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17 killed as truck loaded with sand collides with passenger van
COTABATO CITY (MindaNews /25 March) – Seventeen persons were killed when a truck loaded with sand collided with a passenger van in Antipas, North Cotabato Monday noon. Captain Godofredo Tupas, Chief of Police of Antipas town said the collision happened along a curve at the boundary of Barangay Greenhills and Lohong at 12:48 p.m. The van […].....»»
Businesswoman shot dead in Kidapawan City
Two men riding a motorcycle together shot dead a businesswoman along a busy street in Kidapawan City in Cotabato province on Saturday morning......»»
Mt. Apo closed from Mar 20-30
Mount Apo, located at the border of Davao del Sur, North Cotabato and Davao City, is temporarily closed to the public.....»»
Chito, Kaye nagpa-good vibes sa socmed: Pwede sila sa EXpecially For You
NAGPASABOG ng good vibes ang nakakaaliw na hirit ng Parokya ni Edgar frontman Chito Miranda sa kanyang ex-girlfriend na si Kaye Abad. Pak na pak ang pang-aasar ng singer-songwriter sa kanyang comment sa isang Instagram photo ni Kaye na kuha sa isang restaurant sa Cebu City. Makikita sa litrato ang aktres suot ang kanyang bare-shoulder.....»»
Rama refuses to comment on potential 2025 mayoral foes
CEBU CITY, Philippines – Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama said he has no plans to comment on personalities expressing interest in running for mayor in the 2025 midterm elections. “I do not want to comment. I rather wait for the filing of the certificate of candidacy,” Rama told CDN Digital on Saturday, February 10. In.....»»
On ‘Sinulog dance trend’: Basilica wants to keep the tradition
CEBU CITY, Philippines — “Appropriateness.” This was the comment of a friar from the Basilica Minore del Santo Niño on the ‘Sinulog dance trend’ that has been circulating on social media, specifically on TikTok. Fr. John Ion Miranda, one of the priests at the Basilica, made this comment on the “Sinulog dance trend” that is.....»»
Igacos waterfall cemented?
A waterfall in Sitio Auring, Barangay Cawag, Island Garden City of Samal (Igacos), near Hagimit, has become the center of controversy after a viral Facebook post claimed that it had been cemented over. The post included pictures showing the pristine, blue waterfall in its natural state, and then the subsequent image revealing a group of men using an excavator to cement the waterfalls. An anonymous concerned citizen revealed that access to the waterfall had been restricted for cementing purposes, reportedly due to excessive waste left behind by tourists. Despite previous closures and efforts to communicate regulations, visitors continued to disregard the rules and leave their waste behind. While some netizens expressed dismay over the alleged cementing, comments on the post suggested that it might serve a purpose related to slope protection. A concerned citizen called out irresponsible tourists for their failure to manage their garbage and stressed the importance of collective efforts to maintain cleanliness in tourist spots for future generations. The Samal Tourism Office declined to comment, stating that an assessment is currently being conducted by the local government of Samal......»»
