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After Supreme Court defeat, Comelec says Smartmatic ban ‘difficult but necessary’
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Dwight de Leon
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18/04/2024 16:16
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Commission on Elections Chairman George Garcia during a press conference on the status of the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections, at the Comelec Command Center in Manila on October 30, 2023.
Angie de Silva/Rappler
MANILA, Philippines – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) is planning to appeal the Supreme Court ruling that it had abused its powers when it disqualified longtime poll tech provider Smartmatic from future elections.
The Comelec said in a statement on Thursday, April 18, that it has not yet decided on the next legal courses of action to take as it has not yet received the official notice and copy of the SC decision, “save for an effort to seek clarification on matters impacting our ongoing Pre-Election Preparatory Activities which, at present and true to our timelines, are in full swing.”
“Nevertheless, Chairman Garcia has mentioned that the en banc is considering filing a Motion for Reconsideration of the decision of the Court,” the poll body said.
The Comelec maintained that the en banc’s decision to ban Smartmatic from future elections was “difficult but necessary.”
“The Commission en banc’s decision was indeed groundbreaking, hard, and difficult but necessary to address the issues brought up by numerous stakeholders regarding transparency, reliability, and integrity of the election procurement involving the subject of an earlier election,” the Comelec said.
The Comelec, in November last year, barred Smartmatic from participating in the bidding for contracts in the 2025 midterm elections, after allegations of its involvement in a 2016 bribery scheme with former poll chairman Andres Bautista came to light.
The commission insisted that the allegations posed an “imminent threat to the strength and integrity” of the Philippines’ democratic processes.
Smartmatic has constantly denied wrongdoing, and even tried to submit bidding proposals for the procurement projects involving voting machines and transmission technology, but was turned down by the Comelec.
The company ran to the Supreme Court, which on Wednesday, April 17, said that the Comelec “implemented a discretionary pre-qualification regime antithetical” to the country’s procurement law when it disqualified Smartmatic.
Smartmatic said on Wednesday that the Supreme Court ruling was a “significant victory for fairness and the rule of law.”
Comelec Chairman George Garcia, in an ambush interview later Thursday, said he stands ready to face any impeachment complaint.
“What’s important is we did what’s best for the interest of the Filipino public,” he added.
The Court ruling, however, does not nullify the contract awarded to Korean firm Miru Systems, the new voting machine provider in the Philippines for 2025.
For Comelec, this meant that the Supreme Court recognizes the Comelec’s awarding of the contract to Miru as valid.
“The Comelec is extremely grateful to the Highest Court of the Land for having recognized our efforts to pursue election preparations true to the letter and spirit of governing procurement laws,” the poll body said in Thursday’s statement. “Our ongoing preparations for the 2025 national and local elections in accordance with our timelines will not be adversely affected by the decision.”
Also on Thursday, former lawmaker Edgar Erice filed a petition with the Supreme Court, urging it to nullify the Comelec resolution that awarded to multi-billion-peso contract to Miru Systems, citing its blemished reputation overseas.
“The Comelec will face and answer in the proper forum as the necessity arises,” it said. – Rappler.com
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Marcos one of TIME’s most influential | The wRap
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Nina Liu
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18/04/2024 23:45
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Here are today’s headlines – the latest news in the Philippines and around the world:
TIME Magazine names Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. one of the 100 most influential people of 2024.
The Justice department says one of Arnie Teves’ sons allegedly bribed a member of Timor Leste’s Criminal Investigation Police in exchange for special treatment while in detention.
The Philippines says China should ‘reflect upon its own actions in the South China Sea and the West Philippine Sea’, calling it ‘the source of tension’ in the region.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. instructs the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority and local governments not to penalize e-bicycles and e-tricycles plying national roads in Metro Manila.
Britain’s Prince William returns to public duties for the first time since his wife Kate revealed she was undergoing preventative chemotherapy for cancer. — Rappler.com
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Marcos says e-trike, e-bike ban stays, but no penalty on violators for now
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Dwight de Leon
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18/04/2024 14:20
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E-TRICYCLE. An e-trike traverses the inner streets of Makati City on March 11, 2024.
Rappler
MANILA, Philippines – President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. instructed the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) and local government units (LGUs) not to penalize e-bicycles and e-tricycles plying national roads in Metro Manila.
Marcos said more time is needed to educate the public about the ban, which will remain in place.
“Under the grace period, e-trikes will not be ticketed, fined, and impounded,” Marcos said in Filipino in a post on X on Thursday, April 18.
“If they will be apprehended, the purpose is to inform them about the roads they can ply, and remind them about the new policies being enforced to maintain order and safety in the streets,” the President added.
In a separate video message, Marcos said the grace period lasts for one month.
MMDA Regulation No. 24-022, released in February, lists nearly two dozen roads where e-bikes, e-trikes, tricycles, pedicabs, pushcarts, and kuligligs are prohibited beginning April.
The MMDA has said that the resolution seeks to set clearer guidelines about the affected vehicles, which are supposedly “a common cause of traffic and road crash incidents.”
MMDA data put the number of road crash incidents involving electric vehicles at 554 in 2023.
Transport advocacy group Move as One Coalition, however, said the MMDA made a sweeping statement that lacks context, noting that MMDA data from 2022 show deaths from bike, e-bike, and pedicab accidents only accounted for 4% of total road fatalities. – Rappler.com
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Philippines: China is ‘source of tension,’ not trilateral summit
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Bea Cupin
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18/04/2024 12:54
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US President Joe Biden hosts Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Japan Prime Minister Fumio Kishida for a trilateral summit at the White House in Washington, US, April 11, 2024.
Kevin Lamarque/REUTERS
MANILA, Philippines – The Philippines on Thursday, April 18, called on China to “reflect upon its own actions in the South China Sea and the West Philippine Sea,” after Beijing claimed that the recent US-Japan-Philippines trilateral leaders summit only amps up tensions in the region.
“The trilateral cooperation is a partnership and a cooperative framework for the promotion of peace, stability and economic prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region. It is an admirable aspiration that should not be considered a threat by any peace-loving country,” the Department of Foreign Affairs said in a statement on Thursday, April 18.
“The source of tension in our region is well known to all. China should reflect upon its own actions in the South China Sea and the West Philippine Sea. It is China’s excessive maritime claims and aggressive behavior, including its militarization of reclaimed features, that are undermining regional peace and stability and raising tensions,” it added.
The DFA said that the “unwarranted references to the Cold War sensationalize the situation and misrepresent the peaceful purpose of the trilateral cooperation.”
“Nevertheless, those who wish to invoke the lessons of the past should also recall the need for adherence to the rule of law and how peace and stability has been maintained in our region through observance and respect for international law,” it added.
On April 12, or shortly after US President Joe Biden, Japan Prime Minister Kishida Fumio, and Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. met in the White House for the first leaders’ trilateral summit, Beijing said it “strongly opposes the practice of bloc politics by relevant countries.”
“We firmly oppose any acts that stoke and drive up tensions and harm other countries’ strategic security and interests. We are seriously against forming exclusive groupings in this region,” said Mao Ning, China’s foreign ministry spokesperson, in a press conference.
Japan and the Philippines have every right to develop normal relations with other countries, but they should not introduce bloc confrontation into this region, still less engage in trilateral cooperation at the expense of other countries’ interests,” Mao added.
Beijing also accused Washington of “[clinging] to the Cold War mentality” and “[threatening] other countries with its bilateral alliance treaties.” “Such moves seriously violate the UN Charter and undermine regional stability,” said Mao.
In a joint vision statement following the summit, Biden, Kishida, and Marcos expressed “serious concern” over Chinese actions both in the South China Sea and the East China Sea, bodies of water that separate China from the Philippines and Japan, respectively.
The US, Japan, and the Philippines specifically criticized Chinese actions in Ayungin Shoal or Second Thomas Shoal, where Chinese vessels regularly harass Philippine resupply missions to the BRP Sierra Madre. The three countries also slammed China for sending its ships to the waters off Senkaku Islands and making incursions into Japan’s territorial waters.
Both the Philippines and Japan are treaty-allies of the United States.
Marcos and his government have repeatedly said that dynamics in the South China Sea, as well as the Philippines’ policy in those waters, should not be seen solely through the lens of competition between superpowers China and the US.
Beijing has repeatedly framed the shift in the Philippines’ West Philippine Sea policy and strategy as a result of the US’ push. Manila again rejected that assertion in its April 18 statement.
“It is the sovereign choice and decision of the Philippines to strengthen our alliance with the United States and our strategic partnership with Japan, in accordance with our national interests and in line with our independent foreign policy. Our actions are in line with international law and complement our commitments in other regional and multilateral forums,” said the DFA.
It said that as the trilateral summit presents “another platform to further promote regional peace and security, it is only reasonable and responsible that the participants discuss regional security issues of mutual concern, challenges to the rule of law, and the peaceful resolution of outstanding disputes.”
“In the case of the South China Sea, the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and the final and legally-binding 2016 Arbitral Award provide definitive lawful basis for the determination of the sovereign rights and jurisdiction within the Philippines’ maritime entitlements,” it added.
China claims almost all of the South China Sea, including parts in the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone. It also rejects the 2016 Arbitral Award, which, among other things, affirmed Manila’s position on its exclusive economic zone in the South China Sea.
Under Marcos, the Philippines has become more assertive in defending its sovereign rights, as well as asserting its sovereignty claims in the South China Sea. Its policy and strategy is a dramatic shift from previous president Rodrigo Duterte, who promised a “pivot” to China and agreed to a “status quo” in the West Philippine Sea.
That status quo, based on statements from Beijing, the Chinese embassy in the Philippines, and even former officials of the Duterte administration, meant the Philippines would not fortify the BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin Shoal. Marcos had said that he would get to the bottom of the “secret agreement.” – Rappler.com
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Apollo Quiboloy and the Kingdom of Jesus Christ, from abuse to multi-million properties
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Jodesz Gavilan
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17/04/2024 20:32
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Graphics by Alejandro Edoria
Doomsday preacher Apollo Quiboloy is on the run as he faces mounting cases both here and abroad related to alleged abuse committed under his Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC).
Two courts in the Philippines – in Davao City and Pasig City – already released warrants of arrest against Quiboloy but he has yet to be arrested, even if several of his close aides had already surrendered. There is also a pending arrest order from the Senate after he failed to attend hearings probing into allegations against him and his church.
Quiboloy has also put on the US Federal Bureau of Investigation’s most-wanted list since early 2022, for sex trafficking of children and promotional money laundering, among others. An FBI poster says the preacher allegedly forced his followers to “solicit donations for a bogus charity, donations that actually were used to finance church operations and the lavish lifestyle of its leaders.”
These allegations have been the subject of investigative reports published by Rappler since 2021. In this page, you will find links to these exclusive reports that investigated the alleged abuse inside KOJC as well as Quiboloy’s multi-million-peso properties in the US and Canada.
Bookmark this page as Rappler continues to follow and investigate Quiboloy and his church. If you have tips or any other helpful information, you may share them with us via email: investigative@rappler.com.
What you need to know about Quiboloy
FAST FACTS: Who is Pastor Apollo Quiboloy, the ‘Appointed Son of God’?
Doomsday preacher Apollo Quiboloy is part of the US FBI’s most wanted list for sex trafficking of children and promotional money laundering, among others
PRIMER: Investigations, cases against Apollo Quiboloy
What are the cases, complaints, and investigations faced by the doomsday preacher?
THE CASE VS QUIBOLOY | Years of alleged abuse, fraud catch up with Davao preacher
The influential preacher refers to November 18, 2021, as the day of his ‘crucifixion.’ Federal prosecutors in the US have filed a string of criminal cases against him and his associates – allegations corroborated by traumatized ex-members who spoke with Rappler.
Quiboloy sexually abused women, minors – ex-followers, US prosecutors
Former workers and members of the Davao-based Kingdom of Jesus Christ organization are out to make the preacher account for the years of abuse and exploitation they experienced
‘Root of all evil’: Quiboloy church’s demands for money mire followers in debt
Pastor Apollo Quiboloy’s wealth is built on the heaving backs of his followers. The ‘children’ of his ‘kingdom’ are made to quit school or jobs, sell properties, and take out loans to meet quotas. They are punished when they fail to deliver, abandoned when they get sick.
Stolen lives, lost identities: Quiboloy’s ex-followers traumatized for years
Members who escape the Davao-based ‘kingdom’ suffer emotional and psychological abuse and need help to fully recover
3 survivors of Quiboloy’s ‘kingdom’ bare ordeal
They are part of a network of survivors speaking out about how they experienced abuse inside the Kingdom of Jesus Christ. Parts of their narrative mirror details in the 74-page indictment against preacher Apollo Quiboloy, who calls himself the ‘appointed son of God.’
Playing gods in Davao: Duterte’s death squad, Quiboloy’s kingdom
There’s a side to Davao that had long existed, but which the rest of the Philippines didn’t know about until the city mayor became president.
Inside Quiboloy’s lavish world: Mansions, rich-and-famous lifestyle in North America
A Rappler investigation uncovers three properties estimated to be worth P338 million traced to Pastor Apollo Quiboloy and his group. Two of these are in Canada, while one is located in an affluent part of California, near the homes of celebrities.
Quiboloy in the US: More multi-million properties in Las Vegas, Hawaii
A Rappler investigation uncovers two more properties estimated to be worth P262.52 million traced to Pastor Apollo Quiboloy. One is a lavish mansion in Las Vegas worth about P165 million.
A peek into Quiboloy’s expensive gun collection
Doomsday preacher Apollo Quiboloy owns firearms amounting to at least P2.3 million ($41,000). At least five pistols are worth over P200,000 ($3,500) each.
Newsbreak Chats: Uncovering the lavish world of Quiboloy
What’s next for the doomsday preacher who is facing a series of legal cases?
– Jodesz Gavilan/Rappler.com
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How many days has Quiboloy been hiding? Rappler may investigate the backgrounds of the NBI and PNP officials involved in this case. Hints may rise after such an investigation. PBBM should give those officials a deadline. They must be replaced if they cannot arrest Quiboloy on or before that deadline. Rappler may also reprint articles about Pharmally executives who hide in Davao City. A pattern may become visible after their reprinting.
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Marcos among TIME’s most influential people of 2024
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Dwight de Leon
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18/04/2024 11:30
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File photo of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.
Noel Pabalate/PPA Pool
MANILA, Philippines – TIME Magazine has named Philippine President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. as one of the 100 most influential people of 2024, a list that includes other heads of state, Hollywood celebrities, and tycoons.
In a writeup, TIME correspondent Charlie Campbell said that Marcos, son and namesake of the late dictator, won the presidency in 2022 by whitewashing the family’s legacy of plunder and human rights abuses “through clever manipulation of social media.”
He added, however, that the Marcos family’s project to rehabilitate its image “has resulted in other shifts.”
“He brought technocrats back into government, steadied the post-pandemic economy, and elevated the Philippines on the world stage,” the writeup read.
“Bongbong has stood steadfast against Chinese aggression in the disputed South China Sea and bolstered his nation’s alliance with the US in the face of ‘rising tensions in our region and the world,’ as he said last May. Many problems persist, including extrajudicial killings and journalists routinely attacked. But by trying to repair his family name, Bongbong may reshape his country too,” it added.
Marcos ascended to Malacañang following one of the most politically heated elections in the country. His poll victory came more than three decades after the People Power Revolution ousted his father, dictator Ferdinand E. Marcos, whose 21 years in office was marked by iron-fist rule, human rights atrocities, and plunder.
Marcos inherited a Philippines that had become a pariah in the international community, after his predecessor Rodrigo Duterte made enemies with the West that criticized his bloody drug war and his attacks on the free press. Duterte also made a pivot to China under his “independent” foreign policy that veered the Philippines away from traditional allies like the United States.
Marcos has since pivoted back to the US, and pushed back against China’s harassment of Philippine vessels in the West Philippine Sea, resulting in worsening tensions between Manila and Beijing.
The President also mostly turned his back on Duterte’s violent anti-narcotics campaign, saying he was more focused on the rehabilitation of drug users and the reorganization of the police force.
The TIME 100 list also includes Chinese Premier Li Qiang, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, Taiwan President-elect William Lai, Texas Governor Greg Abbott, Argentinian President Javier Milei, Qatar Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, California Governor Gavin Newsom, Kenya President William Ruto, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and Yulia Navalnaya, widow of the late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny.
Also in the list are artists Dua Lipa, Dev Patel, Taraji P. Henson, Michael J. Fox, and billionaire Mark Cuban.
See the full list here. – Rappler.com
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Sorry. I just spat my coffee! Wasn’t April Fool’s two weeks ago?! ‘By trying to repair his family name, Bongbong may reshape his country too’. Ah – the fine print – ‘MAY’ because you know, without the Marcoses, God forbid that we have a fighting chance to succeed!
And in that order – family first before country. So same old, same old?
Congratulations, Philippine President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. TIME correspondent Charlie Campbell deserves credit for his honest and realistic write-up about the former. In addition, the “deceived” and “dumb” Filipinos who voted for him deserve their due credit, too.
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Marcos says e-trike, e-bike ban stays, but no penalty on violators for now
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Dwight de Leon
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18/04/2024 14:20
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E-TRICYCLE. An e-trike traverses the inner streets of Makati City on March 11, 2024.
Rappler
MANILA, Philippines – President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. instructed the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) and local government units (LGUs) not to penalize e-bicycles and e-tricycles plying national roads in Metro Manila.
Marcos said more time is needed to educate the public about the ban, which will remain in place.
“Under the grace period, e-trikes will not be ticketed, fined, and impounded,” Marcos said in Filipino in a post on X on Thursday, April 18.
“If they will be apprehended, the purpose is to inform them about the roads they can ply, and remind them about the new policies being enforced to maintain order and safety in the streets,” the President added.
In a separate video message, Marcos said the grace period lasts for one month.
MMDA Regulation No. 24-022, released in February, lists nearly two dozen roads where e-bikes, e-trikes, tricycles, pedicabs, pushcarts, and kuligligs are prohibited beginning April.
The MMDA has said that the resolution seeks to set clearer guidelines about the affected vehicles, which are supposedly “a common cause of traffic and road crash incidents.”
MMDA data put the number of road crash incidents involving electric vehicles at 554 in 2023.
Transport advocacy group Move as One Coalition, however, said the MMDA made a sweeping statement that lacks context, noting that MMDA data from 2022 show deaths from bike, e-bike, and pedicab accidents only accounted for 4% of total road fatalities. – Rappler.com
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https://www.rappler.com/philippines/marcos-jr-says-ban-electric-bikes-tricycles-stays-no-penalty-violators-april-2024/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR2BtiJ3x46w1sy_rV7Eu5hPVTrjYUryyGjH8vetkJn-sO6THLLBkiKu20E_aem_fdZn-ljNwCSngaBqWQQghA
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Results, team standings: 2024 PVL All-Filipino Conference, Spikers’ Turf Open Conference
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jisaga0269
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02/05/2024 19:25
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CHAMPS. The Creamline Cool Smashers celebrate a winning play.
PVL IMAGES
MANILA, Philippines – Hard-hitting volleyball rolls off at the professional and semi-pro levels as the 2024 PVL All-Filipino Conference and the 2024 Spikers’ Turf Open Conference hit the homestretch!
Here are the results and team standings of both leagues:
FINALS
MAY 12
MAY 9
BATTLE FOR BRONZE
MAY 12
MAY 9
SEMIFINALS
Standings (win-loss-points)
Results
MAY 5
MAY 1
APRIL 30
ELIMINATIONS
Wins-Losses (Points | Set Ratio)
* – Semifinalsx – Eliminated
FINALS
SEMIFINALS
Standings (win-loss-points)
* – Finals
ELIMINATIONS
Wins-Losses (Points)
* – Semifinalsx – Eliminated
– Rappler.com
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Marcos says e-trike, e-bike ban stays, but no penalty on violators for now
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Dwight de Leon
|
18/04/2024 14:20
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E-TRICYCLE. An e-trike traverses the inner streets of Makati City on March 11, 2024.
Rappler
MANILA, Philippines – President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. instructed the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) and local government units (LGUs) not to penalize e-bicycles and e-tricycles plying national roads in Metro Manila.
Marcos said more time is needed to educate the public about the ban, which will remain in place.
“Under the grace period, e-trikes will not be ticketed, fined, and impounded,” Marcos said in Filipino in a post on X on Thursday, April 18.
“If they will be apprehended, the purpose is to inform them about the roads they can ply, and remind them about the new policies being enforced to maintain order and safety in the streets,” the President added.
In a separate video message, Marcos said the grace period lasts for one month.
MMDA Regulation No. 24-022, released in February, lists nearly two dozen roads where e-bikes, e-trikes, tricycles, pedicabs, pushcarts, and kuligligs are prohibited beginning April.
The MMDA has said that the resolution seeks to set clearer guidelines about the affected vehicles, which are supposedly “a common cause of traffic and road crash incidents.”
MMDA data put the number of road crash incidents involving electric vehicles at 554 in 2023.
Transport advocacy group Move as One Coalition, however, said the MMDA made a sweeping statement that lacks context, noting that MMDA data from 2022 show deaths from bike, e-bike, and pedicab accidents only accounted for 4% of total road fatalities. – Rappler.com
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Town shuts down dental clinic as NBI arrests fake dentist in Negros Occidental
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Herbie G
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18/04/2024 12:46
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Shutterstock
NEGROS OCCIDENTAL, Philippines – A town government in Negros Occidental shut down a dental clinic on Tuesday, April 16, following the arrest of a 30-year-old woman who allegedly posed as a dentist.
Hinigaran Mayor Nadie Arceo issued the closure order against the Happy Smile Dental Clinic in Barangay Tagda, a day after the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) arrested Ana Marie Sanipa for allegedly practicing dentistry without credentials.
Renoir Baldovino, NBI-Bacolod chief, said Sanipa, a resident of Barangay Tugis, Hinigaran, was the subject of a complaint filed by the Philippine Dental Association (PDA) in Negros Occidental.
Baldovino said investigators confirmed that Sanipa was not a licensed dentist registered with the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC).
An undercover NBI agent posed as a patient and visited Sanipa’s clinic on Monday, April 15, leading to her arrest.
A complaint was filed against Sanipa at the Provincial Prosecutor’s Office for operating a dental clinic and practicing dentistry without a certification, registration, and professional identification card.
Sanipa, who posted bail on Wednesday afternoon, April 17, declined to give comments about her arrest, the closure of her clinic, and the accusations leveled at her.
Arceo, who expressed surprise about the operation of the dental clinic, said the local government would be stricter in issuing permits to private health facilities as a result of the shocking discovery. He warned about the danger posed by unqualified dental and medical practitioners to public health and safety. – Rappler.com
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Marcos says e-trike, e-bike ban stays, but no penalty on violators for now
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Dwight de Leon
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18/04/2024 14:20
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E-TRICYCLE. An e-trike traverses the inner streets of Makati City on March 11, 2024.
Rappler
MANILA, Philippines – President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. instructed the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) and local government units (LGUs) not to penalize e-bicycles and e-tricycles plying national roads in Metro Manila.
Marcos said more time is needed to educate the public about the ban, which will remain in place.
“Under the grace period, e-trikes will not be ticketed, fined, and impounded,” Marcos said in Filipino in a post on X on Thursday, April 18.
“If they will be apprehended, the purpose is to inform them about the roads they can ply, and remind them about the new policies being enforced to maintain order and safety in the streets,” the President added.
In a separate video message, Marcos said the grace period lasts for one month.
MMDA Regulation No. 24-022, released in February, lists nearly two dozen roads where e-bikes, e-trikes, tricycles, pedicabs, pushcarts, and kuligligs are prohibited beginning April.
The MMDA has said that the resolution seeks to set clearer guidelines about the affected vehicles, which are supposedly “a common cause of traffic and road crash incidents.”
MMDA data put the number of road crash incidents involving electric vehicles at 554 in 2023.
Transport advocacy group Move as One Coalition, however, said the MMDA made a sweeping statement that lacks context, noting that MMDA data from 2022 show deaths from bike, e-bike, and pedicab accidents only accounted for 4% of total road fatalities. – Rappler.com
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Results, team standings: 2024 PVL All-Filipino Conference, Spikers’ Turf Open Conference
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jisaga0269
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02/05/2024 19:25
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CHAMPS. The Creamline Cool Smashers celebrate a winning play.
PVL IMAGES
MANILA, Philippines – Hard-hitting volleyball rolls off at the professional and semi-pro levels as the 2024 PVL All-Filipino Conference and the 2024 Spikers’ Turf Open Conference hit the homestretch!
Here are the results and team standings of both leagues:
FINALS
MAY 12
MAY 9
BATTLE FOR BRONZE
MAY 12
MAY 9
SEMIFINALS
Standings (win-loss-points)
Results
MAY 5
MAY 1
APRIL 30
ELIMINATIONS
Wins-Losses (Points | Set Ratio)
* – Semifinalsx – Eliminated
FINALS
SEMIFINALS
Standings (win-loss-points)
* – Finals
ELIMINATIONS
Wins-Losses (Points)
* – Semifinalsx – Eliminated
– Rappler.com
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Philippines: China is ‘source of tension,’ not trilateral summit
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Bea Cupin
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18/04/2024 12:54
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US President Joe Biden hosts Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Japan Prime Minister Fumio Kishida for a trilateral summit at the White House in Washington, US, April 11, 2024.
Kevin Lamarque/REUTERS
MANILA, Philippines – The Philippines on Thursday, April 18, called on China to “reflect upon its own actions in the South China Sea and the West Philippine Sea,” after Beijing claimed that the recent US-Japan-Philippines trilateral leaders summit only amps up tensions in the region.
“The trilateral cooperation is a partnership and a cooperative framework for the promotion of peace, stability and economic prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region. It is an admirable aspiration that should not be considered a threat by any peace-loving country,” the Department of Foreign Affairs said in a statement on Thursday, April 18.
“The source of tension in our region is well known to all. China should reflect upon its own actions in the South China Sea and the West Philippine Sea. It is China’s excessive maritime claims and aggressive behavior, including its militarization of reclaimed features, that are undermining regional peace and stability and raising tensions,” it added.
The DFA said that the “unwarranted references to the Cold War sensationalize the situation and misrepresent the peaceful purpose of the trilateral cooperation.”
“Nevertheless, those who wish to invoke the lessons of the past should also recall the need for adherence to the rule of law and how peace and stability has been maintained in our region through observance and respect for international law,” it added.
On April 12, or shortly after US President Joe Biden, Japan Prime Minister Kishida Fumio, and Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. met in the White House for the first leaders’ trilateral summit, Beijing said it “strongly opposes the practice of bloc politics by relevant countries.”
“We firmly oppose any acts that stoke and drive up tensions and harm other countries’ strategic security and interests. We are seriously against forming exclusive groupings in this region,” said Mao Ning, China’s foreign ministry spokesperson, in a press conference.
Japan and the Philippines have every right to develop normal relations with other countries, but they should not introduce bloc confrontation into this region, still less engage in trilateral cooperation at the expense of other countries’ interests,” Mao added.
Beijing also accused Washington of “[clinging] to the Cold War mentality” and “[threatening] other countries with its bilateral alliance treaties.” “Such moves seriously violate the UN Charter and undermine regional stability,” said Mao.
In a joint vision statement following the summit, Biden, Kishida, and Marcos expressed “serious concern” over Chinese actions both in the South China Sea and the East China Sea, bodies of water that separate China from the Philippines and Japan, respectively.
The US, Japan, and the Philippines specifically criticized Chinese actions in Ayungin Shoal or Second Thomas Shoal, where Chinese vessels regularly harass Philippine resupply missions to the BRP Sierra Madre. The three countries also slammed China for sending its ships to the waters off Senkaku Islands and making incursions into Japan’s territorial waters.
Both the Philippines and Japan are treaty-allies of the United States.
Marcos and his government have repeatedly said that dynamics in the South China Sea, as well as the Philippines’ policy in those waters, should not be seen solely through the lens of competition between superpowers China and the US.
Beijing has repeatedly framed the shift in the Philippines’ West Philippine Sea policy and strategy as a result of the US’ push. Manila again rejected that assertion in its April 18 statement.
“It is the sovereign choice and decision of the Philippines to strengthen our alliance with the United States and our strategic partnership with Japan, in accordance with our national interests and in line with our independent foreign policy. Our actions are in line with international law and complement our commitments in other regional and multilateral forums,” said the DFA.
It said that as the trilateral summit presents “another platform to further promote regional peace and security, it is only reasonable and responsible that the participants discuss regional security issues of mutual concern, challenges to the rule of law, and the peaceful resolution of outstanding disputes.”
“In the case of the South China Sea, the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and the final and legally-binding 2016 Arbitral Award provide definitive lawful basis for the determination of the sovereign rights and jurisdiction within the Philippines’ maritime entitlements,” it added.
China claims almost all of the South China Sea, including parts in the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone. It also rejects the 2016 Arbitral Award, which, among other things, affirmed Manila’s position on its exclusive economic zone in the South China Sea.
Under Marcos, the Philippines has become more assertive in defending its sovereign rights, as well as asserting its sovereignty claims in the South China Sea. Its policy and strategy is a dramatic shift from previous president Rodrigo Duterte, who promised a “pivot” to China and agreed to a “status quo” in the West Philippine Sea.
That status quo, based on statements from Beijing, the Chinese embassy in the Philippines, and even former officials of the Duterte administration, meant the Philippines would not fortify the BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin Shoal. Marcos had said that he would get to the bottom of the “secret agreement.” – Rappler.com
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Marcos among TIME’s most influential people of 2024
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Dwight de Leon
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18/04/2024 11:30
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File photo of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.
Noel Pabalate/PPA Pool
MANILA, Philippines – TIME Magazine has named Philippine President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. as one of the 100 most influential people of 2024, a list that includes other heads of state, Hollywood celebrities, and tycoons.
In a writeup, TIME correspondent Charlie Campbell said that Marcos, son and namesake of the late dictator, won the presidency in 2022 by whitewashing the family’s legacy of plunder and human rights abuses “through clever manipulation of social media.”
He added, however, that the Marcos family’s project to rehabilitate its image “has resulted in other shifts.”
“He brought technocrats back into government, steadied the post-pandemic economy, and elevated the Philippines on the world stage,” the writeup read.
“Bongbong has stood steadfast against Chinese aggression in the disputed South China Sea and bolstered his nation’s alliance with the US in the face of ‘rising tensions in our region and the world,’ as he said last May. Many problems persist, including extrajudicial killings and journalists routinely attacked. But by trying to repair his family name, Bongbong may reshape his country too,” it added.
Marcos ascended to Malacañang following one of the most politically heated elections in the country. His poll victory came more than three decades after the People Power Revolution ousted his father, dictator Ferdinand E. Marcos, whose 21 years in office was marked by iron-fist rule, human rights atrocities, and plunder.
Marcos inherited a Philippines that had become a pariah in the international community, after his predecessor Rodrigo Duterte made enemies with the West that criticized his bloody drug war and his attacks on the free press. Duterte also made a pivot to China under his “independent” foreign policy that veered the Philippines away from traditional allies like the United States.
Marcos has since pivoted back to the US, and pushed back against China’s harassment of Philippine vessels in the West Philippine Sea, resulting in worsening tensions between Manila and Beijing.
The President also mostly turned his back on Duterte’s violent anti-narcotics campaign, saying he was more focused on the rehabilitation of drug users and the reorganization of the police force.
The TIME 100 list also includes Chinese Premier Li Qiang, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, Taiwan President-elect William Lai, Texas Governor Greg Abbott, Argentinian President Javier Milei, Qatar Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, California Governor Gavin Newsom, Kenya President William Ruto, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and Yulia Navalnaya, widow of the late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny.
Also in the list are artists Dua Lipa, Dev Patel, Taraji P. Henson, Michael J. Fox, and billionaire Mark Cuban.
See the full list here. – Rappler.com
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Sorry. I just spat my coffee! Wasn’t April Fool’s two weeks ago?! ‘By trying to repair his family name, Bongbong may reshape his country too’. Ah – the fine print – ‘MAY’ because you know, without the Marcoses, God forbid that we have a fighting chance to succeed!
And in that order – family first before country. So same old, same old?
Congratulations, Philippine President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. TIME correspondent Charlie Campbell deserves credit for his honest and realistic write-up about the former. In addition, the “deceived” and “dumb” Filipinos who voted for him deserve their due credit, too.
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Refusing to be invisible: Intersex Filipinos struggle to be seen, understood
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Michelle Abad
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06/04/2024 10:30
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MOTHER'S TOUCH. Jenelyn Puto aids her son Hero in taking his medicine for his congenital adrenal hyperplasia.
Michelle Abad/Rappler
Baby Hero was born with congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH), a condition that affects the production of hormones in his body. Having CAH makes Hero intersex, and the type of CAH he has requires lifetime medication.
This is why his parents, Jenelyn Puto and her partner Marlon Michael Ferrer, toil along busy Dela Rosa Street in Makati, selling fried calamares, chicken skin, kwek-kwek, and gulaman off the sidecar of their motorbike.
Sometimes, you’ll see one of them, while the other takes a break at home. Other times, you’ll see both. But very seldom will you see neither of them, as the life of their youngest child quite literally depends on every stick of fried food they sell.
Intersex people like baby Hero are born with sex characteristics – like reproductive organs, hormonal patterns, or chromosomal patterns – that do not fit typical binary notions of male or female bodies, according to the United Nations (UN) human rights office. Being intersex in itself is not a disease, and not all intersex people have life-threatening conditions.
It is the “I” in the acronym for the LGBTQIA+ community, that refers to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual, and other gender identities. While the rest of the letters in the acronym have become more recognizable in popular media, the “I”s remain largely invisible.
“Ako, bilang ina, hindi ko kinakahiya na may anak akong intersex. Proud ako,” said Jenelyn. (I, as a mother, am not ashamed that I have an intersex child. I’m proud.)
But being the parent of an intersex child in the Philippines is far from being a walk in the park.
Jenelyn and Marlon planned all of their children except for Hero. They already had four other kids, and the one before Hero was born with autism, which had many challenges in itself.
