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Baltimore Bridge collapse: Police had about 90 seconds to stop traffic before bridge fell
BALTIMORE — It was the middle of the night when a dispatcher’s warning crackled over the radio: A massive cargo ship had lost its steering capabilities and was heading toward the Francis Scott Key Bridge. Within about 90 seconds, police officers who happened to be nearby responded that they managed to stop vehicle traffic over.....»»
New DCPO chief to focus on personnel morale, asset optimization
THE Davao City Police Office (DCPO) bid farewell to PCol. Alberto Lupaz and welcomed its new City Director, PCol. Richard Bad-ang, in a turn-over ceremony at the Camp Captain Domingo E. Leonor on March 22......»»
EDITORIAL — Next, speedy justice
After a year of being on the run, Arnolfo Teves Jr. is finally being brought back to the country to face multiple indictments for serious offenses. Teves was arrested Thursday in East Timor’s capital Dili by local police. He had been hiding in plain sight in Timor-Leste, occasionally posting videos taunting Philippine authorities who wanted him for multiple murder cases......»»
Saso, Pagdanganan power way back into contention
Yuka Saso and Bianca Pagdanganan pounded the long holes of the Siam Country Club’s Old course with their remarkable power as they fired 69 and a 68, respectively, keeping their respective bids alive after 36 holes of the Honda LPGA Thailand......»»
Michelle Dee begins trip home, bids farewell to Anntonia Porsild after Philippines-Thailand Top 5 mix-up
Miss Universe Philippines Michelle Dee is now en route back to the Philippines where dozens of fans are expected to give her a warm homecoming......»»
Bombers, Generals have eyes on F4
Jose Rizal University will have its coach Louie Gonzales back as it clashes with Emilio Aguinaldo College today in a game that could make or break both team’s Final Four bids in NCAA Season 99 at the Filoil EcoOil Arena......»»
JRU coach returns as Bombers, Generals collide in crucial game
Jose Rizal University will have its coach Louie Gonzales back as it clashes with Emilio Aguinaldo College Tuesday in a game that could make or break both team’s Final Four bids in NCAA Season 99 at the Filoil EcoOil Arena......»»
Perjury raps vs 2 activists underway
Perjury charges are now being prepared against the two environmentalists who recanted their “handwritten affidavit” stating they have “voluntarily surrendered” to the military and declared that soldiers abducted them after they went missing. During the deliberation of the Senate Committee on Finance on 2024 proposed P229.9-billion budget of the Department of National Defense and its attached agencies, Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa asked on the case update of Jhed Tamano and Jonila Castro who earlier retracted what they said in their affidavit. “May case preparation ngayon, inter-agency case preparation for the filing of perjury charges sa kanila. Nire-review lang ang mga sworn statements ng mga testigo (There is a case preparation now, multi-agency case preparation for the filing of perjury charges against them. The sworn statements of the witnesses are being reviewed),” Teodoro told Dela Rosa. In a previous press conference organized by the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict, Tamano and Castor denied that they surrendered to the Philippine Army’s 70th Infantry Battalion. Philippine Army chief LtGen. Roy Galido earlier admitted that the two young activists had tricked the military, contrary to their earlier statements sworn before the Public Attorney's Office. "We felt betrayed that's why we will file the necessary case, to use our laws, just like when you are also betrayed when your clients are betrayed, they file a case against you, so we just have to follow the rule of law in our country," Galido said. Meanwhile, Dela Rosa urged the DND to push through with the filing of perjury charges against Tamano and Castro. "We should do that. I am encouraging you. Grabe 'yung maka-kaliwa, grabe maka-jump sa bandwagon nung epekto na 'yun. Talagang all-out sila. Dapat tayo rin, sumagot din tayo. Parang lumalabas na para bang inaamin na lang natin na totoo ang sinasabi nila (The leftists are really jumping on the bandwagon following their retraction. They are really all-out. We must answer that. It seems like we are just admitting that what they are saying is true),” said Dela Rosa. The senator said the security forces should be aggressive in their actions against propaganda of the communist-leaning parties. Teodoro noted that the intelligence information on the two activists is liable. “Your honor, talagang sigurado po ako sa ebidensya dito (I’m really sure about the evidences),” said Teodoro, noting that the recantation of the two activists is just part of the dramas being perpetrated by the left-leaning organizations. ‘Lesson learned: Be wary’ Dela Rosa also warned the Armed Forces of the Philippines chief General Romeo Brawner Jr. to be wary of entertaining communist surrenderers. “Lessons learned, General Brawner. Ingat kayo kasi pwede kayong saksakin sa likuran niyan (Just be careful because they can stab your back),” he said. "Masyado tayong mabait, masyado na tayong gentleman. Masyado tayong mapagbigay to the point na 'yun pala, nilalason na pala tayo sa sarili nating tubig (We are too kind, we are too gentlemanly. We are too generous to the point that we are being poisoned in our own waters),” Dela Rosa added. On the other hand, Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri emphasized the need to provide sufficient funds for the NTF-ELCAC, to augment the military’s efforts on its Balik-Loob program. “We should help in their budget, we should continue providing funds for NTF-ELCAC, especially in barangay projects because that’s what winning hearts and minds. It has been very successful in Bukidnon and any other provinces,” he said. Dela Rosa supported Zubiri’s suggestion. However, the funds of the anti-insurgency task force are being lodged in the expenditure program of the National Security Council. The post Perjury raps vs 2 activists underway appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Six persons to be charged for profiteering, hoarding onions