Israel says at ‘war’ after rocket barrages, militant infiltration
Palestinian militants have begun a "war" against Israel, the country's defense minister said Saturday after a barrage of rockets were fired and fighters from the Palestinian enclave infiltrated Israel, a major escalation in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Violence between Israel and the Palestinians has been surging for almost two years, with fatalities in the occupied West Bank hitting a scale not seen in years. At least two people were killed in Israel, officials said. Israel's Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said Palestinian militant group Hamas has "launched a war against the State of Israel." "Troops are fighting against the enemy at every location," he said in a statement. AFP journalists said Israel's military began air strikes on Gaza, following the rocket barrage from inside the territory which is sealed off from Israel by a militarized border barrier. "Dozens of IDF fighter jets are currently striking a number of targets belonging to the Hamas terrorist organization in the Gaza Strip," the military said. Rockets had earlier streamed across the sky repeatedly after the first launches from multiple locations across the Palestinian territory from 6:30 am (0330 GMT), AFP journalists in Gaza City reported. The armed wing of Hamas, which controls Gaza, said it was behind the aerial assault, saying its militants had launched thousands of rockets and its fighters seized an Israeli tank. Israel's army did not immediately comment on the tank claim when contacted by AFP. Israeli security chiefs convened over the violence, which occurred on Shabbat and during a Jewish holiday. Air raid sirens wailed across southern and central Israel, and the army urged people to stay near bomb shelters. AFP journalists in Jerusalem heard multiple rockets being intercepted by Israeli air defense systems. Sirens blared across the city on more occasions than in any Gaza conflict in the past three years. "We decided to put an end to all the crimes of the occupation (Israel). Their time for rampaging without being held accountable is over," the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades said. "We announce Operation Al-Aqsa Flood and we fired, in the first strike of 20 minutes, more than 5,000 rockets." Hundreds of Gazans flee Hundreds of residents fled their homes in eastern Gaza to move away from the border with Israel, an AFP correspondent said. Men, women and children carrying blankets and food left their homes, mostly in the northeastern part of the territory, the reporter said. Israel's military said Hamas launched "massive shooting of rockets", while at the same time "terrorists infiltrated into Israeli territory in a number of different locations". Hamas "will face the consequences and responsibility for these events", it said in a statement. In Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem, some Palestinian residents cheered and blew their car horns as sirens blared. A regional council for Israeli communities northeast of Gaza said its president was killed in an exchange of fire with attackers from Gaza. Separately, a woman in her 60s was killed "due to a direct hit" in Israel, the Magen David Adom emergency services said. Fifteen others were wounded, two of them seriously, medics said. An AFP photographer in the coastal city of Tel Aviv saw a gaping hole in a building, with residents gathered outside. Hamas calls to 'join battle' Hamas called on "the resistance fighters in the West Bank" as well as "our Arab and Islamic nations" to join the battle, in a statement posted on Telegram. The United States condemned the Hamas fire and urged "all sides to refrain from violence and retaliatory attacks." "Terror and violence solve nothing," the US Office of Palestinian Affairs wrote on X, formerly Twitter. Israel has imposed a crippling blockade on Gaza since 2007 after Hamas took power. Palestinian militants and Israel have fought several devastating wars since. The latest violence follows heightened tensions in September, when Israel closed the border to Gazan workers for two weeks. The shutdown of the crossing came as Palestinian demonstrators along the border burned tires and threw rocks and petrol bombs at Israeli troops, who responded with tear gas and live bullets. Resuming workers' passage on 28 September had raised hopes of calming the situation in impoverished Gaza, home to 2.3 million people. In May, an exchange of Israeli air strikes and Gaza rocket fire killed 34 Palestinians and one Israeli. So far this year at least 247 Palestinians, 32 Israelis and two foreigners have been killed in the conflict, including combatants and civilians on both sides, according to Israeli and Palestinian officials. The vast majority of fatalities have occurred in the West Bank, which has been occupied by Israel since the 1967 Arab-Israeli War. There has been a rise in army raids, Palestinian attacks targeting Israelis and Israeli settler violence against Palestinians and their property. The rising violence this year came against the backdrop of divisive judicial reforms introduced by the hard-right government of President Benjamin Netanyahu, who is on trial for corruption charges he denies. Several far-right ministers in Netanyahu's cabinet live in West Bank settlements deemed illegal under international law. The post Israel says at ‘war’ after rocket barrages, militant infiltration appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
