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Over P7-M shabu seized
ZAMBOANGA CITY — Authorities arrested four individuals during separate sting operations in Marawi City, Lanao del Sur and seized at least 1.125 kilos of suspected shabu worth P7.659 million. Police Regional Office in Bangsamoro Autonomous Region director P/Brig. Gen. Allan Nobleza on Friday narrated that anti-narcotics agents arrested two drug peddlers during the first drug buy-bust operation at Hayfah compound, Barangay Gadongan in Marawi City about 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Nobleza identified the arrested drug peddlers as Rahib Solaiman Cayugan alias Mosep, a resident of Making, Parang, Maguindanao del Norte and Norain Anto Gunda, a resident of Barangay Pindolunan in Butig in Lanao del Sur. Seized from the two suspects were 1.025 kilos of suspected shabu worth P6.97 million. Police disclosed that two other individuals were able to elude arrest after sensing that the group was dealing with government anti-narcotics operatives. Those still at large were identified as Aripoden Kiram Ander and Rania Musor Maca-angcos, both residents of Tubod in Lanao del Norte. Nobleza said Cayugan and Gunda were arrested after they sold to a police poseur-buyer 25 grams of shabu worth P170,000. Also recovered from the possession of Cayugan and Gunda was a piece of Green Chinese Tea bag labeled “Chinese Pin Wei” containing one piece of an open transparent plastic bag. Cayugan and Gunda are now detained at the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency BARMM Jail Facility while cases for violations of Republic Act 10640 are being prepared to be filed against them. In the other anti-illegal drug operation, P/Col. Robert S. Daculan, director of Lanao del Sur Police Provincial Office reported the arrest of Sarip Osngan Mamangacao and Alihassan Ampuan Mangacop in Barangay Bobonga-Marawi in Marawi City at 5:20 p.m. on Wednesday. Daculan said anti-narcotics agents recovered from the possession of Mamangacao and Mangacop were 100 grams of suspected shabu worth P689,000 and buy-bust money. Mamangacao and Mangacop and recovered pieces of evidence were brought to Marawi City Police Station for proper disposition. The post Over P7-M shabu seized appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Alibaba announces surprise departure of ex-CEO
Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba has announced the surprise departure of former CEO Daniel Zhang, who had been set Monday to take charge of a key subsidiary as the firm undergoes a major restructuring. Hangzhou-based Alibaba is one of China's most prominent technology firms, with business operations spanning cloud computing, e-commerce, logistics, media and entertainment, and artificial intelligence. After years of turbulence in the Chinese tech sector, Alibaba in March announced the biggest restructuring in its history, dividing itself into six entities, with the goal of listing them on the stock exchange separately. CEO Daniel Zhang was due to take charge of the firm's new cloud computing branch, now a separate entity, on Monday. But two months after announcing his appointment, Alibaba said its ex-boss was no longer with the company. "The board of our Company expresses its deepest appreciation to Mr. Zhang for his contributions to Alibaba Group over the past 16 years," the company said in a statement to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, where it is listed, late on Sunday. It gave no reason for his departure. Plans for a spin-off cloud computing firm would go ahead, Alibaba said, "under a separate management team to be appointed". The company announced in June that Zhang would be replaced by Joseph Tsai as chairman and Eddie Wu as CEO. The executive played a vital role in the company's success in the past decade, spearheading the now hugely popular Singles' Day shopping festival since its first edition in 2009. Shares in the firm sank nearly 3.5 percent Monday -- the first working day of its new reorganization into six distinct branches. In addition to e-commerce and cloud computing, Alibaba's reach stretches into everything from logistics to media, entertainment and artificial intelligence. But its vast size brought it into the crosshairs of Chinese regulators as Beijing sought to crack down on the tech sector. In 2020, Alibaba became the country's first tech giant to bear the brunt of increased oversight, when authorities called off what would have become one of the most valuable public listings in history -- valued at $34 billion -- for its former subsidiary Ant Group. Ant Group is the owner of Alipay, a mobile payment application widely used in China. One month after officials hit the brakes on its IPO, Alibaba was investigated for alleged anti-competitive practices, then issued a $2.8 billion fine. And in July authorities fined Ant Group nearly $1 billion for breaching banking regulations. The post Alibaba announces surprise departure of ex-CEO appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Southeast Asian air force chiefs to snub Myanmar meeting
Several Southeast Asian air force commanders will shun an upcoming meeting chaired by Myanmar's military rulers, officials told AFP, deepening the junta's regional isolation as it struggles to crush resistance. The annual ASEAN Air Chiefs Conference gathers top air force leaders from the 10-nation bloc to discuss cooperation in defense, combating extremism, and disaster relief. Current chair Myanmar is set to host the meeting next week but at least three Association of Southeast Asian Nations countries told AFP they will not send their top officials. The junta has been accused of war crimes over air strikes carried out by its jets -- mostly Chinese and Russian-built -- in support of ground troops battling opponents of its 2021 coup. Its air force chief Htun Aung, who will chair the conference, has been sanctioned by the United States and Britain. The air force chiefs of the Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia will not attend the meeting, officials told AFP. Malaysia's air force chief will not attend, a spokesperson said, while the Philippine commander will send a video message to his counterpart rather than go in person. Indonesia's air force chief "will not be attending and won't be sending anyone to represent him either," air force spokesperson Agung Sasongkojati told AFP without giving a reason. At a summit this week, ASEAN accused the junta of targeting civilians in the grinding conflict sparked by its coup, and of ignoring a peace plan agreed with the bloc to end violence. Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said there had been "no significant progress" in the five-point plan agreed with the junta more than two years ago. ASEAN has barred junta officials from high-level meetings over their refusal to engage with the plan and their opponents. Cambodian air force commander Soeng Samnang declined to comment on whether he would attend, and the defence ministry could not be reached for comment. The air forces of Singapore, Brunei and Vietnam did not respond to requests for comment. But Thailand's air force chief will make the trip to neighboring Myanmar, a defense ministry official told AFP. While ASEAN has halted high-level meetings with Myanmar's generals, Thailand has held its own bilateral talks with the junta and deposed democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi in recent months, further dividing the bloc. War crime claims Amnesty International said last year the junta was likely using air strikes as "collective punishment" against civilians supporting anti-coup fighters, and in March the United Nations said the military had carried out more than 300 air strikes in the past year. Also in March, the junta held a parade to mark Armed Forces Day, with flyovers by Russian-made Yak and Sukoi Su-30 jets. The military bombed a gathering in northern Sagaing region in April that media and locals said killed about 170 people, sparking renewed global condemnation of the isolated junta. Human Rights Watch said it had evidence the military had used a thermobaric "vacuum bomb" in the attack, saying it likely amounted to a war crime. Air strikes on a concert held by a major ethnic rebel group in northern Kachin state killed around 50 people last October. The junta has said reports civilians were among the dead were "rumors". AFP has contacted a Myanmar junta spokesman for comment. The post Southeast Asian air force chiefs to snub Myanmar meeting appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
China, U.S. form trade dispute panel
United States Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo on Tuesday reassured Chinese officials in Beijing that her country is not seeking to decouple its economy from China’s. “We seek to maintain our $700 billion commercial relationship with China, and we hope that that relationship can provide stability for the overall relationship,” Raimondo told Premier Li Qiang. Raimondo also told Li that Washington wants to “work with you as two global powers to do what is right for all of humanity.” Earlier on Tuesday, Raimondo met China’s Vice Premier He Lifeng. “Managing that relationship responsibly is critical to both of our nations and indeed to the whole world,” she said during a part of the meeting open to journalists. She stressed the US would “never compromise in protecting our national security,” but added that Washington did not seek “to hold China’s economy back.” The secretary’s meeting with her Chinese counterpart on Monday resulted in a deal to set up a working group to iron out trade disputes of their countries. China commerce minister Wang Wentao and Raimondo also agreed to set up an “export control enforcement information exchange” — described as a platform to “reduce misunderstanding of US national security policies.” The information exchange will convene for the first time at Beijing’s Ministry of Commerce on Tuesday, Washington said. The developments met Washington’s goal of ensuring open communication lines with Beijing. However, China’s “serious concerns” over US trade curbs on Chinese businesses remain. Beijing is referring to the “US Section 301 tariffs on Chinese goods, its semiconductor policies, restrictions of two-way investment, discriminatory subsidies, and sanctions on Chinese enterprises.” Washington defends the policies as necessary to “de-risk” its supply chains. But Wang warned they “run counter to market rules and the principle of fair competition, and will only harm the security and stability of the global industrial and supply chains.” Healthy competition Raimondo is one of a number of senior US officials to visit China in recent months — part of an effort by Washington to improve its working relationship with its largest strategic rival. Relations between the two countries have plummeted to some of their lowest levels in decades, with US trade curbs near the top of the list of disagreements. This month, Biden issued an executive order aimed at restricting certain US investments in sensitive high-tech areas in China — a move Beijing blasted as being “anti-globalization.” The long-anticipated rules, expected to be implemented next year, target sectors such as semiconductors and artificial intelligence. US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen sought to reassure Chinese officials about the expected curbs during a visit to Beijing last month. And Raimondo on Monday told Chinese officials that while there was “no room to compromise or negotiate” on US national security, “the vast majority of our trade and investment relationship does not involve national security concerns.” “We seek healthy competition with China. A growing Chinese economy that plays by the rules is in both of our interests,” she said. WITH AFP The post China, U.S. form trade dispute panel appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
US commerce secretary meets Chinese counterpart in Beijing
US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo met with her Chinese counterpart in Beijing on Monday, saying it was "profoundly important" for the world's two biggest economies to have a stable relationship. Her visit is the latest in a series of high-level trips to China by US officials in recent months as Washington works to cool trade tensions with Beijing. The trips could culminate in a meeting between their leaders, with US President Joe Biden saying recently that he was expecting to sit down with China's Xi Jinping this year. Raimondo met on Monday morning with Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao, describing the economic relationship between the two countries as "the most significant in the world". "We share $700 billion dollars of trade and I concur with you that it is profoundly important that we have a stable economic relationship," she said, according to a readout from the US Commerce Department. "It's a complicated relationship; it's a challenging relationship," she told Wang. "We will of course disagree on certain issues, but I believe we can make progress if we are direct, open, and practical." Raimondo arrived in Beijing on Sunday and was met by Lin Feng, the director of the commerce ministry's Americas and Oceania department, as well as US ambassador to China Nicholas Burns. In posts on the social media platform X, Raimondo said she was "looking forward to a productive few days". During her trip, she will also travel to China's economic powerhouse Shanghai, the US Commerce Department said. She will leave on Wednesday. Trade tensions Relations between the United States and China have plummeted to some of their lowest levels in decades, with US trade curbs near the top of the laundry list of disagreements. Washington says they are crucial to safeguarding national security, but China sees them as seeking to curb its economic rise. This month, Biden issued an executive order aimed at restricting certain US investments in sensitive high-tech areas in China -- a move Beijing blasted as being "anti-globalisation". The long-anticipated rules, expected to be implemented next year, target sectors such as semiconductors and artificial intelligence. US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen sought to reassure Chinese officials about the expected curbs