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Hundreds of cops get ready hours before Cagayan de Oro’s Traslacion
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Herbie G
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08/01/2024 20:50
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INSTRUCTIONS. Police officers receive final instructions at the PNP regional headquarters in Camp Alagar on Monday afternoon, January 8, ahead of their deployment to ensure security during the Black Nazarene procession in Cagayan de Oro on Tuesday morning.
Froilan Gallardo/Rappler
CAGAYAN DE ORO, Philippines – Hundreds of police officers received last-minute instructions on Monday afternoon, January 8, just hours before their deployment to secure the annual Black Nazarene procession in Cagayan de Oro.
The Traslacion started in Cagayan de Oro in 2009 but is a milder version compared to that of Quiapo. It has become a major religious event in Mindanao.
The replica of the Black Nazarene is being brought to the Saint Augustine Cathedral as of posting time. It would be brought back during a huge procession to the Jesus Nazareno Parish Church early Tuesday, January 9.
Colonel Wilbur Salaguste, director for operations of the Philippine National Police (PNP) in Northern Mindanao, said the police would secure the more than two-kilometer stretch from the cathedral to the Nazareno church in Barangay Lapasan.
Salaguste said the police contingent coming from the provinces of Bukidnon, Misamis Oriental, and Misamis Occidental are augmented by soldiers from the Army’s 4th Infantry Division and the Coast Guard.
He said a force of 500 policemen would ring the coach carrying the Callejero or the replica of the Black Nazarene as it is paraded by Catholic devotees along the major streets of the city.
Police said they expect Cagayan de Oro’s Black Nazarene procession to attract 150,000 to 200,000 devotees coming from all over Mindanao.
Salaguste said all telecommunication signals would be jammed in downtown Cagayan de Oro as soon as the procession starts on Tuesday morning.
The signal jamming would be in effect until the procession ends at the Nazareno parish.
“Be gentle with the devotees. Do not lose your cool,” Salaguste told the police officers at the PNP-X regional headquarters in Camp Alagar.
Given last month’s bombing of a Catholic Mass in Marawi City, Salaguete said they aren’t taking any chances and have been planning for Black Nazarene procession for weeks. – Rappler.com
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[EDITORIAL] Manigong Bagong Taon? Puwede na ang ‘masayang’ bagong taon
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Lilibeth Frondoso
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08/01/2024 18:36
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Nico Villarete
Tila mahirap alalahanin ang mga “good news” nitong 2023 sa harap ng nakalululang “bad news” ng nakaraang taon: headlining 2023 ay ang mga giyera sa Ukraine at Gaza. Ngayon, ang usapin ay nakatutok na sa pagpigil sa pagkalat ng giyera sa Middle East, habang ang mga taga-Ukraine ay naghihinagpis na nawala na sa kanila ang atensiyon ng mundo.
Maraming prediksiyon na nakanginginig, kasama na ang isang “super El Niño” na huwag naman po sana magdala ng sakuna at gutom. Pero ang pinakanagpapakaba sa maraming nagmamahal sa kalayaan ay ang patuloy na pag-urong ng demokrasya sa buong mundo – at susi diyan ang hindi bababa sa 50 – opo, five-zero – na eleksiyong magaganap sa 2024, kasama na ang Estado Unidos, Indonesia, at Taiwan.
Ano man ang kalalabasan ng mga eleksiyong ito, apektado ang Pilipinas.
Kapag hindi nanalo ang incumbent US President na si Joe Biden na ngayo’y 81 years old na – siyempre mag-a-adjust din ng approach ang Pilipinas. Tulad nang nakita sa panahon pa ni US President Ronald Reagan – kahit si Donald Trump pa (na nangununa sa Republican nomination race) ang makasungkit ng korona – kaibigan din ng Republicans ang pamilyang Marcos. Paano ito makaaapekto sa West Philippine Sea issue? Hindi siguro kalakihan. Pero paano nito babaguhin ang asta ni Pangulong Ferdinand Marcos Jr. sa usapin ng human rights, peace process, at demokrasya? ‘Yan ang problema sa pagbasa sa isang transactional politician.
Pero kapag kumandidato at nanalo si Trump, malinaw na setback ito para sa mga lumalaban sa doomsday na epekto ng climate change. Maaga pa lang sa kanyang ambisyon 2024, sinabi na niyang hindi niya tutuparin ang mga pangako ng Biden administration sa COP28.
Sa Taiwan naman, ibang usapin kapag manalo ang kandidatong pabor sa mas malapit na relasyon sa Tsina. Habang huhupa ang tensiyon sa pagitan ng superpower at inaangkin nitong isla, lalakas ang kapit ng Tsina sa buong rehiyon kapag nag-deescalate ang situwasyon sa pagitan ng Tsina at Taiwan. Magmimistula bang Hong Kong ang Taiwan kapag nakontrol ng Tsina ang pulitika sa isla? Hindi malayo. At lalong magiging mahalaga ang papel ng Pilipinas sa dati nitong colonial master na Estados Unidos sa Pacific.
Sa Indonesia, binabantayan ang magiging successor ni Joko “Jokowi” Widodo, na impluwensiyal na boses sa rehiyon sa panahon ng kanyang termino. Mahalaga ang kooperasyon sa pagitan ng Indonesia at Pilipinas sa pagsusulong ng mga hakbang na sasalag sa agresyon ng Tsina sa South China Sea.
Taon ng ChatGPT ang 2023, at kung nagulantang ang mga tao sa generative AI, prediksyon ng ilang mga news sites na ang 2024 ang taon na magme-mental shift ang mga tao, gobyerno, at pangangalakal upang samantalahin ang bentahe ng nakagigimbal na teknolohiya.
Walang umaasang magbabago ang palubog nang X sa kumunoy na kinasadlakan nito dahil sa may-ari nitong si Elon Musk. Pero habang walang alternatibong sisikat, magpapatuloy ang disinformation at kawalan ng makabuluhang talakayan sa social media.
Dumako naman tayo sa lokal na pulitika. Pinakatampok ang pag-ikot ng gulong ng palad ng mga Duterte.
Saksi tayo sa tumitinding iringan sa pagitan ng kampo ng mga Marcos (pangunahin na ang pinsan ng Pangulo na si House Speaker Martin Romualdez) at ang kampo ng mga Duterte. Fearless forecast: lalo lamang iigting ang war of political dominance sa pagitan ng mga Marcos at Duterte sa harap ng papalapit na eleksiyon. (BASAHIN: The tide turns: Key moments in Philippine politics in 2023)
Kakabit na isyu ang pagpasok ng International Criminal Court sa eksena – nitong 2023, nakita natin ang mga alyado ni Speaker Romualdez na nagtutulak ng pakikipag-cooperate ng Kamara sa ICC kaugnay ng drug war ni Duterte at Davao Death Squad. Sabi pa ni Marcos, pinag-aaralan na ang pagbabalik ng Pilipinas bilang miyembro ng ICC (nag-hyperventilate ka ba, Digong?). Tila natuwa pa ang liderato ng Kamara nang magsampa ang Minority ng kaso laban sa nakatatandang Duterte. (Hindi namin matandaan ang huling pagkakataong pinuri o dinepensahan ng isang speaker ang Makabayan bloc.) Andiyan din ang pag-iimbestiga ng Lower House sa Sonshine Media Network (SMNI) na pag-aari ng kumpare ni Rodrigo Duterte na si Apollo Quiboloy. Ang dating nasa ibabaw, ngayo’y tila nasa ilalim.
Kamusta naman ang ekonomiya ng Pilipinas sa 2024? Bumaba ang kahirapan sa Pilipinas sa 22.4% mula sa 23.7% noong nakaraang dalawang taon. Kung ganito kabagal ang pag-translate ng pag-unlad o ‘yung tinatawag na trickle-down, aba’y hindi natin mararamadaman ‘yan sa 2024. Same-same lang. (Basahin dito kung gaano kabagal ang poverty alleviation sa bansa.)
Kaya, we’re not holding our breath na matutupad ang mga pangako ni Pangulong Marcos noong una niyang SONA. Magsi-single digit daw ang poverty rate pagdating ng 2028? Do the math. Isama na riyan ang P20/kilo na bigas – isa pa rin ‘yang panaginip.
Ngayong nagta-transition tayo mula sa 2023 patungong 2024, mailap ang optimism. Dalawang malupit na giyera ang nagpatulala sa atin nitong nakaraang taon – ang isang giyera ay kumitil ng tinatantiyang higit 23,000 na buhay (kasama ang Israeli death count noong Nobyembre 7) sa loob ng tatlong buwan. Nangangapa pa rin ang karamihan paano pangangalagaan ang katinuan at katotohanan sa harap ng AI at disinformation. Mabagal na mabagal ang pag-ahon sa kahirapan ng mga Pilipino. Paliit nang paliit ang kumot ng demokrasya. May learning poverty pa. Sa Western Visayas, nagbabantang magpatuloy ang power crisis.
May tradisyonal na bati kapag bagong taon: “Manigong Bagong Taon.” Pero bihira na nating marinig ito. Sa halip na umasam ng kasaganahan, mas maraming bumabati ng “Happy New Year.” Tila mas madaling maging masaya kaysa maging masagana ngayon.
Pero sa kabila niyan, may mga blessing pa rin na puwedeng bilangin. Nakalaya na si Leila de Lima nitong 2024. May peace talks na muling binubuksan. May kriminal na kaso nang naisampa laban sa palamura at misogynist na dating pangulo. At hindi natuloy ang confidential funds ng anak ng mismong dating pangulo na talaga namang walang karapatang makakuha nito. Nakakapagbiyahe nang muli ang mga tao at naibsan na ang claustrophobia ng pandemic years. Pinag-uusapan na sa isang top United Nations court ang isyu kung genocide ba ang ginagawa ng Israel.
Kaya’t bilangin natin ang mga biyaya, pero mas lalo nating bilangin at bantayan ang ating mga kalayaan: ang kalayaang umibig regardless of gender; ang kalayaang tumuligsa at magsalita; ang kalayaang mamahayag. Tandaan natin na pundasyon ng mga kalayaang iyan ang isang malusog na demokrasya. Happy New Year! – Rappler.com
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[The Slingshot] How many were really EJK’d under Duterte?
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Marguerite de Leon
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08/01/2024 16:43
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Guia Abogado/Rappler
Bato dela Rosa was fuming. When he fumes, he says a mouthful. He raged against Raoul Manuel and in the same breath jumps to the death toll numbers of the Duterte extrajudicial killings. 30,000, he said? How did they reach the 30,000, he asked?
But he knows.
Let’s start with the official police number adopted by national government. On March 30, 2022, just three months before he was to leave office marking almost six years since he launched his kill, kill, kill policy, Rodrigo Duterte directed the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency to supply human rights groups with a copy of the report of the government’s anti-narcotics campaign. He said he wanted drug war critics to study the report.
It was the tail end of his regime. Six years was sufficient time to sugarcoat the numbers. PDEA came up with a promo branding by naming it the “Real Numbers.” So what were the numbers? It said 24,303 villages all over the country have been cleared of illegal drugs since July 2016. A total of 1,008 drug dens and 18 clandestine shabu laboratories have been dismantled. About 327,039 have been arrested. For the total, 226,662 anti-drug operations have been conducted.
Finally it said 6,229 have died. PDEA said the numbers were up to date.
But how real were PDEA’s “Real Numbers?” Despite the 6,229 claim of Duterte, his own government agencies competed for the numbers. Under the hashtag #RealNumbersPH, the Duterte government said in June 2019 that there were 5,526 deaths of drug personalities. On that same month, former police chief Dela Rosa (by that time he was senator) said the number was 6,700. Pressed on the discrepancy, then presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo said it was an “unintentional mistake.” They were stumbling upon each other. That means their numbers were not real after all. Someone was lying.
In truth drug war critics have long studied the glaring inconsistencies, something Duterte thought the national public was dumb not to mind, as it didn’t in muted Davao city. The discrepancy could have been uncovered as early as March 2017, only less than a year after Duterte had assumed office. The Rappler Research Report came out that month. It noted that the Philippine National Police had never used the term “deaths under investigation” before, only after Duterte assumed power. Who was the police chief at that time? It was Bato dela Rosa.
On August 18, 2016, Dela Rosa used the term “deaths under investigation” for the first time in a senate hearing. He said these deaths took place outside legitimate police operations. He defined DUIs as “the dead who were just found floating along canals, the dead who were dumped along roads with their hands tied and their faces, eyes, and mouths taped. Also those killed by riding-in-tandem, or those who were just shot.”
In September 2016 – remember this was just less than three months of the Duterte administration – police started using the term DUI to police beat reporters. Police said these deaths were attributed to robbery, theft, or personal grudges, yet did not give out a breakdown. If they were still investigating, how did they come up with the motives?
In December 2016, Dela Rosa gave out a new storyline, that “some of the deaths were caused by guns-for-hire taking advantage of the anti-illegal drug campaign.” That was a new angle.
In March 2017, PNP changed its terminology and now referred to DUIs as “homicide cases under investigation (HCUI)” because “the motives have yet to be determined.”
The findings by other independent bodies were strikingly similar. In December 2018, Chito Gascon, the chair of the Commission on Human Rights, said the death toll could be as high as 27,000 (that is why Duterte hated Gascon so much). The CHR was not into guesswork. It investigated police records albeit largely with difficulty because by then police withheld records.
CHR also suspected the root of the discrepancy – homicide cases under investigation or HCUIs. On that same month, police pegged the numbers of HCUIs at 23,327. It further segregated that number to three: 2,649 were drug related but happened outside police raids, 10,594 were non-drug cases, and 10,084 were not linked to any motive.
But notice how the police explained it. The police spokesperson Benigno Durana Jr. said: the killings were attributed to an internal war between drug syndicates. Police said these were cases of double-cross, estafa, non-remittance, non-payment of debt, rivalry. Yet it also said that the Philippine National Police had yet to validate claims that police were behind the summary executions. In other words, no policemen were involved, even in the drug-related cases.
If we go by the police logic and mathematics, one is sure to be confused.
Gascon and the CHR were on the right track. If you add the official number to the number of homicide cases under investigation (2018 data), you will reach something like 27,000 deaths.
In August 2019, Karen Gomez of the CHR disclosed to the BBC that regional police stations are blocking or delaying the release of information in the public interest: “This is something quite different about how we used to investigate killings in the past. This time there is little or no cooperation when it comes to sharing documentation.”
Police was systematically blocking transparency and access to public data. No one but no one can manipulate the police to commit such illegal act. No one except Rodrigo Duterte.
Sooner or later a lie that stands on shifting sands will give way. True enough, in 2017, the Duterte administration released its year-end key accomplishment report. It of course covered all the reports across all cabinet departments. There on page 22, under the “President’s 2017 Key Accomplishments,” was the mathematical solution.
Under “Fighting Illegal Drugs,” there were “3,967 drug personalities who died in anti-drug operations from July 1, 2016 to November 27, 2017.”
There were “16,355 Homicide Cases Under Investigation” from the same period.
Add them up and the sum is 20,322. That was as of December 2017 only. Gascon’s 27,000 in December 2018 was valid. By the end of Duterte’s term on June 30, 2022, even 30,000 would be a frail increment. It could be more than 30,000.
The conclusion: the Duterte administration faked the numbers. It made the police use the technique of under reporting. It also employed the technique of shifting terminologies to confuse, from deaths under investigation to homicides under investigation.
Duterte’s method was predictable. As he did in Davao City, Duterte made the police hire vigilante assassins to kill for a price. Presto, the police did not do it. Some contract killers confessed. One was a hit woman. She told the BBC how she got involved in contract killing after a corrupt police officer — one who was also dealing with drugs — started commissioning her husband to gun down debtors.
Yet payments were done right inside the police national headquarters in Camp Crame. A Senior Police Officer 1 confessed to Amnesty International: “We always get paid by the encounter. The amount ranges from P8,000 to P15,000. That amount is per head. So if the operation is against four people, that is P32,000. We are paid in cash, secretly by headquarters. There’s no incentive for arresting. We’re not paid anything.” And that was 2017 yet.
We became a rogue state under Rodrigo Duterte where, as the Amnesty report avers, police were made to break the laws they were supposed to uphold while they profited from money earned by taxpayers. It is time to hold him, Bato dela Rosa, and all their co-executioners who participated in the evil operation to the International Criminal Court. It is only but right and just. – Rappler.com
Antonio J. Montalván II is a social anthropologist who advocates that keeping quiet when things go wrong is the mentality of a slave, not a good citizen.
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According to writer AJ Montalvan II: “If we go by the police logic and mathematics, one is sure to be confused.” Indeed, because those numbers are meant to confuse the Filipino People (except the DDS). Secondly, I certainly and greatly agree: “It is time to hold him, Bato dela Rosa, and all their co-executioners who participated in the evil operation to the International Criminal Court. It is only but right and just.” (Note: the Duterte father-daughter tandem should have been specifically mentioned, too.)
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FACT CHECK: AFP denies withdrawing support for Marcos government
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Lorenz Pasion
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08/01/2024 18:00
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Claim: The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said it will withdraw its support for President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. if the International Criminal Court (ICC) makes a move against former president Rodrigo Duterte.
Why we fact-checked this: The YouTube video bearing the claim has over 26,513 views as of writing.
What the video says: The title of the video reads: “AFP withdrawal of support di na nakakagulat! Kapag ginalaw ng ICC ang mga Duterte/Tamba binola ang AFP” (AFP’s withdrawal of support not surprising if ICC makes a move against the Dutertes/Tamba praises AFP)
At the 2:58 mark, the video says, “Hindi na nakapagtataka kung ilan sa mga opisyal at active members ng AFP ang magpapahayag ng withdrawal of support kapag nagpatuloy itong pagmamalabis ng Congress at ni PBBM” (It’s not surprising if a number of officials and active members of the AFP announce their withdrawal of support if Congress and PBBM’s abuse continues.)
Unofficial: In an email to Rappler on December 27, the AFP denied the claim made in the video.
“The AFP and its units did not issue or sanction the issuance of such a statement. We are a professional, non-partisan military organization that is loyal to the Chain of Command and the Constitution,” the AFP said.
A commentary: As alleged proof to support the claim, the video showed a clip of retired Army captain Clemente Enriquez warning the Marcos government that something bad would happen if it moved against former president Duterte, his daughter, Vice President Sara Duterte, and SMNI, a platform known for red-tagging and peddling disinformation. However, Clemente’s clip is mere commentary from his YouTube channel Pinoy Survivor, and he did not provide proof that his statements came from the AFP.
Officers of the Philippine Military Academy Class of 1983, of which Enrique is a member, sent Rappler a brief statement disowning the claims. “Mr. Enrique’s statements in his VLOG of Pinoy Survivor, in the exercise of his right to freedom of expression, are his own personal views and opinions alone and do not in any way reflect that of PMA Class 1983 or of the individual members.” (READ: Sara Duterte is ‘my president,’ says retired soldier. His Matikas ‘mistahs’ are annoyed.)
Marcos-Duterte faction: In the past year, Marcos disengaged from the controversial policies of his predecessor, leading to the unravelling of the UniTeam alliance and clashes between the Marcos and Duterte factions. (READ: [OPINION] Marcos’ disengagement from Duterte sets stage for 2025 showdown)
The Marcos government also took a different tack in its relationship with the Armed forces compared to Duterte. Recently, the Marcos government decided to reform the generous military pension system and announced the resumption of stalled peace negotiations with communist guerrillas.
Marcos also said the Philippines’ return to the ICC is “under study,” as the war crimes tribunal continues its probe into the Duterte drug war and crimes of the so-called Davao Death Squad. – Lorenz Pasion/Rappler.com
Keep us aware of suspicious Facebook pages, groups, accounts, websites, articles, or photos in your network by contacting us at factcheck@rappler.com. You may also report dubious claims to #FactsFirstPH tipline by messaging Rappler on Facebook or Newsbreak via Twitter direct message. You may also report through our Viber fact check chatbot. Let us battle disinformation one Fact Check at a time.
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CLOSER LOOK: How Marcos, Duterte, Zubiri, Romualdez fared in December 2023 Pulse Asia survey
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Dwight de Leon
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08/01/2024 15:03
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BUDGET SIGNING. Vice President Sara Duterte, Senate President Migz Zubiri, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., and House Speaker Martin Romualdez during the signing of the 2023 budget in December 2022.
House press and public affairs bureau
MANILA, Philippines – Pulse Asia has released the results of its latest survey on the performance and trustworthiness of the Philippines’ highest-ranking officials, and the pollster observed “only a few significant changes.”
“Public opinion regarding the trustworthiness of the top national government officials hardly changed between September 2023 and December 2023, both at the national level and across sub-groupings,” the company said in a report published on Monday, January 8.
Pulse Asia, however, noted “several marked movements across geographic and socio-economic groupings” in terms of performance scores.
Trust: 73% (+2 from September 2023)Distrust: 7% (+1 from September 2023)Undecided on trust: 20% (-3 from September 2023)Approval: 68% (+3 from September 2023)Disapproval: 9% (-1 from September 2023)Undecided on performance: 22% (-3 from September 2023)
There is little movement in the President’s numbers at the national level, and he still enjoys majority support.
His approval numbers saw a 15-percentage-point increase among Class E respondents, and a 10-percentage-point increase among Class ABC.
His trust rating in these groupings tell a similar story: a 12-percentage-point increase among Class E, and a larger 15-percentage-point increase among Class ABC.
Geographically speaking, Marcos took a beating in the Visayas, after his disapproval score jumped from 4% in September to 16% in December.
Trust: 78% (+3 from September 2023)Distrust: 6% (+1 from September 2023)Undecided on trust: 15% (-5 from September 2023)Approval: 74% (+1 from September 2023)Disapproval: 8% (+3 from September 2023)Undecided on performance: 18% (-4 from September 2023)
Just like the President, Vice President Duterte saw a little increase in her trust and approval scores, but she remains the most trusted government official based on the Pulse Asia survey.
Among socioeconomic groups, she recorded the biggest gain among Class ABC, with an 18-percentage-point approval score increase and a 17-percentage-point surge in her trust rating.
Duterte also tumbled in the Visayas, after her approval score dipped by 12 percentage points.
Trust: 51% (+2 from September 2023)Distrust: 10% (+2 from September 2023)Undecided on trust: 39% (-5 from September 2023)Approval: 49% (-1 from September 2023)Disapproval: 12% (+4 from September 2023)Undecided on performance: 40% (-2 from September 2023)
Senate President Zubiri, like the President and the Vice President, enjoys the trust of the majority.
He did not register a double-digit gain in his numbers across sub-groupings, and the percentage of respondents from Class ABC who disapproved of his performance rose by 14 points.
Trust: 40% (+2 from September 2023)Distrust: 14% (unchanged from September 2023)Undecided on trust: 46% (-2 from September 2023)Approval: 39% (-2 from September 2023)Disapproval: 13% (-1 from September 2023)Undecided on performance: 48% (+4 from September 2023)
Unlike the first three, Romualdez’s trust rating fell short of the majority, although it is 2-percentage-points higher compared to September.
A major pain point for the Speaker is the Visayas, where he suffered a 23-percentage-point drop in his approval rating and an 11-percentage-point drop in his trust rating.
Key developments that took place in the weeks leading up the survey period and during Pulse Asia’s field work include:
A total of 1,200 respondents participated in the survey conducted from December 3 to 7. They were also asked about the most urgent issues that the Marcos administration must immediately address.
Top answers include:
The full report can be viewed below:
– Rappler.com
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Bacolod, Negros Occidental officials agree to hold power summit for self-sufficiency
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Herbie G
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08/01/2024 16:19
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BLACKOUT. Residents and workers do their tasks under candlelight after a massive blackout hits Iloilo City on January 2.
Arnold Almacen/Iloilo City Mayor's Office
BACOLOD, Philippines – Bacolod and Negros Occidental political leaders are engaged in discussions to coordinate an energy summit that would bring together key stakeholders in the power sector, and work towards achieving self-sufficiency in electricity supply for Negros Island.
Bacolod Mayor Albee Benitez told a news conference on Monday, January 8, that he made the proposal, and the city government and Negros Occidental provincial government, under Governor Jose Lacson, agreed to organize the power summit in February.
Benitez said it is important for power generation to power distribution players to meet and discuss a plan with other stakeholders.
The call for a power summit came barely a week after Western Visayas experienced four days of blackouts, which resulted in huge economic losses in the region.
The Local Economic Development and Investment Promotion (LEDIP) center in Iloilo said the city alone incurred as much as P500 million in losses during the first two days of the power outage.
On Friday, January 5, the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) announced that the power supply in the Panay Island power sub-grid was fully restored.
Benitez said there was a need to achieve a self-sufficient power supply on the island by harnessing its power-generation capacity. He also said fair and square terms should be laid out.
“We want a self-sufficient power supply. Looking at it, we generate about 700 megawatts and our consumption is just about 440 megawatts. From that, we see that we still have a surplus on Negros Island. If we can harness our locally-produced power for our own consumption, we don’t need to rely on other power plants elsewhere,” Benitez told local reporters.
He said power plant operators on Negros Island should give priority to local consumers before supplying other areas, a measure intended to prevent power outages on the island in the future.
Negros has a capacity of 667.9 megawatts being generated by 18 diesel-, gas turbine-, geothermal-, hydro-, biomass-, and solar-powered plants.
On January 2, several cities and provinces in Western Visayas were thrust into darkness as a region-wide power outage unfolded. The disruption resulted from the simultaneous shutdown of all power plants across Panay Island.
Residents and businesses in the affected areas found themselves contending with the abrupt loss of electricity, leading to disruptions in normal daily activities.
Investigations are underway to ascertain the exact cause of the power plant shutdown on the island. – Rappler.com
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Northern Mindanao poverty level prompts board to hike wages sans petition
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Herbie G
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08/01/2024 14:34
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Minimum wage earners demonstrate what the governmentu2019s P40 wage increase could buy in the market, at the Nepa Q-Mart in Quezon City early on July 3, 2023. Showing 4 plastic bags which cost P40 each, consist of pandesal and instant coffee, eggs and tomatoes, less than a kilo of rice and 3 packs of noodles, the demonstrators lament that the wage increase is nowhere near the P1,100 living wage needed to feed a family of 4 in the country.
Jire Carreon/Rappler
CAGAYAN DE ORO, Philippines – The Northern Mindanao regional wage board primarily considered the well-being of workers and their families when deciding the minimum wage, taking into account poverty threshold estimates provided by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) every three years.
This week, more than 140,000 daily minimum wage earners in the region are expected to receive a raise.
With a poverty threshold of P12,015 in 2021 that the PSA released a year later, it took seven months for the seven-member Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board (RTWPB) in Northern Mindanao to conduct the wage-setting process.
The process began on May 24, 2023, when they agreed to review the prevailing minimum wages, even in the absence of a filed petition for wage adjustment.
Section 3(A) of Republic Act No. 6727 or the Wage Rationalization Act, provides that the regional wage boards may motu proprio initiate wage review. A series of provincial wage consultations, a public hearing, and board deliberations were then held.
Last December 21, the RTWPB-Northern Mindanao issued Wage Order No. RX-22, providing an increase of P33 per day on existing daily minimum wages to be given in two tranches: P23 this Thursday, January 11, and P10 by July 1.
By then, the new minimum wage rates in the region would be from P423 to P438 for the non-agriculture category, and from P411 to P426 for the agriculture category.
The new rates are expected to directly benefit over 144,000 daily minimum wage earners and about 267,000 workers may also get salary increases, on top of existing above minimum rates, through wage distortion corrections.
During a January 4 public forum, Arsenio Sebastian III, the management sector representative in the regional wage board, said the review of rates under Wage Order No. RX-21 was necessary due to the poverty level in Northern Mindanao, even without a formal petition for it.
Sebastian said it was already over a year since Wage Order No. RX-21 took effect and they were mandated by law to conduct periodic reviews of socio-economic conditions of the region based on a set of criteria for minimum wage fixing.
The criteria are intended to maintain the minimum standards of living necessary for the health, efficiency, and general well-being of employees. Article 124 of RA No. 6727 provides that the regional wage boards should consider the following:
Bernie Salinas, a supervising labor employment officer at RTWPB-Northern Mindanao secretariat, said three out of the four wage rates, effective since June 18, 2022, under Wage Order No. RX-21, were found to be below the 2021 poverty threshold. The PSA released the nationwide and regional poverty threshold estimates for the full year of 2021 on August 15, 2022.
The poverty threshold is the minimum income required for a family or individual to meet the basic food and non-food requirements.
Northern Mindanao’s poverty threshold in 2021 was P12,015 for a family of five, based on the PSA Poverty Survey Result. And since the region has an average family size of 4.2, which was also determined by the PSA, the poverty threshold should be P10,092, they said.
The wage rates, as set by Wage Order No. RX-21, were P390 to P405 for non-agricultural workers and P378 to P393 for agricultural workers, who are expected to work 26 days a month. Officials said their monthly earnings would range from P10,140 to P10,530, and P9,828 to P10,218, respectively.
Salinas said that, once mandatory deductions like withholding tax and social security were applied, three of the wage categories would fall below the poverty threshold, a point which supported Sebastian’s statement that they ensured the adjustments would be above the region’s poverty line.
The next PSA full-year Poverty Survey Results for 2024 are expected to be available in mid-2025.
With the poverty line drawn, the number of residents below it is estimated by PSA at 1.72 million in 2021.
Meanwhile, Engineer Milbert Macarambon, a labor representative in the RTWPB-X, said they did a balancing act when they decided the amount of wage adjustment and the schedule of wage order. A P50-wage adjustment was initially proposed this May 1, 2024 (Labor Day) for the full implementation of two-tranche salary increases.
Macarambon, however, said they could not insist on a P50 increase as an abrupt one-time wage adjustment may lead to the closure of establishments and many would be jobless. He said other firms that cannot pay, may not be able to comply with the new wage order.
Lawyer Erwin Aquino, DOLE regional director and chairperson of RTWPB-X, said there was a 90% compliance with Wage Order No. RX-21 on the 1,068 establishments they inspected last year.
The previous wage order, which granted an adjustment from P40 to P47, was implemented in two tranches – P25 plus P15, and another P25 plus P22 – that took effect on June 18, 2022, and December 16, 2022, respectively.
Wage Order No. RX-22 applies to all minimum daily wage earners, regardless of the size in terms of workforce and capitalization of the business establishment, Aquino said. – Rappler.com
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CLOSER LOOK: How Marcos, Duterte, Zubiri, Romualdez fared in December 2023 Pulse Asia survey
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Dwight de Leon
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08/01/2024 15:03
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BUDGET SIGNING. Vice President Sara Duterte, Senate President Migz Zubiri, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., and House Speaker Martin Romualdez during the signing of the 2023 budget in December 2022.
House press and public affairs bureau
MANILA, Philippines – Pulse Asia has released the results of its latest survey on the performance and trustworthiness of the Philippines’ highest-ranking officials, and the pollster observed “only a few significant changes.”
“Public opinion regarding the trustworthiness of the top national government officials hardly changed between September 2023 and December 2023, both at the national level and across sub-groupings,” the company said in a report published on Monday, January 8.
Pulse Asia, however, noted “several marked movements across geographic and socio-economic groupings” in terms of performance scores.
Trust: 73% (+2 from September 2023)Distrust: 7% (+1 from September 2023)Undecided on trust: 20% (-3 from September 2023)Approval: 68% (+3 from September 2023)Disapproval: 9% (-1 from September 2023)Undecided on performance: 22% (-3 from September 2023)
There is little movement in the President’s numbers at the national level, and he still enjoys majority support.
His approval numbers saw a 15-percentage-point increase among Class E respondents, and a 10-percentage-point increase among Class ABC.
His trust rating in these groupings tell a similar story: a 12-percentage-point increase among Class E, and a larger 15-percentage-point increase among Class ABC.
Geographically speaking, Marcos took a beating in the Visayas, after his disapproval score jumped from 4% in September to 16% in December.
Trust: 78% (+3 from September 2023)Distrust: 6% (+1 from September 2023)Undecided on trust: 15% (-5 from September 2023)Approval: 74% (+1 from September 2023)Disapproval: 8% (+3 from September 2023)Undecided on performance: 18% (-4 from September 2023)
Just like the President, Vice President Duterte saw a little increase in her trust and approval scores, but she remains the most trusted government official based on the Pulse Asia survey.
Among socioeconomic groups, she recorded the biggest gain among Class ABC, with an 18-percentage-point approval score increase and a 17-percentage-point surge in her trust rating.
Duterte also tumbled in the Visayas, after her approval score dipped by 12 percentage points.
Trust: 51% (+2 from September 2023)Distrust: 10% (+2 from September 2023)Undecided on trust: 39% (-5 from September 2023)Approval: 49% (-1 from September 2023)Disapproval: 12% (+4 from September 2023)Undecided on performance: 40% (-2 from September 2023)
Senate President Zubiri, like the President and the Vice President, enjoys the trust of the majority.
He did not register a double-digit gain in his numbers across sub-groupings, and the percentage of respondents from Class ABC who disapproved of his performance rose by 14 points.
Trust: 40% (+2 from September 2023)Distrust: 14% (unchanged from September 2023)Undecided on trust: 46% (-2 from September 2023)Approval: 39% (-2 from September 2023)Disapproval: 13% (-1 from September 2023)Undecided on performance: 48% (+4 from September 2023)
Unlike the first three, Romualdez’s trust rating fell short of the majority, although it is 2-percentage-points higher compared to September.
A major pain point for the Speaker is the Visayas, where he suffered a 23-percentage-point drop in his approval rating and an 11-percentage-point drop in his trust rating.
Key developments that took place in the weeks leading up the survey period and during Pulse Asia’s field work include:
A total of 1,200 respondents participated in the survey conducted from December 3 to 7. They were also asked about the most urgent issues that the Marcos administration must immediately address.
Top answers include:
The full report can be viewed below:
– Rappler.com
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Filipino war blades: Relics of armed struggle and nobility
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Marguerite de Leon
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08/01/2024 15:10
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“Sigurado kang iyan ang gagamitin mo (Are you sure that’s what you’re going to use)?”
My father looked incredulously at the massive, thin-bladed war sword. The sword figures prominently in Filipino mainstream culture, thanks to the popular story and depiction of Datu Lapu-Lapu who supposedly used it to cut down Magellan (a historically inaccurate account, as noted by premier historian Dr. Ambeth Ocampo).
“Oo, gusto ko makita ang totoong bagsik nito (Yes, I want to see this weapon’s true potency),” I replied while checking the rattan-wrapped hilt grip.
There were fallen banana trees in our backyard that needed to be cleared away – perfect targets for cutting practice. The wooden handguard felt reassuring, and the pommel seemed to give me an eager, toothy grin. The antique Iranun kampilan was ready – and so was I.
(Author’s note: Training, supervision, and safety measures are required before doing test cuts, especially when using antique swords. It is also mandatory to check Batas Pambansa Blg. 6, November 21, 1978, for provisions on lawful use of bladed implements.)
Cut tests with restored antique blades is part of my personal research. I aim to validate past-era accounts of Philippine archipelago fighting blades’ performance. In colonial-era historical documentation, foreign authors always mention our fighting blades with wonder and respect. Certain tribes and organizations became known for their signature fighting blades.
The Bangsamoro tribes used a panoply of huge and heavy war blades to keep the South unconquered.
The Spanish-era cuadrilleros (indigenous police force) enforced Spanish rule using bolos provisioned with European handguards and leather sheaths.
The Waray Pulahan used their unique garab sword (also called talibon or sundang) for lopping off colonial invaders’ body parts during ambuscades or massed bolo rush.
The Bicol Cimarrones tribe used their ‘minasbad’ blades for hunting, cultural transactions, and self-defense.
Blade expert Zel Umali, who uses an inductive method to identify blades, has the following motto: “The first step is to simply look at the blade.” Different areas prefer certain edge grinds: chisel (Visayan), convex (various Luzon and Bangsamoro areas), or asymmetrical (various Luzon and Bangsamoro areas). Fighting blades would have streamlining features that improve wield character (also known by collectors and martial arts practitioners as “feel” or “balance”). These features include clip-point, false edge, wide bevel, fuller, and aggressive distal taper. The tip has its own odyssey. It may be at the middle, upper half, or lower half of the blade width. It can curve upward like a saber’s, or downward like a beak. Belly placement (or in some cases, the lack of a belly) also varies.
The cutting capabilities of our fighting blades depend on build features (steel composition, edge grind, heat treatment, hilt configuration, etc.), proper cutting technique, and target material. Generally speaking, very light, thin-spined, and narrow-width blades are best for slashing and thrusting at soft targets. Hefty, thick-spined, and wide blades have better chopping capabilities and can withstand tougher targets.
The hilt is the main provision of the wielder, because proper usage enables accurate and efficient blade strikes. Foremost blade expert Sali Nagarajen emphasized: “The hilt accounts for 50% of a traditional blade’s identity and functionality.” The hilt, whether round or polygonal in contour, fits the Filipino hand dimensions perfectly. The grip area may have a ferrule of silver, brass, iron, carabao horn, suasa (a rose-gold alloy), or rattan. The best hilts have secure weapon retention and grip options.
The pommel offers clues to the wielder’s background, ancestry, or motivation for fighting. For example, the famous Maguindanao kampilan pommel types which are popularly attributed to the crocodile (sometimes erroneously called bakunawa, a Visayan term) has alternative interpretations. According to Jesus Salon, different royal lineages crafted the pommel according to their coat-of-arms. Aside from the crocodile, there were lineages that depicted the pommel as a bird’s tail, or the dragon-like naga.
Together with the hilt, the scabbard is called the “dress” of the blade. The dress is a major indicator of the weapon’s origin and other influences. There are markings with layers of meaning, to name a few: the timeless and intricate okir/ukkil of the Bangsamoro, Visayan tribal patterns, and Luzon insignias indicating colonial or anti-colonial affiliation.
The resilient scabbard includes an attachment to the wielder’s body – textile, Manila rope, nylon, or other cord material.
Aside from combat functionality, our blades were a cultural indicator of nobility status. It’s a common misconception that highly aesthetic swords featured by museums and auction houses were the ones used by battle frontliners. In Luzon and Visayas, bolomen were provisioned with sharpened bamboo staves, makeshift or stolen guns, and farm bolos (credits to Elrik Jundis for this information). Among the Bangsamoro, warriors wielded spears, guns, and simple-dressed fighting blades.
The nobility class was composed of accomplished warriors, military officers, merchants, landowners, and those with foreign or royal lineage. A nobility blade was considered an exclusive luxury, and could not be afforded by a commoner. A passage in the Catalogo de la Exposicion General de las Filipinas published by Tipografico de Ricardo Fe (1887) stated that in the Tagalog provinces, nobility bolos were “used by wealthy indigenous people.”
Among the Bangsamoro, the double-edged sacred swords known as kris (Mindanao) and kalis (Sulu) may be for fighting or nobility depending on the dress. A kris with a wooden kakatua pommel and hemp-braided hilt grip was likely owned by a warrior. But a kris with an ivory pommel and metal-inlay hilt indicated nobility ownership. Such a kris was considered retired from battle duties, and preserved as a family heirloom or pusaka.
There is a rich trove of period photos that show members of Philippine nobility carrying gilded blades. Community leaders who preside over conflict and dispute cases wear their nobility blades to remind warring parties of their authority and wisdom (credits to Jesus Salon for this information). In the same vein, a diplomatic meeting between sovereigns – whether local or foreign – is a good venue to flaunt nobility blades. “For the apparel oft proclaims the man,” Shakespeare said – and our proud ancestors embodied this adage with their blades.
While a lot of our antique blades have been repatriated and studied by blade researchers in the past few decades, more anthropological legwork is necessary to chart blade development vis-a-vis cultural practices and historical eras. To paraphrase blade expert Braulio Agudelo: blade research is a reclamation of lost or long-hidden narratives that can strengthen national identity. With each shred of blade-related information, we recover priceless pieces of our proud and diverse cultures, and pay homage to a long history of valiant armed struggle. – Rappler.com
Author’s note: This article is dedicated to my family – to my wife, parents, and in-laws, for tolerating and even supporting my traditional blade research. My profuse thanks goes to aforementioned blade experts, mentors, friends, fellow collectors, and subject matter consultants; to Randy Salazar (head honcho of Filipino Traditional Blades research group), and Lorenz Lasco (blade expert specializing on symbolism and etymology). Lastly – this is a salute to the countless, nameless blade-wielding patriots who fought against colonial rule and oppression.
