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Philippines among top e-waste producers in SEA
Electronic waste in the Philippines increased after the country generated 4.7 kilos per capita in 2022 from 3.9 kilos per capita in 2019, according to environmental group BAN Toxics......»»
Wheat imports seen to rise on higher bread demand
It’s a quarter before seven in the morning. A queue starts to form in front of RJS bakery in Barangay Barangka Drive in Mandaluyong City......»»
SMC starts works on Pangasinan tollway
Food-to-infrastructure conglomerate San Miguel Corp. (SMC) has started the civil works for the Pangasinan Link Expressway (PLEX), laying the bedrock for a P34-billion project that would improve travel and tourism in Northern Luzon......»»
Japan Police Accused of Racial Profiling
Three ethnic minority residents of Japan filed a lawsuit this week alleging that the police racially profiled them.The lawsuit against the Japanese government, the Tokyo metropolitan government, and Aichi prefectural government, alleges the three were subjected to repeated police identity checks because of how they looked. Ea.....»»
Bacolod City Ensures Legality: Market Permit Checks Aim for Compliant Businesses (PH)
Bacolod City Ensures Legality: Market Permit Checks Aim for Compliant Businesses (PH).....»»
City Hall checks if workers a right fit
City Hall checks if workers a right fit.....»»
The long Christmas line to the Duterte house
This has been a regular sight every Christmas Day in the past years, as the Dutertes, who have dominated local and now national politics, provide a Pahalipay sa Pasko drive where they provide food items, grocery checks, and food packs for people who visit their old home......»»
101st Infantry Brigade commander checks militia forces
101st Infantry Brigade commander checks militia forces.....»»
DCPO activates Oplan Defense for Davao City security after MSU-Marawi blast
The Davao City Police Office (DCPO) has activated Oplan Defense in response to the powerful explosion that occurred during a Catholic Mass at Mindanao State University-Marawi's gym on December 2, 2023. Under the directive of DCPO Director Police Colonel Alberto Lupaz, all 19 police stations are leading the Oplan Defense, which involves conducting restrictive vehicle checks and border controls. The DCPO has also collaborated with other government and security agencies, particularly the Task Force Davao (TFD), to maintain peace and order in the city. DCPO spokesperson Captain Hazel Tuazon emphasized the coordination with other agencies to ensure peace and order throughout the city, especially during the Christmas Fiesta. The city remains on high alert, with personnel deployed in major Catholic churches and mosques and a one-entrance-and-exit policy implemented in these worship places. Tuazon highlighted the strengthening of the Davao defense system through checkpoints and police visibility in churches. In a press briefing, Mark Anthony Tito, spokesperson of the 10th Infantry “Agila” Division, affirmed continuous security monitoring in their jurisdiction following the bombing at MSU-Marawi. Oplan Defense is DCPO’s campaign against criminality and terrorism, aiming to preemptively secure residents and visitors of the area. The Police Provincial Office of Lanao del Sur (PPO-Lanao del Sur) has formed a Special Investigation Task Group-MSU Marawi (SITG-MSU Marawi) to expedite the investigation process, as two persons of interest linked to the DI-Maute group, a radical Islamic terrorist connected to the Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (ISIL), have been identified. The blast resulted in four deaths and over 50 injuries, including students, academic professionals, and members of the Catholic ministries. The city urges the public not to believe in fake news about the Marawi bombing suspect. In summary, DCPO has activated Oplan Defense to secure Davao City in response to the MSU-Marawi blast, collaborating with other agencies to maintain peace and order while intensifying security measures and investigation efforts......»»
