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More Pinoy nurses scouting for US jobs
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['The Manila Times']
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2018-08-28 00:06:53+00:00
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More Filipino nurses are scouting for work in the United States, ACTS-OFW Rep. Aniceto ‘John’ Bertiz 3rd said on Monday.From January to June this year, 4,533 Filipino nurses took the US licensure examination.“The number is up 27 percent versus the 3,572 Philippine-educated nurses who took America’s eligibility test, or the NCLEX, for the first time in the same six-month period in 2017,” Bertiz said.He said 500 Indians, 444 Puerto Ricans, 392 South Koreans and 242 Nigerians also took the NCLEX for the first time from January to June.The NCLEX refers to the licensure examination either for registered nurse or for practical nurse administered by the US National Council of State Boards of Nursing Inc. (NCSBN).Bertiz said Jamaicans, Canadians and Cubans also compete with Filipinos in the US nursing labor market. Many Filipino nurses prefer to work in the US because of higher hourly pay.“Filipino nurses also find it easier to work and live in America,” Bertiz said.A total of 181,344 Filipino nurses have taken the NCLEX for the first time since 1995, he said.The median pay of registered nurses in America was $70,000 per annum, or $33.65 per hour in 2017, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.Nurses in America work in hospitals, physician’s offices, home healthcare services, and nursing care facilities, while others work in outpatient clinics and schools, or serve in the military.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/more-pinoy-nurses-scouting-for-us-jobs/435307/
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Lawmakers divided on poll postponement
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['Bernadette E. Tamayo']
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2017-08-08 22:11:36+00:00
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A proposal was made to realign the budget for the holding of barangay (village) elections to the reconstruction of Marawi City if the local polls will be postponed until May 2018.Sen. Juan Edgardo Angara, vice chairman of the Senate Committee on Local Government, on Tuesday said he is not opposed to the move of the House of Representatives to postpone again the conduct of the village and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK or Youth Council) elections scheduled for October 23.“The Senate probably has to discuss this given the time element. I have no strong objections if the majority wishes to postpone the barangay elections until May next year,” he added.Angara said the money for the holding of the local elections can also be used to fund the free tuition law.The government needs over P25 billion to implement the free tertiary education law.“I belong to the minority [bloc] in the Senate and my position is that the elections should push through,” said Sen. Francis Pangilinan, vice chairman of the Senate Committee on Electoral Reforms.Upon the prodding of President Rodrigo Duterte, Congress postponed the barangay and SK elections last year to October 23 this year because of allegations that drug money will be used to fund the village polls.The President pushed for the appointment of officers-in-charge at the village level in lieu of holding elections this year, supposedly to prevent drug money from being used to fund the campaign of some candidates allegedly involved in illegal drugs.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/lawmakers-divided-poll-postponement/343192/
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BoC fails to meet 1st semester target
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['William Depasupil']
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2017-08-18 22:55:32+00:00
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THE Bureau of Customs (BoC) has collected P212.16 billion in duties and taxes for the first six months of the year, lower by P6.54 billion from the P218.7 billion target for the period.The first semester collection was, however, 11.3 percent higher than the P190 billion reported for the same period last year.Of the 17 collection districts, 10 ports exceeded their collection targets for the first six months.But the seven ports that did not meet their assigned collection targets were among the biggest districts where the bulk of the bureau’s yearly intake comes from. They include the Port of Manila (PoM) and the Manila International Container Port (MICP), the BoC’s so-called “flagship” ports, as well as the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) collection district and the Port of Cebu.The 10 ports that met their targets for the first semester were those in San Fernando, Legaspi, Iloilo, Tacloban Surigao, Cagayan de Oro, Zamboanga, Davao, Subic and Clark.The records show that the BoC surpassed its targets for the months of January, March and May but collections were down in February, April and June.Those that missed their revenue goals in June also included the PoM, MICP, NAIA, and the ports of Cebu, Clark, Iloilo, Limay, Subic and Tacloban.Despite the bureau’s poor collection performance, Commissioner Nicanor Faeldon congratulated all port collectors and employees for their efforts in improving the bureau’s revenue collections.Faeldon said the BoC was working on several developmental projects designed to beef up its workforce, improve IT systems, modernize facilities and operations, and enforce stricter border security to further improve collections.For 2017, the BoC has been assigned a total collection target of P459.6 billion.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/boc-fails-meet-1st-semester-target/345363/
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“No more cutting of trees,” DENR’s Lopez says
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['Norman F. Hernandez']
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26/02/2017 0:00
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““There will be no more cutting of trees.”This was the assertion made by Environment Secretary Gina Lopez during a press conference at a hotel here Saturday night.Lopez showed mediamen how barren certain areas in Surigao del Sur, Surigao del Norte and Dinagat Islands have become because of mining.“It’s high time to regreen these mining areas and cutting of trees and destruction of natural resources must be stopped,” she emphasized.Lopez pledged that the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) will transform Dinagat Islands and the Surigao provinces into forested areas, as she prepared immediate, short-term and long term livelihood for communities that will be affected by the closure of 14 mining companies in the said areas.The DENR secretary encouraged the media to help the department in reporting DENR officials and personnel who are involved in illegal activities in Caraga region.She also asked the police and the military to “continue without let up” their all-out support in the anti-illegal logging drive throughout Caraga region.The DENR is set to help workers that might be affected by the closure of the mining companies. Each affected household stands to receive a relief amount of P7,000 as volunteer workers of the National Greening Program (NGP).The financial assistance seeks to make up for their lost monthly pay from the closed mining firm. Part of it will be used as mobilization amount for the propagation of bamboo plants and mangrove propagules.The DENR has allocated some P 320 million for this NGP program on top of the livelihood programs prepared by the other government agencies in this project through close coordination with the local officials and their respective representatives in Congress.
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Manila Bulletin
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https://news.mb.com.ph/2017/02/26/no-more-cutting-of-trees-denrs-lopez-says/
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Probe sale of database, Comelec asked
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['Bernadette E. Tamayo']
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2018-08-07 00:03:31+00:00
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SENATE President Vicente Sotto 3rd on Monday urged the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to probe the reported sale of voters’ database which is considered a form of poll fraud.He made the remark in an interview at the sidelines of the Senate inquiry on the status of the preparations for the Automated Election System to be used in the 2019 national and local elections, economic and financial analyses of the Comelec’s purchase of the vote counting machines, and the reported hacking of the voters database on March 27, 2016 and the current state of voters database.“Nangyayari talaga ‘yan. Merong ilang beses nang may mga nagbanggit na sa akin niyan [It really happens. There were several instances wherein some people had mentioned this to me],” Sotto said.“May mga taga Nueva Ecija, merong taga Iloilo, na inaalok ng kung anu-anong mga sistema na dapat iniimbestigahan talaga ng Comelec ‘yan [There were politicians from Nueva Ecija and Iloilo who allegedly been offered with different kinds of systems that the Comelec must investigate],” he said. “I am glad that the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) had been established. At least now there will be an agency that will oversee the computerization program of our elections.”Asked how a politicican could benefit from buying voters database, Sotto said, “Pwedeng ‘yung mga botante ililipat ng presinto, ‘yung mga alam nilang mga kalaban nung kandidatong bumabayad, ililipat ng presinto [The voters whom they believe do not support their client politician will be transferred to other polling precincts.)"Pagdating ng election day hindi niya makita ang presinto niya. Madalas gawin ‘yun [Come election day, the affected voter would find it difficult to find his or her precinct. It’s happens most of the time],” he added.Asked to comment on the reported sale of voters database, Comelec spokesman James Jimenez said, “If we’ll listen to the allegation of Atty. [G[Glenn]hong, he said that the sale of the database stemmed from the hacking incident.”“His claim was that the hacked database include the voters’ biometric information. But the data hacked contain no biometric information. And we’ve said that over and over again,” Jimenez said in an interview.“I repeat, based on the picture that he (Chong) showed, it appeared that it came from a computer screen at the election officer’s level which means the EO was the one selling the data if his allegations were true,” he added.Jimenez gave assurances that the poll body had been “constantly cleaning its system.”
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/probe-sale-of-database-comelec-asked/427367/
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7 ‘poorly performing’ police officials reshuffled
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['Nelson Badilla']
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2017-05-18 21:06:09+00:00
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The National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) on Thursday ordered the reshuffle of seven police officials in Metro Manila (National Capital Region or NCR).Director Oscar Albayalde said one of the reasons of the reshuffle is “poor performance” of the police officials. He did not elaborate.Albayalde, however, clarified that the police officials will serve in officer-in-charge (OIC) capacity in their respective new assignments.The officials are Senior Supt. Allen Ocden who was booted out from Taguig City- Community Police Station and transferred to Navotas CPS; Senior Supt. Alex Santos, who came from Region 3, replaced Ocden; Navotas City CPS head Senior Supt. Dante Novicio was thrown to Muntinlupa CPS; Senior Supt. Larry Coop from Pasay CPS to San Juan CPS; Senior Supt. Dionesio Bartolome was sent to Pasay CPS from the NCRPO-Regional Personnel Holding and Accounting Unit; Senior Supt. Ernesto Salvador from Muntinlupa CPS to Region 3; and Senior Supt. Audie Villacin of NCRPO- RPHAU to chief of District Directorial Staff of Eastern Police District.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/7-poorly-performing-police-officials-reshuffled-2/327885/
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CebuPac disallows powder-like substances on flights to Guam
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['Reicelene Joy Ignacio']
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2018-06-30 00:01:48+00:00
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Low-cost carrier Cebu Pacific said it would disallow the carrying of powder-like substances weighing 12 ounces in hand-carried baggages for trips to Guam beginning June 30, 2018.“Security personnel will impose strict measures and may confiscate or dispose of powder-like substances in excess of the permitted quantity found inside cabin baggage. Powder-like substances may include flour, sugar, ground coffee, spices, powdered milk including infant formula, cosmetics and human remains (ashes),” Cebu Pacific said in its advisory.“Exemptions to this rule may include baby formula, medically prescribed substances, human remains (ashes) and duty free purchases of powder-like substances (in Security Tamper Evident Bags), provided that the containers for these are sealed and are cleared by security screening,” the airline company added.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/cebupac-disallows-powder-like-substances-on-flights-to-guam/414147/
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Family of Pinay found dead in Taiwan quake seeks help
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['Leander C. Domingo']
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2018-02-09 23:54:59+00:00
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THE family of a Filipina caregiver found dead in the Taiwan earthquake has appealed to the government for immediate repatriation of their relative’s body and burial in her native Cagayan province.Melody Albano de Castro, 29, was confirmed to have died in the earthquake that hit Taiwan.The 6.4 magnitude quake hit Hualien county shortly before midnight on Tuesday.Angelito Banayo, Manila Economic and Cultural Office chairman, in a live television interview identified the fatality as Melody Albano de Castro of Cagayan.Immediate relatives of de Castro were in shock and found it difficult to accept her death.De Castro’s aunt, Mary Jane Albano-Abig of Barangay Banguian in Abulug town, said her niece was the only breadwinner in the family.Abig added that de Castro’s husband has not been able to go back to his former work since he met an accident, the reason why his wife decided to go abroad to work as a caregiver.De Castro has a younger brother who is also married.She has been in Taiwan for three years to support her husband and her six-year-old child.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/family-pinay-found-dead-taiwan-quake-seeks-help/379282/
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China rues ‘Urduja’ damages, casualties
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['The Manila Times']
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2017-12-21 22:22:36+00:00
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Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has extended a message to Philippine Foreign Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano on the losses caused by the recent tropical storm Urduja striking the Philippines.Wang, in the message, noted in a statement that Urduja, which hit the country this week, caused great casualties and property losses.“I would like to extend my deep and sincere sympathy to you, and through you, to the people of the affected areas,” he said to Cayetano.But he added that he believes the Duterte administration and the people of the affected areas will overcome the disaster and restore their normal lives at an earliest date.Hardest hit by Urduja was Biliran province, where more than 40 people were killed and dozens remained missing
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/china-rues-urduja-damages-casualties/369943/
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Supreme Court reorganizes 3 divisions
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['Jomar Canlas']
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2017-08-17 22:59:33+00:00
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The Supreme Court (SC) has reorganized its three divisions in view of the retirement of two senior justices.Special Order 2468, dated August 14, 2017, signed by Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno, tapped newly appointed SC Justice Alexander Gesmundo as the fifth member of the 3rd Division.Another new member of the court is Justice Andres Reyes Jr., who shall now sit in the 2nd Division.The movement was caused by the retirement of Justice Bienvenido Reyes last July 6 and Justice Jose Catral Mendoza last August 13.The latest special order amends Special Order 2467, dated July 31, 2017, which was also signed by Sereno.The division assignments are:(a) First Division–Chief Justice (Sereno), the fourth in seniority as working chairman (Teresita Leonardo-de Castro), the seventh in seniority (Mariano del Castillo), the 10th in seniority (Francis Jardeleza) and the 13th in seniority (Noel Tijam).(b) Second Division–the second in seniority as chairman (Antonio Carpio), the fifth in seniority (Diosdado Peralta), the eighth in seniority (Estela Perlas-Bernabe), the 11th in seniority (Alfredo Benjamin Caguioa) and the 14th in seniority (Andres Reyes Jr.).(c) Third Division–the third in seniority as chairman (Presbitero Velasco Jr.), the sixth in seniority (Lucas Bersamin), the ninth in seniority (Marvic Mario Victor Leonen), the 12th in seniority (Samuel Martires) and the 15th in seniority (Alexander Gesmundo).
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/supreme-court-reorganizes-3-divisions/345111/
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90 lawmakers inspect Luzon roads
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['Llanesca T. Panti']
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2017-06-01 21:29:35+00:00
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At least 90 lawmakers are joining a North Luzon Highway inspection trip with stops at tourist destinations.A statement released by the Press and Public Bureau of the House of Representatives announced that the working travel expedition to the country’s roads and highways, vital infrastructure and installations scheduled for June 1 to 6 will be headed by Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez of Davao del Norte to “ensure the maximum benefit, comfort and safety of the Filipino people.”The North Luzon Inspection Trip, with stops in La Union, Ilocos Sur, Ilocos Norte, Ifugao, Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya, Baguio City, Pangasinan, Zambales, Bataan and Pampanga, is a sequel to the House members’ Western and Eastern Nautical Highway Expedition held from March 17 to 27.This expedition checked on the status of roll-on, roll-off (RoRo) ports and facilities, roads and highways and infrastructure, among others.The North Luzon Inspection Trip kicked off on Thursday morning, with the first stop at Agoo, La Union for the oath-taking of mayors as new members of the ruling party PDP-Laban.The lawmakers will then proceed to Thunderbird Resort in San Fernando, La Union before proceeding to Vitalis, Santiago, Ilocos Sur by nighttime.Spotted in the first batch of lawmakers who participated in the inspection included Rey Umali of Oriental Mindoro, Cesar Sarmiento of Catanduanes, Rodito and Mylene Albano of Isabela and Davao City, Rimpy Bondoc of Pampanga, Nancy Catamco of North Cotabato, Eileen Ermita-Buhain of Batangas and Aurelio Gonzales of Pampanga.Friday morning will be for going around Vigan, and then they will be off to Laoag, Ilocos Norte by lunchtime.The lunch break will be followed by a trip to San Dunes before ending the day in Hannah’s resort in Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte.By Saturday morning, the lawmakers will proceed to San Pablo, Isabela before going to Banaue after lunch to spend the night there.The lawmakers will be having breakfast at the Rice Terraces on Sunday and will be off to Bayombong, Nueva Viscaya for lunch.They will then make a stop at the Ambuklao Hydroelectric Plant before embarking on a journey to Baguio City, the summer capital of the Philippines.Dinner will then be served at Speaker’s Cottage in Baguio City.On Monday, the lawmakers will be off to Bonuan, Dagupan City, Pangasinan.After having lunch, they will go to Manaoag Church, then in Subic, Olongapo by the afternoon for yachting or cruise and stay there for a night.Tuesday morning will then be marked with a trip to Las Casas, Bagac, Bataan before settling in at Fontana Resort by late afternoon.“House leaders are expected to identify areas in North Luzon where vital infrastructure and road signs are most needed. They will also inspect the connectivity of road networks and the feasibility of using existing government installations for better public service,” the statement read.It said lawmakers are aware that there were recent road accidents in Luzon, so the more they want to know what infrastructure are needed to make travel safe and convenient to the people.“The expedition will determine what other infrastructure are needed to boost development in North Luzon such as tourism infrastructure, among others. It will also determine if the basic needs of the regular commuter are met such as accessible, wide and convenient roads,” the statement said.The lawmakers will be joined in by government agencies in their caravan. These people include officials from the Department of the Interior and Local Government, Department of Public Works and Highways, Department of Tourism, Department of Transportation, Philippine National Police and the Philippine Ports Authority.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/90-lawmakers-inspect-luzon-roads/330433/
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New bus terminal to open on Friday
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['Nelson Badilla']
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2017-05-03 20:22:42+00:00
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The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) is all set to open the new Southwest Interim Provincial Terminal (SWIPT) at the HK Sun Plaza in Pasay City on Friday.MMDA General Manager Tomas Orbos on Wednesday said the current terminal at Coastal Mall will be maintained.Coastal Mall operation will only end until all provincial buses from Cavite and Batangas are transferred to HK Plaza terminal.He added that MMDA will save P1.5 million a month with the opening of the new bus terminal.Orbos said 300 provincial buses with end points in Baclaran (Pasay City), Mall of Asia (Pasay City), Mandaluyong City and Cubao (Quezon City) will be initially transferred to the new SWIPT.The MMDA, according to him, will coordinate with the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board in updating a list of provincial buses with assigned end points and valid franchises.NELSON S. BADILLA
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/new-bus-terminal-open-friday/325343/
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President’s lawyer backs Cebu prison strip search
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['Catherine S. Valente']
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2017-03-04 21:29:04+00:00
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President Rodrigo Duterte’s top counsel on Saturday said he sees nothing wrong with the mass strip search at the Cebu provincial jail, saying it was part of necessary security measures to rid inmates of contrabands.But Vice President Maria Leonor “Leni” Robredo on Friday hit the strip search on the inmates.“For me, if we’re talking about security, perhaps it was a necessary move,” Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo told government-run dzRB radio in Filipino, when asked about the incident.“ I was listening to the explanation of the superintendent. He said if the prisoners weren’t ordered to strip, even if there was one bladed weapon that got through, it might have triggered a riot. If somebody tried to stab someone, there would be chaos. So they’re also right in that regard,” he added also in Filipino.But the President’s lawyer stressed the photos of the naked prisoners should not have leaked or released to the public.He explained that while the strip search in itself was justifiable, the photos should have been kept confidential as these violated the prisoners’ right to privacy.For her part, Robredo said the incident clearly violated the human rights of the inmates.“It is shocking, disturbing. There are many human rights issues that have become involved. We have a very specific law, the Anti-Torture Act, which provides that our government officials have no right to let even inmates undergo cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment that will further debase them,” she said also in Filipino.“There are many ways to do this [searching for contraband] without harming or shaming our inmates at the Cebu City jail. So I hope that this will not happen again,” the vice president added.Photos of inmates stripped naked during a surprise inspection by anti-drug operatives have caused uproar among human rights groups and the public. The drug enforcement agency said the raid had netted “several packets” of methamphetamines and marijuana leaves, as well as knives and mobile phones.“This incident clearly amounts to cruel, inhumane and degrading treatment of prisoners,” Amnesty International (AI) said in a statement.AI cited the United Nations’ standards and Philippine laws in highlighting the obligation of authorities to ensure prisoners were not subjected to torture or ill treatment.Human Rights Watch (HRW) also said international standards prohibited searches that intimidated or unnecessarily intruded upon a prisoner’s privacy.“The conduct of these searches – out in the open and permitting photographs to be taken — was inhuman and degrading and violated the prisoners’ rights to privacy,” HRW said in a statement.The Commission on Human Rights said on Friday that it will look into the matter.REINA TOLENTINO
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/presidents-lawyer-backs-cebu-prison-strip-search/315404/
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PH Airasia to transfer Cebu flights to new terminal
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['Reicelene Joy Ignacio']
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2018-06-13 22:30:29+00:00
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Philippines AirAsia has announced that it will be transferring its flights to and from Cebu to the newly opened Terminal 2 of the Mactan Cebu International Airport starting July 1, 2018. The terminal, a public-private partnership project between the Department of Transportation and the GMR-Megawide consortium, was inaugurated on June 7. Terminal 2 will be exclusive for international flights. It has 48 check-in counters that are expandable to 72 counters for departing passengers and a two-level forecourt that separates the arrival area from the departure area. “We are delighted to be moving to a new terminal, which will provide our guests with enhanced travel experience. The relocation to the new terminal also provides us with great capacity for long-term growth and expansion in Cebu as AirAsia’s hub,” Philippines AirAsia President and Chief Executive Officer Dexter Comendador said in a statement. The airline operates international flights from Cebu to Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Taipei, Incheon, Shenzhen, Hangzhou and Shanghai. “The Visayas and large parts of Mindanao are under-served markets that are saddled by high air fares due to limited options or duopoly. We are excited to introduce new flights from Cebu to VisMin [Visayas and Mindanao] and vice versa and make flying more affordable and accessible through our signature low fares,” Comendador said.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/ph-airasia-to-transfer-cebu-flights-to-new-terminal/407823/
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DENR chief urged to ‘resign now’
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['Dempsey Reyes']
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2017-01-20 21:16:29+00:00
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A consumer and commuter group, along with environmentalists, on Friday urged Secretary Regina Paz Lopez of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to resign from her post for alleged corruption.In a news conference held in Quezon City, the United Filipino Consumers and Commuters (UFCC), Coalition of Clean Air Advocates of the Philippines and Water for All Reform Movement clarified that they were not endorsing anyone to replace Lopez.“Is she really qualified to properly manage the DENR to finally benefit [the] people or is she just a fairy tale that we all badly need to have or create because of our infinite disgust and disappointment against corruption in the DENR?” UFCC president Rodolfo Javellana Jr. said.“If she can’t perform her duties and responsibilities well, she has no right to stay as the secretary of DENR even for a second,” he added.The UFCC and the two other groups disclosed that they met with Lopez on August 2, 2016 to discuss their concerns about the allegedly anomalous purchase of air pollution monitors by the DENR’s Environmental Management Bureau last 2003 “amounting to roughly a billion pesos.”According to Javellana, Lopez’ “failure” to address the issue over the purchase of the air air pollution monitors prompted them to file a complaint before the Office of the Ombudsman and a petition before the Commission on Appointments (CA), blocking and opposing her confirmation as secretary of the DENR.“She did not act on our request for an investigation into the questionable procurement of the air monitoring equipment,” Javellana said.“We are seeking the truth and by so doing, we will unmask them,” he added.Javellana said Lopez is “incompetent” to head the Environment department and the UFCC and the other groups will exert efforts to block Lopez’s confirmation by the CA.UFCC vice chairman Ferdinand Pasion also slammed Lopez, this time over the closure of the Payatas landfill on Quezon City because of the possible impact of the dump on the water table at La Mesa Dam, also in the city.“[The DENR] cannot just shut down the Payatas landfill just like that. We need to ensure that there will be an alternative measure. Where will it [garbage] be dumped if the landfill will be closed?” Pasion said.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/denr-chief-urged-resign-now/307975/
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PH, Indonesia boost campaign vs smuggling
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['Bernadette E. Tamayo']
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2018-11-13 00:04:37+00:00
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THE Philippines and Indonesia have agreed to heighten their partnership and cooperation in combatting smuggling in Southeast Asia.Manila and Jakarta raised the need to improve efforts among the member-states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) to address illicit cross-border trade.Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez 3rd and Indonesian Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati instructed their respective customs agencies to discuss ways of exploring joint anti-smuggling campaigns.Indrawati said she was “impressed” by the Philippines’ continuing efforts against smuggling and took note of the “reformation programs in the Department of Finance, particularly those related to the Bureau of Customs.”In a letter to Dominguez, Indrawati said she shares his view that combating illicit trade should be a priority of both their countries as this “will not only impact economic stability but also public health and safety.”“I note in particular your view that it is not possible to tackle illicit trade without synergy. Therefore, Indonesia is open to work together with the Philippines in enhancing cooperation on combating illicit trade,” Indrawati said in her letter.“In this regard, I suggest your Bureau of Customs to directly liaise with DGCE (Directorate General of Customs and Excise) to further explore the possibility to enhance the cooperation,” she added.Indrawati responded to Dominguez’s earlier call for the Philippines and Indonesia to work closely in thwarting illicit trade.Dominguez told Indrawati that Customs Commissioner Rex Leonardo Guerrero is willing to discuss with his Indonesian counterpart the Philippines’ experience in “combatting the illicit cross-border trade, our ongoing programs against smuggling, and to explore possible joint anti-smuggling campaigns between the two countries.”“From the recent AFMM Asean Finance Ministers’ Meeting), we note much progress has been achieved in our regional initiatives to support trade, such as in the various Protocols under the Asean Framework Agreement on the Facilitation of Goods in Transit (AFAFGit) and the Asean Single Window,” Dominguez said in his letter to Indrawati.He added that “more effort needs to be done in terms of regional cooperation in countering illicit cross-border trade.”He said there may be a need for some Asean member-states to “shepherd and increase anti-smuggling efforts in the region—a role which Indonesia and the Philippines could play.”
