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Philippines declares 'strategic defeat' of NPA rebels
MANILA, March 26 (Xinhua) -- The Philippines declared on Tuesday a "strategic defeat" of the New People's Army (NPA) rebels, who have been fighting against the government since the 1960s, saying there is no more active guerilla fronts in the country. Eduardo Ano, National Security Adviser and former chief of staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, said "thousands" of NPA insurgents have decided to return t.....»»
View from Manila: ‘Tama na, Lord’
China responded like 'it's already the end of the world,' says National Security Adviser Eduardo Año in describing the latest 'illegal, coercive' act in the West Philippine Sea.....»»
Duterte’s advice to Quiboloy: “get yourself arrested”
DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 28 February) – “Get yourself arrested,” is the advice of former President Rodrigo Duterte to his friend and spiritual adviser Pastor Apollo Quiboloy who will be cited for contempt and arrested if he does not appear before a Senate Committee hearing on Tuesday, March 5 on the “reported cases of large-scale […].....»»
OPAPRU backs ex-rebels’ case expedite
DAVAO CITY — Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity Eastern Mindanao director Atty. Elisa D. Evangelista-Lapiña said that they support the proposal of Agusan del Norte Governor Angel Amante to speed up cases of the former rebels or Friends Rescued — a move seen by OPAPRU that would ramp up efforts in helping the FRs’ eventual reintegration in mainstream society. “We certainly back this proposal by the Provincial Government of Agusan del Norte. We commend this effort and are ready to offer our full support to make sure that this will be operationalized,” Lapiña said. She added that the OPAPRU will be assisting the provincial government of Agusan del Norte in implementing the mechanism “to lure more New People’s Army members to lay down their weapons and embrace the path to peace.” Lapiña also disclosed that the remaining armed combatants are apprehensive about returning to the folds of the law due to their pending cases in court. “Our goal is to provide a clear and swift path for our FRs. We want to assure them that by choosing peace, the whole-of-nation approach of the government will be of help to them to address both root causes of conflict, social inequality, and historical injustice, among others,” Lapiña said. To date, there are 122 former rebels in Agusan del Norte who have pending cases in court and Lapiña stressed the need to strengthen the coordination between other government agencies, such as the Public Attorney’s Office, the Agusan del Norte government and volunteer legal partners that would actively monitor the progress of the former rebels’ cases, “ensuring that they are treated with the urgency they deserve.” “By closely following legal proceedings, they can identify and address any potential delays or obstacles,” Lapiña said. For his part, Oliver Binancilan, head of OPAPRU’s Davao Area Management Unit, also briefed the group about the Amnesty Program, which he described as a significant stride forward in the government’s efforts to help FRs reintegrate into society. In his presentation, Bancillan stressed the role of Kagawasan 143 Peace Center in actively collaborating with the government to facilitate the amnesty process, ensuring that eligible FRs can benefit from this opportunity for a fresh start. The post OPAPRU backs ex-rebels’ case expedite appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
NSC condemns NPA land mine attack in Masbate
The National Security Council condemned on Monday the detonation of an improvised land mine by the New People's Army that wounded three people, including a barangay captain, by the roadside of Barangay Bonifacio in Uson, Masbate last week. In a virtual press briefing by the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict, NSC Assistant Director General Jonathan Malaya read the statement of NSC chair and National Security Adviser Eduardo Año who said the incident in Masbate "is another violation" of the CPP-NPA-NDF committed against International Humanitarian Law. "NSC would like to emphasize that our fight against terorrist groups is unrelenting. CPP-NPA-NDF is the Number 1 violator of IHL by executing civilians, ambuscades, etc.," Malaya said. "Over the past decade, 373 people were killed by NPAs. [They] detonated 141 illegal landmines that killed 24 people. By 2010, 524 were recruited by them as child warriors. There are also 270 events of targeting civilians, forced disappearance, sexual assaults." The government has slapped 293 cases of violation of IHL and RA 9851 against the NPA, with 82 already in court, according to Malaya. The rebel amnesty program being offered by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is "now being crafted and going through a process." However, the amnesty will only be for former rebels without court conviction or active court cases. "Those who have specific crimes , have probable cause, trials ongoing or facing cases" are not covered by the amnesty, said Malaya. He said the NSC and NTF-ELCAC' condemnation of CPP-NPA-NDF activity carries the conviction that "justice will be served" for the victims. Democrito Rivera, 62, chairman of Barangay Bonifacio; Romneck Lumabab, 32, and Alex Balayan, 39, were on a motorcycle when the land mine explosion occurred at around 1:30 p.m. on 8 August. Five men reportedly opened fire on the victims following the explosion. The gunmen escaped as state security forces and first aid responders arrived and brought the victims to the hospital for treatment. Noel Legaspi alias Ka Efren, a former CPP/NPA cadre, said the rebel groups' violations of IHL are "historical", citing the Plaza Miranda bombing in the early 70's and even their own purging campaign where thousands of NPA members suspected of conniving with the military were killed, including civilian supporters. The post NSC condemns NPA land mine attack in Masbate appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Gov’t eyes 1.8K rebels availing of amnesty