Dutertes’ anger at secret fund scrutiny, queries opens crack in ‘UniTeam’
MANILA, Philippines—With the decision of the House of Representatives to strip Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte of P650 million in confidential funds, her father, Rodrigo Duterte, seemed to have no choice but to come to her defense. The former president said Sara was planning to use some of the Department of Education’s (DepEd) confidential funds for the revival of the controversial Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC). ALSO READ: ‘Know who your true friends are’ – VP Sara Duterte He told SMNI, a radio station owned by Duterte pal Apollo Quiboloy, that Sara will insist in making ROTC compulsory. But based on government documents, confidential funds are only for confidential expenses related to surveillance activities in civilian government offices that are intended to support their mandate or operations. The elder Duterte later said he prodded his daughter to instead say that her confidential funds—P500 million for the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and P150 million for DepEd—would be used against “communists in Congress.” He even went on threatening one of the fiercest critics of confidential and intelligence funds in the government, ACT Teachers Rep. France Castro of the progressive Makabayan bloc in the House. The elder Duterte’s thirst for secret funds, which was removed from his daughter’s OVP and DepEd budgets by a “small committee”, also led him to attack the institution that had backed him throughout his six-year presidency. The House is the “most corrupt institution,” he alleged. But House Secretary General Reginald Velasco immediately countered the former president, saying that the institution is constantly subjected to checks and balances, even by the COA, which was once criticized by the elder Duterte, too. The row became evident, even online, with his propagandists echoing his words. Some even said the House, even the Senate, has billions of pesos worth of funds for extraordinary expenses and that Sara is being singled out. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s secret funds should be removed, too, some said. The constant Duterte Velasco pointed out that Rodrigo’s expletives were offensive and that a lot of the members of the House considered the remarks of the former leader as a serious attack, saying that the institution has been unwavering in its dedication to serve Filipinos. The elder Duterte’s latest outburst is consistent with his usual way of expressing anger. Remember how he outrightly stated, even without presenting evidence, that once a person is addicted to.....»»
Red tide invades Samar bays anew
TACLOBAN CITY — The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources on Friday revealed that the red tide phenomenon has recurred in three bays in Samar and Eastern Samar provinces, raising warning not to consume shellfish products in these areas. In a statement, the BFAR identified the bays as Irong-Irong Bay in Catbalogan City, Samar, coastal waters of Calbayog City, Samar; and Matarinao Bay in Eastern Samar province. The bloom of this toxic organism returned in Matarinao after three weeks of red tide absence and in Irong-Irong Bay after nine months. The coastal water of Calbayog City was included in the red tide watch in early 2022. Matarinao covers the coastal waters of General MacArthur, Hernani, Quinapondan and Salcedo in Eastern Samar province. The BFAR attributed the change in weather patterns as the cause of the red tide blooms in the region. “To safeguard human lives, we are issuing this warning as a precautionary advice to the public to refrain from gathering, selling, and eating all types of shellfish and Acetes sp. locally known as alamang or hipon from these bays,” BFAR said in its local shellfish bulletin. Water and shellfish meat samples will be sent to their main office for confirmatory testing. Fish, squid, crab and shrimp gathered from these areas are safe to eat provided that all entrails are removed and the marine products are washed thoroughly with running water before cooking. Although the shellfish ban has been lifted in some areas in the region, the monitoring will continue to check the possible recurrence. The regular water sample checks cover the coastal waters of Daram, Zumarraga, Cambatutay, Maqueda and Villareal Bays in Samar; coastal waters of Guiuan; San Pedro Bay in Samar; coastal waters of Leyte, Calubian, Ormoc, Sogod, Carigara Bay, and Cancabato Bay, Tacloban City in Leyte; and coastal waters of Biliran Island. The post Red tide invades Samar bays anew appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Confidential funds: Case for transparency