The National Bureau of Investigation recommends the filing of charges against six persons, three of them government officials, before the Department of Justice for alleged hoarding and profiteering in the sale of onions last December as prices go up to as much as P587 per kilo. Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin C. Remulla said the recommendation to prosecute the six hoarders and profiteers was made by the NBI which conducted the probe. The DOJ chief though did not reveal the identities of those recommended for formal investigation pending the evaluation to be done by the DOJ's national prosecution service. The NBI's probe on the prices and supply of onions were ordered by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., said Remulla. Remulla said aside from hoarding and profiteering, the violations may lead to price manipulation and economic sabotage, a capital offense. He said, "Government officials are among those recommended for prosecution because we believe that they are also involved.” Remulla said it is just the start and there will be more cases to be filed as the NBI continues with its investigation. DOJ Undersecretary Geronimo L. Sy said the recommendation of the NBI stemmed from the overpriced onions sold in the market back in December that reached up to P537 per kilo even if the farmgate price or cost of production was only between P8 to P15 per kilo. He said that due to a lack of supply, the Department of Agriculture procured back in December 8,000 bags of onions of 25 kilos per bag. Sy said there was payment for actual deliveries from funds downloaded from the DA. However, the investigators found out that there was only one bidder who submitted three bids. "The other bids were fictitious so that the preferred bidder would win in the bidding process,” Sy explained. The post Six persons to be charged for profiteering, hoarding onions appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Five groups target NAIA takeover
Five companies have signified their intention to take over the operations and management of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport or NAIA a few weeks after the Department of Transportation or DoTr opened the bidding for the P170.6-billion project. In a text message to the Daily Tribune on Wednesday, the DoTr confirmed that five potential bidders have bought bid documents for the project. As of 13 September, the interested companies include San Miguel Corp. or SMC, Spark 888 Management Inc., and Asian Airport Consortium. Two others who submitted bids — Manila International Airport Consortium or MIAC and GMR Group — have previously vied for the NAIA rehabilitation. MIAC is composed of Aboitiz InfraCapital, Inc., AC Infrastructure Holdings Corporation, Asia’s Emerging Dragon Corporation, Alliance Global — Infracorp Development Inc., Filinvest Development Corporation, and JG Summit Infrastructure Holdings Corporation along with Global Infrastructure Partners. Super consortium in running In 2018, the government awarded the Original Proponent Status for the NAIA rehabilitation to a “super-consortium” formed by seven of the country’s biggest conglomerates: Aboitiz InfraCapital Inc.; AC Infrastructure Holdings Corporation; Alliance Global Group Inc.; Asia’s Emerging Dragon Corporation; Filinvest Development Corporation; and JG Summit Holdings Inc. and Metro Pacific Investments Corp. It was, however, terminated. Thus, Megawide Construction Corp. and partner GMR Infrastructure Ltd. also submitted an unsolicited proposal to upgrade and rehabilitate the highly congested NAIA. Despite the substantial progress, the much-needed NAIA rehabilitation was back to square one after the previous administration also rejected the proposal. According to the MIAA, the Megawide consortium failed to convince the government of its financial ability to support the project. Meanwhile, the SMC., an Asian conglomerate led by businessman Ramon S. Ang, is currently taking on the P740-billion New Manila International Airport in Bulacan. Award out by December Previously, the DoTr conveyed that the contract may be awarded to the winning bidder as early as December if the government stays on schedule. The National Economic and Development Authority or NEDA, chaired by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., approved the solicited bid to privatize the operations of NAIA. NEDA Secretary Arsenio Balisacan said the project will help address the long-standing issues at the country’s main air hub such as congestion and limited aircraft movements that usually cause inconvenience to passengers. The DoTr and the Manila International Airport Authority submitted a joint proposal to the NEDA Board to privatize the operations and management of NAIA within 15 years. The project is expected to improve the overall passenger experience and increase the current annual passenger capacity of NAIA to at least 62 million from the current 32 million. Previously, Transportation Secretary Jaime J. Bautista floated the possibility of closing down the airport — only if nearby airports become operational. Bautista explained that the government can have the option to close NAIA if airports in adjacent provinces like Cavite and Bulacan are ready to accommodate the travel-hungry tourists in the country — both local and international. “If there will be new airports, then the government can decide to close the Manila International Airport or MIA because it can be a valuable government asset. On the other hand, it is possible to continue its operations because of its prime location in the Metro,” Bautista told reporters. “So yes, it is possible to close, it is also possible not to close MIA,” he added. Bautista also assured that in case the airport continues its operations, SMC’s Bulacan Airport can still drive up profits despite the competition. The post Five groups target NAIA takeover appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