during a visit to Beijing last month, promising that any new moves would be implemented in a transparent way. And Raimondo on Monday told Chinese officials that while there was "no room to compromise or negotiate" on US national security, "the vast majority of our trade and investment relationship does not involve national security concerns". "We believe a strong Chinese economy is a good thing," she said. In June, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken travelled to Beijing, where he met Xi and said progress had been made on a number of key sources of contention. US climate envoy John Kerry also visited China in July. But none of the visits led to major breakthroughs, and a recent Camp David summit between the United States, South Korea and Japan aimed in part at countering China sparked condemnation from Beijing. Following that summit, Biden said he still expected to meet Xi this year. The US president is inviting the Chinese leader to San Francisco in November, when the United States holds a summit of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum, which includes China. They could also potentially meet next month in New Delhi on the sidelines of a G20 summit. The post US commerce secretary meets Chinese counterpart in Beijing appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Manhunt on vs missing POGO suspect
Department of Justice Undersecretary and spokesperson Atty. Mico Clavano yesterday disclosed that a tracker team has been formed to search for the missing Chinese national allegedly involved in the operations of a Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators in Pasay City. Clavano said in an ambush interview during the culminating event at the National Bilibid Prison that there is allegedly a missing Chinese national from the Pasay raid site in Rivendell. He said the tracker team will include members of the National Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Immigration’s Fugitive Search Unit. The DoJ official said they are doing everything in order to recapture the missing Chinese national from POGO. The spokesperson said the individual was among the 27 individuals who were recommended to be charged for violation of the Cybercrime Prevention Act. He said that the Chinese national was detained at the POGO facility in Pasay. “We don’t have a complete handle on all the exit and entry points. There are many windows and emergency doors that, well, we have put guards there but we don’t know them as well as the scammers know them,” Clavano said. Authorities must look into who is guarding the room of the said employee as members of the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission, the Philippine National Police, the NBI, and FSU were present. The lawyer of the Chinese national is also looking for her client. “They informed me wala na sa custody nila yung isa where in fact, supposed to be he is detained,” Atty. Gloria Quintos said. Quintos said she could not confirm whether his client had escaped. The post Manhunt on vs missing POGO suspect appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
China: Combat Anti-Black Racism on Social Media
(New York) - The Chinese government should acknowledge and condemn anti-Black racism prevalent on the Chinese internet and adopt measures to promote tolerance and fight prejudice, Human Rights Watch said today. Chinese social media platforms, which are quick to delete content critical of the Chinese government, should remove racist content that violates their commu.....»»
China keeps ban on group tours to Canada
China’s Covid-era ban on group tours to a dozen countries was lifted last week but travel agents cannot arrange such visits to Canada. The Chinese embassy in Ottawa said Wednesday the exclusion of Canada was due to its anti-Beijing rattling. “The Canadian side has repeatedly hyped up the so-called ‘Chinese interference,’” according to a statement from the embassy. “Rampant and discriminatory anti-Asian acts and words are rising significantly in Canada” and “the Chinese government attaches great importance to protecting the safety and legitimate rights of overseas Chinese citizens and wishes they can travel in a safe and friendly environment,” the embassy added. China-Canada relations hit a new low this year amid accusations of Chinese meddling in Canadian elections and the attempted intimidation of lawmakers that led to the expulsion of a Chinese diplomat in May. Beijing responded by sending home a Canadian diplomat from Canada’s consulate in Shanghai. Janice Thomson, the head of tourism at Niagara Falls — the top tourism destination in Canada — said China’s decision to leave Canada off its approved destinations list was “disappointing” but expects the country to be added to the list in the future. In 2019, Chinese tourists spent a collective US$255 billion on international travel. In 2018, nearly 700,000 Chinese visitors came to Canada, spending an average of Can$2,600 (US$1,922) per visitor, or a total of Can$2 billion — out of Can$22 billion spent collectively by all foreign travelers, according to a report by the Canada China Business Council. That same year, tit-for-tat arrests of a top Huawei executive in Vancouver on a United States warrant and two Canadians living in China, accused of espionage, dealt a serious blow to bilateral relations. Ottawa accused Beijing of engaging in “hostage diplomacy,” before a deal was eventually reached with US prosecutors that saw all three people released in 2021. WITH AFP The post China keeps ban on group tours to Canada appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
An inane idea
The conflict in the disputed waters in the West Philippine Sea has birthed unnecessary and unpalatable narratives plus inane proposals to dramatize the country’s condemnation of the provocative and aggressive navigational acts coming from some government functionaries, apart from escalating the tension between claimants China and the Philippines. The repeated infuriating bullying by the Chinese Coast Guard on our own Philippine Coast Guard and Philippine vessels has been relentless. China has been oblivious to our countless diplomatic protests and calls for it to stop its incursions on our territorial waters, respect our sovereign rights and accept the arbitrary ruling handed by the Permanent Arbitration Court. It has turned deaf ears to our protestations. It has been unmoved by the collective expression of condemnation of its acts of aggression against the Philippines from countries consisting of the European Union, Japan, Australia Canada, and the United States. Not even the threat by the latter to use counter-offensive and defensive measures by way of enforcing the Mutual Defense Treaty between it and our country could soften China’s provocative and aggressive stance. It stubbornly refuses to recognize the arbitral ruling of the Permanent Arbitration Court that has rejected its nine-dash expansionist claim over a large part of the South China Sea while validating the Philippines’ claim over Ayungin Shoal as within its exclusive economic zone. China’s emergence from an underdeveloped and weak country to a superpower like the United States and Russia made it easy for it to adopt the maxim that might is right. Truly, from a sleeping giant, it has become a mighty dragon spewing fire. China’s unacceptable and outrageous assaults on our territorial waters, which must be stopped, is, however, not an excuse to call for a boycott of its products. It’s a stupid idea. The proponents have not considered the repercussions if we enforce such an inane thought. We cannot be hostage to that vexing conflict with China and throw to the winds the benefits derived from our trade relations with it. China, being the largest supplier of manufactured goods, is known as the “ world’s factory.