During Jenelyn’s pregnancy with Hero, she carried on working in their fried food business. She continued to ride their motorbike and deliver food, and cook in the streets as the heat from the pan enveloped her belly.
Her doctor had told her to take it easy, but she wanted to work and help her partner. But with no complications detected with Hero at the time, Jenelyn was driven by the desire to bring her family even small luxuries, like taking vacations or celebrating a birthday at Jollibee.
And then Hero came along. The nurses asked Jenelyn if her partner was a Black American. “No,” she told them, “my partner is Filipino.” They asked, since her baby’s complexion was dark, so dark that “it was like he did not have blood.”
While it was peculiar to her, Jenelyn thought that perhaps her baby had dark skin because she had a tanned complexion herself. It was in the newborn screening when they found out Hero had CAH. They were told it was a “rare disease,” and they had no idea what it was. Hyperpigmentation in newborn males is a symptom of CAH.
A week into Hero’s life, he became sickly. He no longer wanted to breastfeed, rapidly began to lose weight, and constantly defecated even if he did not eat.
To confirm their baby’s condition, Jenelyn and Marlon were told to schedule an appointment with an endocrinologist – again, a term they had no familiarity with.
“Wala kami idea sa sakit ng anak namin. At talagang sinabi nila – walang paligoy-ligoy – na kung hindi namin dadalhin agad, maaari siyang mamatay,” she said. (We had no idea about our son’s condition. And they told us, straightforwardly, that if we did not bring him to a specialist, he could die.)
Even after a confirmatory test, Jenelyn was still mostly unaware about her son’s CAH. She turned to YouTube to educate herself, the same way she learned about her other son’s autism.
In Jenelyn’s small home in Sta. Ana, Manila, there are two refrigerators. The smaller one of them has only two things inside – Hero’s medicines, and a batch of frozen food she will cook and sell on the street.
Every three months, Jenelyn and her partner have to cough up at least P12,500 for Hero’s medicine and laboratory procedures. Hero has to take hydrocortisone and fludrocortisone every day, or he goes into adrenal crisis, which can cause low blood pressure, low blood sugar, dehydration, vomiting, and diarrhea.
This is why it’s so important for them to work every single day. In paying the P12,500, they have to take out loans from people in their community, which they pay back as they earn from their street stall. Jenelyn also turns to social media to find kind souls who will help her fund her son’s medical needs.
The couple is also able to secure some financial help from the Department of Social Welfare and Development. But explaining her son’s condition to the personnel handling her requests is always a pain, as they often don’t understand what CAH is.
“They don’t understand that, once a child or a patient has this disease, they shouldn’t give us a hard time anymore. Since some of them aren’t aware of my son’s condition, they schedule the payouts,” Jenelyn said in a mix of Filipino and English.
In her quest for community, Jenelyn eventually found Intersex Philippines, a five-year-old organization of intersex people and parents of intersex children. Also part of this group is Nelson Ancajas, who once filed for candidacy as senator to seek help for his child, who struggled with CAH.
In Intersex Philippines, they don’t feel so alone.
The plight of the intersex community rarely comes into the national spotlight. But one time it did was when the Supreme Court (SC) sided with Jeff Cagandahan in a 2008 landmark ruling that paved the way for the community’s rights.
Jeff, who was assigned female at birth, has CAH. As he grew older, he developed male characteristics, his ovaries shrank, and he had no breasts nor menstrual cycle. Physically and mentally, Jeff felt that he was a man.
In 2003, at a regional trial court (RTC) in Laguna, Jeff filed for changes in his birth certificate, namely the change of his name from “Jennifer” to “Jeff,” and his gender from “female” to “male.”
To support his petition, Jeff presented the testimony and medical assessment of psychiatrist Dr. Michael Sionzon, who attested to Jeff’s underdeveloped female characteristics because of a lack of female hormones.
“[Sionzon] further testified that respondent’s condition is permanent and recommended the change of gender because respondent has made up her mind, adjusted to her chosen role as male, and the gender change would be advantageous to her,” the SC wrote, with “her” referring to Jeff.
The RTC sided with Jeff, though the Office of the Solicitor General tried to reverse the decision. In the end, the SC upheld it, saying that Jeff let nature take its course in allowing his body to reveal male characteristics. He was allowed to change his name and gender in his birth registry.
“Respondent is the one who has to live with his intersex anatomy. To him belongs the human right to the pursuit of happiness and of health. Thus, to him should belong the primordial choice of what courses of action to take along the path of his sexual development and maturation,” the decision read, penned by the late former associate justice Leonardo Quisumbing.
Jeff later on co-founded Intersex Philippines, and currently serves as a co-chair of Intersex Asia. Intersex Philippines has over 200 members.
Though it’s been more than a decade since Jeff’s legal victory, the lack of public awareness about intersex people and their concerns generally remained in the Philippines, even among medical professionals.
For instance, while there are plenty of endocrinologists across the Philippine health system, Jeff said that it is difficult to find “intersex-friendly” endocrinologists, who do not push intersex people to undergo procedures to conform with the sex they were assigned at birth.
“They tell parents that their children are abnormal, or disordered.… Because parents are told that, they believe that they have to make their children ‘normal,’” Jeff said in Filipino.
Access to medicine remains the biggest challenge for intersex people in the Philippines, according to Jeff. Based on their group’s research, just one specialty compounding pharmacy, Apotheca, produces the medicines that most in their community need. It’s Metro Manila-based, which makes it even harder for those in the provinces to access them.
Jeff constantly receives reports of children with life-threatening intersex variations who succumb to their condition, as their parents were unable to acquire the medications that could have kept them alive.
According to Intersex Philippines, some intersex children undergo irreversible, unnecessary surgeries and treatment without their consent. Some also experience emotional harm from this treatment.
“Many intersex individuals, both young and old, recount the adverse effects of unwanted surgeries, such as diminished self-esteem, depression, anxiety, and difficulties in trust and intimacy. Despite well-meaning intentions, hastily attempting to alter a child’s physical differences typically exacerbates, rather than resolves, issues,” the group said.
It’s even hard for the community to know how many they are. While the UN has a general 1.7% figure of babies born with sex characteristics that don’t fit into typical male or female definitions, there are no local numbers in the Philippines.
One suggestion from Intersex Philippines for gathering data in the country is to record babies who are born with ambiguous genitalia. While not all intersex people have ambiguous genitalia at birth, Jeff said it’s a good place to start.
In November 2023, Bataan 1st District Representative Geraldine Roman filed the Cagandahan Bill in Congress, which seeks to make what Jeff achieved more accessible to intersex Filipinos.
“To date, while the intersex people celebrate the Court decision, most of them cannot avail of the remedy themselves as they still need to undergo the costly and tedious court litigation,” the bill’s explanatory note reads.
While Republic Act No. 9048, enacted in 2001, allows Filipinos to correct clerical and typographical errors in their civil registry offices without judicial orders, the bill said that this does not “explicitly address the unique circumstances of intersex individuals.” Having their legal documents amended to align with their identities would acknowledge an intersex person’s right to self-determination, it said.
The bill seeks to provide a “straightforward and accessible” legal process for intersex individuals looking to change their first names and sex at the civil register, without the need to go through court processes.
“Hopefully we can come up with a timetable. I don’t want to commit yet, but we will do our best to at least initially discuss the bill for this Congress,” said Roman’s staff Anna Marie Pangilinan in a February 23 Intersex Philippines event.
On March 20, Senator Risa Hontiveros filed the counterpart bill in the upper chamber.
Having a bill institutionalizing a straightforward process for birth registry changes is just one step forward. For parents of intersex kids with life-threatening conditions, easier access to medicines could mean the world.
“We are looking for a long-term solution, which is policy. We want to dialogue with the Department of Health, the Department of Science and Technology, and medical associations, so we can come up with a policy to make financial help for medical needs more sustainable,” said Jeff in a mix of English and Filipino.
Jenelyn hopes that parents in her situation, no matter how difficult it gets, do not give up on their children.
“Ako, every day, bago ako matulog, lagi naming dinadasal sa Diyos, na sana gisingin pa ako. Sana gumising pa ako, kasi kailangan pa ako ng mga anak ko,” she said.
(Every day before I go to bed, we always pray to God that I wake up the next day. I must wake up, because my children still need me.) – Rappler.com
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State university’s special courses bring hope to Iligan inmates
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Herbie G
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18/04/2024 11:43
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READ. An inmate stands up and reads his work during a special English class started by the Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology on Saturday, April 13.
Iligan City Jail-Male Dormitory
CAGAYAN DE ORO, Philippines – In the confines of the Iligan City Jail-Male Dormitory (ICJMD), where the weight of incarceration can often overshadow aspirations for personal growth, a ray of hope shines through an unexpected avenue: the pursuit of knowledge and skill development.
Jess, who is awaiting court decisions on his violence against women and drug cases, has not lost hope. He dreams of a future beyond prison walls and has enrolled in an English literacy course offered to inmates by the state-run Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology (MSU-IIT).
He is one of the 20 inmates at the ICJMD participating in MSU-IIT’s weekly English essentials class, just one of several short-term courses available for persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) at the Iligan prison.
They account for only about 4% of the more than 500 inmates either serving time or awaiting the resolution of their cases at the Iligan jail. But others chose to take up the university’s programs on performing arts, upcycling of indigenous materials, information and communication technology, financial literacy, sports and fitness, and livelihood skills, among others.
As part of a broader initiative, MSU-IIT has offered the inmates a diverse array of vocational training programs, ranging from English literacy, culinary arts to computer-aided drafting, aimed at equipping them with practical skills.
Jess said he was optimistic that his cases would be dismissed and that he chose the two-year English course, which was started by MSU-IIT’s College of Education on Saturday, April 13, because he planned to work in another country in search of greener pastures and where he can start anew.
Jail Officer 1 Vanessa Manguilimotan, ICJMD’s instructional manager, said, “You can more easily understand standard business communications if you speak English. Learning English is a terrific method to advance one’s communication abilities, cultural awareness, and employment chances.”
Jess and other inmates said they found a sense of purpose and opportunity through the initiative of their jailers and academics, amid the challenges of living behind bars.
Jail Officer 3 Emerson Lactuan, ICJMD’s community relations services officer, said the English literacy course has been tailored to the unique needs of inmates at the Iligan prison and is aimed not only to enhance language skills but also to cultivate avenues for their personal development and societal reintegration.
An initiative of Chief Inspector Carlo Obrique, ICJMD jail warden, the MSU-IIT-funded “Behind the Bars Program” was launched following a cooperation agreement between the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) in Northern Mindanao and the state university.
Lactuan said the program, facilitated by MSU-IIT faculty members led by Professor Angeline Dinoro, is a display of a commitment to holistic education and social responsibility and represents more than just an academic pursuit.
“It embodies a collective endeavor to break down barriers, dismantle stigma, and foster a culture of inclusivity and empowerment,” he said. – Rappler.com
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Ex-Cordillera police chief pays P2.5M in compromise deal over unexplained wealth case
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Mia Gonzalez
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18/04/2024 9:00
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MANILA, Philippines – Former Cordillera police chief Eugene Martin and his family have paid the government P2.5 million under a compromise agreement approved by the anti-graft court Sandiganbayan in relation to their unexplained wealth case.
Under the compromise deal between the government and the Martin family, the latter agreed to pay P2.5 million in case in exchange for the termination of their forfeiture case over the alleged unexplained wealth case amounting to P9.064 million.
The Sandiganbayan Fourth Division said in its decision that the compromise agreement is “not contrary to law, morals, good customs, and public policy.”
The court also recalled the writ of preliminary attachment against the Martins’ assets earlier seized by the Sandiganbayan sheriffs.
Associate Justice Michael Frederick Musngi penned the decision with concurrences from Associate Justice Lorifel Lacap Pahimna and Associate Justice Bayani Jacinto.
Martin, his wife, and their three children were named as defendants In the petition for forfeiture filed in 2013. The amount involved – P9,063,728.20 – constituted the alleged undeclared assets of Martin, who was the acting regional director of the Cordillera Administrative Region Police Regional Office when the case was filed.
The case was triggered by the discovery of the Deputy Ombudsman for the Military and Other Law Enforcement Offices (MOLEO) that Martin’s declared net worth excluded several assets.
In his Statements of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALNs), he declared only P2.583 million in 1999 and P3.809 million in 2003.
These SALNs did not include a residential lot and a cockpit arena in Pugo, La Union; residential houses and lots in Baguio City; and several vehicles registered in the names of his wife and a son.
The assets garnished by the Sandiganbayan sheriffs included two China Banking Corporation accounts in the Martin couple’s, containing over P4 million.
On March 11, 2022, the defendants initially offered to pay P2 million under a proposed compromise agreement. The amount was later increased to P2.5 million.
On March 22, 2024, the two parties made a joint submission to the Sandiganbayan, seeking its approval of the proposed compromise agreement that Ombudsman Samuel Martires had earlier approved.
Earlier in April, the government submitted a certified true copy of an official receipt showing the Martin family’s payment of P2.5 million to the Office of the Ombudsman in fulfillment of their commitment under the compromise agreement – Rappler.com
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Marcos among TIME’s most influential people of 2024
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Dwight de Leon
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18/04/2024 11:30
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File photo of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.
Noel Pabalate/PPA Pool
MANILA, Philippines – TIME Magazine has named Philippine President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. as one of the 100 most influential people of 2024, a list that includes other heads of state, Hollywood celebrities, and tycoons.
In a writeup, TIME correspondent Charlie Campbell said that Marcos, son and namesake of the late dictator, won the presidency in 2022 by whitewashing the family’s legacy of plunder and human rights abuses “through clever manipulation of social media.”
He added, however, that the Marcos family’s project to rehabilitate its image “has resulted in other shifts.”
“He brought technocrats back into government, steadied the post-pandemic economy, and elevated the Philippines on the world stage,” the writeup read.
“Bongbong has stood steadfast against Chinese aggression in the disputed South China Sea and bolstered his nation’s alliance with the US in the face of ‘rising tensions in our region and the world,’ as he said last May. Many problems persist, including extrajudicial killings and journalists routinely attacked. But by trying to repair his family name, Bongbong may reshape his country too,” it added.
Marcos ascended to Malacañang following one of the most politically heated elections in the country. His poll victory came more than three decades after the People Power Revolution ousted his father, dictator Ferdinand E. Marcos, whose 21 years in office was marked by iron-fist rule, human rights atrocities, and plunder.
Marcos inherited a Philippines that had become a pariah in the international community, after his predecessor Rodrigo Duterte made enemies with the West that criticized his bloody drug war and his attacks on the free press. Duterte also made a pivot to China under his “independent” foreign policy that veered the Philippines away from traditional allies like the United States.
Marcos has since pivoted back to the US, and pushed back against China’s harassment of Philippine vessels in the West Philippine Sea, resulting in worsening tensions between Manila and Beijing.
The President also mostly turned his back on Duterte’s violent anti-narcotics campaign, saying he was more focused on the rehabilitation of drug users and the reorganization of the police force.
The TIME 100 list also includes Chinese Premier Li Qiang, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, Taiwan President-elect William Lai, Texas Governor Greg Abbott, Argentinian President Javier Milei, Qatar Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, California Governor Gavin Newsom, Kenya President William Ruto, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and Yulia Navalnaya, widow of the late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny.
Also in the list are artists Dua Lipa, Dev Patel, Taraji P. Henson, Michael J. Fox, and billionaire Mark Cuban.
See the full list here. – Rappler.com
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Sorry. I just spat my coffee! Wasn’t April Fool’s two weeks ago?! ‘By trying to repair his family name, Bongbong may reshape his country too’. Ah – the fine print – ‘MAY’ because you know, without the Marcoses, God forbid that we have a fighting chance to succeed!
And in that order – family first before country. So same old, same old?
Congratulations, Philippine President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. TIME correspondent Charlie Campbell deserves credit for his honest and realistic write-up about the former. In addition, the “deceived” and “dumb” Filipinos who voted for him deserve their due credit, too.
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Marcos among TIME’s most influential people of 2024
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Dwight de Leon
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18/04/2024 11:30
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File photo of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.
Noel Pabalate/PPA Pool
MANILA, Philippines – TIME Magazine has named Philippine President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. as one of the 100 most influential people of 2024, a list that includes other heads of state, Hollywood celebrities, and tycoons.
In a writeup, TIME correspondent Charlie Campbell said that Marcos, son and namesake of the late dictator, won the presidency in 2022 by whitewashing the family’s legacy of plunder and human rights abuses “through clever manipulation of social media.”
He added, however, that the Marcos family’s project to rehabilitate its image “has resulted in other shifts.”
“He brought technocrats back into government, steadied the post-pandemic economy, and elevated the Philippines on the world stage,” the writeup read.
“Bongbong has stood steadfast against Chinese aggression in the disputed South China Sea and bolstered his nation’s alliance with the US in the face of ‘rising tensions in our region and the world,’ as he said last May. Many problems persist, including extrajudicial killings and journalists routinely attacked. But by trying to repair his family name, Bongbong may reshape his country too,” it added.
Marcos ascended to Malacañang following one of the most politically heated elections in the country. His poll victory came more than three decades after the People Power Revolution ousted his father, dictator Ferdinand E. Marcos, whose 21 years in office was marked by iron-fist rule, human rights atrocities, and plunder.
Marcos inherited a Philippines that had become a pariah in the international community, after his predecessor Rodrigo Duterte made enemies with the West that criticized his bloody drug war and his attacks on the free press. Duterte also made a pivot to China under his “independent” foreign policy that veered the Philippines away from traditional allies like the United States.
Marcos has since pivoted back to the US, and pushed back against China’s harassment of Philippine vessels in the West Philippine Sea, resulting in worsening tensions between Manila and Beijing.
The President also mostly turned his back on Duterte’s violent anti-narcotics campaign, saying he was more focused on the rehabilitation of drug users and the reorganization of the police force.
The TIME 100 list also includes Chinese Premier Li Qiang, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, Taiwan President-elect William Lai, Texas Governor Greg Abbott, Argentinian President Javier Milei, Qatar Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, California Governor Gavin Newsom, Kenya President William Ruto, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and Yulia Navalnaya, widow of the late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny.
Also in the list are artists Dua Lipa, Dev Patel, Taraji P. Henson, Michael J. Fox, and billionaire Mark Cuban.
See the full list here. – Rappler.com
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Sorry. I just spat my coffee! Wasn’t April Fool’s two weeks ago?! ‘By trying to repair his family name, Bongbong may reshape his country too’. Ah – the fine print – ‘MAY’ because you know, without the Marcoses, God forbid that we have a fighting chance to succeed!
And in that order – family first before country. So same old, same old?
Congratulations, Philippine President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. TIME correspondent Charlie Campbell deserves credit for his honest and realistic write-up about the former. In addition, the “deceived” and “dumb” Filipinos who voted for him deserve their due credit, too.
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Apollo Quiboloy and the Kingdom of Jesus Christ, from abuse to multi-million properties
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Jodesz Gavilan
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17/04/2024 20:32
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Graphics by Alejandro Edoria
Doomsday preacher Apollo Quiboloy is on the run as he faces mounting cases both here and abroad related to alleged abuse committed under his Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC).
Two courts in the Philippines – in Davao City and Pasig City – already released warrants of arrest against Quiboloy but he has yet to be arrested, even if several of his close aides had already surrendered. There is also a pending arrest order from the Senate after he failed to attend hearings probing into allegations against him and his church.
Quiboloy has also put on the US Federal Bureau of Investigation’s most-wanted list since early 2022, for sex trafficking of children and promotional money laundering, among others. An FBI poster says the preacher allegedly forced his followers to “solicit donations for a bogus charity, donations that actually were used to finance church operations and the lavish lifestyle of its leaders.”
These allegations have been the subject of investigative reports published by Rappler since 2021. In this page, you will find links to these exclusive reports that investigated the alleged abuse inside KOJC as well as Quiboloy’s multi-million-peso properties in the US and Canada.
Bookmark this page as Rappler continues to follow and investigate Quiboloy and his church. If you have tips or any other helpful information, you may share them with us via email: investigative@rappler.com.
What you need to know about Quiboloy
FAST FACTS: Who is Pastor Apollo Quiboloy, the ‘Appointed Son of God’?
Doomsday preacher Apollo Quiboloy is part of the US FBI’s most wanted list for sex trafficking of children and promotional money laundering, among others
PRIMER: Investigations, cases against Apollo Quiboloy
What are the cases, complaints, and investigations faced by the doomsday preacher?
THE CASE VS QUIBOLOY | Years of alleged abuse, fraud catch up with Davao preacher
The influential preacher refers to November 18, 2021, as the day of his ‘crucifixion.’ Federal prosecutors in the US have filed a string of criminal cases against him and his associates – allegations corroborated by traumatized ex-members who spoke with Rappler.
Quiboloy sexually abused women, minors – ex-followers, US prosecutors
Former workers and members of the Davao-based Kingdom of Jesus Christ organization are out to make the preacher account for the years of abuse and exploitation they experienced
‘Root of all evil’: Quiboloy church’s demands for money mire followers in debt
Pastor Apollo Quiboloy’s wealth is built on the heaving backs of his followers. The ‘children’ of his ‘kingdom’ are made to quit school or jobs, sell properties, and take out loans to meet quotas. They are punished when they fail to deliver, abandoned when they get sick.
Stolen lives, lost identities: Quiboloy’s ex-followers traumatized for years
Members who escape the Davao-based ‘kingdom’ suffer emotional and psychological abuse and need help to fully recover
3 survivors of Quiboloy’s ‘kingdom’ bare ordeal
They are part of a network of survivors speaking out about how they experienced abuse inside the Kingdom of Jesus Christ. Parts of their narrative mirror details in the 74-page indictment against preacher Apollo Quiboloy, who calls himself the ‘appointed son of God.’
Playing gods in Davao: Duterte’s death squad, Quiboloy’s kingdom
There’s a side to Davao that had long existed, but which the rest of the Philippines didn’t know about until the city mayor became president.
Inside Quiboloy’s lavish world: Mansions, rich-and-famous lifestyle in North America
A Rappler investigation uncovers three properties estimated to be worth P338 million traced to Pastor Apollo Quiboloy and his group. Two of these are in Canada, while one is located in an affluent part of California, near the homes of celebrities.
Quiboloy in the US: More multi-million properties in Las Vegas, Hawaii
A Rappler investigation uncovers two more properties estimated to be worth P262.52 million traced to Pastor Apollo Quiboloy. One is a lavish mansion in Las Vegas worth about P165 million.
A peek into Quiboloy’s expensive gun collection
Doomsday preacher Apollo Quiboloy owns firearms amounting to at least P2.3 million ($41,000). At least five pistols are worth over P200,000 ($3,500) each.
Newsbreak Chats: Uncovering the lavish world of Quiboloy
What’s next for the doomsday preacher who is facing a series of legal cases?
– Jodesz Gavilan/Rappler.com
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How many days has Quiboloy been hiding? Rappler may investigate the backgrounds of the NBI and PNP officials involved in this case. Hints may rise after such an investigation. PBBM should give those officials a deadline. They must be replaced if they cannot arrest Quiboloy on or before that deadline. Rappler may also reprint articles about Pharmally executives who hide in Davao City. A pattern may become visible after their reprinting.
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Scoring tear: Beau Belga resets career high as Rain or Shine closes in on playoff berth
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delfin.dioquino editor
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17/04/2024 21:16
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THREE. Beau Belga in action for the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters in the 2024 PBA Philippine Cup.
PBA Images
MANILA, Philippines – Scoring isn’t exactly Beau Belga’s strongest suit.
The 37-year-old veteran, though, has been on an offensive tear in the PBA Philippine Cup as Rain or Shine extended its hot streak by way of a 115-105 victory over NorthPort at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium on Wednesday, April 17.
Resetting his career-high in scoring for the second time this conference, Belga notched 28 points on top of 13 rebounds, 7 assists, and 2 steals to power the Elasto Painters to their fifth consecutive win after a dismal 0-4 start.
Belga normed just 11.5 points across those four straight losses before he assumed bigger offensive responsibilities following the knee injury of Keith Datu as he doubled his average to 22.8 points over the last five games.
“Since Keith got injured, I took it upon myself to be a ball hog. I now take 16 to 17 shots in a game. That is rare in my 15 years in the PBA because I usually take 10 to 11 shots at most,” said Belga in Filipino.
Coming out with guns blazing, Belga fired 10 points in the first quarter alone, allowing Rain or Shine to build a commanding 24-14 lead and keep control the rest of the way to deal the Batang Pier their third consecutive defeat.
But even with Belga being more involved in scoring, his playmaking has not taken a hit as he averages 5.4 assists – tied for fourth-most in the league with teammate Andrei Caracut.
In fact, Belga is one of only two big men in the top 10 in assists alongside Barangay Ginebra star Christian Standhardinger.
Belga also ranks fifth in rebounding with an average of 9.3 boards to make up for the absence of Datu and another rookie big man in Luis Villegas, who has yet to suit up for the Elasto Painters this season due to a knee injury.
“We’re happy because Beau has been consistent. He needs to double time since we lack bigs. We’re without Keith, and Luis has yet to play,” said Rain or Shine head coach Yeng Guiao.
Jhonard Clarito backstopped Belga with 17 points to go with 7 rebounds and 2 steals, while Adrian Nocum put up 16 points, 3 rebounds, and 3 assists as the Elasto Painters inched closer to an outright quarterfinal berth.
Old reliable Mark Borboran added 12 points in the win, 10 coming in the third quarter to help Rain or Shine enter the final frame up 81-72.
Rookie forward Zavier Lucero submitted his finest performance of the season with 29 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 steals, but those were not enough for NorthPort to snap out of its funk as it fell to 4-4.
Allyn Bulanadi netted a season-high 26 points in the loss, Kris Rosales chimed in 12 points, while Arvin Tolentino tallied 11 points and 4 steals.
Rain or Shine 115 – Belga 28, Clarito 17, Nocum 16, Borboran 12, Caracut 8, Asistio 7, Mamuyac 6, Santillan 5, Ildefonso 5, Belo 5, Demusis 4, Paredes 2.
NorthPort 105 – Lucero 29, Bulanadi 26, Rosales 12, Tolentino 11, Flores 9, Amores 8, Munzon 6, Navarro 4, Paraiso 0, Yu 0, Zamar 0, Cuntapay 0, Adamos 0.
Quarters: 24-14, 48-38, 81-72, 115-105.
– Rappler.com
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Microsoft finds Russian influence operations targeting US election have begun
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Victor Barreiro Jr.
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18/04/2024 8:09
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CYBERSECURITY ISSUES. A hooded man holds a laptop computer as cyber code is projected on him in this illustration picture taken on May 13, 2017.
Kacper Pempel/Reuters
SAN FRANCISCO, USA – Microsoft said on Wednesday, April 17, that Russian online campaigns to influence the upcoming US presidential election kicked into gear over the past 45 days, but at a slower pace than in past elections.
Russia-linked accounts are disseminating divisive content aimed at US audiences, including criticizing American support of Ukraine in its war with Russia, researchers at the tech giant said in a report.
The Russian embassy in Washington did not respond to a request for comment, but the Kremlin said last month it would not meddle in the November US election. It also dismissed US allegations that it orchestrated campaigns to sway the 2016 and 2020 US presidential elections.
While the Russian activity Microsoft observed is not as intense as around the previous elections, it could increase in the coming months, the researchers said.
“Messaging regarding Ukraine – via traditional media and social media – picked up steam over the last two months with a mix of covert and overt campaigns from at least 70 Russia-affiliated activity sets we track,” Microsoft said.
The most prolific of such Russian campaigns is linked to Russia’s Presidential Administration, they added. Another one is aimed at posting disinformation online in various languages, with posts typically starting with an apparent whistleblower or citizen journalist posting content on a video channel. That content is then covered by a network of websites that include DC Weekly, Miami Chronical and The Intel Drop.
“Ultimately, after the narrative has circulated online for a series of days or weeks, US audiences repeat and repost this disinformation, likely unaware of its original source,” Microsoft said.
A “notable uptick” has been seen in hacking by a Russian group Microsoft calls Star Blizzard, or Cold River, which is focused on targeting western think tanks, the company said.
“Star Blizzard’s current focus on US political figures and policy circles may be the first in a series of hacking campaigns meant to drive Kremlin outcomes headed into November.”
Malicious use of artificial intelligence by foreign rivals targeting the US election is a key concern cited by American political observers, but Microsoft said it found that simpler digital forgeries were more common than deepfakes. Audio manipulations have a bigger impact than video, it added.
“Rarely have nation-states’ employments of generative AI-enabled content achieved much reach across social media, and in only a few cases have we seen any genuine audience deception from such content,” the researchers said.
“The simplest manipulations, not the most complex employment of AI, will likely be the pieces of content that have the most impact.” – Rappler.com
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5 years on, court yet to collect P124M in Revilla pork barrel scam
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Lian Buan
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17/04/2024 18:11
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SENATOR REVILLA. File photo of Senator Bong Revilla Jr, during the senate inquiry on the status of the country’s flood control master plan and pending flood control projects under the implementation of the Department of Public Works and Highways and the Metro Manila Development Authority, on August 9, 2023.
Angie de Silva/Rappler
Five years since its split controversial decision to acquit Senator Bong Revilla of plunder, the anti-graft court Sandiganbayan has yet to execute its judgment for the senator and others to return to public coffers the plundered P124 million.
It turns out that on May 15, 2019, the Sandiganbayan decided that it would hold its execution of the civil liability judgment to give way to the Supreme Court (SC) appeals of those convicted for plunder, Janet Lim Napoles and Revilla’s staff Richard Cambe. The appeals were filed in 2019, or five years ago.
Although Revilla was acquitted, the Sandiganbayan Special First Division, voting 3-2, still ordered the “accused [to] solidarily and jointly” return the P124.5 million to the national treasury.
The Office of the Ombudsman immediately moved the court in February 2019 to execute the civil judgment on Revilla, but was told that the Sandiganbayan was being “prudent” and had decided to wait for the SC appeals first, according to records that Rappler finally gained access to on Wednesday, April 17, via the High Court.
This was after three months of pursuing a Freedom of Information (FOI) request to see the status of payment. Citing privileged and confidential information, the Sandiganbayan denied Rappler’s FOI requests twice this year – on February 5 and February 16. Rappler then filed with the Supreme Court a request for access in March 2024 and was told that this was “for consideration” by the en banc.
The records Rappler requested for later formed part of a microsite that the SC launched on Wednesday for public interest cases.
“The Sandiganbayan held in abeyance any ruling on the matter as it was prudent for the SB to make a determination of whether execution of the civil aspect against any and all of the accused will lie [only] after the Supreme Court resolves the appeal of accused Cambe and Napoles,” the Office of the Ombudsman said in its brief sent to the Supreme Court.
Cambe’s appeal had been closed and terminated due to his death inside the New Bilibid Prison during the pandemic in 2021. In a resolution in June 2022, the Supreme Court said Cambe’s death extinguishes even the civil action. “The criminal action is extinguished inasmuch as there is no longer a defendant to stand as the accused; the civil action instituted therein for recovery of civil liability ex delicto is ipso facto extinguished, grounded as it is on the criminal action,” said the Supreme Court.
Now, it’s just Napoles’ appeal that remains pending. The last known action on this was when the Supreme Court denied her plea for humanitarian bail in 2021 during the pandemic.
“As of date, there is a status quo on Sen. Revilla’s civil liability in the plunder case. We are also not aware of the status of the Napoles appeal of the plunder case with the Supreme Court since we are not parties to the case,” Revilla’s lawyer Carlos Villaruz told Rappler on Wednesday, April 17.
Villaruz said they stand firm on their legal position that there can be no civil liability on Revilla if there was no criminal liability found. “Article 100 of the Revised Penal Code provides that a person criminally liable for a felony is also civilly liable.” Thus, to be civilly liable, an accused must first be found criminally liable,” said Villaruz.
The whole case was based on the premise that Revilla allegedly intentionally funneled his discretionary funds to Napoles’ fake NGOs which implemented ghost projects. The kickback, the prosecution said, would be given to Revilla through Cambe.
The original ponente of the case, Justice Efren dela Cruz, wanted to convict Revilla but he lost the vote, 3-2. “I find it hard to believe that this scam of such magnitude was confined only within the realm of Napoles and Cambe to the exclusion of Revilla,” Dela Cruz said in his dissenting opinion in 2018.
In 2021, following the plunder acquittal, Revilla was acquitted of the related graft charges, clearing him of criminal liabilities in the pork barrel scam. This decision was again split, 3-2. Joining Dela Cruz in his dissent for this acquittal was Justice Bayani Jacinto who said: “It requires a stretch of logic to accept that accused Atty. Cambe without the knowledge, much less consent, of Revilla could have utilized the Office of the Senator in secret.”
“Consistent with its finding in the plunder case, that there is no proof that Sen. Revilla received money or kickbacks from Napoles, the dispositive portion of the Sandiganbayan’s resolution in the graft cases did not mention any civil liability on the part of Sen. Revilla,” said Villaruz.
Revilla is currently in the hospital and scheduled to undergo operation for achilles tendon rupture. “I will continue to fulfill my duties as a public servant, ensuring that the needs of our people through legislations that I advocate are met, and that our country moves forward,” said Revilla in a statement. – Rappler.com
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Senator Revilla’s case is similar to that of then-Japanese Emperor Hirohito, who “portrayed himself as a powerless monarch who had no say in how the war was conducted.” I agree with Justice Bayani Jacinto: “It requires a stretch of logic to accept that accused Atty. Cambe without the knowledge, much less consent, of Revilla could have utilized the Office of the Senator in secret.” Unfortunately, that “stretch of logic” is equivalent to the stretch of the corrupt official’s power, money, and influence.
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Huge blow for Ginebra as Jamie Malonzo suffers calf tear, out 6 to 8 weeks
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delfin.dioquino editor
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17/04/2024 19:18
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LAYUP. Jamie Malonzo in action for Barangay Ginebra in the 2024 PBA Philippine Cup.
PBA Images
MANILA, Philippines – Barangay Ginebra will be without Jamie Malonzo for a crucial stretch in the PBA Philippine Cup.