My blade cut test videos can be viewed here.
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CSC calls for nominations to the 2024 Search for Outstanding Government Workers
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clescudero0258
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08/01/2024 11:25
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The following is a press release from the Civil Service Commission.
The Civil Service Commission (CSC) is currently accepting nominations for the 2024 Search for Outstanding Government Workers through its Regional Offices, with the online submission deadline set for March 31, 2024.
As part of the government’s rewards and incentives mechanism under the Honor Awards Program (HAP), the annual search aims to recognize civil servants who have shown utmost dedication and commitment to their work, as well as to inspire other state employees toward deeper involvement in public service.
All government workers in the career and non-career service including appointive barangay officials may be nominated. Employees who are under Job Order or Contract of Service are excluded from the coverage of the program.
Civil servants with exceptional achievements of national impact may be nominated for the Presidential Lingkod Bayan Award, while those whose contributions resulted in innovations, digital transformation, or other positive changes within their region, agency, or department are eligible for the CSC Pagasa Award.
Meanwhile, public servants who consistently displayed exemplary and ethical behavior in the face of risk or temptation inherent in their work may be nominated to the Outstanding Public Officials and Employees (Dangal ng Bayan) category.
Posthumous nomination may also be accepted for public servants who died in the line of duty or in the pursuit of their official duties and responsibilities. The nomination must be made within 12 months from the time of death.
Awardees will be entitled to rewards and incentives, including cash prizes, automatic promotion or salary increase equivalent to the next higher position, one-time executive check-up, and scholarship opportunities with any of CSC’s partner educational institutions, among others.
The complete guidelines and nomination forms are available and may be downloaded from the CSC website.
The Search for Outstanding Government Workers is mandated in the 1987 Philippine Constitution, and implemented pursuant to Executive Order No. 292 or the Administrative Code of 1987; Executive Order No. 501, series of 1992, as amended by Executive Order No. 77, series of 1993; and Republic Act No. 6713. As provided under Section 35, Chapter 5, Book V of the Administrative Code of 1987, the CSC shall act as the HAP Secretariat and shall conduct the annual search for public exemplars.
For questions and clarifications, contact the Honor Awards Program Secretariat through email at hapsecretariat@csc.gov.ph; or email the CSC’s Contact Center ng Bayan at email@contactcenterngbayan.gov.ph or text 0908-88-16565. – Rappler.com
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FACT CHECK: No super typhoon making landfall in PH up until January 8
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Lorenz Pasion
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08/01/2024 12:36
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Claim: Super typhoon Alakdan is set to make landfall in the Philippines on Monday, January 8, according to a January 7 weather update.
Why we fact-checked this: The YouTube video containing the claim has 26,448 views and 601 likes as of writing. The channel that posted the video has 620,000 subscribers and bears a verified badge.
The facts: The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) reported in its 4 am update on January 8 that neither a low pressure area nor a tropical cyclone is being monitored within and outside the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR).
In its daily weather forecast, PAGASA reported that different weather systems will affect various parts of the country over the next few days. The northeast monsoon continues to affect Metro Manila and the rest of Luzon, bringing partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated light rain, while the shear line is affecting the eastern section of Southern Luzon, specifically Bicol, Quezon, Dinagat Islands, Surigao del Norte, and Surigao del Sur. The rest of the country will experience cloudy skies with isolated rain showers or thunderstorms due to the easterlies and localized thunderstorms.
Wrong name: The misleading YouTube video claimed that the incoming super typhoon would be named Alakdan. However, the first tropical cyclone for 2024 is set to be named Aghon, according to PAGASA’s list of tropical cyclone names for 2024. Alakdan is among the weather bureau’s list of auxiliary names, which will be used in case there are more than 25 tropical cyclones in a particular year.
Previous fact checks: While The YouTube channel that posted the misleading video is verified, this only means that it is the “official channel of a creator, artist, company, or public figure.” The authenticity of a channel’s content is not mentioned in YouTube’s guidelines for a verified badge.
For weather updates: For legitimate weather updates, visit PAGASA’s official website, Twitter page, and YouTube channel. Get updates too via Rappler’s Philippine weather page. – Katarina Ruflo/Rappler.com
Katarina Ruflo is a graduate of Rappler’s fact-checking mentorship program. This fact check was reviewed by a member of Rappler’s research team and a senior editor. Learn more about Rappler’s fact-checking mentorship program here.
Keep us aware of suspicious Facebook pages, groups, accounts, websites, articles, or photos in your network by contacting us at factcheck@rappler.com. Let us battle disinformation one Fact Check at a time.
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Philippines’ China-backed power grid operator faces perfect storm… and new investor?
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Ralf Rivas
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08/01/2024 8:00
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Luzon grid
National Grid Corporation of the Philippines' Facebook page
MANILA, Philippines – An island-wide blackout, a public scolding from no less than the President, and a magnified lens over its Chinese owners and profits – these are the makings of the perfect storm for the company behind the Philippines’ power grid operator.
In the wake of all these issues that the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) is facing, the President’s cousin, Speaker Martin Romualdez, is making a bold proposal for Marcos’s controversial wealth fund to invest into the company.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. already called out NGCP twice, with the latest one being the most scathing.
In a video message on Friday, January 5, Marcos blamed NGCP for the massive outage in Western Visayas, causing “significant hardship” in businesses and healthcare.
“Accountability lies with the NGCP. They are tasked with grid stability. Stability involves proactive responses to breakdowns and unexpected events, a duty that NGCP unfortunately has not fulfilled adequately,” Marcos said.
Marcos first made known his disappointment with NGCP last July 2023, during his second State of the Nation Address.
Marcos said NGCP had failed to implement 68 grid connections, citing data from the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC). This effectively resulted in unstable power supply in Luzon and Visayas, especially during peak demand during the summer.
Marcos added that he looks forward to seeing the private grid operator “complete all of its deliverables,” starting with the Mindanao-Visayas and Cebu-Negros-Panay interconnections.
Economic losses. Iloilo Mayor Jerry Treñas expressed his disappointment over the power interruptions, saying the blackouts have cost his city alone at least P400 million to P500 million in economic losses.
Prior to the January 2, 2024 incident, blackouts occurred back in April 2023.
Energy Secretary Raphael Lotilla said the blackouts in Iloilo, Capiz, Aklan, and Antique were preventable.
Lotilla said NGCP failed to act on the power disturbance due to the trip offs of the Panay Energy Development Corporation (PEDC) Units 1 and 2 and the Palm Concepcion Power Corp. (PCPC) Unit 1.
Meanwhile, the Independent Electricity Market Operator of the Philippines, the company which facilitates electricity trade in the country, said there was a two-hour window when the NGCP could have proactively called on the distribution utilities and electric cooperatives to reduce their load to prevent a collapse.
Marcos has directed the ERC to reset NGCP’s rates without further delay.
The NGCP insisted that it immediately fixed the transmission system and normalized voltage before several power plants “inexplicably tripped” on Tuesday.
“Rather than using NGCP as a scapegoat, we urge policymakers to be objective in their search for facts and not coddle certain sectors,” the power grid agency said. (READ: As power returns to Western Visayas, NGCP claps back at critics)
“We again reiterate our push for a comprehensive industry-wide approach to resolve the persistent power supply issues on Panay Island and elsewhere in the country,” NGCP added.
Missed targets. The recent blackouts add to the NGCP’s failures, including the 68 delayed transmission projects – 36 in Luzon, 21 in Visayas, and 11 in Mindanao. These projects have a combined worth of P231 billion, which the NGCP was supposed to have invested in between 2009 and 2019.
The Marcos administration is aiming to electrify 100% of households in the country by 2028.
Profits. Prior to the outages, the NGCP faced scrutiny over its exorbitant profits. The ERC found that the NGCP earned more than it should. Preliminary findings of its performance review found that the NGCP should only earn up to P183.5 billion from 2016 to 2022, or an average of P36.7 billion yearly. But it claimed a total of P387.8 billion or an annual average of P77.56 billion.
The ERC is currently reviewing the performance and rates of NGCP after it did not conduct a rate reset after 2015.
Meanwhile, the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism found that NGCP billed some P2.6 billion worth of corporate social responsibility projects and publicity expenses to consumers.
China’s presence. The recent blackouts have reignited calls to kick the Chinese investors out of NGCP. Some lawmakers even go as far as calling for grid operations to be nationalized once more.
China’s State Grid has a 40% stake in NGCP, which it bagged in 2008 during the Arroyo administration amid a power crisis which impacted government finances.
The 60% is owned by companies of Henry Sy Jr. and Robert Coyiuto Jr., who are among the richest Filipino tycoons.
In a hearing last May 2023, Senate committee energy chair Raffy Tulfo said he told the president that China’s presence in the power grid had security risks. He also floated the possibility of canceling NGCP’s franchise.
Marcos’ wealth fund. Maharlika Investment Corporation president and CEO Rafael Consing Jr. expressed that he is backing the proposal of Speaker Martin Romualdez to invest funds into NGCP.
Amid the four-day blackouts, Romualdez said it would be a “strategic investment” to do so.
“This event has highlighted critical issues in our power infrastructure, impacting numerous businesses, industries, and the daily lives of our citizens,” Romualdez said.
In a statement released by Malacañang, Consing said that “through such an investment, Maharlika would become a dedicated partner in tackling the Philippines’ complex energy challenges.
“By working hand-in-hand with NGCP’s existing shareholders, Maharlika can leverage its unique financial resources and development expertise to accelerate critical infrastructure upgrades, promote renewable energy integration, and improve overall grid efficiency.”
The Maharlika fund aims to fast-track Marcos’ ambitious P8.7-trillion infrastructure push. Based on the latest list provided by the National Economic and Development Authority, investing in NGCP is not on the agenda.
“Transparency and accountability must be paramount throughout the process to ensure efficient use of public funds and maximum benefit for the nation. However, the potential rewards are well-worth the exploration,” Consing said.
Consing and Romualdez’ proposal will have to be approved by the Maharlika board.
Kabataan Party floated the idea of the national government taking over NGCP and opposed the investment of Maharlika.
“From the onset, the Maharlika Investment Scam gambles the people’s funds for investments benefiting cronies and favored companies. Maharlika investing into NGCP, a private grid corporation owned by China and two Filipino billionaires, will only line the pockets of the rich and the powerful amidst its role in the Western Visayas blackouts. Why not directly use people’s funds to nationalize NGCP instead?” Kabataan Party Representative Raoul Manuel said in a statement. – Rappler.com
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A blessing? School of fish floods shoreline of Sarangani resort
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Chay Hofilena
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08/01/2024 9:15
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FISH. Locals, beach guests flock to a beach resort in Maasim, Sarangani Province as Lupoy (juvenile sardines) flood the shoreline.
Photo courtesy of Mark Achieval Ventic Tagum
SARANGANI, Philippines – The first Sunday of the new year was a blessing for villagers in Barangay Tinoto in Maasim town as tons of lupoy or juvenile sardines beached their shorelines.
Maasim is a coastal municipality of Sarangani in Region XII located at the southernmost tip of Mindanao.
Residents of Tinoto and guests of the beach resort rushed to the shoreline, scooping up tons of lupoy using bare hands and pails on Sunday, January 7.
In an interview by Rappler, Jenad Maulani, a resident of Tinoto said that his family was informed about the fish around 3 am and immediately rushed to the area to scoop them up.
“Gi-inform mi around 3 am tapos pag-abot namo didto, nakulbaan ko kay first time nako makakita na daghan kaayo’g isda sa baybay. So, nag-decide mi na magkuha didto kay para sa amoa blessing to,” Maulani said.
(We were informed around 3 am, and when we reached the scene I was nervous to find an overwhelming number of fish beached on the shoreline. So, we decided to pitch in since we considered it a blessing)
Maulani said his group alone hauled in more or less 500 kilograms of lupoy.
“Ang nakuha namo na isda ibulad namo siya, ug human sa tulo ka adlaw puwede na namo mabaligya sa market for P8,000,” Maulani said.
(The fish we got from the shoreline will be dried up for three days, after which we can sell them to the market for P8,000.)
Another villager, Mark Achieval Ventic Tagum, said that even the guests of the beach resort benefited from what they considered a “blessing.”
“Siyempre blessing talaga sa dami ng isda. Maraming guest ng resort ang nakinabang. ‘Yung ibang isda pinamigay namin sa humihingi. Makatutulong din ito sa kanila [locals] para magkapera sa hindi inaasahan na ganun karaming isda,” Tagum said.
(The abundance of fish was a true blessing. We generously shared some with interested residents, and even those guests staying at the resort benefited. It will help them [locals] earn money because of that.)
“First time kong nakakita nito (This is the first time I’ve seen something like this happen),” he said.
To assess the beaching of Lupoy, Rappler contacted Zenaida A. Dangkalan, officer-in-charge and provincial fishery officer of Sarangani under the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) in Region XII.
Dangkalan gave three reasons to explain the phenomenon.
“Tatlong reasons po ang nakikita natin bakit nangyari ito. Una, season kasi ng lupoy ngayon. Next, it may be merong humahabol na malalaking isda and sa shoreline sila napupunta kasi ‘yong mga malalaking isda hindi na kayang pumunta sa mababaw na portion. And pangatlo, naaakit sila sa liwanag galing sa beaches,” she explained.
(First, this might be linked to the current lupoy season. Another could be that a bigger species of fish was chasing after them, causing them to swim toward the shoreline since bigger fish can’t go to shallow portions. And third, the lights from the beach resort might have attracted them.)
Dangkalan also assured, “This phenomenon is definitely normal, so there’s no need to worry.” – Rappler.com
Brian Jay Baybayan is an Aries Rufo fellow.
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FACT CHECK: PH Coast Guard recruitment for 2024 not yet open
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Ailla Dela Cruz
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07/01/2024 11:54
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Claim: The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) is now accepting applications as part of its 2024 nationwide personnel recruitment. A Facebook post includes a link to the application site.
Why we fact-checked this: The December 20 Facebook post containing the claim has 95 shares, 143 reactions, and 31 comments as of writing.
The caption of the post says: “PCG Hiring 2024. Application now opened!” It also contains shortened links that supposedly redirect to the application site.
The photo attached to the post bears the PCG logo, lists applicant requirements, and specifies a monthly salary of P43,000.
The facts: In a December 27 post, the PCG said there is no official schedule yet for its nationwide recruitment in 2024. As of January 5, the coast guard has yet to announce this year’s recruitment process and schedule.
“Para sa impormasyon ng lahat, tapos na po ang NATIONWIDE RECRUITMENT ngayong 2023. Next year na po ulit! Kailan? Hintayin po natin ang susunod na update. Sa ngayon, wala pa po tayong official schedule,” PCG said in the post.(For everyone’s information, the nationwide recruitment for 2023 has concluded. There will be another one next year! When? Let us wait for the next update. There is no official schedule yet, as of now.)
PCG also redirected interested applicants to its previous posts for frequently asked questions such as the qualifications, requirements, and other application details.
No online application: There is no online application for any PCG job vacancy. Only the application form is available for download online from the PCG website, but the completed form must be submitted to specified PCG Human Resource Management Unit regional offices.
A closer look at the link in the misleading post also shows that it does not redirect to the official PCG website but to an unaffiliated page.
Official sources: In a separate post on December 27, the PCG warned against false information circulating online regarding supposed job vacancies. The coast guard reminded the public to check only its official Facebook page and the Coast Guard Human Resource Management Command page for updates on recruitment. – Ailla dela Cruz/Rappler.com
Keep us aware of suspicious Facebook pages, groups, accounts, websites, articles, or photos in your network by contacting us at factcheck@rappler.com. You may also report dubious claims to #FactsFirstPH tipline by messaging Rappler on Facebook or Newsbreak via Twitter direct message. You may also report through our Viber fact check chatbot. Let us battle disinformation one Fact Check at a time.
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Bishop solid vs NorthPort as streaking Ginebra boosts Top 4 chances
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delfin.dioquino editor
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07/01/2024 21:06
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TOUGH SHOT. Scottie Thompson in action for Barangay Ginebra in the 2023-24 PBA Commissioner's Cup.
PBA Images
MANILA, Philippines – Tony Bishop shone on both ends and lifted Barangay Ginebra to a 103-93 win over NorthPort at the Araneta Coliseum on Sunday, January 7, as the top four race in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup intensifies.
Bishop turned in 26 points, 16 rebounds, 5 steals, and 2 blocks to propel the Gin Kings to their third consecutive victory, which enabled them to hike their record to 7-3 and stay in close contention for a playoff bonus.
Only league-leading Magnolia (9-2) has secured a twice-to-beat armor in the quarterfinals as Meralco (7-2), Phoenix (7-2), San Miguel (7-3), and Ginebra duke it out for the three remaining playoff incentives.
“We’re getting there,” said Gin Kings head coach Tim Cone when asked about his wards’ readiness for the quarterfinals.
“A lot of it depends whether you make the top four or the bottom four. We’re in the bottom four at this point still so we still have our work cut out for us.”
Jamie Malonzo delivered 16 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals, while Christian Standhardinger chimed in 16 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists in the triumph that saw Ginebra pull away only in the fourth quarter.
The Batang Pier were still within striking distance with 8:30 minutes left when Arvin Tolentino pulled them within 79-84 before the Gin Kings dropped a 12-0 bomb to blow the game wide open.
Japeth Aguilar scored 4 straight points to ignite the run as Bishop and Maverick Ahanmisi drained a pair of three-pointers that allowed Ginebra to prop up its biggest lead at 96-79.
Aguilar put up 15 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists, Ahanmisi tallied 13 points, 6 assists, and 4 rebounds, while Stanley Pringle added 10 points.
Former league MVP Scottie Thompson stuffed the stat sheet with 7 points, 10 assists, and 7 rebounds as the Gin Kings went on a winning streak since his return from a knee injury.
Arvin Tolentino torched his former team Ginebra with 27 points on top of 6 rebounds and 4 steals, although NorthPort simply ran out of steam after engaging the Gin Kings to a see-saw affair in the first three periods.
The first three quarters were marked by 6 ties and 18 lead changes before Ginebra seized the upper hand for good.
Venky Jois had 21 points, 17 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 blocks for the Batang Pier, who entered the playoffs with a 6-5 record having lost three of their last four games.
Barangay Ginebra 103 – Bishop 26, Malonzo 16, Standhardinger 16, J.Aguilar 15, Ahanmisi 13, Pringle 10, Thompson 7, Tenorio 0, Pinto 0, Onwubere 0, Cu 0, Gumaru 0.
NorthPort 93 – Tolentino 27, Jois 21, Zamar 11, Calma 10, Yu 8, Munzon 6, Chan 5, Paraiso 5, Flores 0, Rosales 0, Amores 0, Adamos 0.
Quarter: 24-26, 50-50, 77-72, 103-93.
– Rappler.com
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Thirdy, San-En repeat over Parks, Nagoya; Kai suffers heartbreaker to Edu-less Toyama
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Jasmine Payo
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07/01/2024 22:19
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DEFENSIVE STANCE. San-En guard Thirdy Ravena in action in the Japan B. League.
JAPAN B. LEAGUE
MANILA, Philippines – Thirdy Ravena and the San-En NeoPhoenix continued their winning ways in the Japan B. League as they repeated over Ray Parks and the Nagoya Diamond Dolphins, 80-74, at the Dolphins Arena on Sunday, January 7.
Ravena, who sent social media into a frenzy on Saturday, January 6, following his ferocious one-handed poster slam on Nagoya’s Seiga Sakamoto, put up another solid performance and was one of four San-En players to breach double-digit scoring with 13 points.
After leading all scorers with 25 markers on Saturday, Ravena flaunted his passing skills this time and dished out a game-high 7 assists, along with 3 rebounds and 1 steal in a team-best 32 minutes and 49 seconds of play.
Ravena’s fellow import Yante Maten showed the way for San-En with 18 points and 8 rebounds, while David Dudzinski and Kosuke Kanamaru produced 13 and 11 markers, respectively.
With their sixth straight win, the red-hot NeoPhoenix improved their record further to 24-4 and remained tied with the Alvark Tokyo at the No. 1 spot of the Division 1 standings.
Parks, who reached the 1,000-point milestone in the B. League on Saturday, had a forgettable showing for Nagoya in the loss, scoring just 2 points on a dismal 1-of-8 field goal clip, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 steal in over 22 minutes of action.
Scott Eatherton led the Dolphins – who slid to 16-12 – with 19 points and 10 rebounds.
Meanwhile, Kai Sotto and the Yokohama B-Corsairs failed to make it two wins in a row after absorbing a heartbreaking 70-68 loss to the AJ Edu-less Toyama Grouses at the Toyama City Gymnasium.
With Toyama holding a precarious two-point advantage, 70-68, off two clutch free throws by Ivan Buva, Yokohama had a golden opportunity to win it all in the final possession, but Devin Oliver’s potential game-winning triple failed to hit the mark at the buzzer.
Sotto only played a total of 8 minutes and 19 seconds in the first half and never returned the rest of the way due to an apparent ankle sprain.
He had 6 points on 3-of-5 shooting, 4 rebounds, 1 block, and a team-high plus-minus of +17 before exiting the game.
Buva paced the Grouses (4-24) in their two-point escape with 16 points, while Yuki Kawamura carried the scoring cudgels for the B-Corsairs (12-16) in the losing cause with 19 markers.
Elsewhere, Matthew Wright became the fifth and the fastest Filipino import to hit 1,000 points in the B. League after pouring in 13 markers in the Kyoto Hannaryz’s 83-76 loss to the Chiba Jets at the Kataoka Arena Kyoto on Sunday.
In just his 80th game in the Land of the Rising Sun, Wright, the second-year Kyoto guard, joined Thirdy and Kiefer Ravena, Dwight Ramos, and Parks as the first five Filipino players to accomplish the scoring feat.
Kyoto, however, fell to 8-20 following the weekend sweep at the hands of Chiba.
Similar to Sotto’s Yokohama and Wright’s Kyoto, RJ Abarrientos’ Shinshu Brave Warriors (5-23) and Dwight Ramos’ Levanga Hokkaido (8-20) couldn’t get over the hump on Sunday.
Abarrientos racked up 11 points, 3 rebounds, and 3 assists in Shinshu’s 92-64 loss to the Nagasaki Velca at the Nagasaki Prefectural Gymnasium.
Ramos, meanwhile, was limited to only 2 points, 3 rebounds, 1 steal, and 1 block in Hokkaido’s 92-61 defeat versus the Sunrockers Shibuya at the Aoyama Gakuin Memorial Hall.
Finally, Carl Tamayo provided quality minutes in the Ryukyu Golden Kings’ 88-65 thrashing of the Fighting Eagles Nagoya.
Tamayo came up with 9 points on a near-perfect 4-of-5 clip from the field and 1 rebound in just 7 minutes and 32 seconds of playing time for the defending champion Ryukyu, which hiked its record to 20-8. – Rappler.com
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Wright, Parks join Filipino imports’ 1,000-point club in Japan B. League
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delfin.dioquino editor
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07/01/2024 20:44
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GUNNER. Matthew Wright in action for the Kyoto Hannaryz in the Japan B. League.
Kyoto Hannaryz Instagram page
MANILA, Philippines – Matthew Wright and Ray Parks joined the growing list of Filipino imports who have cracked the 1,000-point mark in the Japan B. League over the weekend.
Wright became the fastest Filipino player to reach the scoring milestone as he hit 1,000 points in 80 games for the Kyoto Hannaryz, albeit in an 83-76 loss to former B. League champions Chiba Jets on Sunday, January 7.
Needing just a point to become the fifth member of the club that includes Parks, brothers Thirdy and Kiefer Ravena, and Dwight Ramos, Wright scored 13 points on Sunday.
Parks, meanwhile, notched the feat on Saturday, January 6, after tallying 6 points in the Nagoya Diamond Dolphins’ 92-79 defeat to Thirdy and the San-En NeoPhoenix.
Now in his third season with Nagoya, Parks breached the 1,000-point plateau in 100 games.
Just before the past year ended, Ramos achieved the milestone by putting up 13 points for the Levanga Hokkaido in their 87-65 thrashing of his former team Toyama Grouses last December 30.
Ravena brothers Thirdy and Kiefer were the first two Filipino players to record 1,000 points when they got the job done last season.
Thirdy did it in January 2023 before Kiefer followed suit in February 2023, previously holding the record as the fastest Filipino import to score 1,000 points in 82 games.
Enjoying arguably his best season in the B. League, Thirdy – who averages a career-high 13.3 points – is on pace to surpass 2,000 points as he currently has 1,710 points with still half of the eliminations to be played. – Rappler.com
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LOOK: Dwight Howard lands in the Philippines ahead of Dubai tournament
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jisaga0269
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07/01/2024 21:26
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MAJOR BOOST. Former NBA star Dwight Howard arrives in Manila to join a Philippine club team in a Dubai tournament.
STRONG GROUP ATHLETICS
MANILA, Philippines – Former NBA champion and eight-time All-Star Dwight Howard arrived in the Philippines on Sunday, January 7, and is set to prepare with Strong Group Athletics for the 2024 Dubai International Basketball Championship this January 19 to 28.
In a short video posted across his social media platforms, the 38-year-old center expressed his excitement after landing in Manila, while Gilas Pilipinas naturalized player Andray Blatche waved in the background.
“Guess what y’all? We finally made it in the Philippines!” said Howard, a three-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year and the No. 1 overall pick in 2004.
A post shared by Dwight Howard (@dwighthoward)
Blatche and Howard are set to join fellow former NBA player Andre Roberson in the massively stacked Strong Group squad that also boasts American guard McKenzie Moore, UAAP MVP Kevin Quiambao, UAAP champion JD Cagulangan, and coaches Brian Goorjian, Topex Robinson, and Charles Tiu.
Like the previous year when it fielded ex-NBA players Nick Young and Shabazz Muhammad, Strong Group is again a heavy favorite in the annual weeklong pocket tournament that features some of the Middle East’s best teams.
The Frank Lao-owned squad, however, looks to erase a humiliating early exit in the last tournament and go for gold this time around with Howard – inarguably its best recruited import yet. – Rappler.com
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PRIMER: Investigations, cases against Apollo Quiboloy
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Herbie G
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27/02/2024 18:35
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CAGAYAN DE ORO, Philippines – Senator Risa Hontiveros on Tuesday, February 27, once again called on doomsday preacher Apollo Quiboloy to face his accusers and address the serious allegations raised against him in an ongoing investigation.
Hontiveros made the call just one week before the fourth hearing set by her committee regarding the alleged abuses committed by the Davao-based Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) against its former workers and members.
The senator earlier warned that she would cite Quiboloy in contempt and have him arrested unless he showed up at the March 5 hearing of the Senate committee on women, children, family relations, and gender equality.
In a statement released on Tuesday, Hontiveros said the committee, as it investigates matters in aid of legislation, “has the power to compel the attendance of witnesses, no matter how well-connected they are.”
She said Quiboloy, who styles himself as the “appointed son of God,” is not above the law and the country’s institutions.
“In the past, Cabinet officials, lawmakers, an incumbent Senate president, and even a former president have submitted to Senate subpoenas and appeared as witnesses. His (Quiboloy’s) constitutional rights, like all witnesses, are respected. Pero hindi siya mataas pa sa presidente, sa Senado, at sa batas (But he is not higher than the President, the Senate, and the law),” she said in a statement recorded on video.
Quiboloy has wielded much influence as a religious figure in the country. He has maintained a close friendship and unwavering support for former president Rodrigo Duterte, with their ties dating back to Duterte’s time as mayor of Davao City. Throughout Duterte’s presidency, Quiboloy served as his “spiritual adviser,” cementing their long-standing relationship.
Hontiveros also noted that Quiboloy and his followers called the witnesses who appeared before the Senate committee as cowards for not showing their faces in public, yet the KOJC leader himself declared his intention to disregard the Senate subpoena.
She pointed out that Quiboloy’s accusers have executed affidavits against the preacher and his church associates.
Addressing Quiboloy, Hontiveros said, “Bukas po ang Senado para sa panig ‘nyo. Hinihintay namin kayo (The Senate is open to your side. We are waiting for you).”
The Senate Sergeant-at-Arms Office served the subpoena to Quiboloy, through his lawyer Marie Dinah Tolentino-Fuentes, on February 22, after the preacher ignored invitations to attend three previous hearings at the Senate.
Hontiveros’ committee has been tasked by the Senate to look into allegations of human trafficking, sexual abuse, violence, and other misconduct involving the preacher and his organization.
She can, according to Section 17 of the Senate rules governing the conduct of committee investigations. The authority of Senate committees includes the “power to summon witnesses and take their testimony and to issue subpoena and subpoena duces tecum, signed by its Chairman, or in his absence by the Acting Chairman, and approved by the President.”
“Within Metro Manila, such process shall be served by the Sergeant-at-Arms or his assistant. Outside of Metro Manila, service may be made by the police of a municipality or city, upon request of the Secretary,” reads a clause in the Senate rules.
Section 18 of the Senate rules on panel investigations provides that a “contempt of the Committee shall be deemed a contempt of the Senate.”
The rules also provide that “such witness may be ordered by the Committee to be detained in such place as it may designate under the custody of the Sergeant-at-Arms until he/she agrees to produce the required documents, or to be sworn or to testify, or otherwise purge himself/herself of that contempt.”
Former KOJC members have testified on the alleged abuses of Quiboloy and his church associates before Hontiveros’ committee since the panel started the hearings on January 23.
Their narratives – including that of two Ukrainian women who alleged that Quiboloy sexually abused them in the name of religion – have been consistent with and corroborated by the allegations made also by former KOJC members in the United States against the Davao-based preacher.
Quiboloy and eight of his associates were indicted by a federal grand jury in a US District Court in Santa Ana, California, in 2021.
The 74-page indictment document shows that the preacher and the other accused have been charged with the following crimes:
The indictment papers enumerate 94 overt acts of the preacher and his associates.
The US court ordered Quiboloy and his associates arrested on November 10, 2021. Except for Quiboloy and two others, Teresita Dandan and Helen Panilag, the others either surrendered or were arrested by US authorities, and subsequently bailed out.
The others who have been indicted along with Quiboloy are the following:
At least one of those accused has subsequently agreed to turn state witness against Quiboloy’s group.
On January 31, 2022, the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) included Quiboloy, Dandan, and Panilag, among several other fugitives from Mexico and China, in its most wanted list, and published their separate wanted posters on its website.
The FBI’s “most wanted” poster on the KOJC leader reads, “Apollo Carreon Quiboloy, the founder of a Philippines-based church, is wanted for his alleged participation in a labor trafficking scheme that brought church members to the United States, via fraudulently obtained visas, and forced the members to solicit donations for a bogus charity, donations that actually were used to finance church operations and the lavish lifestyles of its leaders.”
On November 3, 2022, Judge Terry Hatter Jr. of the US District Court-Central District of California reset the trial of Quiboloy and his co-accused in Los Angeles from March 21, 2023, to March 19, 2024. Subsequently, in late 2023, the trial was again moved to November 2024.
In the 2022 order, Hatter granted the request of five of the defendants – Salinas, Cabactulan, Duenas, Estopare, and Roces – to be given more time to prepare their defense, based on the US Speedy Trial Act.
Based on the US-Philippines extradition treaty, an extradition request must be made through diplomatic channels.
But nearly three years after the indictment of Quiboloy and his associates, the US has yet to submit a formal extradition request for the preacher, Dandan, and Panilag, according to the Philippine Department of Justice (DOJ).
In late 2022, the US announced sanctions against the KOJC leader through its treasury and state departments, a move that coincided with International Anti-Corruption Day and on the eve of International Human Rights Day.
The sanctions include the following:
– Rappler.com
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Supreme Court punishes Badoy for threatening Manila judge
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Jairo Bolledo
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29/02/2024 12:27
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Former spokesperson of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict Lorraine Badoy.
Rappler
MANILA, Philippines – The Supreme Court (SC) has moved to punish former National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) spokesperson Lorraine Badoy for threatening a Manila judge.
In an August 15, 2023 decision that was only published this week, the High Court found Badoy guilty of indirect contempt for her “vitriolic and outright threats” against Judge Marlo Magdoza-Malagar. She was also ordered to pay a P30,000 fine and “WARNED that a repetition of the same or similar acts in the future shall merit a more severe sanction.”
Senior Associate Justice Leonen wrote the ruling dated August 15, 2023, but was only published by the High Court this week. This is the latest decision punishing Badoy. In 2023, the OMB also reprimanded her for red-tagging lawyers. pic.twitter.com/e1Y1XLhCkZ
Under Philippine laws, indirect contempt is committed out of the court’s presence. Badoy was found guilty for her action that falls under Section 3(d), Rule 71 of the Rules of Court that categorizes indirect contempt as “any improper conduct tending, directly or indirectly, to impede, obstruct, or degrade the administration of justice.”
In September 2022, Malagar, who presides over Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 19, dismissed the years-old petition of the Philippine government seeking to declare the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army as terrorists. In her decision, Malagar noted the difference between terrorism and rebellion, and that the atrocities in question did not fall under the elements of terrorism as defined by law.
Shortly after the decision was released, Badoy red-tagged the judge and called Malagar a “friend and defender” of the communist rebels.
The SC came to Malagar’s rescue and issued a statement, warning that inciting violence against judges may be punishable through contempt. It said that its en banc tackled motu proprio (acted on its own) possible actions against Badoy for issuing threats against Malagar. Judges and law schools also broke their silence and rallied behind Malagar.
In October 2022, the High Court issued a show cause against Badoy and ordered her to explain her threats.
Badoy’s red-tagging spree started during her stint at the NTF-ELCAC. Several legal actions were filed seeking to make her accountable for her attacks.
The Office of the Ombudsman, in September last year, reprimanded Badoy and her former fellow NTF-ELCAC official Antonio Parlade Jr. for red-tagging lawyers from the National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers. The two were found guilty in an administrative case and also received a stern warning. – Rappler.com
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I greatly appreciate the Supreme Court’s decision, which finds Badoy guilty of indirect contempt for her ‘vitriolic and outright threats’ against Judge Marlo Magdoza-Malagar. Badoy’s red-tagging of the judge and calling her a “friend and defender” of the communist rebels has been punished through such a decision. Thanks to the Supreme Court.
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Alarming surge: Teen pregnancies plague Northern Mindanao, Ilocos regions
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Herbie G
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29/02/2024 11:02
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CAGAYAN DE ORO, Philippines – One region in Southern Philippines and another in the north share a common challenge: Both are wrestling with the alarming rise in teenage pregnancies.
In the Northern Mindanao and Ilocos regions, officials cited disturbing statistics, which underscore the nationwide concern over the escalating rates of teenage motherhood, to push for legislative action and intensified efforts to safeguard the well-being of young Filipinos.
Lifting every household in the Northern Mindanao region above the poverty threshold has been a daunting task for the state’s lead agency in population programs, owing to the Mindanao region’s high incidence of teenage pregnancies in recent years.
Neil Aldrin Omega, regional director of the Commission on Population and Development (CPD), said on Wednesday, February 28, that approximately 30 teenagers gave birth daily in Northern Mindanao from 2019 to 2022.
In 2022, the CPD recorded 11,020 live births from teenage mothers aged 11 to 19 years old. Worse still, there was a 30% increase observed among girls aged 10 to 14 years old becoming mothers, rising from 170 in 2020 to 222 in 2021 and 287 in 2022.
Out of the 11,020 live births in the region, over 4,600, or about 42%, were reported in Bukidnon, over 2,000 (19%) in Misamis Oriental, and over 1,300 (12%) in Cagayan de Oro, the region’s capital city.
Even Camiguin Island, Northern Mindanao’s smallest province, has witnessed a rising number of adolescent pregnancies, prompting the province’s governor, Xavier Jesus Romualdo, to address the challenge of preventing young girls from becoming mothers during his State of the Province Address in January.
Romualdo said the provincial government had documented 132 live births involving mothers in their teens, some as young as 13 years old, in 2022, compared to only 72 in 2021 – an 83% increase.
Within nine months of 2023, the Camiguin Provincial Health Office had already recorded 122 teenage pregnancies.
The situation prompted the Camiguin provincial government to move for the establishment of teen center facilities in all its five municipalities.
Romualdo has called on the provincial board to draft a measure on adolescent pregnancy, which he vowed to fully implement, alongside the reimposition of curfews among minors.
Northern Mindanao’s fertility rate dropped to 2.1 per 1,000 people in 2022 from 3.1 in 2017. During the period from 2015 to 2020, the population growth rate slowed to 1.46% from 1.58% in the 2010-2015 period. However, Omega explained that despite these changes, the expected benefits of a growing population couldn’t be realized due to teenage pregnancies.
He said demographic dividend entails a better-educated population capable of making decisions and taking actions to improve the quality of their lives, such as securing gainful employment, maintaining a healthy environment, and accessing social services.
Omega said these goals could not be attained with high rates of teenage pregnancies, as the situation would only perpetuate intergenerational poverty – a circumstance in which people who grow up in families with incomes below the poverty line remain poor as adults.
He said that while children are considered “gifts from God,” families must decide how many they can afford to raise well.
The average family with five members in Northern Mindanao needed at least P13,787 per month to meet their minimum basic food and non-food needs in the first semester of 2023 alone, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).
Omega said studies have shown that teenage mothers and fathers could only realize 80% of their earning potential. Often, he added, they are unable to complete their college education, thereby limiting their opportunities for high-paying jobs.
The same situation is happening in the Ilocos region in Luzon where population officials hope that the passage of a bill will curb the dramatic increase.
Citing PSA data, CPD-Ilocos officials said live births among young girls under 15 increased by 194.74%, or from 38 in 2020 to 112 in 2022.
If passed, the measure would be “essential in addressing the lingering concern of early childbearing and motherhood among a great number of our juvenile Filipino girls,” according to CPD Undersecretary Lisa Grace Bersales.
Three of the four provinces in Region I – Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, and Pangasinan – recorded high rates of teenage pregnancies among those under 15 from 2020 to 2022, the CPD said.
“The highest [was recorded] in Pangasinan – from 10 in 2020 to 73 in 2022,” the CPD added.
A national social emergency was declared by the government in 2019 due to rising pregnancies among those aged 10 to 14.
The CPD noted that other areas in the country also marked higher teenage pregnancies for girls under 15, noting a 35.13% national increase, from 2,320 in 2021 to 3,135 in 2022.
Bersales noted that passing the APPB would also be essential for implementing the Philippine Population and Development Plan of Action (PPD-POA), where strategies have been mapped out to “[advance] adolescent health and development, including the prevention of early pregnancies.” – Rappler.com
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TNT gifts Chot Reyes triumphant return with gutsy comeback win
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delfin.dioquino editor
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28/02/2024 23:44
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DRIVE. Calvin Oftana in action for the TNT Tropang Giga in the 2024 PBA Philippine Cup.
PBA Images
RIZAL, Philippines – TNT made sure to give head coach Chot Reyes a triumphant PBA return.
With Reyes calling the shots again after a two-conference absence, the Tropang Giga pulled off a 108-107 comeback win over Rain or Shine in the PBA Philippine Cup at the Ynares Center in Antipolo on Wednesday, February 28.
Given an earful by Reyes after a slow offensive start, Calvin Oftana finished with 23 points and 14 rebounds to help TNT complete its comeback from a double-digit deficit for a promising start in the All-Filipino tournament.
It was a fitting welcome gift for Reyes, who temporarily handed the coaching reins to Tropang Giga team manager Jojo Lastimosa as he focused on Gilas Pilipinas’ campaign in the last FIBA World Cup.
“A few were asking me how does it feel to be back. My reply was, I was never away. I’ve always been with the team, whether it is in practice or in games. So it was not like I was really ever away,” said Reyes.