S. Korea’s filmmaking diaspora: telling their ‘own stories’
The rise of South Korean diasporic cinema has allowed the artists involved to feel less alone, one filmmaker told Busan International Film Festival attendees on Friday. Six films from the diaspora are unspooling as part of a special sidebar this year in the South Korean port city, including Isaac Chung's Oscar-winner "Minari" and Celine Song's Sundance favorite "Past Lives". Since "Parasite" became the first non-English-language film to win a Best Picture Oscar, films made by the Korean diaspora have experienced a remarkable surge, with filmmakers delving into culture-spanning narratives that encompass their varied experiences. "(The) main thing it's done, at least for myself, is to know that as I tell my own stories, people are finding common ground to relate with one another," Justin Chon, who directed 2021 adoption drama "Blue Bayou", told reporters. He has since directed four episodes of the successful Apple TV+ series "Pachinko", the story of an ethnic Korean family living in Japan, based on the novel by Min Jin Lee. When "other immigrants and minorities in the United States are telling their stories, the only thing it does is signal to me that I really wasn't alone this entire time", he said. "Minari" director Chung said as a second-generation Korean-American, he had always felt "a loss of a place that I don't fully understand that is far away from me". Korean-American actors Steven Yeun and John Cho were unable to comment on their American projects due to the ongoing Screen Actors Guild strike, but both freely discussed why they believed the work stoppage was important. "I think the strike is a very righteous act of making sure that we ensure and protect artists and those who are living an actor's life and a writer's life," Yeun said. "And there are many people who don't have safeguards.... I sit here with so much privilege to be here and to be able to talk about it." Cho, who starred in the 2018 thriller "Searching" which is screening at this year's BIFF, said artificial intelligence -- a key concern for striking actors -- has "put people out of work" in the entertainment industry. "When I go to see a movie (it's) to see people enacting a human drama and to have an experience with an audience watching human expression," he said. "And so behind the scenes, if we start taking out people, the art form is going to suffer." Collaboration The festival's diaspora section features several intriguing collaborations between diasporic and South Korean artists as well as those from other nationalities. "Burning" (2018), for example, is based on Japanese writer Haruki Murakami's novel, directed by acclaimed South Korean filmmaker Lee Chang-dong, and stars Yeun. Korean-Canadian director Song's "Past Lives" (2023), meanwhile, co-stars South Korean actor Teo Yoo and Korean-American actress Greta Lee. Yoo, who is fluent in English, on Thursday candidly expressed the challenges he faced in trying to present himself as an appealing love interest to the American audience. In "Past Lives", he plays a South Korean character who speaks English with a heavy accent and less-than-perfect fluency. Director Chon's latest film "Jamojaya", which features a collaboration with Indonesian rapper Rich Brian and actor Yayu Unru, had its Asian premiere at BIFF. "So this is my fifth film, and the first three were centered around Korean Americans," Chon said after a BIFF screening on Friday, when asked about his collaboration with Indonesian artists. "To really create empathy and understanding for ourselves as a whole, we should start telling each other stories, especially in the whole Asian diaspora." The post S. Korea’s filmmaking diaspora: telling their ‘own stories’ appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
DepEd-7 to teachers: Look for strategies to draw back students’ attention
CEBU CITY, Philippines — A Department of Education in Central Visayas (DepEd-7) official urged teachers to look for alternative strategies to bring back their students’ attention instead of resorting to extreme disciplinary action during classes. Dr. Salustiano Jimenez, regional director of DepEd-7 made this comment on Tuesday, October 2, following the slapping incident in Antipolo,.....»»
Sara Duterte’s P2.7B confidential expenses as Davao mayor should be probed—Castro
Davao City’s confidential expenses that ballooned to P2.697 billion during Vice President Sara Duterte’s stint as mayor should be probed by the Commission on Audit, a lawmaker said Monday. The call for investigation was prompted by the 2022 report of the CoA, which found that Davao City spent P2.697 billion on confidential expenses between 2016 to 2022, or an average of PP385.3 million per year over the preceding six years. Duterte served as the Davao City mayor from 2016 to 2022 before she assumed the VP post in July of last year. Based on CoA findings, Davao City incurred P144 million of confidential expenses in 2016, which was more than doubled to P293 million in 2017 and further climbed to P420 million in 2018. The city’s confidential fund expenses further grew to P460 million in 2019 and were maintained consistently for the subsequent years of 2020, 2021, and 