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/ph-indonesia-boost-campaign-vs-smuggling/466648/
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Impose moratorium on granting permits to new casinos – Poe
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['Jefferson Antiporda']
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2017-06-07 21:17:48+00:00
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THE Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor ) should consider imposing a moratorium on granting permits to new casinos pending evaluation of security procedures in private establishments and introduction of program to address gambling addiction.Senator Grace Poe made the call on Wednesday in light of a recent attack on Resorts World Manila that killed 37 people, including the lone gunman, who was a gambling addict, behind it.Speaking during the weekly Kapihan sa Manila Bay news forum, Poe said there should be clear-cut guidelines in both private and government establishments to address similar incidents.“I think what we need to pick up from this is how our security protocols are, both in private establishments as well as public spaces,” she added.Poe, the vice chairman of the Senate Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs, noted that security personnel should also be oriented on how to properly respond to emergency situations.The senator at the same time raised the need to evaluate the cost and benefits of having many casinos and their effects on society.Pagcor and all casino operators must be responsible enough to promote what responsible gaming is all about and not only focus on income generation, Poe said.Meanwhile, a party-list congressman also on Wednesday said he will file a resolution recommending the revocation of the casino franchise of Resorts World Manila over the June 2 incident.Rep. John Bertiz of ACT-OFW party-list announced his plan during a congressional inquiry held at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3, noting that “there was gross negligence or laxity on the part of the security personnel of Resorts World Manila that claimed 37 innocent lives.”Bertiz expressed disappointment with the security lapses after the gunman was seen on CCTV camera footage that was presented during the hearing.with BENJIE L. VERGARA
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/impose-moratorium-granting-permits-new-casinos-poe-2/331473/
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LAWMAKER PUSHES FOR PH AS SPORTS ECO-TOURISM HUB
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['Llanesca T. Panti']
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2016-11-20 21:50:27+00:00
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The Department of Tourism should work to transform the country into a sports eco-tourism hub just like what it has done for Camarines Sur, a lawmaker said on Sunday. Camarines Sur Rep. LRay Villafuerte, a three-term Camarines Sur governor, noted that the Filipinos’ hospitality and fluency in the English language provide an ideal environment for sports eco-tourism just like what happened with the Caramoan Islands and the Camarines Sur Watersports Complex, which hosts wakeboarding events, triathlons, marathons, dragon boat races, trail runs, mountain bike and cycling races and skateboarding and kiteboarding competitions. These activities, Villafuerte said, have created a good market for local food and produce and small-scale enterprises, among others. Government records show that tourism accounts for 8.2 percent of the total gross pomestic product in the country in 2015. The United Nations World Tourism Organization, on the other hand, estimates sports tourism to be a $600-billion market.LLANESCA T. PANTI
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/lawmaker-pushes-ph-sports-eco-tourism-hub/297518/
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3 top Metro Manila Film Festival members resign
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['The Manila Times']
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2017-07-02 22:37:05+00:00
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Three members of the Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) Executive Committee (ExeCom) have resigned over the announcement of the first four official entries to the festival.According to directors Erik Matti (who won eight awards for “Seklusyon,” MMFF 2016) and Babyruth Villarama (who won four awards for “Sunday Beauty Queen,” MMFF 2016), Rolando Tolentino, Ricky Lee and Kara Magsanoc-Alikpala have resigned from the ExeCom.Villarama posted on Facebook: “Bravo to Kara Magsanoc-Alikpala, Rolando Tolentino and Ricky Lee for having the balls to stand against a self-destructing system.”“Ang Panday” (Director, Rodel Nacianceno; Lead Actor, Coco Martin), “Almost Is Not Enough” (Director, Dan Villegas; Lead Actors, Jennylyn Mercado and Jericho Rosales), “The Revengers” (Director, Joyce A. Bernal; Lead Actors, Vice Ganda, Daniel Padilla and Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach) and “Love Traps #Family Goals” (Director, Antonio Y. Reyes; Lead Actors, Vic Sotto and Dawn Zulueta) are the first four official entries announced last Friday.Tolentino, Lee and Magsanoc-Alikpala have not yet explained why they left.Tolentino tweeted: “Paano umibig? Paano makatulog? ‘Wag antayin dahil kusang darating pag hinog ang oras at katawan. ‘Pag ‘di makatulog, tulad sa pag-ibig, mag-antay pero ‘wag antayin ang pagsikat ng araw. ‘May pag-ibig na parang 2017 MMFF script choices: some old habits are hard to break.”He said the MMFF script selections showed the real conflict between commerce and quality.According to Tolentino, the selections proved that there is no interest in erasing the distinction between mainstream and indie or independent films.In 2016, MMFF surprised the festival audience announcing the official entries–no big films, no big stars.MMFF Executive Committee Chairman Tim Orbos said, “Basically we respect their decision to resign despite the fact that the selection process is not yet over.”“Our selection committee had a difficult time choosing given the quality of films. We have to thank them for their exhaustive and thorough deliberations,” Orbos added.Four more slots as official entries will be selected from all the submitted finished films to complete the eight official entries to the 2017 MMFF.The choices will be announced on November 17.According to the MMFF, the film entries this year were evaluated based on the following criteria: 40 percent artistic excellence; 40 percent commercial appeal; 10 percent promotion of Filipino cultural and historical values; and 10 percent global appeal.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/3-top-metro-manila-film-festival-members-resign/336202/
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Sen. Nancy Binay named UNA head
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['Bernadette E. Tamayo']
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2018-09-21 00:08:24+00:00
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SEN. Nancy Binay was named as the new national president of the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) during the party’s national leaders conference on September 12.UNA Secretary General JV Bautista said the party leadership unanimously selected Binay because “her advocacies and programs go well with UNA’s vision of uplifting the lives of the marginalized.”“We believe Senator Nancy’s advocacies and her unique brand of service will help unite members as we consolidate and forge alliances for the upcoming local and national elections,” Bautista said.The UNA national leadership consists of former Vice President Jejomar Binay, chairman; Sen. Nancy Binay, president; Sen. Gregorio Honasan 2nd, vice president; JV Bautista, secretary general; and former secretary Gary Teves, national treasurer.The younger Binay vowed to continue UNA’s legacy of service.“On this day, as your new party president, I wholeheartedly accept the challenge to push for real change.”In her speech, she reminded her partymates of UNA’s program of government — social inclusion/improvement of basic services, economic dynamism, and effective and caring governance.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/sen-nancy-binay-named-una-head/443433/
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2 dead in congested detention cell
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['Elshamae Robles']
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2017-08-01 21:27:09+00:00
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At least two inmates have died while one remains critical at an overcrowded detention facility in Quezon City.Quezon City Police District (QCPD) officials identified the dead as Marlo Lagrama, 37, a resident of 64 Ramirez Street, Barangay Santa Monica; and Renato Moreno, 42, a resident of Block 8, Rambutan Street, Barangay Capri.In critical condition was Bienvenido Paredes, 42, of Barangay Gulod.The three were detainees at the Novaliches Police Station.Initial investigation by the Criminal Investigation and Detention Unit (CIDU) of the QCPD showed that visitors at the detention cell on Monday saw Lagrama holding his chest while he was gasping for breath.Police said they brought Lagrama to the Novaliches District Hospital (NDH) but he was later transferred to Quezon City General Hospital (QCGH), where he was declared dead at 12:10 p.m. because of pneumonia and brain enlargement.Meanwhile, dawn of Tuesday, Moreno was also brought to NDH and was declared dead from “asphyxia by drowning.”Paredes was also brought to QCGH after he was seen to have suffered the same condition as Moreno.He is now at intensive care unit of the hospital, police said.The QCPD-CIDU said they would investigate to determine if there was foul play involved in the incidents.The detention cell could only accommodate up to 30 people but was forced to hold 108 detainees.The QCPD called on the local government units to coordinate with them in improving the detention centers in the city.The city council has entered into an agreement with the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology for the establishment of a new jail at a 2.4-hectare property in Payatas, Quezon City, which is expected to accommodate up to 8,000 inmates.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/2-dead-in-congested-detention-cell/341844/
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Palace wants FOI exemptions reduced
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['Llanesca T. Panti']
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2016-10-11 21:18:02+00:00
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Malacañang favors reducing exemptions on the proposed Freedom of Information (FOI) bill to 10 but warned of privacy breach if the bill becomes law.Assistant Secretary Kristian Ablan of the Presidential Communications Office made the apparently contradictory statements during the first hearing on the proposed FOI bill conducted by the House Committee on Public Information headed by Rep. Antonio Tinio of the Alliance of Concerned Teachers party-list group.“What the Office of the President wants is to limit the exemptions to not more than 10, following the example of other countries [that] implement FOI, i.e., Australia and the US, which have nine. The Office of the Executive Secretary is trying to put the 166 [initial exemptions] under 10 digestible sections for the public,” Ablan told lawmakers.These exemptions provided under the Australian and American FOI laws include: documents on national security/defense, law enforcement, Cabinet matters, trade secrets, confidential documents, electoral polls, those exempted under statues, personal information and oil data.“We are also looking at [an FOI law] having a provision on mosaic effect. If one agency releases an information [under the FOI law], it would not violate the Data Privacy Act but, if the bits and pieces of information on an individual were released by different agencies, it could create a profile [that] would be against the [right to] privacy of the person,” Ablan said.“We are working on the wordings on acknowledging this [under the FOI law]. Different agencies should be cautious in releasing information that could contribute to the mosaic effect,” he added.But for lawyer Irene Aguila of the Right to Know Right Now Network, a coalition of 150 organizations advocating passage of the FOI bill, an FOI law should facilitate access to information, not restrict it.“We should have a clear definition when it comes to exemptions. There should be nothing too restrictive but [something that] still recognizes the established exemptions under jurisprudence and those generally accepted ones,” Aguila said.She cited the existing Memorandum Circular (MC) 78 dating back to 1964, which provides for classification of government documents, should not be made iron-clad under the FOI law.“If the interplay with MC 78 isn’t clear, then it could obliterate whatever benefit the FOI [law] would bring. We would encourage the possibility of redaction instead of removing the entire document from the ambit of the public,” Aguila pointed out.“There should also be declassifying of information. The classification of documents should not be perpetual in nature. They should be made available to public after a certain period of time,” she said.Ablan, however, assured that the Duterte administration is committed to facilitating access to information ofpublic interests and is in fact already working on an e-FOI program on government agencies under the executive branch–an initiative that will be tied up to the Open Data program started by the Aquino administration.The e-FOI project will allow the public to request information from government agencies online.The e-FOI will cover at least 10 agencies: Department of Justice, Department of Budget and Management, Department of Finance, Department of Transportation, Department of Health, Department of Information and Communications Technology, Philippine National Police, Philippine Statistics Authority, National Archives and the Presidential Communications Office.“The e-FOI will see to it that our frontlines, the agencies, will not be burdened with so many FOI requests, which they may not be able to handle immediately,” Ablan said.“There will be a pro-active approach. We will be encouraging government agencies to disclose information as much as possible so that our frontline services will not be burdened with requests. And with Open Data available [for voluntary disclosure], there will be FOI requests that will be addressed readily because they are already available online [under Open Data],” Ablan said.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/palace-wants-foi-exemptions-reduced-2/290746/
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Labor chief seeks greater protection for OFWs
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['William Depasupil']
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2018-03-18 23:27:37+00:00
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Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello 3rd has raised the alarming issue of maltreatment and abuse of migrant workers in the Gulf Region and other parts of the world during a recent gathering of world labor leaders.At the conclusion of the first round of Negotiations for the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM) held in New York, Bello called for better protection of migrant workers and urged member countries of the Gulf Cooperating Council to promote decent work in light of rampant cases of maltreatment and abuse of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), particularly household service workers (HSWs) or domestic helpers in the Middle East.“With the recent issues surrounding the deaths of our kababayan [countrymen] in Kuwait as well as the unfair treatment of some of our domestic workers overseas, the GCM is a good platform to tell the world that labor migration is a serious business and that every member country of the United Nations particularly the receiving/host countries should create an environment that promotes decent work to migrant workers regardless of their status,” he said.The Labor department, on orders of President Rodrigo Duterte, had imposed a total ban on the deployment of Filipino workers to Kuwait over a total of 12 questionable deaths involving Filipino HSWs, the latest of which was the death of Joanna Demafelis, whose body was found inside a freezer in an abandoned apartment.It is considering expanding the existing deployment ban on Kuwait to Saudi Arabia and other Middle East countries if strengthened protection of OFWs is not assured.Bello, however, said abuses against migrant labor is not only happening in the Middle East or to Filipino household service workers.During the GCM negotiations, the Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) proposed to specify domestic workers/household service workers as one of the vulnerable groups in the labor migration framework, as well as to enhance every host country’s legislation to protect originally regular migrants whose status became irregular by the reason of employment-related disputes.The DoLE has also proposed to ratify the Domestic Workers Convention (ILO C189) and the UN Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of their Families to ensure comprehensive protection for all migrant workers, both land-based and sea-based.It also encouraged strengthened bilateral cooperation and mechanism between the countries of origin and destination to better protect the rights and welfare of overseas Filipinos, particularly those in the vulnerable sector.The global compact for safe, orderly and regular migration that will be adopted by the UN member states in September 2018 will set out a framework for comprehensive cooperation on migrants and human mobility.The Labor department and the Department of Foreign Affairs have been participating in the preparatory process of the GCM with recommendations on safeguarding the interests of the Filipino migrants.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/labor-chief-seeks-greater-protection-for-ofws/387116/
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Senate asked to check plight of IDPs
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['Bernadette E. Tamayo']
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2018-08-05 00:10:40+00:00
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DETAINED Sen. Leila de Lima wants the Senate to look into the plight of individuals and families caught in the fighting between the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) and government troops.The senator filed Senate Resolution 798 directing the appropriate Senate committee to inquire into the status of families displaced by skirmishes between government troops and the Muslim extremist group.“As an outcome of this general violence from the tensions between the military and the group identified as the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters, many of our fellow Filipinos are currently in the throes of massive displacement,” de Lima said.Close to 5,150 families or about 23,500 individuals from different municipalities in Maguindanao, North Cotabato and Lanao del Sur were affected by the military operations that started in June against the BIFF led by Abu Dar.Dar is believed to be rebuilding a group from what was left of the Maute terror group, which seized some areas in Marawi City on May 23, 2017.De Lima said the Senate should find out how these internally-displaced persons (IDPs) are coping, and if they have access to food, shelter and education and livelihood.“There is a need to determine the extent of our compliance with our international obligations on protecting the IDPs in our country,” she said.“There is also need to examine our policies and mechanisms to see if they are able to provide practical, rights-based, and sustainable solutions to these recurring concerns in emergency and conflict situations,” she added.De Lima, a known human rights advocate, expressed her deep concern over the vulnerability of women-IDPs to gender-based violence in areas with armed conflicts.She said any government inaction on the plight of IDPs is unacceptable.“There is need to ensure that the people, whom our international obligations and Constitution seek to protect, are given all possible assistance and protection by our government,” she pointed out.In July 2017, de Lima filed Senate Resolution 420 urging the Senate leadership to look into the plight of IDPs within and outside the evacuation areas in Marawi City and other parts of Mindanao.The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees reported in April this year that 59,495 out of 77,170 families – or 353,921 individuals – affected by the Marawi siege have remained displaced as of March 6, 2018.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/senate-asked-to-check-plight-of-idps/426694/
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KWF seeks ways to promote use of Filipino
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['Philippines News Agency']
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2017-11-04 20:50:18+00:00
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The Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino (KWF) is seeking new ways of further promoting the use of Filipino, the country’s national language.“We’re encouraging the academe, professionals and others to come up with ideas on the matter and present these to our office for consideration as possible projects,” said KWF language researcher Jeslie del Ayre, who is involved in developing the agency’s first spellchecker software for Filipino.She said KWF is willing to look into such ideas as this agency aims increasing use of Filipino.The bid is aligned with the 1987 Constitution that set Filipino as the country’s national language.To increase correct use of Filipino, del Ayre said KWF approved the National University programmers’ proposal to help this agency develop the spellchecker software.“It’s KWF’s mandate to promote Filipino and other Philippine languages so our agency accepted their proposal,” she said.KWF is already testing a prototype of the software, del Ayre addedThe software is based on KWF’s orthographic rules for the Filipino language, she said.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/kwf-seeks-ways-promote-use-filipino/360652/
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Negligent mayors face sanctions – DILG
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['Roy Narra']
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2018-09-19 00:10:49+00:00
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More than 10 mayors face sanctions for defying an order to be in their respective areas of responsibility days before and during the onslaught of Typhoon “Ompong,” the Department of the Interior and Local Government said.Bernarco Florece Jr., Interior undersecretary for peace and order, said in a press briefing that they have identified more than 10 mayors in Cagayan Valley and Cordillera Administrative Region who defied the order of DILG chief Eduardo Año.Jonathan Malaya, DILG spokesman, refused to name the mayors to avoid “trial by publicity.”“We are not here to crucify people. We are here to ensure that their functions are performed so we are now doing a review of their performance and determining indeed if there were absent mayors during the typhoon,” he said.Florece clarified that Cagayan mayors who were in Malacañang the night before Ompong hit the country were not included in the list.“That is an official [trip]. The directive for them is to report to Malacañang before the onslaught of Ompong,” he said.The mayors who were not in their towns or municipalities during the typhoon may be charged with negligence, dereliction of duty, and misconduct for failure to discharge their duties.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/negligent-mayors-face-sanctions-dilg/442913/
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DoJ downgrades crime raps vs Espinosa killers
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['Jomar Canlas']
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2017-06-08 21:15:45+00:00
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The Department of Justice (DoJ) on Thursday downgraded criminal charges against the policemen who were implicated in the killing of Albuera (Leyte) Mayor Rolando Espinosa and another inmate in a sub-provincial jail last November 5.The charges for murder, a non-bailable offense, were reduced to charges for homicide, which is bailable.In documents presented by Leyte prosecutors filed on June 6, a motion with the Baybay City Regional Trial Court Branch 14 showed the DoJ’s decision to indict respondents for homicide instead.“Wherefore, it is respectfully prayed of this honorable court to recognize and give weight to the said resolution on the petition for review before the [Department of Justice], and after due hearing, grant leave for the prosecution to amend and downgrade the information for murder to homicide in these cases and admit the necessary informations for homicide,” the motion signed by Leyte Provincial Prosecutor Ma. Arlene Hunamayor-Cordovez stated.The DoJ earlier ruled in favor of the indictment of Supt. Marvin Marcos, former Criminal Investigation and Detection Group Region 8 chief, for two counts of murder.Aside from Espinosa, another inmate at the Leyte sub-provincial jail, Raul Yap, was also shot dead by Marcos’ group.The policemen, armed with search warrants against Espinosa and Yap, arrived at the detention facility at past 4 a.m. of November 5, 2016. They alleged that Espinosa and Yap were in possession of a firearm and illegal drugs, respectively.In downgrading the charges, the DoJ ruled in a petition for review that the appeal filed by Marcos must be given credence in the absence of treachery and evident premeditation.Marcos and 10 of his men–Senior Insp. Deogracia Pedong Diaz 3rd, Chief Insp. Calixto Canillas Jr., Insp.Lucresito Candelosas, Senior Police Officers 2 Benjamin Dacallos and Antonio Docil, SPO1 Mark Christian Cadilo, PO3 Norman Abellanosa, PO2 John Ruel Doculan and Jaime Bacsal and PO1 Jerlan Cabiyaan–were charged with two counts of murder for allegedly being involved in the killing of Espinosa and Yap.Four police officers were charged for the killing of Espinosa–Supt. Santi Noel Matira, Chief Insp. Leo Daio Laraga, SPO4 Melvin Caboyit and PO3 Johnny Abuda Ibanez.Also four others were charged for the murder of Yap–Senior Insp. Fritz Bioco Blanco, SPO4 Juanito Duarte, PO2 Lloyd Ortiguesa and PO1 Bernard Orpilla.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/doj-downgrades-crime-raps-vs-espinosa-killers/331636/
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Resign, VACC urges Sereno
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['The Manila Times']
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2017-11-23 20:29:08+00:00
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Resign to spare the Supreme Court (SC) from further embarrassment of the institution you represent, the Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption (VACC) on Thursday urged Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno, who is facing an impeachment complaint at the House of Representatives.“While we want to expose in public the corruption going on in the various courts of the judiciary, we victims of a slow, inept and corrupt justice system believe that it would be best for the interest of our country to move on and resolve these corrupt practices,” the VACC said.Meanwhile, the Youth for Chief Justice Sereno also on Thursday in a statement called for dismissal of the impeachment complaint against the Chief Justice.The youth group is mostly composed of student leaders of universities across the National Capital Region (NCR or Metro Manila).According to the statement, Sereno is one of the “pillars” of democracy in the country and should be protected from harassment from the Duterte administration.“It is clear that the few remaining vestiges of democracy in the country are slowly being erased as the burgeoning dictator carefully consolidates power to himself. Thus, we must stand by what is left of our democratic institutions and those who continue to protect them,” it read.“Under the Duterte regime, repeated borderline violations of this basic principle have been made. The President has constantly called for the resignation of Chief Justice Sereno despite the fact that an ongoing impeachment case against the Chief Justice is yet to be decided,” the group said.According to Roy Devesa of the San Beda Law Student Government, the group is not against the fact that Sereno is being impeached, but that rules are being twisted by congressmen to “railroad” the case and fulfill their personal whims.RALPH U. VILLANUEVA