The allocation of confidential funds in the national budget has been a long-standing practice aimed at providing the government with the flexibility to address unforeseen circumstances and sensitive issues. However, recent controversies in Congress have ignited a debate on whether these confidential funds should be scrutinized and possibly scrapped in the pursuit of greater transparency and accountability. Confidential funds have historical roots in the need for the government to respond swiftly to emergencies and delicate situations without compromising national security. These funds are often earmarked for intelligence activities, diplomatic initiatives, and crisis response. The inherent secrecy surrounding these allocations has traditionally been justified as essential for the effective functioning of government in critical times. The recent controversies in Congress, however, have cast a spotlight on potential abuses of confidential funds. Allegations of misappropriation, lack of oversight, and misuse of these funds have fueled calls for their elimination. In fact, militant groups have called on the government to stop what they termed a confidential fund spree that it fears has become a tradition in the Philippine budget system that deprived Filipinos of better living conditions. Critics argue that the secrecy surrounding these allocations fosters an environment ripe for corruption and undermines the principles of transparency and accountability. The confidential nature of these funds makes it challenging to establish a robust system of checks and balances. Without adequate oversight, there is a risk that these funds could be misused or diverted for purposes other than that originally intended, leading to a lack of accountability. The lack of transparency can create an environment conducive to corruption. The clandestine nature of confidential funds may tempt individuals to exploit these resources for personal gain, away from the scrutiny of auditors and oversight mechanisms. As recent controversies have demonstrated, public trust in government institutions can be severely eroded when mismanagement or corruption occurs. The perception that public funds are being used inappropriately can damage the relationship between citizens and their government. In weighing the advantages and disadvantages of retaining or scrapping confidential funds in the national budget, a delicate balance must be struck. Now that Congress is mulling realigning the confidential funds of multiple government agencies toward national security, lawmakers should ensure that the confidential funds of agencies that have nothing to do with national security would be realigned to public services. While the need for flexibility in crisis response and the imperative to safeguard national security remain compelling arguments in favor of maintaining confidential funds, the recent controversies in Congress highlight the risks associated with their lack of transparency and accountability. Rather than an outright elimination, a more prudent approach may involve instituting reforms to enhance oversight mechanisms and ensure the responsible use of confidential funds. Implementing robust auditing processes, increasing transparency in reporting, and involving independent bodies in overseeing these allocations could help strike a balance between the need for confidentiality and the imperative of public accountability. Ultimately, the debate over confidential funds should be approached with the recognition that the challenges faced by the government are dynamic and multifaceted. Striking the right balance between secrecy and accountability is crucial to ensuring that confidential funds serve their intended purposes without compromising the principles of good governance and public trust. As societies evolve, so too should the mechanisms in place to ensure that the allocation and utilization of public funds align with the values of transparency, accountability, and the common good. The post Confidential funds: Case for transparency appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
How Jake Cuenca created ‘Iron Heart’s’ rock-star villain Eros
“It has to be two words: rock star.” That was Jake Cuenca’s reply when we asked him to describe his Eros character in The Iron Heart during the show’s finale mediacon recently. Playing Eros, who in the series becomes a perfect foil to Richard Gutierrez’s Apollo character, is something that Cuenca relished, as he was given a free hand to “personalize” his attack on it. Cuenca, consummate artist that he is, really invested in his character, something that he learned from the late actor Eddie Garcia. He bought his own prop guns and accessories and gave his character his own distinct sartorial taste. “With Eros, as fun as it was to portray him, it’s very, very challenging. There are times na when you’re exhausted on the set, kapag pagod na pagod ka na, sometimes it’s hard to try to keep the voice, sometimes it’s hard to keep the accent kasi pagod ka na, eh, so you try to get it right, you try to do it right,” he said. For the first time, revealed Cuenca, he didn’t go out of character even in his free time. “I was never out of character with this one to the point na even in my free time I was trying to find him all the time kasi I really enjoyed myself. One thing I’ll never forget about this role, this is the first time they really allowed me to really put layers, to put an accent, to put on a voice, to change things. They allowed me to personalize it.” The series’ finale is one for the books as it will be shot abroad and will involve katana fighting. “I’ve been training for this for two weeks now. It’s gonna be intense,” he said. While it’s Cuenca’s first time to be wielding a katana sword, sword-fighting isn’t new to him as “I’ve done it