The high-flying forward is expected to miss the remainder of the elimination round and a huge chunk of the playoffs as he sustained a left calf injury.
“Initial prognosis is calf tear. [It will take] six to eight weeks before he can return to the lineup,” said Gin Kings head coach Tim Cone on Wednesday, April 17.
Malonzo suffered the injury near the end of their 95-88 win over NorthPort on April 14.
With a clear lane to the basket, Malonzo appeared to attempt a drive but he fell on his own and limped out of the court while being aided by his teammates.
Losing Malonzo is a huge blow for the Gin Kings since he has been one of their more consistent players in the All-Filipino tournament.
The Gilas Pilipinas mainstay ranks second for Ginebra in scoring with 14.1 points on top of 7.1 rebounds and 3.3 assists.
He breached double figures in scoring in seven of their first eight games, including a career-high 32 points in their conference opener.
Without Malonzo, the Gin Kings – toting a 5-3 record – shoot for a third straight win as they battle TNT on Friday, April 19, at the PhilSports Arena. – Rappler.com
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‘Largest Balikatan’: What you need to know about the 2024 PH-US military exercise
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Bea Cupin
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17/04/2024 13:06
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A Filipino soldier fires a Javelin anti-tank weapon system during a live exercise as part of the annual US-Philippines joint military exercises called "Balikatan" at Fort Magsaysay, Nueva Ecija province, Philippines, April 13, 2023. REUTERS/Eloisa Lopez
REUTERS/Eloisa Lopez
MANILA, Philippines – Over 16,000 soldiers from the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the United States (US) military will be converging here for the “largest” annual joint training exercise between the two treaty-allies from April 22 to May 10.
The 39th Balikatan exercises will be held across several locations in the Philippines, from the Northern Luzon Command, the Western Command, and the Southern Luzon Command’s areas of operation. The three commands, collectively, cover a wide expanse of Philippine territory and waters – from President Ferdinand Marcos Jr’s bailiwick in northern Luzon, the waters of the West Philippine Sea, up to the southernmost Luzon islands.
In a briefing with media on Tuesday, April 16, Balikatan 2024 executive agent Colonel Michael Logico said that the 16,000 head count does not include Australian Defense Force and French Navy personnel who will also be participating in a multilateral maritime exercise or a joint sail.
Here’s what you should know about the weeks-long exercise:
The exercise happens yearly, and is the largest among the many joint exercise activities between the Philippines and the US. The 38th iteration of the exercises in 2023, or the first under Marcos, were said to be the “largest” with over 17,000 American and Filipino troops, although Logico said only around 16,000 personnel actually participated in the weeks-long event.
Balikatan literally means “shoulder-to-shoulder.”
Any joint military exercise is focused on interoperability, or the ability of different units to work together.
It’s a way to practice and make sure that military units from different countries know how to effectively work together in case of a crisis – be it disaster response or armed conflict.
There’s also a more personal aspect to it – joint exercises like Balikatan make sure military leaders and commanders are familiar with each other on a personal level, making communication or coordination much easier during crunch time.
In a release, the US embassy in Manila said Balikatan “directly supports the US-Philippine Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT) by enhancing military cooperation and readiness between the two militaries.”
The MDT, signed in 1951, is a promise of both Washington DC and Manila to come to each others’ defense in the event of an armed attack. The treaty is one of three that form the two countries’ defense ties – the others being the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) and the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA).
During Marcos’ latest visit to Washington for the first trilateral summit between the US, Japan, and the Philippines, US President Joe Biden affirmed their commitment to the MDT. The US’ position is that the treaty “extends to both countries’ armed forces, public vessels, and aircraft — including those of its Coast Guard — anywhere in the Pacific, including the South China Sea,” amid China’s continuing aggression in the West Philippine Sea, or part of the South China Sea including where the Philippines has sovereign rights.
According to the AFP, the exercises will cover external defense operations, cyber defense, counterterrorism, humanitarian assistance and disaster response, and interagency capacity-building. Balikatan has three main components, according to the AFP: Command and Control Exercise (C2X), Field Training Exercise (FTX), and Humanitarian Civic Assistance (HCA).
“C2X will encompass a Staff Exercise, a Cyber Defense Exercise, and an inaugural Information Warfighter Exercise, all designed to test the ability of AFP and US forces to plan, command, and communicate effectively in simulated scenarios,” it said in a release.
FTX covers a wide range of activities such as “joint all-domain operations, including vital maritime terrain protection, air assault operations, and reconnaissance activities.”
“Cutting-edge military assets” including the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) Rapid Infiltration, Integrated Air and Missile Defense (IAMD), and various unmanned aerial systems are also part of the exercises.
Its highlight will be a Maritime Strike activity, which will feature “joint and combined fires, combined joint dynamic targeting, and multi-domain effects through the sinking of the adversary’s vessel.”
Another regular component of Balikatan is humanitarian activities, such as the construction of school buildings in Ilocos Norte and Cagayan province.
Aside from US and Philippine forces, soldiers from Australia and France will also be participating. Representatives from Brunei, Canada, France, Germany, Great Britain, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Republic of Korea, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam will also be part of Balikatan as observers.
In 2024, the Balikatan includes a “Multilateral Maritime Exercise” or a joint sail between the Philippines, US, and French navies “within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone.”
For the first time ever, white ships belonging to the coast guards of the Philippines and the US will also be take part in the joint sail.
Balikatan is as much about preparation as it is about flexing – of the AFP’s capabilities, as well as the Philippines’ robust ties with its treaty-ally the US and its partners.
“The reason why we do exercises is to demonstrate our combat readiness and it is also a demonstration of our comprehensive archipelagic defense concept, you do exercises for that primary reason – to maintain a high level of readiness,” said Logico.
Lieutenant General William Jurney, commander of the US Marine Corps Forces, Pacific said Balikatan is a “tangible demonstration of our shared commitment to each other.”
“It matters for regional peace, it matters for regional stability. When we increase our mutual response and defense capabilities, we strengthen our ability to promote regional security and protect our shared interests,” he said. – Rappler.com
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I am sure that Communist China and its local sycophants here will be very angry at this. This event is for the benefit of the Filipino People (even including the pro-China traitors) and the participating nations. I appreciate the approval of this event by President Marcos Jr. and the support of AFP Chief of Staff Romeo Brawner Jr.
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Microsoft finds Russian influence operations targeting US election have begun
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Victor Barreiro Jr.
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18/04/2024 8:09
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CYBERSECURITY ISSUES. A hooded man holds a laptop computer as cyber code is projected on him in this illustration picture taken on May 13, 2017.
Kacper Pempel/Reuters
SAN FRANCISCO, USA – Microsoft said on Wednesday, April 17, that Russian online campaigns to influence the upcoming US presidential election kicked into gear over the past 45 days, but at a slower pace than in past elections.
Russia-linked accounts are disseminating divisive content aimed at US audiences, including criticizing American support of Ukraine in its war with Russia, researchers at the tech giant said in a report.
The Russian embassy in Washington did not respond to a request for comment, but the Kremlin said last month it would not meddle in the November US election. It also dismissed US allegations that it orchestrated campaigns to sway the 2016 and 2020 US presidential elections.
While the Russian activity Microsoft observed is not as intense as around the previous elections, it could increase in the coming months, the researchers said.
“Messaging regarding Ukraine – via traditional media and social media – picked up steam over the last two months with a mix of covert and overt campaigns from at least 70 Russia-affiliated activity sets we track,” Microsoft said.
The most prolific of such Russian campaigns is linked to Russia’s Presidential Administration, they added. Another one is aimed at posting disinformation online in various languages, with posts typically starting with an apparent whistleblower or citizen journalist posting content on a video channel. That content is then covered by a network of websites that include DC Weekly, Miami Chronical and The Intel Drop.
“Ultimately, after the narrative has circulated online for a series of days or weeks, US audiences repeat and repost this disinformation, likely unaware of its original source,” Microsoft said.
A “notable uptick” has been seen in hacking by a Russian group Microsoft calls Star Blizzard, or Cold River, which is focused on targeting western think tanks, the company said.
“Star Blizzard’s current focus on US political figures and policy circles may be the first in a series of hacking campaigns meant to drive Kremlin outcomes headed into November.”
Malicious use of artificial intelligence by foreign rivals targeting the US election is a key concern cited by American political observers, but Microsoft said it found that simpler digital forgeries were more common than deepfakes. Audio manipulations have a bigger impact than video, it added.
“Rarely have nation-states’ employments of generative AI-enabled content achieved much reach across social media, and in only a few cases have we seen any genuine audience deception from such content,” the researchers said.
“The simplest manipulations, not the most complex employment of AI, will likely be the pieces of content that have the most impact.” – Rappler.com
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Philippines ‘sinking in sachets’ – brand audit
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Iya Gozum
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17/04/2024 15:39
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Maria Aurelio, 55, prepares to display plastic sachets of Unilever's Surf laundry detergent at her sundry store in Manila, Philippines. Photo taken May 31, 2022.
REUTERS/Lisa Marie David
MANILA, Philippines – The Philippines is “sinking in sachets,” according to a plastic brand audit that covered four countries in Asia.
Based on the 2023 Global Break Free From Plastic Brand Audit conducted by international network Break Free From Plastic (BFFP), the Philippines contributed a third of the total sachet plastic waste collected in four Asian countries in 2023.
“The Philippines is inundated with plastic pollution in part due to the prevailing sachet economy driven primarily by corporations,” said the audit which was released on Wednesday, April 17.
From October 2023 to February 2024, volunteers collected, catalogued, and analyzed 10,801 pieces of sachets from several locations in the Philippines: Metro Manila, Dasmariñas City in Cavite, Davao City, Iloilo City, and E.B. Magalona town in Negros Occidental.
The only area in Metro Manila mentioned in the report was Malabon City.
A total of 33,647 sachets were gathered together in four countries where the Asia-Pacific audit was conducted. The others are India, Vietnam, and Indonesia.
The report, initiated by international network Break Free From Plastic (BFFP), said that 86% of the sachets were used for packaged food items, while the rest were for household and personal care items.
Buying commodities in sachets is often seen as the affordable and accessible option in lower-income communities. The Philippines uses 164 million plastic sachets every day, discarding 59.8 billion sachets per year.
To visualize this, the audit said, “This figure is enough to bury the entire Metropolitan Manila area under a foot of plastic waste.”
However, several issues arise from this dependence on plastic: health hazards, overburdened landfills, and wildlife and environmental harm. These plastic sachets have been found in protected areas, too.
“In Davao City, we have been collecting loads of waste from the Panigan-Tamugan Watershed, the drinking water source of the city, and most of this waste are plastic sachets,” said Mark Peñalver, executive director of Interfacing Development Interventions for Sustainability.
“If we maintain business as usual, the time will come when we will be drinking plastics too,” added Peñalver.
The top polluters in the four countries included in the audit are:
“All 10 companies are in the business of selling fast-moving consumer goods, primarily processed food and beverage manufacturing, as well as some personal care products,” the report said.
In the Philippines, the top sachet polluters are:
Common types of sachet materials collected in the audit include high density polyethylene (HDPE), polypropylene (PP), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), and low density polyethylene (LDPE).
In light of this report, which complements the 2023 Global Brand Audit that BFFP released earlier this year, the group called on multinational corporations to phase out sachets, single-use packaging, and reveal data on plastic use.
They also urged companies to invest in reuse, refill, or packaging-free product delivery systems.
“Corporations are driving the plastic crisis in the Philippines, but they can help solve the problem their products create,” Greenpeace Philippines campaigner Marian Ledesma said in a statement.
“They must transition away from single-use plastic right away, starting with sachets, and begin adopting wide-scale reuse and refill models in the Philippines,” she added.
One of the biggest steps towards plastic and waste reduction in the Philippines was the passage of the Extended Producer Responsibility Act of 2022, or Republic Act No. 11898, which aims to hold large product producers, accountable for the plastic waste they put out.
While the law was a “meaningful step,” advocates criticized the law for “lacking ambition.”
“It only requires plastic producers to collect and recycle plastic waste without compelling them to find ways to reduce plastic production and use,” the report said. “The EPR Act lacks bans and plastic reduction targets, and this gap only allows corporations to continue their relentless plastic production.”
Meanwhile, the local governments in San Juan and Quezon City have been experimenting with a refill system in select sari-sari stores to eliminate the use of sachets.
During the launch of the report regarding the refill hubs, Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte emphasized the importance of political will in finding affordable, eco-friendly options for the public.
– Rappler.com
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RESULTS: April 2024 Electronics Engineers and Electronics Technicians Licensure Examination
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clescudero0258
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16/04/2024 17:09
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The following is a press release from the Professional Regulation Commission.
The Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) announces that 1,330 out of 3,130 passed the Electronics Engineers Licensure Examination and 1,819 out of 2,538 passed the Electronics Technicians Licensure Examination given by the Board of Electronics Engineering in the National Capital Region, Baguio, Cagayan de Oro, Cebu, Davao, Iloilo, Legazpi, Lucena, Pampanga, Rosales and Tuguegarao this April 2024.
The members of the Board of Electronics Engineering who gave the licensure examinations are Engr. Alnar L. Detalla, Chairman, Engr. Enrico Claro R. Delmoro and Engr. Herminio J. Orbe, members.
The results were released in three working days after the last day of examinations.
Starting May 20, 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), two pieces passport-sized pictures (colored with white background and complete name tag), two sets of documentary stamps, and one 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 examination WILL BE ANNOUNCED LATER.
The top performing school in the April 2024 Electronics Engineers Licensure Examination as per Commission Resolution No. 2017-1058(C) series of 2017:
The top performing schools in the April 2024 Electronics Technicians Licensure Examination as per Commission Resolution No. 2017-1058(C) series of 2017:
The successful examinees who garnered the 10 highest places in the April 2024 Electronics Engineers Licensure Examination are the following:
The successful examinees who garnered the four highest places in the April 2024 Electronics Technicians Licensure Examination are the following:
Check out the full results here:
– Rappler.com
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Visit green spaces in Metro Manila to unwind this summer
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Iya Gozum
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17/04/2024 9:28
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WALKWAY. A strip of pavement inside the Greenway Park in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig.
Iya Gozum/Rappler
MANILA, Philippines – The dry, hot season has made glaring the lack of trees and shaded, open areas in Metro Manila.
Being able to do simple outdoor recreational activities like walking, picnicking, jogging, or biking, is an important parameter in making a community livable. Aside from a dearth in these kinds of spaces, the stifling summer heat has made it extra tiring to go outside.
So where outside can you escape in this heat? We picked out some green spaces in the metro you can visit after work hours or during the weekends to unwind.
Academic Oval, University of the Philippines Diliman
Up on the list is the state university’s famous 2.2-kilometer Academic Oval (or acad oval), lined with huge acacia trees.
The acad oval is open to the public and caters to many activities such as jogging, biking, and picnicking. In case you get hungry while ambling or after your workout, there are several stalls and push carts around the oval that sell pancit canton, fishballs, ice cream, and sweet corn with cheese.
Arroceros Forest Park
The so-called last lungs of Manila is home to thousands of trees, ornamental plants, and to a diverse set of bird species.
The 2.71-hectare park is open daily from 8 am to 5 pm, has pathways and an exhibit area inside, and an esplanade along the Pasig River. (READ: The protectors of Manila’s last lung)
ASEAN Garden
Tucked inside the Walled City in Manila is a small garden park. It features busts of leaders and flags from Southeast Asian nations, cobblestone walkways, and stone steps covered with moss.
Its proximity to the campuses inside Intramuros makes it a prime spot for students who need to rehearse skits or practice dance numbers.
Marikina River Park
On the banks of Marikina River, people can walk, jog, bike, and eat. Food establishments have popped up around the area where visitors can eat after their leisure activities.
There are bike racks in certain areas where you can park your bike while checking out food stalls, bazaars, or whatever event is taking place at the time of your visit.
BGC Greenway Park
At the end of 26 Avenue in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig, is the Greenway Park where one can walk, jog, or sit down on one of the huge rocks surrounded by trees. It features a strip of pavement surrounded by greenery. Bikes, skateboards are not allowed inside.
Burgos Circle
A stone’s throw away from Greenway Park is the Burgos Circle, the island in the middle of a roundabout of the Forbes Town Center. Benches neatly line the pavements.
It features a sculpture of three trees forming a dome – the work of sculptor Reynato Paz Contreras – completed and unveiled in November 1997. E-scooter and e-bikes are available for rent on the side of the park.
While there are a few go-to spots for a breather in the city, there’s still a need to have more open spaces especially as the public continues to feel the heat exacerbated by climate change.
“We need to have more natural, cooling spaces: our parks, streets lined up with trees. For one it’s more environmentally friendly, compared to the malls that we have,” said urban Elijah Go Tian of the Resilient Cities Network.
“Especially malls with their huge [air-conditioning] and the huge amount of space they take up, [they increase] the heat in the area and the non-permeable spaces that we have,” Tian added.
Tian said parks signal a thriving community because they are free, accessible, and conducive to fostering relationships.
“One main thing why parks are the better option, especially public parks, is because it’s free,” said Tian. “I don’t need to go to a mall and buy something to make me stay there.”
According to a 2021 paper published in the International Journal of Urban Sustainable Development, green spaces in the Metro Manila may be dwindling but what remains still serve the purpose they’re made for: places with a sense of local community, and spaces where people socialize, exercise, and work on self-improvement.
“Living in an overcrowded city, many of them welcome the opportunity to enjoy the spaciousness of the parks and to see mature trees,” the study said.
More than providing contrast to the concrete jungle, trees provide benefits to people and wildlife, said Anthony Arbias of the Philippine Native Plant Conservation Society Inc. (PNPCSI).
“By having more trees, we can have better air quality, better shade, absorb flood, and give support for urban biodiversity as it provides food, shelter and opportunities for wildlife to thrive even in an inhospitable environment,” Arbias told Rappler.
“Second is the ethno-botanical function it gives like beautification, source of food, source of leisure activity and so much more,” he added.
Since 2007, Arbias said the PNPCSI has been advocating the responsible use of native trees in urban spaces. Although the default is to “go native,” he said “careful planning, mix matching, maintenance duties and being considerate to other land owners should always be taken into account” in new township projects.
Now that you have a few ideas on where to go, how do you keep cool outside? Here are some tips.
Hydrate properly. Don’t forget to bring a bottle of water when going outside. Drink water before, during, and after exercise. Keeping yourself hydrated can help prevent muscle cramping, too.
Wear lightweight clothes. Wear light clothes to let your body breathe. Sportswear and outdoor clothing use fabrics that are moisture-wicking, which can help you keep dry and cool than the usual cotton shirt.
Go out early or at night. Make the most of the cooler periods of the day by exercising/going out in the morning before work. If you’re not an early bird, after work hours would be fine, too. Running clubs and other recreational groups often hold their sessions in open spaces at night.
Wear sunscreen. Protect your skin from harmful UV rays by wearing sunscreen. Experts recommend a minimum SPF of 30. Apply sunscreen 30 minutes before going out. Make it a point to reapply every two hours.
Don’t overexert. It’s easier to get tired in the heat, so take breaks when you need to. Listen to your body and be wary of symptoms of heat exhaustion such as dizziness, weak pulse, nausea, muscle cramps, fainting, and clammy skin. – Rappler.com
Improving active transportation facilities and policies is part of the call of various groups to #MakeManilaLiveable. On Rappler, we have created a dedicated space for stories and reports about liveability in Philippine cities. Learn more about the movement here.
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Alvarez: ‘Sorry, I got carried away by strong emotions’
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Herbie G
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17/04/2024 12:37
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SUPPORT. Former speaker and Davao del Norte Representative Pantaleon Alvarez throws his support for Governor Edwin Jubahib on Thursday, April 11, 2024. courtesy of Newsline Philippines
courtesy of Newsline Philippines
DAVAO ORIENTAL, Philippines – Former speaker and Davao del Norte 1st District Representative Pantaleon Alvarez apologized on Tuesday night, April 16, for his call for the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to withdraw support from President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., but denied that it was inciting sedition.
“Pasensya na,” Alvarez told fugitive preacher Apollo Quiboloy’s media arm, Sonshine Media Network International (SMNI), “nadala rin ng bugso ng damdamin. Mahal ko ang Pilipinas, lalo na ang Mindanao.”
(Sorry, I got carried away by strong emotions. I love the Philippines, especially Mindanao.)
Alvarez said this after drawing flak for his call on the military to withdraw its support from the Marcos administration during the Hakbang ng Maisug rally in Tagum City, Davao del Norte, on Sunday, April 14. The rally was led by former president Rodrigo Duterte and organized as an offshoot of Malacañang’s April 8 suspension order against Davao del Norte Governor Edwin Jubahib.
The former speaker said his call, which stirred controversy and sparked adverse reactions from government officials and the military establishment, was not meant to incite sedition because he did not espouse violence.
Alvarez said his remarks in Tagum were a result of his dismay over Philippine foreign policy, particularly regarding the contentious issue of the West Philippine Sea.
“At paano ako tatahimik? Tingnan n’yo nangyayari. Kinakaladkad tayo ng Malacañang papunta sa digmaan kahit na ang China ay nauunahan na ang Amerika pagdating sa ekonomiya, teknolohiya at lakas ng military. Hindi siya katanggap-tanggap. May nuclear weapons sila, kaya rin nila magpapaputok at hindi tayo makakapalag. Maraming Pilipino ang mamamatay. Ubos tayo,” he said.
(And how can I stay quiet? Look at what’s happening. Malacañang is dragging us towards war even though China is already ahead of America in terms of economy, technology, and military strength. It’s unacceptable. They have nuclear weapons, so they can use them and we won’t be able to fight back. Many Filipinos will die. We’ll be wiped out.)
He said he was prepared to answer for his controversial remarks before the House of Representatives, and was not worried about the prospect of being expelled because he was about to step down as congressman anyway.
Alvarez is serving his third and last term as a Davao del Norte representative, and is constitutionally barred from seeking reelection in next year’s elections.
Alvarez’s call for action did not go unnoticed by Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla, who ordered an investigation into the former speaker’s pronouncements, citing concerns over potential legal ramifications.
“I have ordered an investigation on the statements of Congressman Pantaleon Alvarez to determine whether it has risen to the level of sedition, inciting sedition, or even rebellion,” Remulla said, urging Alvarez to uphold ethical standards befitting his role as a lawmaker.
The AFP has also rebuffed Alvarez’s plea for military intervention, emphasizing their loyalty to the government and rejecting any notion of abandoning their allegiance to the duly-elected leadership. – Rappler.com
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Davao del Norte 1st District Representative Pantaleon Alvarez showed how brave he was when he spoke those words, which led to sedition. Finally, he did retreat, but the harm had been done. I believe that just like in the “Charge of the Light Brigade,” the cavalry commander received a wrong command, which led to their death. Rep. Alvarez just followed a faulty command, which damaged his reputation. In the future, that “Hakbang ng Maisug” name, if its speakers will keep retreating like Rep. Alvarez, may be renamed “Hakbang ng mga Duwag.”
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COA tells PCGG: Pay Landbank’s P10-M claim
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Mia Gonzalez
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16/04/2024 9:22
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COA. The Commission on Audit in Commonwealth Avenue, Quezon City, on October 2, 2018.
Rappler
MANILA, Philippines – The Commission on Audit (COA) has upheld the P10-million reimbursement claim of the Land Bank of the Philippines (Landbank)-Pasig Capitol Branch against the Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG).
COA chairperson Gamaliel Cordoba and Commissioners Roland Café Pondoc and Mario Lipana held that the order of the anti-graft court Sandiganbayan for the PCGG to pay the bank’s claim had become “final and executory” in 2009.
“The money claim is based on a final and executory decision and order by the Sandiganbayan. Clearly, even the respondent (PCGG) no longer poses any hindrance to the reimbursement,” COA said. “Hence, the claim should now be granted.”
Based on records, the Sandiganbayan required the bank to turn over funds in the PCGG’s Modified Disbursement Scheme (MDS) sub-account with the bank created in relation to Civil Case No. 0034. This compelled the bank to use P10 of its corporate funds to comply with a garnishment order.
The concerned account held the P10 million transferred by the Department of Budget and Management as partial payment of the dividend due to businessman Rodolfo Arambulo’s stake in Piedras Petroleum.
In response to the motion of Arambulo, the Sandiganbayan issued a resolution on July 11, 1997, directing the PCGG to release all dividends corresponding to the businessman’s Piedras shares as this had excluded from the compromise agreement between the government and businessman Roberto Benedicto.
Under the agreement, the PCGG has control of 85.7% of Piedras Petroleum while Arambulo got the remaining 14.3%.
The Landbank had to advance the P10 million as the PCGG refused to issue the check. At the time, the bank’s officials were subject of a show cause order from the Sandiganbayan, with a warning that a warrant of arrest would be issued unless the sum is turned over to the Sandiganbayan sheriff.
“To avoid imprisonment and in view of the commitment of the Sandiganbayan that it will issue an order requiring PCGG to issue the necessary check for reimbursement, LBP advanced the amount ofP10,000,000 from its corporate funds,” COA said in its decision.
COA also set aside the PCGG’s argument on laches and prescription in relation to the Landbank’s claim.
“To emphasize, laches and prescription lie only when there is neglect to assert a right over a long period of time, and when an action upon a judgement is not brought within 10 years from the right thereof accrues,” COA said. – Rappler.com
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Marcos Jr. dodges question on refusal to apologize for Martial Law atrocities
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Dwight de Leon
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15/04/2024 18:44
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File photo. Philippines' President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. looks on as he meets with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, at Malacanang Palace in Manila, Philippines, March 19, 2024.
REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein/Pool
MANILA, Philippines – President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. sidestepped questions regarding his insistence not to say sorry for the atrocities committed during the Martial Law regime of his late father, the dictator Ferdinand E. Marcos.
During the Foreign Correspondents’ Association of the Philippines (FOCAP) presidential luncheon on Monday, April 15, a reporter asked Marcos, “Why have you resisted issuing an apology for the atrocities committed during Martial Law under your father’s rule, and will you continue doing so as president?”
“I don’t think it’s a duty for a president to be involved. That is a personal matter for the Marcos family,” he answered. “My role as president is more important right now than my role as a member of the Marcos family.”
The reporter, seemingly unsatisfied with the answer, threw a follow-up at Marcos, “So will you apologize as president of the Republic in behalf?”
“That seems highly contrived. Who is apologizing to whom?” Marcos replied, after which the subject has been dropped.
Marcos, in the past, dismissed the idea of saying sorry for the sins committed by his father.
“Will I say sorry for the thousands and thousands of kilometers [of roads] that were built? Will I say sorry for the agricultural policy that brought us to self-sufficiency in rice? Will I say sorry for the power generation? Will I say sorry for the highest literacy rate in Asia? What am I to say sorry about?” Marcos Jr. said in a 2015 interview.
The presidency of Marcos Sr. from 1965 to 1986 became among the darkest chapters of Philippine history.
His declaration of Martial Law in 1972 allowed him to stay in power beyond the two-term limit imposed by the 1935 Constitution.
That era was marked by widespread corruption in government, suppression of various freedoms, and human rights violations.
Amnesty International said 70,000 people were imprisoned, 34,000 were tortured, and 3,240 were killed from 1972 to 1981.
After the 1986 EDSA People Power Revolution booted out Marcos Sr. and left his family no choice but to go intoexile in Hawaii, the succeeding government formed a body tasked to go after their ill-gotten wealth.
As of 2021, the Presidential Commission on Good Government said P170 billion have been recovered but they are after P125 billion more.
The Marcos family, however, has successfully reintegrated themselves in Philippine politics after the Corazon Aquino government allowed them to return home in 1991 to face the legal challenges against them.
In 2022, Marcos Jr. won the presidential election in a landslide vote, with the help of what critics said was a well-oiled disinformation campaign to rehabilitate the family’s image. – Rappler.com
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The Marcos family’s image rehabilitation continues. Remember what Cory did: “The Marcos family, however, has successfully reintegrated themselves in Philippine politics after the Corazon Aquino government allowed them to return home in 1991 to face the legal challenges against them.” She may be turning in her grave now.
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Barroca continues to defy Father Time as Magnolia wins 3 in a row
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delfin.dioquino editor
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17/04/2024 23:23
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FOCUS. Mark Barroca in action for the Magnolia Hotshots in the 2024 PBA Philippine Cup.
PBA Images
MANILA, Philippines – With the way Mark Barroca has been playing in the PBA Philippine Cup, how can anyone tell that he is already 37 years old?
Barroca continues to turn back the clock as he steered Magnolia to a third straight win, netting 19 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals in an 81-77 escape against Blackwater at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium on Wednesday, April 17.
Coming through when it mattered most, Barroca poured 11 points in the fourth quarter to help the Hotshots stay afloat and improve to 4-2 after the Bossing threatened a comeback behind rookie James Kwekuteye.
“I’m motivated to compete in every game and in every practice. I’m the kind of person who wants a challenge, especially against the younger players. I want to see how far I can go,” said Barroca, who will turn 38 on April 25.
The 5-foot-10 guard has been a consistent two-way performer for Magnolia.
Barroca is second in the team in scoring with 15.2 points and his averages of 5.2 assists and 2.5 steals rank fifth and second, respectively, in the entire league.
“Mark is 37? He plays like he is 30,” said Hotshots head coach Chito Victolero. “I see how he takes care of his body and he watches what he eats.”
“I think one of the biggest factors why he can keep up with the younger players is because he really takes care of his body.”
Calvin Abueva delivered for Magnolia with a 10-point, 13-rebound double-double off the bench, while Paul Lee chimed in 10 points and 4 assists in a game that saw him move one triple within the 1,000 three-pointers club.
Ian Sangalang, who leads the Hotshots in scoring with 18.7 points, added 10 points in the win.
Kwekuteye finished with a season-high 23 points, scattering 12 points in the final frame as Blackwater trimmed a deficit as big as 50-67 to just 74-79 with 10 seconds left in the game.
Lee, however, knocked down a pair of crucial free throws to seal the win for Magnolia.
Troy Rosario supplied 20 points, 6 assists, and 4 rebounds for the Bossing, who lost their fifth straight game since their promising 3-0 start.
Magnolia 81 – Barroca 19, Sangalang 10, Abueva 10, Lee 10, Laput 9, Dionisio 7, Jalalon 7, Eriobu 4, Tratter 2, Mendoza 0, Balanza 0, Ahanmisi 0.
Blackwater 77 – Kwekuteye 23, Rosario 20, Nambatac 9, Ilagan 7, David 7, Guinto 6, Hill 2, Jopia 2, Chua 1, Escoto 0, Suerte 0, Tungcab 0, Casio 0.
Quarters: 17-20, 34-34, 56-45, 81-77.
– Rappler.com
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FACT CHECK: Bukidnon concertgoers passed off as Duterte’s Tagum ‘peace rally’ attendees
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Lorenz Pasion
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15/04/2024 21:25
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Claim: Photos show an aerial view of a huge crowd gathering for the “Hakbang ng Maisug” peace rally staged by supporters of former president Rodrigo Duterte in Tagum City.
Why we fact-checked this: A compilation of photos allegedly showing an aerial view of the crowd attending the April 14 prayer rally was posted on the Facebook page named “PRRD – the Greatest,” which has 140,000 followers.
The post bears the caption: “TINGNAN | Defend the Flag Peace Rally na kasalukuyan ginaganap sa Tagum City, dinagsa ng mga tao. @followers HAKBANG NG MAISUG | April 14, 2024”
(LOOK | People flocked to the Defend the Flag Peace Rally currently happening in Tagum City. @followers HAKBANG NG MAISUG | April 14, 2024 )
It also included the hashtags #StopAbuseOfPower, #FilipinoAreNotForSale, and #BBMRESIGN.
As of writing, the post has received 325 combined reactions, 75 comments, and 46 shares.
The facts: Using Google reverse image search, Rappler found that the photos used in the misleading Facebook post were not from the Duterte peace rally in Tagum City.
The original photos were taken from the birthday celebration concert for Senator Migz Zubiri held in Malaybalay City, Bukidnon, and posted on the Facebook page “Viajero Series PH” on April 13, a day before the Tagum City rally.
It was clearly stated in the caption that the aerial photos showing a massive crowd were taken during the live performance of the nine-piece OPM group Ben & Ben at the birthday concert.
Tagum City peace rally: The Hakbang ng Maisug rally was the third rally organized by supporters of the former president to oppose the Marcos administration’s push for charter change via people’s initiative, following similar events held in Davao City last January and another gathering in Cebu in February.
Despite expecting at least 100,000 people to attend the rally, Bombo Radyo Davao reported that only around 7,500 people attended the event, according to the Davao del Norte Police Provincial Office.
Since the first rally held in January, the Duterte camp has been open in its criticism of the Marcos administration. During the April 14 rally, Davao del Norte 1st District Representative Pantaleon Alvarez called on the Armed Forces of the Philippines to withdraw its support for Marcos, prompting some lawmakers to call for a probe into Alvarez’s “seditious” statement.
In March, Rappler fact-checked a similar claim of a concert photo misrepresented as an aerial photo of the crowd attending the Cebu leg of the “Hakbang ng Maisug” prayer rally. – 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. You may also report dubious claims to the #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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Thanks for the Fact-Checking. This lie made me angry.
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ABS-CBN’s Star Hunt to hold auditions for next P-pop idol trainees, new season of ‘PBB’
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Ysa Abad
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14/04/2024 13:51
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BINI's Facebook
MANILA, Philippines – Do you have what it takes to be the country’s next big star? ABS-CBN’s Star Magic head Laurenti Dyogi announced that they’ll be holding auditions for aspiring Filipino celebrities as they are looking for a “new breed of artists.”
“If you feel you have the potential to be a star and to be in the industry, join us in the auditions,” Dyogi said in an Instagram Live.
According to the director, they’re reviving their artista/idol search Star Hunt Academy for those interested to join their talent management arm Star Magic, for aspiring P-pop idols, and for aspiring housemates for a new edition of Pinoy Big Brother (PBB).
To note, P-pop groups BINI and BGYO were formed through Star Hunt Academy, an offshoot of Star Magic, wherein artists were trained through an “idol system.”