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/resign-vacc-urges-sereno/364666/
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NEDA-ICC approves MRT-3 rehab
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['Ed Velasco']
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2018-08-18 00:03:16+00:00
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The National Economic and Development Authority Board Investment Coordination Committee-Cabinet Committee (NEDA-ICC-CabCom) approved recently the MRT Line 3 rehabilitation project worth P22 billion.Socioeconomic Planning Secretary and Neda chief Ernesto Pernia said the project, which would be funded through a loan from Japan, would be implemented in the third quarter of 2018 and be completed in the first quarter of 2021.“With the upcoming rehabilitation of the MRT 3, we expect improvements in service efficiency and security of the existing train line,” Pernia said.“Over the long term, we envision the MRT to be a very convenient and efficient mode of transportation that will encourage car owners to shift to public transportation, thereby reducing traffic congestion in Metro Manila,” he added.The approval will pave way for the restoration of the nearly two-decade rail system, covering the trains, power supply system, overhead catenary system, radio system, PABX public address system, signaling system, rail tracks road rail vehicles, and other depot and station building equipment.Once fully rehabilitated, it will increase the number of train in operation from the current 15 to 18 per hour and increase the maximum speed to 60 kilometers per hour, and decrease headway to 200 seconds.The ICC-CabCom also approved the request of the Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (DA-BFAR) to cancel the 28.52 million euro French Treasury loan for the Integrated Marine Environment Monitoring System-Phase 2 (PHILO II).PHILO II aims to integrate various databases including fishing vessel registry, ocean and weather data, stock assessment data, and illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing records.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/neda-icc-approves-mrt-3-rehab/431577/
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Govt fishing ban to leave 50K stakeholders jobless
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['The Manila Times']
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2017-11-30 21:05:17+00:00
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SOME 50,000 fishermen and canning workers in the Zamboanga Peninsula have appealed for livelihood support from the Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) on the heels of a government-imposed fishing ban in the area.The ban, declared by the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), will take effect on Friday and would last until April next year to give way to the spawning season, which would render them jobless for the next five months.Their plight was brought to the attention of Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello 3rd by the workers’ group Associated Labor Unions-Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (ALU-TUCP) to help them tide over during the critical months.“We are calling out to the Labor department to reach out and provide safety nets to thousands of fishermen and sardine canning workers in the region who will not have a stable source of income for five months in view of the spawning season. Fishermen and canning workers are [among the] very vulnerable workers nowadays because of recurring climate-change effects and high demand for fish and fish products,” ALU-TUCP spokesman Alan Tanjusay said on Thursday.The BFAR imposed the ban on commercial fishing in many regions in the country to allow fishes to lay eggs and allow them to spawn and thrive and to prevent over-fishing.Around 15,000 fishermen and an estimated 35,000 canning and value chain workers will be affected and without income for the duration of the ban.The group pointed out that the ban is void of a functional alternative livelihood program or unemployment insurance scheme to alleviate displaced canning workers and fisherfolk while it is in effect.“It is high time to review the ban and infuse it with an automatic support mechanism to assuage workers and fishermen from long period of economic shock caused by the commercial fishing ban not only in the Zamboanga region but in other regions as well,” Tanjusay said.Meanwhile, the labor group Bukluran ng Manggagawang Pilipino (BMP) criticized pro-Duterte groups calling for a “revolutionary government” that would change the Constitution in favor of federalism and opening up the local economy to complete foreign ownership.“It is the height of poetic injustice that pro-Duterte groups would commemorate Bonifacio Day by going against ideals that the plebeian hero fought and died for. He would be turning in his grave for such antics that would ultimately serve the interests of foreign monopolies, warlords and political dynasties, and the lust for wealth and power of the pro-Duterte clique of the ruling elite,” BMP president Leody de Guzman said.The group branded as a sham the pro-Duterte groups’ call, saying the plan to decentralize the national government into federal states would not benefit the rural poor as provinces and regions in the country are controlled by warlords and political dynasties that rule over their territories with iron gloves and without an iota of respect for due process of law.WILLIAM B. DEPASUPIL
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/govt-fishing-ban-leave-50k-stakeholders-jobless/365948/
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Robredo’s trust rating declines in SWS poll
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['Ralph Villanueva']
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2018-10-31 00:03:35+00:00
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VICE President Maria Leonor “Leni” Robredo’s net trust rating dropped in the third quarter, a survey by Social Weather Stations found.The poll conducted from September 15 to 23 showed that 59 percent of Filipinos trust Robredo, while 21 percent had little trust in her. The remaining 20 percent were undecided.This resulted in a +38 net trust rating, which is classified by the pollster as “good.”This is a two-point dip from the previous quarter, where 57 percent of Filipinos trusted Robredo, while 17 percent had little trust, for a +40 net rating.The two-point dip was attributed to decreases in the Visayas and Balance Luzon, which neutralized the increases in Mindanao and Metro Manila.Robredo’s trust rating in Visayas plunged by 17 points to a “good” +34 from June’s “very good” +51 figure.In Balance Luzon, her trust rating decreased by 5 points, from +47 in June to +42.However, Robredo attained a 14-point increase in Mindanao, a “good” +42, from the “moderate” +28 in the second quarter of the year.She also had a two-point jump in her trust rating in Metro Manila at +24, from June’s +22.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/robredos-trust-rating-declines-in-sws-poll/460040/
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Local govts should retain unspent IRA, says lawmaker
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['Llanesca T. Panti']
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2017-04-28 20:11:43+00:00
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The automatic release of Internal Revenue Allotments (IRAs), including unspent allotments, to local government units (LGUs) has been proposed at the House of Representatives.Camarines Sur Rep. LRay Villafuerte made the proposal under his House Bill (HB) 4697, which amends Section 286 of the Local Government Code (LGC) and states that the share of each LGU will be automatically released and retained by it, without need of any further action, directly to the provincial, city, municipal or barangay (village) treasurer, as the case may be, on a quarterly basis within five days after the end of each quarter.The bill also amends Section 284 of the LGC in order to increase the current IRA allocation of LGUs from 40 percent to 60 percent of national tax collection, on top of the provision that the automatically released IRA will not be subject to any lien or holdback that may be imposed by the national government for whatever purpose.“Our LGUs should stop being at the mercy of the national government. Automatically releasing and retaining their respective IRAs is a major step toward genuine autonomy, and would also best prepare the LGUs for the shift to the federal system of government,” Villafuerte said in a statement.The existing Local Government Code does not provide for automatic LGU retention of unspent IRAs.“HB 4697 is an excellent tool to beef up the financial backbone of LGUs as this would increase their collective IRA from the current 40 percent of national tax collections to 60 percent over a three-year period,” Villafuerte, a former Camarines Sur governor, pointed out.Villafuerte’s proposal will increase the IRA share of LGUs to 50 percent on the first year of its effectivity, 55 percent on the second year and 60 percent on the third year since the redefined IRA will include all types of national taxes in the formulation or computation of annual revenues due provincial, city and municipal governments.The congressman said no less than the Supreme Court has, in its Ganzon v Court of Appeals ruling, upheld the constitutional provision that local autonomy and devolution are meant to “liberate the local governments from the imperialism of Manila.”“The swift congressional approval of HB 4697 would serve as a fitting prelude to greater devolution and local autonomy under the federal switch as envisioned by the President. This will challenge the LGUs to use the additional allocation in providing better services, creating development projects and implementing different programs to further the interests of their constituents,” Villafuerte added.If the national government incurs an “unmanageable” public sector deficit upon the effectivity of this amended IRA law, HB 4697 authorizes the President of the Philippines, upon the recommendation of the Secretaries of Finance, Budget and Management and Interior and Local Government to make the necessary adjustments in the IRA share of LGUs, but in no case shall the amount be lower than 40 percent of all national tax earnings in the third fiscal year prior to the current one.LLANESCA T. PANTI
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/local-govts-retain-unspent-ira-says-lawmaker-2/324554/
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DoJ deputy downgraded charges in Espinosa slay
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['Jomar Canlas']
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2017-06-21 21:44:38+00:00
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Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre 2nd on Wednesday said his undersecretary was behind the downgrade of criminal charges against policemen involved in the death of Albuera (Leyte) Mayor Rolando Espinosa.Senators had slammed the Department of Justice (DoJ) for deciding to downgrade to homicide from murder the charges against Supt. Marvin Marcos and 18 other policemen who served a search warrant inside a jail where Espinosa was detained.The downgrade forced the Baybay City court to allow the policemen to post bail for their temporary liberty.“I did not have any hand in the drafting of the resolution being referred to by some senators,” Aguirre said in a statement.He pointed to Justice Undersecretary Reynante Orceo as the one who resolved a petition for review filed by the policemen seeking to overturn a March resolution of a five-man panel of prosecutors that led to their filing of charges for murder.“I was not the one who resolved the matter. I was not the one who wrote it. I was not the one who signed it,” Aguirre said.He added that the ruling was part of the legal process in criminal cases and there is no truth that there was flip-flopping on the part of the Justice department.“The petition for review was decided, it so happened that it was downgraded, the original charges of murder to homicide. It is following a process. No such thing as flip-flopping,” Aguirre said in a phone interview.He added that parties could still file a motion for reconsideration or elevate the case to a court that will be the “final arbiter of this controversy.”“In the review of the resolutions of the DoJ, there’s no other agency in the government, except the court, that could review our decisions,” Aguirre said.He welcomed any investigation to be called by the Senate against the DoJ ruling.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/doj-deputy-downgraded-charges-espinosa-slay/334111/
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‘Resiliency’ will cut it for Pinoys this Christmas
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['Jefferson Antiporda']
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2017-12-25 00:03:51+00:00
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The Filipinos’ resilience would help them find a way to celebrate Christmas with smiles on their faces despite difficulties faced by many families in the past year.According to opposition senator Francis Pangilinan, these families would find it hard to mark December 25 with the usual joy and vigor particularly those who lost relatives and friends to a bloody drug campaign.“But although it is saddening, they represent the heart of the fighting Filipino. We are a resilient people, a nation that always looks to hope and love when all seems too difficult,” Pangilinan, also president of the Liberal Party, said on Sunday.Detained Sen. Leila de Lima, echoed Pangilinan’s statement, noting that many Filipinos are facing serious challenges and longing for their lost loved ones this Christmas season.De Lima called on Filipinos to pray for fathers, mothers and spouses in seeking justice for their loved ones under the allegedly bloody drug campaign of the Duterte administration.The senator also cited the administration’s alleged encouragement of violence, the spread of lies, as well as the silencing of the opposition.De Lima asked for a “miracle” that President Rodrigo Duterte would order a stop to all alleged summary executions and have those behind them answer to their crimes.She expressed hope that the Duterte administration, after one and a half years, would focus on solving the real problems the country is facing such as poverty, destruction of the environment, education and sovereignty.“Instead of anger, vengeance and personal interest, I hope the current administration would start serving the interest of majority of the Filipino people,” de Lima said.Sen. Grace Poe, in her Christmas message, called on her fellow Filipinos to show compassion to victims of calamites, relatives of crime victims and the Filipinos working abroad who cannot be with their loved ones this Yuletide.“Let the Christmas season be an outpouring of love and compassion for the families in shelters due to fighting and calamities; for the relatives crying out for justice for their [slain] kin; for our men in uniform in the field; for our OFWs [overseas Filipino workers] in faraway places; and for the zestful youth, especially those who make use of social media to make their voices heard,” she said a statement.Christmas, according to the senator, is an invitation for everybody to reinforce ties as Filipinos, woven from shared hopes and aspirations for a progressive future for all.“Let’s spread love, not hatred,” she said.”Let our faith grow stronger toward justice, reconciliation, peace and compassion. These are the greatest gifts we can give to our fellow Filipinos.”
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/resiliency-will-cut-pinoys-christmas/370492/
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HK traders no longer fear to invest in PH
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['Michael Joe T. Delizo']
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2016-12-06 22:27:46+00:00
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THE Duterte administration has erased the lingering effects of the deadly 2010 Manila hostage crisis on trade, according to a group of Hong Kong businessmen.Antony Chan, president of the Hong Kong Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines Inc. (HKCCPI), said entrepreneurs from Hong Kong are now eyeing to invest in the Philippines with interest in tourism and manufacturing industries.He added that businessmen have high confidence in the economic policy of President Rodrigo Duterte.“We have a federation of Hong Kong businesses, composed of 41 associations in Asia, Europe and North America. We tell businessmen in other places that it’s time to invest in the Philippines,” Chan told reporters during a recent business gathering in Manila.He surmised that the new government brings an opportunity for equal footing for local and foreign investors.“We expect the same treatment for local and foreign investors,” Chan said. “The 60-40 investment [restriction] should be lifted in some industries like tourism and we are appealing that foreign investors be allowed land ownership.”Under the 1987 Philippine Constitution, foreign ownership in the Philippines is limited to 40 percent and full ownership of corporations in the country is reserved only for Filipino citizens.The President, however, is backing moves to relax constitutional restrictions on foreign ownership of business enterprises to attract more investors, but not real property.Meanwhile, Chan said the Hong Kong Trade Organization is set to send a delegation from the Administrative Region to discuss advances in trade and economic relations with the Philippines.“Now, you can see peace and order is improving a lot, more people are coming in, they have more confidence in the Philippines,” he added.With the perceived improved situation in the country, the HKCCPI president sees more job opportunities for Filipinos that will eventually translate to increase in tax revenue for the government.According to the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, the Philippines is now the 14th largest export market for Hong Kong.In 2015, Hong Kong imports from the Philippines increased by 10.3 percent to $7.2 billion.With the lifting of a travel ban on the Philippines two years ago, Chan said, the investments from Hong Kong are now free to come in.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/hk-traders-no-longer-fear-invest-ph/300323/
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Drilon, Sotto asked illegal favors – Faeldon
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['Jefferson Antiporda']
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2018-01-29 23:09:04+00:00
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FORMER Customs commissioner Nicanor Faeldon on Monday claimed that two senators made “illegal requests” when he was still the head of the Customs bureau.At the resumption of the Senate blue ribbon committee hearing on the “tara” (payoff) system at the Bureau of Customs, Faeldon accused Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon and Senate Majority floor leader Vicente Sotto 3rd of asking what he described as “illegal favors” during his stint at the bureau.Faeldon mentioned the names of the two senators in response to the queries of Sen. Paolo Benigno Aquino 4th if there were politicians who made “illegal requests” from him while he was the head of the BoC.According to Faeldon, Drilon in 2016 asked for a meeting at the senate for him to sign a memorandum of agreement (MOA) between the BoC and the office of National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP). The agreement involved the renovation of the BoC house in Iloilo that will be shouldered by the (NHCP).Under the agreement, the NHCP would convert the BoC property into a museum and in return the third floor of the renovated building will be occupied by the bureau.“I’m sorry. I would like to apologize to the following senators because wala kayo dito (they are not here). But as far as I am concerned it is illegal,” he said.Drilon admitted that there was indeed an agreement but maintained that there was nothing illegal about it.“There is nothing illegal. It was a budget of the National Historical Commission of the Philippines and they are requesting for my help,” he said.He noted that the building Faeldon was referring to was not even owned by the BoC because the title is in the name of the Republic of the Philippines.Faeldon said Sotto recommended the promotion of an intelligence officer at the bureau who was undeserving.Sotto admitted recommending someone for promotion but said he could not understand what made such request illegal.“I think the former commissioner should stick to the issue which is how the P6.4 billion “shabu” shipment was released under his watch. Dragging my name into whatever illegal will not remove his culpability,” Sotto said.PsychiatristSen. Richard Gordon, chairman of the blue ribbon panel, agreed that the two senators did not commit illegal acts.“He lives in his own world. I think he should see a psychiatrist and I really mean that,” Gordon said.He added that President Rodrigo Duterte should not have appointed Faeldon to the Office of Civil Defense.“We have been very forgiving on those who led a coup in the country,” Gordon said.Faeldon was accused by Sen. Panfilo Lacson of receiving P100 million as “pasalubong” (welcome gift) when he was appointed to the BoC.According to Lacson, Faeldon also failed to put a stop to the rampant corruption at the BoC, the reason why the P6.4 billion “shabu” shipment from China was released undetected through the bureau’s “green lane.”In his privilege speech in August 2017, Lacson claimed that the share of each office or person in the bureau can range from a low of P200 to a high of P15,000 per container.“Believe it or not, officials from the top offices of the Bureau down to those who monitor the “Gates” and “X-RAY” have their share in the tara (payoff),” he said in his speech.Faeldon denied Lacson’s allegations that he received P100 million.But during the hearing, he admitted that some of the names mentioned by Lacson tried to negotiate for the release of their shipments.Pasay jailBut even if he appeared at the Senate probe, Faeldon will not be released from detention because the Senate said he remained charged with contempt.Gordon said the former customs commissioner would be transferred to the custody of the Pasay City jail.“The Senate unanimously declared that Mr. Faeldon, formerly of Customs will remain charged with contempt and he will now be remanded to the custody of the Pasay City Jail upon order of commitment by the Senate President and it was agreed upon unanimously,” Gordon said.Faeldon has been detained at the Senate since September after he was cited for contempt for refusing to attend the hearing on the BoC drug shipment controversy.Gordon said he was prepared to recommend the release of Faeldon but everything changed when the latter disrespected the institution during the hearing when he criticized committee.Faeldon and Gordon engaged in a heated exchange during the early part of the hearing when the former questioned the manner the senator was handling the investigation.He even criticized Gordon for giving lectures during the hearing instead of asking relevant questions.Faeldon said he attended the proceedings because he expected Gordon to lead the committee in finding the truth about the Customs issues.“I did not attend so that I will have my liberty. I attended because I am the most interested person to ferret out the truth,” he said.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/drilon-sotto-asked-illegal-favors-faeldon/377208/
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New coins raise confusion
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['Mayvelin U. Caraballo']
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2018-03-30 00:05:22+00:00
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Release of the New Generation Currency (NGC) Coin Series of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) on Monday has been met with a lot criticisms from the public and netizens who say the new coins create confusion.The series is composed of 10-peso, 5-peso, 1-peso, 25-centavo, 5-centavo and 1-centavo coins that are all “metallic silver” in color.Netizen Sofia Aina Gabriel said the new coins are not “PWD [person with disability] and senior citizen-friendly. They may result in unintended overpayments and underpayments as they look the same. The BSP should now consider recalling the new coins.”Sari-sari (variety) store owner Eva Dizon said, “With my poor eyesight, I already find it hard to differentiate the five-peso coin from the one-peso coin. With the additional coins, it will be more difficult for me.”Addressing such concerns, BSP Deputy Governor Diwa Guinigundo reminded the public to study the coins closely first before making any transaction.“The differences between the NGC coins and the existing BSP coin series can be best appreciated through visual means and tactile familiarization. We should look at them first.For example, the 5-peso coin is much bigger than the 1-peso coin,” Guinigundo said.He added that that the metallic silver color of the coins will make them more durable.“They have the same color not because we deliberately made them the same color but because we decided on the choice of nickel-plating. Nickel-plated coins are more durable, weather resistant and do not easily corrode,” the BSP official explained.He said the coins have new security features, particularly the use of micro-printed details in the 10- and 5-peso coins that make duplication difficult using traditional counterfeiting methods.The metallic composition of the NGC coins also discourage the illegal practice of hoarding large quantities of coins for the extraction of their metal content, Guinigundo said.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/new-coins-raise-confusion/389326/
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Cloudiness, some rain likely till Sunday
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['Philippines News Agency']
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2017-02-18 22:14:56+00:00
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Cloudy skies with light rains will be experienced over Batanes, Cagayan and Ilocos Norte, as northeast monsoon or “amihan” affects extreme Northern Luzon, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said in its 24-hour forecast released on Saturday afternoon.PAGASA also predicted cloudy skies with light to moderate rains and isolated thunderstorms over Bicol, Eastern Visayas, Caraga, Davao, rest of Cagayan Valley as well as Aurora and Quezon provinces.Partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated light rains will be experienced over Metro Manila, Cordillera and Central Luzon regions aside from rest of Ilocos, PAGASA said further.Rest of the country may experience partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rains or thunderstorms, noted PAGASA.The easterlies are affecting the country’s eastern section, PAGASA said.According to PAGASA, moderate to strong winds from the east to northeast will prevail over Luzon and eastern sections of the Visayas and Mindanao.Coastal waters there will be moderate to rough, said PAGASA.“Elsewhere, winds will be light to moderate coming from the northeast with slight to moderate seas,” PAGASA added.PNA
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/cloudiness-rain-likely-till-sunday-2/312978/
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Arrest warrant out vs police in Espinosa slay
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['Fernan Marasigan']
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2017-03-20 23:22:54+00:00