The government is eyeing around 1,800 communist rebels who may avail of the government’s amnesty program, according to National Security Adviser Eduardo Año on Wednesday. Año said that the high-ranking officials of the Communist Party of the Philippines and its armed wing, New People’s Army may avail of the amnesty program should they decide to return to the folds of the law. “There are a lot of rebels in the mountains na you know [may] worries or agam agam dahil papano na yung kaso nila? (those who worry about their cases),” Año said in a chance interview shortly after the post-State of the Nation Address forum held in Pasay City. Año said the amnesty will provide a clean slate to former combatants who wish to renew their lives. However, Año said that senior NPA officials convicted of “heinous” crimes cannot avail of the amnesty. “Different siya. Pwede silang papasok sa pardon o 'yung sa parole o pardon, depende na 'yan sa Presidente (it would be a different case. They can avail of a pardon or parole, depending on the President’s decision),” he said. Th amnesty will be extended to those with pending cases but are not yet convicted. “Right now we are placing the strength of the CPP-NPA at 1,800. So more or less, that’s our target,” Año said, noting that former rebels who have availed of the government’s Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program or E-CLIP and Barangay Development Program can avail of the amnesty. Armed Forces of the Philippines spokesperson Col. Medel Aguilar, earlier said only three guerrilla fronts of the CPP-NPA are active while the other 18 are already weakened, out of the remaining 21. Aguilar noted that the members of the CPP-NPA-NDF have been “tremendously reduced” to around 1,800 members—from a peak of 24,000 rebels in the mid-'80s. AFP units have already neutralized 9,818 NPA rebels, of which 358 served as key leaders, with 11,013 firearms recovered from the insurgents, according to the spokesperson. The post Gov’t eyes 1.8K rebels availing of amnesty appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Gov’t eyes at least 1.8K CPP-NPA to avail of amnesty
The government is eyeing around 1,800 communist rebels who may avail of the government’s amnesty program, according to National Security Adviser Eduardo Año on Wednesday. Año said that the high-ranking officials of the Communist Party of the Philippines and its armed wing, New People’s Army, may avail of the amnesty program should they decide to return to the folds of the law. “There are a lot of rebels in the mountains na you know worries or agam agam dahil papano na yung kaso nila? (Or those who are slightly doubting about their cases),” Año said, in a chance interview shortly after the post-State of the Nation Address forum held in Pasay City. Año said the amnesty will provide a clean slate to former combatants who wished to renew their lives from being combatants to becoming normal citizens in mainstream society. However, Año said that senior NPA officials who had been convicted of “heinous” crimes “could not avail of the amnesty.” “Different siya no. Pwede silang papasok sa pardon o yun sa parole o pardon, depende na yan sa presidente (it would be a different case. They can avail of a pardon or parole, depending of the President’s decision),” he stressed. He further explained that the amnesty will be given to those with pending cases but are not yet convicted. “Right now we are placing the strength of the CPP-NPA at 1,800. So more or less, that’s our target,” Año said, noting that those former rebels who have availed of the government’s Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program or E-CLIP and Barangay Development Program can avail of the amnesty. A given period will be granted to those combatants that have lay low, he added. Armed Forces of the Philippines spokesperson, Col. Medel Aguilar, earlier said that only three guerrillas of the CPP-NPA are active while the other 18 are already weakened, out of the remaining 21. Aguilar noted that the members of the CPP-NPA-NDF have “tremendously reduced” to around 1,800 members—from a peak of 24,000 rebels in the mid-80s. The AFP units already neutralized 9,818 NPA rebels, of which 358 served as the group's key leaders, with 11,013 firearms have been recovered from the insurgents. The post Gov’t eyes at least 1.8K CPP-NPA to avail of amnesty appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
DoH’s thrust: Delivering quality healthcare for the very poor
Teodoro Javier Herbosa received a call from the Office of the President about a year after President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. assumed the Presidency. The caller from the Palace said the President would like to see him in Malacañang, but it was not made clear what the former would like to meet with him about. The night before his meeting with the President, Herbosa wrote an 8-point agenda about what he’d like to do in the department, just in case he’d be asked to be Health Secretary. [caption id="attachment_161645" align="aligncenter" width="1057"] DoH Secretary addresses officers and members of the Rotary Club of Manila during the Club’s Third Weekly Membership Meeting (Rotary Year 2022-2023) at the Manila Polo Club last Thursday, 20 July. At the presidential table are (from left) Dr. John Cenica, Dr. Brix Pujalte, RC Manila President Rafael Mm Alunan III, Past District Governor Obet Pagdaganan, Dr. Paul Kho and Carlos Buendia. Secretary Herbosa spoke about his priority agenda which includes the delivery of quality primary and universal health care services to the people, giving attention to health care worker issues, modernizing health care through telemedicine and new technologies, and taking care of Filipinos’ mental health, among various other urgent concerns[/caption] On the day of his meeting, he and Department of Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire, who was then DoH OIC, were asked to go inside one of the rooms in the Palace. The President entered, sat them down, thanked Vergerie and told her, “You can finally rest Undersecretary Vergeire, I’ve found my DoH Secretary.” “It was as simple as that. The President turned his attention to me and said these are what I’d like you to do in; he started giving me