“There was no big adjustment whether in practice or in games. If ever there was any adjustment, it is just getting back to the grind – the grind of the PBA cadence of practice and games.”
Oftana scored just 6 points at halftime before Reyes commanded him to be more aggressive.
The national team forward delivered, churning out 10 big points in the final quarter, including the three-pointer that gave TNT the upper hand at 106-104 and the layup that pushed their lead to 108-104 with a minute left.
“Coach woke me up. I was not getting the ball because I was still trying to get my rhythm here at Talk ‘N Text,” said Oftana, who spent the last two weeks with Gilas Pilipinas as they swept the first FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers window.
“Before, coach used to yell at me because of my mistakes, but this time, he yelled at me to shoot the ball,” Oftana added.
Two more Tropang Giga players breached the 20-point mark, with Roger Pogoy posting 22 points and Kim Aurin firing 21 points off the bench.
Brandon Ganuelas-Rosser made his presence felt for TNT with a 15-point, 14-rebound double-double just two days after being acquired by the Tropang Giga through a three-team deal with his former squads NLEX and Blackwater.
Serving as a stabilizer, Jayson Castro chimed in 14 points and 7 assists in the win.
Leonard Santillan tallied 20 points and 11 rebounds, while Adrian Nocum put up 20 points and 4 assists in the losing effort that saw the Elasto Painters squander a five-point lead, 104-99, with under four minutes remaining.
TNT unleashed a 9-0 blast for a 108-104 edge and held on to the win as Andrei Caracut split his foul shots and Jhonard Clarito went for a layup in the dying seconds instead of going for a game-tying triple for Rain or Shine.
Aside from their late collapse, the Elasto Painters shot themselves in the foot by missing 18 of their 42 free throws.
TNT 108 – Oftana 23, Pogoy 22, Aurin 21, Ganuelas-Rosser B. 15, Castro 14, Galinato 4, Khobuntin 4, Ganuelas-Rosser M. 3, Montalbo 2, Williams 0, Ebona 0, Reyes 0, Heruela 0, Ponferrada 0.
Rain or Shine 107 – Nocum 20, Santillan 20, Caracut 15, Ildefonso 11, Belga 10, Datu 8, Demusis 6, Clarito 6, Mamuyac 5, Borboran 4, Norwood 2, Concepcion 0.
Quarters: 26-26, 51-52, 83-88, 108-107.
– Rappler.com
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HIGHLIGHTS: Marcos focuses on security in rare address before Australian Parliament
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Dwight de Leon
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29/02/2024 10:32
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PHILIPPINE PRESIDENT. File photo of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. at the Center of Strategic and International Studies in Washington D.C., USA on May 4, 2023.
Presidential Communications Office
MANILA, Philippines – President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. delivered a security-centric speech before the Australian Parliament on Thursday, February 29, joining an elite list of foreign leaders who had addressed the legislative body in the past.
“We have long known that our prosperity and development are anchored on the peace and stability of the Indo-Pacific. Today, that peace, that stability, and our continued success, have come under threat,” he said.
Here are the highlights of his 17-minute speech, which was met with a round of applause and standing ovation from Australian lawmakers.
In many of his foreign trips, Marcos takes advantage of the international stage to highlight developments in the South China Sea, which Beijing continues to claim entirely despite a 2016 arbitral ruling against its favor.
Marcos’ speech on Thursday was no exception, thanking Australia for adhering to international rules-based order.
“The protection of the South China Sea as a vital, critical global artery is crucial to the preservation of regional peace and, I dare say, of global peace,” Marcos said.
“We have an abiding interest in keeping our seas free and open and in ensuring unimpeded passage and freedom of navigation. We must uphold, preserve, and defend the unified and universal character of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea as the constitution of the oceans,” he added.
Just before he departed for Australia, Marcos told reporters that the presence of Chinese warships in the West Philippine Sea was “worrisome.”
In the past months, Beijing and Canberra have agreed to improve diplomatic ties, after going through a rough patch in recent years.
Marcos commended Prime Minister Anthony Albanese for expressing his commitment to a world free of nuclear weapons.
“Through the treaties of Bangkok and Rarotonga, our two regions serve as pockets of freedom from these destructive weapons. Within the ambit of the ASEAN Regional Forum and the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, our two countries are champions of nuclear disarmament and advocates for nuclear risk reduction,” he said.
In past foreign outings, Marcos sounded the alarm on the threats posed by the “buildup of rising powers in global weapon stockpiles,” particularly in North Korea, and in connection with the war between Russia and Ukraine.
Marcos said climate change remains the world’s “most pressing vulnerability,” one which “threatens the very survival of our peoples, one that threatens our very future.”
“We cannot allow geopolitics to paralyze global governance,” he said.
“This glaring disproportion between our share of responsibility and our vulnerability reflects an injustice that must be corrected. Developed countries must do more. And they must do it now,” he added.
In December, the Philippines secured a seat in the board of the loss and damage fund, which would assist vulnerable countries in responding to phenomena aggravated by climate change.
Marcos highlighted the long ties between Manila and Canberra, which are celebrating 78 years of diplomatic relations this year. Both nations fought side by side during World War II.
He noted that Australia is the only country aside from the US with a Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) with the Philippines.
Marcos also invoked personal history, saying his father and namesake, the late fictator Ferdinand E. Marcos. toured then-Australian prime minister Edward Gough Whitlam in Bataan and Corregidor in 1974, and that Australia brought relief to his mother Imelda’s hometown Tacloban in the aftermath of Super Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) in 2013.
“In Australia we see a lifelong friend with whom we have endured joint sacrifices, reveled in our shared victories, and now pursue common aspirations,” he said.
Speaking before the Australian Parliament is a great honor, and the invitation received by Marcos highlights the key role that the Philippines plays in geopolitical relations.
Other world leaders who delivered a speech before the legislative body include former US presidents Barack Obama, George H.W. Bush, George W. Bush, and Bill Clinton; Chinese President Xi Jinping and his predecessor Hu Jintao, Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, and Indonesian President Joko Widodo. – Rappler.com
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New Ateneo coach keeps it simple as young Eagles take flight: ‘Keep playing’
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jisaga0269
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28/02/2024 23:10
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RISING AGAIN. The Ateneo Blue Eagles react and huddle after a point in the UAAP Season 86 women's volleyball tournament
UAAP Season 86 Media Team
MANILA, Philippines – Once a mighty force in UAAP women’s volleyball, the Ateneo Blue Eagles have since fallen behind their former equals following a years-long talent exodus that their recruitment drives have not quite been able to match.
Coming off a historic low in Season 85 where it failed to make the Final Four for the first time in a decade, Ateneo now finds itself searching for that next big star to carry it back to relevance.
Clearly, however, that time has not yet come, and this young batch of Eagles are perfectly at peace with the fact that wins will not come as easily as before.
Even their Season 86 breakthrough demanded a significant amount of effort from every player, as the Eagles rallied from two sets down against the winless UP Fighting Maroons and pulled off a five-set, reverse sweep, 22-25, 20-25, 25-22, 25-17, 15-9, on Wednesday, February 28.
New head coach Sergio Veloso, however, does not mind how the wins are achieved, nor if they come at all.
“First point, we have more than six to seven players and that’s important. When players start to go down, you have players to do and continue the level,” said the Brazilian mentor.
“Second point, the set is until 25. You need to fight to get to this point. It does not matter if the other team is up three or four points in front or one, two sets in front. Volleyball has five sets and you need to win three. Keep playing.”
And keep playing, the Eagles did, as they drew strength from leading scorer Lyann de Guzman and standout sub Sobe Buena, who tallied new career-highs of 24 and 18 points, respectively, to eventually prevail against a UP side now led by their old coach Oliver Almadro.
“I can say that we found our consistency this game,” said De Guzman, who completed her big night with 18 excellent receptions and 11 excellent digs. “Like coach said, we just have to keep playing and playing even if down two sets, because as long as we have a strong mind, we will hold on.”
“Like what coach said, keep playing,” echoed Buena, who powered down most of her points in the crucial fourth and fifth sets after a quiet start. “My mindset was just to leave everything on the court. Coach always emphasized that we have to finish strong and play 100%.”
This season, it won’t be a surprise if Ateneo misses its second straight Final Four and lag to the bottom rungs of the standings.
Their fans – once fighting for seats in thousand-seater arenas – are all but gone in the stands.
The Blue Eagles’ glory days are over, but for them, it’s all okay.
Keep playing. – Rappler.com
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Stronger PNP internal probe needed, Hontiveros says after Jemboy verdict
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Jairo Bolledo
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28/02/2024 20:48
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SUPPORT. Senator Risa Hontiveros with Rodaliza and Jessie Baltazar, parents of slain teenager Jemboy, face the Senate media a day after the court decision on the case on Wednesday, February 28.
Angie de Silva/Rappler
MANILA, Philippines – To ensure that justice will be served even in cases involving personnel of the Philippine National Police (PNP), opposition Senator Risa Hontiveros said a stronger internal probe mechanism within the PNP is needed.
A day after Navotas City Regional Trial Court Branch 286 meted light penalties against cops in the killing of 17-year-old Jemboy Baltazar, Hontiveros said the PNP Internal Affairs Service (IAS) should have a stronger mandate and capacity that will include criminal, and not just administrative cases.
The PNP IAS is a unit of the national police dedicated to investigating alleged abuses among police officers and personnel. The said unit has the mandate to file administrative or even criminal complaints.
“‘Yon din po kasi ‘yong ikinagugulat, ikinabibigla ng pamilya, na bakit dito sa kasong ito, ‘yong mga akusado ay inimbestigahan halos lamang ng sarili nilang mga comrades in arms sa loob ng serbisyo na hindi pa malakas ‘yong Internal Affairs Service o iba pang mekanismo ng PNP para sa talagang seryoso at mabigat na pag-iimbestigasyon,” Hontiveros said in a press conference on Wednesday, February 28.
“Hindi ‘yan nagbibigay ng kompiyansa sa kanilang pamilya o publiko na walang impunity rito, na mayro’n talagang pagsingil ng accountability sa sarili nilang mga tauhan ang institusyon mismo,” she added.
(That’s what also shocked and surprised the family, that in this case, the accused were investigated by their comrades in arms within the service even though the Internal Affairs Service or the PNP’s other mechanisms are not fully ready for a serious and heavy investigation. This does not assure the family or the public that there is no impunity, and that there’s really a mechanism to exact accountability from the institution’s own personnel.)
As shown in Baltazar’s case, the problem with investigations involving crimes committed by the police is the lack of proper accountability. The teen was killed during a police operation in Navotas City after he was mistaken as the shooting suspect the cops were chasing in Barangay NBBS Kaunlaran.
When the issue of the killing blew up, the Department of the Interior and Local Government and the PNP held a press conference where they released the suspects’ names and said that a criminal complaint for reckless imprudence resulting in homicide was already filed against them.
However, the Baltazar family and their lawyers from legal group IDEALS discovered later that “no information was filed in court, resulting in the said officers’ [cops] release for further investigation.” This prompted the family to file a murder complaint against the cops, which was the subject of the court’s ruling.
During a Senate inquiry into the teen’s killing last year, Northern Police District chief Brigadier General Rizalito Gapas said the six cops tagged as suspects were not subjected and refused to undergo paraffin tests. The said test is used to determine the presence of gunpowder residue.
In the press conference, Hontiveros also mentioned the lighter punishments against the cops involved in the killing.
“Lumalabas na isa na naman itong pagsasalamin o mukha ng impunity na ilang mga taon na nating nilalabanan. Na hindi dapat na kapagka may pumatay, may nag-extrajudicial killing, o nagplano ng ganitong operasyon at pumatay sa bata, ay slap on the wrist lang,” the senator said.
(It seems this is another reflection or face of impunity that we have been fighting for years. It’s not acceptable that when someone killed a person, if there’s extrajudicial killing, or planned an operation and a teen was killed, the perpetrators will receive only slap on the wrist.)
Only one in the six accused cops – Police Staff Sergeant Gerry Maliban – was found guilty of homicide. This was a lower offense compared to the murder charge originally lodged by the family and its counsels. Maliban was sentenced to four to six years of imprisonment.
Four others police officers – Staff Sergeant Niko Pines Esquilon, Executive Master Sergeant Roberto Balais Jr., Corporal Edmard Jake Blanco, Patrolman Benedict Mangada – were convicted of illegal discharge of firearm and sentenced to four months in prison. Police Staff Sergeant Antonio Bugayong Jr. was acquitted.
Since the court allowed the four’s preventive imprisonment to be credited, they could be released from detention along with Bugayong who was absolved in the case.
The National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers – National Capital Region said in a statement that the court’s decision, although grounded on facts and law, was difficult to accept for the family because of their loss. The group added that police accountability remains a tedious challenge in the country.
“But how can victims effectively prosecute when the authorities who are supposed to investigate are the ones suspected of the crime in the first place? It is certainly time to think about stronger accountability measures, a proper death investigation system, and a fair criminal investigation process,” the NUPL-NCR said.
The verdict on Baltazar’s case was not the first instance where cops tagged in killings received lighter penalties.
In the case of Edwin Arnigo, the cop, Christopher Salcedo, was only ordered imprisoned for a maximum two years and 10 months for reckless imprudence resulting in homicide. Arnigo was the teenager with special needs who was killed by Salcedo at the height of lockdown due to COVID-19 in 2021. – Rappler.com
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Butuan ramps up reforestation efforts vs flooding, water supply depletion
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Herbie G
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29/02/2024 9:00
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FEBRUARY FLOOD. Residents of walk across a flooded road in Barangay Mahogany in Butuan City in early February 2024.
Ivy Marie Mangadlao
BUTUAN, Philippines – The Butuan City government started stepping up reforestation efforts amid serious concerns about environmental degradation resulting in flooding and possible depletion of the local water supply,
Butuan Vice Mayor Lawrence Lemuel Fortun said this as he noted that the city experienced flooding for several days despite fair weather in early February.
“It’s not raining here, but we got flooded. This happened because it rained in the upland, and the water flowed towards us, and apparently, the mountains there could no longer hold and contain the water. The denudation in our forests here in Caraga and other areas is happening rapidly,” Fortun said.
Fortun said the city government’s reforestation efforts would go full blast with the implementation of the Comprehensive Land Use Plan (CLUP) that was approved on July 21, 2023, by the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development.
Based on the CLUP, the current size of the protected forest area in Butuan is only 7,456.52 hectares. The proposed expansion aims to increase the protected forest to 27,208.70 hectares, constituting the largest proposed land use percentage at 34.47%.
“We should focus our preservation and restoration efforts on areas that genuinely require preservation and reforestation. If an area is designated as a protected forest, then we should absolutely avoid disturbing it because if we do not, it will continue to denude, and any further disturbance would exacerbate the situation. These forests are supposed to help mitigate, not worsen the flooding problem,” Fortun said.
He, however, noted that while the policies being pushed by the city government would help Butuan, the city would still be affected by the policies of other local governments in the Caraga region.
“If there are no efforts in preserving the forest in other areas, we end up being the ones who are affected at the receiving end,” he said.
When Fortun was still the representative for the 1st District of Agusan del Norte, he authored House Bill No. 9088, a proposed measure that seeks to ensure the sustainable management of forests.
He and other lawmakers then proposed that the “the protection of forest ecosystem, as well as rehabilitation through reforestation and afforestation of the degraded forest ecosystem, shall be given priority to mitigate climate change, improve and conserve biodiversity, enhance ecosystem functions and services and provide long-term economic benefits.”
The Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ) reported that House Bill No. 9088 was approved by the House of Representatives and transmitted to the Senate.
The proposal was stalled in the Senate committee on environment and natural resources chaired by Senator Cynthia Villar committee, but it has been reintroduced in the 18th Congress along with two other bills focused on protecting natural resources and promoting sustainable development.
“Congress should revisit this. It is evident that these calamities are largely attributed to the denudation of the forests considering also that the magnitude of the problems is not only in Caraga but also in other areas,” Fortun said.
Fortun said the CLUP stresses the need to enhance protection for the Taguibo Watershed Forest Reserve, vital for the Butuan’s drinking water.
He noted that less than a quarter of the watershed area retains forest cover, totaling less than a thousand hectares.
“If the forest denudation continues, within 20 years, we might lose our water supply. That’s why we updated our code and will implement the ordinance aggressively this year because the situation is very alarming,” Fortun said.
On November 23, the Revised Watershed Code was approved through a city ordinance that aims to “strengthen the enforcement of protection, conservation, rehabilitation, and management of the watershed within the jurisdiction of the city.”
“This reforestation project is extensive, and there is still much work to be done. We will hire a consultant to assist us. We have already sought help from UP-Los Baños (University of the Philippines),” he said.
Jeffrey Carin, the executive director of the Father Saturnino Urios University Foundation Incorporated, said his group, the Save Taguibo Watershed, has planted trees on 30 hectares of the watershed area since 2015.
Carin, also a member of the technical working group on Butuan’s watershed code, said they are currently planting on another 30 hectares and intend to submit a proposal to the city government for 30 hectares more.
“This initiative focuses on long-term sustainability. We have planted indigenous trees to maintain the watershed area, ensuring forest cover for the future. Additionally, we have planted fruit-bearing trees to provide livelihood opportunities for the local community,” Carin said. – Rappler.com
Ivy Marie Mangadlao is a community journalist writing for Mindanews and an Aries Rufo Journalism fellow for 2023-2024.
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Out to prove himself, Nambatac tows Blackwater to winning start in PH Cup
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delfin.dioquino editor
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28/02/2024 20:41
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NEW GUY. Rey Nambatac in action for the Blackwater Bossing in the 2024 PBA Philippine Cup.
PBA Images
RIZAL, Philippines – Rey Nambatac knows he has a lot to bring to the table.
And he proved just that after a sensational debut for Blackwater, starring in a 96-93 win over Meralco that opened hostilities in the PBA Philippine Cup at the Ynares Center in Antipolo on Wednesday, February 28.
Traded by Rain or Shine following a major drop in his playing time, Nambatac shone for his new team with 27 points, a career-high 10 assists, and 5 rebounds as the Bossing marked a fresh start after ending a 10-game skid.
“For me, it is a big challenge, and at the same time, it is a motivation to prove something, to prove to myself and to everyone that I can still make it,” said Nambatac in a mix of Filipino and English.
Making a name for himself as a clutch player during the best stretch of his seven seasons with the Elasto Painters, Nambatac delivered a pair of crucial plays that secured the win after the Bolts nearly erased a 19-point deficit.
His side up by just a point, 94-93, Nambatac drew a foul while attacking the basket and sank his two free throws to make it a three-point lead.
Nambatac then pulled down a defensive rebound on the other end after Meralco veteran Allein Maliksi missed a game-tying three-pointer to seal the deal.
The former Letran standout said he just wants to return the favor after being welcomed with open arms by Blackwater head coach Jeff Cariaso and the rest of the team.
“Right after the trade, coach Jeff called on the phone and we talked. That made me feel coach Jeff really likes me. And in return, I’ll slowly repay the trust that he is giving me,” said Nambatac.
Troy Rosario backstopped Nambatac with 15 points and 4 rebounds, Rey Suerte put up 11 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists, while Tyrus Hill added 10 points.
James Yap chimed in 5 points in his debut for the Bossing – the third team of his illustrious PBA career that started in 2004.
Yap, a two-time PBA MVP, joined Blackwater after securing his release from Rain or Shine at the end of the previous conference.
Maliksi matched Nambatac with 27 points, powering a fourth-quarter comeback that saw him sink four three-pointers and erupt for 20 points in the period.
The Bolts, who got buried by as deep as 86-67 midway through the final frame, got within 94-93 off a 26-8 run capped by 11 straight points from Maliksi.
But Meralco failed to get the job done as the Bossing escaped for a winning start in the All-Filipino tournament.
Fresh from helping Gilas Pilipinas sweep the first window of the FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers, Chris Newsome finished with 16 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists, and 3 steals in the losing effort.
Blackwater 96 – Nambatac 27, Rosario 15, Suerte 11, Hill 10, DiGregorio 9, David 7, Escoto 6, Guinto 5, Yap 5, Jopia 1, Ilagan 0, Kwekuteye 0, Sena 0.
Meralco 93 – Maliksi 27, Newsome 16, Jose 10, Mendoza 10, Black 10, Hodge 6, Banchero 5, Quinto 3, Bates 3, Torres 3, Caram 0, Pasaol 0, Pascual 0.
Quarters: 18-26, 43-41, 72-62, 96-93.
– Rappler.com
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Confidence is key: Struggling NU rediscovers dominant form after shaky season start
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jisaga0269
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28/02/2024 17:49
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DOMINANT. NU spiker Alyssa Solomon reacts in the UAAP Season 86 women's volleyball tournament
UAAP Season 86 Media Team
MANILA, Philippines – The NU Lady Bulldogs are finally remembering that they are still among the most feared teams in UAAP women’s volleyball today.
After losing their opening-day assignment in a shocking sweep against feisty UST and needing five sets to deny upstart Ateneo, the Season 84 champions and Season 85 runners-up got their first convincing win of the new year, sweeping dark horse Adamson, 25-17, 25-20, 25-20, on Wednesday, February 28.
For star spiker Alyssa Solomon, who topscored with 17 points in just three frames, getting confidence early was key for her and the rest of the Lady Bulldogs as they repeatedly ran away from the gutsy Lady Falcons.
“I’m very happy with the performance we had despite the slow start,” the Season 84 Best Opposite Hitter said in Filipino. “Personally, when I was playing in the first set, I noticed I didn’t have confidence in myself again. But as the game went along, I redeemed myself, and I’m happy with my game.”
Former rookie MVP Bella Belen, now in her third season with NU, backstopped with 15 points, while rising star Vange Alinsug added 12. Lams Lamina, the Season 84 Best Setter, orchestrated the offense with 16 excellent sets.
Head coach Norman Miguel echoed his ward’s sentiments, alluding that the Lady Bulldogs didn’t play like championship-caliber players in their first two games.
“That’s their drive: character and pride,” he said in Filipino. “In our first two games against UST and Ateneo, we lacked pride. I think that’s where they drew their strength today, that we had to show how the NU women’s volleyball team really played.
“Being competitive is what should be normal for us.” – Rappler.com
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Malacañang fires assistant solicitor general for sexual harassment
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Lian Buan
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27/02/2024 11:07
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OSG. A bus of the Office of the Solicitor General parked in Mile Long, Makati.
LeAnne Jazul/Rappler
An assistant solicitor general (ASG) with a spotty record of sexual harassment has been fired by Malacañang, and while the decision has been appealed, Rappler learned that an officer-in-charge (OIC) has already been appointed to the vacated division in the Office of the Solicitor General.
ASG Derek Puertollano, who is a career official, was dismissed from service over three administrative charges of sexual harassment prompted by a complaint from his legal interns.
“These harrowing incidents left complainants traumatized, scarring them both for life,” said Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin in his decision dated February 20. He found Puertollano administratively liable for the grave offense of sexual harassment through unwanted touching of private part of the body, and the less grave offenses of sexual harassment through unwanted touching or brushing against a victim’s body, and through surreptiously looking at a person’s private part.
Rappler has learned that Puertollano is appealing the decision, but Solicitor General Menardo Guevarra has already appointed an OIC to the vacated legal division. Rappler has sent an email to Puertollano seeking his statement. We will update this story once he responds.
Puertollano was involved in a separate sexual abuse case in 2016, according to reports from Manila Standard and Philippine Star. Based on the reports, he was charged in the US with intent to sexually abuse a minor, an incident that happened during official business when he was attending a seminar on international arbitration.
Evidently, Puertollano was able to keep his job.
The present charges stemmed from the complaint of two male legal interns of the OSG who went with Puertollano in an out-of-town business trip mid-year 2022.
According to the documents, Puertollano maneuvered the hotel room assignments so he could be in the same room as his two interns. One of them complained about Puertollano taking a shower in his full view with the door ajar. When it was the victim taking a shower, Puertollano went to the bathroom despite his protestation and the victim said he felt his boss’ “hand brush my butt cheek.”
The other complained about inappropriate remarks while the ASG looked at his crotch, while following him to the urinal, and while sleeping in separate beds that were pushed together by Puertollano. The ASG was accused of “touching [the victim’s] feet under the covers with own feet” and “placing [his] hand on [the victim’s] outer thigh.”
“All of which was unwelcome and pervasive, and which thereby created an intimidating, uncomfortable and insecure environment,” read the charges.
In his defense, Puertollano said all of the incidents were not malicious. But in the OSG’s internal investigation, Guevarra recommended dismissal from service and referred the case to Malacañang.
“[Victims] were his subordinates or interns whom he exercised control and supervision as supervising ASG. He took advantage of his position and, instead of acting in loco parentis, he was even the one who preyed on them, taking advantage of his superior position,” said Bersamin.
“This Office emphasizes that bare denials of Puertollano cannot withstand the positive declarations and detailed recounts of the harrowing incidents experienced by [the victims] under his hands,” the executive secretary said. – Rappler.com
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Who am I to Taylor Swift? A fan reflection
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Marguerite de Leon
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27/02/2024 11:57
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David Castuciano/Rappler
I felt a unique dread when I realized that I was not going to Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour.
If you are my friend, you know all too well how Taylor Swift has a trademark on my life. I remember the very moment I first saw her face. I was seven years old, waking up to the sound of the Windows login, and my tita started playing “Love Story” on YouTube.
Ever since then, I’ve been curating a soundtrack of my life with her music. I know all her songs, even the ones she’s discarded. I’ve been present in every album announcement since Red (stolen version). I’ve even won trivia nights for knowing everything about her childhood, her cryptic liner notes, and the people she wrote her songs about. You know those friendship bracelets with those obscure lyric acronyms? Not only can I decode what they are, but I can tell you the very minute of the song in which the line was said.
She has always been a superstar in my mind, but now she has reached a level of fame previously unimaginable. I go as far as to suggest that she is the most famous musical celebrity ever recorded in the history of the world, given that technology and media are within virtually everyone’s reach now. I feel like no music-listening person has ever seriously uttered the sentence, “Who’s Taylor Swift, anyway?”
But it wasn’t like that back then. At least, not for me.
I remember singing “Love Story” for a talent show in the first grade and being laughed at for not changing the pronouns while I sang. (Sue me, I wanted to be the princess.) I remember jumping to each elongated “we” in her song “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” at my fourth grade Christmas party, and the boys in the class looked at me with pure, unbridled disgust. When everyone turned against her in 2017, I was one of the few people who defended her honor to my friends when they were proud to say she was “over.” Even in college, a few months before the Eras Tour started, I remember scrolling through my Twitter in public and someone came up to me and said, “Your whole life is really about Taylor Swift? That’s so sad.”
It just hurts that those same people who would have mocked me — maybe even did — are the very ones going to the concert celebrating her discography.
There’s this warped idea in my head that there are degrees of fandom that have to be met before going to the Eras Tour. You should have liked Taylor Swift since you were a child, had her as your top artist on Spotify since 2017, written poems based on her songs, and made a TikTok account analyzing her literary brilliance before any of the universities did.
If it was based on that, sure, I would be front row receiving the “22” hat. But it’s not. The Eras Tour has proven time and time again it is a game of economics. Most relationships with these celebrities are. It is purely transactional, trading good music for silver coins.
I had to take in that harsh realization when an acquaintance of mine begrudgingly told me she was going to the tour. Her friend bought too many tickets and decided to give some away.
“I told my friend, ‘Why would I go to watch that white woman?’” she said.
She made it seem like she was only going out of obligation. She even offered to give me the friendship bracelets she’d receive on the tour, calling them “dirty.”
When I watched the Eras Tour movie in the cinema, a stranger gave me a friendship bracelet. I’ve kept it with me ever since, daydreaming about someday making my own bracelets and giving it to excited fans on the tour.
Ever since that conversation, I got to thinking: Are these people more important to Taylor Swift than me? People who spend almost P100,000 on her concert tickets, tour outfits, flights, and accommodations — do they hold a special place in Taylor’s heart?
Then, it made me wonder: Who am I to Taylor Swift?
The answer: Nobody. I am nothing to Taylor Swift. I’m not even stardust in her orbit. Just one contributor to the 26 billion Spotify streams she got last year.
In this digital day and age, there’s this craving to be part of something bigger. If you are someone big, you are going to have people who kiss the ground you walk on. It’s even more dangerous when your empire is built on relatability — feelings of love, friendship, heartbreak, jealousy, and distrust.
When you’ve woven a tapestry so universal that it becomes a mirror for some people, you’re bound to be seen as their friend, sometimes their only one. I’ve always found it miraculous that music can do that, but it also creates an illusory tie. Invisible strings that some people, myself included, mistake as real.
The more important question I then venture to ask is not who am I to Taylor Swift but who is Taylor Swift to me?
Yes, I’m not her friend, but her music has made me gain new friends. The first conversations I’ve had with the best people I’ve ever met started with, “Do you like Taylor Swift?” I’ve dedicated her songs to my friends, my enemies, my crushes, and my partners. During the pandemic, folklore and evermore were my lifeboats. I used her songs to both escape and confront my deepest, darkest feelings.
Taylor Swift even helped me discover my passion for writing. I remember my first poetry journal had my favorite lyrics of hers on the first page. I was only 10 years old.
Taylor Swift has been my mentor, my guide, my siren, and my inspiration for 14 years now. One spectacular concert in a foreign country will never mean as much to me as how her music has made my life what it is today.
Now when people ask me if I’m going to the tour, I don’t call fouls or say I deserve to be there. I just tell them I’ll go to her next one. And if I can’t, I’ll go to the one after that.
I tell them that I’m willing to wait until all the hype of the Eras Tour, all the quirky TikToks, and all my friends’ Instagram posts are long gone.
I’m willing to wait for when she’s 60 years old and I can finally afford to attend her show. I imagine she’ll be on stage, the same girl with her guitar that I fell in love with when I was seven, and I’ll have the time of my life with her. – Rappler.com
Aidan Bernales is a junior communications student at the Ateneo de Manila University.
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Daughter of farmer killed in Negros Occidental clashes says her father was not a rebel
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Chito de la Vega
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27/02/2024 18:35
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File Photo. The Caramihan family during the pinning ceremony of their daughter Charlene Caramihan. The daughter is about to graduate in college this 2024.
Courtesy of Charlene Caramihan
NEGROS OCCIDENTAL, Philippines – The daughter of a farmer killed during the recent clashes between government forces and insurgents denied the allegation of the military that her father was a member or a supporter of the rebel New People’s Army’s Northern Negros Front (NPA-NNF) in northern Negros Occidental.
Charlene Caramihan, daughter of the slain Jose Caramihan, said it was not true as claimed by the military that her father was an NPA member working with the rebels. According to reports by the military, the insurgents in northern Negros were trying to recover the rebel front, which the state forces had previously declared dismantled.
“Sa mga nag ingon nga NPA Akong papa, dili intawon na sya ingon ana. Kami gin padako me ni papa nga puno sang pagpalangga og may respeto sa isig katawo, aron mag subay me sa sakto nga dalan ug mangin maayo ang among kaugmaon,” she said.
(My father was not an NPA, as some people had claimed. We were reared by our father with a lot of love and respect for other people and made sure that we would take the right path for us to have a better future.)
Charlene said her father worked hard on their farm just to send them to school, especially since she is about to graduate this year with a Bachelor of Science degree in Secondary Education majoring in Filipino.
“Naninguha ang akong amahan para ma edukar og tarong ang iyang mga anak biskan sa kalisod,” she told Rappler.
(Amidst hardships, my father put a lot of effort into ensuring that his children would get a good education)
Charlene insisted that her father was a farmer who worked as a woodcutter, and was also responsible for tending to their small farm in Sitio Manlusao, which was their main source of family income.
Her parents were members of the United Sagay, Escalante, Toboso Planters Association, Inc. (USETPAI), Charlene said.
She was filled with anguish when she discovered that her father was one of the three suspected rebels killed Wednesday, February 21, in the area where their farm was located, she told Rappler.
“Amo na untang gusto ko e-clear ang pangalan ni papa Kay yanong mangunguma ra gid intawon na Akong amahan. Ang among diginidad mao ra na among pinanghahawakan Kay biskan pigado me, napangkamot akong amahan para kanamo nga iyang pamilya. Dili na sya intawon rebelde,” Charlene said.
(I wanted to clear my father’s name that he was just a farmer. My father worked very hard for his family and us, and we maintained our dignity despite our dire circumstances. He was not a rebel)
According to Charlene, her father went to the their farm every day, but would always return home before dusk. There was never a day when he failed to arrive home.
Following the death of her father, she called for help from various groups to conduct an independent probe into the killing of her father, whose dream was just to see his children finish schooling.
Meanwhile, the Philippine Army’s 3rd Infantry Division spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel J-Jay Javines affirmed the military report that Jose Caramihan, along with two other slain individuals were communist rebels in the northern Negros city.
Javines said maybe the family of Jose was not aware of his affiliation with the rebels in their area.
Charlene, however, said she was certain that her father became collateral damage in the conflict between the NPAs and the state forces.
The fighting resulted in sporadic clashes, with airstrikes by the military using Augusta Westland-109 “Night Hawk” attack helicopters launched against rebels.
Bishop Gerardo Alminaza of San Carlos recently criticized the attack, calling it a “disproportionate act” that not only caused property and livelihood disruption but also sparked dread and fear among people.
The bishop would also facilitate psycho-social interventions for all the affected residents of the fierce encounters in Escalante City and Toboso town, Negros Occidental.
On the other hand, the Commission on Human Rights in Negros announced its plan to conduct an independent probe on the attack of the military against the NPAs, which pushed residents to flee their homes and livelihood. – Rappler.com
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Marcos can’t appoint foreigners to Maharlika Investment Corporation – DOJ
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Ralf Rivas
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28/02/2024 20:41
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JUSTICE. The logo of the Department of Justice (DOJ).
Jire Carreon/Rappler
MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Justice (DOJ) ruled that foreigners can’t be appointed as independent director of the Maharlika Investment Corporation, the company managing the country’s first wealth fund.
A seven-page legal opinion by Justice Undersecretary Raul Vasquez cited sections of the Constitution, particularly Section 18, which states that public officers and employees owe the state “allegiance at all times.”
The opinion also cited Section 1, which states that “public officers and employees must at all times be accountable to the people, serve them with utmost responsibility, integrity, loyalty, and efficiency, act with patriotism and justice, and lead modest lives.”
“Hence, we are of the opinion that a foreign national cannot be legally appointment by the President as an independent director of the MIC,” the opinion read.
But the DOJ emphasized that a Filipino with dual citizenship at birth may be appointed as MIC’s independent director without the need for renouncing his or her foreign citizenship.
Natural-born Filipinos who were naturalized in another country and later reacquired Filipino citizenship may be appointed on the condition that they comply with Republic Act 9225 or the Citizenship Retention and Re-acquisition Act of 2003, as well as the corresponding rules and regulations issued by the Civil Service Commission.
The DOJ opinion was issued after the Presidential Management Staff requested it in November 2023, noting that the Maharlika law’s implementing rules and regulations was silent on the nationality requirement. – Rappler.com
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Bed bugs in NAIA? Airport operator apologizes to bitten passengers
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lkyu0285
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28/02/2024 22:14
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Raffy de Guzman
MANILA, Philippines – The Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) added another lowlight to its checkered reputation as the airport’s operator apologized to passengers who were reportedly bitten by bed bugs in Terminals 2 and 3.
The Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA), which regulates and operates the country’s main international gateway, confirmed that it received reports regarding bed bugs in the terminals and said that it “apologizes to the victims and assures them that a speedy resolution to this can be expected.”
Earlier on Tuesday, February 27, a post about a passenger being bitten by bed bugs in NAIA went viral in a Facebook group about traveling. The post warned about bed bugs in the rattan chairs in NAIA Terminal 2 and included photos of the supposed bites on their legs.
The seats have been removed permanently, according to a press release by MIAA on Wednesday, February 28. MIAA also said that the two victims who were bitten were assisted by the airport’s medical team.
PTV4 reported that other infected seats from the airport had been removed and treated as well.
MIAA General Manager Eric Ines has since ordered the terminal managers to investigate and provide a report in 24 hours outlining what happened and what “corrective actions” can be taken. Ines, who took over the ailing airport in late 2023, also ordered “comprehensive facility inspections and enhanced sanitation measures.”
A cursory check on social media would show that the problem is not recent. In December 2016, a Facebook user posted a public video of bed bugs swarming the cushion of a chair in NAIA 3. In January, a woman posted a video of bed bugs peeking from the holes of a metal chair at NAIA 3.
The incident is another bad mark on NAIA’s already poor reputation. It was also named among the worst airports in Asia for business travelers and the third most stressful airport in Asia and Oceania.
However, there is a glimmer of hope. The airport will soon undergo a much-needed rehabilitation in the hands of the San Miguel-led consortium that won the bid for NAIA. San Miguel’s group is expected to take over as the airport’s operator within the next three to six months. MIAA will then continue its role as a regulator. (READ: NAIA is 4th worst airport in Asia. Can its new operator turn things around?)
Transportation officials have said that once the takeover is complete, the first order of business will be to work on “quick gains” or low-hanging fruit improvements within the first year – improvements that presumably will include better chairs free of bed bugs. – Rappler.com
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TNT gifts Chot Reyes triumphant return with gutsy comeback win
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delfin.dioquino editor
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28/02/2024 23:44
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DRIVE. Calvin Oftana in action for the TNT Tropang Giga in the 2024 PBA Philippine Cup.
PBA Images
RIZAL, Philippines – TNT made sure to give head coach Chot Reyes a triumphant PBA return.
With Reyes calling the shots again after a two-conference absence, the Tropang Giga pulled off a 108-107 comeback win over Rain or Shine in the PBA Philippine Cup at the Ynares Center in Antipolo on Wednesday, February 28.
Given an earful by Reyes after a slow offensive start, Calvin Oftana finished with 23 points and 14 rebounds to help TNT complete its comeback from a double-digit deficit for a promising start in the All-Filipino tournament.
It was a fitting welcome gift for Reyes, who temporarily handed the coaching reins to Tropang Giga team manager Jojo Lastimosa as he focused on Gilas Pilipinas’ campaign in the last FIBA World Cup.
“A few were asking me how does it feel to be back. My reply was, I was never away. I’ve always been with the team, whether it is in practice or in games. So it was not like I was really ever away,” said Reyes.
“There was no big adjustment whether in practice or in games. If ever there was any adjustment, it is just getting back to the grind – the grind of the PBA cadence of practice and games.”
Oftana scored just 6 points at halftime before Reyes commanded him to be more aggressive.
The national team forward delivered, churning out 10 big points in the final quarter, including the three-pointer that gave TNT the upper hand at 106-104 and the layup that pushed their lead to 108-104 with a minute left.
“Coach woke me up. I was not getting the ball because I was still trying to get my rhythm here at Talk ‘N Text,” said Oftana, who spent the last two weeks with Gilas Pilipinas as they swept the first FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers window.
“Before, coach used to yell at me because of my mistakes, but this time, he yelled at me to shoot the ball,” Oftana added.
Two more Tropang Giga players breached the 20-point mark, with Roger Pogoy posting 22 points and Kim Aurin firing 21 points off the bench.
Brandon Ganuelas-Rosser made his presence felt for TNT with a 15-point, 14-rebound double-double just two days after being acquired by the Tropang Giga through a three-team deal with his former squads NLEX and Blackwater.
Serving as a stabilizer, Jayson Castro chimed in 14 points and 7 assists in the win.
Leonard Santillan tallied 20 points and 11 rebounds, while Adrian Nocum put up 20 points and 4 assists in the losing effort that saw the Elasto Painters squander a five-point lead, 104-99, with under four minutes remaining.
TNT unleashed a 9-0 blast for a 108-104 edge and held on to the win as Andrei Caracut split his foul shots and Jhonard Clarito went for a layup in the dying seconds instead of going for a game-tying triple for Rain or Shine.
Aside from their late collapse, the Elasto Painters shot themselves in the foot by missing 18 of their 42 free throws.