in the past like kami ni Coco (Martin) sa Panday. His promise for the series’ finale: “I think our ending is beautiful. Itong ending na ito, it’s very, very emotional, it’s very, very intense pero lalaking-lalaki ‘yung eksena,” he said. Photoshoot for P1 million loot This talent manager’s greed for money has reached colossal proportions. We’re saying this because we were informed that this manager duped her wards one time into believing all they were doing was just a pictorial. The manager gathered five of her wards and told them it had been a time that they had recent photos. So a pictorial was set pronto. But that wasn’t all there was to it. Without the wards knowing, the photoshoot was in fact for billboards and other collaterals to promote the cold-cuts products of a politician -businessman from the North with whom the talent manager has had long ties. When the manager was issued checks worth P1 million, she told the politician-businessman to keep mum about it and not tell her wards that it was for their services rendered. Why was the talent manager confident that her secret would not be discovered by her wards? Because they didn’t frequent the North. The post How Jake Cuenca created ‘Iron Heart’s’ rock-star villain Eros appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
SSS extends deadline of contribution remittance in distressed areas
The Social Security System extended in selected areas the payment deadline for the June 2023 contribution of business employers and the second quarter contributions of household employers, coverage and collection partners, and individual members from 31 July 2023 to 2 October 2023. According to SSS Circular No. 2023-005 signed by SSS President and CEO Rolando Ledesma Macasaet, the said applicable month and quarter were extended until 30 September 2023, but since it falls on a Saturday, the deadline was further extended to the next working day, which is 2 October 2023. “We understand that these calamities have affected the ability of some of our members, covered employers, and CCPs in selected areas to pay their contributions on or before their original schedule. For consideration, we are giving them more time to pay their SSS contributions so that payment gaps or late payments can be avoided,” Macasaet said. The extension applies to employers, CCPs, and members in areas declared under State of Calamity by various local government offices due to the Southwest Monsoon enhanced by Tropical Cyclones Egay and Falcon, such as the provinces of Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union, Pangasinan, Cagayan, Bataan, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Tarlac, Cavite, Rizal, Occidental Mindoro, Abra, Apayao, Benguet, Ifugao and Mountain Province. The said extension also covers other areas that may be declared under a state of alamity by local government units, local disaster risk reduction management offices, the National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council or the national government. Likewise, employers with approved installment proposals must deposit their post-dated checks that fall due in June and July 2023 on or before 2 October 2023. However, no contribution paid retroactively by individual members will be used in determining their eligibility to any benefit arising from a contingency wherein the date of payment is within or after the semester of contingency. The original contribution payment deadlines and guidelines in the said areas will resume starting with the applicable month of July 2023. # The post SSS extends deadline of contribution remittance in distressed areas appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Travel patterns led to arrest of mother-daughter drug smugglers
Bureau of Immigration Commissioner Norman Tansingco lauded on Friday the BI Anti-Terrorist Group (BI-ATG) for its role in the successful interdiction of two drug couriers on 27 September. In a report given to Tansingco, BI-ATG airport head Bienvenido Castillo III shared that the mother-and-daughter tandem, who were identified as Siti Aishah Binte Awang and Nur Alaviyah Binte Hanaffe, both Singaporeans, were intercepted after arriving at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 via a Qatar Airlines flight QR928 from Doha. According to Castillo, the two suspects attempted to transit to Hong Kong via the Philippines but the BI officer at NAIA 3 intercepted them after detecting suspicious travel patterns. Castillo said that they also received information about the suspects from their international counterparts. They observed that the suspects would come in and out of the country in several instances and noted suspicious travels. He added that they also discovered another individual with the exact same patterns; hence, they immediately coordinated the matter with the members of the NAIA-Drug Interdiction Task Group (NAIA-DITG). After alerting the task group, members from the Bureau of Customs (BOC) and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) conducted an immediate entrapment operation with the assistance of airline representatives. A canine inspection showed that the duo’s luggage contained suspicious materials. Checks by the BOC confirmed that their bags contained six cookie tin cans and five