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U.S. backs probe on Sikh’s slay
An American official has supported a call by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for India to cooperate in the investigation of a Sikh leader’s assassination in Vancouver in June. “We want to see accountability. And it’s important that the investigation run its course and lead to that result,” US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told reporters in New York, where he was taking part in the United Nations General Assembly. “We would hope that our Indian friends would cooperate with that investigation as well,” Blinken said, referring to Canadian citizen Hardeep Singh Nijjar. Nijjar, who was wanted in India for alleged terrorism and conspiracy to commit murder, was shot dead by two masked assailants. Blinken’s statement came four days after Trudeau linked Indian intelligence agents to the murder of the activist campaigning for the creation of a Sikh homeland called Khalistan. New Delhi insisted it had nothing to do with the killing, adding that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had “completely rejected” the accusation when earlier raised privately by Trudeau. Following Trudeau’s bombshell, Sikh leaders in Canada demanded justice for Nijjar’s killing. “We want a full investigation that brings to justice the people involved in this assassination, including those who pulled the trigger and the ones who plotted this assassination,” Harkirt Singh Dhadda, a lawyer and prominent member of the Sikh community in the Toronto area, said. Nijjar’s son also demanded the arrest of his father’s killers. “Hopefully, you can take this a step further and get specific individuals,” Balraj Singh Nijjar told reporters. Jaskaran Sandhu, co-founder of Baaz News, a website for the Sikh community, warned that “if the government doesn’t take a strong stance and send a strong message, all it declares to the world is that it’s open season on our citizens.” Jagmett Singh, the leader of the left-wing New Democratic Party and a Trudeau ally said Trudeau’s announcement confirms suspicions that India was interfering in the democratic rights of Canadians. Canada must also put an end to intelligence sharing with New Delhi, Sikh officials said. Since 2018, the two countries have established cooperation on counter-terrorism activities which commits them to financial, judicial and police cooperation — an agreement eyed warily by 770,000 Canadian Sikhs today. WITH AFP The post U.S. backs probe on Sikh’s slay appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
US, Iran release prisoners in $6 billion swap deal
The United States and Iran on Monday swapped five prisoners each in one of the arch-foes' first deals in years as Tehran gained access to $6 billion in frozen funds. The five Americans freed by Iran, including one held for eight years, flew out of Tehran in a Qatari jet, hours after the unblocked funds were deposited in accounts also managed by Qatar. The White House said it was "pleased to confirm" the plane carrying the freed Americans had left Doha, Qatar for the United States, and that President Joe Biden had spoken with the families of the Americans in an "emotional call". The five had walked in the setting sun on the tarmac in Doha, three of them with arms around one another's shoulders. One of them praised Biden for ignoring the political backlash and taking the "incredibly difficult decisions" that freed them. "Thank you, President Biden, for ultimately putting the lives of American citizens above politics," Siamak Namazi, a businessman held since 2015, said in a statement. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who spoke to the released Americans by telephone after they landed in Doha, insisted the Biden administration had "no higher priority" than freeing US citizens. "It's very good to be able to say that our fellow citizens are free," Blinken told reporters in New York, where he and Biden are taking part in UN meetings. Two of the Iranian detainees arrived in Qatar, Iranian media said. The other three released by the United States have opted to remain there or in a third country. After quiet discussions led in part by Qatar, the two countries completed the exchange after the transfer of $6 billion in funds, frozen by US ally South Korea. The Biden administration has rejected criticism at home that it is paying "ransom," insisting the money will be used only humanitarian purposes, with a threat to re-freeze the funds if not. But Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Nasser Kanani, speaking earlier in Tehran, said the clerical state will have "total access" to the assets. Political risks for Biden Biden's Republican rivals have roundly denounced the deal. Republican Senator Mitt Romney said it would lead to "kidnappings". "The idea of basically paying to release, in this effect, a hostage is a terrible idea," he said. Mindful of political risks, Biden in a statement said he would "continue