TNT 108 – Oftana 23, Pogoy 22, Aurin 21, Ganuelas-Rosser B. 15, Castro 14, Galinato 4, Khobuntin 4, Ganuelas-Rosser M. 3, Montalbo 2, Williams 0, Ebona 0, Reyes 0, Heruela 0, Ponferrada 0.
Rain or Shine 107 – Nocum 20, Santillan 20, Caracut 15, Ildefonso 11, Belga 10, Datu 8, Demusis 6, Clarito 6, Mamuyac 5, Borboran 4, Norwood 2, Concepcion 0.
Quarters: 26-26, 51-52, 83-88, 108-107.
– Rappler.com
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New Ateneo coach keeps it simple as young Eagles take flight: ‘Keep playing’
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jisaga0269
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28/02/2024 23:10
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RISING AGAIN. The Ateneo Blue Eagles react and huddle after a point in the UAAP Season 86 women's volleyball tournament
UAAP Season 86 Media Team
MANILA, Philippines – Once a mighty force in UAAP women’s volleyball, the Ateneo Blue Eagles have since fallen behind their former equals following a years-long talent exodus that their recruitment drives have not quite been able to match.
Coming off a historic low in Season 85 where it failed to make the Final Four for the first time in a decade, Ateneo now finds itself searching for that next big star to carry it back to relevance.
Clearly, however, that time has not yet come, and this young batch of Eagles are perfectly at peace with the fact that wins will not come as easily as before.
Even their Season 86 breakthrough demanded a significant amount of effort from every player, as the Eagles rallied from two sets down against the winless UP Fighting Maroons and pulled off a five-set, reverse sweep, 22-25, 20-25, 25-22, 25-17, 15-9, on Wednesday, February 28.
New head coach Sergio Veloso, however, does not mind how the wins are achieved, nor if they come at all.
“First point, we have more than six to seven players and that’s important. When players start to go down, you have players to do and continue the level,” said the Brazilian mentor.
“Second point, the set is until 25. You need to fight to get to this point. It does not matter if the other team is up three or four points in front or one, two sets in front. Volleyball has five sets and you need to win three. Keep playing.”
And keep playing, the Eagles did, as they drew strength from leading scorer Lyann de Guzman and standout sub Sobe Buena, who tallied new career-highs of 24 and 18 points, respectively, to eventually prevail against a UP side now led by their old coach Oliver Almadro.
“I can say that we found our consistency this game,” said De Guzman, who completed her big night with 18 excellent receptions and 11 excellent digs. “Like coach said, we just have to keep playing and playing even if down two sets, because as long as we have a strong mind, we will hold on.”
“Like what coach said, keep playing,” echoed Buena, who powered down most of her points in the crucial fourth and fifth sets after a quiet start. “My mindset was just to leave everything on the court. Coach always emphasized that we have to finish strong and play 100%.”
This season, it won’t be a surprise if Ateneo misses its second straight Final Four and lag to the bottom rungs of the standings.
Their fans – once fighting for seats in thousand-seater arenas – are all but gone in the stands.
The Blue Eagles’ glory days are over, but for them, it’s all okay.
Keep playing. – Rappler.com
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Surf’s up: Siargao’s tourism rides high with 323% surge
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Herbie G
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27/02/2024 12:27
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BOARDWALK STROLL. Surfers stroll down a boardwalk after catching some early morning waves at Cloud 9, General Luna in Siargao.
Ivy Marie Mangadlao/Rappler
BUTUAN, Philippines – The country’s premier surfing capital, Siargao, saw a rebound in 2023 with a 323.56% growth in tourist arrivals, a far cry from the period of the slumps recorded in the previous years due to the COVID-19 pandemic and Super Typhoon Odette that devastated the island.
Department of Tourism-Caraga data showed that Siargao Island alone recorded a total of 529,822 tourist arrivals in 2023, an increase from the 125,088 tourists logged in 2022.
Out of these tourists, 476,074 were domestic, and 53,748 were foreign. The most significant growth rate was observed in the foreign arrivals, with a 511.89% increase from 8,784 in 2022.
DOT-Caraga confirmed that tourist arrivals in Siargao for 2023 have already surpassed the pre-pandemic levels. In 2019, before the effects of COVID-19 became pronounced, the island recorded 257,900 tourist arrivals.
DOT-Caraga Director Ivonnie Dumadag said Siargao’s improved accessibility was a key factor contributing to the rise in tourist arrivals.
“The department is working hard to advance tourism in various aspects, including skills development, enforcement of standards, and marketing, both domestically and internationally,” she said.
Dumadag noted the importance of accrediting tourism-related enterprises to prevent past issues, as negative experiences in Siargao can quickly spread on social media.
“What we really want to do is to sustain our credibility and reputation in Siargao as a paradise destination because if we keep promoting, and our service providers lack skills and training and are not accredited, it won’t be effective,” she added.
In 2023, Siargao ranked 10th among Asia’s best Islands in Condé Nast Traveler’s Readers’ Choice Awards.
With the massive increase in tourists, Dumadag said they were preparing as they anticipate an even larger influx for 2024.
Surigao del Norte 1st District Representative Francisco Jose “Bingo” Matugas II said preparations were also underway for the island’s hosting of the Siargao International Surfing Cup in 2024, featuring an upgraded 5,000 Qualifying Series (QS), an increase from the 3,000 QS in 2023.
“This event is not only about sports but also about tourism; it will draw more tourists to witness the event,” Matugas said.
The 5,000 QS for the Siargao International Surfing Cup, sanctioned by the World Surf League, aims to attract the best surfers from around the world to participate in the competition due to its higher prize money and the increased number of points.
For the overall Caraga region, there were a total of 1.44 million tourists, reflecting a growth rate of 98.83% from 725,266 in 2022.
In terms of tourism receipts, they amounted to a total of P17.304 billion, representing the revenue generated from various tourism-related activities and services in the region.
Dumadag said the DOT has customized its approach for each province in the Caraga based on each area’s unique tourism offerings.
In the case of Dinagat Island, there is a heightened focus on promotion, with the provincial government currently formulating appropriate policies, she said.In Agusan del Sur, the emphasis is on adventure tourism, targeting a specific audience interested in trekking. – Rappler.com
Ivy Marie Mangadlao is a community journalist writing for Mindanews and an Aries Rufo Journalism fellow for 2023-2024.
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Tayo na sa Antipolo! Pope gives them another crown – and a golden rose
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Paterno Esmaquel II
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28/02/2024 20:00
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POPE'S GIFT. The Diocese of Antipolo receives a golden rose from Pope Francis to honor Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage at the Antipolo Cathedral.
Diocese of Antipolo
If this were a competition (and mind you, the holiest can also be the most competitive), the Diocese of Antipolo is on a winning streak.
Their latest source of pride (or, fine, “source of joy” since pride is a capital sin): a golden rose from Pope Francis.
Days before receiving this golden rose, the Diocese of Antipolo announced that one of its churches will soon receive another gift from the Pope: this time, a crown.
What’s with the crown and the golden rose?
The golden rose is the Pope’s way of honoring Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage (Nuestra Señora de la Paz y Buen Viaje) – better known as the Virgin of Antipolo – after the 450-year-old Antipolo Cathedral became the Philippines’ first international Catholic shrine.
A golden rose “is considered the highest honor given personally by the Supreme Pontiff to a Marian image and shrine” anywhere in the world, said the Diocese of Antipolo, because it was commissioned by the Pope himself.
This papal custom of giving roses made of pure gold began before the year 1050, according to the Catholic encyclopedia New Advent. Since the Middle Ages, it was meant to be given to Catholic royalty, prominent individuals, and “governments or cities conspicuous for their Catholic spirit and loyalty to the Holy See, as a mark of esteem and personal affection.”
Golden roses are prepared in an elaborate ritual every fourth Sunday of Lent (Laetare Sunday, or “Rejoice Sunday”), when the Pope prays and blesses the roses on a candle-lit table. The Pope recites a prayer asking that God “bless and sanctify this rose, most delightful in odor and appearance, which we this day carry in sign of spiritual joy.”
Based on this prayer, the golden rose also symbolizes an appeal for God to “remit sin, strengthen faith, increase piety, protect her (the Church) in Thy mercy, drive away all things adverse to her, and make her ways safe and prosperous.”
The Pope then incenses balsam, which is an aromatic substance from plants, and then musk, which is a substance from a male musk deer that helps fragrance last longer. According to New Advent, he then “puts the balsam and powdered musk into the tiny cup in the heart of the principal rose,” after which he incenses the rest of the roses and sprinkles them with holy water.
The golden roses are then kept in the sacristy, where the priest changes vestments before and after Mass, until the Pope is about to give them away.
In the case of the Diocese of Antipolo, the local church said it “is the first time that a Marian shrine in the Philippines and on the whole continent of Asia has been given this honor.”
The golden rose was offered to the Virgin of Antipolo on Monday, February 26, by Archbishop Rino Fisichella, one of two pro-prefects of the Vatican’s Dicastery for Evangelization. (The other pro-prefect is Manila’s former archbishop, Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle.)
Fisichella led the thanksgiving Mass for the declaration of the Antipolo Cathedral as an international shrine.
Twelve days before this, on February 14, the Vatican informed the Diocese of Antipolo that it was also bestowing an honor – a canonical coronation – on an image of Mary in its diocese.
This is the image of Our Lady of Fatima de Marikina (Nuestra Señora de Fatima de Marikina) at the Diocesan Shrine and Parish Church of Saint Paul of the Cross in Marikina City.
Marikina, along with the whole province of Rizal, is part of the 2.9-million-strong Diocese of Antipolo.
A canonical coronation is a crowning of an image of the Virgin Mary in the name of the Pope. The Saint Paul of the Cross Parish said this “is the highest honor given by the Catholic Church to an image of the Blessed Virgin Mary.” (Note how the golden rose is said to be the “highest honor,” too, but “given personally” by the Pope.)
The canonical coronation of Nuestra Señora de Fatima de Marikina will take place on May 12, the eve of the Feast of Our Lady of Fatima.
In his message, Antipolo Bishop Ruperto Santos thanked the Pope “for this enormous and symbolic gift, which will surely deepen our devotion to the Mother of Our Lord Jesus, who is also our mother.”
This is the sixth image in the Diocese of Antipolo that will be canonically crowned, according to the news service of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines.
Here are the five others:
It looks like the Diocese of Antipolo – located in a mountainous, touristy province south of Manila – is closer to its goal of becoming the “spiritual pilgrimage capital of the Philippines.”
Six crowns and a golden rose, after all, are certainly rich in meaning, a great attraction for pilgrims seeking deeper peace.
How to turn these symbols into reality, or faith into action in this country mired in poverty, is another story. – Rappler.com
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Stronger PNP internal probe needed, Hontiveros says after Jemboy verdict
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Jairo Bolledo
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28/02/2024 20:48
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SUPPORT. Senator Risa Hontiveros with Rodaliza and Jessie Baltazar, parents of slain teenager Jemboy, face the Senate media a day after the court decision on the case on Wednesday, February 28.
Angie de Silva/Rappler
MANILA, Philippines – To ensure that justice will be served even in cases involving personnel of the Philippine National Police (PNP), opposition Senator Risa Hontiveros said a stronger internal probe mechanism within the PNP is needed.
A day after Navotas City Regional Trial Court Branch 286 meted light penalties against cops in the killing of 17-year-old Jemboy Baltazar, Hontiveros said the PNP Internal Affairs Service (IAS) should have a stronger mandate and capacity that will include criminal, and not just administrative cases.
The PNP IAS is a unit of the national police dedicated to investigating alleged abuses among police officers and personnel. The said unit has the mandate to file administrative or even criminal complaints.
“‘Yon din po kasi ‘yong ikinagugulat, ikinabibigla ng pamilya, na bakit dito sa kasong ito, ‘yong mga akusado ay inimbestigahan halos lamang ng sarili nilang mga comrades in arms sa loob ng serbisyo na hindi pa malakas ‘yong Internal Affairs Service o iba pang mekanismo ng PNP para sa talagang seryoso at mabigat na pag-iimbestigasyon,” Hontiveros said in a press conference on Wednesday, February 28.
“Hindi ‘yan nagbibigay ng kompiyansa sa kanilang pamilya o publiko na walang impunity rito, na mayro’n talagang pagsingil ng accountability sa sarili nilang mga tauhan ang institusyon mismo,” she added.
(That’s what also shocked and surprised the family, that in this case, the accused were investigated by their comrades in arms within the service even though the Internal Affairs Service or the PNP’s other mechanisms are not fully ready for a serious and heavy investigation. This does not assure the family or the public that there is no impunity, and that there’s really a mechanism to exact accountability from the institution’s own personnel.)
As shown in Baltazar’s case, the problem with investigations involving crimes committed by the police is the lack of proper accountability. The teen was killed during a police operation in Navotas City after he was mistaken as the shooting suspect the cops were chasing in Barangay NBBS Kaunlaran.
When the issue of the killing blew up, the Department of the Interior and Local Government and the PNP held a press conference where they released the suspects’ names and said that a criminal complaint for reckless imprudence resulting in homicide was already filed against them.
However, the Baltazar family and their lawyers from legal group IDEALS discovered later that “no information was filed in court, resulting in the said officers’ [cops] release for further investigation.” This prompted the family to file a murder complaint against the cops, which was the subject of the court’s ruling.
During a Senate inquiry into the teen’s killing last year, Northern Police District chief Brigadier General Rizalito Gapas said the six cops tagged as suspects were not subjected and refused to undergo paraffin tests. The said test is used to determine the presence of gunpowder residue.
In the press conference, Hontiveros also mentioned the lighter punishments against the cops involved in the killing.
“Lumalabas na isa na naman itong pagsasalamin o mukha ng impunity na ilang mga taon na nating nilalabanan. Na hindi dapat na kapagka may pumatay, may nag-extrajudicial killing, o nagplano ng ganitong operasyon at pumatay sa bata, ay slap on the wrist lang,” the senator said.
(It seems this is another reflection or face of impunity that we have been fighting for years. It’s not acceptable that when someone killed a person, if there’s extrajudicial killing, or planned an operation and a teen was killed, the perpetrators will receive only slap on the wrist.)
Only one in the six accused cops – Police Staff Sergeant Gerry Maliban – was found guilty of homicide. This was a lower offense compared to the murder charge originally lodged by the family and its counsels. Maliban was sentenced to four to six years of imprisonment.
Four others police officers – Staff Sergeant Niko Pines Esquilon, Executive Master Sergeant Roberto Balais Jr., Corporal Edmard Jake Blanco, Patrolman Benedict Mangada – were convicted of illegal discharge of firearm and sentenced to four months in prison. Police Staff Sergeant Antonio Bugayong Jr. was acquitted.
Since the court allowed the four’s preventive imprisonment to be credited, they could be released from detention along with Bugayong who was absolved in the case.
The National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers – National Capital Region said in a statement that the court’s decision, although grounded on facts and law, was difficult to accept for the family because of their loss. The group added that police accountability remains a tedious challenge in the country.
“But how can victims effectively prosecute when the authorities who are supposed to investigate are the ones suspected of the crime in the first place? It is certainly time to think about stronger accountability measures, a proper death investigation system, and a fair criminal investigation process,” the NUPL-NCR said.
The verdict on Baltazar’s case was not the first instance where cops tagged in killings received lighter penalties.
In the case of Edwin Arnigo, the cop, Christopher Salcedo, was only ordered imprisoned for a maximum two years and 10 months for reckless imprudence resulting in homicide. Arnigo was the teenager with special needs who was killed by Salcedo at the height of lockdown due to COVID-19 in 2021. – Rappler.com
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Subsidies eyed as cushion for employers raised in wage hike debates
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Michelle Abad
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28/02/2024 20:21
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SUPPORT FOR WAGE HIKE. Labor groups gather along Batasan Road ahead of the House labor committee hearing on the various bills on increasing wages for minimum wage earners on February 28, 2024.
Michelle Abad/Rappler
MANILA, Philippines – As workers and employers discussed at the House of Representatives their stands on the various bills proposing salary hikes for Filipino minimum wage earners, a common idea emerged that may work for both group: subsidies.
MANILA, Philippines – As workers and employers lay out their stands at the House of Representatives on the various bills proposing wage hikes for Filipino minimum wage earners, a common idea emerged that may work for all: subsidies, whether for employers or workers.
With the Senate passing on third and final reading a measure seeking to implement a P100 across-the-board increase for minimum wage earners, eyes are on the lower chamber to get its version of the bill moving. There are several versions filed in the House with different amounts, ranging from P150 to P750 increases. (LIST: Wage hike bills to be tackled by House)
In the House labor committee hearing on Wednesday, February 28, lawmakers took three hours to hear out the positions of labor groups, employer groups, and the academe. Workers had a common message: Filipino workers don’t earn enough, and this proposed across-the-board increase wage would give them a chance at a living wage, or a wage beyond mere survival.
Meanwhile, employer groups said they were also caught in a tight situation: an increase, even a tiny one, might cause job losses and inflation.
But one thing a lawmaker, a labor group, and an employers group agreed would help ease the burden for employers, particularly smaller businesses, are subsidies from the government. This would allow workers to have their increases, while aiding businesses that may struggle to pay them.
“We recognize the impact of mandating wage increases on micro and small businesses which is why the government must act by providing wage subsidies to ensure that their workers receive fair wages while ensuring the survival of their businesses,” said Gabriela Representative Arlene Brosas in her opening statement.
Confederation of Wearables Exporters of the Philippines executive director Maritess Agoncillo illustrated how the exporters in her group could not afford increasing wages of their workers, as current market forces already hinder their competitiveness against other Southeast Asian countries.
But without even factoring in the possible wage increase, Agoncillo said that the group projected a loss of 12% of its workforce in 2024 because of market forces, such as the lack of preferred trade agreements that other countries have, leading their buyers to migrate their orders to Vietnam, Cambodia, and Indonesia.
“So the market was soft, then you come up with a mandated wage… We had to shed off around 21,000 workers from last year,” Agoncillo told reporters in a chance interview after the hearing.
“We understand the plight of our workers, we know how inflation can hit their take-home pay, so we are requesting for… the government to provide an inflationary subsidy to the minimum wage earners,” she added.
The Sentro ng mga Nagkakaisa at Progresibong Manggagawa (Sentro) labor group also stood behind a subsidy, but for firms.
“To address concerns from employers, Sentro believes that it is necessary to provide subsidies to firms that are struggling, or would struggle to compensate workers fairly as a result of these legislative measures. Existing laws and policies already exist for this purpose. This can be expanded and refined as needed through proper consultation among the social partners,” said Sentro campaign officer Benjamin Alvero.
Alvero added that the fact that there was a need to discuss a wage hike at the level of national legislation was an “indictment” that the existing system with regional wage boards was not working.
According to Representative Brosas, subsidies, if approved, will only be feasible in 2025.
“For medium, small, and micro enterprises, we want there to be a wage subsidy for those who cannot afford it. The ones who are able able to get away with paying low, minimum wages are large companies. We should put it into that context – large companies do not want to raise wages. For what reason? We do not know, because the productivity level has risen,” she told Rappler in a mix of English and Filipino.
If the bill providing an across-the-board increase gets approved this year, Brosas said that firms cannot expect subsidies immediately, as lawmakers would have to add the funds for this in the 2025 General Appropriations Act.
Mark Villena, advocacy officer of the Associated Labor Unions in the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines, noted how raising wages was for the sake of taking care of the next generation of Filipinos.
“Ang susunod na generation ng mga workers ng Pilipino, maaaring nagkukulang. Kumbaga, kung ang Pilipinas mismo ninanais nang umangat ang ekonomiya niya, kailangan niya ng quality workers. At hindi nito makukuha ang quality workers kung hindi sapat ang sustensya na nakakamit ng mga manggagawa ngayon,” Villena said in a picket along Batasan Road before the hearing.
(The next generation of Filipino workers might not be able to perform well. If the Philippines wants to develop its economy, it needs quality workers. And it will not have quality workers if workers now do not have enough to provide for their families.)
For Jerome Adonis, secretary general of Kilusang Mayo Uno, workers only sought to achieve the living wages mandated by the Constitution.
“Kami ay dumudulog sa House of Representatives ng dagdag sahod hindi para malugi ang mga kumpanya at hindi para tumaas ang presyo ng bilihin. Kami po ay nagmumula sa aming constitutional rights na magkaroon kami ng nakabubuhay na sahod, para mabuhay nang disente ‘yung aming pamilya,” he said after the hearing.
(We are here at the House of Representatives appealing for a wage hike, not because we want companies to go bankrupt or to cause the rising prices of goods, but we are coming from our constitutional right to have a living wage, so that our families can live decently.) – Rappler.com
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TNT gifts Chot Reyes triumphant return with gutsy comeback win
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delfin.dioquino editor
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28/02/2024 23:44
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DRIVE. Calvin Oftana in action for the TNT Tropang Giga in the 2024 PBA Philippine Cup.
PBA Images
RIZAL, Philippines – TNT made sure to give head coach Chot Reyes a triumphant PBA return.
With Reyes calling the shots again after a two-conference absence, the Tropang Giga pulled off a 108-107 comeback win over Rain or Shine in the PBA Philippine Cup at the Ynares Center in Antipolo on Wednesday, February 28.
Given an earful by Reyes after a slow offensive start, Calvin Oftana finished with 23 points and 14 rebounds to help TNT complete its comeback from a double-digit deficit for a promising start in the All-Filipino tournament.
It was a fitting welcome gift for Reyes, who temporarily handed the coaching reins to Tropang Giga team manager Jojo Lastimosa as he focused on Gilas Pilipinas’ campaign in the last FIBA World Cup.
“A few were asking me how does it feel to be back. My reply was, I was never away. I’ve always been with the team, whether it is in practice or in games. So it was not like I was really ever away,” said Reyes.
“There was no big adjustment whether in practice or in games. If ever there was any adjustment, it is just getting back to the grind – the grind of the PBA cadence of practice and games.”
Oftana scored just 6 points at halftime before Reyes commanded him to be more aggressive.
The national team forward delivered, churning out 10 big points in the final quarter, including the three-pointer that gave TNT the upper hand at 106-104 and the layup that pushed their lead to 108-104 with a minute left.
“Coach woke me up. I was not getting the ball because I was still trying to get my rhythm here at Talk ‘N Text,” said Oftana, who spent the last two weeks with Gilas Pilipinas as they swept the first FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers window.
“Before, coach used to yell at me because of my mistakes, but this time, he yelled at me to shoot the ball,” Oftana added.
Two more Tropang Giga players breached the 20-point mark, with Roger Pogoy posting 22 points and Kim Aurin firing 21 points off the bench.
Brandon Ganuelas-Rosser made his presence felt for TNT with a 15-point, 14-rebound double-double just two days after being acquired by the Tropang Giga through a three-team deal with his former squads NLEX and Blackwater.
Serving as a stabilizer, Jayson Castro chimed in 14 points and 7 assists in the win.
Leonard Santillan tallied 20 points and 11 rebounds, while Adrian Nocum put up 20 points and 4 assists in the losing effort that saw the Elasto Painters squander a five-point lead, 104-99, with under four minutes remaining.
TNT unleashed a 9-0 blast for a 108-104 edge and held on to the win as Andrei Caracut split his foul shots and Jhonard Clarito went for a layup in the dying seconds instead of going for a game-tying triple for Rain or Shine.
Aside from their late collapse, the Elasto Painters shot themselves in the foot by missing 18 of their 42 free throws.
TNT 108 – Oftana 23, Pogoy 22, Aurin 21, Ganuelas-Rosser B. 15, Castro 14, Galinato 4, Khobuntin 4, Ganuelas-Rosser M. 3, Montalbo 2, Williams 0, Ebona 0, Reyes 0, Heruela 0, Ponferrada 0.
Rain or Shine 107 – Nocum 20, Santillan 20, Caracut 15, Ildefonso 11, Belga 10, Datu 8, Demusis 6, Clarito 6, Mamuyac 5, Borboran 4, Norwood 2, Concepcion 0.
Quarters: 26-26, 51-52, 83-88, 108-107.
– Rappler.com
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New Ateneo coach keeps it simple as young Eagles take flight: ‘Keep playing’
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jisaga0269
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28/02/2024 23:10
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RISING AGAIN. The Ateneo Blue Eagles react and huddle after a point in the UAAP Season 86 women's volleyball tournament
UAAP Season 86 Media Team
MANILA, Philippines – Once a mighty force in UAAP women’s volleyball, the Ateneo Blue Eagles have since fallen behind their former equals following a years-long talent exodus that their recruitment drives have not quite been able to match.
Coming off a historic low in Season 85 where it failed to make the Final Four for the first time in a decade, Ateneo now finds itself searching for that next big star to carry it back to relevance.
Clearly, however, that time has not yet come, and this young batch of Eagles are perfectly at peace with the fact that wins will not come as easily as before.
Even their Season 86 breakthrough demanded a significant amount of effort from every player, as the Eagles rallied from two sets down against the winless UP Fighting Maroons and pulled off a five-set, reverse sweep, 22-25, 20-25, 25-22, 25-17, 15-9, on Wednesday, February 28.
New head coach Sergio Veloso, however, does not mind how the wins are achieved, nor if they come at all.
“First point, we have more than six to seven players and that’s important. When players start to go down, you have players to do and continue the level,” said the Brazilian mentor.
“Second point, the set is until 25. You need to fight to get to this point. It does not matter if the other team is up three or four points in front or one, two sets in front. Volleyball has five sets and you need to win three. Keep playing.”
And keep playing, the Eagles did, as they drew strength from leading scorer Lyann de Guzman and standout sub Sobe Buena, who tallied new career-highs of 24 and 18 points, respectively, to eventually prevail against a UP side now led by their old coach Oliver Almadro.
“I can say that we found our consistency this game,” said De Guzman, who completed her big night with 18 excellent receptions and 11 excellent digs. “Like coach said, we just have to keep playing and playing even if down two sets, because as long as we have a strong mind, we will hold on.”
“Like what coach said, keep playing,” echoed Buena, who powered down most of her points in the crucial fourth and fifth sets after a quiet start. “My mindset was just to leave everything on the court. Coach always emphasized that we have to finish strong and play 100%.”
This season, it won’t be a surprise if Ateneo misses its second straight Final Four and lag to the bottom rungs of the standings.
Their fans – once fighting for seats in thousand-seater arenas – are all but gone in the stands.
The Blue Eagles’ glory days are over, but for them, it’s all okay.
Keep playing. – Rappler.com
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Bed bugs in NAIA? Airport operator apologizes to bitten passengers
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lkyu0285
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28/02/2024 22:14
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Raffy de Guzman
MANILA, Philippines – The Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) added another lowlight to its checkered reputation as the airport’s operator apologized to passengers who were reportedly bitten by bed bugs in Terminals 2 and 3.
The Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA), which regulates and operates the country’s main international gateway, confirmed that it received reports regarding bed bugs in the terminals and said that it “apologizes to the victims and assures them that a speedy resolution to this can be expected.”
Earlier on Tuesday, February 27, a post about a passenger being bitten by bed bugs in NAIA went viral in a Facebook group about traveling. The post warned about bed bugs in the rattan chairs in NAIA Terminal 2 and included photos of the supposed bites on their legs.
The seats have been removed permanently, according to a press release by MIAA on Wednesday, February 28. MIAA also said that the two victims who were bitten were assisted by the airport’s medical team.
PTV4 reported that other infected seats from the airport had been removed and treated as well.
MIAA General Manager Eric Ines has since ordered the terminal managers to investigate and provide a report in 24 hours outlining what happened and what “corrective actions” can be taken. Ines, who took over the ailing airport in late 2023, also ordered “comprehensive facility inspections and enhanced sanitation measures.”
A cursory check on social media would show that the problem is not recent. In December 2016, a Facebook user posted a public video of bed bugs swarming the cushion of a chair in NAIA 3. In January, a woman posted a video of bed bugs peeking from the holes of a metal chair at NAIA 3.
The incident is another bad mark on NAIA’s already poor reputation. It was also named among the worst airports in Asia for business travelers and the third most stressful airport in Asia and Oceania.
However, there is a glimmer of hope. The airport will soon undergo a much-needed rehabilitation in the hands of the San Miguel-led consortium that won the bid for NAIA. San Miguel’s group is expected to take over as the airport’s operator within the next three to six months. MIAA will then continue its role as a regulator. (READ: NAIA is 4th worst airport in Asia. Can its new operator turn things around?)
Transportation officials have said that once the takeover is complete, the first order of business will be to work on “quick gains” or low-hanging fruit improvements within the first year – improvements that presumably will include better chairs free of bed bugs. – Rappler.com
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Panagbenga feels at SM: Blooms and cultural spectacles take center stage at SM City Baguio
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Marj Casal
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27/02/2024 14:34
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PANAGBENGA FEELS. SM City Baguio Sky Terrace transforms at night with colorful light installations in the month-long celebration of Panagbenga.
This year’s Panagbenga celebration has been truly remarkable, offering a diverse range of experiences and activities, reflecting a continued commitment to supporting culture and the arts in the city.
The local MSMEs join the month-long Cordillera Food and Crafts Fair that showcases local products from souvenirs to artisanal coffee, and more.
Offering of culinary delights from the Food Truck Fest at The Drive satisfied the Panagbenga gastronomic cravings of both tourists and locals.
ANYA NGAY AMIANAN showcased an art exhibit that holds deep meaning stemming from Cordilleran culture. It displayed artworks by prominent Pasakalye artists, spearheaded by Roland Bay-an with over 20 Panagbenga-themed pieces.
The Bucket Hat Creative Design Competition tells a story, capturing the essence of Panagbenga in its own unique way. The Bucket Hat Design Competition not only adds a new dimension to the Panagbenga celebration but also provided a platform for local artists and designers to showcase their talents on a larger stage. It served as a reminder that creativity knows no bounds and that the Panagbenga festival is a time for the community to come together and celebrate the beauty of art and culture.
Among its highlights was the BANG-ED ID AGIW (Garden in Baguio) Flower Design Competition, a captivating showcase demonstrating their expertise in floral arrangement, emphasizing sustainability, urban gardening and community involvement.
With a dedication to supporting the creative community, the events sought to elevate and celebrate Filipino artistry.
The buzz of Panagbenga carried on as MANG WHAWHATTO OF THE CORDILLERA prominently featured indigenous art. Visitors had the chance to engage in a traditional tattooing led by Ammin Acha-ur from the Butbut tribe of Kalinga. It focused on preserving timeless designs and educating attendees about the cultural significance of tattoos, fostering a deeper appreciation for heritage.
Throughout the month, visitors enjoyed the spirit of Panagbenga at the mall which was bustling with festivities, including music highlighting performances by the Dagem of Benguet State University, Baguio City National High School, Saeng ya Kasay Cultural Ensemble from the University of the Cordilleras and University of Baguio Bibak Ubbun Kaafuan (UBBUK).
Paving the way for rising OPM acts with special Live performances from The Edralins, David La Sol, Pastel Sky and Goodluck Mito in the Wish 107.5 Bus.
Adding to the Panagbenga celebrations were lively fireworks, floral displays and light installations throughout the mall. Atop the Sky Terrace is a distinctive attraction, the inflatable coffee guy. This playful addition mirrored the festival’s relaxed yet culturally vibrant atmosphere, offering mall-goers a memorable keepsake of their Panagbenga experience at SM City Baguio.
Fur-tastic fun unleashed at SM City Baguio Paw Park as Super Pets club steals the spotlight. Fur-parents and their beloved companions showcased their super style in a thrilling costume contest. A paw-some day of bonding and laughter marked the start of unforgettable memories for both pets and their loving owners!
Residents and visitors eagerly gathered to witness the highly anticipated Grand Float Parade on February 25, where 34 stunningly decorated floats delighted the crowds. SM City Baguio, a hall-of-famer, showcased a non-competing entry, capturing this year’s festival theme of “Celebrating Traditions, Embracing Innovation” with an amusement park-inspired design. – Rappler.com
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Spreading the culture of alaga: Jodi Sta. Maria wants us to #SayItWithIngat
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gbarrientos0280
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28/02/2024 18:13
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We all know this age-old phrase: Words have power. It only takes a second to say them, but their impact can spark strong emotions and even change perspectives for the rest of someone’s life. And in the age of social media, words are thrown out so much in posts, comments, or videos that strangers have lost care in wielding its power.
With the masks of online crowds and anonymity, negativity has been too easy to spread. Take it from actress Jodi Sta. Maria, who has her fair share of online bashers and haters. “Hindi ka magaling umarte, overrated ka. It’s really about my work,” said Jodi when asked what these people say. Yet, she still finds a way to give it a kinder spin. “Tawag ko nga sa kanila is confused fans.”
Her line of work as a public figure requires her to stay connected with her fans online through social media, for better or for worse. But in her many years of dabbling with these platforms, she’s found that the best way to respond with online hate is to use something even stronger – the Filipino culture of alaga and ingat.
Jodi wants to remind us that at the end of the day, social media is just a tool. “‘Yung social media platform, wala naman talaga siyang power to begin with. It’s just a platform, it’s just an app,” she said.
“Pero tayong mga tao ang may kapasidad kung ano ang magiging purpose ng social media [platform] mo. Are you going to use it para mag spread ng hate? Are you going to use it para mag spread ng encouragement or comfort? It’s really up to you.”
So, what’s a litmus test you can use to check if you’re saying things with ingat? Jodi recommends asking these questions first: “Is it something na kaya mong sabihin without hiding behind the egg icon? Are these the words na sasabihin mo sa sarili mo mismo?”
Jodi also recognizes that you can’t really control what others do. But what you can control is what you can do for yourself. She started doing regular social media detoxing years ago, because she feels it pulls focus from the parts of life that are truly important – like the present, and her loved ones around her.
She also uses this time to be more introspective about what haters say to her. “What I do when I get triggered by a comment is I acknowledge that a particular comment hurt me, or didn’t sit well with me. Then I read the comment again, and ask myself: What is it about this comment that pushed a button? Sometimes it becomes a window to the unhealed parts of me. So I [will] try to work on that.”
Jodi believes that hate is something cyclical, and we can begin breaking it by saying and doing things with ingat. As a recent psychology graduate, she shares about a research paper she wrote in 2019 on bullies’ motivations to be hateful. “I refused to believe na may mga tao na ipinanganak lang talaga sila para gumising every single day at intensyon nila gumising araw-araw ay para sabihing ibu-bully ko si [ganito], pahihirapan ko siya today.”
According to her research, she found that bullies are likely to be recipients of emotional, mental, or even physical abuse in their private lives, like in their home. They then find a target outside of that environment to project onto. “Life is hard and people have emotions – I guess ‘yan ang masasabi [ko] when it comes to being mindful of what we say,” said Jodi.
Now, Jodi’s a strong example and advocate for answering hate with alaga. She uses her platform and partnerships, like the #SayItWithIngat campaign with Paracetamol (Biogesic), to spread this message.
“I am really happy with this partnership with Paracetamol (Biogesic) on our advocacy [against] hate comments,” she said. “‘Yung alaga kasi, hindi lang pang sakit ng ulo at lagnat, but we also care for the emotional and mental well-being of others [through the #SayItWithIngat Campaign].”
To those who carry hurt from online hate, Jodi has this to say. “Just because a person has an opinion about you, it does not make it true. May you find the wisdom to know whether to engage or let go. And I hope that you heal from what hurt you. But always remember to those who know you and truly love you, you are enough.”
Even though it’s painful to receive hate online, we must remember that responding with kindness can be more powerful and impactful over time. Before you hit send on your posts, remember to take a deep breath, think about your words, and #SayItWithIngat.
To learn more about the movement, follow Paracetamol (Biogesic) on Facebook and listen to Jodi’s Paano Ba ‘To: The Podcast episode. – Rappler.com
If symptoms persist, consult your doctor.
ASC U0050P022624B
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Out to prove himself, Nambatac tows Blackwater to winning start in PH Cup
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delfin.dioquino editor
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28/02/2024 20:41
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NEW GUY. Rey Nambatac in action for the Blackwater Bossing in the 2024 PBA Philippine Cup.
PBA Images
RIZAL, Philippines – Rey Nambatac knows he has a lot to bring to the table.
And he proved just that after a sensational debut for Blackwater, starring in a 96-93 win over Meralco that opened hostilities in the PBA Philippine Cup at the Ynares Center in Antipolo on Wednesday, February 28.
Traded by Rain or Shine following a major drop in his playing time, Nambatac shone for his new team with 27 points, a career-high 10 assists, and 5 rebounds as the Bossing marked a fresh start after ending a 10-game skid.
“For me, it is a big challenge, and at the same time, it is a motivation to prove something, to prove to myself and to everyone that I can still make it,” said Nambatac in a mix of Filipino and English.
Making a name for himself as a clutch player during the best stretch of his seven seasons with the Elasto Painters, Nambatac delivered a pair of crucial plays that secured the win after the Bolts nearly erased a 19-point deficit.
His side up by just a point, 94-93, Nambatac drew a foul while attacking the basket and sank his two free throws to make it a three-point lead.
Nambatac then pulled down a defensive rebound on the other end after Meralco veteran Allein Maliksi missed a game-tying three-pointer to seal the deal.
The former Letran standout said he just wants to return the favor after being welcomed with open arms by Blackwater head coach Jeff Cariaso and the rest of the team.
“Right after the trade, coach Jeff called on the phone and we talked. That made me feel coach Jeff really likes me. And in return, I’ll slowly repay the trust that he is giving me,” said Nambatac.
Troy Rosario backstopped Nambatac with 15 points and 4 rebounds, Rey Suerte put up 11 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists, while Tyrus Hill added 10 points.
James Yap chimed in 5 points in his debut for the Bossing – the third team of his illustrious PBA career that started in 2004.
Yap, a two-time PBA MVP, joined Blackwater after securing his release from Rain or Shine at the end of the previous conference.
Maliksi matched Nambatac with 27 points, powering a fourth-quarter comeback that saw him sink four three-pointers and erupt for 20 points in the period.
The Bolts, who got buried by as deep as 86-67 midway through the final frame, got within 94-93 off a 26-8 run capped by 11 straight points from Maliksi.
But Meralco failed to get the job done as the Bossing escaped for a winning start in the All-Filipino tournament.
Fresh from helping Gilas Pilipinas sweep the first window of the FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers, Chris Newsome finished with 16 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists, and 3 steals in the losing effort.
Blackwater 96 – Nambatac 27, Rosario 15, Suerte 11, Hill 10, DiGregorio 9, David 7, Escoto 6, Guinto 5, Yap 5, Jopia 1, Ilagan 0, Kwekuteye 0, Sena 0.
Meralco 93 – Maliksi 27, Newsome 16, Jose 10, Mendoza 10, Black 10, Hodge 6, Banchero 5, Quinto 3, Bates 3, Torres 3, Caram 0, Pasaol 0, Pascual 0.
Quarters: 18-26, 43-41, 72-62, 96-93.
– Rappler.com
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LIST: Metro Manila roads where e-trikes, e-bikes are banned starting April 2024
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lkyu0285
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28/02/2024 18:10
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E-TRIKES. The local government of Manila offers e-trikes for stranded passengers on March 6, 2023, during the weeklong transport strike. File photo by Rappler
Rappler
MANILA, Philippines – The Metro Manila Council (MMC), through the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), approved a resolution banning certain e-vehicles from traversing major roads in the National Capital Region (NCR).
MMDA Regulation No. 24-022 prohibits e-bikes, e-trikes, tricycles, pedicabs, pushcasts, and kuligligs from traveling on national roads, circumferential roads, and radial roads in all cities of NCR starting April 2024.
Here is the list of roads where these vehicles are banned:
Those caught violating the ban will face fines of up to P2,500. Motorists driving “electric-powered motor vehicles and tricycles” will also be required to have a driver’s license. Those apprehended without a license will have their vehicles impounded.
“Due to the proliferation of e-vehicles, the MMC deemed it imperative to regulate and penalize those who will traverse the national roads using such means of transportation,” MMDA Acting Chairman Don Artes said in a press conference on Wednesday, February 28.
Each local government unit within Metro Manila may also issue their own ordinances for secondary and other inner roads in their area.