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AGENTS of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) of the Philippine National Police (PNP) in Eastern Visayas have served a warrant of arrest against 20 police officers involved in the fatal shooting of jailed former Albuera (Leyte) Mayor Rolando Espinosa Sr. and another inmate last year.PNP chief and Director General Ronald dela Rosa made the disclosure on Monday as the court issued the warrant of arrest for murder against the police officers led by Supt. Marvin Marcos, former chief of CIDG-Region 8.“As of now, the warrant of arrest has been issued against them for murder and the CIDG in Region 8 has already served the warrant. All of them [police officers] are accounted for at CIDG-Region 8 and the warrant is set to be returned to the issuing court,” dela Rosa told a news briefing in Camp Crame in Quezon City.Authorities, he said, were just waiting for orders from the court on where the accused police officers would be detained.The PNP chief revealed that the PNP Internal Affairs Service is scheduled to release on March 31 its decision on an administrative case against the accused police officers.Last month, the National Police Commission found probable cause to issue sanctions based on pieces of evidence gathered when Marcos and his team served a search warrant on Espinosa, who was killed in the Leyte provincial jail along with drug suspect Raul Yap on November 5, 2016.Last week, a Senate report said the killing of Espinosa inside his cell at the Baybay City sub-provincial jail was premeditated and members of the CIDG-Region 8 should be held liable for it.The Senate committees on public order and dangerous drugs and on justice and human rights that investigated Espinosa’s slay concluded that operatives of the CIDG led by Marcos abused their authority.In a 34-page report, the joint committees said there was a systematic “clean up” of individuals involved in the Espinosa drug trade.Besides the mayor, other drug suspects reportedly linked to the Espinosa drug operation such as Edgar Allan Alvarez and Fernando Balagbis also suffered the same fate.Alvarez was killed inside the Abuyog Penal Colony in Leyte on August 11 after a group of policeman also led by Marcos raided his cell by virtue of a search warrant.Balagbis was also killed in jail when he allegedly resisted and assaulted the police who raided his jail cell.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/arrest-warrant-vs-police-espinosa-slay/318278/
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Benefits, privileges of PWD expanded
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['The Manila Times']
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2016-12-13 22:28:54+00:00
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Persons with disability (PWD) can soon buy some products and avail of services without paying additional taxes.They will have to thank Republic Act (RA) 10754, or An Act Expanding the Benefits and Privileges of Persons With Disability (PWDs), whose Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) will soon be in place eight months after the law took effect on March 23.Social Welfare Secretary Judy Taguiwalo said RA 10754 will give additional value-added tax exemption in purchasing certain goods and services that are covered by VAT.This is on top of the 20 percent discount they are already entitled to under Republic Act 9442, or An Act Amending RA 7277, or the Magna Carta for Disabled Persons and for Other Purposes, Taguiwalo added.The tax exemption law covers restaurants; recreation centers, such as theaters, cinema houses and concert halls; and lodging establishments, such as inns, motorist hotels and dormitories.It also applies to the purchase of medicines and foods for special medical purposes; medical and dental services, including laboratory fees and professional fees of attending doctors; domestic air, sea and land transportation travel; and funeral and burial services.Taguiwalo noted that RA 10754 directs all establishments to place signage on the benefits and privileges of persons with disability within their premises so that the PWD will know what they are entitled to.The law also declares that subsequent purchases made by the PWD on the same day from the same establishment are still subject to VAT-exemption and 20 percent discount, she said.Other salient features of the IRR include reiteration of the right of PWD to social insurance (thru the Government Service Insurance System, Social Security System or Pag-IBIG), educational assistance, special discounts in the purchase of basic necessities and prime commodities and express lanes in all commercial and government establishments.It also includes provision of tax incentives for those caring for and living with persons with disability up to the fourth degree of affinity or consanguinity.Further, RA 10754 also covers certain vitamins, minerals and herbs in the definition of drug or medicine as long as these are in accordance with the Food and Drug Administration’s cutoff as well as food for special medical purposes.It also makes the benefits and privileges available to Filipinos who hold foreign passports but are registered as dual citizens and those who have reacquired their Filipino citizenship thru RA 9225, or the Citizenship Retention and Reacquisition Act of 2003.According to Taguiwalo, double discounts are not allowed by the same law.“This means that if a person with disability is a senior citizen, who is also entitled to a 20 percent discount under his/her valid senior citizen identification card [ID], the PWD shall use either his/her Senior Citizen ID or PWD ID card to avail of the 20 percent discount, she explained.The DSWD chief said the PWD should present proof of entitlement such as ID issued by the Persons with Disability Affairs Office or the City/Municipal Social Welfare Development Office where the PWD reside, passport of the concerned person with apparent disability or an ID issued by the National Council on Disability Affairs for the PWD to enjoy their expanded benefits and privileges as provided by pro-PWD laws.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/benefits-privileges-pwd-expanded/301583/
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IBP asks SC to reconsider quo warranto ruling vs Sereno
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['Llanesca T. Panti']
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2018-06-09 00:01:22+00:00
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THE Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) has filed a motion for reconsideration before the Supreme Court on its decision to oust Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno via quo warranto, saying that removing her in this manner is as good as destroying the rule of law.“The Integrated Bar of the Philippines, through its Board of Governors, filed a motion for reconsideration of the Supreme Court decision in Republic vs Sereno today. With due respect to the High Court, we maintain that its ruling in Republic vs Sereno was narrowly drawn. It shows the use of the law to pursue a desired result, that is, the ouster of the Chief Justice,” the IBP said in a statement signed by its president Abdiel Fajardo.“This erodes, if not demolishes, the rule of law to which all members of the Bar have sworn as a condition to admission,” the IBP said.It was Solicitor General Jose Calida who filed the quo warranto petition against Sereno, arguing that her appointment as Chief Justice in 2012 was invalid because she failed to submit all the copies of her Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALNs) as a professor of the University of the Philippines College of Law to theJudicial and Bar Council (JBC), which screens applicants for the position of chief justice.The high court granted the quo warranto petition in a vote of 8-6.Sereno’s ouster via quo warranto preempted the impeachment proceedings against her at the House of Representatives.The impeachment complaint that lawyer Lorenzo Gadon filed against Sereno accused her of betrayal of public trust and culpable violation of the Constitution for:1. Failure to submit statements of assets, liabilities and net worth or SALNs to the JBC and to declare properties in Bataan and Davao City;2. Misuse of P18 million in public funds in the purchase of a bulletproof Toyota Land Cruiser, hiring of information technology consultant Helen Macasaet and selection of the Shangri-La Boracay resort for the 3rd Asean Chief Justices’ meeting;3. Usurping the authority of the Supreme Court as a collegial body by forming a Regional Office of Court Administrator, issuing a temporary restraining order on the case of Coalition of Senior Citizens party-list and transferring the Maute cases from Marawi to Taguig City without en banc or full-court approval;4. Abusing her position as JBC ex-officio chairperson by excluding the name of then Solicitor General Francis Jardeleza from consideration for the post of associate justice;5. Interference in the inquiry by the House on the alleged misuse of P66 million in tobacco funds by Ilocos Nortegovernment employees because of a Court of Appeals stay order on the House investigation and undermining its justice panel’s impeachment proceedings, and;6. Abuse of discretionary power.Under the Constitution, the president, the vice president, the members of the Supreme Court, the members of the Constitutional Commissions, and the Ombudsman may be removed from office through impeachment for, and conviction of, culpable violation of the Constitution, treason, bribery, graft and corruption, other high crimes, or betrayal of public trust.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/ibp-asks-sc-to-reconsider-quo-warranto-ruling-vs-sereno/405941/
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Ulamas appeal to Duterte: Stop airstrikes
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['Kim Kong']
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29/05/2017 0:00
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The National Ulama Conference of the Philippines has appealed to President Duterte to immediately stop the airstrikes in Marawi City and to go on with the land attacks instead.Various groups have condemned the attack by the Maute group on Marawi City, including the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) which called on its forces to extend all necessary assistance to the people of Marawi to ensure their safety and frustrate the aim of any group or groups to sow division in the communities.The Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) Central Committee accused the Maute Group and the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) of violating the “teachings of Islam” after it attacked Marawi City, since May 23, and occupied the city, disregarding the lives and properties of the innocent civilians, dignity and their honor.MNLF Central Committee Chair Yusop Jikiri said “what has happened to Marawi City and still happening up to this time is indeed deplorable.”The MNLF central committee believes that the Marawi City attack was perpetrated by the Maute Group and some Abu Sayyaf Group membersThere is a rising tide of criminality and lawlessness that could no longer be addressed by normal law enforcement, the continuing threat by the ASG and the ISIS-inspired militant groups that pay no respect to human decency and the rule of law, hence a rule like martial law must be observed in areas of concern, Jikiri noted.ULAMAS“We, from the National Ulama Conference of the Philippines (NUCP), implore President Duterte to cease immediately the airstrikes but to employ land attack with the help of local military and police so that innocent civilians will be protected and escorted to evacuation centers.”The NUCP also appealed to President Duterte to order line agencies, like the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and the Department of Health (DOH) to respond to the humanitarian needs of the internally displaced persons (IDPs) or locally called “bakwit”.“This is the time, Mr. President, to show us what you’ve been saying that you have a Maranao blood, and that you are sincere to correct the historical injustices committed against the Moros.MILFThe MILF, for its part, appealed to the government to ensure that ceasefire mechanisms continue to work on the ground and that the military operations against the Maute group do not spark more fighting in other areas.“Such proclamation, presumably made within the legal processes of the Government of the Philippines, is apparently designed to contain the Marawi incident and to prevent it from spreading to other parts of Mindanao. The Moro Islamic Liberation Front, while not in a position to question the factual basis for the proclamation or the decision to make it, appeals to the Philippine Government to ensure that the ceasefire mechanisms continue to work on the ground, and that any military operation against the Group that perpetrated the violence in Marawi does not spark more fighting in other areas,” the MILF said.“The Moro Islamic Liberation Front stands in solidarity with the people of Marawi and Lanao del Sur during this tragic day. We call on our forces to extend all necessary assistance to the people of Marawi to ensure their safety and frustrate the aim of any group or groups to sow (division) in our communities. Let us all stand united to win peace for our people,” the MILF statement said.MNLFJikiri said national discipline must be established and martial law is the right measure to accomplish it.The MNLF is confident that martial law will help push things into their proper places. But most importantly martial law is needed to effectively address the national security threat at a time when the law and all it stands for is abused by all those taking the law into their own hands.The Marawi Crisis Philippine Center for Islam and Democracy also strongly condemned the violent attacks perpetrated by lawless elements in the Islamic city of Marawi and Lanao del Sur.The Regional Darul Ifta of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, the most authoritative religious group in the region, also condemned the violent attack against the Islamic city of Marawi and its peace loving people.
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Manila Bulletin
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https://news.mb.com.ph/2017/05/29/ulamas-appeal-to-duterte-stop-airstrikes/
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Duterte partner’s cousin named housing official
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['Catherine S. Valente']
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2018-03-10 00:03:19+00:00
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President Rodrigo Duterte has appointed sacked commissioner of the Presidential Commission for the Urban Poor (PCUP) Melissa Avanceña Aradanas as deputy secretary general of the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council.The appointment papers of Aradanas, a cousin of Duterte’s partner Cielito “Honeylet” Avanceña, were signed on March 7 and released on Friday.Aradanas, who replaces Patrocinio Jude Esguerra 3rd, was among the five PCUP officials that the President had fired over corruption allegations.Duterte, in a speech delivered on December 12, confirmed that he had removed Avanceña’s cousin, amid his resolve to dismiss government officials over a mere “whiff of corruption.”The President fired PCUP chairman Terry Ridon and four commissioners — Aradanas, Joan Lagunda, Manuel Serra Jr. and Noe Indonto — for failing to meet regularly as a collegial body and for making unnecessary trips abroad.“To think the office is an urban poor agency. I simply cannot understand why you had to be there at every powwow in the international scene,” Duterte said.Apart from Aradanas, the President also appointed former Tarlac congresswoman Monica Prieto-Teodoro as his special envoy to the United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef).She is the wife of former Defense secretary Gilbert Teodoro, who was Duterte’s first choice to lead theDepartment of Defense under his administration but the latter turned down the offer.Teodoro’s term as special emissary to the Unicef will expire on September 27, 2018.Also appointed were Bruce Concepcion as special envoy on Transnational Crime, Nannette Dinopol as deputy administrator of the Maritime Industry Authority and Valfrie Tabian as acting director general of the Bureau of Corrections.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/duterte-partners-cousin-named-housing-official/385062/
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P195M govt medical scholarships unused
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['Bernadette E. Tamayo']
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2018-04-12 00:06:44+00:00
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The Commission on Higher Education (CHEd) has disclosed that of the P317 million that it allocated for the medical scholarship program, only P122 million was utilized for the first semester of academic year 2017-2018.This translated to a total of 2,163 medical students with free tuition from eight state universities and colleges (SUCs) in the country, which include the University of Northern Philippines, Mariano Marcos State University, Cagayan State University, Bicol University, West Visayas State University, University of the Philippines-Leyte, Mindanao State University and UP-Manila.For this school year, the CHEd had to scale down its budget for the medical scholarship program to P250 million, given the “low number” of enrollees who availed of the medical scholarships last year.“Most of us dreamt of becoming a doctor when were kids. But due to the high cost of pursuing a medical degree, it remained a dream for our poor fellowmen. Now, it is already possible to achieve,” Sen. Jose Edgardo Angara said on Wednesday.“We want to see an increase in the budget of our medical scholarship program if it means that we will have more doctors serving in our country, especially in far-flung communities that badly need better healthcare services,” he pointed out.The senator said beneficiaries of the CHED’s tuition subsidy will be required to render one year of return service in the Philippines for every year of cash grant received.“They can serve as doctors in government or private hospitals, local government health facilities or become doctors to the barrios,” according to Angara, vice chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance who sponsored the CHEd’s budget.Angara also pushed for the passage of Senate Bill (SB) 1157 or the Medical Scholarship Program, which seeks to ensure the availability of doctors in every province nationwide.The bill seeks to cover tuition and other school fees, allowance for prescribed books, supplies and equipment, clothing and uniform, housing accommodation, transportation and other related miscellaneous living allowances.Under SB 1157, which Angara filed in September 2016, there must be at least one beneficiary or doctor from every province in the country.It is still pending before the committees on Health, Education, and Finance.The number of beneficiaries per province should depend on the number of medical doctors needed for each province as determined by the Department of Health (DoH).The beneficiaries will be required to serve their provincial hospital for at least five years upon passing the medical board examination.The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported that three out of five Filipinos die without seeing a doctor, nurse or any other allied health professional.Data from the UP College of Medicine showed that about 80 percent of its graduates leave the country to practice medicine abroad.“The high cost of med school drives new doctors to join private hospitals or work abroad [for] higher pay. This bill seeks to address the continuing need for doctors in our provincial public hospitals,” Angara said.In 2014, he added, various groups, including the Coalition for Primary Care and the Philippine College of Physicians, warned that the country is in the “midst” of a healthcare crisis, “borne out of a lack or a maldistribution of doctors and healthcare professionals.”Angara said the country only has 3.5 doctors for every 10,000 population, way below the ideal ratio of up to 1.5 doctors for every 1,000 population.“At the same time, most doctors and medical specialists are concentrated in urban centers and larger municipalities, leaving far-flung communities largely unserved,” he added.“Such problems are only exacerbated by the lure of more lucrative opportunities abroad, leading to an exodus of medical professionals,” the senator said.He added, “For instance, according to data from the UP-College of Medicine, about 80 percent of its graduates leave the country to practice medicine abroad, a trend that appears to continuously be on the rise.”
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/p195m-govt-medical-scholarships-unused/392007/
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Govt vows to improve PNP health benefits
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['The Manila Times']
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2018-08-04 00:02:11+00:00
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Sec. Christopher Lawrence “Bong”Go, Special Assistant to the President (SAP), said that President Rodrigo Duterte is committed to improving equally the health services provided to the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Armed Forces of the Philippines.In a media interview during his visit to the 25th PNP-Health Service Anniversary, Go relayed the President’s word that “whatever is being given to AFP, like the improvement of the Veterans Hospital, must also be done to the PNP Health Services.”Go assured that the priority of the Duterte administration has always been the police and the military as they are the front-liners in ensuring peace and order in the country.The secretary said this was apparent when Duterte fulfilled his 2016 promise to increase the base pay of the police, even without the unforeseen wars and conflicts that happened under his administration.Go assured the PNP that there would be improved facilities and modernized PNP General Hospital after the President and he visited AFP soldiers over the weekend.Go also said he would check the current status of the development of the Medical Facility in Camp Panopio.We will be visiting the hospital [PNP General Hospital]. Initially, I’ve talked to [PNP Chief] General [Oscar] Albayalde and his wife about the disparities and shortcomings, and the President said that whatever is being given to the armed forces, to the military, must also be given to the police,” Go added.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/govt-vows-to-improve-pnp-health-benefits/426348/
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Transmission tower collapses during fire
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['Nelson Badilla']
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2017-04-19 22:20:10+00:00
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A fire that razed around 80 makeshift houses of as many families caused the collapse of the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) transmission tower on Wednesday in Muntinlupa City (Metro Manila).Supt. Gilbert Dolot, chief of the Muntinlupa City Bureau of Fire Protection, said the NGCP transmission tower fell down because its foundation was weakened by the fire that hit Alabang Viaduct exit in Barangay Alabang.Despite the collapse, no power interruption happened in the city, Dolot added.It, however, posed problems for vehicles traversing the South Luzon Expressway (SLEX).The fire started 12 minutes before 9 a.m. and was put under control around 9:15 a.m.No deaths or injuries were reported.Tez Navarro, chief of the city government’s public information office, said the 80 families were immediately assisted by the local government’s Social Welfare department.Navarro said Mayor Jaime Fresnedi promised to give financial assistance to the victims.Dolot said they are determining the origin of the fire and the total value of damage to property.In a statement, SLEX management apologized to motorists for the inconvenience caused by the fire near the Alabang north-bound exit plaza of the expressway.The north-bound Alabang exit plaza of SLEX was temporarily closed because of the collapsed NGCP transmission tower.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/transmission-tower-collapses-fire-2/323037/
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LGUs can give allowances to teachers
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['Neil Alcober']
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2017-02-04 22:01:50+00:00
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A new joint curricular issued by the Departments of Education (DepEd), Budget and Management, and Interior and Local Government allows local government units (LGUs) to provide allowances to public school teachers.The monetary incentive will be on top of the salaries and allowances given to teachers by the education department.“Local government units are constant partners of the Department of Education in continuously improving the welfare of teachers and enabling them to cope with the demands of their profession,” Education Secretary Leonor Briones said in a statement.The three government agencies recently issued joint circular No. 1, series of 2017, on the revised guidelines on the use of the special education fund to update the guidelines and policies provided under Republic Act No. 7160, otherwise known as the Local Government Code of 1991.Section 4 of the revised joint circular enumerates the expenditure items that are chargeable against the special education fund. Included in the list is the payment of compensation/allowances of locally-hired teachers in elementary and secondary schools identified to have shortages per the teacher deployment analysis of DepEd.Although payment of allowances of nationally-hired teachers is not included, local government units are not prohibited from granting such. These additional allowances may be sourced from the local government units’ regular budget or general fund, subject to existing budgeting rules and regulations.The revised joint curricular aims to better support the supplementary budgetary needs of schools and learning centers, given the observed practices in the utilization of the special education fund and the current developments in the implementation of the K-to-12 and early childhood care and development programs.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/lgus-can-give-allowances-teachers/310564/
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DepEd reminds schools of ‘no collection’ policy
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['Neil Alcober']
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2017-06-03 21:35:32+00:00
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With the opening of classes on Monday, the Department of Education (DepEd) reminded public school teachers and school officials of the “no-collection” policy.Classes in all public schools across the country, except in Marawi City in Lanao del Sur province, for this school year will formally open on Monday.The DepEd reminded students, parents, teachers and education stakeholders that the collection of school fees shall not be used as a basis for non-admission, non-promotion and non-issuance of clearance of the students in public elementary and high schools nationwide.Based on DepEd Order 41 series of 2012, or the “Revised guidelines on the opening of classes,” Education Secretary Leonor Briones has directed all school officials that no fees shall be collected from school children in kindergarten up to Grade 10 during school year 2017-2018.Although the Education department has an approved list of authorized contributions, Briones stressed that contributions must be voluntary.Based on DepEd Memorandum No. 143, series of 2016, these authorized contributions include those made for the Boy Scouts of the Philippines, Girl Scouts of the Philippines, Philippine National Red Cross, Anti-TB Fund Drive, Parents-Teachers Association and school publication fee.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/deped-reminds-schools-no-collection-policy/330783/
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3 killed in love triangle
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['Johnny Wang']
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29/10/2017 0:00
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Seething with rage and jealousy, a man killed his own wife and the latter’s lover after he caught them in bed together inside their house in Barangay Casilagan.Reports reaching the Pangasinan Provincial Police Sunday bared that suspect Roberto Doque, 55, committed suicide after hacking to death his wife Margie Doque and Eduardo Sacopla, a widower, tricycle driver and resident of Barangay Bueno, Mangatarem.Probers said that at 7:58 p.m. Friday, October 27, Margie and Eduardo were snuggled up in bed at the second floor of the Doques’ abode when Roberto, carrying a bolo, suddenly arrived on the scene. The armed man then repeatedly hacked the two lovers.It was learned that following the hacking incident, Roberto drank pesticide in an attempt to take his own life. He succeeded and died while undergoing medical treatment.As for the two victims, Roberto also successfully ended their affair as they were pronounced dead at separate hospitals.