“ Every imaginable household use, clothes, shoes, textiles, construction materials, kitchen and toilet fixtures, beauty equipment, electronic gadgets, toys, outdoor and interior decors, tiles, air conditioning units, electric fans, engineered floors, kitchen utensils, heavy machinery and equipment, engineered wood floors, and a thousand other items. Compared to US and European-made, Chinese-manufactured goods are much cheaper. No wonder, they are much preferred now by the average Filipino because of the affordable prices of these products. Quality-wise, they can give Western merchandise a run for their money. A government policy of boycotting goods coming from China will deprive millions of ordinary Filipinos to have them. This is an anti-poor program. The propagates of this boycott idea seem to be either ignorant or oblivious to the fact that China is the biggest trade partner of the Philippines. Philippines exports to China have reached a whopping $10.97 billion in 2022 while imports from China rose to $28.2 billion per the latest data. If we enforce a boycott policy of Chinese products, those figures will be jeopardized. Do those propagators of such foolish advocacy realize the monstrosity of that monumentally folly? (To be continued) The post An inane idea appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
China snubs Canada as restrictions on tourism travel lifted
China — a major source of outbound tourists — has left Canada off a list of countries now approved for travel by tour groups, its embassy in Ottawa said Wednesday, due to anti-Beijing rattling by Ottawa. Last week Beijing lifted a Covid-era ban on group tours to dozens of countries including the United States, Germany, Japan, and Australia, but not Canada. Travel agents turn to the list of approved destinations when promoting and arranging foreign vacations for Chinese nationals. There are currently 138 countries on the list. The Chinese Embassy in Ottawa said in a statement that the reason behind the snub was "the Canadian side has repeatedly hyped up the so-called 'Chinese interference.'" It said "rampant and discriminatory anti-Asian acts and words are rising significantly in Canada" and "the Chinese government attaches great importance to protecting the safety and legitimate rights of overseas Chinese citizens and wishes they can travel in a safe and friendly environment." The United Nations tourism agency (UNWTO) says China grew to be the biggest tourism source market in the world prior to the pandemic. In 2019, Chinese tourists spent a collective US$255 billion on international travel. Group tours from China to Canada were first approved in 2010. In 2018, nearly 700,000 Chinese visitors came to Canada, spending an average of Can$2,600 (US$1,922) per visitor, or a total of Can$2 billion -- out of Can$22 billion spent collectively by all foreign travelers, according to a report by the Canada China Business Council. That same year, tit-for-tat arrests of a top Huawei executive in Vancouver on a US warrant and two Canadians living in China, accused of espionage, dealt a serious blow to bilateral relations. Ottawa accused Beijing of engaging in "hostage diplomacy," before a deal was eventually reached with US prosecutors that saw all three people released in 2021. China-Canada relations hit a new low this year amid accusations of Chinese meddling in Canadian elections and the attempted intimidation of MPs that led to the expulsion of a Chinese diplomat in May. Beijing responded by sending home a Canadian diplomat from Canada's consulate in Shanghai. Canadian government officials did not immediately reply to a request for comment. Janice Thomson, the head of tourism at Niagara Falls -- the top tourism destination in Canada -- said China's decision to leave Canada off its approved destinations list was "disappointing." She expressed hope that Canada would make it onto the list in a future round of country additions. The post China snubs Canada as restrictions on tourism travel lifted appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
CA orders release of 4 Chinese nabbed in POGO Las Piñas raid
The Court of Appeals ordered the release of four Chinese nationals arrested in a police raid on a Philippine Offshore Gaming Operation (POGO) in Las Piñas City on 27 June. The raid was conducted by the Philippine National Police Anti-Cyber Crime Group (PNP-ACG). Covered by the CA’s 10th Division order dated 28 July 2023 were Ang Chin Keong, Choo Jun Cheng, Choo Wei Jazz, and a certain "Edy". Lawyer Jocel Isidro Dilag filed the petition for the issuance of the writ of habeas corpus on behalf of the four foreign nationals. A writ of habeas corpus “is a writ directed to a person detaining another, commanding the former to produce the body of the latter at a designated time and place.” It extends “to all cases of illegal and arbitrary detention by which any person is deprived of his liberty.” “We have examined into the cause of caption and restraint of Keong, et al., and we are satisfied that they are unlawfully restrained. The totality of the circumstances show that Keong, et al, were unlawfully restrained,” the CA said in an 18-page decision penned by Associate Justice Rex Bernard Pascual. “The PNP, through P/BGen Jose Melencio Nartatez, Jr., P/BGen Sidney S. Hernia, PCol. Atty. Arvie A. Paraon-Bueno, PCol. Atty. Nova De Castro, and all those acting under their instructions and command, including those who may have taken actual, legal, and/or constructive custody of Keong, et al., are ordered to immediately discharge and/or release from any custody, detention, confinement, or other restraint which is currently undertaken at Hong Tai Compound, 501 Alabang Zapote Road, Almanza Uno, Las Piñas City,” the CA added. Named respondents in the petition for the writ of habeas corpus are Nartatez, regional director of the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO), and Hernia, director of the PNP-ACG. The four petitioners were among the more than 2,700 individuals, including 600 Chinese, 180 Vietnamese, 140 Indonesian, 130 Malaysian nationals, and Filipinos, who were detained at the premises of the Hong Tai Compound, a mixed-use facility for residential and commercial purposes, situated along Alabang Zapote Road, Almanza Uno, Las Piñas City. They claimed that a large part of the Filipino group had already been released by the respondents, while foreigners, including Keong’s group, are still detained in their respective rooms “against their will, without any