Previously, the MMDA admitted that it lacked unified guidelines regarding the use of e-trikes and e-bikes. Before the MMDA resolution, the most commonly cited regulation for e-vehicles was an administrative order by the Land Transportation Office that categorized electric vehicles and outlined where they could travel based on their maximum speed.
Artes said that this was not a total ban on e-vehicles. Instead, the resolution is meant to set clearer guidelines around e-bikes and e-trikes, which were “a common cause of traffic and road crash incidents.”
There were 554 road crash incidents involving electric vehicles in 2023, according to MMDA’s data.
However, the Move as One Coalition (MAOC) has questioned the move by the Metro Manila Council to ban the light e-vehicles on the basis of safety risks, saying “MMDA’s sweeping statement lacks context.”
MAOC pointed out that based on MMDA’s 2022 data, fatalities from bike, e-bike, and pedicab accidents only accounted for 33 of the 681 total fatalities, or 4.84%. Bikes, e-bikes, and pedicabs also only accounted for a similarly low 5.88% of total non-fatal injuries and 2.05% of total road crashes.
“For added context, MMDA should release the 2023 data on road crashes involving cars and the number of fatalities and non-fatal injuries. Cars have consistently accounted for the highest percentage of vehicles involved in a road crash since the [Metro Manila Accident Reporting and Analysis System] began in 2005,” MAOC said in a statement. – Rappler.com
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Cone, Gilas eye friendlies vs European teams in buildup for Olympic qualifiers
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delfin.dioquino editor
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28/02/2024 18:57
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TEAM. Gilas Pilipinas in action in the 2024 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament.
FIBA
MANILA, Philippines – It only gets tougher for Gilas Pilipinas from here on out.
After a stellar sweep of the first FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers window, head coach Tim Cone and the Nationals turn their focus on the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament, where they face an uphill climb against two top 25 teams.
The Philippines has its work cut out for it as it battles world No. 8 Latvia and No. 23 Georgia in the group stage of its OQT leg set in Riga, Latvia, in July.
And to gear up for their quest to qualify for the Paris Games, Cone and his crew brace for possible tuneup games against a couple of European squads.
“We’ve got some invitations from Lithuania, from Slovenia, and the Czech Republic. We’re going to work our way through those and see what we can do,” said Cone.
The Nationals are on a high after a pair of blowout wins against Hong Kong and Chinese Taipei to kick off their Asia Cup Qualifiers campaign.
Drubbing Hong Kong by 30 points on the road and crushing Chinese Taipei by 53 points at home, the Philippines secured the top spot in Group B, which includes New Zealand, with a whopping 83-point win margin.
Cone, though, knows the barometer has been raised significantly higher considering the caliber of foes that stand in the Philippines’ way in the OQT.
Latvia is coming off a stunning win over basketball powerhouse Spain to sweep the first window of the FIBA EuroBasket Qualifiers.
According to FIBA records, Latvia has won 23 of its last 26 games, making it the hottest national team in the world.
Georgia, despite a winless start in the EuroBasket Qualifiers, remains a major threat as it boasts of two NBA players in Goga Bitadze of the Orlando Magic and Sandro Mamukelashvili of the San Antonio Spurs.
“This 2-0 start is great, but that is a little baby step on the way. We need to make a lot more bigger strides as we go as the next game we play is Latvia, which is top eight,” said Cone.
“We got Latvia and Georgia coming up. So can we get to that level?”
Gilas Pilipinas also has to deal with a short preparation time, with the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas striking a deal with the PBA, UAAP, and the Japan B. League to allow the players to practice for 10 days before the OQT.
“So that might be 10 days here, Inspire camp every day, or maybe it is going out and trying to find some friendlies against European teams so we can get a feel with the way they play,” said Cone.
“We have not all figured that out yet but we are in the midst of figuring it out.” – Rappler.com
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Confidence is key: Struggling NU rediscovers dominant form after shaky season start
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jisaga0269
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28/02/2024 17:49
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DOMINANT. NU spiker Alyssa Solomon reacts in the UAAP Season 86 women's volleyball tournament
UAAP Season 86 Media Team
MANILA, Philippines – The NU Lady Bulldogs are finally remembering that they are still among the most feared teams in UAAP women’s volleyball today.
After losing their opening-day assignment in a shocking sweep against feisty UST and needing five sets to deny upstart Ateneo, the Season 84 champions and Season 85 runners-up got their first convincing win of the new year, sweeping dark horse Adamson, 25-17, 25-20, 25-20, on Wednesday, February 28.
For star spiker Alyssa Solomon, who topscored with 17 points in just three frames, getting confidence early was key for her and the rest of the Lady Bulldogs as they repeatedly ran away from the gutsy Lady Falcons.
“I’m very happy with the performance we had despite the slow start,” the Season 84 Best Opposite Hitter said in Filipino. “Personally, when I was playing in the first set, I noticed I didn’t have confidence in myself again. But as the game went along, I redeemed myself, and I’m happy with my game.”
Former rookie MVP Bella Belen, now in her third season with NU, backstopped with 15 points, while rising star Vange Alinsug added 12. Lams Lamina, the Season 84 Best Setter, orchestrated the offense with 16 excellent sets.
Head coach Norman Miguel echoed his ward’s sentiments, alluding that the Lady Bulldogs didn’t play like championship-caliber players in their first two games.
“That’s their drive: character and pride,” he said in Filipino. “In our first two games against UST and Ateneo, we lacked pride. I think that’s where they drew their strength today, that we had to show how the NU women’s volleyball team really played.
“Being competitive is what should be normal for us.” – Rappler.com
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Results, team standings: UAAP Season 86 volleyball
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Jasmine Payo
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05/05/2024 21:02
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ROARING. NU's Bella Belen (left) and Alyssa Solomon react in the UAAP Season 86 women's volleyball finals
UAAP Season 86 Media Team
MANILA, Philippines – The UAAP Season 86 volleyball tournaments reach a tipping point with the men’s and women’s finals!
LOOK: UAAP volleyball championship schedule
Here are the results in the men’s and women’s divisions:
MAY 15
May 11
MAY 8
MAY 5
MAY 4
MAY 8
MAY 5
MAY 4
** – Twice-to-beat* – Final Fourx – Eliminated
APRIL 27
APRIL 24
APRIL 21
APRIL 20
APRIL 17
APRIL 14
APRIL 13
APRIL 10
APRIL 9
APRIL 4
APRIL 3
MARCH 24
MARCH 23
MARCH 20
First round
MARCH 17
MARCH 16
MARCH 13
MARCH 10
MARCH 9
MARCH 6
MARCH 3
MARCH 2
FEBRUARY 28
FEBRUARY 25
FEBRUARY 24
FEBRUARY 21
FEBRUARY 18
FEBRUARY 17
** – Twice-to-beat* – Final Fourx – Eliminated
APRIL 27
APRIL 24
APRIL 21
APRIL 20
APRIL 17
APRIL 14
APRIL 13
APRIL 10
APRIL 9
APRIL 4
APRIL 3
MARCH 24
MARCH 23
MARCH 20
First round
MARCH 17
MARCH 16
MARCH 13
MARCH 10
MARCH 9
MARCH 6
MARCH 3
MARCH 2
FEBRUARY 28
FEBRUARY 25
FEBRUARY 24
FEBRUARY 21
FEBRUARY 18
FEBRUARY 17
– Rappler.com
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LIST: Metro Manila roads where e-trikes, e-bikes are banned starting April 2024
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lkyu0285
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28/02/2024 18:10
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E-TRIKES. The local government of Manila offers e-trikes for stranded passengers on March 6, 2023, during the weeklong transport strike. File photo by Rappler
Rappler
MANILA, Philippines – The Metro Manila Council (MMC), through the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), approved a resolution banning certain e-vehicles from traversing major roads in the National Capital Region (NCR).
MMDA Regulation No. 24-022 prohibits e-bikes, e-trikes, tricycles, pedicabs, pushcasts, and kuligligs from traveling on national roads, circumferential roads, and radial roads in all cities of NCR starting April 2024.
Here is the list of roads where these vehicles are banned:
Those caught violating the ban will face fines of up to P2,500. Motorists driving “electric-powered motor vehicles and tricycles” will also be required to have a driver’s license. Those apprehended without a license will have their vehicles impounded.
“Due to the proliferation of e-vehicles, the MMC deemed it imperative to regulate and penalize those who will traverse the national roads using such means of transportation,” MMDA Acting Chairman Don Artes said in a press conference on Wednesday, February 28.
Each local government unit within Metro Manila may also issue their own ordinances for secondary and other inner roads in their area.
Previously, the MMDA admitted that it lacked unified guidelines regarding the use of e-trikes and e-bikes. Before the MMDA resolution, the most commonly cited regulation for e-vehicles was an administrative order by the Land Transportation Office that categorized electric vehicles and outlined where they could travel based on their maximum speed.
Artes said that this was not a total ban on e-vehicles. Instead, the resolution is meant to set clearer guidelines around e-bikes and e-trikes, which were “a common cause of traffic and road crash incidents.”
There were 554 road crash incidents involving electric vehicles in 2023, according to MMDA’s data.
However, the Move as One Coalition (MAOC) has questioned the move by the Metro Manila Council to ban the light e-vehicles on the basis of safety risks, saying “MMDA’s sweeping statement lacks context.”
MAOC pointed out that based on MMDA’s 2022 data, fatalities from bike, e-bike, and pedicab accidents only accounted for 33 of the 681 total fatalities, or 4.84%. Bikes, e-bikes, and pedicabs also only accounted for a similarly low 5.88% of total non-fatal injuries and 2.05% of total road crashes.
“For added context, MMDA should release the 2023 data on road crashes involving cars and the number of fatalities and non-fatal injuries. Cars have consistently accounted for the highest percentage of vehicles involved in a road crash since the [Metro Manila Accident Reporting and Analysis System] began in 2005,” MAOC said in a statement. – Rappler.com
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LIST: Metro Manila roads where e-trikes, e-bikes are banned starting April 2024
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lkyu0285
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28/02/2024 18:10
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E-TRIKES. The local government of Manila offers e-trikes for stranded passengers on March 6, 2023, during the weeklong transport strike. File photo by Rappler
Rappler
MANILA, Philippines – The Metro Manila Council (MMC), through the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), approved a resolution banning certain e-vehicles from traversing major roads in the National Capital Region (NCR).
MMDA Regulation No. 24-022 prohibits e-bikes, e-trikes, tricycles, pedicabs, pushcasts, and kuligligs from traveling on national roads, circumferential roads, and radial roads in all cities of NCR starting April 2024.
Here is the list of roads where these vehicles are banned:
Those caught violating the ban will face fines of up to P2,500. Motorists driving “electric-powered motor vehicles and tricycles” will also be required to have a driver’s license. Those apprehended without a license will have their vehicles impounded.
“Due to the proliferation of e-vehicles, the MMC deemed it imperative to regulate and penalize those who will traverse the national roads using such means of transportation,” MMDA Acting Chairman Don Artes said in a press conference on Wednesday, February 28.
Each local government unit within Metro Manila may also issue their own ordinances for secondary and other inner roads in their area.
Previously, the MMDA admitted that it lacked unified guidelines regarding the use of e-trikes and e-bikes. Before the MMDA resolution, the most commonly cited regulation for e-vehicles was an administrative order by the Land Transportation Office that categorized electric vehicles and outlined where they could travel based on their maximum speed.
Artes said that this was not a total ban on e-vehicles. Instead, the resolution is meant to set clearer guidelines around e-bikes and e-trikes, which were “a common cause of traffic and road crash incidents.”
There were 554 road crash incidents involving electric vehicles in 2023, according to MMDA’s data.
However, the Move as One Coalition (MAOC) has questioned the move by the Metro Manila Council to ban the light e-vehicles on the basis of safety risks, saying “MMDA’s sweeping statement lacks context.”
MAOC pointed out that based on MMDA’s 2022 data, fatalities from bike, e-bike, and pedicab accidents only accounted for 33 of the 681 total fatalities, or 4.84%. Bikes, e-bikes, and pedicabs also only accounted for a similarly low 5.88% of total non-fatal injuries and 2.05% of total road crashes.
“For added context, MMDA should release the 2023 data on road crashes involving cars and the number of fatalities and non-fatal injuries. Cars have consistently accounted for the highest percentage of vehicles involved in a road crash since the [Metro Manila Accident Reporting and Analysis System] began in 2005,” MAOC said in a statement. – Rappler.com
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FACT CHECK: GCash ‘advisory’ on Money Protect as refund feature is fake
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Ailla Dela Cruz
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28/02/2024 19:30
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Claim: Financial services app GCash’s new feature, Send Money Protect, allows users to request a full refund of their money transfers within 30 days.
Why we fact-checked this: Since January, several Facebook users and online sellers have been posting a supposed advisory from GCash discouraging the use of the Send Money Protect feature. The posts are accompanied by the caption, “I will not accept any GCash payment with the ‘Send Money Protect’ feature activated.” One such post made on February 9 has gained 36 reactions, 10 comments, and 7 shares as of writing.
The posts claim that since senders can request a full refund of their money transfers, online sellers may end up being scammed and funds withdrawn from their accounts after providing their products or services.
The supposed notice uses the GCash logo and bears the text “GCash Announcement,” making it look like a legitimate advisory from the company.
The facts: In an advisory on its official Facebook page on February 10, GCash debunked the fake notices using the company’s logo.
The company also clarified that Send Money Protect is an insurance product for users to protect themselves against scammers and fake sellers, and is not a transaction refund or reversal product. It also assured online sellers that the product “cannot be used as a refund mechanism by your customers who pay through GCash Express Send.”
According to the GCash help center, “Refund of items transaction with a merchant or seller depends on the decision between the customer and merchant/seller only.”
Addressing the fake advisory’s warning that refunds to money senders would be taken from the recipients’ funds, GCash said that its partner insurance company, Chubb, will cover claims and payouts for those who availed themselves of the insurance policy.
Protection against scams: Send Money Protect is an optional and voluntary insurance product that allows users to insure money transfers to other GCash accounts. Users can be reimbursed up to P15,000 if they fall victim to social engineering, account takeover, or online shopping fraud. (READ: GCheck these tips to spot phishing scams)
Previous false claims: Rappler has fact-checked similar false claims about GCash:
Official news: For official updates, visit GCash’s accounts on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), and Instagram. – Chinie Ann Jocel R. Mendoza/Rappler.comChinie Ann Jocel R. Mendoza is a graduate of Rappler’s fact-checking mentorship program. This fact check was reviewed by a member of Rappler’s research team and a senior editor. Learn more about Rappler’s fact-checking mentorship program here.
Keep us aware of suspicious Facebook pages, groups, accounts, websites, articles, or photos in your network by contacting us at factcheck@rappler.com. Let us battle disinformation one Fact Check at a time.
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Visa names Maya as top prepaid card issuer in the Philippines once more
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Julian Cirineo
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28/02/2024 16:59
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Powered by the #1 Digital Bank App Maya, the Maya Card has emerged as the country’s fastest-growing prepaid card due to its unmatched ease of use, convenience, safety, and worldwide acceptance.
Visa, a world leader in digital payments, presented Maya with an award for being the top prepaid card issuer in the Philippines, marking its third consecutive accolade from 2021 to 2023. This distinction is a testament to Maya’s sustained year-on-year growth and its highest prepaid payment volumes.
“We’ve made it incredibly simple for millions of Filipinos to get a card. This ease of access particularly resonates with the youth, who not only use it for everyday purchases but also as a reliable companion for global travel. It’s exciting to see the Maya Card become the fastest-growing card in the Philippines,” said Shailesh Baidwan, group president of Maya and co-founder of Maya Bank.
Getting a Maya Card is a breeze, reflecting Maya’s commitment to user convenience. Customers with an upgraded account can obtain a virtual and physical card through the app without the need for additional documents and link it seamlessly to their wallets. Users simply need to navigate to the “Cards” section within the Maya app to place their order.
The virtual card instantly opens a world of online shopping and the physical card doubles as an ATM card, enabling effortless payments for daily needs. Its broad compatibility across both online shops and brick-and-mortar stores demonstrates its unmatched versatility.
Designed with a minimalist and secure aesthetic, the Maya Card features the user’s unique @username instead of the full name and card number, adding a personal touch without compromising security.
Once activated and linked to the user’s wallet, the Maya Card is accepted worldwide, offering a seamless payment solution both in the Philippines and abroad. This global acceptance proves invaluable for freelancers and travelers alike, facilitating easy access to funds.
The Maya Card unlocks global shopping at over 80 million merchants and ATM access, with instant international activation – no call to customer support is needed. Users are kept informed and in charge, wherever they are, with real-time transaction alerts directly through the Maya app.
Its unique strength also lies in its rewarding digital banking services. Using the Maya Card for everyday payments, customers can earn up to 14% interest rate p.a., credited daily in their savings accounts.
Moreover, frequent card usage also strengthens the user’s financial footprint, leading to better opportunities for instant borrowing and higher credit limits within the app.
Innovating further, Maya provides personalized card options offering co-branded editions, such as the FIFA Women’s World Cup and Mobile Legends, alongside the all-in-one student ID of Ateneo De Manila University. Maya is the #1 Fintech Ecosystem in the Philippines, with Maya, the #1 Digital Bank, and Maya Business, the #1 Omni-Channel Payment Processor. More information about Maya is available at maya.ph and mayabank.ph. Keep posted on news and updates by following @mayaiseverything on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok. – Rappler.com
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Visa names Maya as top prepaid card issuer in the Philippines once more
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Julian Cirineo
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28/02/2024 16:59
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Powered by the #1 Digital Bank App Maya, the Maya Card has emerged as the country’s fastest-growing prepaid card due to its unmatched ease of use, convenience, safety, and worldwide acceptance.
Visa, a world leader in digital payments, presented Maya with an award for being the top prepaid card issuer in the Philippines, marking its third consecutive accolade from 2021 to 2023. This distinction is a testament to Maya’s sustained year-on-year growth and its highest prepaid payment volumes.
“We’ve made it incredibly simple for millions of Filipinos to get a card. This ease of access particularly resonates with the youth, who not only use it for everyday purchases but also as a reliable companion for global travel. It’s exciting to see the Maya Card become the fastest-growing card in the Philippines,” said Shailesh Baidwan, group president of Maya and co-founder of Maya Bank.
Getting a Maya Card is a breeze, reflecting Maya’s commitment to user convenience. Customers with an upgraded account can obtain a virtual and physical card through the app without the need for additional documents and link it seamlessly to their wallets. Users simply need to navigate to the “Cards” section within the Maya app to place their order.
The virtual card instantly opens a world of online shopping and the physical card doubles as an ATM card, enabling effortless payments for daily needs. Its broad compatibility across both online shops and brick-and-mortar stores demonstrates its unmatched versatility.
Designed with a minimalist and secure aesthetic, the Maya Card features the user’s unique @username instead of the full name and card number, adding a personal touch without compromising security.
Once activated and linked to the user’s wallet, the Maya Card is accepted worldwide, offering a seamless payment solution both in the Philippines and abroad. This global acceptance proves invaluable for freelancers and travelers alike, facilitating easy access to funds.
The Maya Card unlocks global shopping at over 80 million merchants and ATM access, with instant international activation – no call to customer support is needed. Users are kept informed and in charge, wherever they are, with real-time transaction alerts directly through the Maya app.
Its unique strength also lies in its rewarding digital banking services. Using the Maya Card for everyday payments, customers can earn up to 14% interest rate p.a., credited daily in their savings accounts.
Moreover, frequent card usage also strengthens the user’s financial footprint, leading to better opportunities for instant borrowing and higher credit limits within the app.
Innovating further, Maya provides personalized card options offering co-branded editions, such as the FIFA Women’s World Cup and Mobile Legends, alongside the all-in-one student ID of Ateneo De Manila University. Maya is the #1 Fintech Ecosystem in the Philippines, with Maya, the #1 Digital Bank, and Maya Business, the #1 Omni-Channel Payment Processor. More information about Maya is available at maya.ph and mayabank.ph. Keep posted on news and updates by following @mayaiseverything on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok. – Rappler.com
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Plant a tree for free with every GCash transaction through GForest
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Saab Lariosa
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27/02/2024 12:11
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The Philippines is one of the most biodiverse archipelagos in the world and is home to over 50,000 described species of plants.
However, due to activities such as deforestation, habitat exploitation, waste disposal, and pollution, the Philippines is rapidly losing numerous plant species that contribute to its vibrant tropical habitat. To combat the negative effects of climate change, GCash is actively helping to plant trees in the Philippines through GForest.
With GForest, all GCash users can contribute to the preservation of the environment – and you can too. When you plant trees virtually on GForest, GCash transforms these into real trees to support the preservation of our forest reserves.
For every successful GCash transaction, you can earn a certain amount of Green Energy Points and collect it 24 hours later in GForest in the app. You can collect green energy points when you Buy Load, Send Money, Pay Bills, Cash-In, or even when you register up to 20,000 steps per day from walking. Every transaction is a real contribution, so it’s important to collect energy every day.
When you have enough Green Energy points, you can plant a virtual tree that will be planted by GCash and its local and international partners in key locations nationwide.
There are different types of trees to choose from, including the new Cannonball Mangrove, the Red Mangrove, and sometimes, there are even limited edition trees that can be planted at certain times of the year, such as a limited edition Pine Tree in December 2023. You can choose between the different types of trees GCash offers, depending on Green Energy Points you have and what different types of trees are worth. Usually, the more energy points required to plant a specific tree, the more effective the tree will be in helping sequester carbon from the environment.
GForest ensures that every virtual plant collected is converted into a real tree. To date, GCash has planted over 2.7 million actual trees in 14 key areas nationwide as of 2023). An estimated 346,000 trees have been planted in Luzon, 1.1 million in Visayas and 1.1 million in Mindanao.
An estimated 8,600 smallholder farming families have benefited from this initiative. GForest is not only helping the environment, it also helps improve the livelihood of farmers in climate change affected areas in the Philippines.
Using GForest and planting real trees from the comfort of your own home is as easy as following four simple steps:
Through GCash, you can be part of a bigger digital eco-movement to rebuild our country’s forests. Keep giving back to the environment with a gift that will surely benefit it for many years to come. Be a green hero and contribute to rebuilding our forests – one digital tree at a time when you use GCash. – Rappler.com
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Blooms, beats, and bus lines: The colorful champions of Panagbenga 2024’s Grand Float Parade
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Marguerite de Leon
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28/02/2024 18:28
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2024 Panagbenga float winners February 28, 2024.
BAGUIO CITY, Philippines – The Panagbenga Festival, Baguio’s annual celebration of flowers and community spirit, reached its zenith with the announcement of the Grand Float Parade winners on Wednesday, February 28, a highlight that drew crowds to Session Road’s Bloom Main Stage. City officials and leaders of the Baguio Flower Festival Foundation Inc. (BFFFI) unveiled the winners, emphasizing the parade’s focus on environmental stewardship and the use of recycled materials and locally sourced flowers.
BFFFI Chairman Mauricio Domogan reflected on the event’s success, stating, “The quality and beauty of the floats that came out last Sunday were inspiring. With 33 floats, it was one of the biggest, if not the biggest number of floats in the Flower Festival’s history.”
The Grand Float Parade winners were celebrated for their creativity, environmental consciousness, and cultural representation, spanning three categories: Large, Medium, and Small.
Pangasinan Solid North Transit took the top spot with its float that represented the fusion of modernity and tradition, echoing the celebratory spirit of the Panagbenga.
Jollibee followed, with its “Blossoming Joy” float that combined Baguio’s heritage with the brand’s commitment to unity and joy.
TIEZA secured third place, showcasing the natural beauty of Balicasag Island Dive Resort, emphasizing sustainable tourism.
In the Medium category, Chowking emerged victorious, returning with a bang with its float adorned in intricate Chinese decorations and floral elements symbolizing good fortune.
P&G/Youthopia impressed with the Safeguard Shower Saya float, blending tradition with innovation through its design and messaging.
KFC Philippines captured third place, celebrating its iconic food symbol and tradition through the KFC Bucket float.
Zaparita’s Garden dominated the Small category with a float that featured castles, dragons, and other fantastical elements.
The winners highlighted the festival’s commitment to showcasing the best of Baguio’s art, culture, and environmental initiatives. Anthony de Leon, President of BFFFI, commended the efforts, saying, “The parades exceeded our expectations. It’s a community event and everyone’s help is very much welcome.”
Security and safety were also a priority, with BCPO Lt. Col. Domingo Gambican noting, “The discipline shown by the residents and tourists helped keep the roads free of traffic and the crime situation under control.” – Rappler.com
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Who is the Senate’s top absentee?
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Bonz Magsambol
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28/02/2024 17:40
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Manny Pacquiao, former senator, no longer holds the record of having the most absences as a member of the upper chamber.
Senator Alan Peter Cayetano is now the Senate’s top absentee.
According to Senate records, Cayetano attended only 36 of the 54 regular sessions from July 24, 2023 to February 21, 2024. He missed 18 sessions; four were due to official missions.
It seems the senator from Taguig is keeping up with a reputation. In 2017, he also had the most number of absences as senator, attending only 31 sessions from July 25, 2016 to May 31, 2017.
In the 2013 elections, Cayetano was seen only once in senatorial debates and one-on-one interviews. But in 2016, he had the audacity to hit then-vice presidential candidate Ferdinand Marcos Jr. for being absent from one of the televised debates during the campaign.
Rappler reached out to Cayetano’s office for comment, but they have yet to respond as of this posting.
Meanwhile, 12 senators tallied perfect attendance, as of February 2024:
Meanwhile, the following senators had one to six absences:
Meanwhile, Binay was absent in three more sessions due to official missions; Escudero missed two sessions due to official missions; and Pia Cayetano and Tolentino also missed six sessions due to official missions.
Angara’s office said that the senator missed three sessions because of the bicameral conference committee meetings.
Some senators did not register perfect attendance because they were in official local and foreign missions. They were senators JV Ejercito, Lito Lapid, Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III, and Mark Villar.
In a statement on Tuesday, Zubiri said that “true leadership starts by showing up for the important work for the people.”
“Many of us show our commitment to our duty by being here most of the session days. Public service is a reward in itself, but we go to work knowing that our presence and our voices represent the people’s interests,” he said.
Zubiri has had perfect attendance since first being elected into the House of Representatives in 1998. – Rappler.com
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Would there be an award for the top absentee? Like that of the “Dirty Ashtray” award? There should be none. Congratulations to the 12 senators who have been in perfect attendance as of February 2024. Absenteeism seems to project that he needs to be more serious about his work as a Senator. This is more likely because he has something of greater priority than his work as a legislator, and the people he represents do not care. I agree with Senator Zubiri: “True leadership starts by showing up for the important work for the people.”
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Cone, Gilas eye friendlies vs European teams in buildup for Olympic qualifiers
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delfin.dioquino editor
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28/02/2024 18:57
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TEAM. Gilas Pilipinas in action in the 2024 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament.
FIBA
MANILA, Philippines – It only gets tougher for Gilas Pilipinas from here on out.
After a stellar sweep of the first FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers window, head coach Tim Cone and the Nationals turn their focus on the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament, where they face an uphill climb against two top 25 teams.
The Philippines has its work cut out for it as it battles world No. 8 Latvia and No. 23 Georgia in the group stage of its OQT leg set in Riga, Latvia, in July.
And to gear up for their quest to qualify for the Paris Games, Cone and his crew brace for possible tuneup games against a couple of European squads.
“We’ve got some invitations from Lithuania, from Slovenia, and the Czech Republic. We’re going to work our way through those and see what we can do,” said Cone.
The Nationals are on a high after a pair of blowout wins against Hong Kong and Chinese Taipei to kick off their Asia Cup Qualifiers campaign.
Drubbing Hong Kong by 30 points on the road and crushing Chinese Taipei by 53 points at home, the Philippines secured the top spot in Group B, which includes New Zealand, with a whopping 83-point win margin.
Cone, though, knows the barometer has been raised significantly higher considering the caliber of foes that stand in the Philippines’ way in the OQT.
Latvia is coming off a stunning win over basketball powerhouse Spain to sweep the first window of the FIBA EuroBasket Qualifiers.
According to FIBA records, Latvia has won 23 of its last 26 games, making it the hottest national team in the world.
Georgia, despite a winless start in the EuroBasket Qualifiers, remains a major threat as it boasts of two NBA players in Goga Bitadze of the Orlando Magic and Sandro Mamukelashvili of the San Antonio Spurs.
“This 2-0 start is great, but that is a little baby step on the way. We need to make a lot more bigger strides as we go as the next game we play is Latvia, which is top eight,” said Cone.
“We got Latvia and Georgia coming up. So can we get to that level?”
Gilas Pilipinas also has to deal with a short preparation time, with the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas striking a deal with the PBA, UAAP, and the Japan B. League to allow the players to practice for 10 days before the OQT.
“So that might be 10 days here, Inspire camp every day, or maybe it is going out and trying to find some friendlies against European teams so we can get a feel with the way they play,” said Cone.
“We have not all figured that out yet but we are in the midst of figuring it out.” – Rappler.com
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Aklan’s rice production plummets as dry weather turns fields to dust
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Herbie G
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28/02/2024 16:02
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FARMING. A farmer walks along a dried-up rice field in Naic, Cavite, on May 4, 2023.
Rappler
AKLAN, Philippines – Aklan’s rice production significantly dropped due to dry weather conditions exacerbated by the El Niño phenomenon since 2023, impacting thousands of hectares of rice fields in the Western Visayas province.
Engineer Alexys Apolonio, head of Aklan’s provincial agriculture office, said many rice farmers in the province diversified and opted to plant other crops last year following warnings from the Department of Agriculture (DA) about the impending dry spell caused by the El Niño phenomenon.
As a consequence, Aklan recorded the lowest average rice yield in Western Visayas in 2023, with a production of only 2.45 metric tons of rice per hectare, compared to the 3.09 metric tons per hectare produced in 2021. The 2022 report is still being validated, Apolonio said.
“We advised farmers to consider planting vegetables as an alternative to rice due to the uncertainties [surrounding] the El Niño phenomenon,” he said.
The local agriculture office reported that at least 1,500 hectares of rice fields are currently affected by the worsening El Niño conditions, with the western towns of Lezo, Numancia, and Makato being hardest hit due to irrigation difficulties.
Godynel Isedenia, president of the Aklan Provincial Organic Producers Association, told Rappler on Monday, February 26, that while Aklan occasionally experiences rainfall, the amount is insufficient to meet the water requirements of the rice fields.
Isedenia noted that the water level of the Aklan River has dropped, with its flow no longer reaching many farms.
Based on the provincial government data, Aklan has 7,905 hectares of irrigated land and approximately 8,114 hectares of rainfed areas. The province also has 816 hectares of upland rice farms spread across five towns.
The militant group Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) in Aklan said the province’s rice production has significantly decreased because farmers had thought that they would experience the worst effects of the El Niño last year.
Real Kim Tugna, leader of Bayan-Aklan, told a news conference on Saturday, February 24, that Aklan could have produced more rice if farmers had known they would not face the worst effects of the El Niño in 2023.
Tugna said many of Aklan’s rice farmers were discouraged from planting rice and shifted to other crops last year after the agriculture department issued warnings about El Niño as early as May 2023. – Rappler.com
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Surge in forest, structural fires sparks community action in Cordillera
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Mia Gonzalez
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28/02/2024 17:29
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FIRE. A view of the forest fire in Tuba, Benguet, in this photo from the Baguio City Public Information Office. The photo was taken from Purok Ongasan, Loakan Proper, on February 21, 2024
Baguio City Public Information Office.
BAGUIO CITY, Philippines – The Cordillera Administrative Region is confronting a critical challenge as it grapples with a surge in both forest and structural fires, recording an alarming 41 forest and grass fires alongside 14 structural fire incidents in the first two months of 2024.
This escalating situation has spurred a united front among the Police Regional Office-Cordillera (PROCOR), local government units, the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), and health authorities, all pushing for heightened public awareness and community preparedness against the backdrop of these emergencies.
Data provided by PROCOR indicates a substantial number of forest fire incidents across the region, including 16 in Baguio, 13 in Benguet, 11 in Mountain Province, and 1 in Apayao from January 1 to February 27.
Structural fires have also been reported, with Baguio, Benguet, Abra, Ifugao, and Mountain Province all affected.
Following the spike in forest fires in the region, BFP Cordillera has intensified its fire prevention and control measures.
BFP CAR PIO Inspector Janelle Danie said the primary causes of these fires are open flames from farmland, land clearing, and rubbish fires.
The BFP has rolled out several strategies, including the “Forest Fire Contingency Plan” and “Oplan Paghalasa” focusing on both ground and air suppression efforts. Despite challenges such as inaccessible terrain and high winds, the BFP emphasized the critical role of community cooperation and vigilance in preventing man-induced fires.
“For residents in high-risk areas, following and listening to the authorities’ advice is crucial,” Daniel said.
Real-time updates on forest fires and safety advisories are available on various provincial BFP Facebook pages, ensuring the community stays informed and prepared.
Police Lieutenant Colonel Carolina Lacuata, PROCOR PIO, cited the importance of vigilance and preparedness, especially as March, designated as Fire Prevention Month, approaches.
“We are intensifying our information drive for greater public awareness and coordinating with barangay officials and other government agencies to support fire safety advocacies,” Lacuata stated.
She highlighted the collaborative efforts between local government units and the BFP on building inspections to ensure strict compliance with the Fire Code of the Philippines. The inspections focus on the necessity of fire exits, fire protection systems, and other safety features in buildings.
Lacuata also reiterated a public reminder: “We urge everyone to be cautious to prevent fire incidents, especially during the dry season in the upcoming month of March. There is no better alternative to prevent destructive fires than having an informed public about fire safety.”
The Department of Health-Cordillera Administrative Region (DOH-CAR) has also issued warnings regarding the health risks associated with the haze from these fires. Regional Director Amelita Pangilinan advised the community, particularly those with lung conditions, the elderly, and infants, to take precautions.
“The haze can cause respiratory and eye irritations. We recommend staying hydrated, wearing masks, avoiding outdoor activities, and keeping doors and windows closed to minimize exposure,” Pangilinan said.
She also encouraged households near forested or grassy areas to be vigilant and adopt protective measures to mitigate the risk of fire outbreaks. – Rappler.com
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[DOCUMENTARY] Marcos Jr. and Hawaii: Dictator’s son returns to land of his exile
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Dwight de Leon
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28/02/2024 16:00
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MANILA, Philippines – It was a triumphant homecoming for the dictator’s son.
During the 38th anniversary month of the EDSA People Power Revolution, Rappler revisits President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s return to Hawaii in November 2023, more than three decades since his family’s exile in the island-state as a result of the uprising.
Rappler’s political reporter Dwight de Leon met with longtime anti-Marcos community leaders and diehard loyalists, to better understand how a family ousted by bloodless revolt sought refuge for years on an island that is over 5,000 miles away from the Philippines.
He also sat down with younger generations of Filipino immigrants who, in their small ways, continue to resist, despite being overwhelmed in numbers by a large group of pro-Marcos supporters in Hawaii.
Ang Muling Pagtapak ni Marcos Jr. sa Hawaii (Marcos Jr.’s Return to Hawaii) features interviews with the following people:
Nearly four decades since the People Power Revolution, the question remains: Will Filipinos ever learn to rise above myths? – Rappler.com
Reporter/Writer: Dwight de LeonProducers: Cara Angeline Oliver, JC GotingaVideographer: Jeff DigmaVideo Editors: Jen Agbuya, Jaene ZaplanAnimation: Guia AbogadoGraphic Artists: Nico Villarete, Alyssa ArizabalSupervising Producer: Beth Frondoso
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Interpol’s Red Notice out vs fugitive Arnie Teves – DOJ
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Jairo Bolledo
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28/02/2024 16:22
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LAWMAKER. File photo of Negros Oriental 3rd District Representative Arnie Teves presiding as deputy speaker in March 2021.
House press and public affairs bureau
MANILA, Philippines – The Philippines’ Department of Justice (DOJ) confirmed that the Interpol had issued a Red Notice against former Negros Oriental lawmaker Arnolfo “Arnie” Teves Jr.
“At least the Interpol has already issued the Red Notice, which means that all the members of the Interpol, all the countries which are members of the Interpol, are put on notice that that person should be arrested,” DOJ Secretary Jesus Crispin “Boying” Remulla said in a press briefing on Wednesday, February 28.
Ferdinand Topacio, Teves’ legal counsel, said they already anticipated the issuance of the notice. “First of all, we expected that. Number two, well, the government has to do what is has to do. Secretary Remulla has to do his duty. Like what I’ve said, we do not begrudge the government for that,” he said in a mix of English and Filipino.
The Interpol is an intergovernmental organization that issues notices based on international requests that will allow police forces in member states to share crime-related information. Upon the request of a country, the Interpol’s general secretariat may issue appropriate notices.
According to the Interpol, “a Red Notice is a request to law enforcement worldwide to locate and provisionally arrest a person pending extradition, surrender, or similar legal action. It is based on an arrest warrant or court order issued by the judicial authorities in the requesting country. Member countries apply their own laws in deciding whether to arrest a person.”
Although Red Notice is considered an “international warrant,” the Interpol cannot compel law enforcement agents in a specific country to arrest a subject based on the said notice. Each member-state has independence on how it will value the Red Notice and how its officers will enforce arrests, the Interpol said.
Teves, the expelled representative of Negros Oriental 3rd District, was the alleged mastermind behind the assassination of then-Negros Oriental governor Roel Degamo in March 2023. He also faces another murder charge over three separate killings that happened between March and June 2019 in Negros Oriental.
With these alleged crimes, there are at least two standing warrants of arrest against the former lawmaker.
On February 2, the DOJ said two alert list orders were issued through the Bureau of Immigration to restrict the movement Teves and facilitate his arrest through cooperation from other countries. Before the Red Notice, a Blue Notice – used “to locate, identify, or obtain information on a person of interest in a criminal investigation” – was issued against Teves.
A Manila court also recently canceled the passport of the fugitive former lawmaker.
Teves has been out of the country since February 2023, and refused to return after being linked to Degamo’s killing. In May 2023, the country’s Department of Foreign Affairs confirmed that Teves sought asylum in Timor Leste, but the request was denied.
Teves also failed to physically show up during session days at the House of Representatives. Later on, the legislative’s lower chamber voted to expel him. The Philippines’ anti-terror council also designated Teves as a terrorist. – Rappler.com
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‘Good heavens’: Bishop David questions verdict in Jemboy Baltazar case
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Paterno Esmaquel II
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28/02/2024 18:10
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CBCP HEAD. Kalookan Bishop Pablo Virgilio David, president of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines, leads Mass commemorating the 38th year of the 1986 People Power Revolution at the EDSA Shrine on February 25, 2024.
Angie de Silva/Rappler
MANILA, Philippines – Kalookan Bishop Pablo Virgilio David questioned the court ruling that convicted only one of six cops of homicide in the case of Jemboy Baltazar, a 17-year-old boy whom police shot and killed in August 2023.
The killing of Baltazar, who later turned out to be a mistaken target, was a high-profile case that exposed how police impunity continued even after former president Rodrigo Duterte – infamous for his war on drugs – stepped down from office in June 2022.
The victim’s mother Rodaliza Baltazar wept shortly after a Navotas court handed down its verdict, she said in a Rappler Talk interview on Tuesday, February 27.
David told Rappler on Wednesday, February 28, that he understands the disappointment of the Baltazar family, noting it is “at least a good sign” that the Department of Justice “is planning to elevate the case to the Court of Appeals.”
“If the police had at least made an effort to take 17-year-old boy, Jemboy Baltazar, out of the water after they fired at him, in order to establish his identity, then maybe one might indeed say they had no ‘intent to kill.’ That’s how they usually reduce a charge of murder to homicide,” said David.
“But good heavens, the boy was unarmed when they fired at him and they left him submerged underwater and allowed him to drown when they could have saved him! (But would a law enforcer bother to save a ‘suspected criminal’ from drowning? I wonder),” said David, who is also president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines.
“Firing at an unarmed suspect, causing him to fall into the water and leaving him to drown is still not a basis for establishing an ‘intent to kill’? Just asking,” said the bishop of the Diocese of Kalookan, whose jurisdiction includes the southern part of Caloocan, Malabon, and Navotas.