2022. In an interview on Monday, ACT Teachers Partylist Rep. France Castro, who sought the CoA probe, stressed that the P2.697 billion totality of confidential expenses of Davao City in the previous six years “could have been utilized more effectively to benefit the education sector, specifically by providing much-needed support to teachers.” “We were shocked also [by] the report of the CoA. With this controversy of confidential funds, we are thinking of asking the CoA to investigate,” she said. “The CoA should file an audit observation memo and then ask them to explain maybe the misuse of funds and then file necessary legal action.” She added, “Imagine more than a million a day spent for the confidential funds in a city. I just wonder how it was spent and where it was spent. So, we want the CoA to review if the city government of Davao City led by Vice President Sara Duterte by then really followed the guidelines or the joint circular 2015-01.” The said joint circular outlined by CoA with the Departments of Budget and Management, National Defense, and of the Interior and Local Government, and Governance Commission for GOCCs, contains guidelines on the entitlement, release, use, reporting, and audit of confidential and intelligence funds that are in the General Appropriations Act. Daily Tribune has been asking for Duterte’s comment, but she remained mum on the issue. While Castro admitted that the local government units are entitled to confidential funds for peace and order maintenance, it was “ironic” that Duterte sought allocation of such funds given that she claimed Davao City was “very peaceful, disciplined, and well” during her tenure. "So why is it necessary to have an increasingly confidential fund?" the lawmaker stressed, noting such a fund should be used for other fruitful endeavors. "I remember the time the teachers of Davao City were asking for city allowance, but she did not grant it. Instead, she refused and even got mad with ACT (Alliance of Concerned Teachers) during that time," Castro pointed out. While none in the law limits the amount of confidential funds, the militant lawmaker pointed out that it should be rationalized. A proposed law aimed at imposing a cap and limit on confidential funds, streamlining the allocation of such that would promote transparency and accountability, is currently being crafted, according to Castro. It will be filed in Congress when the session resumes in November. The post Sara Duterte’s P2.7B confidential expenses as Davao mayor should be probed—Castro appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Barangay Captain accuser cries harassment, files grave coercion at Ombudsman
Days after she filed a graft case against Quezon City Barangay Kaligayahan Chairman Alfredo ‘Freddy’ Roxas, threats that something bad would happen to her kept pouring in her mobile phone and social media account. Aljean Abe, the village's former teaching aide went to the Office of the Ombudsman on Friday to file another Grave Coercion charge against Roxas in relation to Republic Act 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act. Abe in her complaint furnished to Daily Tribune narrated that when she filed the graft charges on September 11, 2023, several messages were sent to her cellular phone by supporters of Roxas threatening to do harm to her. Abe averred that the threat messages came from Mark Roldan Santiago Sedilla and Jennilyn Guiling Montefalco both employees of Brgy. Kaligayahan and avid supporters of Roxas who is also an honorary councilor for being the president of League of Barangay Chairmen in the city. Fearing for her life and her family, Abe decided to transfer to a place where Roxas and his supporters could not reach her. However, the following day (September 12) she was surprised to see their barangay vehicle parked in front of her new address where Melanie Aviguetero, Jamaica Jallorica, and the unidentified man tried to take photos of her. The three are also employees of Brgy. Kaligayahan, according to Abe, informed her that she needed to go to their office and talk to Roxas. Two days after (September 14, 2023) Abe said she received a text message asking why she filed a graft case against Roxas. She was also asked if she needed monetary assistance from their barangay and if she wanted to be hired again as a barangay worker. If she agrees, she needs to go to their barangay to sign a contract and some documents in front of a lawyer. These things, Abe said prompted her to file the grave coercion charges against Roxas. Abe, and another barangay worker, Hernando Compedio filed charges of violating the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act against Roxas a couple of weeks ago upon learning that their names were still included in the barangay payroll list even after they had already been fired and resigned from their jobs. Other charges of graft practices were also filed by Barangay Kaligayahan Kagawad laban kay Punong Barangay Allan Francisco Jr. against Roxas over a resolution passed without the proper barangay council session. Roxas meanwhile, could not be reached to comment on the charges hurled against him. The post Barangay Captain accuser cries harassment, files grave coercion at Ombudsman appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Singapore accuses British journalist of foreign interference