to impose costs" on Iran and announced sanctions against former president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and the country's intelligence ministry. The sanctions were imposed over alleged deceit in the disappearance of Bob Levinson, a former FBI agent who disappeared in Iran in mysterious circumstance and is presumed dead. Biden in his statement did not mention that he granted clemency to five Iranians. A US official said that all were convicted or changed with non-violent crimes, with one already set to be released soon. Iran had generated the revenue through oil sales. South Korea froze the funds after Biden's Republican predecessor Donald Trump withdrew from a landmark nuclear accord and imposed unilateral US sanctions on buying oil from Iran. Iran's central bank governor said Iran would seek damages from South Korea. "We're making a complaint on behalf of Iran against South Korea for not giving access to these funds and the reduction in value of these funds in order to receive damages," Mohammadreza Farzin said on state television. The five Americans of Iranian descent -- all considered Iranian nationals by Tehran, which rejects dual nationality -- were released to house arrest when the deal was agreed last month. Besides Namazi, they include wildlife conservationist Morad Tahbaz, venture capitalist Emad Sharqi and two others who wished to remain anonymous. All were accused of spying or other crimes that they strongly reject. Tahbaz also holds UK nationality. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said Britain was not involved in the deal but that he was "extremely pleased" he was free. A US official said that two more US citizens flew out of Tehran -- Namazi's mother and Sharqi's wife, who were not in prison but had ont been allowed to leave. According to Tehran, the freed Iranians include Reza Sarhangpour and Kambiz Attar Kashani, both accused of violating US sanctions against Tehran. A third prisoner, Kaveh Lotfolah Afrasiabi, was detained at his home near Boston in 2021 and charged with being an Iranian government agent, according to US officials. The two others, Mehrdad Moein Ansari and Amin Hasanzadeh, were said to have links to Iranian security forces. Nudge on nuclear? The swap was the first deal sealed by Biden with Iran's clerical rulers, who toppled the pro-Western shah in 1979 and are deeply hostile to the United States. Biden took office with hopes of restoring the 2015 nuclear agreement, under which Iran promised to constrain its contested nuclear work in return for sanctions relief. But months of talks failed to produce a breakthrough. Prospects to restore the deal sank further after protests broke out almost exactly a year ago in Iran following the death in custody of Mahsa Amini, who had been arrested for allegedly violating the country's Islamic dress code for women. Blinken said that the release of the prisoners "doesn't speak to anything else in the relationship," with the nuclear issue "a different track." Biden is not expected to meet in New York with Iran's president, Ebrahim Raisi, who arrived Monday. The post US, Iran release prisoners in $6 billion swap deal appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Five things to know about BRICS
The BRICS countries, an acronym of the five members Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, meet for three days for a summit in Johannesburg starting Tuesday. Representing 23 percent of the world's gross domestic product (GDP) and 42 percent of the world's population, they are seeking to dull Western economic domination in global affairs. Here are some facts and figures about the BRICS: A new world order? A group of emerging economies, it was formally launched in 2009 and it meets yearly at a summit hosted in rotation by one of the member countries. The meetings aim to assert their position, particularly in relation to the United States and the European Union. It promotes the recognition of a multipolar global order with economic and political balance, with the aim of breaking away from organizations formed in the post-World War II era, such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Aspirants The bloc whose economic growth is mainly driven by China and India, is now open to expansion. Twenty-three candidates have applied to join the BRICS, and an almost similar number have expressed an interest - among them Argentina, Ethiopia, Iran, and Saudi Arabia. One of the attractions of the group is the New Development Bank, created in 2015 with the aim of offering an alternative to the World Bank and the IMF. The Shanghai-headquartered bank has since invested $30 billion in infrastructure development projects in member states and other developing economies. The Putin dilemma Preparations for the summit saw diplomatic tensions rise on the global stage after host President Cyril Ramaphosa invited Russia's President Vladimir Putin who is the target of an International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant over the war in Ukraine. Following months of speculation, Pretoria finally said Putin will attend the summit via video link. South Africa, whose ruling ANC party forged relations with Moscow during the Cold War, when the Soviet Union backed its fight against apartheid, has refused to condemn Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Down with the dollar The five countries account for 18 percent of international trade, the majority of which is transacted in dollars. Critical of the greenback's predominance in world trade, one of their goals is to free themselves from the dollar. The bloc supports the increased use of members' national currencies for trade and the introduction of a common payment system in the long term. Brazil and China earlier this year signed a bilateral agreement to settle their trade in their local currencies. University rankings A meeting of BRICS education ministers last month announced their intention to create their own international university rankings. Moscow believes that Russian universities are being excluded from existing international rankings for political reasons. The post Five things to know about BRICS appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Vote-buyers’ arrest sans warrant soon
Persons engaged in vote-buying or vote-selling may soon be arrested sans a warrant. This as the Commission on Elections is set to come out this month with new rules on vote-buying and vote-selling including citizen’s arrest of violators. Atty. John Rex Laudiangco, Comelec spokesperson, during Wednesday’s Laging Handa press briefing in Malacañang, said a temporary committee was revitalized into Committee on Anti-Kontra Bigay headed by Commissioner Ernesto Ferdinand Maceda Jr. The guidelines, Laudiangco said, will aid law enforcement and prosecution officials in pinning down those who would engage in vote-buying or vote-selling, during the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections in October. “The resolution on this is coming out in the coming week and it will be a deterrent to those planning to violate Section 261-A of the Omnibus Election Code,” he said. Comelec chairperson George Garcia, during the signing of a memorandum of agreement with the Philippine National Police and Philippine Coast Guard, said the rules may include warrantless arrest. Comelec, PNP and PCG committed to doing their best for fair and peaceful elections on 30 October. He issued a warning to stop the practice of vote-buying as a warrantless arrest will be implemented starting the campaign of the BSK elections. “In the guidelines that we will issue, we will allow the PNP to arrest if the person is caught in the act. We will authorize that now with the full backing of the Comelec because it is our belief that under our Constitution a warrantless arrest is allowed,” he said. Garcia said these revisions are needed because of the changing times and stop the long-time practice of vote-buying. The post Vote-buyers’ arrest sans warrant soon appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Congress terminates BuCor probe, Catapang says will not resign
The investigation being conducted at the House of Representatives by the joint Committees on Justice and Public Order and Safety on the disappearance of a person deprived of liberty inside the New Bilibid Prison has been terminated. Both committees were informed by Bureau of Corrections Director Gregorio Pio P. Catapang Jr. that another angle is being pursued by BuCor investigators: that Michael Cataroja, the PDL under investigation, might still be alive. He was reported missing on 15 July 2023. Catapang said bureau operatives visited and talked to Cataroja’s mother, Florence, residing at Sitio Manahan Bato, Brgy. San Isidro, Angono, Rizal, on 5 August. Florence told the investigating officer that the last conversation she had with her son was sometime in June when Cataroja asked her to send him P200. If her son will contact her again, she will surrender him to Senator Raffy Tulfo to secure his safety, said Cataroja's mother. Another BuCor operative also obtained information from a female informant that she saw Cataroja roaming around the area in the latter part of July, while another male informant claimed to have seen Cataroja in the vicinity around 22 July. The BuCor has also coordinated with the Angono Municipal Police as well as barangay police and tanod in Angono, Rizal to arrest Cataroja or alert them should Cataroja reappear in the area. In terminating the hearing, Rep. Dan Fernandez, chairman of the Committee on Public Order and Safety, said the objective of the committee is to have different agencies such as the Bureau of Corrections, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency and the National Bureau of Investigation strengthen their coordination efforts. Fernandez urged the BuCor to renew its coordination with PDEA by forging a memorandum of agreement and provide them with an office inside the BuCor to assist them in their fight to eliminate the drug problem inside the NBP. Responding to the challenge by Rep. Bienvenido Abante of the 6th District of Manila for him to resign if he fails to reform and solve corruption in the bureau, Catapang said he serves “at the pleasure of the Filipino people, the President, and the Secretary, but right now I will not resign. Just give me more time because sinalo ko lahat ng problemang ito.” The post Congress terminates BuCor probe, Catapang says will not resign appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Aftermath of Heidi’s falsehood