Meanwhile, PBB is a reality survival show that follows a group of people living together in one house for a set period of time, completing different challenges throughout. Housemates are eliminated every week, until a winner is declared in the season finale. It first premiered on ABS-CBN in 2005, while its latest season, the 16th edition, aired in 2022. Some of the notable Filipino celebrities who started their career in PBB include Kim Chiu, Gerald Anderson, Melai Cantiveros, James Reid, Maris Racal, and Robi Domingo, among others.
Dyogi said that they will hold four on-ground auditions nationwide, with the first being on April 27 and 28 in Metro Manila. They will head to Visayas, Mindanao, and Luzon on the following weekends for the next set of auditions. As of writing, final dates and venue for these auditions have yet to be announced. Aside from the on-ground auditions, there will also be online auditions.
Those interested to join the new season of PBB must be 16 to 32 years old, while aspiring idol trainees under Star Hunt Academy must be 13 to 25 years old.
On their social media accounts, the team behind PBB also implored the public to “be vigilant against scammers claiming to be part of PBB and asking aspiring housemates to audition.” They reminded that unauthorized use and false representation of the brand is punishable by the law.
The new edition of PBB is set to premiere in June. – Rappler.com
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Alvarez apologizes for call to military to withdraw Marcos support | The wRap
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Nina Liu
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17/04/2024 22:13
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Here are today’s headlines – the latest news in the Philippines and around the world:
Former speaker and Davao del Norte Representative Pantaleon Alvarez apologizes for calling on the military to withdraw support from President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
More outages are feared in the Visayas with the suspension of operations of thirteen power generation plants while five others are running at derated capacities.
TikTok takes down 43 videos spreading health-related disinformation and terminated accounts found propagating this content.
The University of Southern California, citing safety concerns and passions around the Middle East conflict, cancels the valedictorian speech of a Muslim student.
This is it, Filipino Uaenas! Here are the ticket prices and seat plan for South Korean singer IU’s upcoming concert in Bulacan. — Rappler.com
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Barroca continues to defy Father Time as Magnolia wins 3 in a row
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delfin.dioquino editor
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17/04/2024 23:23
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FOCUS. Mark Barroca in action for the Magnolia Hotshots in the 2024 PBA Philippine Cup.
PBA Images
MANILA, Philippines – With the way Mark Barroca has been playing in the PBA Philippine Cup, how can anyone tell that he is already 37 years old?
Barroca continues to turn back the clock as he steered Magnolia to a third straight win, netting 19 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals in an 81-77 escape against Blackwater at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium on Wednesday, April 17.
Coming through when it mattered most, Barroca poured 11 points in the fourth quarter to help the Hotshots stay afloat and improve to 4-2 after the Bossing threatened a comeback behind rookie James Kwekuteye.
“I’m motivated to compete in every game and in every practice. I’m the kind of person who wants a challenge, especially against the younger players. I want to see how far I can go,” said Barroca, who will turn 38 on April 25.
The 5-foot-10 guard has been a consistent two-way performer for Magnolia.
Barroca is second in the team in scoring with 15.2 points and his averages of 5.2 assists and 2.5 steals rank fifth and second, respectively, in the entire league.
“Mark is 37? He plays like he is 30,” said Hotshots head coach Chito Victolero. “I see how he takes care of his body and he watches what he eats.”
“I think one of the biggest factors why he can keep up with the younger players is because he really takes care of his body.”
Calvin Abueva delivered for Magnolia with a 10-point, 13-rebound double-double off the bench, while Paul Lee chimed in 10 points and 4 assists in a game that saw him move one triple within the 1,000 three-pointers club.
Ian Sangalang, who leads the Hotshots in scoring with 18.7 points, added 10 points in the win.
Kwekuteye finished with a season-high 23 points, scattering 12 points in the final frame as Blackwater trimmed a deficit as big as 50-67 to just 74-79 with 10 seconds left in the game.
Lee, however, knocked down a pair of crucial free throws to seal the win for Magnolia.
Troy Rosario supplied 20 points, 6 assists, and 4 rebounds for the Bossing, who lost their fifth straight game since their promising 3-0 start.
Magnolia 81 – Barroca 19, Sangalang 10, Abueva 10, Lee 10, Laput 9, Dionisio 7, Jalalon 7, Eriobu 4, Tratter 2, Mendoza 0, Balanza 0, Ahanmisi 0.
Blackwater 77 – Kwekuteye 23, Rosario 20, Nambatac 9, Ilagan 7, David 7, Guinto 6, Hill 2, Jopia 2, Chua 1, Escoto 0, Suerte 0, Tungcab 0, Casio 0.
Quarters: 17-20, 34-34, 56-45, 81-77.
– Rappler.com
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Fire razes Mount Arayat anew
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Joann Manabat - CMS
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17/04/2024 22:45
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FIRE RAZES ANEW. A closer look at the ongoing fire in Mt. Arayat.
Photo courtesy of Dr. Gerald Salas
PAMPANGA, Philippines – A fire hit a portion of Pampanga’s Mount Arayat on Wednesday, April 17, the Bureau of Fire Protection in Arayat town confirmed.
The fire is visible from the nearby Magalang town but the incident is in the area of responsibility of the municipality of Arayat, according to the Magalang Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction Office.
Based on the initial report, the fire broke out around 4:30 pm in Barangay Baliti in Arayat town. Authorities have yet to declare fire out as it continued to raze as of 7:30 pm.
An investigation is underway to determine the cause of the fire.
This is the second fire incident in Mount Arayat this month. On April 2, a two-day bush fire also broke out, destroying 12 hectares which included a private property and parts of the protected forest reservation area. – Rappler.com
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LIST: Forbes’ best Philippine banks in 2024
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lkyu0285
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18/04/2024 19:40
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BUSINESS HUB. A view of the Makati City skyline on June 2, 2022.
Mau Victa/Rappler
MANILA, Philippines – From being named the second-best bank in the Philippines in 2023, Philippine National Bank (PNB) rose to claim the top spot in 2024.
PNB is 2024’s best bank in the Philippines according to Forbes. The Tan-owned bank is far from being the biggest bank in the country or even the biggest in Forbes’ ranking. It is, however, the largest and oldest among the top five in the list.
Here is the full list of Forbes’ top banks in the Philippines.
Aboitiz-owned UBP came in as the second top bank in the list. It was followed by digital banks Maya, OFBank, and UnionDigital Bank to round out the top five.
CIMB Bank, which was Forbes’ top Philippine bank in 2023, did not make it to the 2024 list. Two of the country’s largest banks – Bank of the Philippine Islands and BDO Unibank – also did not make the list this year.
Instead, Forbes’ 2024 list is dominated by digital banks. The Philippines has seen a rise in digital banking since 2021, which was when the central bank allowed new financial institutions to go all-digital and drop their physical bank branches. Among the six digital banks in the Philippines, only Tonik Digital Bank did not make it to the list. (READ: Digital bank Maya expects to break even in 2024)
“Faced with a confluence of shifting factors – including tech advancements, generative AI, high interest rates, increased institutional oversight, and evolving customer expectations – banks are being called on to adjust their business and operating models,” Forbes said, which could explain why young, digital banks have ranked highly.
To determine the world’s best banks, Forbes partnered with market research company Statista. More than 49,000 individuals were surveyed across 33 countries and in 17 languages. Participants were asked to rate their overall satisfaction with each bank, along with scoring the banks based on five criteria:
Banks with the highest final scores in their respective countries were the ones included in the list. – Rappler.com
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PH athletes to attend month-long training camp in France before Paris Olympics
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delfin.dioquino editor
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18/04/2024 19:12
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CELEBRATE. The Philippines' EJ Obiena in action during the men's pole vault competition in the 19th Asian Games.
PSC-POC Media Pool
MANILA, Philippines – Ahead of the centenary year of the Philippines’ participation in the Olympics, the country’s Paris Games hopefuls will head to France for a month-long training camp.
According to the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC), all local Olympic bets, their physical trainers, and nutritionists, are bound for the picturesque city of Metz, about 300 kilometers east of Paris, to train there starting late June to acclimatize themselves to the weather.
The Paris Games are set to open on July 26.
“[Metz will] provide everything, all equipment to be used in Paris, they will procure that for our use, all facilities, they’ll provide,” said POC president Abraham Tolentino during a partnership event with Cignal TV on Thursday, April 18.
“If the practice venues are located in a different venue, they will provide shuttles, but the main hub will be in Metz. All other facilities are within reach, 15 to 20 minutes by car or van,” he added.
Currently, the Philippines will be spearheaded by pole vaulter EJ Obiena, gymnast Caloy Yulo, weightlifter Vanessa Sarno, as well as boxers Eumir Marcial and Nesthy Petecio, as they look replicate the golden feat of weightlifting star Hidilyn Diaz in the Tokyo Games.
Many more are still projected to qualify through Olympic Qualifying Tournaments, as well as universality slots allotted for the Asian region.
Athletes from Brazil, Canada, and several African countries are also expected to be in Metz, according to POC secretary general Atty. Wharton Chan.
“Before we agreed to the venue, we had an ocular of the whole place, and we made sure that the environment in Metz would fill in all the sports that we think are possible to be played by the Filipino athletes,” said Chan.
“That’s why all the venues, especially gymnastics, athletics, swimming, boxing, weightlifting, they have definite tools, equipment, venue – [which are] Olympic regulated – for us to use on that specific training venue and aside from that, they offered us sparring partners for those competitions which need necessary sparring partners,” Chan added.
Futhermore, Cignal TV presented an elaborate plan to produce a 13-part miniseries on Team Philippines’ quest for the gold, which will stretch from the start of the training camp on June 23 through the last contest of a Filipino in Paris.
The campaign, dubbed “Isang Daang Taon Laban Para sa Bayan: Celebrating 100 Years of Filipino Excellence in the Olympics,” will provide extensive coverage across free and pay TV channels, as well as livestreaming platforms online.
Cignal TV and MediaQuest chief Jane Basas said the programs will likely be shown on RPTV, One Sports, other peripheral channels, and the Pilipinas Live app as the country’s official broadcaster continues to finalize the coverage details.
A century ago, sprinter David Nepomuceno, became the first Filipino to participate in the 1924 Summer Olympics, the last time Paris hosted the Games.
He ran both the 100m and 200m dash, but was not able to advance to the final round of both events.
Nepomuceno, also a United States Navy sailor, died at just 39 years old in 1939.
After falling short multiple times, the Philippines first achieved a gold-medal finish when Diaz ruled the 55-kilogram weightlifting category in the postponed Tokyo Games, held in 2021 in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic.
Sadly, Diaz won’t get a shot at an Olympic golden double as she failed to qualify for Paris. – Rappler.com
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All business: Revilla, De Leon hide emotions in 1st-ever match versus old Choco Mucho team
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jisaga0269
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18/04/2024 21:49
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TITAN SMASHERS. Creamline libero Denden Lazaro-Revilla (left) and middle blocker Bea de Leon react in the 2024 PVL All-Filipino Conference
PVL Images
MANILA, Philippines – On Thursday, April 18, PVL stars Denden Lazaro-Revilla and Bea de Leon found themselves in very familiar territory as sister teams Creamline and Choco Mucho met for another high-stakes match in a jam-packed Araneta Coliseum.
The environment was practically the same from all their previous encounters: thousands upon thousands of fans leaving little to no seats unoccupied, earsplitting cheers piercing the air, and both teams gearing up for another round of elite volleyball action.
The lone stark difference, however, was Revilla and De Leon donning the bright pink Creamline colors after carving their reputation as fierce Choco Mucho leaders who stuck with the “ube girls” through thick and thin.
It was certainly a noteworthy sight, a reality that still needs some time getting used to, and even the players themselves were not shy to admit so.
“So weird. In a way, it feels weird, because it’s still kind of fresh. We’ve only been with Creamline for a few months,” Revilla said in Filipino.
At such a big-energy setting with emotions running high, Revilla felt they had no more room for nostalgia or other personal sentiments, and it paid off, as Creamline once again had Choco Mucho’s number by way of a 25-17, 25-22, 25-19 surprise blowout.
Overall, it was the Cool Smashers’ 12th straight win over the Flying Titans dating back to the latter’s 2019 inception, with their previous meeting being Game 2 of the 2023 All-Filipino finals.
“When we’re inside the court, it’s all business. Outside, we’re happy for one another,” Revilla continued.
“I knew it was a big game, and I was nervous at some point,” De Leon chimed in. “But I saw and felt the guidance and trust of my teammates and coaches. They were literally behind my back like Ate Ly (Alyssa Valdez), whispering wisdom.”
As Creamline evaded falling to fifth place and diverted from a difficult climb to the semifinals, both Revilla and De Leon are thankful that the Cool Smashers have constantly made them feel that they’re not outsiders and former rivals, but rather important members of their family.
“It really feels like home. The moment I stepped in training, they made me feel welcome,” Revilla said. “The coaches, my teammates, and the management, they made it feel like I’m part of Creamline even though I was from Choco Mucho. Yeah, one big happy family.”
“I’m really at peace at where I am,” De Leon added. “Not a day goes by where I’m not thankful of my teammates and my coaches who gave me a new chance. It’s an honor to be here, and yeah, my heart is at peace.” – Rappler.com
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Filipinos can push to deport foreign exes based on immigration violations
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Jairo Bolledo
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16/04/2024 11:14
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Alyssa Arizabal/ Rappler
Actress-comedienne Pokwang, real name Marietta Subong, projected on social media a happy family life until the relationship with her ex-partner, American Lee O’Brian, with whom she also shares a daughter, turned sour.
The Philippine Bureau of Immigration said on Thursday, April 11, that O’Brian had been deported to the United States, ending the feud between the former lovers.
Can Filipinos initiate the deportation of their estranged foreigner partners or spouses? They can be a private complainant, but the grounds must be based on immigration rules and not on any other reasons that arose from a bad breakup. The grounds for deportation under Philippine immigration laws, as listed in Immigration Memorandum Circular No. SBM-2015-010 are as follows:
Pokwang filed the complaint against her ex-partner on grounds of him overstaying. Because they were not married, O’Brian did not acquire a permanent resident visa (PRV) by marriage, one of the only few ways for foreigners to get a Philippine PRV.
In Pokwang’s complaint, the comedienne alleged that O’Brian’s repeated renewal of tourist visa “constitutes fraud and willful misrepresentation of facts, while his work engagements are violations of limitations under which he was admitted as a non-immigrant.”
The BI found that there was a violation of Section 37(7) of the Philippine Immigration Act which states that a foreigner can be deported if he/she “remains in the Philippines in violation of any limitation or condition under which he was admitted as a nonimmigrant.”
BI’s records showed that OGIED Productions, Inc. was O’Brian’s petitioning company, which paved the way for him to work in the country. However, BI said that from March 2017 to February 2020, O’Brian also worked as an independent contractor with other production companies and producers.
According to the immigration bureau, O’Brian’s employment in other companies other than his petitioning company was a violation of section 37(a)(7) of the Philippine Immigration Act.
“This conduct unmistakably contravenes the stipulated terms and conditions of his visa, as expressly authorized exclusively for the specified position and company for which it was granted. Such behavior indicates a transgression of the limitations or conditions explicitly delineated in his visa,” the resolution read.
If the Filipino and the foreigner were married, but the marriage failed, that could be used as pretext for an immigration violation, immigration spokesperson Dana Sandoval told Rappler.
Because foreigners acquire permanent residence visa by virtue of marriage to a Filipino, once separated, the visa loses its grounds.
“It can be a ground for deportation ‘pag wala na ‘yong reason for the visa. So, wala na ‘yong marriage, magkahiwalay na sila,” Sandoval said. (It can be a ground for deportation if the reason for the visa no longer exists. So, no more marriage, and they’re already separated.)
Sandoval said it’s not really uncommon to see deportation cases stemming from failed marriages because they encounter them in Immigration every now and then.
“So ‘pag nagkakaroon sila ng hindi na nag-work out [na] marriage and they choose to sever ties with the spouse, ‘yon ‘yong nagiging reason for us to cancel the visa and initiate an immigration charge against the foreign national,” the immigration spokesperson explained to Rappler.
Speaking from experience in the case of his client Pokwang, lawyer Rafael Vicente Calinisan said complaints for deportation can be filed with the office of the BI commissioner, and the BI would then determine if the allegations have substance. If the BI finds substance, a preliminary investigation will be conducted by the bureau.
The foreigner concerned can submit his/her counter-affidavit or response to the allegations, and if the special prosecutor still finds the allegations sufficient, a charge sheet will be issued similar to the process of filing a criminal complaint.
“After the charge sheet is issued, there will be an internal process in the Bureau of Immigration wherein the case would be included in the agenda of the Board of Commissioners. They would deliberate, and they would decide the case. A resolution would be issued,” Calinisan told Rappler.
But immigration laws in the Philippines are far from perfect, and at times, had been used against foreigners who were critical of the government.
Under former president Rodrigo Duterte’s presidency, the case of Australian nun Patricia Fox put the Philippine immigration law in the spotlight because her missionary visa was forfeited on the basis of her being too politically involved.
BI’s Operations Order No. SBM-2015-025, passed by former justice secretary Leila de Lima during the Benigno Aquino III government, prohibits “foreign tourists from engaging in any political activity as defined by law and jurisprudence, such as but not limited to, joining, supporting, contributing or involving themselves in whatever manner in any rally, assembly or gathering, whether for or against the government.”
Fox was a missionary in the Philippines who helped farmers, laborers, and indigenous peoples for 27 years, until she was ordered deported by the BI under the Duterte presidency.
In the end, BI’s deportation order was based on a visa violation because the nun only supposedly declared Barangay Amihan, Quezon City, as the place of her missionary work. She allegedly violated immigration laws for supposedly working outside that village.
Fox called the BI’s explanation “absurd,” adding that it will “unduly restrict her religious work in violation of the constitutional precept against interference in the exercise of one’s right to religious freedom and worship.” The nun ultimately left the Philippines, the place she called home for almost three decades, in November 2018.
The Philippines has one of the more complex visa rules for foreigners, even following the “quota” visas under which only certain nationalities can be granted permanent residence here. There are only 50 of each nationality who can be granted the visa per year.
Exclusion from the list means not being qualified for permanent residence. This has left children of these foreigners excluded from the list with limited rights even if they were raised in the Philippines. Some Indians who have been in the Philippines all their lives, for example, resort to the expensive process of naturalization just to acquire Filipino rights – including engaging in political activities, like voting.
Ironically, foreigners at risk of being deported have found ways to skirt immigration laws to be able to stay here. This is what the Department of Justice (DOJ) dubs the “demanda me (sue me)” scheme.
Because Philippine immigration rules ban the deportation of foreigners who have pending cases, foreigners pay to have themselves sued, extending their stay in the country. To address this loophole in the rules, the DOJ has asked the legislature to pass a law that will stop the abusive practice. – Rappler.com
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Arnie Teves son bribed Timor-Leste police for father’s special treatment – DOJ
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Jairo Bolledo
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18/04/2024 19:29
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EX-LAWMAKER. In this file photo, then Negros Oriental 3rd District representative Arnie Teves presides a plenary session as deputy speaker in March 2021.
House press and public affairs bureau
MANILA, Philippines – The Philippines’ Department of Justice (DOJ) said on Thursday, April 18, that a son of former lawmaker Arnolfo “Arnie” Teves Jr. allegedly bribed a Timorese official.
The DOJ said Teves’ son allegedly bribed a member of Timor Leste’s Criminal Investigation Police in exchange for giving the former lawmaker special treatment while in detention. The justice department did not provide the name of the former lawmaker’s son involved in the bribery incident.
Teves is under Timor-Leste’s custody after he was arrested for his alleged crimes in the Philippines. He is the suspected mastermind in the killing of Negros Oriental governor Roel Degamo and nine others.
Citing reports, the justice department said Teves’ son offered a $2,000 (around P114,000) bribe “in exchange for ‘security’ inside and outside Becora Prison, where he (Teves) is being held while waiting for his extradition or deportation.”
Amid the bribery allegation, the DOJ has asked the Timor-Leste government for Teves’ immediate deportation.
“Go home and face the court squarely,” DOJ Secretary Jesus Crispin “Boying” Remulla said. “Let us stop playing hide and seek with the law. One cannot evade accountability for eternity. Prolonging your liabilities with the rule of law only worsens your predicament.”
Teves is in pre-trial detention at Becora Prison following his arrest in March. He was arrested through a collaboration between the International Police’s National Central Bureau in Dili and the Timorese police. He was on the Interpol’s red notice alert.
After the Degamo assassination, Teves refused to return to the country and was later expelled by his colleagues from the House of Representatives. He also tried to apply for political asylum in Timor Leste, but was denied.
On top of his alleged involvement in the Degamo assassination, the expelled representative of Negros Oriental 3rd District faces a murder charge over three separate killings that happened between March and June 2019 in Negros Oriental. With these, there are at least two standing warrants of arrest against Teves. – Rappler.com
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In official visit to PH, New Zealand PM discusses regional, global conflicts with Marcos
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Dwight de Leon
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18/04/2024 19:55
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HEADS OF GOVERNMENT. New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon arrives in Malacañang for an official visit on April 18, 2023, and is welcomed by Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
PPA POOL / MARIANNE BERMUDEZ
MANILA, Philippines – President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. welcomed visiting New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon to the Malacañang on Thursday, April 18, where the two talked about various developments in the international community.
In a joint statement, the two “shared serious concern” over worsening tensions in the South China Sea, where China has ramped up its harassment tactics against Philippine vessels.
“They reaffirmed the need for all states to pursue peaceful resolution of disputes in accordance with international law, including dispute settlement mechanisms under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea,” read the statement released by the Presidential Communications Office on Thursday.
“The two leaders…reiterated their support for Association of Southeast Asian Nations-led efforts for the early conclusion of an effective and substantive Code of Conduct for South China Sea that upholds the legitimate rights and interests of all parties and is consistent with UNCLOS,” it added.
The heads of government also called for an immediate ceasefire between Israel and Hamas fighters as the humanitarian crisis in Gaza Strip worsened.
Similar concerns were also raised over Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, and the deteriorating situation in Myanmar three years after a military coup.
Luxon is in Manila for an official visit, and the Philippines is the last leg of his weeklong trip to Southeast Asia to enhance New Zealand’s trade links. In the last week, he had also been to Singapore and Thailand.
In their meeting, Marcos and Luxon agreed to elevate the countries’ bilateral ties to a Comprehensive Partnership by 2026, deepen their defense relationship by signing of the Mutual Logistics Supporting Arrangement by end of 2024, and conclude a Status of Visiting Forces Agreement.
“The leaders directed their foreign ministers and relevant officials to put in place a roadmap to guide the establishment of the Comprehensive Partnership, including the elevation of the foreign ministry consultations to the vice ministerial level and the creation of new mechanisms including a joint economic commission and a maritime dialogue,” the joint statement read.
“The two leaders emphasized the importance of further visa facilitation between the Philippines and New Zealand. The expected visit by New Zealand’s foreign minister to the Philippines later in 2024 would be an opportunity to progress discussions on the Comprehensive Partnership further,” it added. – Rappler.com
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All business: Revilla, De Leon hide emotions in 1st-ever match versus old Choco Mucho team
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jisaga0269
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18/04/2024 21:49
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TITAN SMASHERS. Creamline libero Denden Lazaro-Revilla (left) and middle blocker Bea de Leon react in the 2024 PVL All-Filipino Conference
PVL Images
MANILA, Philippines – On Thursday, April 18, PVL stars Denden Lazaro-Revilla and Bea de Leon found themselves in very familiar territory as sister teams Creamline and Choco Mucho met for another high-stakes match in a jam-packed Araneta Coliseum.
The environment was practically the same from all their previous encounters: thousands upon thousands of fans leaving little to no seats unoccupied, earsplitting cheers piercing the air, and both teams gearing up for another round of elite volleyball action.
The lone stark difference, however, was Revilla and De Leon donning the bright pink Creamline colors after carving their reputation as fierce Choco Mucho leaders who stuck with the “ube girls” through thick and thin.
It was certainly a noteworthy sight, a reality that still needs some time getting used to, and even the players themselves were not shy to admit so.
“So weird. In a way, it feels weird, because it’s still kind of fresh. We’ve only been with Creamline for a few months,” Revilla said in Filipino.
At such a big-energy setting with emotions running high, Revilla felt they had no more room for nostalgia or other personal sentiments, and it paid off, as Creamline once again had Choco Mucho’s number by way of a 25-17, 25-22, 25-19 surprise blowout.
Overall, it was the Cool Smashers’ 12th straight win over the Flying Titans dating back to the latter’s 2019 inception, with their previous meeting being Game 2 of the 2023 All-Filipino finals.
“When we’re inside the court, it’s all business. Outside, we’re happy for one another,” Revilla continued.
“I knew it was a big game, and I was nervous at some point,” De Leon chimed in. “But I saw and felt the guidance and trust of my teammates and coaches. They were literally behind my back like Ate Ly (Alyssa Valdez), whispering wisdom.”
As Creamline evaded falling to fifth place and diverted from a difficult climb to the semifinals, both Revilla and De Leon are thankful that the Cool Smashers have constantly made them feel that they’re not outsiders and former rivals, but rather important members of their family.
“It really feels like home. The moment I stepped in training, they made me feel welcome,” Revilla said. “The coaches, my teammates, and the management, they made it feel like I’m part of Creamline even though I was from Choco Mucho. Yeah, one big happy family.”
“I’m really at peace at where I am,” De Leon added. “Not a day goes by where I’m not thankful of my teammates and my coaches who gave me a new chance. It’s an honor to be here, and yeah, my heart is at peace.” – Rappler.com
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Arnie Teves son bribed Timor-Leste police for father’s special treatment – DOJ
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Jairo Bolledo
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18/04/2024 19:29
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EX-LAWMAKER. In this file photo, then Negros Oriental 3rd District representative Arnie Teves presides a plenary session as deputy speaker in March 2021.
House press and public affairs bureau
MANILA, Philippines – The Philippines’ Department of Justice (DOJ) said on Thursday, April 18, that a son of former lawmaker Arnolfo “Arnie” Teves Jr. allegedly bribed a Timorese official.
The DOJ said Teves’ son allegedly bribed a member of Timor Leste’s Criminal Investigation Police in exchange for giving the former lawmaker special treatment while in detention. The justice department did not provide the name of the former lawmaker’s son involved in the bribery incident.
Teves is under Timor-Leste’s custody after he was arrested for his alleged crimes in the Philippines. He is the suspected mastermind in the killing of Negros Oriental governor Roel Degamo and nine others.
Citing reports, the justice department said Teves’ son offered a $2,000 (around P114,000) bribe “in exchange for ‘security’ inside and outside Becora Prison, where he (Teves) is being held while waiting for his extradition or deportation.”
Amid the bribery allegation, the DOJ has asked the Timor-Leste government for Teves’ immediate deportation.
“Go home and face the court squarely,” DOJ Secretary Jesus Crispin “Boying” Remulla said. “Let us stop playing hide and seek with the law. One cannot evade accountability for eternity. Prolonging your liabilities with the rule of law only worsens your predicament.”
Teves is in pre-trial detention at Becora Prison following his arrest in March. He was arrested through a collaboration between the International Police’s National Central Bureau in Dili and the Timorese police. He was on the Interpol’s red notice alert.
After the Degamo assassination, Teves refused to return to the country and was later expelled by his colleagues from the House of Representatives. He also tried to apply for political asylum in Timor Leste, but was denied.
On top of his alleged involvement in the Degamo assassination, the expelled representative of Negros Oriental 3rd District faces a murder charge over three separate killings that happened between March and June 2019 in Negros Oriental. With these, there are at least two standing warrants of arrest against Teves. – Rappler.com
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Results, team standings: 2024 PVL All-Filipino Conference, Spikers’ Turf Open Conference
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jisaga0269
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02/05/2024 19:25
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CHAMPS. The Creamline Cool Smashers celebrate a winning play.
PVL IMAGES
MANILA, Philippines – Hard-hitting volleyball rolls off at the professional and semi-pro levels as the 2024 PVL All-Filipino Conference and the 2024 Spikers’ Turf Open Conference hit the homestretch!
Here are the results and team standings of both leagues:
FINALS
MAY 12
MAY 9
BATTLE FOR BRONZE
MAY 12
MAY 9
SEMIFINALS
Standings (win-loss-points)
Results
MAY 5
MAY 1
APRIL 30
ELIMINATIONS
Wins-Losses (Points | Set Ratio)
* – Semifinalsx – Eliminated
FINALS
SEMIFINALS
Standings (win-loss-points)
* – Finals
ELIMINATIONS
Wins-Losses (Points)
* – Semifinalsx – Eliminated
– Rappler.com
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From Pampanga’s capitol to capital, Pinedas expand reach
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Joann Manabat - CMS
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18/04/2024 19:16
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TRANFERRED. Former provincial district board member Mylyn Pineda with father Bong (center), and husband Archen (left) have transferred voter registration from Lubao town to the City of San Fernando on Tuesday, April 16.
Photo courtesy of Gerald Gloton
Pampanga’s political kingpin Rodolfo “Bong” Pineda and his daughter, Mylyn, together with her husband Archen, transferred their voter registration from Lubao town to the provincial capital City of San Fernando before noon on Tuesday, April 16, at the office of the Commission on Elections (Comelec).
The buzz is, election season has begun.
The transfer happened a day after Mylyn tendered her resignation as board member of the 2nd Provincial District. Her resignation was addressed to her mother, Lilia “Nanay” Pineda, who, as vice governor, presides the provincial board. Mylyn was serving her second term.
The local media reported that 23 of the 35 barangay captains of San Fernando accompanied the Pinedas to the Comelec, leading to speculations that the former district board member might run for mayor.
Political observers also raise the possibility that it is the Pineda patriarch who will run for mayor, while Mylyn will run for the congressional seat.
The Pinedas of Pampanga are occupying the highest seats in the province. Bong’s only son Dennis, nicknamed Delta, is Pampanga’s governor. Bong’s wife, Lilia, is the vice governor. Their other daughter Esmie is mayor of Lubao, their hometown.
Bong entertained a couple of short interviews with the local media on April 16 which were uploaded on Facebook. He commented on the current city administration, and made references to his voting influence.
The mayor of San Fernando, Vilma Caluag, is serving her first term.
“Alam mo, gusto ko talagang bumoto rito para mapasunod ko rin ‘yung ibang gusto kong mangyari dito, di ba? Kasi dito sa pangkasalukuyan, eh ‘yung mga ibang bumoto dito sa administrasyon na ‘to, parang hindi tumama. Parang lang, ha? Kung sakaling boboto ako rito at boboto talaga ako rito, baka mayaya ko sila sa tamang pagboto,” said Bong.
(You know, I really want to vote here so I can make things happen, right? Because it looks to me like voters here made a mistake in electing the current administration. Well, at least in my opinion. So in case I get to vote here – and I’m going to vote here – I might be able to convince them to vote for the right candidates.)
“Alam mo, ang mangarap ng mabuti napakaganda eh. Siyempre malinis ang pangarap natin. Nakikita mo ‘yung Lubao kahit papaano napaganda natin, di ba? ‘Yung kapitolyo maganda rin,” he also said.
(You know, it’s good to have a vision. We have good intentions. You’ve seen how we’ve improved Lubao somehow. We’ve run capitol well too.)
The Sangguniang Panlalawigan accepted Mylyn’s resignation during its regular session through Resolution No. 8512.
Together with the Vice Governor, the 10 provincial district board members namely – Krizzanel Garbo, Rolando Balingit, Olga Frances Dizon, Sajid Khan Eusoof, Lucky Ferdinand Labung, Ananias Canlas Jr., Nelson Calara, Benjamin Jocson, Cherry Manalo, Claire Lim, and John Carlo Cruz – were present during the session.
3rd Provincial District Board Member Alyssa Michaela Gonzales was absent. Michaela is the daughter of House Senior Deputy Speaker and 3rd District Representative Aurelio “Dong” Gonzales.
Word has gone around too that the Gonzaleses and the Pinedas may now be political rivals as Mylyn could also be eyeing the congressional seat for 3rd District against Michaela or the mayoral race against Deputy Speaker Gonzales, who is serving his last term.
The 3rd District of Pampanga includes the provincial capital City of San Fernando and the municipalities of Arayat, Bacolor, Mexico, and Santa Ana. – Rappler.com
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Good luck to the Pineda Political Dynasty. Their soon-to-be political opponents in these new turfs are probably preparing their defenses now. The result would be which clan can bring better development to Pampanga and greater but subtler corruption.
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RESULTS: April 2024 Physicians Licensure Examination
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clescudero0258
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18/04/2024 19:05
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The following is a press release from the Professional Regulation Commission.
The Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) announces that 1,906 out of 3,434 passed the Physicians Licensure Examination given by the Board of Medicine in NCR, Baguio, Cagayan de Oro, Cebu, Davao, Iloilo, Legazpi, Lucena, Pampanga, Rosales, Tacloban, Tuguegarao and Zamboanga this April 2024.
The results of examination with respect to three examinees were withheld pending submission of the required documents.
The members of the Board of Medicine who gave the licensure examination are Dr. Zenaida L. Antonio, chairman; Dr. Godofreda V. Dalmacion, Dr. Eleanor B. Almoro, Dr. Martha O. Nucum, Dr. Efren C. Laxamana and Dr. Joanna V. Remo, members.
The results were released in three working days from the last day of examination.
Starting May 16, 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), two pieces passport sized pictures (colored with white background and complete name tag), two sets of documentary stamps and one 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 examination will be announced later.
The top performing schools in the April 2024 Physicians Licensure Examination as per Commission Resolution No. 2017-1058(C) series of 2017:
The successful examinees who garnered the ten highest places in the April 2024 Physicians Licensure Examination are the following:
Here’s the full list of passers:
– Rappler.com
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After Supreme Court defeat, Comelec says Smartmatic ban ‘difficult but necessary’
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Dwight de Leon
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18/04/2024 16:16
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Commission on Elections Chairman George Garcia during a press conference on the status of the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections, at the Comelec Command Center in Manila on October 30, 2023.