EMBOs, BGC belong to Pateros — Ponce
Not so fast, Taguig City. Hold off on the celebratory toasts and the victory cigars. Pateros Mayor Fernando Miguel “Ike” Ponce asserted yesterday that Taguig City cannot as yet celebrate a Supreme Court ruling that handed it control over the 10 so-called enlisted men’s barrios, or EMBOs. Likewise, the Cayetanos of Taguig should refrain from counting on the revenues the city could get from Bonifacio Global City after the SC stripped Makati City of control over it and the EMBOs. For Mayor Ponce, the EMBOs and BGC, built on military reservations that the national government allegedly took from the town decades back, belong neither to Taguig nor Makati but to Pateros. “Actually, in the oldest map that we hold, it’s clear that jurisdiction over BGC (and the EMBOs) lies with Pateros because they’re inside our town,” Ponce told Dyaryo Tirada’s digital show Hot Patatas on Friday. “That’s very clear from the original map,” he added in Filipino, stressing that they have strong evidence showing that the 10 EMBOs were in Pateros, which had original jurisdiction up to the foot of Guadalupe Bridge straddling the boundary of Mandaluyong City. He said their proof would support their entitlements to BGC, the EMBOs, and the areas near Guadalupe. “That (Guadalupe) would be inside our boundaries (based on the original map),” he asserted. 1800s onward Ponce said that dating back to the 1800s, Pateros had a land area of 1,040 hectares based on official government data, including from the agency that preceded the Philippine Statistics Authority. “Even if you go now to the PSA, they’ll certify our land area to be 1,040 hectares,” the mayor pointed out. “If we go back through history, from the 1800s up to the present, you will see the actual areas of Pateros.” He said the town’s land area had been fluctuating since then from 1,040 hectares to 983 hectares and then 843 hectares. “If you would believe it, our land area now in Pateros is only 168 hectares,” he lamented. Ponce said that from 1,040 hectares, Pateros’ land area shrunk to 168 hectares because the national government converted their territory into a military reservation, starting Taguig’s efforts to take Pateros’ land. When the military reservations were returned, they were not given back to their “rightful owner, Pateros,” the mayor said. He said the Armed Forces of the Philippines, which used the military reservations, and the Office of the President, as the representative of the national government, should have returned the land to Pateros. “Yes, that’s true. Let’s include the national government as represented by the Office of the President,” he said, explaining that a proclamation by then-President Ferdinand Marcos Sr. opened the military reservations to public disposition but erroneously identified the areas as belonging to the then-town of Makati. “That’s the proclamation that both Pateros and Taguig wanted to nullify,” he said, referring to Proclamation 2475, signed by Marcos Sr. in January 1986, which stated that Fort Bonifacio “is situated in Makati and it is open for disposition.” Fight with Taguig Because of that proclamation, Makati, Taguig, and Pateros had a boundary dispute dating back to the 1990s when Pateros sought the return of the land that belonged to it, Ponce said. Among the EMBOs are Comembo, Pembo, East Rembo, West Rembo, Cembo, South Cembo, Pitogo and Rizal, which became part of Makati and BGC (known then as Post Proper Northside and Post Proper Southside of Makati; and Mamanca, Masilang, San Nicolas and Malapad Na Bato belonging to Pateros). Ponce said all of the facts can be gleaned from the documents and official maps secured by former Pateros Councilor Dominador Rosales from libraries and agencies, including the US Library of Congress and American archives. Among the documents is the 1968 Land Classification Map of the Bureau of Land, which is central to the case filed by Pateros against Taguig that has remained pending in the Supreme Court. “As the land that had been awarded to Taguig and Makati is already out of the issue, we are now concentrating on our fight with Taguig,” Ponce said. “Our case is very much alive, and Taguig has filed a motion for reconsideration. I believe their motion would not amount to anything because all they have are rehashed arguments,” the mayor added. Pateros is the only town among the 16 cities comprising Metro Manila or the National Capital Region. Pateros’ history and land are so intertwined with Taguig that they share a common representative in Congress. The post EMBOs, BGC belong to Pateros — Ponce appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Escape at own risk, PDLs warned