On 2 April 2011, Commissioner-nominee of the Commission on Audit, Heidi Mendoza, was bypassed for the third time by the Commission on Appointments based on my opposition. With all due respect, I informed the President that official records revealed Mendoza’s questionable integrity, incompetence, and unfitness to hold the position. Against my request, President Noynoy Aquino reappointed Heidi Mendoza. Her whims and caprices and those of her tandem, Grace Pulido Tan, bloomed into their impunity of abuse. This episode today was selected from among the countless distressing stories derived from the aftermath of Heidi Mendoza’s falsehood. The illegal dismissal of Special Prosecutor Wendell Sulit by President Aquino was one of the worst miscarriages of justice in the country. Here are the arguments and lamentations against the injustice. Sulit should not have been held liable in relation to the plea bargaining agreement or PBA with former AFP comptroller, retired Maj. Gen. Carlos Garcia. Here is how injustice happens: The Office of the President did not have jurisdiction over Sulit; Sulit was not a presidential appointee at the time she signed the PBA. Legally, she was only a Deputy Special Prosecutor and was merely designated by former Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez as the OIC of the Office of the Special Prosecutor or OSP. She affixed her signature to the PBA because it was the prescribed office protocol vis-à-vis the hierarchy of officials in the office and it just so happened that she was the one designated as the OIC; The PBA was signed on 26 February 2010, while Sulit was appointed Special Prosecutor only on 10 March 2010; Sulit was never a part of the prosecution team that handled the plunder case of Garcia. The original panel of prosecutors that handled the plunder case was headed by then Ombudsman Simeon Marcelo, together with then Special Prosecutor Dennis Villa-Ignacio, Deputy Special Prosecutor Robert Kallos, Deputy Special Prosecutor Humphrey Monteroso, Director Cornelio Somido, and Director Elvira Chua; The Information was filed with the Sandiganbayan (Second Division) on 6 April 2005; Former Ombudsman Marcelo and former SP Villa-Ignacio actively participated in the pre-trial incidents (judicial determination of probable cause, motion to quash, hearing on the issuance of warrants of arrest) but after the arraignment (25 April 2006) of General Garcia they did not appear in the case anymore for unknown reasons; Wendell Sulit may not be faulted for allegedly failing and/or refusing to strengthen the plunder case against General Garcia because, in the first place, she was never part of the fact-finding investigation and evidence gathering; she was never part of the preliminary investigation; she had no participation in the preparation of the resolution indicting Garcia for plunder and was never part of the prosecution panel that handled the case with the Sandiganbayan; and Sulit was with the Office of the Special Prosecutor and once a case is filed with the Sandiganbayan, the special prosecutors are bound by the evidence attached to the case records assigned to them for prosecution with the Sandiganbayan. The special prosecutors may not insert or add additional pieces of evidence which were never part of the fact-finding preliminary investigation. However, notwithstanding this recognized limitation, and while already in the prosecution’s presentation of evidence stage, the prosecutors handling the case went out of their way to look for the suppliers or contractors who could testify before the Sandiganbayan that they gave commissions and kickbacks to General Garcia. Unfortunately, there were no such suppliers or contractors. (To be continued) The post Aftermath of Heidi’s falsehood appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Sustain Dermalog warrants, CA asked