David made this statement after Navotas City Regional Trial Court Branch 286 released its verdict in the Baltazar case – seen as one of the test cases of the justice system under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. while Duterte is being investigated by the International Criminal Court.
The Navotas court on Tuesday convicted only one cop, Police Staff Sergeant Gerry Maliban, of homicide and not murder, which would have carried a heavier penalty of up to 40 years in prison.
The sentence on Maliban was only four to six years in prison, and P50,000 ($888) for moral and civil damages.
Four other policemen – Police Staff Sergeant Niko Pines Esquilon, Police Executive Master Sergeant Roberto Balais Jr., Police Corporal Edmard Jake Blanco, and Patrolman Benedict Mangada – were convicted of illegal discharge of firearms and sentenced to four months in prison.
One of the accused, Police Staff Sergeant Antonio Bugayong Jr., was acquitted.
When the court released its verdict, Jemboy’s mother Rodaliza told Rappler reporter Jairo Bolledo: “Humagulgol na lang ako na, ganoon lang po pala ang buhay ng anak ko na…ilang buwan lang nilang paghihirapan sa kulungan. Tapos ‘yung isa makukulong lang nang apat na taon. ‘Yung anak ko, habambuhay na, hindi na makakabalik.”
(I just wept that apparently that is the mere value of my son’s life, for which they will only suffer for a few months in prison. Then one will be imprisoned only for four years. As for my son, it is forever, he can no longer come back.)
“Kahit mag-sorry sila sa amin nang ilang milyon, hindi namin sila mapapatawad (Even if they say sorry to us a million times, we can never forgive them),” she added on Rappler Talk.
David, one of the fiercest critics of Duterte’s drug war, explained that “the intent to kill became practically systemic” in “a kind of mindset that tended to encourage our law enforcers to behave with impunity.” This, he said, “was more the rule than the exception during the infamous drug war of the previous regime.” – Rappler.com
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Navy confirms ‘interference’ in West Philippine Sea… but by whom?
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Bea Cupin
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28/02/2024 15:11
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BRP BENGUET. The BRP Benguet issues a radio challenge to a Chinese Navy ship, which the AFP said used dangerous maneuvers against the Philippine vessel, in October 2023.
Armed Forces of the Philippines file photo
The Philippine Navy made headlines on Tuesday, February 27, after its spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea, Commodore Roy Trinidad, said in an interview that “interference (in) our electronic capabilities” during missions and rotations in the West Philippine Sea “has been going on for the past three or four years, maybe even earlier.”
“They have noted an increase in cyber interference, electronic interference, jamming, and stuff like that, not only for equipment of the ship but also for land-based communication equipment. This usually happens, or are noted during preparation stages for Rore [rotation and reprovisioning] missions. So yes, there has been observed activities to interfere with our internal equipment,” added Trinidad.
The Navy spokesperson had been asked if, like the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), gray ships in the West Philippine Sea had experienced systems interference by China. The PCG earlier said they suspected Beijing of blocking their AIS transmitters while at sea.
Trinidad’s full quote, based on a transcript of his interview, is as follows: “The activities of China in the West Philippine Sea has been going on for quite some time now. When it comes to interference on our electronic capabilities…. I have discussed this with the commander of Naval Forces west this morning, and it has been going on for the past three or four years, maybe even earlier.”
News headlines came swiftly: the Philippines was claiming that China wasn’t just allegedly meddling with the electronics of white ships in the West Philippine Sea, but with its gray ships too.
Trinidad’s walk back also came quickly. In a later interview, Trinidad clarified in a mix of English and Filipino: “I should have been very careful, the question was if China has been interfering in those areas and I said Chinese activities have increased in the West Philippine Sea. I should have expounded more that when I was referring to increased interference, I was not addressing China. We have no proof to say that it was them.”
The Chinese embassy in Manila, repeatedly sought for comment, has not issued a statement as of posting.
Why would this be a big deal? Well it’s one thing to allegedly meddle with the civilian PCG, but a whole different thing to meddle with the systems of the military.
The West Philippine Sea, or part of the South China Sea within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone, has been the flashpoint for tensions between Beijing and Manila in the area. China claims almost all of the South China Sea, including features well within the Philippine EEZ, as its own, despite a 2016 arbitral ruling that deemed China’s claim invalid.
Recently, tensions are most tense in Ayungin Shoal, where a grounded World War II ship serves as a military outpost, and Bajo de Masinloc, the traditional fishing ground of fisherfolk from several claimant states including the Philippines. Both features are just over 100 nautical miles away from Philippine shores.
Chinese ships – typically the China Coast Guard and Chinese maritime militia – are regulars in those waters. The Chinese Navy has also been known to patrol the West Philippine Sea, although its gray ships usually keep a considerable distance from Filipino ships.
While Marcos did not directly comment on alleged interference by the Chinese – whether it be with the PCG or the Navy – he did raise alarm over the presence of Chinese Navy ships. Whether they stay away or stay close is irrelevant, said Marcos – the issue is that they’re there in the first place.
“It’s worrisome because there are two elements to that: one is that the… dati Coast Guard lang ng China ang gumagalaw doon sa area natin. Ngayon, may Navy na sumama pa mga fishing boat. So, nagbabago ang sitwasyon, but – well, maliwanag naman para sa atin, we don’t really…we just watch, of course, what everybody is doing, but really for us, patuloy pa rin natin, we just defend our maritime territory. We continue to support all of our fishermen, fisherfolks who make their living from these fishing grounds at patuloy naman nating tutulungan sila,” said Marcos before flying out to Canberra to address the Australian Parliament.
(Before, it was just the China Coast Guard operating in that area. Now even the Chinese Navy is there alongside the fishing boats. The situation is changing but it’s clear to us that we don’t really… we just watch, of course, what everybody is doing, but really for us, we continue, we just defend our maritime territory. We continue to support all of our fishermen, fisherfolks who make their living from these fishing grounds and we will continue helping them.)
Marcos was likely referring to the presence of Chinese Navy ships during a mission to Bajo de Masinloc to assist Filipino fisherfolk in the area.
China has been known to harass and block fisherfolk from entering the resource-rich and safe lagoon of the shoal, even if Bajo de Masinloc is considered traditional fishing grounds for Filipinos, Chinese, Taiwanese, and Vietnamese fisherfolk. Chinese ships also harassed Philippine government ships during their last rotation to the shoal.
The Philippines and China have been trying to dial down tensions, with Shanghai hosting in January a bilateral meeting during which senior officials agreed to improve maritime communication following repeated tense incidents in Ayungin Shoal. – Rappler.com
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Go green! Here are the top 5 ‘most sustainable’ PH tourist spots, according to DENR
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Steph Arnaldo
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28/02/2024 17:11
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PANGLAO, BOHOL.
Qaalvin via Wikimedia Commons
MANILA, Philippines – Is part of your 2024 goals to live more sustainably and travel more consciously? The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has named three local destinations championing conscious tourism: Palawan, Bohol, and Surigao del Norte!
According to digital travel platform Agoda, the three tourist spots are part of the Philippine government’s Green Economy Model (GEM), which is a collective of local destinations recognized for their conservation efforts, their sustainable goods, practices, and services, as well as their effective coral reef ecosystem management.
Coron, Palawan leads the list, traveled to for its pristine turquoise waters, lush islands, and stunning, quiet beaches. Eco-conscious tourists are encouraged to learn more about natural farming on a day tour at Coron Natural Farms, a generations-old eco-tourism and indigenous farming institute.
Guests can enjoy a farm-to-table and reef-to-table dining experience here, with meals made from local produce like arugula, chicken, eggs, and various seafood. The seafood is harvested from the reef which is protected by the farm’s ridge-to-reef structure.
To explore underater, Agoda also recommends the Coron Palawan Reef & Wrecks Tour, which introduces travelers to marine life and an abandoned gunboat wreck.
Panglao in Bohol – also known for its picturesque beaches and diving spots – is an eco-friendly destination starting from the Bohol-Panglao International Airport. Tagged as “the green gateway,” the Philippines’ first eco-airport features natural air ventilation and harnesses solar energy to meet one-third of its electrical needs. Its beaches even have regular clean-ups, which tourists can join in on!
It is a short boat ride away to Balicasag Island, which is a must-visit marine sanctuary with sea turtles and beautiful corals. Agoda recommends a boat tour around the island, where tourists can learn more about the preservation efforts of Boholanos.
The tropical surfing haven boasts a diverse ecosystem that is protected by its locals, through regular beach clean-ups, marine sanctuaries, and reforestation projects. The island’s many mom-and-pop businesses also engage in eco-friendly, sustainable practices, such as using renewable energy, organic toiletries, and serving locally-sourced food.
Agoda suggests boat tours of Siargao’s hidden Sugba Lagoon, exploration tours of mangrove forests, and a hiking day in Corregidor Island.
Aside from Coron, Panglao, and Siargao, Puerto Galera and El Nido in Palawan are also part of the GEM collective, respectively.
In January, Agoda cited Bohol, Siargao Island, Davao City, Iloilo City, and Cagayan De Oro as the most-searched travel destinations of Pinoys for 2024. In December, Agoda named Iloilo City as the top “Tastiest Travel Destination” of 2023, followed by Roxas City in Capiz, Davao City, and Angeles City in Pampanga. – Rappler.com
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Confidence is key: Struggling NU rediscovers dominant form after shaky season start
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jisaga0269
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28/02/2024 17:49
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DOMINANT. NU spiker Alyssa Solomon reacts in the UAAP Season 86 women's volleyball tournament
UAAP Season 86 Media Team
MANILA, Philippines – The NU Lady Bulldogs are finally remembering that they are still among the most feared teams in UAAP women’s volleyball today.
After losing their opening-day assignment in a shocking sweep against feisty UST and needing five sets to deny upstart Ateneo, the Season 84 champions and Season 85 runners-up got their first convincing win of the new year, sweeping dark horse Adamson, 25-17, 25-20, 25-20, on Wednesday, February 28.
For star spiker Alyssa Solomon, who topscored with 17 points in just three frames, getting confidence early was key for her and the rest of the Lady Bulldogs as they repeatedly ran away from the gutsy Lady Falcons.
“I’m very happy with the performance we had despite the slow start,” the Season 84 Best Opposite Hitter said in Filipino. “Personally, when I was playing in the first set, I noticed I didn’t have confidence in myself again. But as the game went along, I redeemed myself, and I’m happy with my game.”
Former rookie MVP Bella Belen, now in her third season with NU, backstopped with 15 points, while rising star Vange Alinsug added 12. Lams Lamina, the Season 84 Best Setter, orchestrated the offense with 16 excellent sets.
Head coach Norman Miguel echoed his ward’s sentiments, alluding that the Lady Bulldogs didn’t play like championship-caliber players in their first two games.
“That’s their drive: character and pride,” he said in Filipino. “In our first two games against UST and Ateneo, we lacked pride. I think that’s where they drew their strength today, that we had to show how the NU women’s volleyball team really played.
“Being competitive is what should be normal for us.” – Rappler.com
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Who is the Senate’s top absentee?
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Bonz Magsambol
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28/02/2024 17:40
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Manny Pacquiao, former senator, no longer holds the record of having the most absences as a member of the upper chamber.
Senator Alan Peter Cayetano is now the Senate’s top absentee.
According to Senate records, Cayetano attended only 36 of the 54 regular sessions from July 24, 2023 to February 21, 2024. He missed 18 sessions; four were due to official missions.
It seems the senator from Taguig is keeping up with a reputation. In 2017, he also had the most number of absences as senator, attending only 31 sessions from July 25, 2016 to May 31, 2017.
In the 2013 elections, Cayetano was seen only once in senatorial debates and one-on-one interviews. But in 2016, he had the audacity to hit then-vice presidential candidate Ferdinand Marcos Jr. for being absent from one of the televised debates during the campaign.
Rappler reached out to Cayetano’s office for comment, but they have yet to respond as of this posting.
Meanwhile, 12 senators tallied perfect attendance, as of February 2024:
Meanwhile, the following senators had one to six absences:
Meanwhile, Binay was absent in three more sessions due to official missions; Escudero missed two sessions due to official missions; and Pia Cayetano and Tolentino also missed six sessions due to official missions.
Angara’s office said that the senator missed three sessions because of the bicameral conference committee meetings.
Some senators did not register perfect attendance because they were in official local and foreign missions. They were senators JV Ejercito, Lito Lapid, Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III, and Mark Villar.
In a statement on Tuesday, Zubiri said that “true leadership starts by showing up for the important work for the people.”
“Many of us show our commitment to our duty by being here most of the session days. Public service is a reward in itself, but we go to work knowing that our presence and our voices represent the people’s interests,” he said.
Zubiri has had perfect attendance since first being elected into the House of Representatives in 1998. – Rappler.com
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Would there be an award for the top absentee? Like that of the “Dirty Ashtray” award? There should be none. Congratulations to the 12 senators who have been in perfect attendance as of February 2024. Absenteeism seems to project that he needs to be more serious about his work as a Senator. This is more likely because he has something of greater priority than his work as a legislator, and the people he represents do not care. I agree with Senator Zubiri: “True leadership starts by showing up for the important work for the people.”
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Results, team standings: UAAP Season 86 volleyball
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Jasmine Payo
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05/05/2024 21:02
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ROARING. NU's Bella Belen (left) and Alyssa Solomon react in the UAAP Season 86 women's volleyball finals
UAAP Season 86 Media Team
MANILA, Philippines – The UAAP Season 86 volleyball tournaments reach a tipping point with the men’s and women’s finals!
LOOK: UAAP volleyball championship schedule
Here are the results in the men’s and women’s divisions:
MAY 15
May 11
MAY 8
MAY 5
MAY 4
MAY 8
MAY 5
MAY 4
** – Twice-to-beat* – Final Fourx – Eliminated
APRIL 27
APRIL 24
APRIL 21
APRIL 20
APRIL 17
APRIL 14
APRIL 13
APRIL 10
APRIL 9
APRIL 4
APRIL 3
MARCH 24
MARCH 23
MARCH 20
First round
MARCH 17
MARCH 16
MARCH 13
MARCH 10
MARCH 9
MARCH 6
MARCH 3
MARCH 2
FEBRUARY 28
FEBRUARY 25
FEBRUARY 24
FEBRUARY 21
FEBRUARY 18
FEBRUARY 17
** – Twice-to-beat* – Final Fourx – Eliminated
APRIL 27
APRIL 24
APRIL 21
APRIL 20
APRIL 17
APRIL 14
APRIL 13
APRIL 10
APRIL 9
APRIL 4
APRIL 3
MARCH 24
MARCH 23
MARCH 20
First round
MARCH 17
MARCH 16
MARCH 13
MARCH 10
MARCH 9
MARCH 6
MARCH 3
MARCH 2
FEBRUARY 28
FEBRUARY 25
FEBRUARY 24
FEBRUARY 21
FEBRUARY 18
FEBRUARY 17
– Rappler.com
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Interpol’s Red Notice out vs fugitive Arnie Teves – DOJ
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Jairo Bolledo
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28/02/2024 16:22
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LAWMAKER. File photo of Negros Oriental 3rd District Representative Arnie Teves presiding as deputy speaker in March 2021.
House press and public affairs bureau
MANILA, Philippines – The Philippines’ Department of Justice (DOJ) confirmed that the Interpol had issued a Red Notice against former Negros Oriental lawmaker Arnolfo “Arnie” Teves Jr.
“At least the Interpol has already issued the Red Notice, which means that all the members of the Interpol, all the countries which are members of the Interpol, are put on notice that that person should be arrested,” DOJ Secretary Jesus Crispin “Boying” Remulla said in a press briefing on Wednesday, February 28.
Ferdinand Topacio, Teves’ legal counsel, said they already anticipated the issuance of the notice. “First of all, we expected that. Number two, well, the government has to do what is has to do. Secretary Remulla has to do his duty. Like what I’ve said, we do not begrudge the government for that,” he said in a mix of English and Filipino.
The Interpol is an intergovernmental organization that issues notices based on international requests that will allow police forces in member states to share crime-related information. Upon the request of a country, the Interpol’s general secretariat may issue appropriate notices.
According to the Interpol, “a Red Notice is a request to law enforcement worldwide to locate and provisionally arrest a person pending extradition, surrender, or similar legal action. It is based on an arrest warrant or court order issued by the judicial authorities in the requesting country. Member countries apply their own laws in deciding whether to arrest a person.”
Although Red Notice is considered an “international warrant,” the Interpol cannot compel law enforcement agents in a specific country to arrest a subject based on the said notice. Each member-state has independence on how it will value the Red Notice and how its officers will enforce arrests, the Interpol said.
Teves, the expelled representative of Negros Oriental 3rd District, was the alleged mastermind behind the assassination of then-Negros Oriental governor Roel Degamo in March 2023. He also faces another murder charge over three separate killings that happened between March and June 2019 in Negros Oriental.
With these alleged crimes, there are at least two standing warrants of arrest against the former lawmaker.
On February 2, the DOJ said two alert list orders were issued through the Bureau of Immigration to restrict the movement Teves and facilitate his arrest through cooperation from other countries. Before the Red Notice, a Blue Notice – used “to locate, identify, or obtain information on a person of interest in a criminal investigation” – was issued against Teves.
A Manila court also recently canceled the passport of the fugitive former lawmaker.
Teves has been out of the country since February 2023, and refused to return after being linked to Degamo’s killing. In May 2023, the country’s Department of Foreign Affairs confirmed that Teves sought asylum in Timor Leste, but the request was denied.
Teves also failed to physically show up during session days at the House of Representatives. Later on, the legislative’s lower chamber voted to expel him. The Philippines’ anti-terror council also designated Teves as a terrorist. – Rappler.com
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Mindanao independence: Duterte’s ‘joke’ that just didn’t fly
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Herbie G
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28/02/2024 14:57
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Former president Rodrigo Duterte speaks during a press conference at a restaurant in Davao City on February 27, 2024.
Manman Dejeto/Rappler
DAVAO ORIENTAL, Philippines – Former president Rodrigo Duterte sang to a different tune nearly a month after he called for Mindanao secession, saying that it was merely a bluff and he was joking about it to get the attention of “Manila.”
“Pang hadlok ra man na, pang atik lang yun kasi kung hindi mo ganunin ang mga taga-Maynila, parang sipain mo yung paa at sabihang, ‘Putang ina mo, hindi lang ikaw ang Pilipino! Hindi lang kayo ang Pilipino!’” Duterte told a news conference in Davao City on Tuesday night, February 27.
(It was just a scare tactic, just a bluff because if you don’t treat the people of Manila the same way, it’s like kicking them in the leg and saying, “Son of a whore, you’re not the only Filipino! You’re not the only Filipino!”)
It took Duterte 28 days to take back what he said during a similar news conference in Davao on January 30, when he announced that he had asked former House Speaker and Davao del Norte Representative Pantaleon Alvarez to lead the movement because he was among the first to circulate papers “about the desirability of Mindanao seceding from the Republic of the Philippines.”
He was serious then, angry at the Marcos Jr. administration, and even answered reporters’ questions about his call for Mindanao independence.
Earlier that same day, Alvarez advocated for Mindanao’s independence during an interview with Cagayan de Oro-based broadcaster Magnum Radio, where he said that he drew inspiration from the late public intellectual Reuben Canoy.
Canoy, a former Cagayan de Oro mayor and assemblyman during the first Marcos administration, was a well-known advocate of Mindanao independence and even authored a book about it.
Duterte’s call for Mindanao’s independence in January fell flat. Many Mindanao leaders, including Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) Chief Minister Ahod “Al Haj Murad” Ebrahim, rejected the idea, doubting Duterte’s motivation.
The Marcos Jr. administration, including the Philippine National Police (PNP), rejected the call, and some members of the House of Representatives sought an investigation into the matter.
About a month ago, a furious Duterte called for Mindanao independence just two nights after an anti-charter change rally in Davao where the former president spoke ill of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., referring to him as a drug addict.
He has also accused the Marcos Jr. administration, including First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos and Speaker Martin Romualdez, of being behind the so-called people’s initiative to amend the 1987 Constitution, supposedly, to perpetuate themselves in power.
Hours before the Davao rally, the Dutertes vented about the Marcos Jr. administration supposedly allowing investigators from the International Criminal Court (ICC) to come into the country to investigate the previous administration’s bloody war on drugs.
The combative Duterte, however, mellowed down his tone during a similar, but smaller anti-Cha-cha rally in Cebu on Sunday, February 25.
During the Tuesday night news conference, Duterte advised people not to take his January 30 pronouncement about the prospect of an independent state of Mindanao seriously.
But he said it was “a legitimate dream of the people of Mindanao to have an independent, separate state of Mindanao because of the historic maltreatment of the people of Mindanao.”
He added, “We have always been an economic laggard. But I don’t want my country dismembered. I don’t want any parts of the country to be taken away. I don’t want my country to be disturbed physically. Just give us a better deal for Mindanao.”
Duterte said Mindanao was only able to catch up with the rest of the regions in the country during his presidency, claiming that he made sure the national wealth would be distributed equally.
“Tayo ang pinaka late nag-bloom. Ngayon lang tayo nakabawi noong naging presidente ako. Di ko naman sinabi na bigyan ng lamang ang Mindanao. Patas lang in the distribution of the government budget,” Duterte said.
(We were the ones who bloomed late. We only caught up recently when I became president. I didn’t say to give Mindanao an advantage – just fairness in the distribution of the government budget.)
Earlier, Cagayan de Oro 2nd District Representative Rufus Rodriguez told Rappler that Mindanao did not receive a larger portion of the national budget throughout the six-year Duterte administration.
Rodriguez said, “Not so much also during President Digong’s (Duterte’s) time.” – with reports from Herbie Gomez/Rappler.com
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What you need to know about the Taylor Swift ‘Eras Tour’ ticket scam in the PH
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Ysa Abad
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28/02/2024 13:43
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TAYLOR SWIFT. The popstar during the Minneapolis stop of her 'The Eras' concert tour.
Taylor Swift's Twitter
MANILA, Philippines – In an effort to deter more cases of ticket scams, online marketplace Carousell has temporarily suspended the sales of Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour concert tickets on their platform.
Ticket sales for the singer’s concerts have been suspended from Caroussell since February 23, while all existing listings have been removed on February 26. Moreover, this took effect on Carousell’s platforms in six Southeast Asian countries: Singapore, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Taiwan.
New The Eras Tour concert ticket listings will only be allowed on the platform starting March 9 – when Swift’s six-night stop in Singapore has concluded.
In a statement, Carousell chief of staff Tan Su Lin explained that while a “vast majority of [their] ticket listings are from genuine sellers,” this kind of “preventive measure is needed” as there’s a high possibility that “many overseas concertgoers who may not know how to adequately protect themselves from local scam tactics.”
“Hence, we are stepping in to do our part to manage the situation in our platform, and working very closely with the Singapore Police Force. We are monitoring the situation vigilantly and taking action against scammers,” they added.
Taylor Swift, who was recently named IFPI’s global recording artist of 2023, is in the middle of her The Eras Tour concert. However, to the heartbreak of many Philippine-based Swifties, the American singer didn’t include a concert stop in the Philippines, prompting numerous fans – including several famous Filipino celebrities – to fly to different parts of the world to catch the superstar in action.
Unfortunately, over 100 unsuspecting Filipino fans of the pop star fell prey to a scammer who pretended to sell tickets for Swift’s Eras Tour concert in Singapore.
On social media, several of the victims raised the alarm on an individual named Patrick Steven Nanud Agorto, also known as Pat Steve, whom the victims said they met through a Facebook group dedicated to Filipino fans attending The Eras Tour concerts abroad.
In a Facebook post, user Sharielle Yanson-Quinto shared that it was in July 2023 when she bought tickets from Agorto for Swift’s March 3, 2024 concert in Singapore. She noted that they transacted with him since one of her close friends knows him and that her brother-in-law also had a previous successful transaction with Agorto.
In August 2023, Yanson-Quinto found out that she was pregnant so she decided to resell her concert tickets, airline tickets, and hotel accommodation. By October 2023, Agorto made a group chat with a certain Mikaela Mariza “Cai” Lazaro to assist them with the transfer of names for the hotel accommodation and airline ticket refund. Yanson-Quinto continued that they kept on asking for updates over the next months, but by January 2024, they were informed that their hotel accommodation could not be transferred under someone else’s name. Around this time, they also noticed that Lazaro, who was supposed to refund them, had already deactivated her Facebook account.
As February 2024 rolled around, Yanson-Quinto came across other fans who were also airing their worries over their transaction with Agarto. “Ang dami ko na ring nababasa about kay Pat Steve in different groups na unresponsive (siya) and buying time sa mga nag-rerequest ng refunds dahil wala pa rin siyang nabibigyan ng tickets since ticket release,” she said.
(I’ve read several posts about Pat Steven in different groups that he’s unresponsive and buying time for those requesting refunds as he still hasn’t given any concert ticket since the e-tickets were released.)
Yanson-Quinto shared that she tried reaching out to him but he no longer reads her messages and the phone number he provided her is already out of coverage. She also added that she and other victims have already started a group chat, noting that “more than a hundred people” of them have been scammed.
User jeongpomu on X (former Twitter) also started a thread to raise awareness about the scammer, sharing a compilation of the victims’ experiences. According to the post, Agorto also offered flight and hotel booking assistance – on top of concert tickets – to the interested concertgoers.
⚠️ #TheErasTourInSG SCAMMER ALERT I am posting this for the sake of the 100+ people (probably more) scammed by PATRICK STEVEN NANUD AGORTO aka PAT STEVE aka PATRICK STEVEN AGORTOAnd for the public to be aware as wellPlease help spread @TSTheErasTourSG @TSTheErasTour pic.twitter.com/if0TbcQxIe
Most of the victims pushed through with their transaction with Agorto as the latter posed as a legitimate seller – even providing official identification documents, agreeing to do video calls with the customers, and meeting up with the buyers in person to sign contracts.
The customers started to grow wary of Agorto when he claimed that all concert tickets he purchased were voided since someone allegedly reported all of his accounts to Ticketmaster. Moreover, Agorto also allegedly provided fake proofs of bank transfers to those requesting refunds, as well as selling the same concert tickets to different people.
In a Facebook post, GMA actress Sofia Pablo disclosed that she was one of the victims, noting that she was supposed to attend the March 3 show in Singapore.
According to a 24 Oras report, Agorto extracted almost P15 million. The report also noted that the victims have already filed a lawsuit through the help of the National Bureau of Investigation.
The Eras Tour served as Swift’s first stadium tour in five years. It kicked off in the US in March 2023 and is expected to end by December 2024 after 150 shows.
According to the Guinness World Records, Swift’s The Eras Tour has officially been named as the highest-grossing music tour ever. It’s the first concert tour to generate over $1 billion in revenue. – Rappler.com
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Tabernacle Choir’s 1st Philippine concert fills MOA Arena with hope and harmony
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jbaluyot0292
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28/02/2024 11:44
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LIGHT. The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square serenading their Filipino audience for the first time.
Jerick Baluyot/Rappler
MANILA, Philippines – The Mall of Asia Arena reverberated with the uplifting sounds of the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square (formerly known as the Mormon Tabernacle Choir) during their first-ever Philippine concert on Wednesday, February 27. The renowned choir, known for its powerful and harmonious vocals, captivated the sold-out audience of 9,000 with a program aptly titled “Hope.”
Music icon Lea Salonga added a touch of local stardust to the evening, joining the choir for select performances, including “Hahanapin Ko” and “The Story Goes On” from the musical Baby. The collaboration proved to be a crowd-pleaser, drawing enthusiastic cheers and applause. Celebrity couple Paolo and Suzy Abrera kept the energy high throughout the event, serving as hosts and adding their signature charm and warmth to the proceedings.
While the audience was undeniably diverse, a significant portion consisted of members from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The concert represented a long-awaited opportunity to witness the choir’s renowned musicality first-hand.
The meticulously curated program offered a diverse range of musical selections that resonated with the audience’s cultural and emotional spectrum. The concert opened with uplifting hymns like “Alleluia from Psalm 150” and “Awake and Arise, All Ye Children of Light,” setting the tone for a night of inspiration and joy.
The program then ventured into “Songs of the World,” featuring international selections like “¡Ah, el novio no quere dinero!” (a Sephardic wedding song) and “Betelehemu” (a Nigerian carol). This segment showcased the choir’s versatility and ability to connect with audiences through universal themes of love and joy.
“Songs of the Land” resonated particularly well with the Filipino audience. The inclusion of selections like “Music Everywhere” (with lyrics adapted from S. W. Foster) and “Cindy” (an American folk song) demonstrated the choir’s appreciation for culture and heritage.
Moving towards “Songs of the People,” the program offered a space for reflection and inspiration. “The Story Goes On” and “Hahanapin Ko” served as gentle reminders of resilience and hope.
The concert culminated in “Hymns of Hope,” featuring “Let Us All Press On” and “The Spirit of God.” These uplifting selections left a lasting impression on the audience, solidifying the message of hope and unity that permeated the entire evening. The night ended with an encore performance of “Battle Hymn of the Republic” and the highly emotional hymn, “God Be With You Till We Meet Again.”
The Tabernacle Choir’s historic visit to the Philippines resonated deeply with the diverse audience, leaving a lasting impact beyond the realm of music. – Rappler.com
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FACT CHECK: Gmail is not shutting down
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Ailla Dela Cruz
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28/02/2024 14:34
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Claim: Tech giant Google announced that its email service program, Gmail, will officially be sunsetted on August 1, 2024.
Why we fact-checked this: A screenshot of a supposed email to Gmail users is circulating across X (formerly Twitter), claiming that the email service will no longer support sending, receiving, or storing emails starting August 1, 2024.
One user who posted the claim is a verified X account that has over 100,000 followers. As of writing, the post has garnered 8.7 million views, 10,000 likes, 2,000 replies, and 3,600 combined reposts and quotes.
Carrying the logo of Google and Gmail, a part of the message reads: “The decision to sunset Gmail has been made with careful consideration of the evolving digital landscape and our commitment to providing high-quality, innovative solutions that meet the needs of our users.”
The bottom line: Gmail is not shutting down. Google has not issued any announcement that Gmail will sunset in August 2024, and no reputable news outlet has confirmed the supposed shutdown.
On February 23, Gmail indirectly addressed the false claim in a post on X, saying that “Gmail is here to stay.”
According to technology news site TechCrunch, Google is only letting go of its older Gmail HTML version and transitioning users to the standard version.
Debunked: Agence France-Presse (AFP), Forbes, and other reputable news organizations have also debunked the fake announcement on Gmail’s alleged shutdown.
According to AFP, the viral shutdown notice was a doctored image created by X user “SHL0MS” as a hoax.
Gemini controversy: The misleading announcement coincided with Google’s announcement that it was pausing the image generation of people feature in its AI tool, Gemini (formerly Bard), following backlash over inaccuracies in historical image depictions. This comes just three weeks after the tech giant began offering a “more improved” image generation feature.
Disinformation on X: While some users who posted the misleading announcement have a verified badge, this does not necessarily mean that they provide genuine information.
It can be recalled that starting April 1, 2023, X announced that it would begin winding down its legacy Verification program, which issued a blue verified badge to accounts that were active, notable, and authentic.
Under the new system, users can now pay to be verified on the platform as long as they have an active subscription to X Premium and meet eligibility requirements.
According to Technology Transparency Project director Katie Paul, as quoted by NBC News, this feature helps disinformation thrive on the platform. – Larry Chavez/Rappler.com
Larry Chavez is a graduate of Rappler’s fact-checking mentorship program. This fact check was reviewed by a member of Rappler’s research team and a senior editor. Learn more about Rappler’s fact-checking mentorship program here.
Keep us aware of suspicious Facebook pages, groups, accounts, websites, articles, or photos in your network by contacting us at factcheck@rappler.com. Let us battle disinformation one Fact Check at a time.
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Ang kulit! ABS-CBN sets record straight on new franchise
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gdecastro0289
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28/02/2024 13:55
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FORMER GIANT. The ABS-CBN Broadcasting Center in Quezon City.
Jire Carreon/Rappler
Ever since ABS-CBN Corporation (ABS-CBN) was ordered by the Duterte administration to shut down its free TV and radio operations four years ago, reports about a new franchise for the Lopez media conglomerate still circulate once in a while.
The reports spread again after ABS-CBN CEO Carlo Katigbak promised Kapamilyas last December that 2024 would be the “best year” for the company after losing its lucrative broadcast business in 2020.
Some social media pages then speculated in January that ABS-CBN would be returning soon, which company executives internally denied.
Even a reputable entertainment website got caught in the hype and reported – albeit more cautiously – that ABS-CBN’s franchise “may be restored” in 2024.
The reports spread again this week after a daily broadsheet wrote about a possible ABS-CBN comeback, linking it to former senator Manny Villar’s broadcasting venture, Advanced Media Broadcasting System (AMBS). With no franchise, ABS-CBN disposed of its broadcast equipment, including selling some to Villar so it can operate its ALLTV after securing the Channel 2 frequency.
Asked by the Philippine Stock Exchange to clarify this latest report, publicly-listed ABS-CBN gave an official statement on Tuesday, February 27.
“ABS-CBN Corporation disposed of assets that the company no longer needed to various broadcasting networks after we ceased operations as a broadcasting company,” the company told the Philippine Stock Exchange.
“It is not true that ABS-CBN is applying for a new franchise nor does it intend to buy back any of the assets it sold,” it added.
ABS-CBN has pivoted into a content creation company and now distributes its entertainment and news programs to various platforms, including to its former competitors.
Although it no longer has a broadcast franchise, most of its entertainment shows, especially its popular teleseryes (TV series) can be seen on free television, including tycoon Manny V. Pangilinan’s TV5 and televangelist Bro. Eddie Villanueva’s A2Z channel.
It is also doing business with its erstwhile enemy, the Philippines’ leading media conglomerate GMA Network, such as co-producing Unbreak My Heart, and selling its movies and other entertainment content so that Kapuso viewers can watch them.
Select ABS-CBN movies and teleseryes are also available via streaming platforms like Netflix and Viu.
With the scuttled Sky Cable acquisition by telco giant PLDT Incorporated, ABS-CBN still has its Kapamilya Channel as well as the ABS-CBN News Channel on Sky Cable and on YouTube.
On radio, ABS-CBN returned to the airwaves on June 30 via a content supply agreement with House Speaker Martin Romualdez’s Prime Media Holdings Incorporated.
ABS-CBN’s former radio station DZMM was resurrected via radio DWPM 630. Under the joint venture Media Serbisyo Production Corporation, ABS-CBN supplies the content, while Prime Media handles the airing.
So, what’s generating this demand for an ABS-CBN free TV comeback? Perhaps, it’s economic. Free TV is ultimately better than paid TV for many people, especially those in the lower-income groups who live in areas not covered by Digital Terrestrial Television. It may also be a sign that people are not happy with unstable telco service.
Whatever the reasons, it’s probably best to just ignore these reports of an ABS-CBN comeback. They’re already back. Ang kulit ‘nyo! – Rappler.com
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Results, team standings: UAAP Season 86 volleyball
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Jasmine Payo
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05/05/2024 21:02
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ROARING. NU's Bella Belen (left) and Alyssa Solomon react in the UAAP Season 86 women's volleyball finals
UAAP Season 86 Media Team
MANILA, Philippines – The UAAP Season 86 volleyball tournaments reach a tipping point with the men’s and women’s finals!
LOOK: UAAP volleyball championship schedule
Here are the results in the men’s and women’s divisions:
MAY 15
May 11
MAY 8
MAY 5
MAY 4
MAY 8
MAY 5
MAY 4
** – Twice-to-beat* – Final Fourx – Eliminated
APRIL 27
APRIL 24
APRIL 21
APRIL 20
APRIL 17
APRIL 14
APRIL 13
APRIL 10
APRIL 9
APRIL 4
APRIL 3
MARCH 24
MARCH 23
MARCH 20
First round
MARCH 17
MARCH 16
MARCH 13
MARCH 10
MARCH 9
MARCH 6
MARCH 3
MARCH 2
FEBRUARY 28
FEBRUARY 25
FEBRUARY 24
FEBRUARY 21
FEBRUARY 18
FEBRUARY 17
** – Twice-to-beat* – Final Fourx – Eliminated
APRIL 27
APRIL 24
APRIL 21
APRIL 20
APRIL 17
APRIL 14
APRIL 13
APRIL 10
APRIL 9
APRIL 4
APRIL 3
MARCH 24
MARCH 23
MARCH 20
First round
MARCH 17
MARCH 16
MARCH 13
MARCH 10
MARCH 9
MARCH 6
MARCH 3
MARCH 2
FEBRUARY 28
FEBRUARY 25
FEBRUARY 24
FEBRUARY 21
FEBRUARY 18
FEBRUARY 17
– Rappler.com
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Palawan, Bacolod wrestle with soaring pork prices amid supply shortage
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Herbie G
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28/02/2024 10:56
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PALAWAN, Philippines – Prices of pork in some areas in the Mimaropa and Western Visayas regions increased by some 20% in a week, stunning consumers and alarming local officials who blamed the situation on the shortage in the local hog supply.
The pork prices in the markets of Puerto Princesa City in Palawan rose to P350 per kilogram from P280 in a week’s time. In Bacolod, the market price of pork surged from about P340 to P420 for every kilogram.
The farm gate price in Puerto Princesa has already reached P180 to P190 per kilo, resulting in increased market prices, according to City Veterinarian Indira Santiago.
However, the prices of pork in Roxas town in Palawan, 135 kilometers from Puerto Princesa, range from P190 to P200.
Local officials said the city saw a decline in the local supply due to Palawan hog shipments to Metro Manila and nearby Iloilo, where there was an increased demand as a result of stringent measures imposed due to African Swine Fever (ASF) infections.
Rodolfo Contreras, a retired government employee, said he was stunned to see market meat stall vendors selling pork from P320 to P350 per kilo in Puerto Princesa.
Local traders Manila and Iloilo-based traders turned to Puerto Princesa because of local hog entry bans due to the ASF threat that has impacted more than 60 provinces across the country.
Palawan’s current regulations do not prevent the shipping out of healthy pigs, and many hog growers were opting to ship out their products to take advantage of higher prices elsewhere.
Palawan is among the remaining 11 provinces in the country considered ASF-free. The other provinces are Bukidnon, Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao del Norte, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi in Mindanao, Biliran, Bohol, and Siquijor in Visayas, while Basilan, Occidental Mindoro, and Palawan are in Luzon, according to the Bureau of Animal and Industry (BAI).
“Biik pa lang binibili na para dalhin sa Manila o Iloilo. Ganyan ka tindi ang bilihan ng baboy dito sa Puerto Princesa at Palawan,” said Mike Escote, a local radio commentator and barangay official in the village of Sicsican.
(Even piglets are being bought to be taken to Manila or Iloilo. That’s how intense the demand for pork is here in Puerto Princesa and Palawan.)
He added, “Pag amihan, dito sa Palawan ay walang isda masyado kaya karne ang pangunahing ulam. Pero dahil maliit pa lang ang baboy, binibili na ng buyers galing Manila o galing Iloilo kaya kumukonti ang supply ng baboy.)
(During the northeast monsoon, there’s not much fish here in Palawan, so meat becomes the primary dish. But because the pigs are still small, buyers from Manila or Iloilo are already purchasing them, causing the supply of pork to decrease.)
Puerto Princesa Councilor Elgin Damasco said there was a need for the local government to regulate farm gate prices, but City Legal Officer Norman Brian Yap cautioned local legislators about going beyond their powers.
Neither can the city council or the local government declare a moratorium on the shipment of livestock unless there is a declaration of crisis or calamity, Yap said.
The problem in Puerto Princesa was compounded by the decision of many hog growers in the city to stop raising due to high production costs and increasing prices of feeds, according to Puerto Princesa Councilor Laddy Gemang, the president of the city’s Liga ng mga Barangay Federation.
Agriculturist Leonardo Enriquez said the feed prices in Palawan were relatively higher compared to other provinces with feed mills. Supplies of feeds in the province are sourced from either Manila, Iloilo, or Cebu.