Angie de Silva/Rappler
MANILA, Philippines – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) is planning to appeal the Supreme Court ruling that it had abused its powers when it disqualified longtime poll tech provider Smartmatic from future elections.
The Comelec said in a statement on Thursday, April 18, that it has not yet decided on the next legal courses of action to take as it has not yet received the official notice and copy of the SC decision, “save for an effort to seek clarification on matters impacting our ongoing Pre-Election Preparatory Activities which, at present and true to our timelines, are in full swing.”
“Nevertheless, Chairman Garcia has mentioned that the en banc is considering filing a Motion for Reconsideration of the decision of the Court,” the poll body said.
The Comelec maintained that the en banc’s decision to ban Smartmatic from future elections was “difficult but necessary.”
“The Commission en banc’s decision was indeed groundbreaking, hard, and difficult but necessary to address the issues brought up by numerous stakeholders regarding transparency, reliability, and integrity of the election procurement involving the subject of an earlier election,” the Comelec said.
The Comelec, in November last year, barred Smartmatic from participating in the bidding for contracts in the 2025 midterm elections, after allegations of its involvement in a 2016 bribery scheme with former poll chairman Andres Bautista came to light.
The commission insisted that the allegations posed an “imminent threat to the strength and integrity” of the Philippines’ democratic processes.
Smartmatic has constantly denied wrongdoing, and even tried to submit bidding proposals for the procurement projects involving voting machines and transmission technology, but was turned down by the Comelec.
The company ran to the Supreme Court, which on Wednesday, April 17, said that the Comelec “implemented a discretionary pre-qualification regime antithetical” to the country’s procurement law when it disqualified Smartmatic.
Smartmatic said on Wednesday that the Supreme Court ruling was a “significant victory for fairness and the rule of law.”
Comelec Chairman George Garcia, in an ambush interview later Thursday, said he stands ready to face any impeachment complaint.
“What’s important is we did what’s best for the interest of the Filipino public,” he added.
The Court ruling, however, does not nullify the contract awarded to Korean firm Miru Systems, the new voting machine provider in the Philippines for 2025.
For Comelec, this meant that the Supreme Court recognizes the Comelec’s awarding of the contract to Miru as valid.
“The Comelec is extremely grateful to the Highest Court of the Land for having recognized our efforts to pursue election preparations true to the letter and spirit of governing procurement laws,” the poll body said in Thursday’s statement. “Our ongoing preparations for the 2025 national and local elections in accordance with our timelines will not be adversely affected by the decision.”
Also on Thursday, former lawmaker Edgar Erice filed a petition with the Supreme Court, urging it to nullify the Comelec resolution that awarded to multi-billion-peso contract to Miru Systems, citing its blemished reputation overseas.
“The Comelec will face and answer in the proper forum as the necessity arises,” it said. – Rappler.com
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CHED urged to probe ‘degree for sale’ scheme in Cagayan
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Bonz Magsambol
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18/04/2024 16:50
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CHED CHIEF. This file photo shows Commission on Higher Education's Prospero de Vera III.
Rappler
MANILA, Philippines – Senators Sherwin Gatchalian and Joel Villanueva on Thursday, April 18, urged the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) to probe a”degree for sale” scheme in Cagayan province, where Chinese students allegedly paid up to P2 million to get a degree.
“I strongly urge the Commission on Higher Education to promptly investigate reports of foreign students in Cagayan allegedly paying up to P2 million for degrees,” said Gatchalian, who chairs the Senate committee on basic education.
He said that while he supported the internationalization of education in the country, Gatchalian opposed any practice “allowing the proliferation of diploma mills in our country.”
“CHED must impose appropriate penalties or sanctions on HEIs (higher education institutions) and their officials who condone such practices,” he said.
Senate Majority Leader Joel Villanueva also made the same call. He said that the issue does “not only diminish the integrity of our education system but might also have implications on our national security.”
Apart from CHED, Villanueva also urged the National Security Council to look into the matter.
“We need to ensure that this is not a smokescreen for more questionable Chinese citizens to enter the country, such as workers in illegal POGO operations,” said Villanueva.
The alleged scheme was first revealed by University of the Philippines professor Chester Cabalza. He claimed that students are not attending classes, citing local reports of Cagayan residents. “I hope that it’s not going to be a milking cow or diploma mill of this government,” he said in an ANC interview on Thursday.
Meantime, in a statement on Thursday, CHED chairman Prospero de Vera said there is a “significant number” of Chinese students enrolled in Saint Paul University Philippines (SPUP) in Tuguegarao City.
He said CHED “has not received complaints” on the school’s acceptance of foreign students. In the event it does, De Vera said CHED it will forward the complaints to the Inter-Agency Committee on Foreign Students (IACFS) for “appropriate action.”
In 2002, CHED granted SPUP autonomous university status, and the school has also been authorized by the Bureau of Immigration to accept foreign students.
On the security risks allegedly posed by these students, De Vera said “CHED will leave the matter to the expertise of our security agencies to investigate and recommend appropriate actions,” and will participate in any congressional probes.
The CHED, he added, will “continue to support the internationalization of Philippine higher education to produce world class professionals.”
De Vera said “there is a significant number of students from India, Indonesia, Nigeria, Thailand, Nepal, Korea, and other countries in Philippine schools.”
Among the reasons these students choose the Philippines are the affordable cost of quality education, and the use of English as a medium of instruction.
De Vera said the Philippines has a “globally recognized quality of instruction in such fields as medicine, dentistry, optometry, physical therapy, public health, and engineering.” – Rappler.com
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CHED urged to probe ‘degree for sale’ scheme in Cagayan
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Bonz Magsambol
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18/04/2024 16:50
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CHED CHIEF. This file photo shows Commission on Higher Education's Prospero de Vera III.
Rappler
MANILA, Philippines – Senators Sherwin Gatchalian and Joel Villanueva on Thursday, April 18, urged the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) to probe a”degree for sale” scheme in Cagayan province, where Chinese students allegedly paid up to P2 million to get a degree.
“I strongly urge the Commission on Higher Education to promptly investigate reports of foreign students in Cagayan allegedly paying up to P2 million for degrees,” said Gatchalian, who chairs the Senate committee on basic education.
He said that while he supported the internationalization of education in the country, Gatchalian opposed any practice “allowing the proliferation of diploma mills in our country.”
“CHED must impose appropriate penalties or sanctions on HEIs (higher education institutions) and their officials who condone such practices,” he said.
Senate Majority Leader Joel Villanueva also made the same call. He said that the issue does “not only diminish the integrity of our education system but might also have implications on our national security.”
Apart from CHED, Villanueva also urged the National Security Council to look into the matter.
“We need to ensure that this is not a smokescreen for more questionable Chinese citizens to enter the country, such as workers in illegal POGO operations,” said Villanueva.
The alleged scheme was first revealed by University of the Philippines professor Chester Cabalza. He claimed that students are not attending classes, citing local reports of Cagayan residents. “I hope that it’s not going to be a milking cow or diploma mill of this government,” he said in an ANC interview on Thursday.
Meantime, in a statement on Thursday, CHED chairman Prospero de Vera said there is a “significant number” of Chinese students enrolled in Saint Paul University Philippines (SPUP) in Tuguegarao City.
He said CHED “has not received complaints” on the school’s acceptance of foreign students. In the event it does, De Vera said CHED it will forward the complaints to the Inter-Agency Committee on Foreign Students (IACFS) for “appropriate action.”
In 2002, CHED granted SPUP autonomous university status, and the school has also been authorized by the Bureau of Immigration to accept foreign students.
On the security risks allegedly posed by these students, De Vera said “CHED will leave the matter to the expertise of our security agencies to investigate and recommend appropriate actions,” and will participate in any congressional probes.
The CHED, he added, will “continue to support the internationalization of Philippine higher education to produce world class professionals.”
De Vera said “there is a significant number of students from India, Indonesia, Nigeria, Thailand, Nepal, Korea, and other countries in Philippine schools.”
Among the reasons these students choose the Philippines are the affordable cost of quality education, and the use of English as a medium of instruction.
De Vera said the Philippines has a “globally recognized quality of instruction in such fields as medicine, dentistry, optometry, physical therapy, public health, and engineering.” – Rappler.com
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3 Negros Occidental cities brace for 12-hour power outage this weekend
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Herbie G
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18/04/2024 16:05
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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 – Power consumers in three cities in Negros Occidental will experience a 12-hour power outage this weekend, but it will have nothing to do with the power crisis now gripping the Visayas following the shutdown of several power generation plants.
The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) and Central Negros Electric Cooperative (Ceneco) announced the power supply interruption scheduled from 6 am to 6 pm this Sunday, April 21. It will affect the cities of Bacolod, Silay, and Talisay.
In their advisories, the NGCP and Ceneco said the scheduled supply interruption would allow them to conduct line maintenance, improve electric poles, and substations.
Talisay Mayor Nilo Antonio Neil Lizarez expressed dismay, saying a 12-hour blackout at a time when temperatures are rising due to the El Nino phenomenon-induced drought would inconvenience people and take a toll on local businesses.
“Still, we can do nothing,” Lizares said, expressing exasperation.
The announcement came on the third day of a power crisis that gripped Visayas and resulted in rotational blackouts blamed by the NGCP on the shutdown of 13 power plants and the derated capacities of nine others.
The NGCP has raised the alert level due to the thinning power supply – or the loss of 696.7 megawatts – in the Visayas grid. Luzon is also facing a similar crisis.
As of Thursday, April 18, the NGCP said Visayas’ power capacity stood at 2,662 MW against a peak demand of 2,465 MW, leaving it only with a 197-MW reserve.
The Metro Bacolod Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MBCCI) called for an explanation about how it was possible for nearly three dozen power plants in the Visayas and Luzon, according to NGCP, to suspend operations early this week.
“We are in a power crisis right now. But it’s crazy and funny to declare that 19 power plants in Luzon and 13 others in the Visayas simultaneously shut down… This is really next to impossible,” said Frank Carbon, MBCCI’s chief executive officer.
He added, “Where are these power plants? Can NGCP name them one by one? Power consumers in the Visayas need to know the truth. And where’s the DOE (Department of Energy) now?”
Carbon said he was worried that the situation in Visayas would worsen if the national government prioritized the Luzon power grid.
The MBCCI called on Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson and Bacolod Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez to call for an emergency meeting among stakeholders to immediately map out contigency measures.
Carbon and his group also called for the creation of a power supply coordinating council under the Provincial Development Council to focus on addressing the problem about the local power supply.
Without a sufficient power supply, according to Carbon, NGCP’s Mindanao-Visayas Interconnectivity Project and the newly inaugurated P67-billion, 230-kilovolt Cebu-Negros-Panay (CNP) backbone project will be rendered “inutile.”
“What’s the use of such transmission facilities if there is no power to transmit?” Carbon pointed out. –Rappler.com
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Philippines: China is ‘source of tension,’ not trilateral summit
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Bea Cupin
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18/04/2024 12:54
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US President Joe Biden hosts Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Japan Prime Minister Fumio Kishida for a trilateral summit at the White House in Washington, US, April 11, 2024.
Kevin Lamarque/REUTERS
MANILA, Philippines – The Philippines on Thursday, April 18, called on China to “reflect upon its own actions in the South China Sea and the West Philippine Sea,” after Beijing claimed that the recent US-Japan-Philippines trilateral leaders summit only amps up tensions in the region.
“The trilateral cooperation is a partnership and a cooperative framework for the promotion of peace, stability and economic prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region. It is an admirable aspiration that should not be considered a threat by any peace-loving country,” the Department of Foreign Affairs said in a statement on Thursday, April 18.
“The source of tension in our region is well known to all. China should reflect upon its own actions in the South China Sea and the West Philippine Sea. It is China’s excessive maritime claims and aggressive behavior, including its militarization of reclaimed features, that are undermining regional peace and stability and raising tensions,” it added.
The DFA said that the “unwarranted references to the Cold War sensationalize the situation and misrepresent the peaceful purpose of the trilateral cooperation.”
“Nevertheless, those who wish to invoke the lessons of the past should also recall the need for adherence to the rule of law and how peace and stability has been maintained in our region through observance and respect for international law,” it added.
On April 12, or shortly after US President Joe Biden, Japan Prime Minister Kishida Fumio, and Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. met in the White House for the first leaders’ trilateral summit, Beijing said it “strongly opposes the practice of bloc politics by relevant countries.”
“We firmly oppose any acts that stoke and drive up tensions and harm other countries’ strategic security and interests. We are seriously against forming exclusive groupings in this region,” said Mao Ning, China’s foreign ministry spokesperson, in a press conference.
Japan and the Philippines have every right to develop normal relations with other countries, but they should not introduce bloc confrontation into this region, still less engage in trilateral cooperation at the expense of other countries’ interests,” Mao added.
Beijing also accused Washington of “[clinging] to the Cold War mentality” and “[threatening] other countries with its bilateral alliance treaties.” “Such moves seriously violate the UN Charter and undermine regional stability,” said Mao.
In a joint vision statement following the summit, Biden, Kishida, and Marcos expressed “serious concern” over Chinese actions both in the South China Sea and the East China Sea, bodies of water that separate China from the Philippines and Japan, respectively.
The US, Japan, and the Philippines specifically criticized Chinese actions in Ayungin Shoal or Second Thomas Shoal, where Chinese vessels regularly harass Philippine resupply missions to the BRP Sierra Madre. The three countries also slammed China for sending its ships to the waters off Senkaku Islands and making incursions into Japan’s territorial waters.
Both the Philippines and Japan are treaty-allies of the United States.
Marcos and his government have repeatedly said that dynamics in the South China Sea, as well as the Philippines’ policy in those waters, should not be seen solely through the lens of competition between superpowers China and the US.
Beijing has repeatedly framed the shift in the Philippines’ West Philippine Sea policy and strategy as a result of the US’ push. Manila again rejected that assertion in its April 18 statement.
“It is the sovereign choice and decision of the Philippines to strengthen our alliance with the United States and our strategic partnership with Japan, in accordance with our national interests and in line with our independent foreign policy. Our actions are in line with international law and complement our commitments in other regional and multilateral forums,” said the DFA.
It said that as the trilateral summit presents “another platform to further promote regional peace and security, it is only reasonable and responsible that the participants discuss regional security issues of mutual concern, challenges to the rule of law, and the peaceful resolution of outstanding disputes.”
“In the case of the South China Sea, the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and the final and legally-binding 2016 Arbitral Award provide definitive lawful basis for the determination of the sovereign rights and jurisdiction within the Philippines’ maritime entitlements,” it added.
China claims almost all of the South China Sea, including parts in the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone. It also rejects the 2016 Arbitral Award, which, among other things, affirmed Manila’s position on its exclusive economic zone in the South China Sea.
Under Marcos, the Philippines has become more assertive in defending its sovereign rights, as well as asserting its sovereignty claims in the South China Sea. Its policy and strategy is a dramatic shift from previous president Rodrigo Duterte, who promised a “pivot” to China and agreed to a “status quo” in the West Philippine Sea.
That status quo, based on statements from Beijing, the Chinese embassy in the Philippines, and even former officials of the Duterte administration, meant the Philippines would not fortify the BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin Shoal. Marcos had said that he would get to the bottom of the “secret agreement.” – Rappler.com
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Marcos says e-trike, e-bike ban stays, but no penalty on violators for now
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Dwight de Leon
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18/04/2024 14:20
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E-TRICYCLE. An e-trike traverses the inner streets of Makati City on March 11, 2024.
Rappler
MANILA, Philippines – President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. instructed the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) and local government units (LGUs) not to penalize e-bicycles and e-tricycles plying national roads in Metro Manila.
Marcos said more time is needed to educate the public about the ban, which will remain in place.
“Under the grace period, e-trikes will not be ticketed, fined, and impounded,” Marcos said in Filipino in a post on X on Thursday, April 18.
“If they will be apprehended, the purpose is to inform them about the roads they can ply, and remind them about the new policies being enforced to maintain order and safety in the streets,” the President added.
In a separate video message, Marcos said the grace period lasts for one month.
MMDA Regulation No. 24-022, released in February, lists nearly two dozen roads where e-bikes, e-trikes, tricycles, pedicabs, pushcarts, and kuligligs are prohibited beginning April.
The MMDA has said that the resolution seeks to set clearer guidelines about the affected vehicles, which are supposedly “a common cause of traffic and road crash incidents.”
MMDA data put the number of road crash incidents involving electric vehicles at 554 in 2023.
Transport advocacy group Move as One Coalition, however, said the MMDA made a sweeping statement that lacks context, noting that MMDA data from 2022 show deaths from bike, e-bike, and pedicab accidents only accounted for 4% of total road fatalities. – Rappler.com
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After Supreme Court defeat, Comelec says Smartmatic ban ‘difficult but necessary’
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Dwight de Leon
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18/04/2024 16:16
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Commission on Elections Chairman George Garcia during a press conference on the status of the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections, at the Comelec Command Center in Manila on October 30, 2023.
Angie de Silva/Rappler
MANILA, Philippines – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) is planning to appeal the Supreme Court ruling that it had abused its powers when it disqualified longtime poll tech provider Smartmatic from future elections.
The Comelec said in a statement on Thursday, April 18, that it has not yet decided on the next legal courses of action to take as it has not yet received the official notice and copy of the SC decision, “save for an effort to seek clarification on matters impacting our ongoing Pre-Election Preparatory Activities which, at present and true to our timelines, are in full swing.”
“Nevertheless, Chairman Garcia has mentioned that the en banc is considering filing a Motion for Reconsideration of the decision of the Court,” the poll body said.
The Comelec maintained that the en banc’s decision to ban Smartmatic from future elections was “difficult but necessary.”
“The Commission en banc’s decision was indeed groundbreaking, hard, and difficult but necessary to address the issues brought up by numerous stakeholders regarding transparency, reliability, and integrity of the election procurement involving the subject of an earlier election,” the Comelec said.
The Comelec, in November last year, barred Smartmatic from participating in the bidding for contracts in the 2025 midterm elections, after allegations of its involvement in a 2016 bribery scheme with former poll chairman Andres Bautista came to light.
The commission insisted that the allegations posed an “imminent threat to the strength and integrity” of the Philippines’ democratic processes.
Smartmatic has constantly denied wrongdoing, and even tried to submit bidding proposals for the procurement projects involving voting machines and transmission technology, but was turned down by the Comelec.
The company ran to the Supreme Court, which on Wednesday, April 17, said that the Comelec “implemented a discretionary pre-qualification regime antithetical” to the country’s procurement law when it disqualified Smartmatic.
Smartmatic said on Wednesday that the Supreme Court ruling was a “significant victory for fairness and the rule of law.”
Comelec Chairman George Garcia, in an ambush interview later Thursday, said he stands ready to face any impeachment complaint.
“What’s important is we did what’s best for the interest of the Filipino public,” he added.
The Court ruling, however, does not nullify the contract awarded to Korean firm Miru Systems, the new voting machine provider in the Philippines for 2025.
For Comelec, this meant that the Supreme Court recognizes the Comelec’s awarding of the contract to Miru as valid.
“The Comelec is extremely grateful to the Highest Court of the Land for having recognized our efforts to pursue election preparations true to the letter and spirit of governing procurement laws,” the poll body said in Thursday’s statement. “Our ongoing preparations for the 2025 national and local elections in accordance with our timelines will not be adversely affected by the decision.”
Also on Thursday, former lawmaker Edgar Erice filed a petition with the Supreme Court, urging it to nullify the Comelec resolution that awarded to multi-billion-peso contract to Miru Systems, citing its blemished reputation overseas.
“The Comelec will face and answer in the proper forum as the necessity arises,” it said. – Rappler.com
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Get a kilo of cabbages from community pantry, help Benguet farmers
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Iya Gozum
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15/04/2024 22:10
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115 MT cabbage traded yesterday for transport to other regions. Photo by Mau Victa/Rappler
Mau Victa
MANILA, Philippines – Buy a kilo of cabbages from the community pantry and help Benguet farmers weathering the adverse effects of El Niño to agriculture.
The community pantry is an initiative that started in Maginhawa Street, Quezon City, three years ago which inspired people to give and take food according to their capabilities and needs. Recently, the pantry had been connecting farmers to consumers, communities for their produce.
“With the ongoing El Niño, the pantry wants to buy cabbages at a higher price than the price initially set by farmers,” Ana Patricia Non, founder of community pantry, told Rappler in Filipino.
Non explained that Benguet farmers were selling cabbages at P12 to P15 per kilo. After checking how much cabbages are sold in grocery stores, Non said they decided to buy the cabbages at P20 per kilo.
Per kilo sold, the community pantry is going to give another kilo of cabbages for free to “communities, the homeless, jeepney drivers, Palestine refugees, Muslim migrant communities, city jails,” Non said.
This sets the buying price at P50 per kilo of cabbages. The additional P10 would cover operational costs. The pantry is accepting orders from April 11 to 23.
Benguet is the top producer of cabbages in the Philippines. It contributed 40% in cabbage production in 2020. Around 34% of the country’s cabbage farming area is in the province.
According to a recent update from the Cordillera regional office of the Department of Agriculture (DA-CAR), wholesale prices of cabbage rareball range from P14 to P16 per kilo, while wholesale prices of cabbage wonderball range from P16 to P19. Big Chinese cabbages, meanwhile, are priced at P10 to P14 per kilo.
DA-CAR reported P444.94 million of agricultural damage due to El Niño as of the end of March. Non said they have been in talks with DA-CAR regarding assisting farmers and connecting them to consumers.
According to the latest report from the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, agricultural damage hit P1.2 billion, affecting 29,409 farmers and fisherfolk and 26,731.4 hectares of crops.
El Niño has historically impacted livelihood and health by causing extreme droughts and severe flooding in parts of the world. Dry spells and droughts could mean crop failures and issues in food production. – Rappler.com
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Filipinos can push to deport foreign exes based on immigration violations
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Jairo Bolledo
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16/04/2024 11:14
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Alyssa Arizabal/ Rappler
Actress-comedienne Pokwang, real name Marietta Subong, projected on social media a happy family life until the relationship with her ex-partner, American Lee O’Brian, with whom she also shares a daughter, turned sour.
The Philippine Bureau of Immigration said on Thursday, April 11, that O’Brian had been deported to the United States, ending the feud between the former lovers.
Can Filipinos initiate the deportation of their estranged foreigner partners or spouses? They can be a private complainant, but the grounds must be based on immigration rules and not on any other reasons that arose from a bad breakup. The grounds for deportation under Philippine immigration laws, as listed in Immigration Memorandum Circular No. SBM-2015-010 are as follows:
Pokwang filed the complaint against her ex-partner on grounds of him overstaying. Because they were not married, O’Brian did not acquire a permanent resident visa (PRV) by marriage, one of the only few ways for foreigners to get a Philippine PRV.
In Pokwang’s complaint, the comedienne alleged that O’Brian’s repeated renewal of tourist visa “constitutes fraud and willful misrepresentation of facts, while his work engagements are violations of limitations under which he was admitted as a non-immigrant.”
The BI found that there was a violation of Section 37(7) of the Philippine Immigration Act which states that a foreigner can be deported if he/she “remains in the Philippines in violation of any limitation or condition under which he was admitted as a nonimmigrant.”
BI’s records showed that OGIED Productions, Inc. was O’Brian’s petitioning company, which paved the way for him to work in the country. However, BI said that from March 2017 to February 2020, O’Brian also worked as an independent contractor with other production companies and producers.
According to the immigration bureau, O’Brian’s employment in other companies other than his petitioning company was a violation of section 37(a)(7) of the Philippine Immigration Act.
“This conduct unmistakably contravenes the stipulated terms and conditions of his visa, as expressly authorized exclusively for the specified position and company for which it was granted. Such behavior indicates a transgression of the limitations or conditions explicitly delineated in his visa,” the resolution read.
If the Filipino and the foreigner were married, but the marriage failed, that could be used as pretext for an immigration violation, immigration spokesperson Dana Sandoval told Rappler.
Because foreigners acquire permanent residence visa by virtue of marriage to a Filipino, once separated, the visa loses its grounds.
“It can be a ground for deportation ‘pag wala na ‘yong reason for the visa. So, wala na ‘yong marriage, magkahiwalay na sila,” Sandoval said. (It can be a ground for deportation if the reason for the visa no longer exists. So, no more marriage, and they’re already separated.)
Sandoval said it’s not really uncommon to see deportation cases stemming from failed marriages because they encounter them in Immigration every now and then.
“So ‘pag nagkakaroon sila ng hindi na nag-work out [na] marriage and they choose to sever ties with the spouse, ‘yon ‘yong nagiging reason for us to cancel the visa and initiate an immigration charge against the foreign national,” the immigration spokesperson explained to Rappler.
Speaking from experience in the case of his client Pokwang, lawyer Rafael Vicente Calinisan said complaints for deportation can be filed with the office of the BI commissioner, and the BI would then determine if the allegations have substance. If the BI finds substance, a preliminary investigation will be conducted by the bureau.
The foreigner concerned can submit his/her counter-affidavit or response to the allegations, and if the special prosecutor still finds the allegations sufficient, a charge sheet will be issued similar to the process of filing a criminal complaint.
“After the charge sheet is issued, there will be an internal process in the Bureau of Immigration wherein the case would be included in the agenda of the Board of Commissioners. They would deliberate, and they would decide the case. A resolution would be issued,” Calinisan told Rappler.
But immigration laws in the Philippines are far from perfect, and at times, had been used against foreigners who were critical of the government.
Under former president Rodrigo Duterte’s presidency, the case of Australian nun Patricia Fox put the Philippine immigration law in the spotlight because her missionary visa was forfeited on the basis of her being too politically involved.
BI’s Operations Order No. SBM-2015-025, passed by former justice secretary Leila de Lima during the Benigno Aquino III government, prohibits “foreign tourists from engaging in any political activity as defined by law and jurisprudence, such as but not limited to, joining, supporting, contributing or involving themselves in whatever manner in any rally, assembly or gathering, whether for or against the government.”
Fox was a missionary in the Philippines who helped farmers, laborers, and indigenous peoples for 27 years, until she was ordered deported by the BI under the Duterte presidency.
In the end, BI’s deportation order was based on a visa violation because the nun only supposedly declared Barangay Amihan, Quezon City, as the place of her missionary work. She allegedly violated immigration laws for supposedly working outside that village.
Fox called the BI’s explanation “absurd,” adding that it will “unduly restrict her religious work in violation of the constitutional precept against interference in the exercise of one’s right to religious freedom and worship.” The nun ultimately left the Philippines, the place she called home for almost three decades, in November 2018.
The Philippines has one of the more complex visa rules for foreigners, even following the “quota” visas under which only certain nationalities can be granted permanent residence here. There are only 50 of each nationality who can be granted the visa per year.
Exclusion from the list means not being qualified for permanent residence. This has left children of these foreigners excluded from the list with limited rights even if they were raised in the Philippines. Some Indians who have been in the Philippines all their lives, for example, resort to the expensive process of naturalization just to acquire Filipino rights – including engaging in political activities, like voting.
Ironically, foreigners at risk of being deported have found ways to skirt immigration laws to be able to stay here. This is what the Department of Justice (DOJ) dubs the “demanda me (sue me)” scheme.
Because Philippine immigration rules ban the deportation of foreigners who have pending cases, foreigners pay to have themselves sued, extending their stay in the country. To address this loophole in the rules, the DOJ has asked the legislature to pass a law that will stop the abusive practice. – Rappler.com
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Baguio bids goodbye to its favorite Tito
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Ysa Abad
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15/04/2024 8:49
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GOODBYE TITO. Tito Mina (foreground) with Bobby Carantes, Eshwer Castañeda, Hector Cruz and Ruel Owat Carantes before his homecoming concert at Pines Hotel.
Monch David
BAGUIO, Philippines – Baguio people don’t call their uncles “titos,” at least not in our generation and in the generations before us. For us, it is “Tiong” for the Ilocanos and “uncle” for the Cordillerans.
That’s why I don’t consider Tito Mina an uncle, even if he was a good friend of my brother.
I knew him as the tall, long-haired, lanky guwapo manong always holding a guitar.
He was among the Baguio folksingers singing in “Gingerbread Folk House” in my neighborhood, “Fireplace” along Assumption Road and other folkhouses in the city, making Baguio the folksinging haven in the 1970s.
Ted Herrera, who studied in Brent and is now living in the US sometimes as a folksinger, had this to say: “We were boarders at Patria de Baguio in Baguio City in the mid-60s and basically hung out on Session Road. In the early ’70s, he was a major guitar player in the Baguio City music scene with the BlitzBitz band and Sampera among others.”
Tito Mina had a cool demeanor on stage and oozing with positive vibes because he was a yogi at that time. He was also an artist and one time, I discovered dozens of his watercolor works, sadly all lost in that great earthquake of 1990.
But what a voice he had!
If I am a girl and Tito Mina sings, “Marami na akong nahalikan, Marami pang labing matitikman. Kay rami nang napusuan, ‘Di na mabilang kung ilan ngunit ngayon pa man ikaw pa rin,” I will totally believe him. And millions of Pinays did believe him, making “Ikaw Pa Rin” one of the anthems of Manila Sound.
It was Hotdogs’ Dennis Garcia who translated the jazz standard, “There Will Never Be Another You” into “Ikaw Pa Rin” and let Tito Mina sing it. He would also sing other hits like “Both in Love” and “Got to Let You Know.”
At the height of his career, he left the country to sing in Europe, particularly in Luxembourg.
In the early 1980s, he came back for a comeback concert at Pines Hotel with a big bonfire around his fans. He came back a few times but that was how I wanted to remember him, with his white sequined jumpsuit singing only for us.
Tito Mina died of a heart attack last April 10 in Spain.
“Tito was a very talented singer and a very good guitarist and his contribution to the music industry will be remembered,” said RJ Jacinto in a statement.
“There’s a void. Tito was a gentle soul and spirit,” Ted Herrera said. – Rappler.com
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Filipino para athletes eye 10 bets in Paris Paralympics
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Jasmine Payo
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17/04/2024 18:10
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PARIS HOPEFULS. Filipino national athletes and para bets with Philippine sports heads and French embassy officials during the photo exhibit marking the 100-day countdown of the Paris Olympics.
CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines – After three Filipino para athletes booked their tickets to the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris, the Philippine Paralympic Committee (PPC) eyes about seven more bets to qualify in the quadrennial event.
Para swimmers Ernie Gawilan and Angel Otom clinched their slots via minimum qualifying standard through their placing in the world championships last February, while para taekwondo jin Allain Ganapin claimed the coveted Asian spot after acing the Asian Qualification Tournament in China last March.
But PPC head Mike Barredo thinks the Philippines can surpass the six-athlete roster it sent in the Tokyo Paralympics in 2021.
“We’re hoping to get at least two more in para athletics, including (wheelchair racer) Jerrold Mangliwan, one or two more in swimming, and maybe a bipartite slot for archery… or para powerlifting,” Barredo told Rappler on Tuesday, April 16.
“It’s at least a minimum of six and a maximum of 10, at least for these para games in Paris,” he added.
The Philippines hopes to come out stronger with Gawilan, a two-time Paralympian, bringing home gold medals from the 3rd and 4th Asian Para Games, and Otom seizing four golds in the 2023 ASEAN Para Games in Cambodia.
Ganapin, who made history as the first Filipino taekwondo jin to qualify in the Paralympics in 2021, likewise feels motivated as he failed to see action in the Tokyo Paralympics after testing positive for COVID-19 just days before the competition.
Barredo also credited the enactment into law of Republic Act 10699 or the Expanded National Athletes and Coaches Benefits and Incentives Act, which has inspired more para athletes to persevere.
According to Barredo, a longtime sports executive, the athletes are making the most out of their year-round allowances, foreign-based training, as well as exposure in international tournaments.
The Paralympic Games are set to be held in the French capital starting August 28, just a couple of weeks after the 2024 Olympics.
“France itself, the Organizing Committee, is offering some sites or some places in France that they can train, or in neighboring countries, so that they can acclimatize themselves to the weather at that time,” said Barredo.
“I know I heard it might be very warm in July, August, and September. And we’ve had two offers to bring our athletes or para athletes to train in Japan, and some other parts in Asia, I guess the weather will not be as much different,” he continued.
Barredo was present during the Olympic torch relay participated by the French and Greek embassies at the Mall of Asia complex, which marked the 100-day countdown before the start of the Olympiad on July 26.
It coincided with the Olympic flame lighting in Olympia, Greece, the birthplace of the Ancient Olympic Games, which were held as early as 776 BC.
Both French ambassador Marie Fontanel and Greek ambassador Ioannis Pediotis held the torch, to symbolize the start and end point of the lit torch.
“We really wanted it to happen here in Manila, that’s why we decided to have this Olympic torch ceremony,” Fontanel said.
The French embassy also launched a photo exhibit featuring snaps from international news service Agence France Presse, which shows the triumphs of both Filipino and foreign Olympians and Paralympians. – Rappler.com
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Huge blow for Ginebra as Jamie Malonzo suffers calf tear, out 6 to 8 weeks
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delfin.dioquino editor
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17/04/2024 19:18
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LAYUP. Jamie Malonzo in action for Barangay Ginebra in the 2024 PBA Philippine Cup.
PBA Images
MANILA, Philippines – Barangay Ginebra will be without Jamie Malonzo for a crucial stretch in the PBA Philippine Cup.
The high-flying forward is expected to miss the remainder of the elimination round and a huge chunk of the playoffs as he sustained a left calf injury.
“Initial prognosis is calf tear. [It will take] six to eight weeks before he can return to the lineup,” said Gin Kings head coach Tim Cone on Wednesday, April 17.
Malonzo suffered the injury near the end of their 95-88 win over NorthPort on April 14.
With a clear lane to the basket, Malonzo appeared to attempt a drive but he fell on his own and limped out of the court while being aided by his teammates.
Losing Malonzo is a huge blow for the Gin Kings since he has been one of their more consistent players in the All-Filipino tournament.
The Gilas Pilipinas mainstay ranks second for Ginebra in scoring with 14.1 points on top of 7.1 rebounds and 3.3 assists.
He breached double figures in scoring in seven of their first eight games, including a career-high 32 points in their conference opener.