Singapore accused a veteran British journalist of interfering in domestic politics on Friday, issuing him a warning after he publicly endorsed a local independent media outlet. Singapore's media sector is dominated by pro-government outlets and critics frequently accuse the tightly regulated city-state of curbing press freedoms, saying authorities use heavy-handed tactics to silence dissent. The Ministry of Communications and Information (MCI) said it had issued a warning to Dominic Ziegler, the Singapore bureau chief of The Economist magazine. Ziegler, a British national, participated in an unpaid ad campaign for Jom, a weekly digital magazine launched last year that reports on local politics and culture. In a post published last month by Jom, Ziegler said the magazine "touches deeper truths about the way Singapore is run and about the culture that runs through all Singaporeans than you will ever find in the state-supported press". He wrote in the endorsement that "in illiberal states around the world independent media need supporters". Ziegler told AFP he was not paid for the endorsement. His actions "clearly crossed the line from reporting on Singapore to participating in Singapore's domestic affairs", MCI said in a statement. "Ziegler has exploited his status in Singapore as a journalist in a prestigious international publication," it added. MCI said it expected Ziegler not to repeat his actions. The city-state has in the past sued, fined or restricted the publication of international news outlets including taking action against The Economist itself, Time magazine, The Wall Street Journal and the now-closed Far Eastern Economic Review. Singapore passed a law in 2021 aimed at preventing foreign interference in domestic politics, which opposition figures and activists have criticised as a tool to crush dissent. Authorities had said the law, which took effect in July last year, would not apply to foreigners reporting or commenting on Singaporean politics in an open and transparent way, even if their comments were critical of the government. But violators risk prison terms and hefty fines on conviction. The Economist did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The city-state ranks 129th out of 180 countries and territories in Reporters Without Borders' 2023 World Press Freedom Index. The post Singapore accuses British journalist of foreign interference appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Heads will roll in QC fire that killed 15 people
Heads will surely roll as an investigation has been ordered by Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte over the fire that killed 15 people at a house along Kenny Drive Street inside Pleasant View Subdivision in Barangay Tandang Sora, Thursday dawn. Sources at the barangay told the Daily Tribune that the house owners have applied for a barangay clearance for the said house to be used as an RTW (Ready To Wear) retail shop just last 13 August 2023. However, the house owners Michael Cavilte, 44; his wife Maria Micaela Barbin, 23; and their daughter Erica Scarlet were among the fatalities whose bodies were recovered from the site of the blaze after the almost three-hour fire. At the local fire department, the same address which was described as residential, was issued with a Fire Safety Inspection Certificate in 2022 for a 15 square-meter space that served as an "office area" employing three workers. But police reports noted that the other 12 victims who died in the blaze were described either as helpers or workers. The property, about 200 square-meters, was listed as a two-story residential unit, but arson probers retrieved some of the victims' bodies beyond recognition, at another structure at the back of the said old two-story house. It was an unfinished concrete three-story structure with a roof deck. A check by the Daily Tribune revealed that a locational clearance was denied for that building because of a zoning violation, rendering the structure to fail to get a building permit but was already erected. Arson investigators ruled that the house was used as a warehouse, workshop for a t-shirt printing business, and quarters for the workers, as residents noted that first, they knew their neighbors were into making "face masks" and turned into t-shirt printing later in time for the country's hosting of FIBA World Cup 2023. Probers are not ruling out that the fire was triggered by faulty electrical wiring or overheating of the electric lamination machine used in t-shirt printing. The victims were sleeping when the fire broke out, trapping them from suffocation. "If it was inspected yearly, they could discover the space behind that office was used as garment shop," one of the Barangay officials who responded to the scene but wished not to be named said. Due to the declaration that Cavilte has only an office area to maintain, inspection was never carried the local Fire department, while records at their NCR office noted that they have submitted a report of 100 percent inspection. Quezon City Fire Marshal Aristotle Bañaga still could not be reached for comment. For her part, Belmonte said investigators should determine whether there were any lapses committed by local government officials or by people running the business. She also immediately sent her sympathies and condolences to the families of the victims as she ordered a thorough investigation of whether or not the establishment adhered to the requirements of the Department of Building Official (DBO), Business Permit and Licensing Department (BPLD) or violated the National Building Code, Fire Code of the Philippines, zoning ordinance, business permit, occupancy, and permit. The post Heads will roll in QC fire that killed 15 people appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Kyiv targeted by ‘most powerful’ aerial attack since spring