Bureau of Corrections Director General Gregorio Pio Catapang Jr. yesterday warned persons deprived of liberty not to escape as “he will hunt them down even if they are in a far-flung area.” Catapang issued the warning during the culminating activities at the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa City wherein 880 PDLs were released from BuCor facilities. He told the inmates to be released that they were very lucky to be among the biggest prisoners list released Thursday. BuCor data shows that 374 were from the NBP, 196 were from the Davao Prison and Penal Farm, and 92 were from the Correctional Institution for Women. Catapang said that the PDLs that if their time is up they will be released but as long as they are at the BuCor facilities they should follow the law. The Board of Pardons and Parole is also processing now the documents of a 100-year-old inmate at the CIW considered the country’s oldest person deprived of liberty. Catapang, meanwhile, warned PDLs that he would look for them should they escape. “Don’t escape. I will look for you. Even if you are in Tawi-Tawi or Spartly, I will look for you,” said Catapang, in light of the escape of one inmate who got bored due to a lack of visitors. The DG said BuCor underwent a “massive storm” in the past months due to an “untoward incident” after a PDL fired a gun and the escape of a certain inmate. Though Catapang did not name the PDL, the BuCor in July announced that PDL Michael Cataroja had gone missing from the maximum security compound of the NBP, leading to a congressional inquiry. Cataroja is currently back at the NBP after being rearrested by the Angono police in Sitio Minahan Bato, Barangay San Isidro after a tip from a concerned citizen. He said he was able to leave the facility by clinging under a garbage truck, based on videos released by BuCor. “He did not think about his fellow inmates. Now, BuCor is tightening its security because of him.” The post Escape at own risk, PDLs warned appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Reforms hijacked
In the Electricity Power Industry Reform Act, or Epira, the guiding principle is the least cost of power for consumers which was effectively pursued through the competitive selection process which was made permanent in the industry during the previous administration. Meralco, the power distributor, introduced the straight pricing scheme in the power supply agreements or the contracts it bids out to prevent fluctuations in electricity prices due to factors beyond the control of the generating companies, or gencos, such as spikes in fuel prices as a result of geopolitical shifts. The presumption on those who will participate in the bid for the fixed price PSAs is that they will shoulder the risks and it will be up to them to hedge or undertake measures to address upswings in costs. That was the arrangement in the PSAs with San Miguel Corp.’s gencos, Sual coal and Ilijan natural gas plants. When the price of coal surged after the conflict between Russia and Ukraine erupted, and Malampaya started to restrict supply as it was being depleted, SMC complained of piling losses to the extent of P15 billion. Stakeholders, however, said much of the ordeal of SMC in their claimed accumulated debts was self-inflicted due to poor decisions. According to a representative of a consumer group, SMC never showed proof of the losses it cited, which in turn became the basis for its petitions for price adjustments with the ERC. In October last year, the ERC dismissed the petitions of SMC and instead directed the company to fulfill its commitments in the PSA. The spurned SMC went directly to the Court of Appeals, or CA, to contest the ERC ruling instead of filing a motion for reconsideration with the regulator. Promptly, the CA issued a temporary restraining order which last month was upgraded to a permanent injunction that bars ERC from enforcing its quasi-judicial authority on SMC. SMC, with the use of the court orders, unilaterally terminated its PSA with Meralco. Since it dominated the power sector anyway, it obtained new cheaper contracts through the emergency PSAs bid out by Meralco. SMC, thus, succeeded in getting what it wanted through the injunction power of the CA. Consumer groups opposed to the rate increases that would result after SMC was freed from its contracts without any consequence branded the maneuver as SMC’s way of “ultimately hijacking power purchase bidding systems that are in place to protect consumers.” The oppositor in the ERC case, Power for the People, deplored the way SMC won the deal to supply the same power requirement of Meralco for the shortage that it itself had caused. “The spirit of competitive selection and least-cost electricity goes out of the window when companies like SMC are allowed to pull tricks like this,” P4P convenor Gerry Arances said. P4P filed a motion for reconsideration of the CA’s injunction order. The consumer coalition was the only one left on the list of oppositors that had questioned SMC’s “temporary” price adjustment petitions with ERC. The others had dropped out, including the main complainant, for reasons they only knew. “We are disappointed but not surprised at how the CA yielded to the arm-twisting of SMC so that it could hike prices and turn its back on its contracts. The decision will open the floodgates to higher electricity, as SMC and other fossil fuel power generators are now emboldened to ask for more rate hikes, and to participate and win auctions through bid prices far lower than what consumers will eventually be charged, knowing they can apply for and possibly secure price adjustments during their contracts’ lifetime,” Arances said. ERC voiced the same apprehension in rejecting the SMC petitions, saying others hold the same straight-pricing PSAs but never sought a revision in the terms of their contracts. Failed business decisions such as bidding too low just to obtain the PSAs should be the lookout and the burden of the contractor and not the electricity users who should be spared from paying for the consequences of bad business decisions. Besides, SMC as the holder of the contracts should have been penalized with the proceeds from which used to ease the plight of consumers amid the high price of electricity. The post Reforms hijacked appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Senate to return to in-person sessions, hearings next week