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Manila Bulletin
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https://news.mb.com.ph/2017/10/29/3-killed-in-love-triangle/
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BuCor-Tadeco deal illegal – State auditors
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['Llanesca T. Panti']
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2017-05-03 20:26:12+00:00
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The Department of Justice should junk the Joint Venture Agreement (JVA) between the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) and the Tagum Agricultural Development Co. (Tadeco) for violating the 1987 Constitution, the Commission on Audit (CoA) said on Wednesday.This was stated in CoA’s Audit Observation Memorandum (AOM) No. 2017-013 dated April 25, 2017 that was submitted to BuCor Director General Benjamin de los Santos.The JVA between BuCor and Tadeco owned by the family of Rep. Antonio Floirendo Jr. of Davao del Norte provides that Tadeco is obliged to pay BuCor P26.5 million a year or P5,000 for 5,308 hectares of Davao Prison and Penal Farm land annually.Based on the CoA findings led by the team of Josefina Gonzales and Flordeliza Ares, the BuCor-Tadeco deal violated Section 3, Article 12 of the 1987 Constitution, which provides that “alienable lands of the public domain shall be limited to agricultural lands… and private corporations or associations may not hold such alienable lands of the public domain except by lease, for a period not exceeding twenty-five years, renewable for not more than twenty-five years, and not to exceed one thousand hectares in area…”This is because the land leased by Tadeco covers 5,308.36 hectares of the Davao Prison and Penal Farm (DPPF) when the Joint Venture Agreement between BuCor and Tadeco was extended for another 25 years on May 21, 2003.The DPPF in Panabo City, Davao del Norte has a total land area of 30,000 hectares, with a prison reservation of 8,000 hectares.“What is obvious is the excessive holding of agricultural land by Tadeco, which under the May 21, 2003 JVA consisted of 5,308.36 hectares. This being so, the JVA is unconstitutional,” the state auditors said.“We recommend that management take appropriate action for the cancellation of the May 21, 2003 JVA or make representation with Tadeco for the amendment thereof to confirm to provision of Section 3, Article XII of the 1987 Constitution,” the auditors added.Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez of Davao del Norte earlier filed a graft complaint against his colleague Floirendo over the BuCor-Tadeco deal, with Alvarez saying that such joint venture pact is disadvantageous to the government.The same CoA team also found out that the BuCor’s deal with Tadeco inked on December 26, 1969 was also in violation of Section 2, Article 12 of the 1935 Constitution because Tadeco was allowed to use 3,000 hectares of the DPPF lands even if the 1935 Charter states that “no private corporation or association may acquire, lease or hold public agricultural lands in excess of 1,024 hectares.”In addition, the team discovered that Tadeco’s land grew vast and wide over the years even if two different agreements involving the land were inked in 1969 and 2003 while the government’s share of profits was removed in both instances.The 1969 deal guaranteed BuCor a rental collection of P250 per hectare per year of the 3,000-hectare banana plantation, with it getting a 10 percent share of the profits prior to taxes.The deal, however, was amended in July 10, 1973—an amendment that deleted the government’s 10 percent share in income.The amendment was made favorable to Tadeco since its leased area was increased to 1,000 hectares, granting it 4,000 hectares of the DPPF.By October 1974, the company gained another 500 hectares for grain crops that included rice, corn and sorghum. It scored another 500 hectares five months later, making Tadeco’s land coverage 5,000 hectares.A profit-sharing clause was provided for in 1974 at P0.003 to P0.018 per kilo based on the level of production for the production of grains but it was only in 1979 that the rental due per hectare was increased from P250 to P275.The increase in rental fees, however, was insignificant at that point because Tadeco’s leased land was already 5,945 hectares of which 4,850 hectares were planted to bananas and 1,095 hectares planted to grain crops.LLANESCA T. PANTI
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/bucor-tadeco-deal-illegal-state-auditors/325346/
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PAO helps decongest jails
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['Jomar Canlas']
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2016-10-29 21:42:19+00:00
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Bucharest, Romania: The Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) has helped decongest Philippine prisons by securing the acquittals of or dismissal of cases against over a million prisoners.This was reported by PAO Chief Persida Rueda-Acosta during the annual conference of the International Corrections and Prisons Association (ICPA) held here.Acosta said the jail decongestion in the Philippines was made possible with the acquittals of 112,422 prisoners represented by PAO.Also, the disposition of 1,068,468 cases handled by public defenders led to a huge drop in the case load of the judiciary and the prosecutorial service.From 2007 to 2015, 1,180,890 acquittals and favorable dispositions were secured, resulting in the release of prisoners nationwide.Acosta said that through PAO’s Jail Visitation Program, prisoners were able to get assistance from public attorneys who endeavored to free 40,969 detainees nationwide from July 2010 to April 2012.Acosta lauded the untiring support of public defenders who were burdened with staggering case loads.However, Acosta lamented that the PAO’s target ratio of one PAO lawyer per court remains elusive.“This ‘one lawyer: one court (1:1) ratio’ has not been fully implemented. At present, we have 1,622 lawyers at the Public Attorney’s Office who attend to 2,631 courts nationwide. Thus, a ratio of 1:2 or 3 public attorneys to a court still exists despite the presence of the law requiring 1:1 ratio,” Acosta said.Despite the lack of public defenders, she said PAO will continue to handle the cases of litigants who are in need of their services.Plea bargaining mechanismThe PAO chief cited her office’s petition at the Supreme Court to allow plea bargain deals in drug-related cases pending before the lower courts.PAO is seeking to strike down as unconstitutional Section 23 of Republic Act (RA) 9165 (Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act) which prohibits plea bargain agreements in cases involving violations of the said law.“It is only in drug cases wherein plea bargaining is not allowed. It is a clear violation of the equal protection clause of the 1987 Constitution,” Acosta said.The PAO chief said that the number of inmates facing drug cases continue to escalate, from 36,000 in 2011 to 82,000 cases at present.The amount spent for prisoners’ meal reaches P1.49 billion every year. This figure is bound to increase unless the problem of jail decongestion is effectively addressed with the help of plea bargaining mechanisms.Acosta cited the cases of political prisoners whose release had been sought by various groups in pursuant with the ongoing peace talks with the National Democratic Front (NDF) in Oslo, Norway.President Rodrigo Duterte has already ordered the release of 19 prisoners out of the 500 political detainees as a good will measure in line with the peace talks.Improvements proposedAcosta said more should be done to address the plight of Filipino prisoners and achieve jail decongestion. These include the creation of plantilla positions for public attorneys and support staff, full implementation of Republic Act 10575 (The Bureau of Corrections Modernization Act of 2013), establishing an Integrated Jail Facility, increasing the budgets of the Bureau of Corrections and Bureau of Jail Management and Penology, allocating funds for hospitalization in tertiary hospital of inmates suffering from serious illnesses and expenses for the burial of casualties inside the jails, relocation and construction of additional buildings for safe and sound shelter of inmates based on a maximum of four inmates per cell policy, strict observance and application of the principles of accountability, empowerment, transparency, and good governance among key officials, support staff, warden, and jail guards of the Bureau of Corrections and Bureau of Jail Management and Penology.Institutionalization of the principles of restorative justice which includes rehabilitation and livelihood programs for inmates that may bring about additional income to themselves and their families, full implementation of the Anti-Torture Act of 2009 (Republic Act No. 9745) and all existing laws relating to penal and prison improvements, enactment into law of existing bills pending in Congress that promotes social development in the penal system towards the promotion of the human rights of inmates, upholding of restorative justice and human development of inmates and jail personnel and officers and human rights education (with focus on international standards of treatment of prisoners and of domestic laws) and gender orientation trainings for all officers and personnel involved in prisons.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/pao-helps-decongest-jails/293791/
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No executions seen during Duterte term
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['The Manila Times']
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2017-03-09 22:16:31+00:00
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Despite the highly publicized passage of a bill in the House of Representatives seeking to revive death penalty, pro-life lawmakers, citing lack of material time, still do not see any judicial executions actually being carried out during President Rodrigo Duterte’s tenure.“Even assuming the Senate caves in, and approves its version of the bill quickly, we seriously doubt there would be any judicial executions at all while President Duterte is in office,” Rep. Lito Atienza of Buhay party-list said on Thursday.Atienza is House senior deputy minority leader and an outspoken crusader against the death penalty.Once the bill reintroducing the death penalty is finally enacted, he said, the Department of Justice would need at least another six months to draw up a new Manual of Execution.“And this manual will surely be challenged before the Supreme Court, without prejudice to other lawsuits [against capital punishment],” Atienza, a former three-term mayor of Manila, noted.The House, voting 217-54 with one abstention, approved on third and final reading on Tuesday the bill restoring the death penalty either by hanging, lethal injection or firing squad.Duterte earlier vowed daily executions once Congress revives capital punishment.“Restore it and I will execute criminals every day, five or six. That’s for real,” he said.“Even if we have a new capital punishment law by June, based on our projections, the initial death row inmates with final judgments won’t come in until around mid-2022, or by the end of the President’s term, without counting potential delays due to adverse lawsuits,” Atienza added.“Considering that the President won’t get his wish anyway, the Senate should just abandon the [death penalty] bill. The best criminologists around the world have long established that the death penalty does not serve any purpose that is not already being served by prolonged imprisonment,” he said.Atienza called for wide-ranging reforms in the criminal justice system.“We have to ensure that every felon is apprehended, prosecuted, convicted and locked up. This is our best strategy to fight crime, to discourage other would-be offenders,” he said.“We should now concentrate on suppressing crime by stamping out rampant corruption in law enforcement, the prosecution service, the judiciary and in prisons,” according to Atienza.The seven convicts put to death via lethal injection during Joseph Estrada’s tenure in Malacañang were all executed some five years after they committed their offenses, he said.Citing government records, he said Leo Echegaray, Eduardo Agbayani, Dante Piandiong, Archie Bulan, Jesus Morallos, Pablito Andan and Alex Bartolome were executed one after the other an average of 61 months after they perpetrated the crimes for which they were condemned.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/no-executions-seen-duterte-term/316359/
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Taiwan quake victim’s family gets more help
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['Jefferson Antiporda']
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2018-03-28 00:02:24+00:00
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THE death of Melody Albano-Castro, an overseas Filipino worker (OFW) who was among those killed in a magnitude 6.4 earthquake that struck Hualien, Taiwan, was a big tragedy to her family but continuous support from Taiwanese and Filipino authorities has somehow helped them cope with the situation.“Life without Ate [Big sister] Melody will not be easy… she was the bread winner of our family. We are having a very rough time but you never deprive us of the support we need,” Jason Albano, brother of Castro, said in his brief message during a donation ceremony held at the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) in Manila on Tuesday.Melody’s husband Jay-Ar Castro, accompanied by daughter Given Grace and mother Normida Albano, formally received a check for P600,000 from the Taiwan Association Inc.(TAI) and the Taiwan Chamber of Commerce and Industry in the Philippines (TCCIP) as part of their expression of sympathy and support to the loved ones of the OFW.According to Jason, the loss of her sister was the lowest point of their lives but the support of the people and that of top Taiwan and Philippine officials has given them strength.“Thank you for the attention and readiness to promptly respond to our family’s request,” he said.TECO Representative Gary Lin, who led the donation ceremony, assured the family of Melody that his office would always be ready to provide them further assistance to help them cope with the tragedy.In his speech, Lin also extended his sincere sympathy and condolences to the family on behalf of Taiwan and its people.“We know this [donation] will not be able to make up for the loss of life but by doing so we would like to reflect our solidarity, love and compassion to the family of Melody,” the Teco representative said.He added that of the P600,000 donation, P400,000 came from the TAI while the P200,000 was from the TCCIP that was coursed through the Manila Economic and Cultural Office headed by Lito Banayo.The amount was on top of the P3.2 million compensation from the Taipei government funds and insurance claims, among other sources.The Taiwan Association Inc. has also offered to provide a scholarship to Melody’s six-year-old daughter.Melody was one of the victims in the quake that hit Hualien county in February.There are about 150,000 OFWs in Taiwan and about 116,474 are working in the manufacturing sector while the rest are caregivers in households and institutions.Lin said Taiwan is doing its best to treat foreign workers in the country as its own citizens and providing better and friendlier working and living conditions.“Taiwan now even allows families of OFWs to visit their loved ones through the implementation of visa-free policy since November last year,” he added.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/taiwan-quake-victims-family-gets-more-help/388921/
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INC to hold anti-poverty drive on July 15
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['Mary Gleefer F. Jalea']
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2018-07-13 00:02:43+00:00
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The Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) is set to hold a massive anti-poverty program under its Lingap sa Mamamayan (Lingap) project on July 15.Around 150,000 people are expected to participate in the activity to be held at the Quirino Grandstand in Manila as “part of the Church’s resolve to do something concrete to combat poverty [in the country] and around the world,” according to INC general auditor Glicerio Santos Jr.“Poverty is indeed a worldwide problem, but we are aware that it has and continues to be a serious issue in our own country. So while we are spreading our reach and living up to our responsibilities as global citizens, we have not forgotten that we are, first and foremost, Filipinos,” Santos said.The Lingap sa Mamamayan program has been one of the INC’s most significant programs under the leadership of Executive Minister Eduardo V. Manalo since 2009.For the Lingap acitivity on July 15, the INC prepared “ultra-modern laboratory and radiology equipment” to be used for free complete blood count, blood sugar determination, blood typing, pregnancy test and urinalysis as well as ultrasound services.“We will also offer free consultations in internal medicine, dermatology, pediatrics, ob-gyne and surgery. Two mini hospitals with two minor operating rooms will be set up at the venue. Canes, wheelchairs and reading glasses would be given at no cost to Lingap attendees on top of maintenance medicines for hypertension, diabetes and cholesterol, antibiotics, medicines for children and multivitamins for people of all ages,” Santos said.The INC had staged Lingap activities in the United States, Canada, Northern and Southern Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Southeast Asia, China, Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, Brazil and key areas in the Middle East including Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia.The INC held a Lingap outreach drive in Africa by distributing food parcels in Kibera and Kawangware in Nairobi, Kenya last month. Church officials said an estimated 33,000 people received assistance.The group’s Worldwide Walk against Poverty held in May also drew over one million people in Manila and was conducted simultaneously in 358 sites across 44 countries. The activity broke three Guinness world records: the largest charity walk in a single venue, with 238,171 INC members taking part in the event along Roxas Boulevard in Manila; the longest human sentence, with 23,235 participants; and the largest picture mosaic, formed by 9,000 INC members.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/inc-to-hold-anti-poverty-drive-on-july-15/418810/
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Mindanao bishops ‘not against’ martial law
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['Catherine S. Valente']
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2017-05-27 23:33:20+00:00
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Mindanao bishops are “not against” the imposition of martial law in Mindanao but said it should be “temporary” and the public should be vigilant against possible abuses.The Palace welcomed the position of Mindanao bishops, even seeing it as a form of support for martial law in the Southern Philippines. “The government appreciates support from all sectors, no matter how nuanced,” Palace spokesman Ernesto Abella said in a statement.Cotabato Cardinal Orlando Quevedo said on Friday that Catholic bishops in Southern Philippines do not oppose one-man rule in Mindanao, adding the Church has no “solid and sufficient” evidence to dismiss the proclamation of martial law there as “morally reprehensible.”He, however, said that martial law must only be “temporary” and must not be a gateway for abuses.“We have many fears but at present, we simply do not have solid and sufficient facts to absolutely reject the declaration of Martial law as morally reprehensible,” Quevedo said in a pastoral guidance.“We shall condemn any abuse of martial law and as in the past will condemn it outright if it goes in the way of evil. Let us be vigilant,” he added.Abella assured that mechanisms to prevent and address human rights abuses are in place.He added that the current military operations at present are different from the past, or during martial law under the Marcos regime.“Such mechanisms are in place, and this will differentiate this military action from the past,” Abella said.On Tuesday, President Rodrigo Duterte declared martial law in Mindanao, following the clashes between government forces and Islamic State-inspired Maute group in Marawi City.Maute reportedly torched several private and public establishments in the city, including a Church, and abducted parish priest Teresito Suganob and a number of Church personnel and teachers.The Palace official expressed hope that fellow Church leaders of Ozamiz City Archibishop Martin Jumoad would follow Quevedo’s example and be supportive of Duterte’s declaration of martial law.“We laud the good bishop’s support of the President’s war against violent extremism in Mindanao. We hope his fellow bishops and other clergy follow his example for their parishes, and prioritize the peace and safety of the people,” Abella said.“Placing his diocesan’s well-being above all else, he [Jumoad] also encourages the citizens to be extra careful and to cooperate with the military,” he added.Abella also urged leaders of the Muslim community to speak out against terror jihadist groups and denounce their barbarity especially during the holy month of Ramadan.“We also call on Muslim leaders to speak out against terrorist groups, who use religion to disguise their barbarity, staining the peaceful name of Islam with the blood of innocents during this holy month of Ramadan,” Abella said.Meanwhile, Abella urged the public to take a moment to remember some of the first casualties in the Marawi attacks. They are Marawi City Police Senior Inspector and Intelligence Unit Chief Freddie Manuel Solar, from Baguio City, and two members of Special Forces, First Lieutenant John Carl Morales and Special Forces Marlon Baldovino, both of Kabacan, North Cotabato.“May they rest in peace, and may we be faithful to honor the ultimate sacrifice of their lives in the service of their country,” he said.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/mindanao-bishops-not-martial-law/329635/
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Palace welcomes Poe’s plan to probe Duterte trip expenses
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['Catherine S. Valente']
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2017-06-03 21:37:31+00:00
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Malacañang on Wednesday welcomed the plan of Sen. Grace Poe to look into government expenses on President Rodrigo Duterte’s trips abroad, amid reports that some Cabinet members were traveling with their family members.Speaking to reporters, Palace spokesman Ernesto Abella said Poe has the right to review the expenses of government for foreign trips but insisted that all officials who participated in Duterte’s Moscow trip were all “necessary” in dealing with the Russian government.“Well, it’s her prerogative to ask but basically, we need to understand that the President is really a leader right now. [He] is really leading in restructuring relationships, international relationships,” Abella said during a chance interview.“We should recognize how deeply he has become. He’s emerging as a leader regionally and internationally. And I think that needs to be understood as within his scope. Everybody who went to Russia was necessary,” he added.Abella issued the statement after Poe expressed interest to look into the expense record of the government in Duterte’s foreign visits, following the questionable participation of top Philippine officials who went to Russia.Poe, in a television interview on Monday, questioned why some of the high-level officials who were part of the official delegation even brought their relatives with them.The Senator said having huge delegation abroad does not “send a good signal” to the country.“I haven’t seen their expense reports. Perhaps, when we have our budget hearing, I can look into that. We will look into that,” Poe said. “The government has to be very conservative when it comes to expenses.”Duterte was in Russia to hold a dialogue with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev for sealing bilateral deals when clashes between government troops and Maute terrorist group erupted in Marawi City, Lanao del Sur, on May 23.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/palace-welcomes-poes-plan-probe-duterte-trip-expenses/330784/
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De Lima slams BoC militarization
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['Javier J. Ismael']
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2018-11-04 00:02:24+00:00
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Sen. Leila de Lima criticized the impending militarization of the Bureau of Customs (BoC), saying granting the military civilian functions and power over civilian offices sets a dangerous precedent.De Lima said President Rodrigo Duterte’s order to the military to take over the BoC “is another populist move designed to appeal to the prevailing frustration of the people with his own anemic response to the smuggling of billions of pesos of shabu.”The detained senator maintained that Duterte himself brought about the present state of corruption at the Customs bureau by failing to stop shabu shipments at the very first instance.“It started with the P6.4-billion peso shabu smuggling under then Customs Commissioner Nicanor Faeldon. This was followed by another P11-billion peso shipment under Isidro Lapeña,” she said.“Duterte now resorts to this populist gimmick to get himself out of the problem he himself created when he did not go after Faeldon, instead recycling him to the Office ofCivil Defense and now to Bureau of Corrections (BuCor). He again tolerated the same incompetence and connivance at the BoC by recycling Lapeña to Tesda,” she added, referring to the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority.De Lima described as “governance by gimmickry” Duterte’s tactic to deploy the military to solve problems in the civilian bureaucracy.“Duterte’s belief that military rule is best for the country is borne out of his strongman style of governance. The limitations of this style become readily apparent when applied to complex social realities,” she said.“This is shown in Duterte’s own frustration with his inability to accomplish anything in solving the perennial problems of corruption and criminality after almost halfway into his term,” she added.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/de-lima-slams-boc-militarization/461832/
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June 21 longest day of the year
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['Francis Earl Cueto']
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2018-06-22 00:04:58+00:00
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The country had its longest day of the year on Thursday, June 21, as well as its shortest night, the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said.Pagasa said this was due to the summer solstice, an astronomical event during which the sun is at its greatest northerly or southerly distance from the equator. “Sosltice” comes from the Latin “solstitium,” which means sun-stopping.This year’s summer solstice, also known as midsummer, fell at 6:07 p.m., Thursday, Pagasa said. It was at this time when the sun attained its greatest declination of +23.5 degrees and passe directly overhead at latitude 23.5 degrees north, which is known as the Tropic of Cancer.The event marks the start of the apparent southward movement of the sun in the ecliptic.In contrast to the summer solstice is the winter solstice, which occurs in December when the country experiences longer nights and shorter days.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/june-21-longest-day-of-the-year/411031/
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DoLE strengthens Kasambahay Law
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['William Depasupil']
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2018-03-22 00:40:17+00:00
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THE Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) has taken the lead in ensuring protection for over two million domestic helpers in the country through the Kasambahay Law.In Administrative Order 109, Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello 3rd ordered the creation of a Technical Working Group (TWG) to help promote voluntary compliance of employers with and ensure implementation of Republic Act (RA) 10361 or the Domestic Workers Act or Batas Kasambahay.The TWG shall coordinate with other stakeholders in promoting compliance initiatives by employers with RA 10361 and other related policies.It shall draft or recommend policies to harmonize implementation of the provisions of the law at the Labor department’s field, provincial and regional offices.The TWG, headed by Undersecretary Joel Maglunsod, shall also address issues related to the implementation of the law, including the conduct of stakeholders’ and implementors’ forum.The Bureau of Workers with Special Concerns, as the TWG’s secretariat, shall facilitate finalization and approval of draft policies prepared by the TWG, organize a stakeholders’ conference and provide other administrative support.RA 10361 was enacted into law in 2013 to make domestic work decent and formal and to ensure domestic workers of their rights, freedoms and privileges as domestic workers.International Labor Organization (ILO) Convention 189 contains principles promoting the rights and protection of domestic workers based on the decent work framework.The Philippine ratification of the convention was the precursor of RA 10361, which seeks to change conditions of the domestic workers by institutionalizing their rights similar to the rights of workers in the formal sector.Specifically, the law sets the standards for terms and conditions of work, including the execution of a written employment contract between the employer and the household help.It stipulates minimum wage, health and safety standards and compulsory SSS, Pag-IBIG and PhilHealth coverage; adopts standards for employment of working children; and protects them from unjust termination of employment.But the implementation of the Kasambahay Law is still fraught with challenges.Many of the domestic helpers are yet to avail of their rights as regular workers and majority of the estimated 2.2 million household workers are not yet registered with the barangay (village) government and the social protection agencies.As of December 2014, more than 120,000 household helps were registered with the SSS or Social Security System.A total of 24,671 were registered with the Pag-IBIG Fund and 59,734, with the PhilHealth.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/dole-strengthens-kasambahay-law/387712/
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CHED gets new executive director
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['Neil Alcober']
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2017-07-19 21:56:51+00:00
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THE Commission on Higher Education (CHED) has a new member with the appointment of Karol Mark Yee as Executive Director IV effective July 14, 2017.Yee took his oath of office before CHED Chairman Patricia Licuanan on Wednesday.Prior to his appointment as executive director, he served as Program Director of CHED’s K-to-12 transition program, mobilizing efforts to support higher education institutions and personnel affected by the implementation of K-to-12 from 2016 to 2021.As executive director, Yee will be in charge of the executive office that serves as clearinghouse for all communications received from internal and external sources. .He previously served as legislative officer of former Senate president and now special envoy to the European Union, Edgardo Angara, working on Republic Act 10533 or The Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013 and Republic Act 10410 or the Early Years Act, among others.Yee headed the Conference Secretariat of the Global Organization of Parliamentarians Against Corruption, and the establishment of the Angara Center for Law and Economics.He finished his Master in Education, International Education Policy at the Harvard University Graduate School of Education, as a Fulbright Scholar.Yee replaces former CHED Executive Director Julito Vitriolo, who is facing charges of grave misconduct before the Sandiganbayan for his failure to stop a diploma mill in a state college.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/ched-gets-new-executive-director/339320/
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Aguirre: Probe NBI agents protecting ‘Atong’ Ang
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['Jomar Canlas']
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2017-05-05 22:49:34+00:00
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The Department of Justice (DoJ) has ordered the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to investigate five of its agents who are alleged protectors of Charlie “Atong” Ang.In a news conference on Thursday, Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre 2nd said he already knows the identities of these agents who are protecting Ang in his illegal gambling activities.The DoJ chief directed NBI Director Dante Gierran to conduct the investigation of the five agents.He said there are former NBI officials who are also protecting Ang in his illegal activities.Aguirre claimed that Ang is now on the brink of losing his mind for he will lose a huge amount of money if his illegal gambling operations are exposed.It was pointed out that the gambling operator is reportedly earning P10 million to P50 million a day.Meanwhile, Aguirre said his brother, Ogie, i not involved in Small Town Lotto (STL) operations.On the issue of death threats against the life of Ang, Aguirre said it is Ang who is capable of doing it, not he.Ang had accused the Justice secretary, National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon and members of Philippine Military Academy Class of 1982 of wanting to liquidate him to weaken virtual jai alai operations operated by Meridien, a company owned by Ang.Ang is a convicted criminal, having been sentenced by the Sandiganbayan Special Division in connection with a plunder case against former President Joseph Estrada.Ang entered into a plea bargaining agreement for a lesser offense and was charged only with corruption of public officials.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/aguirre-probe-nbi-agents-protecting-atong-ang-2/325717/
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Court grants Mike Arroyo’s travel plea
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['Ma. Reina Leanne Tolentino']
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2017-08-04 22:11:12+00:00
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The Sandiganbayan’s Seventh Division has granted Jose Miguel “Mike” Arroyo permission to travel abroad to Taiwan and Europe.Earlier, Arroyo, husband of former president and now Pampanga congresswoman Gloria Macapagal Arroyo filed a motion asking the court to let him travel to Taipei, Taiwan from August 25 to 28 and to Europe from September 10 to October 6.“This Honorable Court as well as other courts have graciously permitted him to travel before, and he has always returned here as it is here where his family and business interests are, hence, he has no reason not to return. He is, thus, clearly not a flight risk,” the defense said in the motion.Arroyo said he “continuously enjoys the right to be presumed innocent” and that he “likewise enjoys the constitutional right to travel, subject to restrictions of law and those which this Honorable Court may impose.”Further, he told the court in the motion that he is “ready and willing to submit to any such conditions” as the court may impose as additional guarantees for his return.The motion was granted in open court on Friday.Based on the motion, Arroyo will be in Taipei City from August 25 to 28 and will arrive in Manila on August 28.He will depart for Europe on September 10 and will be in Frankfurt, Germany from September 11 to 20; Munich, Germany from September 20 to 25; Paris, France from September 25 to 30, and; Madrid, Spain from September 30 to October 5. He will arrive in Manila on October 6.The court is enforcing a hold departure order in connection with a graft case filed in 2012 against former Philippine National Police (PNP) Director General Jesus Verzosa and several others including Arroyo.A hold departure order bars respondents from leaving the country without the court’s permission.The case is in connection with the PNP’s alleged procurement of two supposedly second-hand helicopters that were allegedly passed off and paid for as brand-new.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/court-grants-mike-arroyos-travel-plea/342435/
