal broke out late Saturday afternoon.BFAR has a marine mammal stranding network which is always on the look-out for whales that could be stranded in the Davao Gulf.Netizens shared video clips of local officials using a backhoe to drag the carcass of the whale to shore.
|
Manila Bulletin
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https://news.mb.com.ph/2016/12/18/beached-whale-had-plastic-trash-fish-nets-in-stomach/
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Filipinos urged to fight violence vs women
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['Nelson Badilla']
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2016-11-30 21:22:58+00:00
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THE Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) on Wednesday said fighting violence against women (VAW) should be a struggle of all Filipinos.“Violence isn’t only experienced by women. It is not just a few individual’s personal struggle, it is the struggle that the entire Filipino society must take on. Let us remember that ending violence against women starts with each of us, and we’ll only achieve victory if we work together to end not just violence against women, but also all forms of abuse against our nation,” Director Marita Pimentel, field program manager at the office of the DSWD Secretary Judy Taguiwalo, said.Pimentel, also a member of the National Gender and Development Resource Program of the Philippine Commission on Women, added, “It is our responsibility to be quick in providing help to abused women. They will continue to experience violence if we do not extend help as soon as possible, and if we are insensitive to the situation they are in.”VAW remains one of the big problems of the country despite having a law that punishes who anyone who does it.Pimentel said VAW is prevalent in different areas of society such as in schools, workplaces and cyberspace.DSWD Undersecretary Vilma Cabrera agreed with Pimentel, saying, “We must be vigilant in reporting to the authorities the cases of abuse and violence against women.”In a statement, Caloocan City (Metro Manila) Mayor Oscar Malapitan urged city residents to actively join the DSWD in putting an end to VAW by being completely aware in displaying respect, care and love for women at all times.Malapitan said fighting VAW should not be limited to an 18-day observance [beginning November 25] but at all times.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/filipinos-urged-fight-violence-vs-women/299226/
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