Kyiv was targeted early Wednesday by the "most powerful" barrage of missiles and drones since the spring, authorities said, with two people reported dead, as Russia claimed it destroyed four Ukrainian boats in the Black Sea carrying up to 50 soldiers. More than 20 missiles and drones were "destroyed by air defense forces" overnight, the Kyiv City Military Administration wrote on Telegram, describing the aerial assault as "the most powerful" to hit the city since the spring. An AFP reporter heard at least three loud explosions in the center of Kyiv around 5:00 am (0200 GMT). Two people had died as a result of falling debris, Sergiy Popko, head of the Kyiv City Military Administration, wrote on Telegram. Another person was injured and was being given medical assistance, he said. Russian forces had launched groups of Iranian-made Shahed attack drones at the capital from different directions, and launched missiles from aircraft, the Kyiv city military administration said. Earlier, Moscow's defense ministry said a Russian aircraft "destroyed four high-speed military boats" in the Black Sea around midnight Moscow time (2100 GMT Tuesday). The boats had been carrying "landing groups of Ukrainian special operations forces with a total number of up to 50 people," the ministry said on Telegram. It did not give details on exactly where in the Black Sea the incident took place. Early Wednesday, Russian defenses also repelled a "seaborne drone attack near" near Sevastopol Bay in Crimea, the local Moscow-installed governor Mikhail Razvozhayev was cited as saying by the state-run TASS news agency. Sevastopol is the base of Russia's Black Sea fleet. Both Ukraine and Russia have ramped up activity around the strategic waterway after a United Nations-brokered deal to ensure safe navigation for grain ships collapsed last month. In recent weeks, Kyiv has attacked Russian ships in its waters and the Crimean Peninsula, which was annexed by Moscow in 2014. Last week, Ukraine said its forces had flown the country's flag in Crimea during a "special operation" to mark its second wartime Independence Day. Moscow's defense ministry also said last week that one of its jets destroyed a Ukrainian "reconnaissance boat" near Russian gas production facilities in the Black Sea. Drone wave Ukraine launched another wave of overnight drones strikes on Russia, targeting several regions from an airport near the Estonian border to the Crimea peninsula on the Black Sea, Russian authorities said. Air defenses "repelled" a drone attack on an airport at Pskov, roughly 800 kilometers (nearly 500 miles) from Ukraine's border and close to the borders of EU member states Latvia and Estonia, the local governor said. Regional governor Mikhail Vedernikov, who said he was at the scene of the attack, posted a video on Telegram of a massive fire, with the sounds of explosions and sirens in the background. Authorities were assessing the damage but there were no casualties, he said. There was no immediate comment from the defense ministry. The RIA Novosti agency cited the Ministry of Emergency Situations as saying two Ilyushin Il-76 heavy transport planes had caught fire. All Wednesday flights at the airport were cancelled, Vedernikov wrote, "until the nature of the possible damage to the runway is clarified." Citing air traffic services, TASS also reported that Moscow's Domodedovo and Vnukovo airports had been "temporarily closed" to traffic. The Pskov region was previously targeted by drones in May. Authorities in Bryansk region near the Ukraine border, southern Oryol region and Kaluga and Ryazan regions, southwest and southeast of Moscow, all reported drones had been destroyed or downed. Air defenses also destroyed a drone "heading for Moscow," the city's mayor wrote on Telegram, adding there were no casualties or damage caused, according to initial reports. Moscow and other Russian regions have been targeted by almost daily drone strikes since Kyiv vowed this summer to "return" the conflict to Russia. The post Kyiv targeted by ‘most powerful’ aerial attack since spring appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
QC police chief urges road rage suspect to surrender
Quezon City Police District Director P/Brig. Gen. Nicolas Torre III on Sunday urged the road rage suspect, who went viral on social media for hitting a cyclist and brandishing a gun during their heated altercation at an intersection near the Welcome Rotunda area on 8 August 2023, to surrender. A concerned citizen recorded the incident on video and uploaded it on social media, earning hundreds of views and comments, including from Torre. In his comment, Torre urged the still unidentified suspect to surrender to the nearest QCPD Station and not wait for them to catch on him. "Pakidala at surrender na rin ng baril mo para di na kami mag-search warrant sa bahay mo. Baka kabahan ang SWAT ko, at makalabitan ka pa ng M16," Torre warned. The suspect appeared to be a government employee as he was wearing a blue polo shirt with a lapel pin. His red Kia car has a ULQ-802 license plate which the Land Transportation Office is now tracking to determine its owner. The cycling community condemned the suspect's arrogance for taking the bicycle lanes prompting the cyclist to avoid him, whom he sideswiped and almost lost his balance. The suspect got out of his vehicle, berated the unarmed cyclist, and drew his gun. The post QC police chief urges road rage suspect to surrender appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Villar offers LRT-1extension project