The Senate is set to return to full face-to-face sessions and hearings next week, Senate President Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri announced Wednesday. Before adjourning the session, Zubiri reminded his colleagues about the removal of hybrid sessions and hearings which will be implemented on Monday, 7 August. “In view of the presidential Proclamation 297 which lifts the state of public health emergency throughout the Philippines due to Covid-19 and considering that almost all activities have returned to pre-pandemic levels, the Senate will no longer conduct hybrid hearings and meetings beginning Monday, 7 August 2023 and shall revert back to our pre-pandemic practice of conducting hearings and meetings physically,” he said. Marcos lifted the state of public health emergency on 22 July. The move of the upper chamber of Congress came after the House of Representatives began conducting full face-to-face sessions on Tuesday. “This is in line also with the House of Representatives because the House of Representatives although they did hybrid sessions they are now canceled all the hybrid sessions and hybrid hearings,” Zubiri said. “We had face-to-face sessions, but we allowed hybrid. So, in line of that, we will also continue that practice, and we will now go face-to-face for our conduct of public hearings,” he added. The Senate chief said hybrid sessions and hearings would still be permitted but only in case of force majeure or an occurrence of an emergency. Due to the emergence of Covid-19 in 2020, the Senate adopted Senate Resolution No. 372 allowing plenary sessions and committee hearings through teleconferencing while the enhanced community quarantine was still in place in the country. Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa previously made a comment about a then-newly implemented rule, saying: "Sarap ng buhay! Sarap ng buhay! Ganito na lang tayo palagi ah!” The remark, which was interpreted as insensitive, earned the ire of many people including his fellow government officials in the senate. The post Senate to return to in-person sessions, hearings next week appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Senate tackles airlines’ booking glitches, offloading mess
Growing complaints from various passengers against budget carrier, Cebu Pacific’s overbooking, offloading, and booking glitches have reached the Senate inquiry on Wednesday. This came after Senate committee chairperson, Senator Nancy Binay, filed Senate Resolution No. 575 pushing for an investigation on the customers’ complaints against Cebu Pacific due to recent flight cancellations. During the hearing, Binay said her office was able to compile at least 3,000 complaints from the passengers, which have been aired through social media platforms. “We have since seen it fit to invite our other airlines to this hearing because these problems, it seemed, have only grown in number. Our passengers face inconveniences on multiple fronts on account of flight delays, cancelations, offloading, and overbooking,” Binay stressed. Overseas worker, James Bartolome, said he has yet to receive his refund from Cebu Pacific after his flight going to Qatar was canceled. After knowing that his original flight was canceled, Bartolome opted to book another airline as the budget carrier won’t be able to give him an earlier flight. Senator JV Ejercito said the airport and airline operations will provide the “first and last impressions” to the tourists and potential investors entering the country. “We need to systematize this for our tourism and business climate,” he said, sharing that he was not even spared from experiencing flight delays. Binay emphasized the need to identify problems and immediately craft strategies to prevent similar complaints in the future. Senator Christopher “Bong” Go said that Cebu Pacific and other similar airline companies should acknowledge the impacts of flight cancellations and other airline mess. “Incidents like these could discourage tourists so this hearing should serve as a platform to air the grievances of the frustrated and helpless passengers,” Go said, citing that these may affect the country’s tourism industry and the economy. “Remember that we are still reviving from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic,” he added. Go said the airlines must immediately act and rectify these issues by imposing proper mechanisms for compensating affected passengers—which includes food provisions during flight cancellation and alternative flight schedules. During the hearing, several Cebu Pacific passengers also complained about apparent website errors that resulted in them being charged multiple times for transactions yet it appeared to be unsuccessful. Cebu Pacific chief marketing and customer experience officer, Candice Iyog, explained that there is a part of the flow where if a passenger clicks proceed, it commits the changes even before the passenger pays. “We recognize that and we are taking that feedback as well,” Iyog said. The Cebu Pacific, she added, is already working on “a fix or an enhancement” to the interface of the website, which will likely be ready at the end of this month. “Depending on when it's ready, we're looking at possibly, end of July that we will be able to implement this change in the user experience,” she said. Senator Risa Hontiveros lamented that in several instances when passengers’ original flights were canceled, Cebu Pacific offered flight rebooking and passengers were immediately made to pay before they could confirm their purchase of travel tickets. Citing a passenger’s experience, the airline’s website technical issue made them pay a bill of P16,000-worth of add-ons after availing of Cebu Pacific’s free rebooking option, following the cancellation of flights. Iyog said they recently reminded their customer service agents to allow passengers to get back to their original flight or to remove add-ons that were “accidentally added.” “We don’t want to cancel flights for our passengers. It’s bad business and we don’t want