cylindrical chip cans containing 564 pellets with a white powdered substance. The substance, identified as cocaine, totaled more or less 14,360 grams, with a current street value of PhP76,108,000. Tansingco hailed the arrest and commended the BI-ATG for the immediate and proactive actions that led to the interdiction. The BI chief said that the alertness of their immigration officers in analyzing the travel patterns of these criminals was instrumental in this arrest. Tansingco added that close coordination among government agencies in the airports is necessary to protect our borders from all kinds of criminal activity. Both suspects were arrested by the PDEA and remain under the agency’s custody for the filing of the appropriate charges against them. The post Travel patterns led to arrest of mother-daughter drug smugglers appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
US government readies for imminent shutdown
The US government began Thursday to inform workers of an impending shutdown that could see millions of federal employees and military personnel temporarily sent home or working without pay, unless Congress reaches a last-ditch deal. Without an agreement, funding for much of the federal government will expire at midnight on Saturday (0400 GMT Sunday), threatening disruptions to everything from air travel to benefit payments, and – if the shutdown endures – dealing a further blow to the precarious US economy. The stand-off has been triggered by a small group of hardline Republicans who have pushed back against short-term funding deals while Congress tries to resolve a broader deadlock over calls for deep spending cuts. Some federal employees have already been informed of preparations for a lapse, according to a notice seen by AFP. A note to staff at the Department of Health and Human Services outlined how it would see "reduced staffing across nearly every division for the duration of the lapse" although many key programs will continue. The department also updated its contingency plans, adding that "pre-notified employees would be temporarily furloughed," meaning they are not allowed to work. They would receive retroactive pay after the lapse ends, the note said. Staff at other agencies were understood to have received similar notifications. In a shutdown, hundreds of thousands of federal workers would be furloughed without pay, and members of the military and other employees who are deemed to be essential would continue working without a paycheck. Certain benefits like Social Security checks would not be hit, but workers who go unpaid could eventually stop showing up, impacting sectors like air travel. 'Dangerous' "If there is a shutdown in just a few days, our service members would be required to continue working but would be doing so without pay, and hundreds and thousands of their civilian colleagues would be furloughed," Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh said Thursday. The Treasury Department added that among other implications, "most core tax administration functions will stop" and more than half of the Internal Revenue Service staff will be furloughed. Apart from the possible lapse in funding, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) faces an added headache of a Saturday deadline for reauthorization. It remains unclear if lawmakers will pass an FAA reauthorization law separately from a spending package. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said on Wednesday: "There is no good time for a government shutdown, but this is a particularly bad time." "The consequences would be disruptive and dangerous," he added. In Washington, a group of young climate activists of the Sunrise Movement entered Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy's office to protest against the looming shutdown. The White House warned in a statement that a lapse would leave the Federal Emergency Management Agency's disaster relief fund underfunded, "delaying nearly 2,000 long-term recovery projects" across the country. 'Avoidable risk' With days left to pass legislation that would keep the government running, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a Democrat, said Thursday that his chamber is "pursuing bipartisanship." He accused House Speaker McCarthy of choosing to "elevate the whims and desires of a handful of hard-right extremists," with "nothing to show for it." Mitch McConnell, the Republican Senate minority leader, said shutting down the government is an "actively harmful proposition." In a full shutdown, the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) union estimates almost 1.8 million federal workers would go unpaid for the duration -- although receiving backpay afterward. A spokeswoman for the International Monetary Fund added in a briefing on Thursday: "We do see a shutdown as an avoidable risk for the US economy." The post US government readies for imminent shutdown appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Former OTS chief lambasts cultural decay at airports