Without Malonzo, the Gin Kings – toting a 5-3 record – shoot for a third straight win as they battle TNT on Friday, April 19, at the PhilSports Arena. – Rappler.com
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Amid piling DLSU woes, Shevana Laput leans on RDJ system that has ‘worked for 20 years’
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jisaga0269
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17/04/2024 18:43
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DOWN BUT NOT OUT. La Salle spikers Angel Canino (left) and Baby Jyne Soreño in the UAAP Season 86 women's volleyball tournament.
UAAP SEASON 86 MEDIA TEAM
MANILA, Philippines – The La Salle Lady Spikers are now in the thick of twice-to-beat Final Four contention in the UAAP Season 86 women’s volleyball tournament alongside fellow title hunters NU and UST.
Beneath the facade of an encouraging 10-2 win-loss standings card, however, lies a mounting list of problems for the defending champions, including another untimely injury to opposite hitter Baby Jyne Soreño early in La Salle’s four-set win over Adamson on Wednesday, April 17.
Already missing injured MVP Angel Canino for the third straight contest, which the Lady Spikers won 17-25, 25-19, 25-11, 25-22, the battered champions are now bracing for the possibility that Soreño may have dislocated her left shoulder after colliding with a teammate on a dig attempt in the first set.
Shevana Laput, one of La Salle’s few remaining consistent wingers, remained unfazed, however, as she bared her simple mindset ahead of the Lady Spikers’ last two elimination round games in pursuit of a coveted twice-to-beat berth.
“We just need to listen to what the coaches are saying and stick to our system,” she said after powering down a game-high 24 points. “No matter what happens, no matter if there’s an injury on the court, or we lose a set, if we go back to our system, which has worked for over 20 years, we can win this.”
“When we give our all, when we give our effort, when we play with our hearts as well as our minds, we can do anything.”
Without Canino and Soreño, La Salle’s wing rotation is now thinner than ever, as veteran outside hitter Maicah Larroza has since moved to the starting six alongside Laput, captain setter Julia Coronel, and middle blockers Thea Gagate and Amie Provido.
Beyond those players, no other Lady Spiker has played significant minutes this season to warrant a big role in the Final Four and perhaps beyond.
Still, Laput remains convinced that no matter who is left in the trenches, they still have what it takes to live up to their lofty title-or-bust expectations under coaching legend Ramil de Jesus.
“We’re working on our lapses. But that’s not only on just skills, because volleyball is really a mental game,” Laput continued. “We always need to play with confidence. That’s something that we’re still learning as a team, which is fine, obviously. This is all still experience.”
“When we get to the semis, finals, all that, that’s when we need to be adjusted and ready for it.” – Rappler.com
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Scoring tear: Beau Belga resets career high as Rain or Shine closes in on playoff berth
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delfin.dioquino editor
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17/04/2024 21:16
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THREE. Beau Belga in action for the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters in the 2024 PBA Philippine Cup.
PBA Images
MANILA, Philippines – Scoring isn’t exactly Beau Belga’s strongest suit.
The 37-year-old veteran, though, has been on an offensive tear in the PBA Philippine Cup as Rain or Shine extended its hot streak by way of a 115-105 victory over NorthPort at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium on Wednesday, April 17.
Resetting his career-high in scoring for the second time this conference, Belga notched 28 points on top of 13 rebounds, 7 assists, and 2 steals to power the Elasto Painters to their fifth consecutive win after a dismal 0-4 start.
Belga normed just 11.5 points across those four straight losses before he assumed bigger offensive responsibilities following the knee injury of Keith Datu as he doubled his average to 22.8 points over the last five games.
“Since Keith got injured, I took it upon myself to be a ball hog. I now take 16 to 17 shots in a game. That is rare in my 15 years in the PBA because I usually take 10 to 11 shots at most,” said Belga in Filipino.
Coming out with guns blazing, Belga fired 10 points in the first quarter alone, allowing Rain or Shine to build a commanding 24-14 lead and keep control the rest of the way to deal the Batang Pier their third consecutive defeat.
But even with Belga being more involved in scoring, his playmaking has not taken a hit as he averages 5.4 assists – tied for fourth-most in the league with teammate Andrei Caracut.
In fact, Belga is one of only two big men in the top 10 in assists alongside Barangay Ginebra star Christian Standhardinger.
Belga also ranks fifth in rebounding with an average of 9.3 boards to make up for the absence of Datu and another rookie big man in Luis Villegas, who has yet to suit up for the Elasto Painters this season due to a knee injury.
“We’re happy because Beau has been consistent. He needs to double time since we lack bigs. We’re without Keith, and Luis has yet to play,” said Rain or Shine head coach Yeng Guiao.
Jhonard Clarito backstopped Belga with 17 points to go with 7 rebounds and 2 steals, while Adrian Nocum put up 16 points, 3 rebounds, and 3 assists as the Elasto Painters inched closer to an outright quarterfinal berth.
Old reliable Mark Borboran added 12 points in the win, 10 coming in the third quarter to help Rain or Shine enter the final frame up 81-72.
Rookie forward Zavier Lucero submitted his finest performance of the season with 29 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 steals, but those were not enough for NorthPort to snap out of its funk as it fell to 4-4.
Allyn Bulanadi netted a season-high 26 points in the loss, Kris Rosales chimed in 12 points, while Arvin Tolentino tallied 11 points and 4 steals.
Rain or Shine 115 – Belga 28, Clarito 17, Nocum 16, Borboran 12, Caracut 8, Asistio 7, Mamuyac 6, Santillan 5, Ildefonso 5, Belo 5, Demusis 4, Paredes 2.
NorthPort 105 – Lucero 29, Bulanadi 26, Rosales 12, Tolentino 11, Flores 9, Amores 8, Munzon 6, Navarro 4, Paraiso 0, Yu 0, Zamar 0, Cuntapay 0, Adamos 0.
Quarters: 24-14, 48-38, 81-72, 115-105.
– Rappler.com
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In Greece, PH commits to increasing protected areas by 2030
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Jee Geronimo
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17/04/2024 20:38
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30X30 TARGET. Environment Undersecretary Ernesto Adobo Jr. speaks at one of the panels at the Our Ocean Conference in Athens, Greece, on April 17, 2024.
Jee Y. Geronimo
ATHENS, Greece – The Philippines is committing to “significantly increase” its protected areas on both land and seas by 2030.
“To achieve the 30×30 targets by the decade’s end, the Philippines, an archipelagic nation rich in biodiversity, is dedicated to significantly increasing protected areas on both land and seas,” Environment Undersecretary Ernesto Adobo Jr. said during one of the panels at the Our Ocean Conference here on Wednesday, April 17.
The 30×30 goal refers to the new global target to conserve at least 30% of the Earth by 2030.
Editor’s Note: An earlier version of this story reported that the initial roadmap developed is 80.5% of terrestrial and protected areas in the Philippines. This has been corrected.
“The Department of Environment and Natural Resources, through its Biodiversity Management Bureau, has developed an initial roadmap that projects an area coverage of 18.5% of terrestrial and 16% of marine protected areas in the Philippines under the National Integrated Protected Areas Systems, which was passed as early as 1992, and selected initially identified Other Effective Area-Based Conservation Measures or OECMs,” the environment official added.
The commitment comes just weeks after the environment department was criticized for its alleged negligence in the issuance of environmental compliance certificates (ECCs) to projects in protected areas. After the Chocolate Hills resort controversy broke in March, the department has since stripped its regional offices of the power to approve ECCs within protected areas until further notice.
Adobo, who represented the country in the conference together with Philippine Ambassador to Greece Giovanni Palec, said the department is now on its last stages of consultations in updating the country’s National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan, which adopts a “holistic and climate and disaster risk-sensitive roadmap.”
He added that a network of seven new science research stations located in six marine biogeographic regions will strengthen the Philippines’ capacity for “science-informed decision-making.”
In an earlier panel on coral reefs, Palec also mentioned these research stations, which the environment department announced last February.
The ambassador also noted that the Philippines this year is setting up a dedicated program for its coral reefs, especially since the country is part of the Coral Triangle that is home to the highest coral density in the world, according to the United Nations.
“The current administration puts high premium in these actions and has set aside additional funds, more than a 100% increase from the previous year, to conserve and protect marine biodiversity,” Palec said in his speech on Tuesday, April 16.
He added: “We need to look at innovative ways to sustain financing in the conservation and sustainable use efforts and maximize current technological advancements to protect our marine ecosystems with focus on the reefs. While we are paving the right direction, we are also racing against time, in view of the threats of climate change and pollution.”
The Our Ocean Conference happening in Athens aims to contribute “thematically, politically, and through its commitments” to the third United Nations (UN) Ocean Conference happening in June 2025 in Nice, France.
On Tuesday, the Philippines joined the European Union and 12 other countries in urging nations to swiftly secure the 60 ratifications needed to get into force the UN High Seas Treaty that governments formally adopted in June 2023.
In an earlier high-level event on Tuesday, Adobo had announced before heads of state delegations four new initiatives to protect oceans totaling $165.56 million:
The Our Ocean Conference closed with 469 new commitments worth $11.35 billion across the six areas of actions: marine protected areas, sustainable blue economies, climate change, maritime security, sustainable fisheries, and marine pollution. – Rappler.com
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BFAR dismisses director found guilty of grave misconduct
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Iya Gozum
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17/04/2024 18:09
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Demosthenes Escoto present during the launch of a program for fishing communities facing the West Philippine Sea on Tuesday, April 16, in Subic, Zambales.
BFAR-Central
MANILA, Philippines – Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. appointed on Wednesday, April 17, Isidro Velayo Jr. as officer-in-charge of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), replacing Demosthenes Escoto, whom the Office of the Ombudsman ordered dismissed after he was found guilty of grave misconduct.
In a 22-page decision dated February 5, 2024, the Ombudsman found Escoto guilty of “grave misconduct and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of service.”
The decision stemmed from a 2022 complaint on the “alleged irregularities attending the procurement of transmitters and transceivers for the DA-BFAR’s Integrated Marine Environment Monitoring System Project Phase II (PHILO project).”
BFAR’s PHILO project is on the implementation of the vessel monitoring system (VMS). This system requires transmitters and transceivers that will monitor the location, position, and activity of commercial fishing vessels at sea. VMS is the country’s effort to curb illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing.
In 2015, the Philippine government received a loan worth €28,520,000 from France to finance the PHILO project. But the loan has a condition: products should be sourced from French suppliers.
Who won the bidding for transmitters in 2017? SRT-France, a subsidiary of SRT-United Kingdom. The French embassy declared SRT-France unqualified because it has no manufacturing, engineering facilities, or recorded activities in France.
After it did not satisfy the condition of the French government, BFAR sought the cancellation of the loan. BFAR then requested the change of funding source from foreign-assisted loan to local funding. This was approved, and the Department of Budget and Management allotted P2.09 billion for the PHILO project.
In 2018, BFAR procured 5,000 units of transceivers worth P2.09 billion. This time, without the condition to only source from French suppliers, SRT-United Kingdom bid and won the contract.
A statement from the Department of Agriculture said the Ombudsman found Escoto “guilty of grave misconduct in a graft case arising from BFAR procurement of communications equipment in 2018.”
Escoto was one of the respondents in a graft complaint filed in 2022 over the procurement of P2.09 billion-worth of transceivers from a British company for the implementation of the vessel monitoring system.
At that time, Escoto was the chairman of the bids and awards committee of BFAR. Among the respondents was former director Eduardo Gongona.
The 2022 complaint said that respondents caused the loss of foreign financial assistant from the French government, paid P722.639 million to SRT-United Kingdom without complete documents, and purchased an excessive number of transceivers.
“His actions as Chairman of the BAC culminated in the award of a very favorable contract to SRT-UK,” the decision read.
Escoto and Hansel Didulo, former DA assistant secretary, denied the allegations. The respondents claimed that SRT-France was eligible to bid because it is registered in France. They also said that changing the funding source was beneficial to the government because it was freed from paying interests.
Citing the 2017 Philippine Fisheries Profile, respondents said 5,000 units transceivers is not excessive, as there are 6,901 commercial catcher and carrier vessels recorded in 2016.
Escoto’s last public appearance before his dismissal was in Subic, Zambales, on Tuesday, April 16, when the government awarded livelihood inputs to around a hundred fisherfolk and turned over fiber-reinforced plastic vessels to fisherfolk associations.
Escoto joined BFAR as part of its legal team, worked up the ranks, until in 2023, he was appointed as national director.
Meanwhile, Laurel described the new OIC as “a career professional and respected official of BFAR.” The agriculture chief said he had ordered Velayo “to ensure that operations of the agency will not be affected by this legal development.”
– Rappler.com
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Apollo Quiboloy and the Kingdom of Jesus Christ, from abuse to multi-million properties
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Jodesz Gavilan
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17/04/2024 20:32
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Graphics by Alejandro Edoria
Doomsday preacher Apollo Quiboloy is on the run as he faces mounting cases both here and abroad related to alleged abuse committed under his Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC).
Two courts in the Philippines – in Davao City and Pasig City – already released warrants of arrest against Quiboloy but he has yet to be arrested, even if several of his close aides had already surrendered. There is also a pending arrest order from the Senate after he failed to attend hearings probing into allegations against him and his church.
Quiboloy has also put on the US Federal Bureau of Investigation’s most-wanted list since early 2022, for sex trafficking of children and promotional money laundering, among others. An FBI poster says the preacher allegedly forced his followers to “solicit donations for a bogus charity, donations that actually were used to finance church operations and the lavish lifestyle of its leaders.”
These allegations have been the subject of investigative reports published by Rappler since 2021. In this page, you will find links to these exclusive reports that investigated the alleged abuse inside KOJC as well as Quiboloy’s multi-million-peso properties in the US and Canada.
Bookmark this page as Rappler continues to follow and investigate Quiboloy and his church. If you have tips or any other helpful information, you may share them with us via email: investigative@rappler.com.
What you need to know about Quiboloy
FAST FACTS: Who is Pastor Apollo Quiboloy, the ‘Appointed Son of God’?
Doomsday preacher Apollo Quiboloy is part of the US FBI’s most wanted list for sex trafficking of children and promotional money laundering, among others
PRIMER: Investigations, cases against Apollo Quiboloy
What are the cases, complaints, and investigations faced by the doomsday preacher?
THE CASE VS QUIBOLOY | Years of alleged abuse, fraud catch up with Davao preacher
The influential preacher refers to November 18, 2021, as the day of his ‘crucifixion.’ Federal prosecutors in the US have filed a string of criminal cases against him and his associates – allegations corroborated by traumatized ex-members who spoke with Rappler.
Quiboloy sexually abused women, minors – ex-followers, US prosecutors
Former workers and members of the Davao-based Kingdom of Jesus Christ organization are out to make the preacher account for the years of abuse and exploitation they experienced
‘Root of all evil’: Quiboloy church’s demands for money mire followers in debt
Pastor Apollo Quiboloy’s wealth is built on the heaving backs of his followers. The ‘children’ of his ‘kingdom’ are made to quit school or jobs, sell properties, and take out loans to meet quotas. They are punished when they fail to deliver, abandoned when they get sick.
Stolen lives, lost identities: Quiboloy’s ex-followers traumatized for years
Members who escape the Davao-based ‘kingdom’ suffer emotional and psychological abuse and need help to fully recover
3 survivors of Quiboloy’s ‘kingdom’ bare ordeal
They are part of a network of survivors speaking out about how they experienced abuse inside the Kingdom of Jesus Christ. Parts of their narrative mirror details in the 74-page indictment against preacher Apollo Quiboloy, who calls himself the ‘appointed son of God.’
Playing gods in Davao: Duterte’s death squad, Quiboloy’s kingdom
There’s a side to Davao that had long existed, but which the rest of the Philippines didn’t know about until the city mayor became president.
Inside Quiboloy’s lavish world: Mansions, rich-and-famous lifestyle in North America
A Rappler investigation uncovers three properties estimated to be worth P338 million traced to Pastor Apollo Quiboloy and his group. Two of these are in Canada, while one is located in an affluent part of California, near the homes of celebrities.
Quiboloy in the US: More multi-million properties in Las Vegas, Hawaii
A Rappler investigation uncovers two more properties estimated to be worth P262.52 million traced to Pastor Apollo Quiboloy. One is a lavish mansion in Las Vegas worth about P165 million.
A peek into Quiboloy’s expensive gun collection
Doomsday preacher Apollo Quiboloy owns firearms amounting to at least P2.3 million ($41,000). At least five pistols are worth over P200,000 ($3,500) each.
Newsbreak Chats: Uncovering the lavish world of Quiboloy
What’s next for the doomsday preacher who is facing a series of legal cases?
– Jodesz Gavilan/Rappler.com
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How many days has Quiboloy been hiding? Rappler may investigate the backgrounds of the NBI and PNP officials involved in this case. Hints may rise after such an investigation. PBBM should give those officials a deadline. They must be replaced if they cannot arrest Quiboloy on or before that deadline. Rappler may also reprint articles about Pharmally executives who hide in Davao City. A pattern may become visible after their reprinting.
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5 years on, court yet to collect P124M in Revilla pork barrel scam
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Lian Buan
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17/04/2024 18:11
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SENATOR REVILLA. File photo of Senator Bong Revilla Jr, during the senate inquiry on the status of the country’s flood control master plan and pending flood control projects under the implementation of the Department of Public Works and Highways and the Metro Manila Development Authority, on August 9, 2023.
Angie de Silva/Rappler
Five years since its split controversial decision to acquit Senator Bong Revilla of plunder, the anti-graft court Sandiganbayan has yet to execute its judgment for the senator and others to return to public coffers the plundered P124 million.
It turns out that on May 15, 2019, the Sandiganbayan decided that it would hold its execution of the civil liability judgment to give way to the Supreme Court (SC) appeals of those convicted for plunder, Janet Lim Napoles and Revilla’s staff Richard Cambe. The appeals were filed in 2019, or five years ago.
Although Revilla was acquitted, the Sandiganbayan Special First Division, voting 3-2, still ordered the “accused [to] solidarily and jointly” return the P124.5 million to the national treasury.
The Office of the Ombudsman immediately moved the court in February 2019 to execute the civil judgment on Revilla, but was told that the Sandiganbayan was being “prudent” and had decided to wait for the SC appeals first, according to records that Rappler finally gained access to on Wednesday, April 17, via the High Court.
This was after three months of pursuing a Freedom of Information (FOI) request to see the status of payment. Citing privileged and confidential information, the Sandiganbayan denied Rappler’s FOI requests twice this year – on February 5 and February 16. Rappler then filed with the Supreme Court a request for access in March 2024 and was told that this was “for consideration” by the en banc.
The records Rappler requested for later formed part of a microsite that the SC launched on Wednesday for public interest cases.
“The Sandiganbayan held in abeyance any ruling on the matter as it was prudent for the SB to make a determination of whether execution of the civil aspect against any and all of the accused will lie [only] after the Supreme Court resolves the appeal of accused Cambe and Napoles,” the Office of the Ombudsman said in its brief sent to the Supreme Court.
Cambe’s appeal had been closed and terminated due to his death inside the New Bilibid Prison during the pandemic in 2021. In a resolution in June 2022, the Supreme Court said Cambe’s death extinguishes even the civil action. “The criminal action is extinguished inasmuch as there is no longer a defendant to stand as the accused; the civil action instituted therein for recovery of civil liability ex delicto is ipso facto extinguished, grounded as it is on the criminal action,” said the Supreme Court.
Now, it’s just Napoles’ appeal that remains pending. The last known action on this was when the Supreme Court denied her plea for humanitarian bail in 2021 during the pandemic.
“As of date, there is a status quo on Sen. Revilla’s civil liability in the plunder case. We are also not aware of the status of the Napoles appeal of the plunder case with the Supreme Court since we are not parties to the case,” Revilla’s lawyer Carlos Villaruz told Rappler on Wednesday, April 17.
Villaruz said they stand firm on their legal position that there can be no civil liability on Revilla if there was no criminal liability found. “Article 100 of the Revised Penal Code provides that a person criminally liable for a felony is also civilly liable.” Thus, to be civilly liable, an accused must first be found criminally liable,” said Villaruz.
The whole case was based on the premise that Revilla allegedly intentionally funneled his discretionary funds to Napoles’ fake NGOs which implemented ghost projects. The kickback, the prosecution said, would be given to Revilla through Cambe.
The original ponente of the case, Justice Efren dela Cruz, wanted to convict Revilla but he lost the vote, 3-2. “I find it hard to believe that this scam of such magnitude was confined only within the realm of Napoles and Cambe to the exclusion of Revilla,” Dela Cruz said in his dissenting opinion in 2018.
In 2021, following the plunder acquittal, Revilla was acquitted of the related graft charges, clearing him of criminal liabilities in the pork barrel scam. This decision was again split, 3-2. Joining Dela Cruz in his dissent for this acquittal was Justice Bayani Jacinto who said: “It requires a stretch of logic to accept that accused Atty. Cambe without the knowledge, much less consent, of Revilla could have utilized the Office of the Senator in secret.”
“Consistent with its finding in the plunder case, that there is no proof that Sen. Revilla received money or kickbacks from Napoles, the dispositive portion of the Sandiganbayan’s resolution in the graft cases did not mention any civil liability on the part of Sen. Revilla,” said Villaruz.
Revilla is currently in the hospital and scheduled to undergo operation for achilles tendon rupture. “I will continue to fulfill my duties as a public servant, ensuring that the needs of our people through legislations that I advocate are met, and that our country moves forward,” said Revilla in a statement. – Rappler.com
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Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines.
Senator Revilla’s case is similar to that of then-Japanese Emperor Hirohito, who “portrayed himself as a powerless monarch who had no say in how the war was conducted.” I agree with Justice Bayani Jacinto: “It requires a stretch of logic to accept that accused Atty. Cambe without the knowledge, much less consent, of Revilla could have utilized the Office of the Senator in secret.” Unfortunately, that “stretch of logic” is equivalent to the stretch of the corrupt official’s power, money, and influence.
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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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TOP PERFORMING SCHOOLS: April 2024 Electronics Engineers and Electronics Technicians Licensure Examination
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clescudero0258
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16/04/2024 17:15
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The Professional Regulation Commission announced on Wednesday, April 17, that 1,330 out of 3,130 passed the Electronics Engineers Licensure Examination and 1,819 out of 2,538 passed the Electronics Technicians Licensure Examination.
Here is the list of the top performing schools.
Check out the full results of the examination below:
The Electronics Engineers Licensure Examination was held April 11 and 12, while the Electronics Technicians Licensure Examination was held April 13. Both took place in the National Capital Region, Baguio, Cagayan de Oro, Cebu, Davao, Iloilo, Legazpi, Lucena, Pagadian, Pampanga, Rosales, Tacloban, Tuguegarao, and Zamboanga. – Rappler.com
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TOPNOTCHERS: April 2024 Electronics Engineers and Electronics Technicians Licensure Examination
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clescudero0258
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16/04/2024 17:13
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The Professional Regulation Commission announced on Wednesday, April 17, that 1,330 out of 3,130 passed the Electronics Engineers Licensure Examination and 1,819 out of 2,538 passed the Electronics Technicians Licensure Examination.
Here is the list of examinees who made it to the top 10.
Check out the full results of the examination below:
The Electronics Engineers Licensure Examination was held April 11 and 12, while the Electronics Technicians Licensure Examination was held April 13. Both took place in the National Capital Region, Baguio, Cagayan de Oro, Cebu, Davao, Iloilo, Legazpi, Lucena, Pagadian, Pampanga, Rosales, Tacloban, Tuguegarao, and Zamboanga. – Rappler.com
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Siete Pecados Marine Park in Palawan wins Blue Park Award
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Jee Geronimo
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17/04/2024 17:04
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BLUE PARK. A file photo of the Siete Pecados Marine Park in Palawan.
Shutterstock
ATHENS, Greece – The Siete Pecados Marine Park in Palawan received the prestigious Blue Park Award at the Our Ocean Conference here on Wednesday, April 17.
This is the third time the Philippines has received the award, which recognizes outstanding marine protected areas (MPAs). Other Blue Parks in the Philippines include the Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park (2017 awardee) and the Apo Reef Natural Park (2022 awardee).
Based on its nomination note, the Siete Pecados Marine Park is part of the Calamianes Island Network in the Philippines, whose proximity to other nearby MPAs “allows for ecological connectivity across important marine habitats such as coral reefs, mangrove forests and seagrass meadows.”
Environment Undersecretary Ernesto Adobo Jr. received the award on behalf of the local government and the park management.
“The Philippine government is honored to receive this Blue Park Award on behalf of Siete Pecados Marine Park…. This is an outstanding example of a locally managed marine protected area established and implemented by the local communities in partnership with local government,” Adobo said.
“The Philippines is honored by the recognition that we are the first country to have three Blue Park Awards. We are proud and fortunate to be able to be at the center of the Coral Triangle, and we realize that this comes with responsibilities of caring for and protecting what we have been blessed with.”
Aside from the Siete Pecados Marine Park, the other MPAs awarded on Wednesday were the Tristan da Cunha and the Gitdisdzu Lugyeks Marine Protected Area.
Initiated by the US-based nonprofit organization Marine Conservation Institute, the Blue Parks “incentivizes a global ocean refuge system to safeguard biodiversity in at least 30% of the ocean,” in line with the goal of protecting at least 30% of the ocean by 2030. – Rappler.com
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5 years on, court yet to collect P124M in Revilla pork barrel scam
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Lian Buan
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17/04/2024 18:11
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SENATOR REVILLA. File photo of Senator Bong Revilla Jr, during the senate inquiry on the status of the country’s flood control master plan and pending flood control projects under the implementation of the Department of Public Works and Highways and the Metro Manila Development Authority, on August 9, 2023.
Angie de Silva/Rappler
Five years since its split controversial decision to acquit Senator Bong Revilla of plunder, the anti-graft court Sandiganbayan has yet to execute its judgment for the senator and others to return to public coffers the plundered P124 million.
It turns out that on May 15, 2019, the Sandiganbayan decided that it would hold its execution of the civil liability judgment to give way to the Supreme Court (SC) appeals of those convicted for plunder, Janet Lim Napoles and Revilla’s staff Richard Cambe. The appeals were filed in 2019, or five years ago.
Although Revilla was acquitted, the Sandiganbayan Special First Division, voting 3-2, still ordered the “accused [to] solidarily and jointly” return the P124.5 million to the national treasury.
The Office of the Ombudsman immediately moved the court in February 2019 to execute the civil judgment on Revilla, but was told that the Sandiganbayan was being “prudent” and had decided to wait for the SC appeals first, according to records that Rappler finally gained access to on Wednesday, April 17, via the High Court.
This was after three months of pursuing a Freedom of Information (FOI) request to see the status of payment. Citing privileged and confidential information, the Sandiganbayan denied Rappler’s FOI requests twice this year – on February 5 and February 16. Rappler then filed with the Supreme Court a request for access in March 2024 and was told that this was “for consideration” by the en banc.
The records Rappler requested for later formed part of a microsite that the SC launched on Wednesday for public interest cases.
“The Sandiganbayan held in abeyance any ruling on the matter as it was prudent for the SB to make a determination of whether execution of the civil aspect against any and all of the accused will lie [only] after the Supreme Court resolves the appeal of accused Cambe and Napoles,” the Office of the Ombudsman said in its brief sent to the Supreme Court.
Cambe’s appeal had been closed and terminated due to his death inside the New Bilibid Prison during the pandemic in 2021. In a resolution in June 2022, the Supreme Court said Cambe’s death extinguishes even the civil action. “The criminal action is extinguished inasmuch as there is no longer a defendant to stand as the accused; the civil action instituted therein for recovery of civil liability ex delicto is ipso facto extinguished, grounded as it is on the criminal action,” said the Supreme Court.
Now, it’s just Napoles’ appeal that remains pending. The last known action on this was when the Supreme Court denied her plea for humanitarian bail in 2021 during the pandemic.
“As of date, there is a status quo on Sen. Revilla’s civil liability in the plunder case. We are also not aware of the status of the Napoles appeal of the plunder case with the Supreme Court since we are not parties to the case,” Revilla’s lawyer Carlos Villaruz told Rappler on Wednesday, April 17.
Villaruz said they stand firm on their legal position that there can be no civil liability on Revilla if there was no criminal liability found. “Article 100 of the Revised Penal Code provides that a person criminally liable for a felony is also civilly liable.” Thus, to be civilly liable, an accused must first be found criminally liable,” said Villaruz.
The whole case was based on the premise that Revilla allegedly intentionally funneled his discretionary funds to Napoles’ fake NGOs which implemented ghost projects. The kickback, the prosecution said, would be given to Revilla through Cambe.
The original ponente of the case, Justice Efren dela Cruz, wanted to convict Revilla but he lost the vote, 3-2. “I find it hard to believe that this scam of such magnitude was confined only within the realm of Napoles and Cambe to the exclusion of Revilla,” Dela Cruz said in his dissenting opinion in 2018.
In 2021, following the plunder acquittal, Revilla was acquitted of the related graft charges, clearing him of criminal liabilities in the pork barrel scam. This decision was again split, 3-2. Joining Dela Cruz in his dissent for this acquittal was Justice Bayani Jacinto who said: “It requires a stretch of logic to accept that accused Atty. Cambe without the knowledge, much less consent, of Revilla could have utilized the Office of the Senator in secret.”
“Consistent with its finding in the plunder case, that there is no proof that Sen. Revilla received money or kickbacks from Napoles, the dispositive portion of the Sandiganbayan’s resolution in the graft cases did not mention any civil liability on the part of Sen. Revilla,” said Villaruz.
Revilla is currently in the hospital and scheduled to undergo operation for achilles tendon rupture. “I will continue to fulfill my duties as a public servant, ensuring that the needs of our people through legislations that I advocate are met, and that our country moves forward,” said Revilla in a statement. – Rappler.com
Error.
Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines.
Senator Revilla’s case is similar to that of then-Japanese Emperor Hirohito, who “portrayed himself as a powerless monarch who had no say in how the war was conducted.” I agree with Justice Bayani Jacinto: “It requires a stretch of logic to accept that accused Atty. Cambe without the knowledge, much less consent, of Revilla could have utilized the Office of the Senator in secret.” Unfortunately, that “stretch of logic” is equivalent to the stretch of the corrupt official’s power, money, and influence.
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Rappler
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https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/data-documents/years-on-court-yet-to-collect-millions-revilla-pork-barrel-scam/?utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=Social&utm_campaign=SocialFlow&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR3BQEb3kQ4DhBCzs3X4yZ48ux0KWSe5xg9xq-xQf7Uh6lO0KEsbLk_p298_aem_Xq18K2yWscIZGdvWtxwLyw
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Almira on 4th Impact’s dog hoarding issue: ‘We are never irresponsible pet owners’
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Ysa Abad
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17/04/2024 14:31
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4TH IMAPCT. The quartet launched their self-titled EP in February 2024.
4th Impact's Facebook
MANILA, Philippines – Almira Cercado of P-pop girl group 4th Impact broke her silence on her and her sisters’ controversial dog fundraising issue, appealing to the public to “stop the hate.”
In late February, the quartet started a fundraising campaign on GoFundMe’s official website on their plan to put up a “farm lot for our 200 Shih Tzu dogs.” In the post, the sisters detailed their journey as fur parents, saying that they were first gifted by their fans with five Shih Tzus. They noted that as their “family of dogs multiplied, so did the need for space and resources.”
4th Impact also disclosed in their post that they’ve received noise complaints from their neighbors, prompting them to temporarily remove their male dogs from their home. Because of this, the sisters decided to build a “dog haven”, saying it’s their dream to provide a “safe and expensive farm where [their dogs] can live out their days in happiness and form.”
This campaign caught the ire of netizens, with some calling out the group for being “negligent” and “irresponsible” pet owners for letting their dogs reproduce at that rate. On social media, veterinarians and animal support groups raised sanitary issue concerns about the dogs’ shelter, as well as the harms of backyard breeding and inbreeding. The Philippine Animal Welfare Society also took a swipe at the group, reminding the public to “never, ever let your own pets reproduce” as there are many pets up for adoption.
On Monday, April 15, Almira took to Instagram to address the controversy, saying while they were advised to keep silent during the height of the issue, she was now explaining their side “for the sake of moving on” and to protect her sisters “from the harm of cyberbullying.”
“I guess I didn’t think carefully before I did it [because] I will do anything in a legal way just to provide for our dogs,” she said, adding that she and her sisters believed that their fans would support their campaign to put up a farm.
The singer said that she deleted the campaign “after the false accusations and horrible news” surfaced. She added that the funds they received in the campaign were refunded to the donors quickly after they took the fundraiser post down.
“This post is basically letting everyone know that we are closing this chapter and that we are never irresponsible pet owners,” she continued. “Our dogs are the only stress reliever for us and meant the world to us so we will do anything to provide for them. And we will work harder to buy them a farm one day.”
She also clarified that their attendance in Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour, Beyonce’s Renaissance Tour, Bruno Mars’ concert, and Katy Perry’s Las Vegas show were all bankrolled by their fans, who gifted them with tickets for these shows. This came after some netizens pointed out that tickets for these concerts were expensive and the money could have been used for the group to take care of their pets.
Almira then reflected on the controversy, saying that the backlash won’t stop them from performing. “As long as we are not stepping on someone, we will be proud that singing is our bread and butter. We will never quit and we will continue to pursue our dreams.” She concluded her post by asking the public to refrain from spreading hateful comments.
As of writing, other members – Mylene, Irene, and Celina – have yet to address the issue. 4th Impact rose to fame after joining X Factor UK. – Rappler.com
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Filipino para athletes eye 10 bets in Paris Paralympics
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Jasmine Payo
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17/04/2024 18:10
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PARIS HOPEFULS. Filipino national athletes and para bets with Philippine sports heads and French embassy officials during the photo exhibit marking the 100-day countdown of the Paris Olympics.
CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines – After three Filipino para athletes booked their tickets to the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris, the Philippine Paralympic Committee (PPC) eyes about seven more bets to qualify in the quadrennial event.