running water and food rations”. Also, the petitioners claimed they were even required to get the respondents’ permission just to gain access to a working toilet or buy potable water from the compound’s convenience store. The PNP-ACG on the other hand defended the raid and told the CA that the foreign nationals were not allowed to leave the premises being potential victims of human trafficking. The respondents noted that most of them are with expired passports, no working visas, or minors, whose passports are captured by the employer POGO facility. The PNP-ACG said they had already referred the foreign nationals to the Bureau of Immigration (BI) and the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT) for assessment as potential trafficking victims. But in siding with the petitioners, the Court took into consideration the failure of the PNP to present a copy of the search warrants used as the basis for conducting the raid. The CA noted, “The fact that no search warrants were presented by the PNP would show that the warrants are adverse to it. Section 3 (e), Rule 131 of the Revised Rules on Evidence provides that evidence willfully suppressed would be adverse if produced, unless contradicted and overcome by other evidence.” It further held that "no judicial process was presented to the Court by the PNP to allow for the continued detention of Keong et al." Also, it said even the purported protective custody of Keong, et. al., does not justify their continued restraint. While the PNP cited the Expanded Trafficking in Persons Act of 2012 as the process to secure and restrict the movement of the said foreign nationals who are possible victims of human trafficking, the appellate court held that the absence of the latter's consent is "fatal to their continued detention." The post CA orders release of 4 Chinese nabbed in POGO Las Piñas raid appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Hiding in plain sight
Yes, who does not want the serenity of a gated community and the security that comes with living in such a neighborhood isolated from the outside world, with its tidy rows of well-kept lawns and picket fences protecting the dreams within? But a magician’s hat can just be as deceptive as appearances, like the production of a rabbit seemingly from thin air. Just ask the people who live in an upscale neighborhood in a city neighboring the Villars’ turf, Las Piñas. A collective gasp recently emanated from its residents as they were forced to confront the harsh reality of their amiable community starting to crumble, of their haven seemingly being overtaken by a long procession of undesirables skillfully hiding in plain sight. One particular house in the enclave of the perfumed set, said to be predominantly painted red (hmmm, what a choice of color), had been at the center of activities of rowdy and loud Chinese nationals who, residents surmised, may belong to the group of their compatriots recently arrested. They were referring to the recent burst of activity by the Philippine National Police, during which elements of its Anti-Cybercrime Group raided a Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator or POGO facility in Las Piñas City. Here, we couldn’t help but chuckle at the irony of those (illegal?) POGO workers, supposedly the very masters of the virtual world, being implicated and charged with allegedly running a network of human trafficking and money laundering, being caught with their digital underwear down. Kudos to the PNP-ACG, even if Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla took issue with the group for purportedly failing to coordinate their actions with government prosecutors, something which the cops denied, with the best civility they could muster as they were talking to Remulla. The Chinese nationals who were detained were doubtless wondering how their cyber-castle fell apart so spectacularly. It’s a classic case of wolves in sheep’s clothing being stripped of the wool covering them. But there’s no passing judgment as of yet. While some applaud this crackdown as a triumphant illustration of quick justice, others may wag their fingers at the seeming outrage that seemed out of proportion. After all, was such a bold use of force necessary to expel a den of criminals? It’s a question that brings to mind the delicate balancing act that Philippine authorities have been trying to master: how to crush criminal underbellies without impeding businesses’ rightful objectives. And in the case of posh subdivisions serving as the hideaways of criminals, cops cannot just barge in. The flip side of going after dubious characters in such places is that residents may object to their privacy being invaded by sleuths in their midst. Watching the government walk the fine line between righteousness and rationality is definitely a narrative twist. One only needs to look at the Duterte government’s campaign against illegal drugs to see how difficult police work can be. And perhaps it’s only fitting that we struggle with the fuzziness of the lines between crime and repression, digital delinquency, and moral vigilance in a world increasingly ruled by the ones and zeros of technology. In the greater story of Philippine law enforcement’s tango with the shadows, this POGO raid is but one chapter. The government’s efforts to combat crime should not just be limited to the rough streets; they should also permeate communities that thought they had built barriers immune to such unrest. It should be kept in mind that security isn’t just about walls and gates; it’s about the steadfast resolve of everyone to be vigilant to bring to light even the darkest corners of our neighborhoods, literally and figuratively. Crimes hit the hardest when they stop being statistics of something bad happening to other people. Fighting criminality is the shared responsibility of all peace-loving people, whether in the slums or the enclaves of the haves. The post Hiding in plain sight appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Hold import permits
The government’s mettle and political will stand to be tested following Mr. Marcos Jr.’s “no import policy” amid the widespread devastation of Luzon’s vegetable farms. Not only vegetables. Other agricultural produce, including even fisheries, will likely be in short supply in the wake of typhoon “Egay” and the ongoing monsoon-induced rains. Supply shortfalls will most likely trigger inflation in the coming months. Mr. Marcos Jr., who is also the agriculture boss, vows immediate remedial measures to stabilize food supplies and head off possible higher prices of staples. Remedial measures — of which “the no import policy” is the immediate visible response — which include definite actions aimed at unscrupulous food importers who use natural disasters as cover for unbridled smuggling. Even as the Chief Executive stands firm, he qualifies this by saying, “We will not import any agricultural products unless we see the supply is so low that prices will become out of reach of ordinary consumers.” Nothing is inherently wrong with importation if low supplies are the case. But the Chief Executive must accurately determine, before