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174 drug-using PNP personnel face dismissal
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['Anthony Vargas']
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2016-11-28 22:09:58+00:00
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Director General Ronald ‘Bato’ dela Rosa, Philippine National Police (PNP) chief, on Monday said he will issue an order for the dismissal of 174 police officers and non-uniformed personnel who have tested positive for useof illegal drugs, particularly shabu.Dela Rosa told a news briefing after Monday’s flag-raising at Camp Crame in Quezon City that the dismissal was recommended by the PNP-Internal Affairs Service (IAS), which had investigated the policemen.“They [174 personnel] are giving me a headache,” according to the PNP chief.“Once I have signed the papers, it’s bye-bye to all of you… and don’t make any attempt to be reinstated because I will block it,” dela Rosa said in Filipino.The PNP-IAS also on Monday bared the names of nine of the police officers whom it has recommended to be dismissed from the police service for illegal-drug use.Chief Supt. Leo Angelo Leuterio, PNP-IAS deputy inspector general, in a statement named the nine police officers as Police Officer 1 Rahib Mapambocol, PO1 Edgar Sarmiento, PO1 Archelaus Hunshell Olivares and PO1 Ronald Alcasabas; SPO1 Jay Tizon and SPO1 Robert Pellarada; PO2 Jesus Plazo Jr. and PO2 Emmanuel Mari; and PO3 Joel Bolivar.“The PNP-IAS will continue to investigate and recommend disciplinary actions against these types of police officers, grounded on the rule of law and due process and our inherent authority to administer justice and discipline within our ranks,” Leuterio said.Those ordered dismissed may file an appeal with the National Appellate Board and Secretary Ismael Sueno of the Department of the Interior and Local Government.The director of the PNP Crime Laboratory Service, Chief Supt. Aurelio Trampe, said they have collected urine samples from 159,129 PNP personnel for random drug testing as part of an internal cleansing of the police organization,.Of the 174 found positive for illegal drug use, 167 were uniformed and seven were non-uniformed personnel.Trampe said three of those found positive have challenged results of the tests conducted by the Crime Laboratory Service but said the results have been confirmed by the National Reference Laboratory.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/174-drug-using-pnp-personnel-face-dismissal/298907/
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Poll candidates dared to defend environment
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['Leander C. Domingo']
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2018-04-15 23:26:29+00:00
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A WASTE and pollution watch group has urged those who are filing their Certificates of Candidacy and aspiring to become barangay (village) and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK or Youth Council) leaders to take up the cudgels to care for the environment.Daniel Alejandre, Zero Waste Campaigner of EcoWaste Coalition, over the weekend said the country needs grassroots leaders who will inspire and guide communities to the cause of environmental conservation and protection and make sure that villages are cared for.“Barangay and SK leaders are front liners of public service and have a huge responsibility in making our neighborhoods clean, healthy and safe for everyone, especially for children who are most vulnerable to harm and illness,” Alejandre added.He said the villages need public servants who will help in enforcement by local government units (LGUs) of environmental laws and regulations that seek to protect air, water, soil and the people against damaging and polluting activities.He cited Republic Act (RA) 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act (ESWMA), which calls for waste prevention, volume reduction, segregation at source, recycling and composting.“This [implementation of RA 9003] can be done through the adoption of best environmental practices in ecological solid waste management, excluding incineration,” Alejandre said.Also citing the 2017-2022 Philippine Development Plan (PDP), he noted that the LGUs’ compliance with the ESWMA has been low and majority of local areas are still unserved by solid waste management (SWM) facilities or materials recovery facilities (MRFs).Based on the PDP, Alejandre said, only 31.28 percent of villages are covered by SWM facilities and 30.92 percent by MRFs, which are below the 2016 targets of 67.39 percent and 77.10 percent, respectively.He added that RA 9003 requires the establishment of MRFs or ecology centers in every barangay or cluster of villages “to receive, sort, process and store compostable and recyclable materials efficiently and in an environmentally sound manner.”“These MRFs have the potential to boost community-driven ecological waste management that will reduce hauling costs, conserve resources, prevent spillage of plastics to water bodies and foster environmental values among the people,” Alejandre said.“We hope that those running for the barangay and SK polls come May 14 do recognize the importance of enforcing RA 9003 in their localities and their role to get the law implemented,” he added.The EcoWaste Coalition expressed hope that contenders will address garbage and other pressing environmental concerns in their electoral platforms, and that voters will support pro-Mother Earth candidates on Election Day.On Friday, it launched its campaign for waste-free barangay and SK elections outside the Commission on Elections headquarters and in the presence of Commissioner Luie Tito Guia.“We are urging candidates to campaign in a manner that will not misuse resources, dirty the surroundings and cause damage to community health and the environment,” the group said.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/poll-candidates-dared-to-defend-environment/392835/
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Ex-CA justice named CFO head
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['Jomar Canlas']
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2018-11-02 00:03:06+00:00
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President Rodrigo Duterte has appointed retired Court of Appeals (CA) justice Francisco Acosta as chairman of the Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO).The CFO, created on June 16, 1980, is mandated to attend to the needs of Filipino emigrants, permanent residents and schools abroad, and to preserve and strengthen ties with Filipino communities in foreign countries.Acosta was a veteran law practitioner whose expertise is on litigation, corporate law, legal ethics and labor laws.In 2006, he was appointed by then-President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to the appellate court.Acosta teaches at the San Beda College of Law where he graduated among the top of his class. He was a classmate and fraternity brother of Duterte in the Lex Talionis Fraternity.He is the current president and Board of Trustees member of the San Beda Law Alumni Association.Acosta is a native Solano, Nueva Vizcaya.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/ex-ca-justice-named-cfo-head/460880/
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108 ‘flying’ voters dropped from Manila voter’s list
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['The Manila Times']
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2018-04-08 00:03:12+00:00
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A total of 108 registered voters of Precinct 1100B of Barangay 269, Zone 25, District 3, City of Manila, was excluded by two Metropolitan Trial Courts (MTCs) of Manila based on petitions for exclusion filed by Domingo Vacal and Ramon Cheng, barangay (village) chairman and kagawad, respectively, of the village.The 108 excluded voters are part of the 161 “flying” voters against whom Vacal and Cheng filed a criminal case for violation of the Omnibus Election Code on illegal registration before the City Prosecutor of Manila thru their lawyers Romulo Macalintal and Ace Bautista.The decisions excluding them from the list of voters were rendered by Presiding Judge Ma. Ruby Camarista of MTC Branch 1, who ordered the exclusion of 106 voters in her decision dated February 28, 2018 while two illegal voters were ordered excluded from the voter’s list in a decision rendered by Judge Carissa Anne Manook-Frondozo of MTC Branch 7 on February 14, 2018 that were released only recently.In her decision excluding the 106 voters, Camarista cited a certification from the office of a village chairman inNavotas City that some of the voters were residents of the barangay in Navotas City; a certification from the owner of Zosima Building used by the “flying” voters as their address that they are not tenants of the building; and an investigation report of the Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detention Group that were the same evidence of Vacal and Cheng in their criminal complaint against the same illegal voters.Frondozo, on the other hand, excluded the two illegal registrants after a finding that they “surreptitiously used” the address of another person in their application for registration with the Commission on Elections.With this new development, Vacal and Cheng are confident that it has strengthened their cases against the illegal voters and that they are now well-prepared to prove the criminal aspect of the illegal acts of these voters in their criminal complaint before the Manila City Prosecutor’s Office, which had already set the hearing of the case on April 10.Macalintal said even with the exclusion of these voters from the voter’s list, the criminal case for their violation of election laws on illegal registration will continue and decisions rendered against them could be a strong basis to insure their prosecution and eventual conviction, which carries a penalty of one to six years’ imprisonment.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/108-flying-voters-dropped-from-manila-voters-list/391176/
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MIAA targets picky, ‘colorum’ drivers
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['Benjie Vergara']
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2017-12-31 17:38:50+00:00
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Authorities at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) put in place an “Oplan Isnabero” simultaneously with a crackdown on colorum taxi drivers as the New Year neared.The colorum drivers operate without a government franchise.“Oplan Isnabero” eyes choosy taxi drivers who refuse to take in passengers.Since Saturday, members of the Airport Police Department (APD), which the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) had deputized, inspected documents of regular taxis queuing at a designated taxi lane of the NAIA Terminal 1 arrival area.The inspection was part of the memorandum of agreement (MoA) signed on August 19 this year by the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) and the LTFRB to curb colorum vehicles at the NAIA.The MoA gave the go-signal to the MIAA, through its airport police, to impound taxis with spurious documents and their drivers issued impounding receipts and inspection report summonses.All public vehicles that were inspected on Saturday, including those white taxis picking up and dropping off passengers at the Terminal 1 departure area, were found with complete franchising documents.Through the operations, the MIAA said, is not only putting a stop to illegal transport operations at the country’s premier airport but it is also going after people engaged in the enterprise.MIAA General Manager Ed Monreal said the operations also aim to improve public transport services at the NAIA by strictly implementing national traffic management rules and regulations.The airport authority said operators of colorum vehicles will be meted fines ranging from P120,000 to P200,000 instead of the usual P1,000.Meanwhile, airport authorities advised all passengers to always watch out for their belongings while inside the terminals, citing the heavy volume of passengers during the holiday season.Monreal appealed to passengers to secure all their belongings, noting the rising number of misplaced luggage both at the terminals and inside aircraft.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/miaa-targets-picky-colorum-drivers/371532/
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Pagasa to take over govt's Project NOAH
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['Dempsey Reyes']
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2017-01-31 20:58:11+00:00
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Pagasa to take over govt’s Project NOAHBy home/News/Nation/Pagasa to take over govt’s Project NOAHTHE Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) will be taking over the Nationwide Operational Assessment of Hazards (Project NOAH), according to Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Secretary Fortunato dela Peña.Dela Peña mentioned that Pagasa will be in charge of the program once it ends on February 28 since an extension was given to the department and part of the condition was to transfer technologies for use of operations in government agencies that have “relevant mandate.”“In this project, Pagasa is the principal government agency that would take over the operations aspect of the delivered outputs/technologies,” he said in a statement released late Monday.He added that the project turnover is “timely” as the state weather bureau’s Modernization Law was approved by then-President Benigno Aquino 3rd last November 2015, as the law aims to improve Pagasa’s technological operational capacity.The deliverables may be ready for adoption by the Pagasa but dela Peña said if there is a new project proposal, it can be submitted, evaluated and can even be considered for funding by the government.“A new project would mean a new project name. The outcome or result of Project NOAH is now due for use and adoption, specifically by Pagasa,” he said.Dela Peña added that the turnover to Pagasa would mean that Project Noah will be institutionalized.Project NOAH was launched by DOST in 2011 and serves as a response to Aquino’s instructions to “put in place a responsive program disaster prevention and mitigation, specifically, for the Philippines’ warning agencies to be able to provide a 6-hour lead-time warning to vulnerable communities against disasters.”It started in 2011 and most component projects were completed in 2015 until its extension in 2016 covered additional targets and deliverables.Last week, Project NOAH Executive Director Mahar Lagmay said the program had to be discontinued for lack of funding by the government.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/pagasa-take-govts-project-noah/309905/
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Court urged to junk Abalos’ plea to dismiss case
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['Ma. Reina Leanne Tolentino']
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2016-12-20 21:35:38+00:00
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The prosecution has asked the Sandiganbayan’s Sixth Division to deny for lack of merit a plea of former Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairman Benjamin Abalos Sr. to dismiss a graft case filed against him over alleged procurement of two vehicles amounting to P1.7 million without public bidding in 2003. Abalos alleged that the Office of the Ombudsman violated his right to speedy case disposition when the latter supposedly took eight years to finish its investigation. But the prosecution argued that “[b]ased on the foregoing timeline of the preliminary investigation up to the filing of the Information, it was erroneous for accused Abalos to claim that there was inordinate delay in resolving his case; there was no instance that the preliminary investigation was attended by vexatious, capricious and oppressive delays.” It pointed out that the preliminary investigation until the filing of the Information (charge sheet) before the Sandiganbayan last October took only about three years. The Ombudsman began its preliminary investigation when it was docketed in August 2013 after its field investigators filed the complaint in the same month, according to the prosecution. The alleged “delays,” it said in its comment, “[were] due to the failure of accused Abalos to respond to the order requiring him to submit a counter-affidavit which necessitates the issuance of a 2nd order.”
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/court-urged-junk-abalos-plea-dismiss-case/302867/
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Police incentive, 14th month pay out Nov 18
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['Anthony Vargas']
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2016-11-17 21:15:34+00:00
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THE Philippine National Police (PNP) on Thursday said the Productivity Enhancement Incentive (PEI) of P5,000 for each member of the police force will be released next month.The PNP made an earlier announcement that the PEI of its personnel will be given along with their 14th month pay on November 18, 2016.Director Archie Francisco Gamboa, the head of the PNP Directorate for Comptrollership, said in a statement that the P5,000 PEI will be credited to the individual ATM payroll account of active-duty police personnel not earlier than December.Gamboa added that this is in line with Executive Order (EO) 201 Series of 2016, which provides a modified salary schedule for civilian government personnel and authorizes the grant of additional benefits for both civilian and military and uniformed personnel.Section 6 of EO 201 provides, “Beginning FY [Fiscal Year] 2016, the Productivity Enhancement Incentive shall be given not earlier than December 15 of every year to all qualified government employees at P5,000 each for the purpose of improving the government employees’ productivity.”Gamboa said the release of the 14th month pay equivalent to one month basic salary, and the mandated P5,000 cash gift will be on Friday, November 18, 2016 thru individual ATM payroll account.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/police-incentive-14th-month-pay-nov-18-2/297071/
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New SAF contingent deployed to Bilibid
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['Jomar Canlas']
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2017-07-24 21:34:28+00:00
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A new contingent was deployed to the national penitentiary New Bilibid Prisons (NBP) in Muntinlupa City after the discovery of the illegal drug trade inside the jail.The deployment came about when the Special Action Force of the Philippine National Police (PNP) was ordered to replace hundreds of police commandos manning the NBP.According to Justice Undersecretary Antonio Kho Jr., the new SAF contingent has taken took over the security operations of the NBP’s maximum security compound.Kho is the undersecretary in charge of the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor), which runs the NBP and other penal colonies.Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre 2nd asked the PNP for the deployment of 400 SAF troops in July 2016 after receiving intelligence reports that high-profile inmates continue to run illegal drug operations inside the NBP using cellphones.Former Justice Secretary and now Sen. Leila de Lima was charged and indicted for the proliferation of illegal drugs at the NBP.De Lima has since been detained at the PNP Custodial Center in Camp Crame in Quezon City.With the resurgence of illegal drug trade under the SAF watch, Aguirre believes that police commandos may have been involved in corrupt activities inside the NBP.“We want the SAF to provide additional complement but they are also involved in many activities. We cannot compel them or ask them to guard the entire NBP,” Kho said.He added that “resurgence” may not be the apt term to describe the situation at the national penitentiary.“I would not use the word ‘resurgence’ but rather it is a continuing effort on the part of the [Department of Justice, National Bureau of Investigation], as well as officers of BuCor to reduce and eliminate drug trading in the Philippines,” Kho pointed out.“We have not eliminated [the drug menace] and the President also recognizes this that we have not eliminated drug trading in the Philippines,” he said.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/new-saf-contingent-deployed-to-bilibid/340376/
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PNP nabs MMDA enforcer in Pasay for extortion
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['The Manila Times']
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2018-10-21 00:56:09+00:00
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The Philippine National Police Counter-Intelligence Task Force (PNP-CITF) on Saturday arrested a traffic enforcer of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) for robbery extortion in Pasay City. In a report, the PNP-CITF said the MMDA traffic enforcer was identified as Emilio Guinto, who was nabbed during an entrapment operation at a drug store along Epifanio delos Santos Avenue in Malibay, Pasay City, after receiving the marked money worth P5,000 from the complainant. The report added the operation stemmed from a complaint filed on Friday by two employees of New Oriental Club in Pasay City namely Herbert Natividad and Van Lester Dimanlig.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/pnp-nabs-mmda-enforcer-in-pasay-for-extortion/454922/
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DOLE calls higher fund premium as savings
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['Micah Yvana M. Vardeleon']
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2017-01-16 21:13:31+00:00
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Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello 3rd on Monday said the higher monthly contribution of members of the Social Security System should be seen as long-term savings instead of an expense.“We must bear in mind that an actively paying SSS member can avail of social benefits and loan privileges,” Bello added.An increase of 1.5 percent from the current 11 percent for the monthly premium will be implemented in May this year.The additional total contribution will range from P15 to P740 and will be equally shared by the employer and the employee.The SSS said it will ensure fund sustainability by, among, others, taking legal actions to reduce contribution delinquency and seeking executive intervention to improve collection.Meanwhile, the Labor department said it will continue strict implementation of the Labor Laws Compliance System (LLCS), specifically on monitoring establishments’ compliance with mandated social benefits—SSS, PhilHealth and Pag-IBIG payments and remittances.“This is one way of safeguarding and protecting the rights of our workers. It is also the employers’ legal and moral responsibility to their employers,” Bello said.The LLCS also checks the workplace’s observance of labor rights and key indicators in the country’s work profile like the observance of monetary benefits prescribed by law including but not limited to minimum wage, overtime pay, holiday pay, night shift differential pay, service incentive leave pay and 13th month pay.DOLE regional offices also check if an establishment is registered with the department and observes Occupational Safety and Health Standards (OSHS) through implementing use of personal protective equipment, establishing safety and health committee and complying with administrative reports on safety and health.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/dole-calls-higher-fund-premium-savings/307245/
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P9.8-B aviation system ‘operational’ this year
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['Benjie Vergara']
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2017-06-20 22:09:19+00:00
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The Communications, Navigation and Surveillance Air Traffic Management (CNS/ATM) facility will be fully operational on or before December this year, the country’s aviation regulator said on Tuesday.“It is already functional and will be fully operational toward the end of this year,” Eric Apolonio, Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) spokesman and media communication office chief, said, adding that the P9.8-billion state-of-the-art facility will be turned over to the agency by the contractor next month.The CNS/ATM technology, which includes a computer-based flight data processing system, will enable aircraft operators to meet their planned times of departure and arrival and adhere to their preferred flight profiles with minimum constraints and without compromising agreed levels of safety.Also, the CNS/ATM system is a compilation of digital technologies developed and used to provide air traffic control services over a large or small geographical area including large sections of oceanic airspace.The CAAP said with this technology, which started worldwide in 2000, billing for overflights would be done automatically by computers so that there would no longer be lapses or flights that do not get properly billed.The system development project was first conceptualized in accordance with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Global air Navigation Plan.The utilization of this system covers the Philippines airspace.The project, which began during the administration of then-President and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo under the aegis of the ICAO, was supposed to be finished in 2005, then moved to 2007 and 2010 until it was finally abandoned for lack of funds.Since then, neighboring countries have adopted the CNS/ATM but the Philippines remains one of the few countries that lack this high-tech, satellite-based air traffic and communications system.The Commission on Audit in 2013 cleared the resumption of the aviation surveillance project to modernize the CAAP’s system.Jim Sydiongco, CAAP deputy director general, said “CAAP, in consonance with ICAO standards, continues to drive our Area Centers to maintain a safe and secure air transport industry in the same manner that aircraft are guided by illumination coming from approach and landing lights to safely land at their designated runway.”Early this month, the CAAP got the approval of ICAO team that conducted an assessment to determine if the agency complies with international safety standards.The assessment, dubbed as ICAO Coordinated Validation Mission, was conducted from May 30 to June 8.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/p9-8-b-aviation-system-operational-year/333871/
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Revilla hit for delaying pork scam trial
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['Ma. Reina Leanne Tolentino']
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2018-06-17 00:04:32+00:00
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THE Sandiganbayan’s First Division has thumbed down former senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr.’s plea to require the prosecution to identify evidence it had presented to prove the primary allegations in the plunder case he is facing in connection with the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) or pork barrel scam.Revilla’s camp earlier made the request, saying that he would be unable to present counter-evidence unless he was aware of the evidence presented by the prosecution.“The Court finds it incredulous that at this advanced stage of this case in which the accused-movant has been actively participating, he still stands ignorant and oblivious of the incriminatory evidence against him, to need an extra phase in the proceedings, unsupported by the Rules of Court at that, in order to obviate an imagined burden,” the court said in a resolution promulgated on June 14.The court thus denied Revilla’s “Urgent Motion to Require the Prosecution to Identify the Evidence, Both Testimonial and Documentary, It Has Offered and Presented to Prove the Primary Allegations of the Information to Establish the Offense of Plunder” for lack of merit.Revilla’s camp was scheduled to begin presenting evidence on June 14. Its presentation of evidence was moved to June 26 after it filed the urgent motion.“The evidence, which the accused will need to present, is that which would negate or rebut the evidence presented by the prosecution admitted by the Court to prove such allegations of the Information,” the defense said in the urgent motion filed on June 5.But the court said in its June 14 resolution that “[o]n several occasions, as correctly pointed out by the prosecution, Revilla, Jr. has been made aware of the evidence against him.”The court said the prosecution had already laid down its evidence to oppose his petition for bail, which petition the court denied in December 2014. It later upheld the denial of bail petition.“The accused-movant was given the opportunity to counter the same, and he did. The accused-movant was again acquainted of these evidence when the prosecution put its witnesses to the stand during the presentation of its evidence-in-chief and during the formal offer of its documentary evidence. Revilla, Jr., once more, was given the chance to contradict the prosecution’s evidence, and he did file an opposition,” the court said.The trial started in June 2017 and the prosecution finished presenting its evidence in October.It filed its 406-page formal offer of evidence on October 23 and in a ruling dated November 9, the court admitted all the evidence offered by the prosecution “which will be considered in the evaluation of the evidence in the decision of the case on the merits.”In November, Revilla, Richard Cambe and alleged scam mastermind Janet Lim-Napoles filed their respective motions wherein they sought the court’s permission to file demurrers to evidence.The court denied these motions, saying that it “is of the view that there is a need for the accused to present evidence…” It later denied the three accused’s motions for reconsideration.A demurrer to evidence is a motion to dismiss in which a case is submitted for judgment based only on the prosecution’s evidence that the defense believes does not warrant conviction.On May 29, Cambe presented his last witness.Revilla is one of three former senators — the other two are Juan Ponce Enrile and Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada — whom the the Office of the Ombudsman charged along with Napoles and other individuals before the Sandiganbayan in 2014 in connection with the PDAF scam.The Ombudsman filed the P224-million plunder case and 16 counts of graft against Revilla; a P183-million plunder case and 11 counts of graft against Estrada; and a P172-million plunder case and 15 counts of graft against Enrile.Revilla is detained at the Philippine National Police custodial center in Camp Crame, Quezon City. In 2014, he said that he had no hidden wealth and that his money was hard-earned from his acting career.In September 2017, Estrada was released from detention after the Sandiganbayan’s Special Fifth Division, voting 3-2, allowed him to post bail over the plunder case filed against him.Enrile is out on bail after the Supreme Court granted in 2015 his bail petition on humanitarian grounds. The cases filed against him are pending before the Sandiganbayan’s Third Division.Napoles is detained at a Bureau of Jail Management and Penology facility in Camp Bagong Diwa, Taguig City.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/revilla-hit-for-delaying-pork-scam-trial/409254/
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Thai envoy inducts officers of international women’s group
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['The Manila Times']
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2017-08-16 22:24:22+00:00
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CONTINUE to be an inspiration and a solution to ailments of society.This was the message of Thailand Ambassador to the Philippines Thanatip Upatising to officials and members of the All Nations Women’s Group (ANWG) of the Young Women’s Christian Association of Manila during the organization’s recent diamond anniversary celebration and induction of its board of officers.In his keynote speech, Upatising commended the organization for its efforts to help the poor, especially the youth among them.The ANWG was founded in 1947 by a group of 18 women representing different nationalities to promote fellowship and goodwill.It grants scholarships and provides livelihood assistance, particularly to the elderly.The ANWG undertakes jointly with the Global Peace Women Council Philippines the All Lights Village Project, which aims to provide lighting to communities that still do not have access to electricity.Through the project, school children would be able to do their assignments and parents their household chores more efficiently, with light bulbs making the tasks easier.“Dear ladies of the ANWG, I encourage you to continue with the activities that you are doing and be the solution to ailments of society,” the Thai ambassador told officials and members of the women’s group.The ANWG celebrated its 70th anniversary and inducted its board of officers on July 28 at The Peninsula in Makati City.Upatising inducted the newly elected officials and board members of the ANWG namely Jo Acebedo, Ellen Sevilla, Malu Bewer, Lucy Ang, Yolly Aguilar, Florence Defensor, Caroline Entote, Del Tan, Imelda Vibar and Karen Uy.The organization is currently headed by Sally Maliuanag.Its former president, Nona Ricafort, was made chairman emeritus.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/thai-envoy-inducts-officers-international-womens-group/344882/
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‘Bato’ reshuffles key police officials
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['Anthony Vargas']
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2016-12-15 21:52:44+00:00
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Retirement of a ranking police official prompted the Philippine National Police (PNP) chief to order on Thursday a top-level reorganization of other key personnel.PNP Director General Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa has approved new designations of senior police officials based on recommendation made by the Senior Officers Placement and Promotion Board (SOPPB), PNP spokesman and Senior Supt. Dionardo Carlos said in a statement.Carlos added that the reorganization will affect some key positions in the PNP Command Group, Directorial Staff (DS), Directorate for Integrated Police Operations, National Support Units (NSUs) and Police Regional Offices (PROs).He said dela Rosa installed Deputy Director General Ramon Apolinario as the new PNP Deputy Chief for Operations (DCO) replacing Director Benjamin Magalong, who retired from the police service on Wednesday.Apolinario’s old position as the Chief of Directorial Staff (CDS) will be taken over by Director Fernando Mendez, the current head of the PNP Directorate for Personnel and Records Management (DPRM).The PNP spokesman added that dela Rosa named other senior police officials to their new posts in the DS, PROs and NSUs.Carlos said dela Rosa named Chief Supt. Ramon Purugganan as the new acting head of the DPRM, replacing Mendez, and Chief Supt. Edwin Roque as the acting director of the PNP Directorate for Plans (DPL).He added that Senior Supt. Glen Dumlao was designated as the new acting director of the PNP Anti-Kidnapping Group (AKG), replacing Senior Supt. Manolo Ozaeta, who was named the new director of the PNP Legal Service.Dela Rosa designated Chief Supt. Sheldon Jacaban as the new director of the PNP Directorate for Intelligence (DI), Senior Supt. Renato Angara as the acting Deputy Regional Director for Administration (ARDA) of the Cagayan Valley Regional Police Office, Senior Supt. Jose Briones as the ARDA of Soccskargen Police Office, Senior Supt. Froilan Quidilla as the new ARDA for the Mimaropa Police Office and Chief Supt. Franklin Moises Mabanag as the new ARDA for the Central Visayas Regional Police Office.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/bato-reshuffles-key-police-officials-2/301911/