The former Office for Transportation Security chief lambasted the cultural decay in the airport security teams that allows negligent screeners to continue working there, this before he could begin an internal purge. Ma. O Ranada Aplasca, who resigned from his post over the airport screener caught on closed-circuit television swallowing $300 bills taken from an outbound Chinese national, said the problem with airport security is “more than systemic, it is cultural.” “There was the problem with ‘tanim-bala.’ Maybe the problems were not highlighted in the past because no one was caught. Based on our records, for the past several years, no one was dismissed in the OTS for violations of our disciplinary policies,” he said. Aplasca said when he was the director of the PNP Aviation Security Group, his initial task was to clear the country’s airports of the “tanim-bala” scheme, in which airport inspectors hid bullets in travelers’ luggage to extort money. “That tanim-bala was the first marching order to me by former President Duterte, and that’s where I felt his 100-percent support; that’s why, in less than one month, we were able to solve the problem,” he said. Aplasca said that before his resignation Tuesday, the OTS had initiated 68 cases against erring personnel, with at least 11 people dismissed. Found guilty Meanwhile, DoTr Secretary Jaime Bautista said the female Security Screening Officer and three other OTS screeners involved in the cash swallowing incident last 8 September were “found guilty of stealing.” Bautista said the guilty verdict was included in the investigation report handed to him by the OTS group of investigators, which included the CCTV footage that showed the lady scanner stuffing the money into her mouth at Terminal 1’s final security checkpoint at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport. The four SSO screeners face administrative and criminal cases. “The investigation showed that she was guilty and swallowed the money. However, what she said in an affidavit was that it was chocolates. But the investigators saw that she was guilty,” Bautista said in Filipino in an interview with the media after a Senate hearing on Tuesday. The CCTV footage showed that at around 8:20 p.m. on 8 September, a Chinese passenger, identified only as Mr. Cai, placed his shoulder bag on the inspection tray at the final security checkpoint. After trying to promote the gateway to potential foreign investors who may want to operate the NAIA, Bautista expressed frustration and dismay at the incident. He authorized the imposition of the maximum penalty on those found guilty to demonstrate the Department of Transportation’s determined push to rid the NAIA and attached agencies of scalawags. Aplasca submitted his courtesy resignation last Tuesday, 26 September, to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. through DoTr Secretary Bautista after House Speaker Martin Romualdez told him to resign or the Speaker would personally block the budgets of the DoTr and OTS. Not enough Meanwhile, Senator Grace Poe said Wednesday the resignation of Aplasca would not be enough to stop the criminal activities at the country’s airports. “A resignation at the top does not clean up the ranks,” said Poe, who chairs the Senate Committee on Public Services. “More than ever, the Office of Transportation Security needs steady leadership to implement much-needed reforms,” she said. “There should be zero tolerance for criminal acts and unprofessional behavior,” she added. “While a witch hunt might put a syndicate on pause, the OTS urgently needs to review and tighten its security program,” she said. She continued: “Our airports should improve the physical layout of the security screening stations and provide proactive measures to prevent further incidents.” She also noted that the challenge now is to appoint someone with “immense political will to overhaul the agency and stop these incidents once and for all.” The senator stressed that the OTS must improve its hiring system and enforce ethics training. “Employees must undergo extensive background checks,” she said. “In the long-term, we should also look into providing better compensation and benefits to these employees so they would not be enticed to do this nonsense,” she added. The post Former OTS chief lambasts cultural decay at airports appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Poe: Resignation of OTS administrator not enough
The resignation of Office for Transportation Security Administrator Ma.O Aplasca would not be enough to stop criminal activities in the country’s airports, Senator Grace Poe said Wednesday. “A resignation at the top does not clean up its ranks,” said Poe, who chairs the Senate Committee on Public Services. “More than ever, the Office of Transportation Security needs steady leadership to implement much-needed reforms,” she added. Aplasca on Tuesday night submitted his courtesy resignation to Transport Secretary Jaime Bautista, days after lawmakers pressured him to resign from his post. The OTS has been on the receiving end of criticisms after one of its personnel was caught in a viral video swallowing $300 that she allegedly stole from a Chinese passenger at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport-Terminal 1. Poe noted that actions should not be taken after the incident. “There should be zero tolerance for criminal acts and unprofessional behavior,” she said. “While a witch hunt might put a syndicate on pause, the OTS urgently needs to review and