import permits are issued, which food supplies are actually depleted and not just artificially created. Which only means that Mr. Marcos Jr. and his officials have to hold in abeyance all issuances of food import permits by government agencies until further notice. Often found spurious and used to smuggle billions in agricultural products, such import permits are now the subject of an intense fact-finding probe by the Department of Justice. “We will trace where each import permit ended up,” said Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla, referring to permits issued by the Department of Agriculture, Bureau of Plant Industry, and the Bureau of Customs as the targets of intense scrutiny. Mr. Remulla hopes the fact-finding on agricultural smuggling will be over in the “next two weeks,” though the difficult filing of economic sabotage charges against smugglers and hoarders might take at least two months. We certainly hope Mr. Remulla more than fast-tracks the probes. Not only because his boss wants an end to spurious permits but also because many people are largely incredulous that government is seemingly toothless against hoarders and smugglers, failing to actually put these criminals behind bars. It’s no ordinary issue. Farmers’ groups and even senators pointedly lament the fact that none of the publicly named smugglers and hoarders have been found guilty. It’s a sad state of affairs where even strong evidence that surfaced during congressional hearings was often deemed insufficient. “None have proceeded beyond the preliminary investigations. All [of the cases] have been dismissed,” as one farmers’ group leader laments. This, despite the passage seven years ago of Republic Act 10845, or the Anti-Agricultural Smuggling Act. Will Mr. Remulla and his boss pull off a miracle? Will they be able to muster the mettle and political will against well-entrenched smuggling syndicates? At any rate, appalling indeed it is that unscrupulous individuals and syndicates, likely with the connivance of government bureaucrats, are making a killing with spurious importations at the expense of Filipino consumers. Syndicates that by the way allegedly include a powerful Chinese mafia as exposed by Albay Rep. Joey Salceda late last year. Referring to “class A information” from well-placed sources, Mr. Salceda declared with absolute certainty that a syndicate led by Chinese nationals was behind the smuggling into the country of prime agricultural products. “This mafia is in control of agricultural smuggling in the country at every stage of the smuggling process, from transport to arrival to import permits and sanitary inspection,” Salceda said. “They have people on the ships, at the ports, the inspections, the quarantines, the warehouses, and the economic zones. It’s very pervasive,” Salceda had said. Moreover, not only is this alleged mafia engaged in the unbridled large-scale smuggling of billions of pesos worth of vegetables from China, but the mafia is also “strangling the supply” of major agricultural products. We cannot allow this massive problem to go on. The post Hold import permits appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
BI to hold arrested POGO suspects
The Bureau of Immigration would hold the foreigners apprehended during the raid on a Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator facility in Las Piñas City last 27 June, according to Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla. The foreigners’ BI detention was agreed upon after a conference between the Department of Justice and the Philippine National Police Anti-Cybercrime Group, which conducted the raid that resulted in the filing of human trafficking complaints against five Chinese nationals. The foreigners are being held in “legal custody because they are being investigated for violating their visas or the conditions of their visas,” according to Remulla. “The licenses of these POGOs were canceled by PAGCOR (Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation),” Remulla added, “which gives rise to the fact that these are already illegal.” According to Remulla, the BI taking legal possession of the foreigners will “clarify a lot of issues about the habeas corpus petitions that are being filed because they are being held for cause by the BI.” He stated that infractions of visa conditions are sufficient grounds for the BI to detain them permanently. “The rights of persons who enter our country are always subject to the conditions set forth by the visa issued to them, and visas are conditionally privileged documents given by the state to allow entry into the country,” Remulla explained. In the interim, the foreigners “will be kept in the POGO quarters in Las Piñas City where they were raided because the BI does not have the facilities to keep them.” Remulla stated that the PNP-ACG rescued over 2,700 people, including Filipinos, and that approximately 1,000 foreigners are still being held in prison in the POGO facility after hundreds had already been deported or returned. “There are 17 nationalities of people caught in Las Piñas,” Remulla said, adding that the embassies were arranging the expulsion or repatriation of their residents. The post BI to hold arrested POGO suspects appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Blowing whistle on cops
The Philippine National Police-Anti-Cybercrime Group, or PNP-ACG, seems predisposed to taking shortcuts, and Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla, fresh from a heart bypass, was livid about it Monday. Remulla minced no words in slamming the PNP-ACG’s failure to coordinate with the Department of Justice before conducting raids on POGO or Philippine offshore gaming operator firms in Las Piñas City. The DoJ chief’s frustration was palpable as he condemned the PNP-ACG’s approach. “Arresting people without cases. What, cases will be invented? The DoJ will not agree to that,” Remulla fumed. “They just raided… they just entered the premises, as if they were fishing.” Remulla raised the important point that many cases have remained pending due to lack of evidence, in most cases because of sloppy police work. In the POGO raids, he said the cops did not cite specific acts or grounds for arresting the individuals. According to Remulla, the booboo left the DoJ with no choice but to set free five Chinese nationals arrested during the raids for alleged involvement in human trafficking operations, pending reinvestigation. Many similar drug cases had been thrown out either at the prosecutorial level or before the courts for the failure of arresting officers to observe protocol, including having members of the media and the local prosecutor’s office present when processing arrested individuals and the evidence seized from them. The bungling of the Las Piñas raids raises questions about the competence and professionalism of the PNP-ACG. Furthermore, the PNP-ACG’s recent proposal to join POGO raids only adds to the confusion surrounding their intentions and actions. In a press conference, PNP-ACG chief P/Brig. Gen. Sidney Hernia suggested that police officers be included in inspections of POGOs. However, one cannot help but