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SC reorganizes its 3 divisions
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['Jomar Canlas']
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2017-01-08 18:11:04+00:00
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The Supreme Court (SC) has reorganized its three divisions in view of the retirement of two senior justices.The reshuffle was effected through Special Order No. 2409, dated December 29, 2016.It came about upon the retirement of SC Justice Jose Portugal Perez on December 14, 2016 and Justice Arturo Brion on December 29, 2016.Perez was a former member of the SC 3rd Division while Brion was a former member of the SC 2nd Division.“In the interest of the service, the regular members of the three divisions of the court shall be as follows, effective upon the retirement of Justice Arturo Brion on December 29, 2016,” the document read.Following the Rules on Seniority under Section 8 of the Internal Rules of the SC, the one-two-three designation shall be implemented.The rule reads, “The composition of each division shall be based on Seniority as follows:(a) First Division—Chief Justice (Sereno), the fourth in seniority as working chairman (Teresita Leonardo-de Castro), the seventh in seniority (Mariano del Castillo) the tenth in seniority(Estela Perlas-Bernabe) and the thirteenth in seniority (Alfredo Benjamin Caguioa).(b) Second Division—the second in seniority as chairman (Antonio Carpio), the fifth in seniority (Diosdado Peralta), the eighth in seniority (Jose Mendoza), the eleventh in seniority (Marvic Mario Victor Leonen). The fifth member of this division remains vacant.(c) Third Division—the third in seniority as chairman (Presbitero Velasco Jr.), the sixth in seniority (Lucas Bersamin), the ninth in seniority (Bienvedido Reyes) and the twelfth in seniority (Francis Jardeleza).This set-up under Internal Rules that is considered the “General Rule” was and can be disregarded by Sereno by using the “Exception” under the second paragraph of Section 8, which reads, “The Chief Justice may, however, consider factors other than seniority in division assignments. The appointment of a new member of the court shall necessitate the reorganization of divisions at the call of the Chief Justice.”JOMAR CANLAS
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/sc-reorganizes-3-divisions/305827/
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De Lima’s former lover charged before DOJ
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['Jomar Canlas']
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2016-12-29 19:46:21+00:00
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Congressional leaders on Thursday charged before the Department of Justice (DOJ) Ronnie Dayan, the former lover of Sen. Leila de Lima, for ignoring their summons in an earlier inquiry by the House justice committee into the illegal drug trade at the New Bilibid Prisons (NBP).The complaint was filed by Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez, House justice panel chairman Reynaldo Umali and Majority Floor Leader Rodolfo Fariñas.It was the same criminal complaint for disobedience to a summons of Congress under Article 150 of the Revised Penal Code that they filed against de Lima recently.“Dayan’s failure to appear during the committee hearing on October 6 and to respond to the show-cause order without any legal excuse is disobedience to the summons lawfully issued by the House of Representatives in violation of the Revised Penal Code,” the complaint read.Dayan was summoned by the chamber after several high-profile inmates testified that he had acted as “bagman” who collected drug money from them at the NBP when de Lima was still the DOJ secretary.He, however, went into hiding, a move that forced the House of Representatives to issue a contempt citation and arrest order against him.Dayan was eventually arrested last November and appeared before the House justice panel.Last December 21, the DOJ indicted the senator in connection with the illegal drug trade at the NBP, the national penitentiary, and for having helped in hiding Dayan, also her former driver.A four-page resolution, signed and approved by Jorge Catalan, Officer-in- Charge Prosecutor General, said it found probable cause against de Lima for the crime of obstruction of justice.The senator was found to have told Dayan in a text message to ignore the summons of the House of Representatives in connection with its probe of the illegal drug trade, and for him to go into hiding.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/de-limas-former-lover-charged-doj/304264/
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Court resets pre-trial of graft raps vs Enrile
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['Ma. Reina Leanne Tolentino']
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2016-10-24 21:36:41+00:00
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The anti-graft court Sandiganbayan’s Third Division deferred the pre-trial of the graft cases filed against former senator Juan Ponce Enrile and several others in connection with the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) or pork barrel scam.During the scheduled pre-trial on Monday, the court reset the same to June 26 because the parties have not yet finished marking the documentary evidence that they intend to present during the pre-trial.The prosecution told the court that they were “still marking our exhibits particularly our FIO documents, Your Honor” and needed nine more settings to finish marking their evidence.FIO is the Office of the Ombudsman’s Field Investigation Office.The court thus canceled the scheduled Monday pre-trial and reset it to June next year.It also scheduled preliminary conferences on several dates beginning on January 9 until May 31 for both the prosecution and the defense to finish marking their respective exhibits.Enrile was one of three then-senators, the other two being Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. and Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada, against whom the Office of the Ombudsman filed plunder and graft charges in June 2014 along with businesswoman Janet Lim-Napoles and several others in connection with the PDAF scam.Revilla and Estrada are detained at the Philippine National Police Custodial Center while Enrile is out on bail after the Supreme Court granted his bail petition on humanitarian grounds.Enrile is seeking dismissal of the P172-million plunder case filed against him as he said there is no evidence against him and that the information (charge sheet) failed to charge the offense.“The details provided by the prosecutors in the bill of particulars are totally irrelevant as they are not the allegations of overt acts contemplated under the plunder law as constituting the crime of plunder. Neither is there anything in the Information or bill of particulars that alleges that Enrile himself, directly or indirectly, received any amount of public funds as kickback or commission,” the defense said in a 70-page Motion to Dismiss/Quash the Information filed earlier.“Allowing Enrile to stand trial despite a fatally defective Information is not only vexatious, but also a wasteful expense of precious time and resources on the part of the accused, the courts and the prosecution. Accordingly, the quashal of the Information, and the dismissal of this case is in order,” it added.The defense said, among others, that Benhur Luy, Ruby Tuason and other prosecution witnesses testified during hearings on petition for bail by Napoles that they have not seen Enrile receive any alleged kickback or commission.Napoles is said to be the architect of the P10-billion “pork” scam.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/court-resets-pre-trial-graft-raps-vs-enrile-2/292933/
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Prosecution: Withdraw charges vs Nur Misuari
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['Ma. Reina Leanne Tolentino']
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2018-04-29 00:15:28+00:00
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The prosecution has moved for the withdrawal of graft and malversation cases that were filed against former Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) Gov. Nur Misuari and other individuals over an allegedly anomalous procurement of educational materials.The Office of the Ombudsman filed the cases before the Sandiganbayan in 2017 against Misuari; Leovigilda Cinches, Pangalian Maniri and Sittie Aisa Usman, who were then-Director III, then-chief accountant and then-supply officer of the Department of Education-ARMM, respectively, at the time material to the cases; and Lolita Sambeli, who was the then-owner of White Orchids Printing and Publishing House also at the time material to the cases.The prosecution cited transaction documents that “could no longer be located and produced despite diligent efforts” to find them and asked the Third Division of the anti-graft court Sandiganbayan “to grant the withdrawal of the” informations (charge sheets) on the cases.In May 2017, the Office of the Ombudsman filed cases before the Sandiganbayan against Misuari and the other individuals over the allegedly anomalous procurement of Information Technology package (a graft case and a malversation through falsification case), Multi-Media Information Technology Package (a graft case and a malversation through falsification case) and educational materials (a graft case and a malversation through falsification case).Court proceedings in all these cases are suspended.In a resolution dated November 23, 2017, the Sandiganbayan granted Misuari’s plea to order a preliminary investigation of the cases.In compliance with the anti-graft court’s order to submit results of the preliminary investigation, the prosecution submitted a copy of the resolution, which was approved by Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales on April 12, 2018.The resolution also affirmed the Office of the Ombudsman’s finding of probable cause in the cases.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/prosecution-withdraw-charges-vs-nur-misuari/395667/
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Peace talks depend on ‘sincerity’ of National Democratic Front
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['Dempsey Reyes']
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2018-03-08 00:02:12+00:00
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Resuming peace talks between the Philippine government and the National Democratic Front (NDF) would depend on the sincerity of the communists and on their agreeing to a ceasefire, the Philippine Army said on Wednesday.The NDF is an umbrella organization that counts as members among others the Communist Party of the Philippines and the CPP’s armed wing, the New People’s Army (NPA).Lt. Col. Louie Villanueva, Army spokesman, said the Army has always campaigned for peaceful settlement of issues between the NDF and the government.“It [resumption of the peace talks] depends on the sincerity of these people [in the NDF] because as far as the AFP [Armed Forces of the Philippines] is concerned, especially us, the Philippine Army, we are the forces on the ground,” Villanueva added.“In the first place, it’s always us who are in the [arena] of conflict. We are the ones being greatly affected and if these [peace negotiations] will be pursued anew, it will be a good condition,” he said.President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday said in a speech in Pasay City that he may reconsider termination of peace talks with the Left.But he said the reconsideration to resume the peace negotiations would depend on the NPA agreeing to a ceasefire first.In December last year, the President signed Proclamation 360 officially terminating the peace negotiations with the NDF.Days later, he signed another proclamation tagging the CPP-NPA as terrorist organizations.Earlier last year, Duterte canceled the talks over an NPA ambush of a convoy of the Presidential Security Group in Arakan, North Cotabato, in southern Mindanao.Villanueva said the communists “are the ones destroying the process and we are the ones abiding with the rules prescribed by the peace negotiations.”
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/peace-talks-depend-on-sincerity-of-national-democratic-front/384651/
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Teachers score Briones’ ‘anti-teacher’ policies
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['Neil Alcober']
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2017-07-08 23:06:23+00:00
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MILITANT teachers’ group Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) on Saturday hit Education Secretary Leonor Briones for siding with the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), and Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) in denying teachers local allowances and additional school supplies.“Secretary Briones’ response letter dated June 20, 2017 to ACT proves that she has no heart for the teacher’s rights and welfare. She reiterated her insensitive statement that teachers are well compensated and shall not receive local allowances and additional chalk/teaching supplies allowances,” Benjamin Valbuena, the group’s national chairperson, said.The group claimed the DepEd chief has defended the imposition of the DepEd-DBM-DILG Joint Circular No. 1 Series of 2017 that prohibits the use of Special Education Fund for teachers’ local allowance. Teachers are also asking for an increase in chalk/teaching supplies allowance from P2,500 to P5,000.“Instead of protecting our rights and welfare, the Secretary of Education is the first to deny these to us eventually contributing to the teachers’ poor economic situation and sacrifices under the rotting K-to-12 education system. Given the secretary’s inutility, the teachers and education sector as a whole will eventually continue the intensifying call for just and decent pay and benefits,” Valbuena said.According to Valbuena, public school teachers are actually underpaid and receive meager salary. Based on the computation presented by Department of Education (DepEd), entry level teachers enjoy an aggregated monthly compensation of P24,399.40. This includes basic pay, personal economic relief allowance and the subsidy for personnel benefit contributions like Government Service Insurance System (GSIS).“Contrary to DepEd’s computation, teachers who are working more than six hours in school pay taxes, contributions to GSIS, Pag-IBIG [Home Mutual Development Fund] and PhilHealth have a maximum take home pay of P16,000. The said amount is far from the amount suggested by IBON Foundation and daily cost of living in the National Capital Region and nearby regions,” he said.“The family living wage in the National Capital Region, is estimated at P1,119 per day or more than P33,570 per month to sustain a family with six members. This situation will push teachers to borrow from government financial institutions, or even to unregistered loan sharks in order to cope with this living salary gap,” Valbuena added.The teacher’s group said that adding to Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno’s deceptive computation, Briones also computed teachers’ monthly salary by adding the mid-year bonus, year-end bonus, clothing allowance, productivity enhancement incentive and cash gifts to teachers’ annual pay divided into 12 months. The computation indicates those with rank of Teacher 1 receives P27,000 per month as entry level pay.“While it is true that teachers receive mid-year bonus, year-end bonus, clothing allowance, productivity enhancement incentive and cash gifts, it is the government’s responsibility to give such. These benefits shall not be included in computing the monthly salary of teachers because these benefits are temporary and excluded in the computation for retirement pension of teachers,” he said.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/teachers-score-briones-anti-teacher-policies/337315/
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Lawyer: Marcos should pay P2B for poll protest
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['Llanesca T. Panti']
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2017-06-20 22:06:30+00:00
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Former senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr. should pay for the P2.08-billion worth of Commission on Elections (Comelec) lease dues, among others, in connection with Marcos’ poll protest against Vice President Maria Leonor Robredo, according to an election lawyer.Romulo Macalintal, legal counsel for Robredo, made the assertion in a manifestation with a motion for clarification filed on Tuesday before the Supreme Court acting as the Presidential Electoral Tribunal.The Comelec, through the Office of the Solicitor General, already manifested before the electoral tribunal that Marcos’ protest will cost Comelec P2.08 billion because of the poll body’s failure to turn over to technology provider Smartmatic 97,365 voting counting machines (VCMs) on December 1, 2016.The Comelec did not turn over the 97,365 leased VCMs to Smartmatic on time because the Presidential Electoral Tribunal has ordered to secure 97,366VCMs and the election management system and accessories leased for the May 2016 elections from Smartmatic-TIM Inc.“When Marcos filed his election protest, he asked for technical examination and forensic investigation of VCMs used in 92,508 clustered precincts. And on at least two occasions in August 2016 and September 2016, Marcos opposed the closure and stripping activities on the VCMs scheduled by Comelec. Given these developments, the Comelec should make it clear if Marcos will be the one to pay the P2.08 billion. Marcos should pay for it,” Macalintal said in a statement.He added that Marcos “asked for the annulment of elections and revision of votes in 39,221 clustered precincts but also maintained that the 2016 national and local elections were null and void.”Also, Macalintal suggested that Marcos should be liable for the P5.62-million monthly dues of Comelec as lease payment for the safekeeping of VCMs in a warehouse in Santa Rosa, Laguna, among other expenses.The amount was disclosed by the Comelec pursuant to a resolution issued by the electoral tribunal last April18.Robredo was notified by the Office of the Solicitor General on June 8.“If only to avoid confusion on who will be liable for these amounts, we are constrained to seek a clarification,” Macalintal said.Robredo beat Marcos by 263,473 votes in the vice presidential race last year.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/lawyer-marcos-pay-p2b-poll-protest/333869/
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Palace probes ERC officials' lavish trips
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['Llanesca T. Panti']
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2017-09-01 22:05:37+00:00
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Palace probes ERC officials’ lavish tripshome/News/Nation/Palace probes ERC officials’ lavish tripsMalacañang is investigating five Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) officials over their alleged lavish trips abroad.Presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella was referring to ERC commissioners Alfredo Non, Josefina Magpale-Asirit, Gloria Yap-Taruc, Geronimo Santa Ana and Debora Anastacia Layugan who are being accused of serious dishonesty, gross neglect of duty, grave misconduct, conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service and violation of Republic Act 6713 or the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards of Public Officials.The accusers of the ERC officials include Rodolfo Javellana, president of the United Filipino Consumers and Commuters, and Cipriano D.C. Cabrera.“The matter pertaining to extravagant trips allegedly made by ERC officials, being presidential appointees, is still under investigation by the Office of the Executive Secretary,” Abella said in a statement.The Palace had sent a letter to the ERC officials asking to rebut the allegations made by Javellana and Cabrera last August 18.“The office received a letter dated June 30, 2017 of Mr. Rodolfo Javellana and the complaint dated June 22, 2017, with attachments. It is alleged that you are receiving money and benefits from private entities regulated by the ERC to fund your extravagant travels abroad. In view of the foregoing, this Office requests your comments on the attached documents within 10 days from receipt thereof,” Ryan Alvin Acosta, acting deputy executive secretary for legal affairs under the Office of the President, said in his letter then.The five ERC officials are already facing graft, indirect-bribery and technical-malversation complaint before the Office of the Ombudsman for allegedly receiving at least P15 million for their travel expenses abroad from 2009 to 2015.Lawyer Jose Aaron Pedrosa Jr., who also serves as Sanlakas secretary general, and Freedom from Debt Coalition secretary general Samuel Cesar Gamboa filed the complaint before the Ombudsman last July.The complainants alleged that the ERC officials received travel expenses from the Philippine Electricity Market Corporation, which is in charge of the Wholesale Electric Spot Market, provider of basic rules, requirements and procedures that govern the operation of the Philippine wholesale electricity spot market.President Rodrigo Duterte earlier called for the abolition of the ERC because of corruption in the light of the suicide of former ERC Director Francisco “Jun” 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 inquiries into Villa’s suicide revealed that ERC Chairman Jose Vicente Salazar did not want to investigate the circumstances leading to the suicide of Villa.Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez of Davao del Norte has filed House Bill 5020 seeking the abolition of the ERC.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/palace-probes-erc-officials-lavish-trips/348036/
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BIR sues Mighty Corp. for not paying taxes
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['The Manila Times']
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2017-05-27 23:32:56+00:00
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The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) has filed a criminal complaint with the Department of Justice against tobacco firm Mighty Corporation over alleged violations of the National Internal Revenue Code of 1997.The company’s officers, President Lt. Gen. Edilberto Adan (retired), Executive Vice President Oscar Barrientos, Vice President for External Affairs and Assistant Corporate Secretary Alexander Wongchuking and Treasurer Ernesto Victa, were also charged for “Unlawful Possession of Articles Subject to Excise Tax without Payment of the Tax, and for Possessing False, Counterfeit, Restored or Altered Stamps, in violation of Sections 263 and 265 [c] of the National Internal Revenue Code of 1997, as amended [Tax Code],” according to the BIR.After Bureau of Customs (BOC) personnel entered the Sunshine Corn Mill Warehouse located at Arradaza Street, Barangay Lagao, General Santos City on March 24, 2017, revenue officers of Revenue Region No. 18-Koronadal City armed with mission orders conducted an on-the-spot surveillance and inventory of cigarette products stored in the warehouse that was leased to Mighty Corporation. The operation resulted in the apprehension and detention of 11 master cases and three reams from loose stocks from which cigarette packs were randomly tested.On March 30, 2017, the BIR issued a mission order directing revenue officers of the Excise Large Taxpayers Service, among others, to conduct an inventory-taking of the cigarettes stored in Mighty Corporation’s warehouse in General Santos.The result of the inventory-taking conducted at the warehouse showed a total of 4.748 million packs contained in 9,496 master cases and 22 reams. Tests were later conducted by BOC in the presence of Mighty Corporation representatives that showed 89.14 percent of the 67,470 cigarette packs tested bore fake internal revenue stamps and were seized.The stamps were identified as fake since they did not contain one of the multi-layered security features of a valid internal revenue stamp. The alleged act, the BIR said, resulted in the company evading payment of the correct excise tax, making Mighty Corporation liable to pay an estimated aggregate deficiency excise tax liability totaling P1.39 billion, inclusive of increments.The case is the third against Mighty Corporation that has only one BIR-registered production plant located at 55 McArthur Highway, Barrio (now Barangay) Tikay, Malolos, Bulacan.THE TIMES
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/bir-sues-mighty-corp-not-paying-taxes/329634/
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Cabinet ‘militarization,’ Mocha appointment hit
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['Jefferson Antiporda']
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2017-05-12 21:05:08+00:00
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THE Liberal Party (LP) on Friday expressed concern over an apparent “militarization” happening in the bureaucracy, pointing to the continuous appointments of former police and military men in the government by President Rodrigo Duterte.Senator Francis Pangilinan, LP president, cited the recent installation of former Armed Forces chief of staff and now retired general Roy Cimatu as head of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).Cimatu replaced former DENR Secretary Regina “Gina” Lopez, who was recently rejected by the powerful Commission on Appointments (CA) in a 16-8 vote.Pangilinan also mentioned the President’s plan to appoint AFP Chief of Staff Eduardo Año as head of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) after the latter retires in October this year.“Do these appointments mean the militarization of the government bureaucracy?” Pangilinan asked.Other ex-police and military men appointed by Duterte were former AFP Chief of Staff Ricardo Visaya to the National Irrigation Administration; former Capt. Nicanor Faeldon, as commissioner of the Bureau of Customs; ex-police director Jorge Corpuz, chairman of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office; former Davao City Police chief Jaime Morente to the Bureau of Immigration; former PNP Deputy Chief for Operations Edgar Galvante; and former police general Reynaldo Berroya, as head of the Light Rail Transit Authority.The LP president assailed the inclusion in the President’s communications group of someone who allegedly has been maligning legitimate media practitioners in the country.Pangilinan was referring to the appointment of singer-dancer Mocha Uson to the Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO), which according to him is also a cause for concern.He said many people, including ordinary government workers doing critical work for lower pay and who have been contractual employees for a long time felt slighted by the appointment of the singer-dancer as PCOO Assistant Secretary.The LP, he said, shares the sentiments of the ordinary people over the decision of President to appoint Uson, also a blogger.Pangilinan also cited an incident last March wherein Uson, without provocation, used her radio program to bash LP chairman and Vice President Maria Leonor Robredo, calling her names and disrespecting her person, her office and the millions who voted for her.The incident has led to the indefinite suspension of the singer-dancer’s 30-minute program aired over dzRH, operated by the Manila Broadcasting Company.Uson, a staunch supporter of the President, has been attacking the Philippine media calling them “prestitutes.”“Public office is public service that needs competence, integrity and passion. All government offices are integral to the success or failure of government, as well as the Filipino people,” the LP president said.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/cabinet-militarization-mocha-appointment-hit/326886/
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DOH warns vs tetanus from firecracker wounds
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['Micah Yvana M. Vardeleon']
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2017-01-04 22:46:44+00:00
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ASSISTANT Secretary of Health Enrique Tayag has called on the public to seek medical attention once injured by a firecracker to prevent risks of tetanus. Tetanus is a serious illness that causes the locking of the jaws and can lead to death if not immediately treated. “One can acquire tetanus as early as two days after getting an eye injury from firecrackers,” Tayag said. He, however, said it is more dangerous and may even be fatal if signs and symptoms appeared late. Tayag advised those injured from firecrackers to cleanse their wounds, no matter how small, under running water and then go to the hospital for anti-tetanus shots.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/doh-warns-vs-tetanus-firecracker-wounds/305184/
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Switch networks without changing phone numbers
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['Jefferson Antiporda']
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2018-02-21 00:03:46+00:00
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MOBILE phone users may soon have more freedom to switch from one service provider to another without even changing their mobile numbers with the Senate’s passage of the Lifetime Cellphone Number Act on final reading.Authored by Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian, Senate Bill (SB) 1636 would soon provide mobile users with the option of keeping their existing mobile numbers even as they switch networks or mode of subscription services like form prepaid to postpaid and vice versa.The bill prohibits Public Telecommunications Entities (PTEs) from locking in mobile devices to their respective networks, regardless whether the devices are sold as a unit or under a service contract.“Advancing genuine consumer welfare starts by recognizing the right of every user to choose what is best for them,” according to Gatchalian, also the sponsor of the bill.The Lifetime Cellphone Number Act, he said, would also foster a spirit of market competition among telecommunication companies that in turn would be beneficial to millions of subscribers.The National Telecommunications Communications in 2008 attempted to come up with a similar scheme but it was not able to get enough support mainly because of the high costs involved.But with technological advances over the years, the technology needed to do it has become cheaper, making it easier to implement.Apart from allowing subscribers to retain their mobile numbers, SB 1636 also removes inter-connection charges being imposed by network companies for calls and text messages sent to numbers registered under competing networks.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/switch-networks-without-changing-phone-numbers/381562/
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More medical exam, treatment for Revilla
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['Ma. Reina Leanne Tolentino']
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2016-11-10 21:28:11+00:00
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Former Sen. Ramon Revilla Jr. will be undergoing further examination and treatment at St. Luke’s Medical Center in Taguig City (Metro Manila) where he was brought last Saturday.The Sandiganbayan’s First Division earlier granted his plea to stay at the hospital in order to undergo laboratory tests until he is discharged.In a letter submitted on Wednesday, Police Supt. Arnel Apud, who leads the Philippine National Police’s (PNP) Custodial Service Unit, informed the court that the Custodial Security Escort that he leads proceeded to the hospital on Wednesday afternoon to fetch Revilla.“However, the aforementioned accused was not allowed by his attending physician, Dr. Rolando Ochoa, Orthopedic Surgeon, to be discharge[d] from his confinement in the aforementioned medical institution.Nonetheless, the former recommended PUC Revilla to undergo biopsy and extend his confinement for further examination and treatment,” Apud said.PUC stands for Person Under Custody.Revilla is one of three former senators—the other two are Juan Ponce Enrile and Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada—who were charged with plunder and graft in June 2014 along with alleged pork scam mastermind Janet Lim-Napoles and several others in connection with the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) or pork barrel scam.Both Revilla and Estrada are detained at the PNP Custodial Center in Camp Crame in Quezon City, while Enrile is out on bail after the Supreme Court granted his bail petition on humanitarian grounds.Napoles, meanwhile, is serving a life sentence at the Correctional Institute for Women in Mandaluyong City (Metro Manila) after a Makati City (Metro Manila) court found her guilty in a serious illegal detention case filed against her by pork scam witness Benhur Luy.Revilla was brought to the PNP General Hospital in Camp Crame last Saturday morning “after he experienced vomiting, severe headache and erratic high blood pressure and swollen right hand,” the defense said in a manifestation and urgent motion filed earlier.After he vomited again, he was brought to St. Luke’s Medical Center in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig where he underwent physical and neurological examinations.Undergoing further laboratory tests would require Revilla to stay at the hospital until November 8 or 9, “unless unforeseen circumstances arise that may need immediate medical attention,” the defense said, citing a medical abstract dated November 7.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/medical-exam-treatment-revilla/295874/
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PH students win 10 medals in Singapore math contest
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['The Manila Times']
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2017-09-17 17:45:05+00:00
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Ten students from Makati City’s public schools bagged ten medals, including one gold, in the International Mathematics Open for Young Achievers (IMOYA) held in Singapore early this month.Rita Riddle, Department of Education (DepEd) superintendent for Makati, said Grade 3 student Justine Mae Vito Cruz of Bangkal Elementary School – Main won the gold medal in the competition held September 1-4.The students who received silver medals were Grade 7 students Ma. Angelica Marquez, Cedric Gabriel Evasco, Chryss Anika Bersabal (from Makati Science High School) and Grade 5 student Juwan Emmanuelle Osama (from Rizal Elementary School), Riddle added.Those who got bronze medals were Lheiza Jhoy Caro, Gabrielle Leonard Cuadra (Grade 7 st udents from MSHS), Ron Aldwyn Abustan (Grade 5 student from Fort Bonifacio Elementary School), Allan Dave Pabillano (Grade 5 pupil from Comembo Elementary School) and Jameiah Marielle Prayco (also a Grade 5 student from F. Benitez Elementary School-Main).Makati Mayor Abby Binay congratulated the winners and thanked them for valuing the investments of the city government in their education.“Congratulations to our young Math wizards! Your hard work has paid off with your excellent performance in such a prestigious competition,” Binay said.“Your achievements are the best reward we could ever hope for as we continue to invest our city’s resources in upgrading our public education system,” she added.According to the city’s public affairs office, the purpose of IMOYA is to provide student-participants with a proper venue to showcase and enhance their skills in Mathematics and give the students an opportunity to share their country’s rich culture and heritage with other delegates from other countries as well.The Makati students competed with students from Singapore, Indonesia and Thailand.