tighten its security program,” she added. She continued: “Our airports should improve the physical layout of the security screening stations and provide proactive measures to prevent any further incidents.” She also noted that the challenge now is to appoint someone with “immense political will to overhaul the agency and stop these incidents once and for all.” The senator stressed that the OTS must improve its hiring system, and enforce ethics training. “Employees must undergo extensive background checks,” she said. “In the long-term, we should also look into providing better compensation and benefits to these employees so they would not be enticed to do this nonsense,” she added. She also pointed out that the permanent solution to the problem is to give security of tenure and increase the salary of highly-skilled technical personnel in our airports. As of July 2023, more than half of the OTS manpower are still contractual personnel with only 475 with permanent status. The post Poe: Resignation of OTS administrator not enough appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Marcos ‘relative’ sued for estafa
An entrepreneur who introduced himself as a second cousin of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is facing syndicated estafa and estafa charges before the Department of Justice for allegedly amassing millions of pesos from three individuals, including a public relations practitioner and a retired general. The entrepreneur was identified as Mario Pacursa Marcos, chief executive officer of Smart Citi Teknologi, who earlier announced a partnership with TESLA Technologies on industrial development projects in the country, including an ambitious project in Roxas, Palawan which would turn an island into a smart city. One of the “victims,” the president of a PR firm, said she was duped by Marcos into financing the PR events and press conferences she planned and conducted for him in the belief that he was a “real Marcos.” According to the victim, she spent P13 million on various press conferences at the Manila Hotel. “All the checks he gave me bounced. I communicated with him several times, but he kept making false promises,” the victim said in a press conference. Another complainant, identified in the complaint sheet as Phebe Dy, a contractor, said Marcos got P12 million from her when she was promised a contract from his big-ticket projects. “I gave him P12 million in two tranches, the last one at BGC, The Fort. But when I decided to get my money back, he gave me an unnotarized certificate of title with a deed of absolute sale. It turned out Marcos had no valid ownership in the title,” she said. The third victim, retired Army Brig. Gen. Arnulfo Jose Marcos, said he was tricked by his namesake Marcos into investing P800,000 in the partnership with TESLA Technologies. “I borrowed the money from the Armed Forces and Police Savings and Loans Association Inc. It turned out the TESLA partnership and project were a hoax. That money was meant for the studies of my son,” he told reporters. The respondent Marcos supposedly sealed an agreement with TESLA Technologies to enable the transfer of Czech technology to the Philippine partner for the assembly of two Tesla products in the country — a unique diagnostic health device and a magnetic engine either in Subic or Cavite. The partnership would supposedly create an Internet-based platform for the smart city program that would provide connectivity for various applications, including households, smart homes, and smart cities. Smart Citi Teknologi was to invest $5 million for the transfer of technology and another $3 million for the production of small electronic products. The post Marcos ‘relative’ sued for estafa appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
PCSO provides Caloocan lotto shares
The Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office on Sunday announced that it has turned over checks amounting to P13 million to the Caloocan City government as its share of lotto revenues from July 2022 to June this year. The agency said that PCSO general manager Melquiades Robles handed over the check to Mayor Dale ‘Along’ Malapitan at the Office of General Manager, PCSO main office in Sun Plaza Building, Mandaluyong City last 14 September. Malapitan said the amount will augment the funds of the city government for its charity and health programs. “The city of Caloocan will do the right thing, which means enjoying PCSO’s gaming products because it helps us from our Lotto and STL shares we receive,” Malapitan said. Robles, meanwhile, extended gratitude to all lotto patrons and those who patronize all PCSO games in the city and urged the public to keep on patronizing PCSO games to generate more funds for health programs, medical assistance and services and charities. Local government units receive a percentage of the total revenues of PCSO operations in their areas and these shares can be used for their respective projects as the PCSO is mandated to set aside 30 percent of its revenue for charity, 55 percent for prizes, and 15 percent for its operation. All balances of any funds in the PCSO will form part of the charity fund. The post PCSO provides Caloocan lotto shares appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»