to disrupt our passengers—that’s why we give options,” Iyog noted. Tougher passengers’ rights Meanwhile, Senator Grace Poe slammed the budget carrier for lacking customer service agents directly responding to these complaints. Poe called on for a tougher policy on air passengers' rights to address the cancellations and delays in flights by local airlines besetting travelers. "This pressing public service issue calls for urgent effective solutions as it involves not only the air passengers' rights but also the overall impact on the country's tourism and economy,” she added. While overbooking is a globally accepted practice, Poe said "systematic delays and cancellations are not." Also, Hontiveros pressed that the government agencies should step in to prevent more passengers from being disrupted in their travels due to canceled, rescheduled, and delayed flights in Cebu Pacific and other airline companies. “These kinds of inconveniences disrupt the travel experiences also of tourists, and as the chair said, could negatively affect the tourism sector,” she added. Aside from the reported overbooking, offloading, booking, and flight cancellations, Senator Raffy Tulfo said that adding extra flights daily amid lacking proper airplane maintenance can be called “abuses of the airline companies.” He lamented that it could pose danger and compromise the safety of all airline passengers, “There were safety issues surrounding the uploading, overbooking, and flight cancellations of airlines. If these airlines don’t care about fulfilling their obligations to provide air transport for their passengers, I will not be surprised that they are cutting corners when it comes to safety as well,” Tulfo pressed on. Tulfo said extra flights can also cause fatigue in pilots and flight attendants. For his part, Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa wants the Civil Aeronautics Board to become proactive in resolving the massive airline mess in the country. Dela Rosa asked CAB if it is amenable to institutionalize the Air Passenger Bill of Rights in order to protect the public from erring airline companies. "What is your position? Do you agree with the proposal to create a law that will institutionalize the Air Passenger Bill of Rights?" asked Dela Rosa. In response, CAB Executive Director Carmelo Arcilla, said they have been very supportive of the proposal. “But it seems it is not among the priorities of Congress,” he said. Dela Rosa said he is mulling to proposed the bill in the Senate “not to discourage the airline industry but to protect the public interest. The post Senate tackles airlines’ booking glitches, offloading mess appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
To `sow fear’ among scalawags, Go proposes Duterte anti-drug czar
Senator Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go on Tuesday raised the idea of making former president Rodrigo Duterte the country’s anti-drug czar to “sow fear” among cops involved in criminalities. Go made this suggestion during the discussion of the Senate Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs on the possible cover-up by the Philippine National Police among its ranks involved in the P6.7-billion “shabu” haul in Manila last year. At the hearing, Go asked former PNP Chief Gen. Rodolfo Azurin Jr. if Duterte would be helpful should he be tapped as the country’s anti-drug czar by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. “If ever, well. It’s a prerogative of the President as the appointing authority. If ever, do you think it would be helpful if President Duterte will be appointed as drug czar?" Go said in vernacular. Azurin responded that he will be supportive of any government initiative to eliminate the distribution of illegal drugs in the country. “I don’t know if I can comment on that, what the setup would be, but anything on the campaign against illegal drugs, I will be supportive,” he said. Considering the number of cops allegedly involved in the supposed “recycling” of confiscated drugs, Go sees the efforts of the Duterte administration against drug activities and criminalities might be put to waste “if it continues to proliferate.” “Let’s not waste what former President Duterte started to fight against illegal drugs. Once the illegal drugs return, we know that criminality and corruption will also go back,” Go said. Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa, the committee chairperson, expressed dismay and frustration over the alleged involvement of policemen in the “shabu” mess considering that the country’s war on drugs campaign has already reached the international scene. “I feel bad about it, you listen to me all policemen, my case has already reached the ICC because of our fight against illegal drugs. Despite this, all you think about is money. You are even in a syndicate. I can't digest this if this is happening to the police—joining a syndicate,” Dela Rosa said in vernacular. Dela Rosa said the Senate panel has acquired substantial basis to conclude that there was “really an attempt to cover up” the arrest of PMSgt. Rodolfo Mayo during an illegal drug operation last year. “For me, it is an attempted cover-up. It was not fully consummated by the fact that in the end, Mayo was also charged,” he said. Mayo was physically present during the second and third hearings on his case. But he did not divulge anything nor implicate anyone in the illegal matter. The senators cited Mayo in contempt for refusing to cooperate with Dela Rosa warned the attempted cover-up “has yet to be seen.” Senators also cited Mayo’s superior, National Capital Region Drug Enforcement officer-in-charge Lieutenant Colonel Arnulfo Ibañez, in contempt for testifying that he was not aware of his subordinate’s activities. The post To `sow fear’ among scalawags, Go proposes Duterte anti-drug czar appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