question the reason behind this request. Does the PNP-ACG truly believe that its presence would enhance the effectiveness of these inspections, or is it simply an attempt to exert control and create the impression that the Philippines is a police state? The dangers of the latter scenario cannot be overstated. A police force that overreaches its authority and encroaches upon the rights of individuals and businesses fosters an environment of fear and distrust. We must be cautious not to allow our country to slide down a path where citizens are constantly under surveillance and their rights are infringed upon in the name of law enforcement. Hernia’s proposal came on the heels of the PNP-ACG’s recent “rescue” of around 3,000 Filipino and foreign workers in raids on Las Piñas City POGO firms allegedly involved in human trafficking and other illegal activities. Make no mistake about it, all illegal POGOs should go and those behind them prosecuted. Just the same, Hernia’s suggestion in the face of the dressing down the PNP has received from Secretary Remulla raises concerns about his unit’s approach and its potential ramifications for those involved in the POGO industry, especially those operating legally. The controversy surrounding the PNP-ACG has naturally trained the spotlight on the whole PNP, which has been touting high crime solution efficiency — 81.78 percent in 2022. However, the real question is how many of these “solved crimes” have resulted in convictions. If that’s too much to ask for, let’s dumb it down a bit: How many of the complaints filed by the PNP are ultimately adopted by prosecutors and filed in court? A high crime solution efficiency rate may provide a sense of accomplishment, but it does not necessarily guarantee justice or the successful prosecution of criminals. The PNP’s claimed efficiency in solving crimes must be accompanied by a commitment to thorough investigations, the gathering of compelling evidence, and the successful prosecution of offenders. Without these elements, the high crime solution efficiency rate becomes a hollow metric. In light of these stories, it becomes apparent that the PNP-ACG’s actions are cause for concern. Their failure to coordinate with the DoJ, their lack of proffered evidence, and their questionable proposals raise doubts about their commitment to serve and protect. We must demand better from our law enforcement agencies. We deserve a police force that respects the rule of law, values evidence-based investigations, and prioritizes the protection of citizens’ rights. The post Blowing whistle on cops appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Remulla: Proper case build-up needed before PNP raids
Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin C. Remulla wants the Philippine National Police to heed the advice of the Department of Justice to conduct case-build up first before pushing through with raids to arrest suspected criminal offenders and rescue possible victims. Due to the PNP’s failure to do proper case build-up, many pending cases can't be filed because of incomplete evidence, said Remulla. He pointed to the raid conducted by the PNP’s Anti-Cybercrime Group at the Hong Tai Compound in Las Pinas City where it allegedly rescued 2,714 Filipinos and foreigners from human trafficking. The PNP filed criminal cases before the DOJ against five Chinese nationals who were arrested for alleged violations of the anti-human trafficking law. They were identified as Li Jiacheng, Xiao Liu, Yan Jiayong, Duan Haozhuan and LP Hongkun. But the five suspects were released for further preliminary investigation. Remulla said the PNP now wants the DOJ to file cases despite the lack of evidence. Remulla bared that he intends to meet again with the PNP-ACG about the matter and will also talk to PNP Chief Gen. Benjamin C. Acorda Jr. The post Remulla: Proper case build-up needed before PNP raids appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
POGO-related kidnappings zero so far
The Philippine National Police Anti-Kidnapping Group said that there were no recorded cases of kidnapping of Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators staff from January to June this year. The PNP-AKG said that it has not recorded POGO-related kidnappings, which was a significant development from the 14 cases of POGO-related kidnapping documented from the same period last year. It disclosed that it has recorded 12 cases of kidnapping this year, eight of which involved foreigners, including four Chinese, three Malaysians and one Korean national. The PNP-AKG is continuing its efforts to investigate kidnapping cases, including those involving POGO staff. Meantime, the Philippine National Police on Thursday said that it is continuing to profile foreign nationals linked to XinChuang Network Technologies, a POGO that was raided in Las Piñas City on 4 July. As part of the profiling, PNP chief Police General Benjamin Acorda Jr. said that they have already isolated seven foreign nationals with warrants — four from China and three from Taiwan. “These individuals will be subjected to further legal proceedings in accordance with relevant immigration laws,” Acorda said. The post POGO-related kidnappings zero so far appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Yellen to visit China, raising need to ‘responsibly manage’ ties
Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen is set to visit Beijing this week, the United States said Sunday, marking the second trip by a cabinet official to China since ties between the world's top two economies deteriorated earlier this year. Yellen is expected to discuss with her counterparts the importance for both countries "to responsibly manage our relationship, communicate directly about areas of concern, and work together to address global challenges," said the Treasury Department in a statement. Yellen's planned July 6-9 trip comes just weeks after Secretary of State Antony Blinken met China's top leader President Xi Jinping and Foreign Minister Qin Gang in Beijing in June. Blinken was the highest-ranking US official to visit the Chinese capital in nearly five years, and Xi said on the rare trip that he saw headway in the strained relationship between Washington and Beijing. In Beijing, Yellen will discuss how the United States views its economic relationship with China, a senior Treasury official said Sunday. She will meet with senior Chinese officials and leading US firms, the American spokesperson said without providing specifics. While the US seeks to secure its national security interests and protect human rights, actions to this effect are "not intended to gain economic advantage over China," the official added. Washington also looks towards "healthy" ties with Beijing and does not seek to decouple the economies, while pursuing cooperation on urgent challenges like climate change and debt distress, the American official said. The United States does not expect "significant breakthrough" from this initial trip, but it does aim to build longer-term channels of communication with China, the Treasury official added. - Restarting engagement - "I think the US government is clearly