Para swimmers Ernie Gawilan and Angel Otom clinched their slots via minimum qualifying standard through their placing in the world championships last February, while para taekwondo jin Allain Ganapin claimed the coveted Asian spot after acing the Asian Qualification Tournament in China last March.
But PPC head Mike Barredo thinks the Philippines can surpass the six-athlete roster it sent in the Tokyo Paralympics in 2021.
“We’re hoping to get at least two more in para athletics, including (wheelchair racer) Jerrold Mangliwan, one or two more in swimming, and maybe a bipartite slot for archery… or para powerlifting,” Barredo told Rappler on Tuesday, April 16.
“It’s at least a minimum of six and a maximum of 10, at least for these para games in Paris,” he added.
The Philippines hopes to come out stronger with Gawilan, a two-time Paralympian, bringing home gold medals from the 3rd and 4th Asian Para Games, and Otom seizing four golds in the 2023 ASEAN Para Games in Cambodia.
Ganapin, who made history as the first Filipino taekwondo jin to qualify in the Paralympics in 2021, likewise feels motivated as he failed to see action in the Tokyo Paralympics after testing positive for COVID-19 just days before the competition.
Barredo also credited the enactment into law of Republic Act 10699 or the Expanded National Athletes and Coaches Benefits and Incentives Act, which has inspired more para athletes to persevere.
According to Barredo, a longtime sports executive, the athletes are making the most out of their year-round allowances, foreign-based training, as well as exposure in international tournaments.
The Paralympic Games are set to be held in the French capital starting August 28, just a couple of weeks after the 2024 Olympics.
“France itself, the Organizing Committee, is offering some sites or some places in France that they can train, or in neighboring countries, so that they can acclimatize themselves to the weather at that time,” said Barredo.
“I know I heard it might be very warm in July, August, and September. And we’ve had two offers to bring our athletes or para athletes to train in Japan, and some other parts in Asia, I guess the weather will not be as much different,” he continued.
Barredo was present during the Olympic torch relay participated by the French and Greek embassies at the Mall of Asia complex, which marked the 100-day countdown before the start of the Olympiad on July 26.
It coincided with the Olympic flame lighting in Olympia, Greece, the birthplace of the Ancient Olympic Games, which were held as early as 776 BC.
Both French ambassador Marie Fontanel and Greek ambassador Ioannis Pediotis held the torch, to symbolize the start and end point of the lit torch.
“We really wanted it to happen here in Manila, that’s why we decided to have this Olympic torch ceremony,” Fontanel said.
The French embassy also launched a photo exhibit featuring snaps from international news service Agence France Presse, which shows the triumphs of both Filipino and foreign Olympians and Paralympians. – Rappler.com
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RESULTS: April 2024 Electronics Engineers and Electronics Technicians Licensure Examination
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clescudero0258
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16/04/2024 17:09
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The following is a press release from the Professional Regulation Commission.
The Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) announces that 1,330 out of 3,130 passed the Electronics Engineers Licensure Examination and 1,819 out of 2,538 passed the Electronics Technicians Licensure Examination given by the Board of Electronics Engineering in the National Capital Region, Baguio, Cagayan de Oro, Cebu, Davao, Iloilo, Legazpi, Lucena, Pampanga, Rosales and Tuguegarao this April 2024.
The members of the Board of Electronics Engineering who gave the licensure examinations are Engr. Alnar L. Detalla, Chairman, Engr. Enrico Claro R. Delmoro and Engr. Herminio J. Orbe, members.
The results were released in three working days after the last day of examinations.
Starting May 20, 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), two pieces passport-sized pictures (colored with white background and complete name tag), two sets of documentary stamps, and one 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 examination WILL BE ANNOUNCED LATER.
The top performing school in the April 2024 Electronics Engineers Licensure Examination as per Commission Resolution No. 2017-1058(C) series of 2017:
The top performing schools in the April 2024 Electronics Technicians Licensure Examination as per Commission Resolution No. 2017-1058(C) series of 2017:
The successful examinees who garnered the 10 highest places in the April 2024 Electronics Engineers Licensure Examination are the following:
The successful examinees who garnered the four highest places in the April 2024 Electronics Technicians Licensure Examination are the following:
Check out the full results here:
– 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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Business Sense: A teleconsultation app for pets
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Ralf Rivas
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17/04/2024 18:02
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Bookmark this page and watch the episode on Wednesday, April 17, at 6 pm
MANILA, Philippines – In recent years, pet ownership has soared, with many seeking companionship and solace in furry friends.
However, behind the Instagram-worthy moments lies a realm of responsibilities and challenges that demand attention and commitment from pet owners.
Alongside the cuddles and playtime, owners shoulder the responsibility of providing proper care and a safe environment for their furry companions.
In this episode of Business Sense, Rappler talks to PetPal founder Carlo Flordeliza about how his startup is linking pet owners to reliable veterinarians.
Flordeliza also shares his insights on starting a business, as well as PetPal’s expansion plans. – Rappler.com
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DA says drought to worsen in Western Visayas provinces before May
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Herbie G
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17/04/2024 14:30
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NEGROS OCCIDENTAL, Philippines – Five out of six provinces in Western Visayas are suffering from drought, with conditions anticipated to worsen this month, agriculture officials in the region said on Wednesday, April 17.
At least five local governments in Negros and Panay islands have already been declared under a state of calamity due to the scorching heat and dry weather conditions induced by the El Niño phenomenon.
A Bureau of Fishery and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) outlook, released by the Department of Agriculture in Region VI, said the drought is expected to become full-blown before May in five provinces in Region 6 – Iloilo, Capiz, Antique, Guimaras, and Negros Occidental.
Aklan, another Western Visayas province, is expected to remain under a dry spell category.
The agriculture department categorizes areas experiencing a more than 60% reduction from the average rainfall for three consecutive months as being under the drought category. Areas with a 20% to 60% reduction from the average rainfall for three consecutive months are placed under the dry spell category.
The damage to agriculture has prompted the local governments of the towns of San Enrique in Negros Occidental, Sara in Iloilo, Sibalom, Laua-an, and Anini-y in Antique to declare a state of calamity. Iloilo City is expected to follow suit.
The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) in the region said it was still preparing its April assessment of damage caused by the El Niño phenomenon in Western Visayas.
But in its March 13 report, the OCD said it documented more than P800 million in crop damage in Western Visayas, excluding damage to the sugar industry.
In Negros Occidental, El Niño-induced crop damage to rice and corn was estimated at P115 million, according to a report from the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPA) as of April 11.
Twenty-two out of 32 local governments in the province have already been affected by the extreme heat, OPA added.
A water scarcity problem is also plaguing many areas in Western Visayas.
Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas said the local government is set to declare the city under a state of calamity due to water scarcity.
Treñas, in a statement, said there was a need to set aside funds to purchase more water from bulk water suppliers Metro Pacific Iloilo Water (MPIW) and the Balibago Waterworks System Incorporated.
About 17% of Iloilo City’s total population has been adversely affected by the El Niño phenomenon, he said.
In Bacolod City, water rationing has been resorted to in several villages, including Barangays 27, Mansilingan, Mandalagan, and Villamonte.
Some 20,233 residents from 11 barangays in Himamaylan City in southern Negros Occidental were also facing water scarcity.
Himamaylan Mayor Raymund Tongson said the local government has approved a P23-million budget from their 2023 savings to be used for water rationing and aid to affected farmers.
Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson, meanwhile, announced that P2,000 will be released to each of the El Niño-affected farmers in the province. There are more than 2,585 affected farmers from 135 villages in the province, he said.
The DA in the region said the current situation, worsened by spiking temperatures, is “quite alarming,” prompting it to draft interventions focused on mitigating the damage to agricultural crops in the affected areas.
The DA interventions include the following:
–Rappler.com
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Philippines ‘sinking in sachets’ – brand audit
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Iya Gozum
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17/04/2024 15:39
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Maria Aurelio, 55, prepares to display plastic sachets of Unilever's Surf laundry detergent at her sundry store in Manila, Philippines. Photo taken May 31, 2022.
REUTERS/Lisa Marie David
MANILA, Philippines – The Philippines is “sinking in sachets,” according to a plastic brand audit that covered four countries in Asia.
Based on the 2023 Global Break Free From Plastic Brand Audit conducted by international network Break Free From Plastic (BFFP), the Philippines contributed a third of the total sachet plastic waste collected in four Asian countries in 2023.
“The Philippines is inundated with plastic pollution in part due to the prevailing sachet economy driven primarily by corporations,” said the audit which was released on Wednesday, April 17.
From October 2023 to February 2024, volunteers collected, catalogued, and analyzed 10,801 pieces of sachets from several locations in the Philippines: Metro Manila, Dasmariñas City in Cavite, Davao City, Iloilo City, and E.B. Magalona town in Negros Occidental.
The only area in Metro Manila mentioned in the report was Malabon City.
A total of 33,647 sachets were gathered together in four countries where the Asia-Pacific audit was conducted. The others are India, Vietnam, and Indonesia.
The report, initiated by international network Break Free From Plastic (BFFP), said that 86% of the sachets were used for packaged food items, while the rest were for household and personal care items.
Buying commodities in sachets is often seen as the affordable and accessible option in lower-income communities. The Philippines uses 164 million plastic sachets every day, discarding 59.8 billion sachets per year.
To visualize this, the audit said, “This figure is enough to bury the entire Metropolitan Manila area under a foot of plastic waste.”
However, several issues arise from this dependence on plastic: health hazards, overburdened landfills, and wildlife and environmental harm. These plastic sachets have been found in protected areas, too.
“In Davao City, we have been collecting loads of waste from the Panigan-Tamugan Watershed, the drinking water source of the city, and most of this waste are plastic sachets,” said Mark Peñalver, executive director of Interfacing Development Interventions for Sustainability.
“If we maintain business as usual, the time will come when we will be drinking plastics too,” added Peñalver.
The top polluters in the four countries included in the audit are:
“All 10 companies are in the business of selling fast-moving consumer goods, primarily processed food and beverage manufacturing, as well as some personal care products,” the report said.
In the Philippines, the top sachet polluters are:
Common types of sachet materials collected in the audit include high density polyethylene (HDPE), polypropylene (PP), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), and low density polyethylene (LDPE).
In light of this report, which complements the 2023 Global Brand Audit that BFFP released earlier this year, the group called on multinational corporations to phase out sachets, single-use packaging, and reveal data on plastic use.
They also urged companies to invest in reuse, refill, or packaging-free product delivery systems.
“Corporations are driving the plastic crisis in the Philippines, but they can help solve the problem their products create,” Greenpeace Philippines campaigner Marian Ledesma said in a statement.
“They must transition away from single-use plastic right away, starting with sachets, and begin adopting wide-scale reuse and refill models in the Philippines,” she added.
One of the biggest steps towards plastic and waste reduction in the Philippines was the passage of the Extended Producer Responsibility Act of 2022, or Republic Act No. 11898, which aims to hold large product producers, accountable for the plastic waste they put out.
While the law was a “meaningful step,” advocates criticized the law for “lacking ambition.”
“It only requires plastic producers to collect and recycle plastic waste without compelling them to find ways to reduce plastic production and use,” the report said. “The EPR Act lacks bans and plastic reduction targets, and this gap only allows corporations to continue their relentless plastic production.”
Meanwhile, the local governments in San Juan and Quezon City have been experimenting with a refill system in select sari-sari stores to eliminate the use of sachets.
During the launch of the report regarding the refill hubs, Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte emphasized the importance of political will in finding affordable, eco-friendly options for the public.
– Rappler.com
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Visayas power grid on the brink: 13 plants halt operations, more outages feared
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Herbie G
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17/04/2024 15:10
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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 – Thirteen power generation plants have suspended operations while five others are running at derated capacities, raising the prospect of more Visayas-wide power outages starting on Thursday afternoon, April 17.
In a statement released by National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) assistant vice president and spokesperson Cynthia Alabanza, it was confirmed that the Visayas power grid has been left with a “very thin” reserve of only 190 megawatts (MW) as a result of the suspended operations and weakened capacities of power plants.
On Tuesday, April 16, the Visayas and Luzon power grids were placed under yellow alert during certain periods by the NGCP due the suspension of operations of power plants.
The NGCP raises the yellow alert when the operating margin is insufficient to meet a transmission grid’s contingency requirement.
At present, Visayas has an available capacity of 2,713 MW, but its peak demand reaches 2,523 MW, leaving only a 190-MW reserve.
Some 25 power distribution utilities (DUs) in the Visayas were forced to resort to manual load shedding or rotational blackouts as a result.
The NGCP called on power consumers to exercise prudence in using electricity at the moment.
Visayas found itself in this situation more than a week after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. led the inauguration of the P67-billion backbone project of NGCP in Bacolod City.
Marcos hailed NGCP for the 230-kilovolt power transmission project billed as a milestone in the energy industry because it is projected to result in power stability and sustainability in the Visayas.
During his visit, Marcos, however, said that on top of the power transmission infrastructure improvement, there must be enough power generation plants to generate more electricity. – Rappler.com
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Supreme Court: Comelec wrong to ban Smartmatic from future PH election contracts
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Jairo Bolledo
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17/04/2024 11:04
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SUPREME COURT. The Supreme Court in Padre Faura, Manila, on December 5, 2023.
Angie de Silva/Rappler
BAGUIO, Philippines – The Supreme Court (SC) ruled that the Commission on Elections (Comelec) was mistaken in disqualifying Smartmatic from participating in the bidding process for future poll contracts.
SC spokesperson Camille Sue Mae Ting told reporters on Wednesday, April 17, that the High Court granted Smartmatic’s petition for certiorari questioning the Comelec’s decision.
The SC decided on the case on April 16. Associate Justice Jose Midas Marquez penned the ruling.
A certiorari is a legal remedy used to review a decision of another body or review grave abuse of discretion.
Citing the High Tribunal’s decision, Ting said the SC found the Comelec to have committed grave abuse of discretion when it disqualified the company “before it had submitted any bid, without anyreference to the eligibility requirements prescribed by its BAC (Bids and Awards Committee).”
“It implemented a discretionary pre-qualification regime antithetical to Government Procurement & Reform Act,” the SC said.
However, the SC noted in its ruling that the finding is not enough to nullify the public or award of the contract for the polls. In other words, although the Comelec committed an error in dealing with Smartmatic’s bid, the decision will not affect the award granted to Miru Systems.
In explaining why it arrived at the ruling, the SC said it considered practicality and the doctrine of operative fact. The doctrine means that a law produced consequences that cannot be ignored. So, it has to be nullified, but not its effects.
In a statement, Smartmatic said the Supreme Court ruling was a “significant victory for fairness and the rule of law.”
The company added that it “stands ready to explore further opportunities to contribute to the ongoingmodernization of Philippine elections.”
“We welcome the Supreme Court’s ruling in our favor, which restores justice and sends a clear message to those at the helm of Comelec that due process matters,” said Smartmatic spokesman Christian Robert Lim.
“By rectifying Comelec’s questionable decision, the Court not only vindicated Smartmatic but also set a crucial precedent for upholding transparency and accountability in public procurement processes,” he added.
For the upcoming 2025 polls, Smartmatic received from the Comelec an invitation to attend its election and procurement summit in 2023. After the Comelec published the invitation to bid, Smartmatic purchased the bidding documents and attended the pre-bidding conference.
Bidding is a process mandated by the law to ensure transparency in the award of government contracts.
However, the private respondents filed petitions with the Comelec seeking a review of Smartmatic’s qualifications. The petitioners cited the alleged serious and material irregularities in the transmission and reception of the 2022 elections. The petitioners also sought Smartmatic’s disqualification if the irregularities cannot be explained.
Later, the Comelec en banc disqualified Smartmatic from the bidding, citing the Comelec’s constitutional mandate to enforce and administer all laws and regulations relative to the conduct of elections under the Constitution.
This pushed Smarmatic to file a certiorari petition with the High Court. The Comelec later awarded the contract to Miru Systems.
Election lawyer Emil Marañon III said in March that since the petition was still pending at the time, there was a possibility of Smartmatic reentering the scene.
He also pointed out that if Smartmatic wins the case, the Comelec would have to reopen the bidding process and allow the company to bid.
The Court, however, said that although Smartmatic’s petition was granted, it will not have any effect on the contract already awarded to Miru, citing the doctrine of operative fact.
“The Court recognized that to require the Comelec to conduct another round of public bidding would seriously disrupt its preparations for the 2025 national and local elections and potentially jeopardize the very conduct of the NLE,” the SC explained. – with a report from Dwight de Leon/Rappler.com
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Senate arrest order vs Quiboloy still stands as SC awaits comments from respondents
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Jairo Bolledo
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17/04/2024 13:50
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PREACHER. Pastor Apollo Quiboloy.
Quiboloy's Facebook page
BAGUIO, Philippines – The Senate’s arrest order against embattled doomsday preacher Apollo Quiboloy still stands, as the Supreme Court (SC) is still in the process of deciding on Quiboloy’s petition against the order.
“Last April 3, 2024 on the Supreme Court’s agenda, the respondents [Senate] in this case were required to file a comment within 10 days on the petition as well as the prayer for the issuance of TRO and writ of preliminary injunction,” SC spokesperson Camille Sue Mae Ting told reporters on Wednesday, April 17.
“So right now we are awaiting the comments of the respondents,” she added.
Commenting is a procedural step and is a customary action in every SC petition. The comments, including Quiboloy’s earlier petition, will be analyzed by the High Court to determine its next action on the case. No TRO means that the Senate can still enforce its arrest order.
On March 22, Quiboloy’s camp sought the High Court’s help by filing a petition for certiorari, with the issuance of a TRO and/or preliminary injunction. Quiboloy sought to use the certiorari’s power – a remedy used to review a decision or grave abuse of discretion – to question the Senate’s arrest order against him.
The Senate order stemmed from the upper chamber’s inquiry into the alleged abuses committed by the doomsday preacher. The Senate issued an arrest order after Quiboloy was held in contempt for snubbing the summons of the Senate committee on women, children, family relations, and gender equality, chaired by opposition Senator Risa Hontiveros.
The same committee had heard the testimonies of former workers of his religious group, the Kingdom of Jesus Christ, on Quiboloy’s alleged abuses.
At this point, the Senate order is only one in the pool of pending arrest orders against Quiboloy.
Two Philippine courts, in Davao City and Pasig City, have ordered Quiboloy’s arrest. Although Quiboloy can post bail for his Davao City case for alleged sexual and child abuse, his Pasig City case for human trafficking is non-bailable.
Aside from local cases, Quiboloy is also wanted in the United States for sexual trafficking. He was indicted by a federal grand jury in a US District Court in Santa Ana, California in 2021, and landed on the US Federal Bureau of Investigation’s most wanted list.
There is no hierarchy among the warrants against the doomsday preacher because the orders came from separate entities. The Senate’s warrant is different from the ones issued by the courts.
As of the moment, there are three warrants that can be enforced against Quiboloy. Whichever body will arrest Quiboloy first would have to coordinate with the others on the preacher’s custody.
Since the non-bailable offense is pending before the Pasig City court, it will likely have Quiboloy’s custody. Once this happens, the Davao City court and the Senate can ask the Pasig court to bring the preacher to them for hearings.
In his petition before the High Tribunal, Quiboloy claimed that the Senate inquiry into his alleged abuses “are not motivated by any legislative purpose, but are driven by the main objective behind Senate Resolution No. 884, which is to impose upon themselves the power of prosecutorial bodies to judge and punish petitioner.”
Hontiveros filed Senate Resolution 884 on On December 23, 2023, directing the appropriate Senate panel to conduct an inquiry into allegations of large-scale human trafficking, rape, sexual abuse and violence, and child abuse of the KOJC under Quibiloy.
Hontiveros had said that the probe would allow lawmakers “to determine whether our updated human trafficking laws are able to cover large-scale and systemic acts of trafficking done under the cover of a religious organization.”
Prior to the Senate probe, Rappler had already reported about the alleged abuses commited by Quiboloy. (READ: Quiboloy sexually abused women, minors – ex-followers, US prosecutors)
The Constitution – the fundamental law of the land – empowers the Senate to conduct inquiries in aid of legislation. That is the legal basis for the Rules of the Senate, under which the upper chamber can summon witnesses and ask them to bring documents to the inquiry.
Quiboloy, in his SC petition, also argued that the Senate probe violates his rights against self-incrimination.
Retired senior associate justice Antonio Carpio had debunked Quiboloy’s claim about self-incrimination. According to Carpio, a person may only raise his/her right against self-incrimination and refuse an incrimination question, only after a question was asked during a Senate inquiry.
He added that before a question is asked by the Senate or its committees, “there is no constitutional right that may be violated.”
Every person is protected by laws to avoid incriminating himself/herself by giving information that can be used against himself/herself. This is enshrined in article III, section 17, of the 1987 Constitution: “No person shall be compelled to be a witness against himself.” – Rappler.com
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Newsbreak Chats: How gov’t officials, big operators conspired vs fisherfolk
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Jodesz Gavilan
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18/04/2024 16:02
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MANILA, Philippines – Small fisherfolk are among the poorest in the Philippines, and yet they are also abused and undervalued both by the government and the private sector.
A two-part Rappler investigative series uncovered one of these instances, where the National Telecommunications Commission intervened in the implementation of a system that could have prevented illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing. The NTC chairperson back then was Gamaliel Cordoba, whose wife’s family partly owns a commercial fishing company.
On Thursday, April 18, Rappler investigative editor Chay Hofileña sits down with investigative reporter Lian Buan and multimedia reporter Iya Gozum to discuss how they worked on this series, and the relevance of their findings both in terms of the bigger picture and in the context of the fisherfolk’s lives.
Read the two-part series here:
What was the impact of the NTC hampering the efforts? How can such interventions be prevented in the future? – Rappler.com
Watch other Newsbreak Chats episodes in 2024:
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FACT CHECK: Chinese tourists increased under Marcos admin
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Lorenz Pasion
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17/04/2024 15:02
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Claim: The number of Chinese tourists in the Philippines under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s administration dropped compared to under former president Rodrigo Duterte.
Why we fact-checked this: The Facebook post was made by pro-Duterte blogger Sass Sasot on April 10. As of writing, it has gained 1,100 reactions, 133 comments, and 41 shares.
The post pointed out that in 2023, during the first full year of the Marcos administration, the number of Chinese tourists in the Philippines was 263,836. Meanwhile, the lowest number of Chinese tourist arrivals under Duterte’s term pre-pandemic was 675,663 in 2017, Sasot claimed.
The post was uploaded amid an ongoing word war between Marcos and Duterte related to the supposed “gentleman’s agreement” between Duterte and China over sovereign rights in the West Philippine Sea.
The bottom line: While it is true that the number of Chinese tourists in 2023 is lower compared to Chinese tourist arrivals under Duterte’s term before the pandemic, the post fails to contextualize the lower figures.
Before the COVID-19 pandemic was declared in 2020, the Philippines drew 1,743,309 Chinese tourists in 2019; 1,257,962 in 2018, and 968,447 in 2017 (Sasot’s post erroneously said 675,663 Chinese tourists were recorded in 2017).
Air travel restrictions due to the pandemic curbed the number of tourist arrivals: in 2020, only 170,432 Chinese tourists arrived in the Philippines, with the figure dropping to 9,674 in 2021.
In October 2022, the Philippines further eased stringent travel restrictions, no longer requiring COVID-19 tests for fully vaccinated travelers. That year, the number of Chinese tourist arrivals was at 39,627, increasing to 263,836 in 2023.
Aside from entry restrictions at the Philippine borders, China too imposed its own outbound tourism restrictions affecting the foreign travels of its citizens for three years. It was only in early 2023 that China relaxed its inbound and outbound travel restrictions and resumed outbound group tours for its citizens.
Fewer Chinese tourists: The Philippines is not the only country experiencing fewer visits from Chinese tourists. The same problem can be seen in other Southeast Asian countries also reliant on Chinese tourism, such as Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam.
Aside from the later reopening of China’s outbound travel, Nikkei Asia reported that the slumping real estate market and worsening labor market also affected Chinese holidaymakers’ spending habits. Additionally, Chinese tourists are also preferring cheaper domestic trips over more expensive international travel.
The Philippines hopes to bring the number of tourist arrivals to pre-pandemic levels following a 235% increase in Chinese visitors in the first two months of 2024.
Marcos vs Duterte: The Facebook post comparing the Marcos and Duterte administrations and their relationship with China surfaced following reports of a “secret deal” between Duterte and China to stop bringing construction materials to repair Philippine facilities in the West Philippine Sea.
The former president claimed to have agreed with Chinese President Xi Jinping to keep the status quo in the region only, but maintained that nothing was conceded to China. Marcos said he was “horrified” by the alleged secret deal and urged his predecessor to clarify details of the supposed agreement. ([OPINION] Marcos’ disengagement from Duterte sets stage for 2025 showdown)
Rappler has already published multiple fact-checks regarding the Marcos administration’s relationship with China:
– Kyle Marcelino/Rappler.com
Kyle Marcelino 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. You may also report dubious claims to the #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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Eiffel Tower countdown turns to 100 days to Paris Olympics 2024
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Jasmine Payo
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17/04/2024 14:54
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COUNTDOWN. The countdown clock near the Eiffel Tower shows 100 days to go until the Paris 2024 Olympic Games opening ceremony.
Benoit Tessier/REUTERS
PARIS, France – The Eiffel Tower’s countdown clock to the Paris 2024 Olympics turned to 100 days on Tuesday, April 16, as preparations for the Games entered the final stage.
The Olympic torch was lit in ancient Olympia earlier in the day. It will reach France on May 8 in the port city of Marseille, after a journey on the three-masted Belem ship.
All permanent infrastructures for the Games are now ready, and the building of temporary sites has started in Paris, notably on the Place de la Concorde.
Organizers will count on the flame relay across France for the mood to swing in the country as the July 26-August 11 Games approach.
Last month, a poll showed that, in France, 57% of people felt little or no enthusiasm for the Paris Games.
Paris 2024 posters were displayed in metro stations on Tuesday and some landmark monuments paid tribute to the upcoming Games, while the stairs leading up to the Sacre Coeur basilica were being painted with the Games’ colors.
In ancient Olympia, Greece,the torch for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games was lit in ancient Olympia in a traditional ceremony on Tuesday, marking the final stretch of the seven-year preparation for the Games’ start on July 26.
Greek actress Mary Mina, playing the role of high priestess, lit the torch using a backup flame instead of a parabolic mirror that is normally used, due to cloudy skies, for the start of a relay in Greece and France.
It will culminate with the lighting of the Olympic flame in the French capital at the opening ceremony. Paris will host the summer Olympics for a third time after 1900 and 1924.
“In these difficult times we are living through, with wars and conflicts on the rise, people are fed up with all the hate, the aggression and negative news they are facing day in and day out,” International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Thomas Bach said in his speech.
“We are longing for something which brings us together, something that is unifying, something that gives us hope. The Olympic flame that we are lighting today is the symbol of this hope.”
The IOC has cleared the way for Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete at the Olympics despite the ongoing war in Ukraine but they will do so as neutral athletes with no national flag or anthem, a decision that angered Moscow.
French President Emmanuel Macron also said last week Russia would be asked to observe a ceasefire in Ukraine during the Paris Olympics. The Kremlin said Ukraine might use it as an opportunity to regroup and rearm.
Suspending armed conflicts under an Olympic truce during the Games was a standard practice in ancient Greece.
The high priestess then lit the torch of the first runner of the relay, Greece’s Olympic rowing champion Stefanos Ntouskos.
After a short run he then handed the flame on to France’s three-time Olympic medallist in swimming and head of Paris’ Olympic torch relay, Laure Manaudou, as the representative of the host city.
The flame will be officially handed over to Paris Games organizers in Athens’s Panathenaic stadium, site of the first modern Games in 1896, on April 26 after an 11-day relay across Greece.
It will then depart the next day for France on board a three-masted ship, the Belem, where it will arrive on May 8 in Marseille, with up to 150,000 people expected to attend the ceremony in the southern city’s Old Port.
The last torch bearer in Marseille will climb on the roof of the Velodrome stadium on May 9, organizers said.
Marseille, founded by the Greek settlers of Phocaea around 600 BC, will host the sailing competitions.
The French torch relay will last 68 days and will end in Paris with the lighting of the Olympic flame on July 26. – Rappler.com
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Alvarez: ‘Sorry, I got carried away by strong emotions’
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Herbie G
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17/04/2024 12:37
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SUPPORT. Former speaker and Davao del Norte Representative Pantaleon Alvarez throws his support for Governor Edwin Jubahib on Thursday, April 11, 2024. courtesy of Newsline Philippines
courtesy of Newsline Philippines
DAVAO ORIENTAL, Philippines – Former speaker and Davao del Norte 1st District Representative Pantaleon Alvarez apologized on Tuesday night, April 16, for his call for the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to withdraw support from President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., but denied that it was inciting sedition.
“Pasensya na,” Alvarez told fugitive preacher Apollo Quiboloy’s media arm, Sonshine Media Network International (SMNI), “nadala rin ng bugso ng damdamin. Mahal ko ang Pilipinas, lalo na ang Mindanao.”
(Sorry, I got carried away by strong emotions. I love the Philippines, especially Mindanao.)
Alvarez said this after drawing flak for his call on the military to withdraw its support from the Marcos administration during the Hakbang ng Maisug rally in Tagum City, Davao del Norte, on Sunday, April 14. The rally was led by former president Rodrigo Duterte and organized as an offshoot of Malacañang’s April 8 suspension order against Davao del Norte Governor Edwin Jubahib.
The former speaker said his call, which stirred controversy and sparked adverse reactions from government officials and the military establishment, was not meant to incite sedition because he did not espouse violence.
Alvarez said his remarks in Tagum were a result of his dismay over Philippine foreign policy, particularly regarding the contentious issue of the West Philippine Sea.
“At paano ako tatahimik? Tingnan n’yo nangyayari. Kinakaladkad tayo ng Malacañang papunta sa digmaan kahit na ang China ay nauunahan na ang Amerika pagdating sa ekonomiya, teknolohiya at lakas ng military. Hindi siya katanggap-tanggap. May nuclear weapons sila, kaya rin nila magpapaputok at hindi tayo makakapalag. Maraming Pilipino ang mamamatay. Ubos tayo,” he said.
(And how can I stay quiet? Look at what’s happening. Malacañang is dragging us towards war even though China is already ahead of America in terms of economy, technology, and military strength. It’s unacceptable. They have nuclear weapons, so they can use them and we won’t be able to fight back. Many Filipinos will die. We’ll be wiped out.)
He said he was prepared to answer for his controversial remarks before the House of Representatives, and was not worried about the prospect of being expelled because he was about to step down as congressman anyway.
Alvarez is serving his third and last term as a Davao del Norte representative, and is constitutionally barred from seeking reelection in next year’s elections.
Alvarez’s call for action did not go unnoticed by Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla, who ordered an investigation into the former speaker’s pronouncements, citing concerns over potential legal ramifications.
“I have ordered an investigation on the statements of Congressman Pantaleon Alvarez to determine whether it has risen to the level of sedition, inciting sedition, or even rebellion,” Remulla said, urging Alvarez to uphold ethical standards befitting his role as a lawmaker.
The AFP has also rebuffed Alvarez’s plea for military intervention, emphasizing their loyalty to the government and rejecting any notion of abandoning their allegiance to the duly-elected leadership. – Rappler.com
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Davao del Norte 1st District Representative Pantaleon Alvarez showed how brave he was when he spoke those words, which led to sedition. Finally, he did retreat, but the harm had been done. I believe that just like in the “Charge of the Light Brigade,” the cavalry commander received a wrong command, which led to their death. Rep. Alvarez just followed a faulty command, which damaged his reputation. In the future, that “Hakbang ng Maisug” name, if its speakers will keep retreating like Rep. Alvarez, may be renamed “Hakbang ng mga Duwag.”
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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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Royal Rumble: Shocking Petro, Chery sweeps create PVL four-way tie at No. 2
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jisaga0269
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16/04/2024 22:12
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STREAKING. Chery Tiggo spiker Ara Galang (left) and Petro Gazz spiker Brooke Van Sickle react in the 2024 PVL All-Filipino Conference
PVL Images
MANILA, Philippines – Chaos has ensued in the homestretch of the 2024 PVL All-Filipino Conference elimination round, as four teams now hold the same 7-2 record in a massive second-place tie-up after stunning results on Tuesday, April 16.
The Petro Gazz Angels kicked off the highly anticipated double-header at the PhilSports Arena with a shocking 25-13, 25-18, 25-17 decimation of the suddenly reeling Cignal HD Spikers, who fell to sixth place with a 5-4 slate.
Spiker one-two punch Jonah Sabete and Brooke Van Sickle led the way with 16 and 13 points, respectively, while Djanel Cheng tallied 12 excellent sets.
The other end was as forgettable as it could get, as the HD Spikers only got a pair of 8-point outings from Ces Molina and Vanie Gandler to pace the sorry loss.
Meanwhile, the streaking Chery Tiggo Crossovers claimed another top-tier victim in sweeping fashion, as they wrecked the PLDT High Speed Hitters, 25-22, 25-16, 25-20, to keep a blazing-hot five-game winning run.
Reigning PVL Press Corps Player of the Week Eya Laure kept up her stellar ways with a team-high 12 points, followed by 11 from her elder sister EJ, and 10 from veteran acquisition Ara Galang.
Possible MVP candidate Savi Davison did everything she could to keep the High Speed Hitters ship from sinking, as she went down swinging with a game-high 22 points and 10 excellent receptions, while no other player breached double-digit scoring.
“We’re just leaning on collective effort,” Chery Tiggo head coach Kungfu Reyes said in Filipino. “Everyone is doing their job well. That’s one of the best things happening to us right now. We make mistakes, we have slow starts, but everyone recovers, and that’s great.”
Petro Gazz mentor Koji Tsuzurabara, meanwhile, credited his veteran players as the keys to the Angels’ current successful run.
“Captains make a team. They always talk and teach. That’s Chie [Saet] and Nang [Aiza Maizo-Pontillas],” he said. “Thank you so much to those two players.”