DeSantis set to enter 2024 race, teeing up bitter face-off with Trump
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is set to launch his 2024 presidential campaign Wednesday, signaling 18 months of acrimony ahead as he and Donald Trump lock horns in what is expected to be an attritional contest for the Republican nomination. DeSantis was considered a rising Republican star, but has been caught flat-footed by months of relentless attacks from the former president, who has surged into a commanding lead despite being engulfed in a firestorm of criminal investigations. The 44-year-old governor will make his announcement in a livestreamed chat with billionaire Twitter owner Elon Musk on the network's audio platform as he bids to co-opt some of the tech mogul's star power to upstage Trump. "I'm endorsing governor DeSantis -- he doesn't hold back and he's trying to make changes," one backer said in a video compilation of messages of support posted on Twitter by the Never Back Down political organization. Musk teased the 6:00 pm (2200 GMT) Twitter Spaces event in remarks to a conference hosted by the Wall Street Journal, promising it would be live and unscripted, with "real time questions and answers." The announcement will come with a campaign launch video and the start of a three-day retreat in Miami for some of DeSantis's wealthiest donors, who will be briefed on the campaign before the governor hits several early voting states next week. National profile Long viewed as the most viable challenger to twice-impeached Trump, DeSantis is better known than most of the hopefuls in the chasing pack for the Republican nomination -- but still lacks the frontrunner's national profile. The launch format offers him a dual advantage -- giving him precious access to Musk's 140 million followers, many of whom are in Trump's base, and, if he wins the nomination, the attention of a chunk of younger, less conservative voters he will likely need for a shot at the White House. DeSantis has used his platform as Florida's chief executive to burnish his conservative credentials, signing off on some 80 new state laws this spring, many targeting "woke indoctrination" in schools and other public institutions. They include a ban on the discussion of gender identity and sexual orientation in schools, a block on funding for efforts to promote diversity at public universities and one of the most restrictive abortion laws in the country. Never Back Down, which has been acting as the governor's de facto campaign arm, has a ground operation in most of the early nominating states and is making plans to expand. But the launch comes with DeSantis's ratings in decline as a number of policy missteps have prompted disquiet about his readiness to take on Trump. He faces the daunting task of closing an enormous polling gap, with Trump posting leads of close to 40 percentage points, despite being indicted on felony financial charges and being found liable for sexual abuse in a New York civil trial. Jockeying for endorsements Behind the scenes, the Trump and DeSantis camps have been jostling to secure political endorsements from state lawmakers while, at the national level, Florida's congressional delegation has broken heavily for Trump. Musk is a well-known DeSantis admirer, although he was clear that Twitter would remain neutral on the nomination and that his hosting of the campaign launch should not be taken as an endorsement. "I've said publicly that my preference, and I think the preference of most Americans, is... to have someone fairly normal in office," he said, without making any explicit criticism of Trump. The former reality TV star was banned from Twitter after the 2021 assault on the US Capitol by his supporters and has not posted since being reinstated in November. He has been attacking DeSantis almost daily on his record, character and fitness for office, but responded to Wednesday's announcement with relative restraint -- simply posting favorable polling on his own online platform, Truth Social. "Announcing on Twitter is perfect for Ron DeSantis. This way he doesn't have to interact with people and the media can't ask him any questions," a Trump aide said. The post DeSantis set to enter 2024 race, teeing up bitter face-off with Trump appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Vigan City launches tourist passport as it celebrates its arts festival
[caption id="attachment_129307" align="aligncenter" width="525"] PHOTOGRAPHS BY ROEL HOANG MANIPON FOR THE DAILY TRIBUNE | Vigan City mayor Jose ‘Bonito’ Singson Jr., city and province officials and special guest, former senator Nikki Coseteng, led the launch of the Vigan City Tourist Passporton Calle Crisologo.[/caption] Vigan City is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the Ilocos Region, and its main draw is the handsome heritage houses, the Filipino bahay na bato, that date back to the Spanish colonial era. These old houses cluster around Calle Crisologo, the heritage center of the capital of the province of Ilocos Sur in northwestern Luzon Island, and the area, declared a UNESCO World Heritage site, has highest concentration of heritage structures in the Philippines. The city also has several museums, extraordinary for regions outside of Metro Manila, and traditional crafts such as pottery and textile weaving still survive and had become tourist attractions. It also affords visitors a taste of the food of the Ilocano people, the dominant ethnic group in the region, such as pinakbet, poque-poque, tinubong, their version of the empanada and bagnet. [caption id="attachment_129306" align="aligncenter" width="525"] Iconic bagnet was one of the Ilocano dishes served during the passport launch.