In Bacolod, in the Western Visayas region, consumers were also stunned by the increase in pork prices, which reached as much as P420 per kilo, from about P340 last week, in the local markets.
On Monday, February 26, Bacolod Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez attributed the increase in pork prices to the inadequate local hog supply of pigs right now, hence, the pork price shot up from P400 to P420 a kilo.
Benitez said the current pork prices in Bacolod were “too much” for most consumers in the city.
The mayor issued an executive order on Friday, February 23, allowing the entry of live hogs, pork, and pork-related products into the city, to make up for the shortage.
Benitez also said there should be an “easy movement” of hog supplies from nearby provinces such as Panay, Negros Oriental, Cebu, Bohol, Leyte, Samar in the Visayas, and Cagayan de Oro City in Northern Mindanao to stabilize Bacolod’s pork prices.
Bacolod City Administrator Lucille Gelvolea was tasked to immediately reactivate the Local Price Coordinating Council (LPCC) to monitor pork prices and ensure that rules are followed.
It was the exact opposite in Negros Occidental province where Governor Eugenio Lacson’s issued an executive order banning the entry of hogs, pork, and pork-related products from Luzon, Mindanao, Eastern Visayas, Panay Island, Guimaras, and Cebu, including the Bantayan and Camotes Islands.
Frank Carbon, chief executive officer of the Metro Bacolod Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MBCCI), said on Tuesday, February 27, that he was saddened by the contrasting executive orders of Benitez and Lacson.
“This will definitely result in nothing. This is very hard – Bacolod will open its borders, while Negros Occidental still closes theirs,” Carbon said.
Bacolod is bordered by Bago City in the south, Talisay City in the north, and Murcia in the east-central portion, all in Negros Occidental.
Given the situation, Bacolod has only two entry points right now – the Banago Port in Barangay Banago and the Simplicio Palanca Seaport at the reclamation area. In contrast, Negros Occidental has eight ports and an airport. – Rappler.com
Gerardo C. Reyes Jr. is a community journalist at Palawan Daily News and is an Aries Rufo journalism fellow of Rappler for 2023-2024, while Erwin Delilan is a journalist based in Bacolod City.
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Marcos to Quiboloy: ‘Just face the House and Senate hearings’
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Mia Gonzalez
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28/02/2024 10:05
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PHILIPPINE LEADER. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. delivers a departure speech as he heads to Tokyo for the Commemorative Summit on the 50th Year of ASEAN-Japan Friendship and Cooperation in December 2023.
PCO
MANILA, Philippines – President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Wednesday, February 28, advised doomsday preacher Apollo Quiboloy to face the congressional inquiries into the allegations of abuses against him and the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) which he founded.
Marcos said this in an ambush interview prior to his departure for Australia, when asked to comment on Quiboloy’s claims that he and First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos are conniving with the United States in a supposed plot to assassinate him.
“Well, I would just advise him that just kung mayroon naman siyang sasabihin…he has an opportunity in the hearings both in the House and in the Senate, to say his side of the story. Kaya po sinasabi niya, ‘Hindi totoo lahat ‘yan, hindi totoo, walang nangyaring ganyan,’ ‘di sabihin niya,” the President said.
(Well I would just advise him that if he has something to say…he has an opportunity in the hearings both in the House and in the Senate, to say his side of the story. That’s why he’s been saying, “That’s not true, nothing like that happened,” then he should say it there.)
Quiboloy had been subpoenaed to attend the third hearing of the Senate committee on women, children, family relations, and gender equality on March 5. Panel chairperson Senator Risa Hontiveros earlier warned Quiboloy that she would cite him in contempt and have him arrested if he would fail to appear at the March 5 hearing.
The Senate panel is investigating allegations of human trafficking, sexual abuse, violence, and other abuses against the preacher and his group.
Marcos reminded Quiboloy of the consequences of snubbing the next Senate hearing.
“Kung makapunta siya, sagutin niya lahat ng tanong, ‘di tapos na. That’s why my advice for him is to just face the questioning in the House and in the Senate. Marinig natin ang kanyang side para malaman natin kung ano ba talaga ang nangyayari dito,” he said.
(If he attends [the hearing], answer all the questions, and that’s it. That’s why my advice for him is to just face the questioning in the House and in the Senate. Let’s hear his side so that we would know what really happened here.)
“We’re trying to be fair here and allowing him an opportunity and fora to make his case. So, I think he should take advantage of that,” Marcos added.
Marcos brushed aside the alleged assassination plot against Quiboloy, wondering aloud why anyone would want to kill him. “Hindi ko naiintindihan ‘yung sinasabi niya. Bakit siya i-assassinate (I can’t understand what he’s saying. Why will he be assassinated)?”
The previous week, Quiboloy, through an audio recording that circulated on social media, said he was in hiding because of a supposed plot to abduct and assassinate him. He alleged that his constitutional rights were being violated and that he and other KOJC leaders had been marked for assassination by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
Quiboloy is on the FBI’s most wanted list for “his alleged participation in a labor trafficking scheme that brought church members to the United States, via fraudulently obtained visas, and forced the members to solicit donations for a bogus charity, donations that actually were used to finance church operations and the lavish lifestyles of its leaders.” (READ: Quiboloy sexually abused women, minors – ex-followers, US prosecutors) – Rappler.com
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NGO executives dodge jail time but not repayment of millions in PDAF scam
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Mia Gonzalez
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28/02/2024 11:59
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Shutterstock.com
MANILA, Philippines – The anti-graft court Sandiganbayan has acquitted two executives of a nongovernmental organization (NGOs) of criminal charges but ordered them to join four former public officials in reimbursing the government P4.5 million in connection with the pork barrel scam.
Like the others in the case – former Malabon-Navotas congressman Alvin Sandoval and former TRC executives Maria Rosalinda Lacsamana, Marivic Jover, and Consuelo Lilian Espiritu – the Sandiganbayan First Division also acquitted Pangkabuhayan Foundation, Incorporated (PFI) executives Petronila and Fernando Balmaceda of graft and malversation charges.
The court, in its decision promulgated on February 27, ruled that the prosecution did not provide sufficient evidence to establish violation of Republic Act No. 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.
“Be that as it may, this Court finds the third element…[that] the act was done through manifest partiality, evident bad faith, or gross inexcusable negligence, lacking with respect to accused Petronila and Fernando,” the court said.
Associate Justice Geraldine Faith Econg penned the decision with concurrences from Associate Justice Efren de la Cruz and Associate Justice Juliet Manalo-San Gaspar.
The court said their acquittal did not remove their civil liability since the law only requires “evidence which is more convincing to the court as worthy of belief than that which is offered in opposition thereto.”
“There is preponderance of evidence that several irregularities attended the conduct of the livelihood project. There is no question that their separate, yet collective acts or omissions led to the release of the PDAF to PFI and the irregularities that plagued the project,” the court said.
The case involved releases of Sandoval’s Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) between 2007 and 2009.
The court also brushed aside the Balmacedas’ denial of links to PFI. The couple had asserted that their signatures on the relevant documents were forged.
“The evidence on record…easily defeats their bare denial. Needless to state, unsubstantiated denial is a weak defense and cannot be given credence as it is self-serving,” the court said.
The court said that Fernando “cannot feign innocence or ignorance as his inaction despite notice refutes his insistence that he has no knowledge of PFI.”
“Surely an innocent man would take action upon knowledge of another person usurping his name and identity,” the court said.
In the case of Petronila, the court said, “Accused Petronila cannot deny her involvement in PFI as the documentary exhibits show consistency in the use of her name and address in all incorporation and business documents of PFI.”
The names and signatures of Balmaceda and Petronilla appeared in PFI’s re-registration document, both confirmed that the foundation’s principal address was their previous residence, and Petronilla’s signature in bank instruments showed that she opened and was a signatory of the PFI bank account. – Rappler.com
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‘Just get yourself arrested,’ Duterte advises Quiboloy
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Herbie G
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28/02/2024 12:38
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CONTROVERSIAL PALS. In this 2016 photo, Rodrigo Duterte sits with his friend and 'spiritual adviser' Apollo Quiboloy, who has since been indicted for sex trafficking in the US and gotten some ABS-CBN frequencies.
Manman Dejeto/Rappler
DAVAO ORIENTAL, Philippines – Former president Rodrigo Duterte has advised his embattled friend, the controversial Davao-based preacher Apollo Quiboloy, to prepare for his arrest unless he changed his mind about defying a Senate panel that is investigating alleged abuses suffered by his former followers.
“Just get yourself arrested,” Duterte, addressing the doomsday preacher, told a late-night news conference on Tuesday, February 27.
The former president added: “This is a free country. If you (Quiboloy) don’t want to go there (to the Senate), then get yourself arrested. I will give him the free choice.”
Duterte also downplayed Quiboloy’s criminal cases in the United States, calling them “maliit na kaso” (minor cases).
“America would not prioritize that. He is free to roam around the country. His case is in America, not here. He doesn’t have a case in the Philippines. So, he is free to roam around the country,” Duterte told reporters.
The controversial preacher is known for his close associations with the ex-president, who has been his friend since Duterte’s tenure as mayor of Davao City.
Quiboloy and two of his church associates are considered fugitives in the US, with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) including them in its “most wanted” list for alleged crimes, which Duterte considered to be minor cases.
The three, along with six others, were indicted by a federal jury in a district court in California in late 2021 for the following crimes:
The US has yet to send an extradition request to the Philippine government concerning Quiboloy who is scheduled to be tried in the US this November.
But in a February 21 statement, the US embassy in Manila said, “For more than a decade, Apollo Quiboloy engaged in serious human rights abuses, including a pattern of systemic and pervasive rape of girls as young as 11 years old, and he is currently on the FBI’s Most Wanted List. We are confident that Quiboloy will face justice for his heinous crimes.”
Duterte’s advice came hours before President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. urged Quiboloy to submit himself to the investigating Senate panel and answer the accusations leveled at him by former Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) workers to avoid complicating the situation.
Marcos told reporters on Wednesday, February 28, “Well, I would just advise him that just kung mayroon naman siyang sasabihin… he has an opportunity in the hearings both in the House and in the Senate, to say his side of the story. Kaya po sinasabi niya, ‘Hindi totoo lahat ‘yan, hindi totoo, walang nangyaring ganyan,’ ‘di sabihin niya.”
(Well, I would just advise him that if he has something to say… he has an opportunity in the hearings both in the House and in the Senate, to say his side of the story. That’s why he’s been saying, “That’s not true, nothing like that happened,” then he should say it there.)
He added, “We’re trying to be fair here and allow him an opportunity and fora to make his case. So, I think he should take advantage of that.”
Quiboloy was summoned by the Senate committee on women, children, family relations, and gender equality on February 22 after he snubbed three of its hearings since January on the alleged abuses committed against his former KOJC members.
Before the Senate committee, the preacher’s former followers took turns detailing alleged crimes, including sexual abuses, torture, human trafficking, and labor exploitation, as they narrated their experiences about the inner workings of the Quiboloy-led religious group.
The committee’s chairperson, Senator Risa Hontiveros, previously warned that she would hold Quiboloy in contempt and order him arrested unless he attended the March 5 hearing of the Senate panel.
Under the Senate rules on panel investigations in aid of legislation, Hontiveros’ committee has the power to cite Quiboloy in contempt and order his arrest and detention unless he cooperated. – with reports from Herbie Gomez/Rappler
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Marcos says proposal to hold Cha-Cha plebiscite alongside 2025 polls for ‘practical’ reasons
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Dwight de Leon
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28/02/2024 11:23
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PROTEST. Groups opposed to charter change picket the gates of the House of Representatives to protest the alleged use of public funds in collecting signatures for the people’s initiative on charter change, on January 22, 2024.
Jire Carreon/Rappler
MANILA, Philippines – President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. confirmed that his administration is considering holding a plebiscite to ratify proposed changes to the Constitution simultaneous with the 2025 midterm elections.
He said the proposed dual vote on May 12 next year would be cost-efficient.
“Oo, pinagaaralan talaga namin yun dahil kung paghihiwalayin natin ‘yang election at saka ‘yung plebiscite, parang dalawang eleksyon ‘yun e, napakamahal,” he told reporters before he left the Philippines for Australia on Wednesday, February 28.
(We are studying that possibility because if we will hold the election and the plebiscite separately, that would be like two polls, which would be expensive.)
“If we are able to incorporate the two exercises together, as a practical matter palagay ko makakatulong ‘yan (that will be a big help),” he added.
Zubiri first disclosed on Monday, February 26, that Marcos had told him he would prefer a plebiscite on economic charter change alongside the midterm polls.
There are resolutions in both House and the Senate seeking to amend or revise the economic provisions of the present charter through a constituent assembly. Both documents differ on how both chambers would vote on the proposed amendments – either jointly or separately.
That caveat has been a longtime major point of contention between both chambers. The 24-member Senate doesn’t want to vote jointly with the 300-plus-member House because senators will essentially be powerless.
The Commission on Elections (Comelec) said on Tuesday, February 27, that it sees no problem with conducting two electoral exercises on the same day in May 2025.
“Okay na okay po ang Comelec kung sakaling pagsasabayin, lalo na kung ang purpose nito ay ang makatipid. Kapag po kasi hiniwalay natin ang isang plebisito, aabutin po ng P13 bilyon ang magagastos,” Comelec Chairman George Garcia said. “Medyo hahaba lang po nang kaunti ang ating balota.”
(The Comelec is okay with a simultaneous conduct of the midterm polls and the plebiscite, especially if the purpose is to save money. If we hold a separate plebiscite, the expenses would reach P13 billion. Our ballots will just be a bit longer.)
In January, Garcia had expressed reservations about the idea of holding a plebiscite alongside the midterm polls, saying: “If the ballot is about changing the Constitution, that should be the only agenda so that the public can absorb better the implications of their vote.”
He also used a 1981 Supreme Court ruling to bolster his argument, but he has changed tune since, citing a study conducted by the poll body’s law department.
“‘Yung cina-cite na desisyon ng Occena vs Comelec ay hindi naman daw specific na nailagay na bawal talaga na pagsabayin, basta dapat magkaroon ng massive information dissemination para lang alam ng mga mamamayan kung ano ‘yung binoboto nila,” Garcia said on Tuesday.
(Our Law Department says Occena vs Comelec was not specific in saying that a nationwide election and a plebiscite can’t be done simultaneously. It’s okay as long as there is massive information dissemination so that the public knows what their vote will be about.) – Rappler.com
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https://www.rappler.com/philippines/marcos-proposal-simultaneous-conduct-charter-change-plebiscite-2025-polls-practical-reasons/?utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=Social&utm_campaign=SocialFlow&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR1nem5gcUzcIAxPNWWC4AnVSUPF4-crJ7mhsIkgUoRGDrWtemxG9P7Bztw_aem_uWz5Zebcuj9WyikwwnUcIA
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GAME SCHEDULE: UAAP Season 86 volleyball
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jisaga0269
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08/05/2024 20:35
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It’s down to the last two teams standing as the University of Santo Tomas and National University battle for the UAAP volleyball championship in both the women’s and men’s divisions!
The league’s best separate themselves from the pack as the Final Four showdown kicks off! Here’s the schedule:
UAAP Season 86 volleyball action intensifies as the second round of the men’s and women’s divisions begins on Wednesday, March 20.
The contenders will separate themselves from the pack, with each game determining which teams will make the Final Four. Here’s the schedule:
Volleyball action is back in the UAAP!
Stars from both men’s and women’s divisions are set to ply their growing skill sets once again in front of thousands of fans, beginning on Saturday, February 17 and Sunday, February 18, both at the Mall of Asia Arena.
Here are the first-round schedules for both divisions:
*The March 13 games will be played at the Mall of Asia Arena.
Notable matches include women’s champion La Salle’s debut against contending Adamson on Saturday, 4 pm, at MOA, while men’s three-time defending titlist NU rolls into an immediate finals rematch with UST on Sunday, 12 pm, also at the same venue.
La Salle and NU – finalists in the last two women’s tournaments with one title won each – will wrap up their first-round schedule on March 16, 2 pm at Araneta. – Rappler.com
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Palawan, Bacolod wrestle with soaring pork prices amid supply shortage
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Herbie G
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28/02/2024 10:56
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PALAWAN, Philippines – Prices of pork in some areas in the Mimaropa and Western Visayas regions increased by some 20% in a week, stunning consumers and alarming local officials who blamed the situation on the shortage in the local hog supply.
The pork prices in the markets of Puerto Princesa City in Palawan rose to P350 per kilogram from P280 in a week’s time. In Bacolod, the market price of pork surged from about P340 to P420 for every kilogram.
The farm gate price in Puerto Princesa has already reached P180 to P190 per kilo, resulting in increased market prices, according to City Veterinarian Indira Santiago.
However, the prices of pork in Roxas town in Palawan, 135 kilometers from Puerto Princesa, range from P190 to P200.
Local officials said the city saw a decline in the local supply due to Palawan hog shipments to Metro Manila and nearby Iloilo, where there was an increased demand as a result of stringent measures imposed due to African Swine Fever (ASF) infections.
Rodolfo Contreras, a retired government employee, said he was stunned to see market meat stall vendors selling pork from P320 to P350 per kilo in Puerto Princesa.
Local traders Manila and Iloilo-based traders turned to Puerto Princesa because of local hog entry bans due to the ASF threat that has impacted more than 60 provinces across the country.
Palawan’s current regulations do not prevent the shipping out of healthy pigs, and many hog growers were opting to ship out their products to take advantage of higher prices elsewhere.
Palawan is among the remaining 11 provinces in the country considered ASF-free. The other provinces are Bukidnon, Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao del Norte, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi in Mindanao, Biliran, Bohol, and Siquijor in Visayas, while Basilan, Occidental Mindoro, and Palawan are in Luzon, according to the Bureau of Animal and Industry (BAI).
“Biik pa lang binibili na para dalhin sa Manila o Iloilo. Ganyan ka tindi ang bilihan ng baboy dito sa Puerto Princesa at Palawan,” said Mike Escote, a local radio commentator and barangay official in the village of Sicsican.
(Even piglets are being bought to be taken to Manila or Iloilo. That’s how intense the demand for pork is here in Puerto Princesa and Palawan.)
He added, “Pag amihan, dito sa Palawan ay walang isda masyado kaya karne ang pangunahing ulam. Pero dahil maliit pa lang ang baboy, binibili na ng buyers galing Manila o galing Iloilo kaya kumukonti ang supply ng baboy.)
(During the northeast monsoon, there’s not much fish here in Palawan, so meat becomes the primary dish. But because the pigs are still small, buyers from Manila or Iloilo are already purchasing them, causing the supply of pork to decrease.)
Puerto Princesa Councilor Elgin Damasco said there was a need for the local government to regulate farm gate prices, but City Legal Officer Norman Brian Yap cautioned local legislators about going beyond their powers.
Neither can the city council or the local government declare a moratorium on the shipment of livestock unless there is a declaration of crisis or calamity, Yap said.
The problem in Puerto Princesa was compounded by the decision of many hog growers in the city to stop raising due to high production costs and increasing prices of feeds, according to Puerto Princesa Councilor Laddy Gemang, the president of the city’s Liga ng mga Barangay Federation.
Agriculturist Leonardo Enriquez said the feed prices in Palawan were relatively higher compared to other provinces with feed mills. Supplies of feeds in the province are sourced from either Manila, Iloilo, or Cebu.
In Bacolod, in the Western Visayas region, consumers were also stunned by the increase in pork prices, which reached as much as P420 per kilo, from about P340 last week, in the local markets.
On Monday, February 26, Bacolod Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez attributed the increase in pork prices to the inadequate local hog supply of pigs right now, hence, the pork price shot up from P400 to P420 a kilo.
Benitez said the current pork prices in Bacolod were “too much” for most consumers in the city.
The mayor issued an executive order on Friday, February 23, allowing the entry of live hogs, pork, and pork-related products into the city, to make up for the shortage.
Benitez also said there should be an “easy movement” of hog supplies from nearby provinces such as Panay, Negros Oriental, Cebu, Bohol, Leyte, Samar in the Visayas, and Cagayan de Oro City in Northern Mindanao to stabilize Bacolod’s pork prices.
Bacolod City Administrator Lucille Gelvolea was tasked to immediately reactivate the Local Price Coordinating Council (LPCC) to monitor pork prices and ensure that rules are followed.
It was the exact opposite in Negros Occidental province where Governor Eugenio Lacson’s issued an executive order banning the entry of hogs, pork, and pork-related products from Luzon, Mindanao, Eastern Visayas, Panay Island, Guimaras, and Cebu, including the Bantayan and Camotes Islands.
Frank Carbon, chief executive officer of the Metro Bacolod Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MBCCI), said on Tuesday, February 27, that he was saddened by the contrasting executive orders of Benitez and Lacson.
“This will definitely result in nothing. This is very hard – Bacolod will open its borders, while Negros Occidental still closes theirs,” Carbon said.
Bacolod is bordered by Bago City in the south, Talisay City in the north, and Murcia in the east-central portion, all in Negros Occidental.
Given the situation, Bacolod has only two entry points right now – the Banago Port in Barangay Banago and the Simplicio Palanca Seaport at the reclamation area. In contrast, Negros Occidental has eight ports and an airport. – Rappler.com
Gerardo C. Reyes Jr. is a community journalist at Palawan Daily News and is an Aries Rufo journalism fellow of Rappler for 2023-2024, while Erwin Delilan is a journalist based in Bacolod City.
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Waiting for Ginebra return, Brownlee looking at overseas offers
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delfin.dioquino editor
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26/02/2024 7:47
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JUMPER. Justin Brownlee in action for Gilas Pilipinas in the 2024 FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers.
FIBA
MANILA, Philippines – Expect Justin Brownlee to reunite with Barangay Ginebra, but as he still waits for his next tour of duty in the PBA, chances are he will play elsewhere for the meantime.
Gilas Pilipinas head coach Tim Cone said Brownlee has received offers from overseas teams as the beloved naturalized player ponders his next career move after he and the Nationals swept the first window of the FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers.
It will take months before Brownlee sets foot in the PBA again, with the league staging the Philippine Cup next starting on February 28.
“There are offers to go play overseas since it is All-Filipino. We’re perfectly fine with that,” said Cone on Sunday, February 25, after the Philippines’ 106-53 rout of visiting Chinese Taipei.
“We’re all for him going out, staying in shape.”
Going overseas should be an ideal move for Brownlee as he looks to regain his old form after being away from competitive action for four months – a result of failing a doping test in the Asian Games in October.
Brownlee is no stranger to playing in other foreign leagues in between his Ginebra stints as he suited up for Lebanese club Al Riyadi in 2019 and UAE’s Al Sharjah in 2021.
Not only would Brownlee be in tiptop shape once the PBA holds another import-flavored conference, he would also be in deadlier form for the Riga, Latvia leg of the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQT) in July.
Fearsome foes await in the OQT, with Brownlee and world No. 38 Philippines set to battle No. 8 Latvia and No. 23 Georgia.
“He will definitely be back for us at Ginebra in the next conference, after the All-Filipino. He is already locked in for that. So we’ll see him here,” said Cone.
“But in the meantime, he is looking at offers and he’ll probably end up playing somewhere for a while.”
Despite seeing his career temporarily derailed for one-third of a year, Brownlee looked like he hardly lost a step as he steered the Philippines to a pair of blowout wins in the first window of the Asia Cup Qualifiers.
Brownlee delivered 26 points, 13 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 blocks against Chinese Taipei – an impressive follow-up performance to his 16-point, 7-rebound, 7-assists, 3-steal effort in a 94-64 romp of Hong Kong.
No wonder teams are calling. – Rappler.com
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PRIMER: Investigations, cases against Apollo Quiboloy
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Herbie G
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27/02/2024 18:35
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CAGAYAN DE ORO, Philippines – Senator Risa Hontiveros on Tuesday, February 27, once again called on doomsday preacher Apollo Quiboloy to face his accusers and address the serious allegations raised against him in an ongoing investigation.
Hontiveros made the call just one week before the fourth hearing set by her committee regarding the alleged abuses committed by the Davao-based Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) against its former workers and members.
The senator earlier warned that she would cite Quiboloy in contempt and have him arrested unless he showed up at the March 5 hearing of the Senate committee on women, children, family relations, and gender equality.
In a statement released on Tuesday, Hontiveros said the committee, as it investigates matters in aid of legislation, “has the power to compel the attendance of witnesses, no matter how well-connected they are.”
She said Quiboloy, who styles himself as the “appointed son of God,” is not above the law and the country’s institutions.
“In the past, Cabinet officials, lawmakers, an incumbent Senate president, and even a former president have submitted to Senate subpoenas and appeared as witnesses. His (Quiboloy’s) constitutional rights, like all witnesses, are respected. Pero hindi siya mataas pa sa presidente, sa Senado, at sa batas (But he is not higher than the President, the Senate, and the law),” she said in a statement recorded on video.
Quiboloy has wielded much influence as a religious figure in the country. He has maintained a close friendship and unwavering support for former president Rodrigo Duterte, with their ties dating back to Duterte’s time as mayor of Davao City. Throughout Duterte’s presidency, Quiboloy served as his “spiritual adviser,” cementing their long-standing relationship.
Hontiveros also noted that Quiboloy and his followers called the witnesses who appeared before the Senate committee as cowards for not showing their faces in public, yet the KOJC leader himself declared his intention to disregard the Senate subpoena.
She pointed out that Quiboloy’s accusers have executed affidavits against the preacher and his church associates.
Addressing Quiboloy, Hontiveros said, “Bukas po ang Senado para sa panig ‘nyo. Hinihintay namin kayo (The Senate is open to your side. We are waiting for you).”
The Senate Sergeant-at-Arms Office served the subpoena to Quiboloy, through his lawyer Marie Dinah Tolentino-Fuentes, on February 22, after the preacher ignored invitations to attend three previous hearings at the Senate.
Hontiveros’ committee has been tasked by the Senate to look into allegations of human trafficking, sexual abuse, violence, and other misconduct involving the preacher and his organization.
She can, according to Section 17 of the Senate rules governing the conduct of committee investigations. The authority of Senate committees includes the “power to summon witnesses and take their testimony and to issue subpoena and subpoena duces tecum, signed by its Chairman, or in his absence by the Acting Chairman, and approved by the President.”
“Within Metro Manila, such process shall be served by the Sergeant-at-Arms or his assistant. Outside of Metro Manila, service may be made by the police of a municipality or city, upon request of the Secretary,” reads a clause in the Senate rules.
Section 18 of the Senate rules on panel investigations provides that a “contempt of the Committee shall be deemed a contempt of the Senate.”
The rules also provide that “such witness may be ordered by the Committee to be detained in such place as it may designate under the custody of the Sergeant-at-Arms until he/she agrees to produce the required documents, or to be sworn or to testify, or otherwise purge himself/herself of that contempt.”
Former KOJC members have testified on the alleged abuses of Quiboloy and his church associates before Hontiveros’ committee since the panel started the hearings on January 23.
Their narratives – including that of two Ukrainian women who alleged that Quiboloy sexually abused them in the name of religion – have been consistent with and corroborated by the allegations made also by former KOJC members in the United States against the Davao-based preacher.
Quiboloy and eight of his associates were indicted by a federal grand jury in a US District Court in Santa Ana, California, in 2021.
The 74-page indictment document shows that the preacher and the other accused have been charged with the following crimes:
The indictment papers enumerate 94 overt acts of the preacher and his associates.
The US court ordered Quiboloy and his associates arrested on November 10, 2021. Except for Quiboloy and two others, Teresita Dandan and Helen Panilag, the others either surrendered or were arrested by US authorities, and subsequently bailed out.
The others who have been indicted along with Quiboloy are the following:
At least one of those accused has subsequently agreed to turn state witness against Quiboloy’s group.
On January 31, 2022, the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) included Quiboloy, Dandan, and Panilag, among several other fugitives from Mexico and China, in its most wanted list, and published their separate wanted posters on its website.
The FBI’s “most wanted” poster on the KOJC leader reads, “Apollo Carreon Quiboloy, the founder of a Philippines-based church, is wanted for his alleged participation in a labor trafficking scheme that brought church members to the United States, via fraudulently obtained visas, and forced the members to solicit donations for a bogus charity, donations that actually were used to finance church operations and the lavish lifestyles of its leaders.”
On November 3, 2022, Judge Terry Hatter Jr. of the US District Court-Central District of California reset the trial of Quiboloy and his co-accused in Los Angeles from March 21, 2023, to March 19, 2024. Subsequently, in late 2023, the trial was again moved to November 2024.
In the 2022 order, Hatter granted the request of five of the defendants – Salinas, Cabactulan, Duenas, Estopare, and Roces – to be given more time to prepare their defense, based on the US Speedy Trial Act.
Based on the US-Philippines extradition treaty, an extradition request must be made through diplomatic channels.
But nearly three years after the indictment of Quiboloy and his associates, the US has yet to submit a formal extradition request for the preacher, Dandan, and Panilag, according to the Philippine Department of Justice (DOJ).
In late 2022, the US announced sanctions against the KOJC leader through its treasury and state departments, a move that coincided with International Anti-Corruption Day and on the eve of International Human Rights Day.
The sanctions include the following:
– Rappler.com
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Rappler Talk: UPRI’s Likha Minimo on lessons from the Davao de Oro landslide
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Iya Gozum
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28/02/2024 11:00
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MANILA, Philippines – In 2008, the town of Maco in Davao de Oro experienced a killer landslide. The government conducted geohazard mapping and assessment and then declared the area a no-build zone.
Sixteen years later, another landslide devastated the same town, killing over 90 residents and employees of a mining company.
How many more preventable disasters will happen due to disregard of scientific data?
In this Rappler Talk episode, environment reporter Iya Gozum talks with Dr. Likha Minimo, geologist and director for knowledge sharing at the University of the Philippines Resilience Institute, about the Davao de Oro landslide and the implementation of hazard maps in the Philippines.
Watch the interview at 11 am on Wednesday, February 28. – Rappler.com
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Marcos to Quiboloy: ‘Just face the House and Senate hearings’
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Mia Gonzalez
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28/02/2024 10:05
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PHILIPPINE LEADER. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. delivers a departure speech as he heads to Tokyo for the Commemorative Summit on the 50th Year of ASEAN-Japan Friendship and Cooperation in December 2023.
PCO
MANILA, Philippines – President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Wednesday, February 28, advised doomsday preacher Apollo Quiboloy to face the congressional inquiries into the allegations of abuses against him and the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) which he founded.
Marcos said this in an ambush interview prior to his departure for Australia, when asked to comment on Quiboloy’s claims that he and First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos are conniving with the United States in a supposed plot to assassinate him.
“Well, I would just advise him that just kung mayroon naman siyang sasabihin…he has an opportunity in the hearings both in the House and in the Senate, to say his side of the story. Kaya po sinasabi niya, ‘Hindi totoo lahat ‘yan, hindi totoo, walang nangyaring ganyan,’ ‘di sabihin niya,” the President said.
(Well I would just advise him that if he has something to say…he has an opportunity in the hearings both in the House and in the Senate, to say his side of the story. That’s why he’s been saying, “That’s not true, nothing like that happened,” then he should say it there.)
Quiboloy had been subpoenaed to attend the third hearing of the Senate committee on women, children, family relations, and gender equality on March 5. Panel chairperson Senator Risa Hontiveros earlier warned Quiboloy that she would cite him in contempt and have him arrested if he would fail to appear at the March 5 hearing.
The Senate panel is investigating allegations of human trafficking, sexual abuse, violence, and other abuses against the preacher and his group.
Marcos reminded Quiboloy of the consequences of snubbing the next Senate hearing.
“Kung makapunta siya, sagutin niya lahat ng tanong, ‘di tapos na. That’s why my advice for him is to just face the questioning in the House and in the Senate. Marinig natin ang kanyang side para malaman natin kung ano ba talaga ang nangyayari dito,” he said.
(If he attends [the hearing], answer all the questions, and that’s it. That’s why my advice for him is to just face the questioning in the House and in the Senate. Let’s hear his side so that we would know what really happened here.)
“We’re trying to be fair here and allowing him an opportunity and fora to make his case. So, I think he should take advantage of that,” Marcos added.
Marcos brushed aside the alleged assassination plot against Quiboloy, wondering aloud why anyone would want to kill him. “Hindi ko naiintindihan ‘yung sinasabi niya. Bakit siya i-assassinate (I can’t understand what he’s saying. Why will he be assassinated)?”
The previous week, Quiboloy, through an audio recording that circulated on social media, said he was in hiding because of a supposed plot to abduct and assassinate him. He alleged that his constitutional rights were being violated and that he and other KOJC leaders had been marked for assassination by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
Quiboloy is on the FBI’s most wanted list for “his alleged participation in a labor trafficking scheme that brought church members to the United States, via fraudulently obtained visas, and forced the members to solicit donations for a bogus charity, donations that actually were used to finance church operations and the lavish lifestyles of its leaders.” (READ: Quiboloy sexually abused women, minors – ex-followers, US prosecutors) – Rappler.com
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Jemboy mom: ‘Cop will only be jailed for years, but my son is gone forever’
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Jairo Bolledo
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27/02/2024 23:18
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GRIEVING. Rodaliza Baltazar leaves the Navotas Regional Trial Court after the promulgation of the case in the killing of her 17-year old son Jemboy, on February 27, 2024.
Jire Carreon/Rappler
MANILA, Philippines – The months-long anticipation of Jerhode Jemboy Baltazar’s family for justice ended with a heartbreak as the court meted only lighter penalties against the accused police officers.
Before the clock struck eight, Rodaliza and Jessie, Baltazar’s parents arrived wearing full protective gear at Navotas City Regional Trial Court Branch 286 on Tuesday, February 27. Over 10 Department of Justice (DOJ) witness protection program personnel escorted the couple as they entered the court premises.
It was the biggest day of their lives because the court would hand down its verdict against six cops tagged in the killing of their 17-year-old son. The teen was a victim of mistaken identity, the police said, and died in the hands of law enforcers in August 2 last year.
After almost three hours after the Baltazars’ arrival, the court released its decision. Only one in the six accused cops – Police Staff Sergeant Gerry Maliban – was found guilty of homicide. This was a lower offense compared to the murder charge originally lodged by the family and their counsels. Maliban was sentenced to four to six years of imprisonment.
Four others police officers – Staff Sergeant Niko Pines Esquilon, Executive Master Sergeant Roberto Balais Jr., Corporal Edmard Jake Blanco, Patrolman Benedict Mangada – were convicted of illegal discharge of firearm and sentenced to 4 months in prison. Police Staff Sergeant Antonio Bugayong Jr. was acquitted.
Visibly disappointed and emotional, Rodaliza immediately addressed the pool of reporters awaiting her reaction: “Sobrang sakit po ng nararamdaman ko ngayon, parang wala lang ‘yong nangyari sa anak ko. Parang hindi po siya napatay, parang wala lang kasi isa lang ‘yong na-convict (for homicide), si Maliban lang, pero apat na taon lang po.”
“‘Yong lima po makakalaya po, si Maliban lang po ‘yong makukulong, apat na taon lang po. Iyon lang po ba ‘yong buhay ng anak ko? Siya po apat na taon lang siyang makukulong, ‘yong anak ko habang buhay nang wala,” Baltazar’s mother added.
(I feel so much pain right now because it seemed what happened to my son seemed to be no big deal. It seemed he was not killed, I say that because only one was convicted for homicide, only Maliban, and he will be jailed for only four years. The other five will be freed, and only Maliban will be imprisoned for four years. Is that only the worth of my son’s life? Maliban will be jailed for only four years, while my son is gone forever.)
In an interview with reporters, emotional Rodaliza Baltazar says they’re disappointed of the ruling. She says she lost her son, but the police convicted of homicide will only be jailed for 4-6 years. 4 other cops received a lighter offense, while the other 1 was acquitted. pic.twitter.com/D66pNkgsOu
The trial for Baltazar’s case only took four months. This was faster than the case of fellow teenager Kian delos Santos, who, like Baltazar, died in the hands of the police. A glaring difference, however, was the cops in Delos Santos killing – Arnel Oares, Jeremias Pereda, and Jerwin Cruz – were convicted of murder and were sentenced to up to 40 years of imprisonment.
After the promulgation in Navotas City, the Baltazar couple rushed to the Department of Justice (DOJ) in Padre Faura in Manila. From Navotas to Manila, Fr. Flavie Villanueva accompanied the couple. The priest, known for helping drug war victims through his Kalinga Center, relentlessly guided Baltazar’s parent – from the moment the teen was killed, up to the present.
Along with their legal counsels and DOJ spokesperson Mico Clavano, the Baltazar couple once again faced the media. Like earlier in the court, the couple wore face masks and bulletproof vests.
In the presser, Jessie only gave a few words: “Hindi po sapat ‘yong hatol po sa kanila. Hindi po sapat para sa aming pamilya (The verdict against them was not enough. It was not enough for our family).”
Clavano, meanwhile, said they will appeal the court’s ruling to the Court of Appeals (CA), adding that they will tap the Office of the Solicitor General to represent the government in the appeal. The family and their counsel can file a petition for certiorari – a legal remedy used to review grave abuse of discretion – to ask the CA to review the lower court’s ruling.
Gabriela Representative Arlene Brosas, from the progressive Makabayan bloc, showed solidarity with the Baltazar family through a statement. Brosas said they were also disappointed with the light punishment, noting that what happened in the case proved injustice’s existence.
“Justice was brutally denied for Jemboy Baltazar. The alarming leniency towards the officers sends a chilling message that law enforcement can act with impunity, perpetuating a culture of fear in our communities,” Brosas said. “This failure to hold perpetrators accountable for the loss of innocent lives perpetuates a vicious cycle of violence and injustice.”
Human rights advocate and former senator Leila de Lima also aired dissatisfaction over the light penalties against the cops in Baltazar’s killing.
“The crime was committed still within the context of Duterte’s drug war where police were given the license to shoot to kill mere suspects, and even killed innocent ones, like Jemboy. It does not bode well for how our courts render justice to drug war victims, even in the remote chance when charges are indeed filed in court,” De Lima said in a statement. “That is why we need the ICC to bring the perpetrators of the drug war killings to justice.”
It was not the first time cops tagged in killings received lighter penalties.
In the case of Edwin Arnigo, the cop, Christopher Salcedo, was only ordered imprisoned for a maximum two years and 10 months for reckless imprudence resulting in homicide. Arnigo was the teenager with special needs who was killed by Salcedo at the height of lockdown due to COVID-19 in 2021. – Rappler.com
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SM to open 5 new malls in 2024 as PH retail rebounds big
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gdecastro0289
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27/02/2024 8:15
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MALLING. SM Prime will open 5 new malls in 2024, three in Luzon, one in Visayas, and one in Mindanao.
SM handouts/J Center Mall X/Rappler file
MANILA, Philippines – The Philippines’ retail king SM Group is opening five new malls in the Philippines in 2024, two of them in Ilocos, the home region of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
SM Supermalls president Steven Tan said on Monday, February 26, that they would be opening the following:
“We will be opening in La Union [province], Laoag [City] as well. Zamboanga, we opened Zamboanga a couple of years ago [in December 2020]. It grew to be very, very successful, so we’re very bullish with the Zamboanga market. We’re opening a bigger one,” he told the ABS-CBN News Channel (ANC).
A post shared by SM City Mindpro (@smcitymindpro)
SM broke ground for its second mall in the Zamboanga Peninsula in February 2023.
The malls in Laoag City and in La Union province will be the first SM malls in these areas. A change.org petition in 2016 asked that SM build a mall in La Union.
Some of these malls will “blend with the [local] community,” such as the SM in the Philippines’ surfing capital in northern Luzon, La Union, which will have more “timber” and “beige” in its design, he said.
“La Union would also be great because there will also be an area where you would create that same vibe as the surfing capital of the Philippines,” Tan said.
The new one that will be near Nuvali, Sta. Rosa, Laguna, will be a “premier mall with a one hectare, enclosed, airconditioned garden in the middle of the mall, where all the shops and restaurants will be looking into,” he said.