“My team has veteran players and young players, and Chie and Nang really contribute on a high level to the team, so thank you. They change the atmosphere.” – Rappler.com
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Supreme Court: Comelec wrong to ban Smartmatic from future PH election contracts
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Jairo Bolledo
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17/04/2024 11:04
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SUPREME COURT. The Supreme Court in Padre Faura, Manila, on December 5, 2023.
Angie de Silva/Rappler
BAGUIO, Philippines – The Supreme Court (SC) ruled that the Commission on Elections (Comelec) was mistaken in disqualifying Smartmatic from participating in the bidding process for future poll contracts.
SC spokesperson Camille Sue Mae Ting told reporters on Wednesday, April 17, that the High Court granted Smartmatic’s petition for certiorari questioning the Comelec’s decision.
The SC decided on the case on April 16. Associate Justice Jose Midas Marquez penned the ruling.
A certiorari is a legal remedy used to review a decision of another body or review grave abuse of discretion.
Citing the High Tribunal’s decision, Ting said the SC found the Comelec to have committed grave abuse of discretion when it disqualified the company “before it had submitted any bid, without anyreference to the eligibility requirements prescribed by its BAC (Bids and Awards Committee).”
“It implemented a discretionary pre-qualification regime antithetical to Government Procurement & Reform Act,” the SC said.
However, the SC noted in its ruling that the finding is not enough to nullify the public or award of the contract for the polls. In other words, although the Comelec committed an error in dealing with Smartmatic’s bid, the decision will not affect the award granted to Miru Systems.
In explaining why it arrived at the ruling, the SC said it considered practicality and the doctrine of operative fact. The doctrine means that a law produced consequences that cannot be ignored. So, it has to be nullified, but not its effects.
In a statement, Smartmatic said the Supreme Court ruling was a “significant victory for fairness and the rule of law.”
The company added that it “stands ready to explore further opportunities to contribute to the ongoingmodernization of Philippine elections.”
“We welcome the Supreme Court’s ruling in our favor, which restores justice and sends a clear message to those at the helm of Comelec that due process matters,” said Smartmatic spokesman Christian Robert Lim.
“By rectifying Comelec’s questionable decision, the Court not only vindicated Smartmatic but also set a crucial precedent for upholding transparency and accountability in public procurement processes,” he added.
For the upcoming 2025 polls, Smartmatic received from the Comelec an invitation to attend its election and procurement summit in 2023. After the Comelec published the invitation to bid, Smartmatic purchased the bidding documents and attended the pre-bidding conference.
Bidding is a process mandated by the law to ensure transparency in the award of government contracts.
However, the private respondents filed petitions with the Comelec seeking a review of Smartmatic’s qualifications. The petitioners cited the alleged serious and material irregularities in the transmission and reception of the 2022 elections. The petitioners also sought Smartmatic’s disqualification if the irregularities cannot be explained.
Later, the Comelec en banc disqualified Smartmatic from the bidding, citing the Comelec’s constitutional mandate to enforce and administer all laws and regulations relative to the conduct of elections under the Constitution.
This pushed Smarmatic to file a certiorari petition with the High Court. The Comelec later awarded the contract to Miru Systems.
Election lawyer Emil Marañon III said in March that since the petition was still pending at the time, there was a possibility of Smartmatic reentering the scene.
He also pointed out that if Smartmatic wins the case, the Comelec would have to reopen the bidding process and allow the company to bid.
The Court, however, said that although Smartmatic’s petition was granted, it will not have any effect on the contract already awarded to Miru, citing the doctrine of operative fact.
“The Court recognized that to require the Comelec to conduct another round of public bidding would seriously disrupt its preparations for the 2025 national and local elections and potentially jeopardize the very conduct of the NLE,” the SC explained. – with a report from Dwight de Leon/Rappler.com
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HNP expels congresswoman, mayor, vice governors amid Jubahib suspension
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Herbie G
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17/04/2024 10:28
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RALLY. Former speaker and Davao del Norte 1st District Representative addresses a crowd during a rally in Tagum City on Sunday night, April 14.
Congressman Pantaleon Alvarez FB page
DAVAO ORIENTAL, Philippines – Vice President Sara Duterte’s political party, Hugpong ng Pagbabago (HNP), has expelled a congresswoman, a city mayor, and two vice governors in the Davao region in the aftermath of Malacañang’s suspension order against Davao del Norte Governor Edwin Jubahib.
Dropped from the party’s roster of members were Davao de Oro 1st District Representative Maricar Zamora, Tagum City Mayor Rey Uy, and vice governors De Carlo “Oyo” Uy of Davao del Norte and Jayvee Tyron Uy of Davao de Oro.
In a statement released on Tuesday, April 16, the HNP said the decision to expel the officials “comes in light of recent events and actions that have been found to conflict with the core principles and policies of our Party.”
Their suspension took effect on Monday, April 15, a day after Duterte’s group led a rally in Tagum, Davao del Norte’s capital city, in support of the suspended Jubahib. It was also where former speaker and Davao del Norte 1st District Representative Pantaleon Alvarez called on the military to withdraw its support from the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
“Hugpong ng Pagbabago commits to continue to uphold respect for the dignity of men and that government resources are tools of service for all. In the coming days, we expect the courtesy resignation of other members of the HNP as we continue our preparations for the upcoming elections,” read part of the Duterte-controlled party.
Oyo Uy has taken his oath as acting governor of Davao del Norte, a move that did not sit well with supporters of Jubahib.
Oyo and the other HNP-expelled members are seen to be allies and are known to be common political enemies of Alvarez, a close ally of Jubahib and former president Rodrigo Duterte, who denounced the Palace order to suspend the Davao del Norte governor.
Interestingly, Alvarez and Jubahib are not HNP members. Alvarez won in the 2022 elections under the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino–Lakas ng Bayan (PDP), a political party chaired by the former president, while Jubahib ran under Partido Para sa Demokratikong Reporma.
Malacañang, through Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, ordered the 60-day preventive suspension of Jubahib on April 8 based on a complaint for abuse of power and oppression by a provincial board member.
Jubahib, in an earlier interview, said he saw his suspension order as “politically motivated” and the handiwork of Special Assistant to the President Antonio Lagdameo Jr., a relative of the influential Del Rosario family in Davao del Norte. The Del Rosarios were the ruling political dynasty in the province until Jubahib and Alvarez defeated them in the 2019 elections.
The governor said he found the reason for the suspension order “petty,” saying the complainant, provincial board member Orly Amit, accused him of abuse of authority when he ordered a capitol-owned vehicle taken from the provincial lawmaker and assigned it to the provincial engineering office for just a month.
On Sunday, thousands joined the Duterte-led rally in Tagum City where the former president, his son and Davao City Mayor Sebastian Duterte, Alvarez, and other politicians took turns lambasting Marcos and his administration.
During the rally, Duterte unleashed vitriol, labeling Marcos as “boang” (crazy), while Alvarez disparaged the President as “bangag” (high on drugs) and “bobong Marcos” (foolish Marcos). –Rappler.com
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Visit green spaces in Metro Manila to unwind this summer
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Iya Gozum
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17/04/2024 9:28
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WALKWAY. A strip of pavement inside the Greenway Park in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig.
Iya Gozum/Rappler
MANILA, Philippines – The dry, hot season has made glaring the lack of trees and shaded, open areas in Metro Manila.
Being able to do simple outdoor recreational activities like walking, picnicking, jogging, or biking, is an important parameter in making a community livable. Aside from a dearth in these kinds of spaces, the stifling summer heat has made it extra tiring to go outside.
So where outside can you escape in this heat? We picked out some green spaces in the metro you can visit after work hours or during the weekends to unwind.
Academic Oval, University of the Philippines Diliman
Up on the list is the state university’s famous 2.2-kilometer Academic Oval (or acad oval), lined with huge acacia trees.
The acad oval is open to the public and caters to many activities such as jogging, biking, and picnicking. In case you get hungry while ambling or after your workout, there are several stalls and push carts around the oval that sell pancit canton, fishballs, ice cream, and sweet corn with cheese.
Arroceros Forest Park
The so-called last lungs of Manila is home to thousands of trees, ornamental plants, and to a diverse set of bird species.
The 2.71-hectare park is open daily from 8 am to 5 pm, has pathways and an exhibit area inside, and an esplanade along the Pasig River. (READ: The protectors of Manila’s last lung)
ASEAN Garden
Tucked inside the Walled City in Manila is a small garden park. It features busts of leaders and flags from Southeast Asian nations, cobblestone walkways, and stone steps covered with moss.
Its proximity to the campuses inside Intramuros makes it a prime spot for students who need to rehearse skits or practice dance numbers.
Marikina River Park
On the banks of Marikina River, people can walk, jog, bike, and eat. Food establishments have popped up around the area where visitors can eat after their leisure activities.
There are bike racks in certain areas where you can park your bike while checking out food stalls, bazaars, or whatever event is taking place at the time of your visit.
BGC Greenway Park
At the end of 26 Avenue in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig, is the Greenway Park where one can walk, jog, or sit down on one of the huge rocks surrounded by trees. It features a strip of pavement surrounded by greenery. Bikes, skateboards are not allowed inside.
Burgos Circle
A stone’s throw away from Greenway Park is the Burgos Circle, the island in the middle of a roundabout of the Forbes Town Center. Benches neatly line the pavements.
It features a sculpture of three trees forming a dome – the work of sculptor Reynato Paz Contreras – completed and unveiled in November 1997. E-scooter and e-bikes are available for rent on the side of the park.
While there are a few go-to spots for a breather in the city, there’s still a need to have more open spaces especially as the public continues to feel the heat exacerbated by climate change.
“We need to have more natural, cooling spaces: our parks, streets lined up with trees. For one it’s more environmentally friendly, compared to the malls that we have,” said urban Elijah Go Tian of the Resilient Cities Network.
“Especially malls with their huge [air-conditioning] and the huge amount of space they take up, [they increase] the heat in the area and the non-permeable spaces that we have,” Tian added.
Tian said parks signal a thriving community because they are free, accessible, and conducive to fostering relationships.
“One main thing why parks are the better option, especially public parks, is because it’s free,” said Tian. “I don’t need to go to a mall and buy something to make me stay there.”
According to a 2021 paper published in the International Journal of Urban Sustainable Development, green spaces in the Metro Manila may be dwindling but what remains still serve the purpose they’re made for: places with a sense of local community, and spaces where people socialize, exercise, and work on self-improvement.
“Living in an overcrowded city, many of them welcome the opportunity to enjoy the spaciousness of the parks and to see mature trees,” the study said.
More than providing contrast to the concrete jungle, trees provide benefits to people and wildlife, said Anthony Arbias of the Philippine Native Plant Conservation Society Inc. (PNPCSI).
“By having more trees, we can have better air quality, better shade, absorb flood, and give support for urban biodiversity as it provides food, shelter and opportunities for wildlife to thrive even in an inhospitable environment,” Arbias told Rappler.
“Second is the ethno-botanical function it gives like beautification, source of food, source of leisure activity and so much more,” he added.
Since 2007, Arbias said the PNPCSI has been advocating the responsible use of native trees in urban spaces. Although the default is to “go native,” he said “careful planning, mix matching, maintenance duties and being considerate to other land owners should always be taken into account” in new township projects.
Now that you have a few ideas on where to go, how do you keep cool outside? Here are some tips.
Hydrate properly. Don’t forget to bring a bottle of water when going outside. Drink water before, during, and after exercise. Keeping yourself hydrated can help prevent muscle cramping, too.
Wear lightweight clothes. Wear light clothes to let your body breathe. Sportswear and outdoor clothing use fabrics that are moisture-wicking, which can help you keep dry and cool than the usual cotton shirt.
Go out early or at night. Make the most of the cooler periods of the day by exercising/going out in the morning before work. If you’re not an early bird, after work hours would be fine, too. Running clubs and other recreational groups often hold their sessions in open spaces at night.
Wear sunscreen. Protect your skin from harmful UV rays by wearing sunscreen. Experts recommend a minimum SPF of 30. Apply sunscreen 30 minutes before going out. Make it a point to reapply every two hours.
Don’t overexert. It’s easier to get tired in the heat, so take breaks when you need to. Listen to your body and be wary of symptoms of heat exhaustion such as dizziness, weak pulse, nausea, muscle cramps, fainting, and clammy skin. – Rappler.com
Improving active transportation facilities and policies is part of the call of various groups to #MakeManilaLiveable. On Rappler, we have created a dedicated space for stories and reports about liveability in Philippine cities. Learn more about the movement here.
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The untold story of hair damage in the Philippines
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Saab Lariosa
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15/04/2024 14:38
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My relationship with my hair hasn’t always been the best.
Growing up, I used to get my locks rebonded every year because of its buhaghag look. When I started working, I found out I had curly hair and returned to treating it right. Then when I (regrettably) got bored with it, I started bleaching my hair blonde and it went right back to buhaghag. Colored hair curly girls, you’re all probably familiar with this.
It’s not just me. Ask any girl about their hair journey and you’d likely get a long story about all the cuts, products, and methods they’ve tried through the years. Considering that our hair is our crowning glory, it only makes sense that we take the time to take care of it and think about it so much.
Though everyone’s relationship with their hair is different, we Filipinas might have more in common than we think.
A 2024 *survey by tryandreview.com and Dove Hair Philippines answered by 1,700+ women all over the country found that 91% of Filipinas experience some level of hair damage.
More than half of the respondents shared that hair fall was their top hair concern, followed by dry hair, frizz, and breakage. Meanwhile, a whopping 99% were unknowingly damaging their hair through combing and towel drying, or heat styling through blow drying, curling, or straightening. Not to say that doing these things is wrong, it’s just that more often than not, excessive styling can be the cause of damage.
A bad hair day may have a bigger impact than we think, as our hair plays a huge role in our daily lives. According to the survey, 32% of Filipinas feel the need to adjust their lifestyles to cater to their hair. Just like me, 91% use one to two products in their daily hair care regimen for hair damage, and 46% just end up cutting their hair as a solution.
Though we already do so much to care for our hair, three in five Filipinas still haven’t found a solution to their hair damage and 1 in 5 women from Metro Manila believe hair damage can’t ever be reversed. But that’s where we can beat the odds.
Just like our skincare routine, consistency is key when it comes to our hair care regimen, along with using products tailored to our unique beauty needs. Though it differs with each person, the survey found that 68% of Filipinas define beautiful hair as soft and smooth locks, meanwhile, 65% define it as healthy hair.
Whatever beautiful hair means to you, a new specialized hair care line for damage is on the horizon. Infused with superior ingredients and the latest innovation in hair damage care technology, this exciting new line will work in harmony with your hair to address every sign of damage.
Want to learn more about the latest in the Science of Care? Watch this space by following Dove on Facebook and Instagram, or checking out dove.com/ph to be the first to hear about their latest hair care innovation. Keep an eye out for updates and get ready to unlock the secret to beautifully repaired hair. – Rappler.com
*The survey was answered by 635 women from Metro Manila, 205 women from Central Luzon (urban areas), 328 women from South Luzon (urban areas) 132 women from Visayas (urban areas), 122 women from Mindanao (urban areas) and 279 women from rural areas in the Philippines as of February 29, 2024.
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RESULTS: April 2024 Physicians Licensure Examination
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clescudero0258
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18/04/2024 19:05
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The following is a press release from the Professional Regulation Commission.
The Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) announces that 1,906 out of 3,434 passed the Physicians Licensure Examination given by the Board of Medicine in NCR, Baguio, Cagayan de Oro, Cebu, Davao, Iloilo, Legazpi, Lucena, Pampanga, Rosales, Tacloban, Tuguegarao and Zamboanga this April 2024.
The results of examination with respect to three examinees were withheld pending submission of the required documents.
The members of the Board of Medicine who gave the licensure examination are Dr. Zenaida L. Antonio, chairman; Dr. Godofreda V. Dalmacion, Dr. Eleanor B. Almoro, Dr. Martha O. Nucum, Dr. Efren C. Laxamana and Dr. Joanna V. Remo, members.
The results were released in three working days from the last day of examination.
Starting May 16, 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), two pieces passport sized pictures (colored with white background and complete name tag), two sets of documentary stamps and one 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 examination will be announced later.
The top performing schools in the April 2024 Physicians Licensure Examination as per Commission Resolution No. 2017-1058(C) series of 2017:
The successful examinees who garnered the ten highest places in the April 2024 Physicians Licensure Examination are the following:
Here’s the full list of passers:
– Rappler.com
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Robinsons Malls partners with PETA for ‘One More Chance, The Musical’
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Julian Cirineo
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16/04/2024 16:05
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Robinsons Malls has partnered with the Philippine Educational Theater Association (PETA) in presenting One More Chance, The Musical the highly anticipated stage adaptation of the iconic 2007 Star Cinema film starring John Lloyd Cruz and Bea Alonzo.
“We are as thrilled and as excited as the millions of followers and supporters of Popoy and Basha, whose love story has stirred the hearts of so many Filipinos, encompassing decades of classic storytelling,” says Jess Zulueta, Robinsons Malls senior marketing director.
Robinsons Malls, a staunch advocate of the arts, has always championed the many passions of its customers. This is evidenced by its different projects and initiatives, from its collaborations with Jefre and Erwin Wurm to ARTablado, which gives visual artists from all over the Philippines the platform to showcase their work. Robinsons Malls is also home to great entertainment, consistently hosting exciting live performances and allowing mallgoers to see their favorite performers up close. It has also become a place where fresh talent is discovered and developed, thanks to the RMalls Academy.
This time, Robinsons Malls is giving local theater a boost with its partnership with PETA. There’s another layer to the partnership—the musical will tell the unforgettable story of Popoy and Basha and their barkada using the songs of the hugely popular band and Robinsons Malls brand ambassadors, Ben&Ben.
One More Chance, The Musical, which opens at the PETA Theater Center on April 12, has already set records, selling out 50 shows months before opening night. Due to overwhelming demand, PETA added more shows and released new tickets but those too were instantly gone.
No tickets yet? No problem. Robinsons Malls gives you “One More Chance” to get tickets to the highly anticipated musical. You can win the hottest tickets in the country with Robinsons Malls’ Shop and Dine Promo, happening at Robinsons Galleria Ortigas, Robinsons Metro East, Robinsons Las Pinas, and Robinsons Galleria South.
Spend a minimum of P2,000 in a single transaction at any store in Robinsons Galleria Ortigas, or P1,000 at any store in Robinsons Metro East, Robinsons Las Pinas, and Robinsons Galleria South to receive one e-raffle entry. Additionally, a single-receipt purchase of P5,000 from Robinsons Supermarket in any of the four participating malls also earns you one e-raffle entry.
The promo runs from April 1 to 24. Winners will get two tickets to One More Chance, The Musical shows from May to June 2024.
The cast of One More Chance, The Musical will also be coming to select Robinsons Malls to give a glimpse of the musical and give away exciting prizes. Follow the official Facebook and Instagram accounts of Robinsons Malls for more information. – Rappler.com
PRESS RELEASE
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Filipinos urged to reduce aircon use as red alert raised on power grids
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Ralf Rivas
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16/04/2024 19:44
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MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Energy urged Filipinos to minimize the use of high-energy consuming devices, such as air conditioners and elevators, during peak hours, as the state grid operator was forced to implement outages amid energy supply’s inability to keep up with the demand.
The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines on Tuesday, April 16, issued a red alert notice for the Luzon grid from 2 pm to 9 pm, as 19 power plants were forced to shut down. This was extended to 11 pm due to two more plant outages.
A red alert status is issued when power supply is insufficient to meet consumer demand and the transmission grid’s regulating requirement. Rotational brownouts were intentionally done Tuesday to protect the integrity of the power system.
The Visayas grid was initially put on a lower level, the yellow alert status, from 2 pm to 7 pm. But this was eventually raised to red alert from 5 pm to 9 pm due to thin supply.
Energy Secretary Raphael Lotilla said energy efficiency efforts can be conducted during this period of extreme heat.
“Flexible work arrangements and other conservation measures would also be helpful. The extremely high temperatures have been affecting the operations of power plants in the grid,” Lotilla said.
The Manila Electric Company said the interruptible load program helped mitigate the power strain on the grid and partially helped avoid some rotational brownouts on Tuesday.
This program compensates companies that use their own generating facilities during times of power supply deficit. – Rappler.com
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Get a kilo of cabbages from community pantry, help Benguet farmers
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Iya Gozum
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15/04/2024 22:10
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115 MT cabbage traded yesterday for transport to other regions. Photo by Mau Victa/Rappler
Mau Victa
MANILA, Philippines – Buy a kilo of cabbages from the community pantry and help Benguet farmers weathering the adverse effects of El Niño to agriculture.
The community pantry is an initiative that started in Maginhawa Street, Quezon City, three years ago which inspired people to give and take food according to their capabilities and needs. Recently, the pantry had been connecting farmers to consumers, communities for their produce.
“With the ongoing El Niño, the pantry wants to buy cabbages at a higher price than the price initially set by farmers,” Ana Patricia Non, founder of community pantry, told Rappler in Filipino.
Non explained that Benguet farmers were selling cabbages at P12 to P15 per kilo. After checking how much cabbages are sold in grocery stores, Non said they decided to buy the cabbages at P20 per kilo.
Per kilo sold, the community pantry is going to give another kilo of cabbages for free to “communities, the homeless, jeepney drivers, Palestine refugees, Muslim migrant communities, city jails,” Non said.
This sets the buying price at P50 per kilo of cabbages. The additional P10 would cover operational costs. The pantry is accepting orders from April 11 to 23.
Benguet is the top producer of cabbages in the Philippines. It contributed 40% in cabbage production in 2020. Around 34% of the country’s cabbage farming area is in the province.
According to a recent update from the Cordillera regional office of the Department of Agriculture (DA-CAR), wholesale prices of cabbage rareball range from P14 to P16 per kilo, while wholesale prices of cabbage wonderball range from P16 to P19. Big Chinese cabbages, meanwhile, are priced at P10 to P14 per kilo.
DA-CAR reported P444.94 million of agricultural damage due to El Niño as of the end of March. Non said they have been in talks with DA-CAR regarding assisting farmers and connecting them to consumers.
According to the latest report from the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, agricultural damage hit P1.2 billion, affecting 29,409 farmers and fisherfolk and 26,731.4 hectares of crops.
El Niño has historically impacted livelihood and health by causing extreme droughts and severe flooding in parts of the world. Dry spells and droughts could mean crop failures and issues in food production. – Rappler.com
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[Two Pronged] My friend has an abusive partner. What can I do?
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Marguerite de Leon
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16/04/2024 13:49
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Rappler’s Life and Style section runs an advice column by couple Jeremy Baer and clinical psychologist Dr. Margarita Holmes.
Jeremy has a master’s degree in law from Oxford University. A banker of 37 years who worked in three continents, he has been training with Dr. Holmes for the last 10 years as co-lecturer and, occasionally, as co-therapist, especially with clients whose financial concerns intrude into their daily lives.
Together, they have written two books: Love Triangles: Understanding the Macho-Mistress Mentality and Imported Love: Filipino-Foreign Liaisons.
Dear Dr. Holmes and Mr. Baer,I’ve found myself in a bit of a pickle lately regarding my friend’s relationship, and I’m not quite sure where my responsibilities lie in all of this.Let’s call my friend Maya. Maya’s been with her partner for years, but there’s always been something off about their relationship that’s made me feel uneasy. Despite Maya’s background in psychology and her willingness to lend a helping hand to anyone in need, her own romantic situation has left me scratching my head.Maya’s always quick to defend her partner, saying he’s devoted to her despite his rough edges. But I’ve never fully bought into it. There are these little red flags that bug me – like how Maya hardly ever hangs out with her friends outside of work, always rushing home with excuses about her dog or other stuff waiting for her. Plus, she’s always tight on cash even though she works multiple jobs and lives a pretty simple life. She once let slip that her partner’s been out of work for a while, but she’s saving up for their wedding.Recently, Maya confided in me that she finally mustered the courage to leave her partner after he physically harmed her. I expressed my support and applauded her courage for walking away, but before I knew it, they were back together. It’s a tough spot to be in, knowing the cycle of abuse but not wanting to judge.So here’s where I’m stuck: How far does my responsibility as a friend go? How can I support Maya without overstepping boundaries? And most importantly, how do I make sure she stays safe?Sincerely,SolePathSeeker
Dear Sole Path Seeker,
Thank you for your message. One of the foundation stones of therapy is that the only person one can definitely change is oneself. Another is that a third party can never be privy to a complete understanding of another couple’s relationship.
With this in mind, it should be clear that your ability to help Maya is inevitably limited, as you seem to have already discovered. This does not mean however that it is a lost cause, but merely that you should recalibrate your expectations and not assume that the only definition of success is a breakup.
Ideally, Maya and her partner should seek therapy, with the aim of either improving their relationship – or reaching a realization that it is at an end. You can encourage this and even if they reject couples therapy, individual therapy would be very beneficial.
If Maya’s contacts with her friends are slowly being whittled away, your support is all the more valuable. Yours can be the voice of reason, a counter-balance to her partner, and hearing what you have to say can be of help even if she is still not prepared to leave. It may also be that money is a factor as many relationships persists because the couple, or one partner, cannot afford to leave. You might be able to help Maya in this respect
In the final analysis, the decision is solely hers to make but possibly your continuing support may tip the scale.
Best wishes,JAFBaer
Dear Sole Path Seeker:
Thank you very much for your letter. You asked the following questions, which I shall try and answer in similar order:
If, as a loyal friend, you give her advice and she refuses it either verbally or non verbally, then this is the signal that your friendship doesn’t go that far, so you step back a bit, and keep on stepping back until her reception changes from frosty to welcoming/thankful. You cannot be more solicitous/caring than your partner wants you to be.
I know, I know, that hardly seems enough. But one of the joys of friendship is loving someone and yet not owning them. This includes recognizing their agency and not having the hubris to feel you know much more than she does.
Yes, this may fly in the face of your own reasoning, but if she is your friend, she is also your equal, and deserves no patronizing from you.
All the best as you navigate your need for patience,MG Holmes
– Rappler.com
Please send any comments, questions, or requests for advice to twopronged@rappler.com.
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Marcos Jr. dodges question on refusal to apologize for Martial Law atrocities
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Dwight de Leon
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15/04/2024 18:44
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File photo. Philippines' President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. looks on as he meets with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, at Malacanang Palace in Manila, Philippines, March 19, 2024.
REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein/Pool
MANILA, Philippines – President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. sidestepped questions regarding his insistence not to say sorry for the atrocities committed during the Martial Law regime of his late father, the dictator Ferdinand E. Marcos.
During the Foreign Correspondents’ Association of the Philippines (FOCAP) presidential luncheon on Monday, April 15, a reporter asked Marcos, “Why have you resisted issuing an apology for the atrocities committed during Martial Law under your father’s rule, and will you continue doing so as president?”
“I don’t think it’s a duty for a president to be involved. That is a personal matter for the Marcos family,” he answered. “My role as president is more important right now than my role as a member of the Marcos family.”
The reporter, seemingly unsatisfied with the answer, threw a follow-up at Marcos, “So will you apologize as president of the Republic in behalf?”
“That seems highly contrived. Who is apologizing to whom?” Marcos replied, after which the subject has been dropped.
Marcos, in the past, dismissed the idea of saying sorry for the sins committed by his father.
“Will I say sorry for the thousands and thousands of kilometers [of roads] that were built? Will I say sorry for the agricultural policy that brought us to self-sufficiency in rice? Will I say sorry for the power generation? Will I say sorry for the highest literacy rate in Asia? What am I to say sorry about?” Marcos Jr. said in a 2015 interview.
The presidency of Marcos Sr. from 1965 to 1986 became among the darkest chapters of Philippine history.
His declaration of Martial Law in 1972 allowed him to stay in power beyond the two-term limit imposed by the 1935 Constitution.
That era was marked by widespread corruption in government, suppression of various freedoms, and human rights violations.
Amnesty International said 70,000 people were imprisoned, 34,000 were tortured, and 3,240 were killed from 1972 to 1981.
After the 1986 EDSA People Power Revolution booted out Marcos Sr. and left his family no choice but to go intoexile in Hawaii, the succeeding government formed a body tasked to go after their ill-gotten wealth.
As of 2021, the Presidential Commission on Good Government said P170 billion have been recovered but they are after P125 billion more.
The Marcos family, however, has successfully reintegrated themselves in Philippine politics after the Corazon Aquino government allowed them to return home in 1991 to face the legal challenges against them.
In 2022, Marcos Jr. won the presidential election in a landslide vote, with the help of what critics said was a well-oiled disinformation campaign to rehabilitate the family’s image. – Rappler.com
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The Marcos family’s image rehabilitation continues. Remember what Cory did: “The Marcos family, however, has successfully reintegrated themselves in Philippine politics after the Corazon Aquino government allowed them to return home in 1991 to face the legal challenges against them.” She may be turning in her grave now.
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Navy to probe reservist Alvarez over call to withdraw support from Marcos
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Bea Cupin
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16/04/2024 19:52
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LAWMAKER. Davao del Norte 1st District Representative Pantaleon Alvarez in 2023.
House press and public affairs bureau
MANILA, Philippines – The Philippine Navy on Tuesday, April 16, said it ordered an investigation into remarks made by one of its reservists, Davao del Norte 1st District Representative Pantaleon Alvarez, who had called on the military to “withdraw [their] support” for President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. over his policy in the West Philippine Sea.
“We take exception to the recent statement of the 1st District Davao del Norte Representative and Marine reservist, Pantaleon Alvarez. The Philippine Navy has already directed the 9th Marine Brigade to conduct an investigation; and to ask Col Alvarez PN(M)(MNSA) (Res) to explain his statements. The result of the investigation will be the basis of the Navy’s actions moving forward,” said the Navy in a statement.
“The Philippine Navy is a professional organization dedicated to uphold our mandate of safeguarding the sovereignty and the territorial integrity of the state. In support of the AFP, we reiterate our unwavering loyalty and commitment to the Constitution, the Chain of Command, and to the President of the Republic of the Philippines as the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces,” it said.
The Armed Forces of the Philippines, as well as the Department of Defense, earlier rejected Alvarez’ call. Defense Secretary Gibo Teodoro said calls for the military to withdraw support would “not amount to anything but to a possible criminal investigation.”
The Department of Justice earlier said it would probe Alvarez’s statements “to determine whether it has risen to the level of sedition, inciting to sedition, or even rebellion.”
“Rest assured that the Sailors and Marines will continue to fulfill our responsibility with integrity, impartiality, utmost dedication, and will follow legal orders from the chain of command. The Navy will continue to uphold the rule of law – ensuring security and stability as guardians of our seas. One AFP, One Philippines, Strong AFP, Strong Philippines,” said the Navy in its April 16 statement.
The Philippine Navy is among the frontline government agencies in the Philippines’ push to defend its sovereign rights and assert its sovereign claims in the West Philippine Sea, or part of the South China Sea that includes the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone.
Under the Marcos administration, the Philippines has grown more assertive in the West Philippine Sea. The Philippines has also seen a course correction in its foreign policy with the Marcos administration strengthening ties with treaty-ally the US and other strategic partners, in contrast to former president Rodrigo Duterte’s “pivot to China.”
Alvarez returned as an ally of the former president, years after he was ousted from the House Speakership during the Duterte administration.
China claims almost all of the South China Sea, including parts within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone. Beijing has repeatedly insisted that the 2016 Arbitral Award which upheld the Philippine position is invalid.
Tensions in the West Philippine Sea have risen in the past year, with the China Coast Guard not above using force – in the form of water cannons – against Philippine vessels in Ayungin and Scarborough Shoals. Alvarez said Marcos’ policy “is making us to go to war with the world’s superpower, China. And that war will kill us all, Filipinos, especially our soldiers.”
Navy personnel have been injured by China’s water cannons, although injured soldiers themselves have said they would not hesitate to be deployed in Ayungin Shoal, where the rusty BRP Sierra Madre serves as a military outpost.
Under Duterte, the Philippines had entered a “gentleman’s agreement” to keep the status quo in the West Philippine Sea, according to the Chinese embassy in Manila. The “status quo,” if China’s statements are to be believed, meant that under Duterte, the Philippines would not bring construction materials to fortify the BRP Sierra Madre.
While Duterte has denied having entered into a specific agreement on Ayungin Shoal, he’s confirmed negotiations to maintain the status quo in those waters. – Rappler.com
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He should be stripped of such rank if he is genuinely a military reservist and does not follow the chain of command. Otherwise, such rank is equivalent to the “paid commissions” of former monarchial armies during the Napoleonic wars. These military officers got their rank by paying the King, and they got their rank even without formal training. Hence, during actual battles, they were defeated by Napoleon’s officers, who rose from the ranks through merit.
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Philippine gov’t will not turn in Duterte to ICC, says Marcos
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Dwight de Leon
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15/04/2024 16:54
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Marcos screenshot from RTVM, Duterte screenshot from Rody Duterte's Facebook page
MANILA, Philippines – President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said the Philippines will not allow the International Criminal Court (ICC) to arrest his predecessor Rodrigo Duterte.
“We won’t recognize the warrant that they will send to us,” Marcos said during the presidential forum organized by the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines on Monday, April 15.
Since assuming the presidency, Marcos has insisted that the Philippines does not recognize the jurisdiction of the ICC. The country withdrew from the body in 2019, during Duterte’s time as president.
One reporter asked Marcos during the forum: Is a rules-based order only applicable when it’s convenient for the Philippines? The question was in reference to Manila’s insistence on a rules-based order in the West Philippine Sea, where China has engaged in harassment tactics against Filipino-owned vessels.
“It is the rule of ICC that they come in when there is no judiciary, they come in when there is no police force. We have a judiciary,” Marcos answered.
Duterte is being investigated by the ICC over his bloody drug war, which killed over 6,000 people according to police records, although human rights groups believe the death toll is much higher. – Rappler.com
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Marcos Jr.’s presumptive answer: “It is the rule of ICC that they come in when there is no judiciary, they come in when there is no police force. We have a judiciary.” But what kind of judiciary was it? Perhaps PBBM just waited for the right timing to finally frustrate the Duterte Dynasty’s political competitiveness.
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