[/caption] The local government has been concocting touristic events and products to entice more visitors, especially now that tourism in the area is recovering from the lockdowns because of the coronavirus pandemic and the July 2022 northern Luzon earthquake, which damaged several old structures in the area including the 19th-century Metropolitan Cathedral of the Conversion of Saint Paul the Apostle and the Saint Augustine of Hippo Church of neighboring town of Bantay, which remain closed until today. One of the city’s touristic efforts is its own tourist passport. Using a tourist passport has recently become a fun activity for tourists in several areas around the world. In Taiwan, for example, tourists earn cute stamps on their passports on every destination and landmark they visit. In the Philippines, the Department of Tourism issued Jose Rizal passports in 2011 in celebration of the 150th birth anniversary of the Filipino writer and hero. Tourists earned stamps in sites associated with Rizal all over the Philippines such as his birthplace in Calamba, Laguna, and his place of exile in Dapitan, Zamboange del Norte. Tourists who completed their stamps earned prizes. [caption id="attachment_129308" align="aligncenter" width="525"] The tourist passport is said to have a rewards system, aimed at boosting local businesses, and holders earn stamps by patronizing stores, restaurants and other establishments.[/caption] In Vigan City, the passport is a way to boost local businesses, according to its mayor, Jose “Bonito” Singson, Jr., who is from the province’s most dominant political clan and who spearheaded the venture. The Ciudad de Vigan Pasaporte de Turista is said to have a rewards system, and holders earn stamps by patronizing stores, restaurants and other establishments in the city. The launch of the tourist passport on 28 April served as the opening event of the Viva Vigan Binatbatan Festival of the Arts, which ran until 5 May. The Binatbatan is one of three main festivals of the city, strategically scheduled throughout the year. The Longganisa Festival in the early part of the year is inspired by the city’s popular version of the Filipino pork sausage, while the Raniag: The Vigan Twilight Festival in October features the celebration of Halloween and the traditional local undas, which honors the departed. Binatbatan is in the middle of the hot, dry season, and highlights heritage, creativity and culture. The launch was held on charming Calle Crisologo led by Singson, a whole day affair starting with a motorcade in the morning and an al-fresco program with dinner in the evening. The event was attended by provincial and city government officials and employees, visitors and special guests such as former senator Anna Dominique “Nikki” Marquez-Lim Coseteng. [caption id="attachment_129303" align="aligncenter" width="525"] A beautiful setup for the launch of the Vigan City Tourist Passport on Calle Crisologo, famous for its heritage houses.[/caption] The tourist passports were readily made available to purchase through booths placed on the main street, at the city hall and online at www.vigancity.gov.ph. Singson hinted at more tourism projects to come. The Binatbatan Festival started rolling. A mural, a collaboration among local artists, has just been unveiled at the Plaza Burgos, where Art in the Park was held on 29 April, including an art exhibit and a painting contest. At night, several groups performed at the Vigan Dance Festival 7. The Food and Trade Fair, at the Boardwalk on Govantes Dike, by the banks of Mestizo River, and the Abel Product Expo were opened on that day. [caption id="attachment_129305" align="aligncenter" width="525"] An on-the-spot art contest at Plaza Burgos.[/caption] On 30 April, the Capture the Vigan Experience: On the Spot Photography Competition was held with the theme “Time Travel” for the Professional Category and “Ilocano Heritage Hospitality” for the Amateur Category, as well as the Television and Music Video Competition. While the Black and White Photography Exhibit was mounted on Calle Crisologo, the Abel and Recycled Costume Ramparade featured designs using recycled materials and the local hand-woven textile at the Vigan City Hall. Other festival events and activities included the Abel Iloco Fashion Show and Competition, the Damili Jar Painting Competition, Reynas ti Mayo, Kalesa Parade and Competition, Carabao Painting and Pasagad Dressing, Ramada Traditional Games, a skateboarding competition, and the Binatbatan Tattto and Band Festival. The festival concluded with the street-dancing and showdown competition, a regular fixture in recently created Philippines festivals. Contingents of young performers danced on the streets in colorful costumes carrying batbats or bamboo sticks, and mimicking the movements of the batbatin, the traditional process of taking the seeds out of the dried fiber of the kapok, or kapas in Ilokano, by beating the cotton-like material with sticks, which the festival memorializes and from which it derived its name. The post Vigan City launches tourist passport as it celebrates its arts festival appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Duterte, Bato won’t cooperate
There are “forces” behind the International Criminal Court that want to get back at former president Rodrigo Duterte, which in the process can lead to illegal drugs flooding the country again, Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa said yesterday......»»
More kidnappings show drug problem is coming back – Dela Rosa
MANILA, Philippines — The increase in kidnappings and other crimes indicates that the illegal drug problem is coming back, Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa said in an interview with AM radio station DWIZ. Dela Rosa, who chairs the Senate Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs, made the remark when asked for his reaction to […] The post More kidnappings show drug problem is coming back – Dela Rosa appeared first on Cebu Daily News......»»