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Manila Times
|
https://www.manilatimes.net/ph-students-win-10-medals-singapore-math-contest/351236/
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NIA’s 2018 budget gets Congress’ nod
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['Neil Alcober']
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2017-09-13 21:21:31+00:00
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THE House of Representatives has approved the P40.8-billion budget for 2018 of the National Irrigation Administration (NIA).The amount is higher by six percent than the P38.3 billion allotted for the irrigation sector this year.Bulk of the approved budget or P26.8 billion will go to restoration, repair and rehabilitation of existing irrigation systems and construction and development of new irrigation systems.The agency is also eyeing to establish pump and special irrigation systems.NIA chief Gen. Ricardo Visaya previously said the increased budget will be used to accelerate and complete ongoing projects and quickly develop and increase new irrigation areas.“We want to increase the budget to fund the construction of our dams. We still have about 40.68 percent to be developed and we would like to fast- track the development to help achieve rice self-sufficiency,” he added.The NIA administrator said Congress’ approval is a welcome move for the agency to be able to implement new projects of larger scale, continuously conduct project feasibility studies and detailed engineering, provide adequate equipment support for operation and maintenance and protect watersheds of big irrigation systems.The agency is set to meet the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Food headed by Sen. Cynthia Villar for a committee hearing on September 19.As of December 2016, it has developed 1.85 million hectares of agricultural lands equivalent to 59.32 percent of irrigation development.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/nias-2018-budget-gets-congress-nod/350477/
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First day of campaigning peaceful - PNP
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['Roy Narra']
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2018-05-06 00:05:35+00:00
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First day of campaigning peaceful – PNPByhome/News/Nation/First day of campaigning peaceful – PNPTHE first day of the campaign period for the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (village and youth) elections was generally peaceful, according to the Philippine National Police (PNP).Chief Supt. John Bulalacao, PNP spokesman, said no significant election campaign related incident was recorded.“To maintain this favorable situation, the PNP continuously monitors the barangays categorized as hotspots or those where violence are likely to occur due to intense political rivalry with history of violence and presence of armed and threat groups,” he said.Based on police data, from April 14 to May 1, 20 people were already killed in suspected election-related incidents. Five others were injured.Those killed included six civilians, one village tanod (sentry), five village councilors, two candidates for village captain, and six village captains.The Soccsksargen Region recorded the most number of deaths with five, followed by the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) with four.On the other hand, police authorities have arrested 238 gun ban violators nationwide as of May 3.Arrested gun ban violators face criminal charges for violating the Omnibus Election Code in relation to Republic Act (RA) 10591 and Presidential Decree 1866 as amended by RA 9516.The election period runs from April 14 to May 21, 2018.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/first-day-of-campaigning-peaceful-pnp/397100/
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Duterte meets Jordan’s King Abdullah
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['Catherine S. Valente']
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2018-09-07 00:03:39+00:00
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President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday met with Jordanian King Abdullah II in a bid to strengthen the bilateral relations between the Philippines and the Hashemite Kingdom.Duterte was given full military honors upon arriving at Al Husseinieh Palace Courtyard, where the two leaders held bilateral meeting to broaden “cooperation in key areas to advance shared aspirations for greater peace, progress and prosperity,” according to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).The two leaders witnessed the signing of agreements on defense, foreign affairs, trade and labor.The agreement on labor aims to improve the plight of about 40,000 Filipino migrant workers while the defense deal seeks to boost the Philippines’ security capabilities.The agreement on foreign affairs, on the other hand, aims to enable the Philippines and Jordan to hold political consultations while the deal on trade seeks to enhance the two-way trade between the two countries.The DFA said Duterte’s visit “reaffirms and renews the Philippines’ ties with Jordan,” whose diplomatic relations were established in 1957.Philippine Ambassador to Jordan Akmad Atlah Sakkam said the two leaders also discussed the enhancement of defense cooperation between the two nations amid the increasing threat of terrorism.The two leaders share the same vision “not to allow such radicalism and extremism,” Sakkam said.The President is scheduled to meet with the Filipino community in Jordan on Friday. Jordan is home to 48,000 Filipino workers.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/duterte-meets-jordans-king-abdullah/438857/
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‘Emong’ threatens Cagayan
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['The Manila Times']
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2017-07-02 22:35:49+00:00
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A low pressure area (LPA) spotted east of Luzon has developed into a tropical depression, the state weather bureau said on Sunday.The Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said Emong was spotted at 765 kilometers east of Tuguegarao, Cagayan with maximum sustained winds of 45 kilometers per hour and was forecast to move northwest at 30 kph.Pagasa, however, added that Emong has not caused hazards in any area of the Philippines.Cloudy skies with light to moderate rains and thunderstorms will prevail over Western Visayas, Negros Island, Caraga, Davao and Soccksargen.Pagasa said a thunderstorm is likely to develop over Metro Manila within 12 hours and the rest of the country will experience partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rains or thunderstorms.Moderate to occasionally strong winds coming from the northeast to the north will prevail over Northern Luzon and Central Luzon and coming from the southwest to west over the rest of the country.Coastal waters throughout the country will also be slight to moderate, Pagasa said.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/emong-threatens-cagayan/336199/
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Drug crimes ‘decreased’ under govt crackdown
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['Dempsey Reyes']
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2017-05-02 21:14:21+00:00
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Drug-related crimes in the Philippines have “decreased” since President Rodrigo Duterte assumed office last year, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said on Tuesday.Based on data from the office of Director for Operations Camilo Cascolan, a total of 64,917 drug suspects surrendered during government’s war on drugs dubbed as Oplan Tokhang.According to Cascolan, drug-related crimes have dropped by 11.74 percent since July 2016.The PNP official did not mention the 2015 drug-crime incidence.He said the “successful” war against illegal drugs saw a reduction in the number of “focus crimes” and other criminal activities across the country.From July 1, 2016 until March 31 this year, 9,432 drug and homicide cases were investigated, Cascolan told a forum.Commission of eight focus crimes–homicide, rape, murder, physical injury, robbery, theft, car theft and motorcycle theft–went down, according to him.The Inter-Agency Committee on Anti-Illegal Drugs (ICAD) conducted the forum that sought to clarify the number of people who were “actually killed” during the bloody war against drugs.The ICAD, which was created under Executive Order 15, is composed of the PNP; the Interior, Justice, Health, Education, Social Welfare, Trade and Industry, Agriculture and National Defense departments; Technical Education and Skills Development Authority; Philippine Information Agency; Public Attorney’s Office; Office of the Solicitor General; Philippine Coast Guard; National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) ; Armed Forces of the Philippines; Anti-Money Laundering Council; Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA); and Dangerous Drugs Board.The PNP Director for Investigative and Detection Management, Augusto Marquez, also told the forum that it is “not true” that more than 9,000 people were victims of extrajudicial killings during the war on drugs.The figure, which Marquez said covers July 1, 2016 to March 2017, includes the homicide cases that are under investigation.Only 1,847 cases (19.6 percent) resulted from Oplan Tokhang, he added.Of the 5,691 homicide cases, Cascolan said, 1,500 cases have been solved.These cases, he added, “had no witnesses” and drug suspects implicated in them and who were eventually killed “[had] fought it out with authorities.”Marquez said there is no such thing as “extrajudicial killings” but only “police operations” that chase drug suspects across the country.The PNP said more or less 65,000 drug suspects were arrested from July 2016 to April this year during its 53,503 joint operations with PDEA, NBI and Bureau of Customs.The joint operations resulted in the arrest of 64,917 suspects, surrender of 1,266,966 and killing of 2,692.Epimaco Densing 3rd, Interior assistant secretary for plans and programs, also said there are no extrajudicial killings, only “extralegal killings.”Several human rights groups, including the government’s Commission on Human Rights, claim that there have been more than 9,000 deaths recorded by Oplan Tokhang.Meanwhile, Health Secretary Jean Ubial said the government is stepping up its efforts in putting up drug rehabilitation centers around the country.At present, Ubial said, there are 17 drug rehabilitation centers funded by the government and 31 are owned by private companies or non-government organizations.As of December 31, 2016, there were at least 38 rehabilitation centers already accredited by the Department of Health (DoH), she added.Ofthe 1.4 million drug surrenderers, Ubial said, only 10,500 were able to undergo rehabilitation in DoH centers.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/drug-crimes-decreased-govt-crackdown/325203/
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Be objective, UK envoy tells Duterte
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['Michael Joe T. Delizo']
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2016-11-24 22:21:56+00:00
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UNITED Kingdom Ambassador to the Philippines Asif Ahmad has advised the Philippines to be objective in fostering closer relations with Russia.President Rodrigo Duterte has been heaping praises on Moscow led by his “idol” Vladimir Putin.Duterte expressed desire to join a “new world order” dominated by Russia and China as he moves Manila away from its long-time ally, the United States.The British envoy said while it is alright to engage with Russia economically, the Philippine leader must remember and understand that Moscow spawned conflicts around the world.“You cannot cherry-pick the positive attributes of a country and ignore the rest,” Ahmad said in a recent forum.He advised the President to “fact-check” his narratives.“I heard President Duterte very, very specifically talk about the bombings in Syria,” Ahmad noted. “Well, please fact-check. The bombings in Aleppo are entirely Russian.”He said, “If you check the history books, you’ll see Afghanistan was invaded by Russia, and al-Qaeda was born out of that conflict, and the consequences of that have gone global, including here in the Philippines.”Ahmad was referring to the proliferation of terrorism activities of the Abu Sayyaf Group that was due to the funding of the al-Qaeda group.The ambassador said, “So what was spawned by Russian intervention in Afghanistan, we’re paying the price for it today in Mindanao, Sulu, Tawi-Tawi and Manila…”Ahmad, nonetheless, said the UK does not begrudge Duterte in reaching out to Russia, saying Moscow has actually a lot to offer in terms of trade and tourism.He added that the Philippines should engage diplomatically and economically with as many countries as possible with objectivity in setting up the terms under which these relations are undertaken.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/objective-uk-envoy-tells-duterte/298262/
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Revisit the Laguna de Bay project cancelled in 2011
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['Disenteng Drug Lord']
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6/3/2017 0:00
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what it had already put into the country plus interest since 2011.The cancellation of the contract was said to be a decision of then new President Benigno S. Aquino III who was suspicious of any deal entered into by the previous Gloria Macapagal Arroyo administration. Belgian Prime Minister Yves Leterme vouched for the project’s integrity, citing an independent engineering firm’s valuation that it would truly “alleviate flooding, improve local transportation infrastructure, and increasea water capacity.” But his appeal was ignored and the contract was unilaterally cancelled by the government, leading to the proceedings in the international court.Last week, Quezon Rep. Danilo Suarez, House of Represenatives minority leader, said the government should revisit the Laguna de Bay project, for the problems it sought to alleviate remain today and have even worsened.The project would have dredged and deepened Laguna de Bay to improve its capacity as a catchbasin for rainwater falling in surrounding areas, thus minimizing flooding in the towns and cities around the lake. It would have similarly dredged the Napindan Channel, the lake’s outlet to Manila Bay via the Pasig River, created additional navigational channels, and rehabilitated wetlands around the lake.It would have used the material dredged from the bottom of the lake to build reclaimed land where waste-water treatment facilities would be built. The 90,000-hectare fresh-water lake could serve as a source of potable water in the area.The case was decided by the international court after seven years. But the issue goes beyond the legal losses to the country, Congressman Suarez said. The country’s reputation as a reliable investment partner was tarnished. And in all the years that the case dragged on in court, pollution levels continued to rise in Laguna Lake and floods kept threatening low-laying areas.For all these reasons, Congressman Suarez urged the Duterte administration to revive the Laguna de Bay project and open new negotiations with the BDZ, said to be one of the biggest and most respected firms in the dredging industry in the world, with a record that goes back 150 years.A new project would also help to mend our relations with foreign investors such as BDZ. But much more important is the need to clean up Laguna de Bay, ease the flooding along its shores, and develop it as a source of clean water for the people.
|
Manila Bulletin
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https://news.mb.com.ph/2017/03/06/revisit-the-laguna-de-bay-project-cancelled-in-2011/
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9 individuals face graft case over fertilizer procurement
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['Ma. Reina Leanne Tolentino']
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2017-04-23 00:39:19+00:00
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The Office of the Ombudsman has filed a graft case at the Sandiganbayan against nine individuals in connection with the alleged anomalous procurement of liquid fertilizers in 2004.Named respondents were Rodolfo Guieb, who was identified in the charge sheet as then-provincial agricultural officer of the Department of Agriculture (DA) Regional Office No. IV (Southern Luzon), and former Regional Executive Director Dennis Araullo.Also named respondents were Marina Sula, Theresita Samson, Lorna Ramirez, Renato Ornopia, Cherry Ann Kilapkilap, Amalia Soriano and Luzviminda Castro who were identified in the charge sheet as then-incorporators of the Masaganang Ani Para sa Magsasaka Foundation Inc. (MAMFI).Graft Investigation and Prosecution Officer III Rachel Cariaga-Favila of the Ombudsman alleged in the charge sheet that Guieb and Araullo, were allegedly “conspiring with” Sula, Samson, Ramirez, Ornopia, Kilapkilap, Soriano and Castro, and gave “unwarranted benefits, privilege and advantage to MAMFI, including” the said then-incorporators.A contract or transaction was allegedly entered into with MAMFI in the government’s behalf for the purchase of 3,240 bottles of Fertigrow Liquid Fertilizer, and payment thereof in the amount of P1,500 per bottle or a total of P4.86 million was allegedly caused, “despite the absence of a public bidding in the procurement process and failure of MAMFI to meet the mandated requirements specified in Commission on Audit Circular No. 96-003 to be considered as an accredited non-governmental organization and allowed to implement any project of the government.”The Ombudsman recommended P30,000 bail each for the respondents’ provisional liberty.
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Manila Times
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https://www.manilatimes.net/9-individuals-face-graft-case-fertilizer-procurement/323631/
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P2B more sought for feeding program
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['Bernadette E. Tamayo']
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2017-10-14 22:54:35+00:00
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SENATOR Grace Poe wants an additional outlay of P2 billion to support next year’s implementation of the school-based feeding program, which will include the purchase of kitchen equipment.She pressed for the additional budget to ensure that the 2.5 million “wasted and severely wasted” school children or those with chronic malnutrition would be properly supported in 2018.There is a huge backlog in food preparation and storage equipment in public schools “which in turn hamper the latter’s mission to provide education and nutrition,” she said.“We need enough facilities to prepare nutritious food for millions of students under the feeding program,” Poe said.“We must invest on the future of our youth through proper nutrition,” the senator added.Poe said the additional funding will be used for the procurement of equipment necessary for the establishment of new school kitchens with adequate storage, and upgrading of existing ones.The Department of Education (DepEd) has allocated P5.3 billion in the proposed 2018 General Appropriations Act for the feeding program.In this year’s national budget, the DepEd allotted P3.9 billion to feed 1.8 million students.The feeding program targets wasted and severely wasted Kinder to Grade 6 pupils nationwide for a total of 120 feeding days.Poe said various research done by local groups and international monitors suggested hunger, malnutrition and stunting—or children who are short of their age—are still prevalent in the Philippines.She said the government should start treating kitchen equipment as a basic education facility that can be used to feed kids in school and to teach them home economics courses.Need for school canteens, kitchensPoe said massive funding for school-based feeding underscores the need for well-equipped school canteens and kitchens.This year, the DepEd has a budget of P3.93 billion to feed Grades 1 to 6 students one meal a day for 120 days. This will go up to P5.3 billion next year.“But the question is, are there enough school resources that will aid in the implementation of this program?” Poe asked.There are many schools without or lack space for a canteen, she said. Many more have no kitchen. “Without these were will they cook food for the children?” Poe asked.“The answer lies in conferring upon kitchen equipment the same status and importance as books, computers, wash facilities,” she said.Poe added kitchen equipment does not only prepare healthy food but are teaching tools as well. “They cannot just watch cooking shows on YouTube.”“They are essential ingredients in cooking classes. Remember that one of the tracks in the K-12 senior high school curriculum is voc-tech [technical-vocational], of which culinary arts is one of the offerings,” she said.Poe said a program to erase the backlog in school canteen and kitchen equipment “would hit two birds with one stone: you will have the equipment for feeding and for teaching.”She said that if the DepEd is having a hard time spending allocations for buildings, “then perhaps it should divert some of the funds in buying easy-to-acquire stoves, refs, ovens.”Due to procurement problems, the DepEd has been reverting to the Treasury unused funds and is projected to return again P21 billion in expired and unutilized appropriations by the end of this year.This prompted Poe to seek for an increase in the Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses fund of a school so it can have a budget to operate school kitchens and canteens.
|
Manila Times
|
https://www.manilatimes.net/p2b-sought-feeding-program/356447/
|
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