SM bought the J Center Mall in Mandaue City in 2023 and is currently renovating it. A J Tower residences is also being built at the back of the mall.
With a grateful heart, thank you so much! This is J Centre Mall. Your home, our home where we belong, forever. pic.twitter.com/ORL5HR6M69
The retail industry in the Philippines has rebounded big from the pandemic, with most retail businesses seeing high growth.
“Immediately after the pandemic, people went back to the mall, flocked to the mall. Last year was a testament of that – we’re very happy with the numbers because we weren’t expecting it to be that good. We were expecting growth, definitely, but the result is very humbling, it really blew me,” Tan said.
SM Prime Holdings had a net income of P40 billion in 2023, 33% higher than the P30 billion in 2022. Its mall business generated 56% of the company’s consolidated revenues. Mall rental income went up 24% to P61.3 billion in 2023 from P49.7 billion the year prior.
“The favorable result we achieved in 2023 reflects the strong support and trust from our tenants and customers despite the economic challenges encountered in 2023. We continue to see this growth momentum this year as we pursue our expansion plans in our key businesses, and explore new opportunities to expand our businesses,” SM Prime president Jeffrey Lim said on February 19.
As of October 2023, SM had 85 malls: 24 in Metro Manila, 47 in the rest of Luzon, 7 in the Visayas, and 7 in Mindanao. These malls had an average daily pedestrian count of 3.5 million.
SM has other retail outlets such as SM Hypermarket, Savemore, Waltermart, Alfamart, and MindPro.
SM’s mall expansion is now outside Metro Manila as regional growth in Luzon (excluding Metro Manila) and the Visayas in 2022 was faster than in the National Capital Region.
Other Philippine retail giants are Robinsons Retail Holdings Incorporated and Puregold Price Club Incorporated.
According to the newly released Global Retail Development Index (GRDI) 2023 report by Kearney, a global management consulting firm, “a growing middle class, increasing urbanization, a young demographic, strong consumer demand, an attractive labor market, and increasing remittances make the Philippines one of the most dynamic economies” in the Asia Pacific.
It noted that the Philippines’ poverty incidence declined from 23% in 2015 to 18% in 2021, and economic growth was at 7.6% in 2022.
The GRDI said the Philippines’ retail market was worth $203 billion in 2022, and was projected to grow by 5% from 2017 to 2022 and reach $286 billion in 2027.
The report said both the low-end retail enterprises, such as sari-sari (general merchandise) stores, as well as luxury brands are cashing in on the retail rebound.
“Traditional Philippine stores, known as sari-sari stores, located at every street corner and deeply rooted in the nation’s culture, continue to increase, providing access to smaller packs and essential goods in residential areas,” the GRDI 2023 said.
Both government and private business are using various ways to help small retailers. Government, for instance, provides low-interest loans to small enterprises.
“In November 2023, President Marcos asked TikTok to help mom-and-pop stores promote their products to millions of users, especially in rural areas,” the GRDI said.
Billionaire Lucio Co’s supermarket chain Puregold’s Tindahan ni Aling Puring was cited in the report as one of the ways by which big business is assisting small retailers with big discounts.
The GRDI said Philippine supermarkets have also “shown good growth and continue to be a leading retail channel.”
“Major players such as Puregold Price Clubs, Robinson Retail, and SM Retail are expanding their footprint. Supermarkets are also strengthening their offerings through innovation. AllDay Supermarkets, for example, introduced ‘smart carts,’ which are equipped with digital display ads,” the report said.
Philippine retailers have also adapted to the rise of ecommerce by offering “seamless shopping experience through a balance of physical and online sales.”
“Robinsons Department Store makes its items available on its GoCart online platform and engages Lazada and Shopee to increase its reach. Hypermarket operator SM Retail offers its omnichannel experience through its ShopSM online platform,” it said.
Many retailers have also adopted the Buy Now Pay Later or BNPL, and this is also “driving demand in retail.”
A post shared by Atome PH (@atome.ph)
“Atome, a BNPL vendor in the country, launched in 2022, provides three-month interest-free payment options without a credit card. Such vendors have popped up and are partnering with leading retail players such as SM Retail and Zalora,” the GRDI said.
The report noted that Malaysia’s home improvement retailer Mr. DIY has already opened multiple outlets throughout the country. Mr. DIY opened its 500th store in Panglao, Bohol, last February 16.
Mr. DIY offers a wide selection of low-priced goods in categories such as hardware, household and furnishing, electrical, stationary, sports, toys, etc. It’s motto is “Always Low Prices.”
The GRDI report said local retailers SM Retail, Puregold, and Robinsons Retail are also “planning to expand with multiple new outlets throughout the country.”
With the Philippines’ rising per capita income and increasing number of “affluent Filipino consumers,” the GRDI report said more luxury brands have opened “multi-concept stores and luxury flagships.”
“In December 2023, Prada announced a joint venture with Store Specialists Inc., which is involved in the retailing of leading luxury brands such as Hermes. Ayala, the Philippines’ premier mall chain, is enjoying a resurgence of luxury store openings, including Gucci, Tiffany & Co, and Cartier,” it said.
In addition, the GRDI report said “iconic global retailers such as Ikea, Bath & Body Works, Foot Locker, and Hugo Boss have entered the market and set up new stores,” while “other international retailers are on an expansion spree, with Levi’s opening its biggest store to date in July 2023.” – Rappler.com
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Ex-Nabcor officials face jail time for P99-million irregular farm equipment deal
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Miriam Grace Go
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28/02/2024 8:00
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Image from Shutterstock
MANILA, Philippines – The anti-graft court has sentenced to jail three former officials of the National Agribusiness Corporation (Nabcor) over the the irregular procurement of farm equipment worth P99.9 million.
Sentenced to six to nine years behind bars are:
The officials were charged in 2019 over contracts made in 2007 and 2008. They were found to have awarded the contract to Agri Component Corporation(Agricom) without public bidding, and released full payment to the company despite delays in its deliveries.
Munsod, Guañizo, and Relevo are now perpetually disqualified from holding any government position.
In the 65-page decision written by Third Division Associate Justice Bernelito Fernandez, the court said the three officials demonstrated “gross inexcusable negligence” and “wantonly disregarded the relevant laws and COA (Commission on Audit) circulars” when they awarded the contracts to AgriCom despite there having been other suppliers that could give better terms to the agency.
Presiding Justice Amparo Cabotaje-Tang and Associate Justice Ronald Moreno concurred.
“Accused Munsod, Guanizo and Relevo should have been forewarned to exercise even the slightest diligence when confronted by the several badges of irregularities. Instead, they were grossly and inexcusably negligent in inquiring further and thus deliberately closing their eyes to the fraudulent transaction,” the court said.
The anomalies were discovered when state auditors reviewed transactions under the P300-million Ginintuang Masaganang Ani (GMA) program during the presidency of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. Nabcor is a government corporation under the Department of Agriculture.
Meanwhile, the Sandiganbayan acquitted the following for lack of sufficient evidence that they conspired to defraud the government:
The anti-graft court archived the cases against the following, pending their arrest or surrender:
Javellana, Bitancor, and Johnson are still at large. – Rappler.com
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Rappler Talk: UPRI’s Likha Minimo on lessons from the Davao de Oro landslide
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Iya Gozum
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28/02/2024 11:00
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MANILA, Philippines – In 2008, the town of Maco in Davao de Oro experienced a killer landslide. The government conducted geohazard mapping and assessment and then declared the area a no-build zone.
Sixteen years later, another landslide devastated the same town, killing over 90 residents and employees of a mining company.
How many more preventable disasters will happen due to disregard of scientific data?
In this Rappler Talk episode, environment reporter Iya Gozum talks with Dr. Likha Minimo, geologist and director for knowledge sharing at the University of the Philippines Resilience Institute, about the Davao de Oro landslide and the implementation of hazard maps in the Philippines.
Watch the interview at 11 am on Wednesday, February 28. – Rappler.com
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Senior citizens aged 80 and up get cash gifts too under expanded law
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Dwight de Leon
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26/02/2024 15:35
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LIMITED DOSES. Senior citizens stay at an observation area after receiving their first dose of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, at a covered court in Manila, March 29, 2021.
Lisa Marie David/Reuters
MANILA, Philippines – The Centenarians Act of 2016 has been amended to provide monetary perks not only to senior citizens aged 100, but also those who are 80 years old and above.
Republic Act (RA) No. 11982, signed into law by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Monday, February 26, compels the government to hand out P10,000 in cash to Filipinos who have reached the age of 80, and every five years thereafter, until they reach 95.
Once they cross the 100-year mark, the cash gift balloons to P100,000, a provision from the 2016 law that remains untouched.
“But they deserve more than cash in an envelope. What they should get is a support infrastructure that every society owes to its graying population,” Marcos said in a speech after he signed the measure.
The new law also creates an Elderly Data Management System, according to a press release from House Speaker Martin Romualdez’s office.
A copy of RA 11982 has yet to be uploaded on the website of the Official Gazette.
The measure’s main sponsors in Congress were Senior Citizens Representative Rodolfo Ordanes and Senator Imee Marcos. Dozens of lawmakers were also listed as authors or co-authors. – Rappler.com
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Malacañang fires assistant solicitor general for sexual harassment
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Lian Buan
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27/02/2024 11:07
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OSG. A bus of the Office of the Solicitor General parked in Mile Long, Makati.
LeAnne Jazul/Rappler
An assistant solicitor general (ASG) with a spotty record of sexual harassment has been fired by Malacañang, and while the decision has been appealed, Rappler learned that an officer-in-charge (OIC) has already been appointed to the vacated division in the Office of the Solicitor General.
ASG Derek Puertollano, who is a career official, was dismissed from service over three administrative charges of sexual harassment prompted by a complaint from his legal interns.
“These harrowing incidents left complainants traumatized, scarring them both for life,” said Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin in his decision dated February 20. He found Puertollano administratively liable for the grave offense of sexual harassment through unwanted touching of private part of the body, and the less grave offenses of sexual harassment through unwanted touching or brushing against a victim’s body, and through surreptiously looking at a person’s private part.
Rappler has learned that Puertollano is appealing the decision, but Solicitor General Menardo Guevarra has already appointed an OIC to the vacated legal division. Rappler has sent an email to Puertollano seeking his statement. We will update this story once he responds.
Puertollano was involved in a separate sexual abuse case in 2016, according to reports from Manila Standard and Philippine Star. Based on the reports, he was charged in the US with intent to sexually abuse a minor, an incident that happened during official business when he was attending a seminar on international arbitration.
Evidently, Puertollano was able to keep his job.
The present charges stemmed from the complaint of two male legal interns of the OSG who went with Puertollano in an out-of-town business trip mid-year 2022.
According to the documents, Puertollano maneuvered the hotel room assignments so he could be in the same room as his two interns. One of them complained about Puertollano taking a shower in his full view with the door ajar. When it was the victim taking a shower, Puertollano went to the bathroom despite his protestation and the victim said he felt his boss’ “hand brush my butt cheek.”
The other complained about inappropriate remarks while the ASG looked at his crotch, while following him to the urinal, and while sleeping in separate beds that were pushed together by Puertollano. The ASG was accused of “touching [the victim’s] feet under the covers with own feet” and “placing [his] hand on [the victim’s] outer thigh.”
“All of which was unwelcome and pervasive, and which thereby created an intimidating, uncomfortable and insecure environment,” read the charges.
In his defense, Puertollano said all of the incidents were not malicious. But in the OSG’s internal investigation, Guevarra recommended dismissal from service and referred the case to Malacañang.
“[Victims] were his subordinates or interns whom he exercised control and supervision as supervising ASG. He took advantage of his position and, instead of acting in loco parentis, he was even the one who preyed on them, taking advantage of his superior position,” said Bersamin.
“This Office emphasizes that bare denials of Puertollano cannot withstand the positive declarations and detailed recounts of the harrowing incidents experienced by [the victims] under his hands,” the executive secretary said. – Rappler.com
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RESULTS: February 2024 Technical Evaluation for Upgrading as Professional Mechanical Engineers
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pfkahanap0307
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27/02/2024 23:20
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This is a press release from the Professional Regulation Commission.
The Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) announces that 55 passed the Technical Evaluation for the Upgrading as Professional Mechanical Engineers given by the Board of Mechanical Engineering in NCR this February 2024.
The members of the Board of Mechanical Engineering who conducted the Technical Evaluation are Engr. Leandro A. Conti, chairman; Engr. Jerico T. Borja and Engr. Lorenzo P. Larion, members.
Registration for the issuance of Professional Identification Card (ID) and Certificate of Registration will start on April 5, 2024.
Here is the full list of passers:
– Rappler.com
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Daughter of farmer killed in Negros Occidental clashes says her father was not a rebel
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Chito de la Vega
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27/02/2024 18:35
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File Photo. The Caramihan family during the pinning ceremony of their daughter Charlene Caramihan. The daughter is about to graduate in college this 2024.
Courtesy of Charlene Caramihan
NEGROS OCCIDENTAL, Philippines – The daughter of a farmer killed during the recent clashes between government forces and insurgents denied the allegation of the military that her father was a member or a supporter of the rebel New People’s Army’s Northern Negros Front (NPA-NNF) in northern Negros Occidental.
Charlene Caramihan, daughter of the slain Jose Caramihan, said it was not true as claimed by the military that her father was an NPA member working with the rebels. According to reports by the military, the insurgents in northern Negros were trying to recover the rebel front, which the state forces had previously declared dismantled.
“Sa mga nag ingon nga NPA Akong papa, dili intawon na sya ingon ana. Kami gin padako me ni papa nga puno sang pagpalangga og may respeto sa isig katawo, aron mag subay me sa sakto nga dalan ug mangin maayo ang among kaugmaon,” she said.
(My father was not an NPA, as some people had claimed. We were reared by our father with a lot of love and respect for other people and made sure that we would take the right path for us to have a better future.)
Charlene said her father worked hard on their farm just to send them to school, especially since she is about to graduate this year with a Bachelor of Science degree in Secondary Education majoring in Filipino.
“Naninguha ang akong amahan para ma edukar og tarong ang iyang mga anak biskan sa kalisod,” she told Rappler.
(Amidst hardships, my father put a lot of effort into ensuring that his children would get a good education)
Charlene insisted that her father was a farmer who worked as a woodcutter, and was also responsible for tending to their small farm in Sitio Manlusao, which was their main source of family income.
Her parents were members of the United Sagay, Escalante, Toboso Planters Association, Inc. (USETPAI), Charlene said.
She was filled with anguish when she discovered that her father was one of the three suspected rebels killed Wednesday, February 21, in the area where their farm was located, she told Rappler.
“Amo na untang gusto ko e-clear ang pangalan ni papa Kay yanong mangunguma ra gid intawon na Akong amahan. Ang among diginidad mao ra na among pinanghahawakan Kay biskan pigado me, napangkamot akong amahan para kanamo nga iyang pamilya. Dili na sya intawon rebelde,” Charlene said.
(I wanted to clear my father’s name that he was just a farmer. My father worked very hard for his family and us, and we maintained our dignity despite our dire circumstances. He was not a rebel)
According to Charlene, her father went to the their farm every day, but would always return home before dusk. There was never a day when he failed to arrive home.
Following the death of her father, she called for help from various groups to conduct an independent probe into the killing of her father, whose dream was just to see his children finish schooling.
Meanwhile, the Philippine Army’s 3rd Infantry Division spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel J-Jay Javines affirmed the military report that Jose Caramihan, along with two other slain individuals were communist rebels in the northern Negros city.
Javines said maybe the family of Jose was not aware of his affiliation with the rebels in their area.
Charlene, however, said she was certain that her father became collateral damage in the conflict between the NPAs and the state forces.
The fighting resulted in sporadic clashes, with airstrikes by the military using Augusta Westland-109 “Night Hawk” attack helicopters launched against rebels.
Bishop Gerardo Alminaza of San Carlos recently criticized the attack, calling it a “disproportionate act” that not only caused property and livelihood disruption but also sparked dread and fear among people.
The bishop would also facilitate psycho-social interventions for all the affected residents of the fierce encounters in Escalante City and Toboso town, Negros Occidental.
On the other hand, the Commission on Human Rights in Negros announced its plan to conduct an independent probe on the attack of the military against the NPAs, which pushed residents to flee their homes and livelihood. – Rappler.com
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SC finds PAO chief Acosta guilty of indirect contempt, orders her to pay fine
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Jairo Bolledo
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27/02/2024 21:29
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PAO CHIEF. Public Attorney's Office chief Persida Acosta sits down with Rappler in an interview.
Jairo Bolledo/ Rappler
MANILA, Philippines – Supreme Court (SC) justices unanimously found Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) chief Persida Acosta guilty of indirect contempt, the High Court announced on Tuesday, February 27.
The SC said the magistrates found Acosta guilty of indirect contempt for violating section 3(d), rule 71, of the Rules of Court, and of grossly undignified conduct prejudicial to the administration of justice under section 33, canon VI of the Code of Professional Responsibility and Accountability (CPRA) – the new code of conduct for lawyers.
Acosta was ordered to pay P30,000 for the indirect contempt, and P150,000 for grossly undignified conduct prejudicial to the administration of justice “with a stern warning that a repetition of the same or similar offenses shall be dealt with more severely.”
Under the Philippine laws, indirect contempt is a type of contempt committed out of the court’s presence. Acosta was found guilty for her action that fell under “any improper conduct tending, directly or indirectly, to impede, obstruct, or degrade the administration of justice.”
“It was determined that Atty. Acosta’s statements and innuendos on her Facebook page, which was accessible to the public, attributed ill intent and malice to the Court,” the SC said.
“The Court also found that by launching a public campaign against the new conflict of interest rule for the PAO using public attorneys and the PAO’s staff and clients and publicizing the contents of the PAO’s letters to Chief Justice Alexander G. Gesmundo requesting the deletion of the same rule, Atty. Acosta tried to sway the public opinion in order to pressure the Court into yielding to her position,” it added.
The SC’s punishment against the PAO chief stemmed from the latter’s opposition against the conflict of interest rule in the new lawyers’ code of conduct, which eventually became section 22, canon III of the CPRA. In a letter addressed to Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo, Persida’s office claimed that the CPRA’s new provision allows two PAO lawyers to represent opposing parties in court cases.
The PAO also noted that it also “puts at risk the life and limb of the handling public attorneys” because clients could suspect that their counsels “double-crossed them.”
Before the resolution on Acosta’s case, the SC, in two different instances last year, ordered the PAO chief to explain her tirades and actions against the new CPRA. Acosta later apologized to the High Court in a video posted on her Facebook page.
Aside from indirect contempt, Acosta also violated some provisions of the new CPRA. Acosta’s acts also violated sections 2 and 14, canon II of the CPRA, which requires lawyers to respect the tribunals and submit grievances through appropriate remedy. The court also found that the PAO chief violated the CPRA rules on the responsible use of social media.
For issuing Office Order No. 96, series of 2023, Acosta also violated section 2, canon II, and section 2, canon III, which state that lawyers have the duty to observe and respect the court and legal processes. The said order issued by Acosta stated that public attorneys must reconcile the CPRA provision with the provisions of article 209 of the Revised Penal Code, as amended by Section 36 of Republic Act No. 10951.
RA 10951 discusses betrayal of trust by an attorney or a solicitor. This meant Acosta wanted PAO lawyers to adhere to the new CPRA, while minding the law punishing betrayal of trust by a lawyer.
“Instead of enjoining public attorneys to strictly comply with the new conflict of interest rule for the PAO, the Office Order instigated disobedience to the rule and implied that the Court, by adopting the new conflict of interest rule for PAO, unduly exposed the PAO lawyers not only to criminal and administrative liability, but also to physical danger,” the SC explained.
Acosta was not the only PAO official punished by the High Court. On Tuesday, the SC said its en banc also found PAO forensics unit director Erwin Erfe guilty of indirect contempt for accusing the SC of judicial tyranny.
Erfe, a lawyer, made the accusation after the SC issued its resolution denying the PAO’s request to delete the conflict of interest provision in the new CPRA, and asking Acosta why she should not be held for indirect contempt.
The SC ordered Erfe to pay P10,000 fine for indirect contempt, and reprimanded him “with a stern warning that a repetition of the same or similar offense will be dealt with more severely.” The High Court took into consideration’s Erfe’s expression of remorse after the latter apologized and explained his side.
In explaining the decision against Erfe, the SC said the lawyer’s remark has no basis in fact or law, so it fell outside of fair criticism. The High Court added that Erfe’s claim was calculated to affect the public confidence in SC and degrade the administration of justice.
“The Court likewise held that Atty. Erfe’s conduct fell short of the proper respect due to the Court. By baselessly accusing it of judicial tyranny, he exposed the Court to public ridicule and mockery. Furthermore, his conduct was violative of the sub judice rule, because it not only attempted to sway the public perception against the Court, it likewise imputed improper motives against its Members,” the SC added. – Rappler.com
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Jemboy mom: ‘Cop will only be jailed for years, but my son is gone forever’
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Jairo Bolledo
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27/02/2024 23:18
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GRIEVING. Rodaliza Baltazar leaves the Navotas Regional Trial Court after the promulgation of the case in the killing of her 17-year old son Jemboy, on February 27, 2024.
Jire Carreon/Rappler
MANILA, Philippines – The months-long anticipation of Jerhode Jemboy Baltazar’s family for justice ended with a heartbreak as the court meted only lighter penalties against the accused police officers.
Before the clock struck eight, Rodaliza and Jessie, Baltazar’s parents arrived wearing full protective gear at Navotas City Regional Trial Court Branch 286 on Tuesday, February 27. Over 10 Department of Justice (DOJ) witness protection program personnel escorted the couple as they entered the court premises.
It was the biggest day of their lives because the court would hand down its verdict against six cops tagged in the killing of their 17-year-old son. The teen was a victim of mistaken identity, the police said, and died in the hands of law enforcers in August 2 last year.
After almost three hours after the Baltazars’ arrival, the court released its decision. Only one in the six accused cops – Police Staff Sergeant Gerry Maliban – was found guilty of homicide. This was a lower offense compared to the murder charge originally lodged by the family and their counsels. Maliban was sentenced to four to six years of imprisonment.
Four others police officers – Staff Sergeant Niko Pines Esquilon, Executive Master Sergeant Roberto Balais Jr., Corporal Edmard Jake Blanco, Patrolman Benedict Mangada – were convicted of illegal discharge of firearm and sentenced to 4 months in prison. Police Staff Sergeant Antonio Bugayong Jr. was acquitted.
Visibly disappointed and emotional, Rodaliza immediately addressed the pool of reporters awaiting her reaction: “Sobrang sakit po ng nararamdaman ko ngayon, parang wala lang ‘yong nangyari sa anak ko. Parang hindi po siya napatay, parang wala lang kasi isa lang ‘yong na-convict (for homicide), si Maliban lang, pero apat na taon lang po.”
“‘Yong lima po makakalaya po, si Maliban lang po ‘yong makukulong, apat na taon lang po. Iyon lang po ba ‘yong buhay ng anak ko? Siya po apat na taon lang siyang makukulong, ‘yong anak ko habang buhay nang wala,” Baltazar’s mother added.
(I feel so much pain right now because it seemed what happened to my son seemed to be no big deal. It seemed he was not killed, I say that because only one was convicted for homicide, only Maliban, and he will be jailed for only four years. The other five will be freed, and only Maliban will be imprisoned for four years. Is that only the worth of my son’s life? Maliban will be jailed for only four years, while my son is gone forever.)
In an interview with reporters, emotional Rodaliza Baltazar says they’re disappointed of the ruling. She says she lost her son, but the police convicted of homicide will only be jailed for 4-6 years. 4 other cops received a lighter offense, while the other 1 was acquitted. pic.twitter.com/D66pNkgsOu
The trial for Baltazar’s case only took four months. This was faster than the case of fellow teenager Kian delos Santos, who, like Baltazar, died in the hands of the police. A glaring difference, however, was the cops in Delos Santos killing – Arnel Oares, Jeremias Pereda, and Jerwin Cruz – were convicted of murder and were sentenced to up to 40 years of imprisonment.
After the promulgation in Navotas City, the Baltazar couple rushed to the Department of Justice (DOJ) in Padre Faura in Manila. From Navotas to Manila, Fr. Flavie Villanueva accompanied the couple. The priest, known for helping drug war victims through his Kalinga Center, relentlessly guided Baltazar’s parent – from the moment the teen was killed, up to the present.
Along with their legal counsels and DOJ spokesperson Mico Clavano, the Baltazar couple once again faced the media. Like earlier in the court, the couple wore face masks and bulletproof vests.
In the presser, Jessie only gave a few words: “Hindi po sapat ‘yong hatol po sa kanila. Hindi po sapat para sa aming pamilya (The verdict against them was not enough. It was not enough for our family).”
Clavano, meanwhile, said they will appeal the court’s ruling to the Court of Appeals (CA), adding that they will tap the Office of the Solicitor General to represent the government in the appeal. The family and their counsel can file a petition for certiorari – a legal remedy used to review grave abuse of discretion – to ask the CA to review the lower court’s ruling.
Gabriela Representative Arlene Brosas, from the progressive Makabayan bloc, showed solidarity with the Baltazar family through a statement. Brosas said they were also disappointed with the light punishment, noting that what happened in the case proved injustice’s existence.
“Justice was brutally denied for Jemboy Baltazar. The alarming leniency towards the officers sends a chilling message that law enforcement can act with impunity, perpetuating a culture of fear in our communities,” Brosas said. “This failure to hold perpetrators accountable for the loss of innocent lives perpetuates a vicious cycle of violence and injustice.”
Human rights advocate and former senator Leila de Lima also aired dissatisfaction over the light penalties against the cops in Baltazar’s killing.
“The crime was committed still within the context of Duterte’s drug war where police were given the license to shoot to kill mere suspects, and even killed innocent ones, like Jemboy. It does not bode well for how our courts render justice to drug war victims, even in the remote chance when charges are indeed filed in court,” De Lima said in a statement. “That is why we need the ICC to bring the perpetrators of the drug war killings to justice.”
It was not the first time cops tagged in killings received lighter penalties.
In the case of Edwin Arnigo, the cop, Christopher Salcedo, was only ordered imprisoned for a maximum two years and 10 months for reckless imprudence resulting in homicide. Arnigo was the teenager with special needs who was killed by Salcedo at the height of lockdown due to COVID-19 in 2021. – Rappler.com
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Cha-cha debate: Can Congress amend Constitution by mere legislation?
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Kaycee
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27/02/2024 15:24
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LOWER HOUSE. The House of Representatives opens its second regular session on Monday morning, July 24, 2023.
Dwight de Leon/Rappler
MANILA, Philippines – Former chief justice Reynato Puno reminded the House of Representatives that amending the Constitution by treating proposals as regular bills may pose challenges as it is not an official mode for charter change.
Congressmen call the legislative route for charter change the “Bernas proposal,” after lawyer and priest Joaquin Bernas, one of the framers of the 1987 Constitution, who expressed this personal interpretation after the Constitution was already approved in a plebiscite.
Congressmen last week said they would be following the formula so the lower chamber wouldn’t have to wait for the Senate to finish its own deliberations. It’s a move to expedite the process, as House lawmakers want to finish discussions before the Holy Week break.
“We follow the Bernas proposal on having legislation to amend the Constitution because the Senate does not even want to meet with us,” said Cagayan de Oro 2nd District Representative Rufus Rodriguez, who also chairs the House constitutional amendments committee, on Monday, February 26.
Puno, however, told the committee during the Monday hearing that “personal views do not carry much weight, precisely because they are personal views and do not reflect the consensus arrived at by the framers of the Constitution,” referring to Bernas’ interpretation.
Congressmen recently filed a charter change resolution that is almost an exact copy of what was filed at the Senate. The lower chamber’s version does not explicitly state that the houses of Congress will be voting separately – another point of contention between the two chambers:
One of the modes of amending or revising the 1987 Constitution is to convene Congress into a constituent assembly. However, Puno explained, the authors of the Constitution were operating on the assumption that there would be a unicameral Congress.
When the final draft provided for two chambers, “in the rush of things, they forgot to adjust their recommendation on how to amend the Constitution in the case where Congress is bicameral and meeting as a constitutional assembly,” the former chief justice said.
Puno pointed out that the two houses of Congress can follow the “traditional way” of meeting stated in the 1935 Constitution. This means that while senators and congressmen can hold a session together, they would vote on matters separately.
The former chief justice told lawmakers that if they are trying to interpret the Constitution, they must understand “the intent of the framers.”
“[We may violate this] if we disregard the reality that Article 17, Section 1.1 of the Constitution is there by inadvertence, is there by accident, is there as a clear error for it is intended for a unicameral and not for a bicameral Congress,” Puno said.
1-RIDER Partylist Representative Ramon Rodrigo Gutierrez on Tuesday, February 27, said congressmen would rather risk it than completely drop efforts to amend the Constitution.
“This is the job, why we invite resource persons…we are being informed of the possible pitfalls of our endeavors…. Although we may be challenged constitutionally, [it] doesn’t mean we shouldn’t push forward,” Gutierrez said in a press conference.
“There is no other way to do constitutional change but to go through a constitutional challenge.”
Puno pointed out two ways to fix the issue on voting.
One path is to bring the case to the Supreme Court. In doing so, the former chief justice said, proponents should prove how it is not going to be susceptible to “grave abuse of power.”
“If all these requirements can be complied with, I am confident that the Supreme Court will settle the issue in the exercise of its power to interpret the Constitution,” Puno said.
The political path, he said, is to let the public vote and choose through a referendum if senators and congressmen should vote together.
In this case, the Supreme Court would not have the jurisdiction to review the result of the referendum.
While they did not pursue a referendum, proponents of the fresh push for charter change had a people’s initiative rolling in January to have lawmakers from both houses of Congress vote jointly on proposed amendments.
The Senate rejected the movement as it “eliminates the Senate from the equation,” noting that the members of the House would easily outnumber the votes of the senators. – Rappler.com
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I am sorry for former Chief Justice Reynato Puno about his reminder to our lawmakers: “… if they are trying to interpret the Constitution, they must understand ‘the intent of the framers.’” It is because our lawmakers, especially that of the HOR, are already interpreting our Constitution according to their intent (or rather, preferred intent). And about the path? They prefer the “political path” in a kind that favors them. Former Chief Justice Puno deserves my sincere appreciation for such a reminder, even if the HOR will not follow it.
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Puerto Princesa urban dwellers struggle with rising temperatures
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Herbie G
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27/02/2024 13:44
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Alejandro Edoria
PALAWAN, Philippines – Ritchel Caabay, a 38-year-old mother of four, lives in a rented house at Employees Village in the urban barangay of Santa Monica, nine kilometers from Puerto Princesa’s central business district.
Her house is just a few hundred meters from the city hall of Puerto Princesa and existing green spaces, but during the daytime, she finds it difficult to overcome the extreme heat inside her home.
She hails from an upland rural barangay in Roxas, Palawan, 176 kilometers from Puerto Princesa. But a few years ago, they relocated to Puerto Princesa where she and her husband found work.
Since they are renting a poorly designed semi-concrete house with GI sheet roofing without ceilings, and a lack of ventilations, she said they feel that they are inside an oven.
This is also the same situation with 50-year-old widow Mary Jane Olatan who lives with her children in a small space provided by her employer. She said they need at least four to five electric fans to get relieved from extreme heat inside their living space.
In April 2023, Puerto Princesa recorded a scorching 43 degrees Celsius heat index that caused an alarm to local authorities and citizens.
Weather extremes affect low-income communities the most. The reasons include poor housing and the lack of access to safe and comfortable green public spaces. This makes climate readiness a pressing concern for governments, local planners, and health authorities not only in this city, but also in other urbanized towns and cities in the country.
Weather conditions and immoderations driven by climate change have compelled the Puerto Princesa City government to re-design its greening efforts and shift its focus to addressing the diminishing green spaces in the city’s urban area to mitigate rising temperatures and urban heat island (UHI) effects.
The city government emphasized the need to deal with the diminishing green spaces in urban areas by planting more trees within the center.
Scientists associate rising temperatures with UHI which occurs when cities replace natural land cover with dense concentrations of pavement and buildings that retain heat.
Unregulated conversion of green spaces like forests, grasslands, and parks to residential subdivisions causes increasingly high temperatures in the cities.
Puerto Princesa officials reiterated their commitment to aggressively pursue an Urban Forestry Program with a specific emphasis on the re-greening of schools and open spaces within urban centers.
City Environment and Natural Resources Officer Carlo Gomez said planting more trees in the city sets a good example that citizens can emulate and demonstrates a new way of addressing climate change.
He said the students suffer from heat since many classrooms are not air-conditioned. Planting trees and providing shade helps bring down the temperature on their campuses.
He said they have included schools in the city’s greening efforts to help counter the UHI effect and mitigate climate change.
Based on his observations, most areas within the city that register high temperatures are housing subdivisions with limited trees or vegetation.
Since 1991, Puerto Princesa City holds its biggest annual tree planting event every last Saturday of June each year during the Feast of the Forest, also known as Pista Y Ang Cagueban (PYAC).
The is actively participated by various sectors, including the government, civil society, academe, religious, youth and students, and barangays, among others, and traditionally held in watershed and upland areas. Since 2023, they shifted their focus to the urban areas.
Based on official records of the City Environment and Natural Resources Office, groups participating in the PYAC have so far planted 2.6 million trees from 1991 to 2022 in 16 sites within the city’s upland barangays. Of the total trees planted, roughly 70% to 80% is estimated to have grown.
Gomez, a lawyer, said one of the crucial local policies that help in greening the city’s urban areas is the proposed landscape ordinance that will require builders, contractors, or developers to plant trees in their open spaces.
“This will provide mandate and compulsory compliance to land developers like Camella, Santa Lucia or Robinsons. As of now, there is no local ordinance that requires them to plant trees,” he said.
He said they are also pushing for the creation of a city housing council to address urban heat issues to improve the housing designs for city socialized housing beneficiaries. He said they want to require each lot owner to plant at least one tree within every 150-square meter of property.
“Isa sa mga e address sa Urban Forestry Program titingnan yung environmental health ng ating mga (city housing) recipients kasi kung papansinin mo sa liit ng area nila, sila ang nag register ng matataas na urban heat. Kawawa,” Gomez said.
(One of the areas that the Urban Forestry Program aims to address is the environmental health of the city housing recipients because as we have observed them, with their limited area, they register the hottest. Pitiful.)
He said a council that would look into urban heat issues would help improve the conditions of the beneficiaries and ensure that each housing unit has at least one tree that would benefit them and the people in the community.
Mike Escote, a barangay councilor in the urban village of Sicsican, and who is also an official of the city’s homeowners association federation, welcomed the proposal. – Rappler.com
Gerardo C. Reyes Jr. is a community journalist of Palawan Daily News and is an Aries Rufo journalism fellow of Rappler for 2023-2024.
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Surf’s up: Siargao’s tourism rides high with 323% surge
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Herbie G
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27/02/2024 12:27
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BOARDWALK STROLL. Surfers stroll down a boardwalk after catching some early morning waves at Cloud 9, General Luna in Siargao.
Ivy Marie Mangadlao/Rappler
BUTUAN, Philippines – The country’s premier surfing capital, Siargao, saw a rebound in 2023 with a 323.56% growth in tourist arrivals, a far cry from the period of the slumps recorded in the previous years due to the COVID-19 pandemic and Super Typhoon Odette that devastated the island.
Department of Tourism-Caraga data showed that Siargao Island alone recorded a total of 529,822 tourist arrivals in 2023, an increase from the 125,088 tourists logged in 2022.
Out of these tourists, 476,074 were domestic, and 53,748 were foreign. The most significant growth rate was observed in the foreign arrivals, with a 511.89% increase from 8,784 in 2022.
DOT-Caraga confirmed that tourist arrivals in Siargao for 2023 have already surpassed the pre-pandemic levels. In 2019, before the effects of COVID-19 became pronounced, the island recorded 257,900 tourist arrivals.
DOT-Caraga Director Ivonnie Dumadag said Siargao’s improved accessibility was a key factor contributing to the rise in tourist arrivals.
“The department is working hard to advance tourism in various aspects, including skills development, enforcement of standards, and marketing, both domestically and internationally,” she said.
Dumadag noted the importance of accrediting tourism-related enterprises to prevent past issues, as negative experiences in Siargao can quickly spread on social media.
“What we really want to do is to sustain our credibility and reputation in Siargao as a paradise destination because if we keep promoting, and our service providers lack skills and training and are not accredited, it won’t be effective,” she added.
In 2023, Siargao ranked 10th among Asia’s best Islands in Condé Nast Traveler’s Readers’ Choice Awards.
With the massive increase in tourists, Dumadag said they were preparing as they anticipate an even larger influx for 2024.
Surigao del Norte 1st District Representative Francisco Jose “Bingo” Matugas II said preparations were also underway for the island’s hosting of the Siargao International Surfing Cup in 2024, featuring an upgraded 5,000 Qualifying Series (QS), an increase from the 3,000 QS in 2023.
“This event is not only about sports but also about tourism; it will draw more tourists to witness the event,” Matugas said.
The 5,000 QS for the Siargao International Surfing Cup, sanctioned by the World Surf League, aims to attract the best surfers from around the world to participate in the competition due to its higher prize money and the increased number of points.
For the overall Caraga region, there were a total of 1.44 million tourists, reflecting a growth rate of 98.83% from 725,266 in 2022.
In terms of tourism receipts, they amounted to a total of P17.304 billion, representing the revenue generated from various tourism-related activities and services in the region.
Dumadag said the DOT has customized its approach for each province in the Caraga based on each area’s unique tourism offerings.
In the case of Dinagat Island, there is a heightened focus on promotion, with the provincial government currently formulating appropriate policies, she said.In Agusan del Sur, the emphasis is on adventure tourism, targeting a specific audience interested in trekking. – Rappler.com
Ivy Marie Mangadlao is a community journalist writing for Mindanews and an Aries Rufo Journalism fellow for 2023-2024.
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RESULTS: February 2024 Mechanical Engineers and Certified Plant Mechanics Licensure Examination
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pfkahanap0307
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27/02/2024 22:44
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This is a press release from the Professional Regulation Commission.
The Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) announces that 4,458 out of 6,770 passed the Mechanical Engineers Licensure Examination and 65 out of 108 passed the Certified Plant Mechanics Licensure Examination given by the Board of Mechanical Engineering in NCR, Baguio, Cagayan de Oro, Cebu, Davao, Iloilo, Legazpi, Lucena, Pampanga, Rosales, Tacloban and Zamboanga this February 2024.
The results of examination with respect to seventeen (17) examinees were withheld pending final determination of their liabilities under the rules and regulations governing licensure examinations.
The members of the Board of Mechanical Engineering who gave the licensure examinations are Engr. Leandro A. Conti, chairman; Engr. Jerico T. Borja and Engr. Lorenzo P. Larion, members.
The results were released in three (3) working days after the last day of examinations. Starting April 5, 2024, registration for the issuance of Professional Identification Card (ID) and Certificate of Registration will be done online. Please go to www.prc.gov.ph and follow instructions for initial registration.
Those who will register are required to bring the following: downloaded duly accomplished Oath Form or Panunumpa ng Propesyonal, notice of admission (for identification only), 2 pieces passport sized pictures (colored with white background and complete name tag), 2 sets of documentary stamps and 1 piece short brown envelope. Successful examinees should personally register and sign in the Roster of Registered Professionals.
The date and venue for the oathtaking ceremony of the new successful examinees in the said examinations will be announced later.
The top performing schools in the February 2024 Mechanical Engineers Licensure Examination as per Commission Resolution No. 2017-1058(C) series of 2017:
The top performing school in the February 2024 Certified Plant Mechanics Licensure Examination as per Commission Resolution No. 2017-1058(C) series of 2017:
The successful examinees who garnered the ten (10) highest places in the February 2024 Mechanical Engineers Licensure Examination are the following:
The successful examinees who garnered the ten (10) highest places in the February 2024 Certified Plant Mechanics Licensure Examination are the following:
Here’s the full list of passers:
– Rappler.com
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