trying to put some floor under the deterioration of the economic relationship," Edward Alden, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) told AFP, speaking on the Treasury secretary's intentions to visit China. A Yellen trip could "restart a steady pattern of engagement at lower levels," he said, adding that the US has shifted from being ambiguous about how far it was supporting decoupling to explicitly adopting a strategy of "derisking" instead. This means "focusing on a narrower range of items that have strategic importance, trying to build fences around those items, but otherwise trying to continue to nurture a reasonably robust US-China economic relationship," Alden said. But observers do not expect a quick resolution to tensions. President Joe Biden's administration is considering a program to restrict certain US outbound investments involving sensitive technology with key national security implications -- an issue that has riled Chinese officials. Other possible sticking points include amendments to China's anti-espionage law which recently broadened the definition of spying while banning the transfer of information relating to national security -- a move that has spooked foreign and domestic businesses. The senior Treasury official told reporters Sunday that Washington intends to communicate its concerns over the law. While significant disagreements may not be resolved in a single trip, the US seeks to deepen and increase the frequency of communication with China and to "stabilize the relationship," avoiding miscommunication and expanding collaboration where possible, the official said. - Global growth, debt problems - For the US, discussions with officials from the world's second biggest economy "are important to help spur stronger global economic growth and to tackle the mounting debt problem of the Global South," said Wendy Cutler, vice president at the Asia Society Policy Institute, discussing a prospective Yellen visit. On Beijing's part, officials are "looking for concrete steps taken by the US to show that 'decoupling' and holding back China is not the ultimate goal of the United States," Cutler added. But despite US policies that have drawn ire from Beijing, officials likely have an awareness of China's continued export dependence and the importance of the US market, CFR's Alden said. "I think that there's a growing awareness in Beijing that China also needs to play a role in nurturing this economic relationship with the United States, because it's simply too important to China as well," he added. Washington and Beijing recently have clashed over trade, human rights and other issues. Relations came under further stress this year when the United States shot down a Chinese balloon it said was used for surveillance -- a claim China strongly denied. But Blinken's reception in Beijing has been seen as a symbolic sign of lowering temperatures. bys/mlm/dw © Agence France-Presse The post Yellen to visit China, raising need to ‘responsibly manage’ ties appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
PNP belies POGO raid rights violations
Legal representatives of Xinhuang Network Technologies are demanding that the Philippine National Police allow medical treatment for the 13 or more foreigners who were allegedly injured after being taken into police custody on 29 June. In a letter dated 1 July, the Vargas Law Office said that they received reports that the foreigners were injured during a commotion while in police custody at the compound of Xinhuang in Las Piñas City. Lawyer Ananias Christian Vargas said that one of the foreigners reportedly suffered a gunshot wound and that others have serious physical injuries. He claimed that the police have refused to allow an ambulance to transport the injured to a hospital. PNP public affairs office chief Brig. Gen. Redrico Maranan denied the allegations of police brutality and said that the PNP observes human rights. He said that more than 1,500 of the 2,700 rescued workers had already been released, but that foreigners remain in the area as they are still being processed in coordination with the Bureau of Immigration. “As a matter of policy, in every police operation, observance of human rights is paramount. Hence, Human Rights Affairs desks had been put up to ensure that the basic rights of the rescued victims are respected and protected at all times,” Maranan said. “Rest assured that the PNP’s aggressive and honest law enforcement operations are at all times conforming with the rule of law,” he added. The PNP said that the Las Piñas operations are part of the anti-human trafficking campaign in relation to violations of the Cybercrime Prevention Act. It also said that it has filed criminal charges against five Chinese nationals before the Department of Justice in relation to the raid of seven POGO establishments in Las Piñas City early this week. The raid led to the “rescue” of more than 2,700 alleged POGO workers, around 1,500 of them Filipinos, while the rest are foreigners, mostly from countries in Southeast Asia and the Middle East. Meanwhile, the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation has issued a show-cause order to the representative of Xinchuang on why its certificate of accreditation and authority to operate should not be canceled. Pagcor also ordered Xinhuang to cease and desist from all offshore gaming activities pending the completion of the PNP investigation on its alleged criminal activities. Seized during the raid were computer units, SIM cards, cellular phones, and passports that wil be subjected to forensic investigation. PAGCOR Chairman and CEO Alejandro Tengco, meanwhile, reiterated the state-run agency’s stand against illegal activities that are being linked to offshore gaming. “We condemn all criminal activities that violate Philippine laws and human rights — regardless of nationality. As we have always said, PAGCOR will not hesitate to impose sanctions on erring licensees and accredited service providers,” Tengco said. “Similarly, we will continue to cooperate with our partner law enforcement agencies to ensure that responsible and regulated gaming is observed,” he said. The post PNP belies POGO raid rights violations appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Crackdown seen over China spy law
A revised law dramatically expanding China’s definition of espionage came into force on Saturday, giving Beijing more power than ever to punish what it deems threats to national security. The United States government, analysts, and lawyers say that the revisions to Beijing’s anti-espionage law are vague and will give authorities more leeway in implementing already opaque national security legislation. Originally released for public comment in December 2022, the revisions were formally approved by China’s top legislative body in April. Chinese law already meted out harsh punishment for those involved in alleged espionage, from life in prison to execution in extreme cases. In May, a 78-year-old US citizen was sentenced to life in prison on spying charges. The post Crackdown seen over China spy law appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»