Businessman Manuel B. Villar, hailed the richest Filipino by Forbes, is proposing to expand the LRT-1 Cavite Extension Project all the way to Dasmarinas, Cavite at no cost to the government. The entire LRT-1 extension project of the Light Rail Manila Corp. or LRMC covers major cities such as Quezon City, Caloocan, Manila, Pasay and Parañaque. It is designed to cater to up to 800,000 passengers daily. Villar’s proposal, which he said had already been on the table for quite some time, will extend the project further from Las Pinas City to Dasmarinas, Cavite with seven new stations. “We are negotiating now because I think they will stop there because it has been expensive since the land is not theirs,” Villar told reporters in an interview on Monday night. Sought for comment regarding the proposal, Transportation Undersecretary for Railways Cesar Chavez said: “(I) haven’t heard whether Villar Group has indeed submitted a proposal to LRMC for takeover of the Cavite segment of LRT1 Cavite Extension.” No cost estimate Villar, nonetheless, did not disclose how much the project would cost but he said “it will be big.” Notably, Villar said it was the Ayala and the Pangilinan Groups who reached out to him to start a partnership to take on the railway project. Likewise, he added that it will be easier for him because the alignment that his group proposed will pass through his vast land bank in Southern Metro Manila. Hence, he will not have issues with the right of way, or RoW. The post Villar offers LRT-1extension project appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Wave of violent Indonesia muggings sparks ‘shoot-to-kill’ calls
A spate of violent muggings by machete-wielding thieves in Indonesia has drawn coded calls from prominent politicians for them to be killed-on-sight by police, in comments condemned by rights groups as condoning extrajudicial murders. Last month, police in the northern Sumatran city of Medan shot dead a "begal" -- a term used to describe a type of street thief known for their brutality -- as part of what the force said was a bid to "eradicate" them. Bobby Nasution, Medan mayor and President Joko Widodo's son-in-law, lauded the officers involved, saying such criminals should be shot dead on the spot. "I appreciate this because begal and criminals have no place in Medan," he wrote in an Instagram post on July 9, sharing footage of the suspect's dead body. President Widodo has not commented on Nasution's statements. Other leaders, including the governor of North Sumatra province, have supported the comments. Rights groups want an investigation into the killing, and have condemned the rhetoric as giving officers and citizens the right to take the law into their own hands. "It is inappropriate for public officials to declare support for such extrajudicial actions," Amnesty International Indonesia director Usman Hamid told AFP. "The shooting not only violates human rights principles –- such as the right to life, the right to a fair trial -- but also the regulations." Indonesian police rules state that firearms should only be used as an officer's last resort. Indonesia's Institute for Criminal Justice Reform called Nasution's words "irresponsible". Some public sentiment, however, is on the mayor's side. Under viral videos of the begal attacks, social media users call for the thieves to be shot dead or to face the death penalty. And in a village east of Jakarta, local leaders have issued a 10 million rupiah ($662) bounty for the capture of begals. 'Begal' terror Begals have savagely attacked their victims with sickles, airguns and rocks, terrorising Indonesians in the capital Jakarta, Medan and other urban centres. They approach their victims on scooters, usually in carefully chosen areas that have few security cameras, so that they can rapidly escape after the robbery. "They have to do it quickly and cruelly to make the victim surrender," said Adrianus Meliala, a criminologist at the University of Indonesia. "Begal run away using the city labyrinth they have mastered." Medan, Indonesia's fifth-largest city, has been hit by 45 begal attacks since January, police say, and one brutal case two months ago caused an uproar. Student Insanul Anshori Hasibuan was riding a scooter home when a man hacked him in the head with a machete, stealing his wallet. Hasibuan, 22, died in hospital after the attacker and several accomplices escaped with the contents of the wallet: just 70,000 rupiah ($4.60). Four suspects were later arrested, and face up to 15 years in jail if convicted. Such brutal attacks have been splashed across Indonesian media, raising public fear and allowing Nasution to cast himself as a champion for law and order. According to official data, the