One of Dermalog’s joint venture agreement partners has urged the Court of Appeals to sustain the arrest warrants issued by Branch 224 of the Quezon City Regional Trial Court to detain four company officials in connection with a case for estafa. Verzontal Builders Inc. filed the petition before the CA in connection with the case it brought against the respondents in September 2021. The company claimed that after finishing their obligations under the JVA, it has not received from Dermalog the entire amount agreed upon as payment. Dermalog was accused by Verzontal of theft in the amount of P797,505,023. A German biometrics company, Dermalog served as the IT provider of the Land Transportation Office related to its driver’s licensing system. The prosecutor did not recommend bail for the respondents’ temporary release from custody due to the size of the amount. RTC Judge Zita Marie Magundayao Atienza-Fajardo ordered the arrest of Dermalog officials Gunther Mill, Randolf Sitz, Michael Schutt and Lynne Ocampo. Dermalog representatives were compelled but failed to appear before the Senate Blue Ribbon conducting public hearings on problems facing the LTO’s IT platform, including delays in the provision of services and alleged undue fees. The last hearing of the Senate committee snubbed by Dermalog was last 8 June. Its officials were in Germany, according to its lawyer. Dermalog, the senators noted, is also facing allegations of wrongdoings in Indonesia, Angola, and Haiti. The LTO’s IT contract is currently being audited by the Commission on Audit to see if the problems auditors identified in the 2021 audit report had been fixed. The post Sustain Dermalog warrants, CA asked appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Postpone BARMM barangay, SK polls
A call for action if sounded once may not gain traction. It could be the offshoot of a single event. But it deserves a second look when it is played up at various times during significant occasions. It could perhaps be a forewarning of future adversity if not addressed properly and timely. We see this premonition in the Muslim Autonomous Region. Having said that, the situation in the Bangsamoro Region is sui generis. It is dissimilar to other regions in the country. The autonomy it is presently enjoying came at a very high price — the lives of martyred mujahideen and the tears of mothers and loved ones. Under these circumstances, it deserves no less than special attention from the national policymakers. Thus, when its leaders take a stand over a certain issue it should be taken seriously, or else government might regret ignoring it. The postponement of the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections in the region has been the subject of serious discussion by leaders of BARMM in various fora. It’s at the top of their agenda and discussion has been belabored continuously. In fact, they launched a wide media campaign to get the attention of the national policymakers and the Commission on Elections. Foremost among the reasons advanced is the serious security problem in the area which might jeopardize any electoral exercise and result in failure to exact the people’s true will. It might even lead to election-related armed confrontations. In the meeting of the Regional Peace and Order Council in Maimbung, Sulu over the weekend, it was reported that the governors of BARMM had renewed their call for the postponement of the October election. In a position paper, they demanded the deferment “until after the former combatants of the MILF had fully given up their firearms under the peace accord decommissioning process.” What spawned the request is the peculiar situation in BARMM. While in other areas in the country, anyone who is not a member of the defense or security forces of government who displays a firearm faces arrest, we see MILF militia flaunting their arms before the public with impunity. They invoke the decommissioning agreement between the government and the MILF to justify their actions. The decommissioning process is part of the normalization mechanism agreed on by both the MILF and government peace panels. It was reported that around 30,000 to 40,000 MILF fighters need to be disarmed, but so far only about 19,000 combatants and some 2,000 firearms have been decommissioned. In the meantime, the MILF has revved up on full throttle their political party, the Bangsamoro Justice Party, which, according to their political lieutenants, will participate in the forthcoming election even if the barangay election is theoretically a nonpartisan activity. Reports have it they will either field their own candidates or support candidates who will lead the cadre of campaigners for the bigger and more important 2025 national and regional elections. They will test the ground to see how they will fare in the 2025 elections. As we have said in past columns, under the present circumstances, an election cannot be conducted on a level playing field if one party is allowed to publicly display their firearms while other partisans would face sanctions if they bore arms during the election period. With the barangay election only about four months away, there is no way to fully implement the decommissioning process. It’s a tedious procedure that needs ample space and time. To complicate the situation, last Wednesday the residents of Marawi City woke up to a heavy firefight between government troops and rebels during which a top ISIS local commander was killed. This incident followed a series of skirmishes involving the same group in the town of Marogong, Lanao del Sur. Sleeper terrorist cells are teeming, safely ensconced in the hinterlands. On the same day, a police car was ambushed by armed elements in Shariff Aguak, Maguindanao del Sur, killing two policemen. An air of uncertainty is sweeping Morolandia brought about by the series of skirmishes. Are these enough reasons to postpone the election in the BARMM? We say yes. amb_mac_lanto@yahoo.com The post Postpone BARMM barangay, SK polls appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