rate of robberies has risen in 2023, but experts say Indonesian criminal data is often incomplete due to underreporting. Indonesia's national police force did not respond to an AFP request for comment. The issue is a complex culmination of factors, including rising poverty in one of the world's most unequal countries, the difficulty of countering such quick and violent attacks, weak rule of law and crumbling public trust in the police. "The begal phenomenon cannot be separated from the social economic order of society," said Ida Ruwaida of the University of Indonesia. Rights groups say they are concerned that calls by prominent politicians such as Nasution to kill suspects on sight could lead to chaos on the country's streets. "We are concerned that the statement by the mayor of Medan can serve as legitimacy for more extrajudicial killings," said Hamid. "This is very dangerous." The post Wave of violent Indonesia muggings sparks ‘shoot-to-kill’ calls appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Barangay tanod files graft charges vs QC councilor, 2 b’gay officials
A barangay tanod (village watchman) slapped graft charges against a Quezon City councilor and two other barangay officials for allegedly getting his salary after he suffered a stroke last year. Hernando Compendio of Blk. 19, Lot 6A Tawid Sapa 2, Brgy. Kaligayahan, QC filed charges before the Office of the Ombudsman last 8 August, copies of which were given to Daily Tribune. He accused Barangay Captain and now honorary City Councilor Alfredo "Freddie" Roxas, Barangay Kaligayahan Secretary Maripha de Jesus and Barangay Treasurer Hersiree B. Santiago of violating the Graft and Corrupt Practices Act. Compendio narrated that in 2016 he was employed as Barangay Kaligayahan Public Safety Officer with a salary of P11, 500. However, he suffered a stroke last year and was told by Roxas to stop working, receiving his last pay in June 2022. After recovering, he went back to their barangay to ask the official to take him back and give him any kind of work to survive, but was told there was no vacancy for him. Compendio asked some of his colleagues for help and was informed that his name was still included in the payroll list until December 2023, though he did not receive a single cent. Upon checking, he found out that the three officials had been withdrawing his salary, prompting him to file charges of violating Section 3 of Republic Act 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act against the three officials. He also slapped them with Falsification of Public Documents under Art. 171 of the Revised Penal Code for faking his signature on the payroll. Roxas was not available for comment. He became an Ex Officio of the City Council after his election as the Federation President of all barangay chairmen in the city, and became the Chairperson of the Committee on Barangay Affairs. The post Barangay tanod files graft charges vs QC councilor, 2 b’gay officials appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Driverless taxis gain ground in San Francisco
California authorities took a major step forward Thursday in expanding driverless taxi services in San Francisco, giving the green light for operators Waymo and Cruise to compete with ride-share services and cabs. The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) heard six hours of public comment before voting three-to-one to let Waymo, a unit of Google-parent Alphabet, and General Motors-owned Cruise essentially run 24-hour robotaxi services in San Francisco. "Today is the first of many steps in bringing AV (autonomous vehicle) transportation services to Californians and setting a successful and transparent model for other states to follow," said CPUC commissioner John Reynolds, who voted in favor of approval. Waymo cars were cleared to travel at speeds as fast as 65 miles per hour (105 kilometers per hour) without human drivers at the wheel, even in some inclement weather. It also won permission to offer driverless car rides to paying passengers in its home city of Mountain View, in Silicon Valley. Cruise was approved to run fared passenger service in San Francisco at no faster than 35 miles per hour and not through dense fog or heavy smoke. Previously, Cruise could charge customers only during certain hours of the day. Waymo had not been allowed to charge for rides without a human driver on board. Driverless cars were first introduced in San Francisco in 2014 with a mandatory human "safety driver" on board. Four years later, California scrapped its requirement for a human driver to be in the car. The CPUC session drew commenters from all sides of the issue, with some calling robotaxis unsafe menaces while others lauded them as solutions to everything from climate change to road rage. Driverless cars have gotten stuck in the middle of roads, blocked bus lanes or even interfered in police or firefighter operations. But others at the hearing praised the vehicles for giving independence to people with disabilities, making roads safer and helping eliminate discrimination. Others opposed cars of any kind, saying the future lies in clean, convenient and affordable public transit. "The future of cities is not cars, no matter what kind," one speaker contended. The post Driverless taxis gain ground in San Francisco appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»