GCash intensifies support on drive vs online scammers
GCash, the country’s leading mobile wallet, has stepped up its support to the government's campaign against online scammers as it became an instrument that led to the arrest of a 'bogus' online seller recently and blocking over 900,000 accounts believed involved in fraud in partnership with the National Bureau of Investigation and Philippine National Police. The mobile wallet preferred by most consumers has also inked a memorandum of agreement with the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center of the Department of Information and Communications Technology and has helped arrest top online scammers The suspects and the 'fishy' accounts are believed behind anomalous transactions consummated by the suspects with their victims on social media and digital storefronts. With its collaboration with the Cyber Response Unit and the Philippine National Police Anti-Cybercrime Group, GCash again aided top law enforcement authorities in tracking down and arresting a fake FB online seller who stole the victim’s money after failing to deliver the purchased item. The complainant said she tried to buy an iPhone from the suspect identified as Rachelle Luzon from Caloocan City. The suspect sent her identification card including her parent’s IDs to gain the victim's trust. Convinced that the suspect was a legitimate online seller, the victim sent P4,500 as an initial payment for the iPhone which never arrived. The victim reported the incident to the authorities and informed the investigators that, to entrap the suspect, she used the Facebook account of her friend to purchase an iPhone from the suspect who agreed to a meet-up. The suspect was caught in the entrapment operation by the Cyber Response Unit and the PNP-ACG, with marked boodle money amounting to P5,000 in Novaliches, Quezon City. Luzon is facing charges for violating Article 315 or (swindling/estafa) of the Revised Penal Code in relation to the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012 Sec. 6 of R.A. 10175. GCash reminds Filipinos be more vigilant and cautions as online scams continue to increase and to always check the payment terms of the seller and when possible, transact with those that give the option to pay after the product or service is rendered. For added security and safety, GCash tell customers to always ask the seller for their contact details and demand for an official or acknowledgment receipt for proof of transaction. For help and assistance, contact the PNP-ACG via their hotlines at (02) 8414-1560, 0998-598-8116, or via email at acg@pnp.gov.ph. To report scams and fraudulent activities, visit the official GCash Help Center at help.gcash.com/hc/en-us or message Gigi on the website and type, “I want to report a scam.” GCash will never send users personal messages to address concerns or get personal information, especially the MPIN and One-time Pin, customers can also reach out to the official GCash hotline 2882 for queries and other concerns. The post GCash intensifies support on drive vs online scammers appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Protect 150K Pinoys in Taiwan, Go urges DMW
Senator Christopher “Bong” Go reiterated his call for the Department of Migrant Workers, to closely monitor the development of the growing tensions between Taiwan and China to prepare for necessary contingency measures to protect the welfare of 150,000 Taiwan-based overseas Filipino workers. Go, in an interview during a relief operation for fire victims in Parañaque City on 12 April, underscored the need for the government to prioritize the safety and welfare of OFWs. “As former president Rodrigo Duterte said during the UN General Assembly in 2020, ‘when elephants fight, it is the grass that gets trampled flat.’ Our country is close to Taiwan. In this situation, the Philippines is the grass. We will be caught in the crossfire if these two giants fight,” Go said in Filipino China recently simulated a three-day air and sea drill, dubbed the “Joint Sword” drills, around the Taiwan Strait. According to the Chinese Foreign Ministry, the said military exercises were meant to be a “stern warning to the provocative activities of Taiwan’s independence secessionist forces and their collusion with external forces.” He said he has his full trust that President Bongbong Marcos Jr. will prioritize the interest of fellow Filipinos and the country. “It’s better to be a friend to all and enemy to none. It’s hard for us to empathize. Filipinos just want to live quietly. Importantly, the health and life of every OFW in Taiwan may be affected in case of trouble there,” he added. When asked if the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement will create a new conflict, Go said the government must prioritize what is best for Filipinos. “I’m sure our government and our military will not allow us to be used or we will be trapped,” he added. Meanwhile, Go has expressed his support for the Department of the Interior and Local Government’s plan to investigate Philippine National Police officials reportedly linked to a billion-peso drug haul. “You know, the truth must come out. Truth always,” he said. The fight against illegal drugs, he said, should continue. “We don’t want to waste what former president (Rodrigo) Duterte started against illegal drugs. When illegal drugs are back, crime will come back, government corruption will come back,” Go said in Filipino. The PNP, on 11 April, welcomed the DILG’s decision to probe the arrest of former police officer Rodolfo Mayo who was implicated in the P6.7-billion drug haul in October last year. The DILG expressed doubts that Mayo acted alone, indicating that there may have been other officers involved. “There is no forgiveness for those involved in illegal drugs. You know, it’s a big sin to our countrymen when you are involved in illegal drugs, especially the police who are supposed to implement the law,” he added. Go cited the need to separate the few bad apples from the many honest and dedicated police officers who are working hard to keep the community safe. “We fully support our police and military, they just have to do their job right for our countrymen,” he said. Earlier, Go filed Senate Bill 422 which, if passed into law, will entitle any officer or enlisted personnel of the AFP and Philippine National Police facing charges before the prosecutor’s office, court, or any competent body, arising from an incident related to the performance of official duty, to free legal assistance. He added that in the past, some police officers were wrongfully accused, prompting former president Duterte and himself to offer legal aid. The post Protect 150K Pinoys in Taiwan, Go urges DMW appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Arrest of UP professor violates UP-DILG agreement
The arrest of professor Dr. Melania Flores in her house inside the University of the Philippines in Diliman, Quezon City is in violation of the UP-Department of Interior and Local Government Accord. The post Arrest of UP professor violates UP-DILG agreement appeared first on Bulatlat......»»
Roque bares Duterte, China agreement to respect status quo in WPS
Roque bares Duterte, China agreement to respect status quo in WPS.....»»
His Peace
You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you. Isaiah 26:3.....»»
Trending tickers: Trump Media, Tesla, Bitcoin and DS Smith
Former US president Donald Trump’s media firm, Trump Media & Technology Group, had a successful stock market debut in New York, with shares soaring past.....»»
House leaves Quiboloy’s fate to Senate
The House of Representatives will no longer pursue and implement the warrant of arrest it issued against pastor Apollo Quiboloy after it approved on final reading the bill revoking the franchise of the evangelist’s alleged TV network......»»
Roque: Xi, Duterte agreed to keep West Philippines Sea status quo
The Philippines under former president Rodrigo Duterte had a “gentleman’s agreement” with China to keep the status quo in the West Philippine Sea, a former Cabinet official said yesterday, as fresh tensions surround the WPS due to recent incursions by Beijing that targeted a Filipino resupply mission and a research team......»»
Belmonte: No tolerance for corruption
Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte yesterday reiterated her zero-tolerance policy against corruption following the arrest of an official for alleged extortion......»»
House arrest warrant vs Quiboloy moot – lawyer
Pastor Apollo Quiboloy’s lawyer says the arrest warrant issued by a House of Representatives panel is moot as the panel’s hearings are already adjourned......»»
DENR defends LLDA on lake sharing
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources defended yesterday the decision of the Laguna Lake Development Authority to increase the share of commercial operators in Laguna de Bay, saying it was the local government units who recommended to President Marcos the modification in the sharing agreement as small fisherfolk could not meet the required supply of fish......»»
Gela Atayde masaya sa kasalang Ria-Zanjoe: My heart is at peace
ISANG heartfelt message ang alay ng Kapamilya artist na si Gela Atayde para sa bagong kasal niyang kapatid na si Ria Atayde at sa asawa nitong si Zanjoe Marudo. Matatandaang nitong Sabado, March 23, kasabay ng kaarawan ni Ria ay ikinasal sila ni Zanjoe sa Quezon City na in-officiate ni Mayor Joy Belmonte. Sa latest.....»»