instructions, he didn’t even asked me if I wanted the job,” Herbosa, recalled before officers and members of the Rotary Club of Manila in its meeting at the Polo Club last Thursday. All it probably took for the President to decide Herbosa was his man for the DoH was to take one look at Herbosa’s impressive curriculum vitae. The pandemic national task force adviser in the previous administration, Herbosa brings to his job at the DoH vast experience and expertise in healthcare systems, public health, hospital administration, emergency and disaster medicine Recounting his first meeting with the President, Herbosa said his first instruction, among others, was to take care of the very poor and indigenous peoples in isolated and disadvantaged areas. “That’s something that you and other Rotary Clubs do around the country — providing primary care in your missions,” he said. Other immediate tasks he was given was to exit from Covid-19; cure tuberculosis, and address HIV which, Herbosa said there’s about 50 new cases daily, with some victims as young as 15-years-old. In terms of Covid, the President has just officially lifted the state of public health emergency in the country due to Covid-19. On the delivery of quality health services, Herbosa said his thoughts on the matter are aligned with the President’s vision which has just been made manifest in the multispecialty medical center project soon to rise within the Clark Freeport Zone. It will be built by Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation, the Clark Development Corporation, the Department of Health, the Bases Conversion and Development Authority and Enrique Razon’s Bloomberry Cultural Foundation. The center, with pediatric, renal, cardiovascular and oncology units, will be the first of several similar facilities to be built on some 17 sites across the country. Expected to be completed before the President ends his term in 2028, the DoH will run the centers. Visiting the site at Clark last 17 July, the President said, “We will establish rural healthcare units, barangay centers, botika de barangay… We will go back to that idea. All of these things we are putting together so that when it comes to fundamental healthcare for our countrymen, we can say that such is readily available to them.” “That’s exactly what we will rebuild, that’s what we will be spending for,” Herbosa told Rotarians at the RC Manila Meeting at the Polo Club last week. “That’s the thrust of the current administration in terms of healthcare in this country - making quality health services accessible to as many Filipinos as possible.” Based on his track record, there is little — if any — doubt of Herbosa’s accomplishing what he’s been tasked to do by the President, and in an exemplary manner that would be of substantial benefit to country, and the people. The post DoH’s thrust: Delivering quality healthcare for the very poor appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Phl cinema in the first year of BBM
Here, we look back at the state of the Philippine film industry since he took the seat of power 13 months ago. When President Marcos Jr. became the 17th leader of the nation, the country was on the brink of the “new normal.” The campaign elections even saw multitudes of crowds in the streets, the Filipinos’ political passion overpowering the fear of a Covid-19 infection. Covid-pandemic viewing By May 2022, the month of the presidential campaigns, the Department of Health said the country was at “minimal-risk case classification” with an average of only 159 cases per day. By June 2022, when the President took his oath, 69.4 million Filipinos had been fully vaccinated. Along with the country, the Philippine film industry started healing. On the same month, the country went under Covid-19 Alert Level 2, with 50-percent allowed capacity in indoor cinemas. Live film festivals The Marcos administration saw the return of Filipino film festivals in theaters. On Marcos’ fifth month as president, the QCinema International Film Festival, with the theme “in10City,” held hybdrid screenings — in-person and online. The Metro Manila Film Festival in December 2022, six months into the new presidency, went full force in cinemas for the second time during the pandemic. Earlier, in 2020, during the Duterte administration, the festival was held online for the first time, and the following year, in December 2021, after level alert measures in the Philippines were relaxed, the MMFF finally went back to the cinemas. However, only around 300 cinemas (down from the usual 900) were allowed to screen the MMFF entries. Meanwhile, the 18th edition of the Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival was held from 5 August to 31 October 2022 at the Cultural Center of the Philippines, in select mall cinemas and online. But what made a mark during the Marcos administration’s first year was the inaugural edition of the 2023 Summer Metro Manila Film Festival. The SMMFF was held in Metro Manila and throughout the Philippines. Organized by the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority in partnership with the Cinema Exhibitors Association of the Philippines, the first MMFF was supposed to be held in 2020, but was canceled due to the Covid-19 pandemic. In 2023, held from 8 to 18 April 2023 with the theme “Tuloy-tuloy ang Saya,” the summer festival featured eight entries and, like its December counterpart, even held a Parade of Stars. About Us But Not About Us by Jun Lana, produced by The IdeaFirst Company, Octobertrain Films and Quantum Films, emerged as the first Best Picture of the summer festival. [caption id="attachment_161372" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] About Us But Not About Us by Jun Lana[/caption] The Film Development Council of the Philippines’ sixth edition of its own mini-film festival, held during the Marcos administration’s third month, headed back to cinemas, offering free access to award-winning classic films of the new National Artists for Film and Broadcast Arts at TriNoma Cinema in Quezon City and in all Cinematheque centers nationwide (Manila, Iloilo, Negros, Davao and Nabunturan). CCP closes for renovations On 1 September 2022, CCP president Margarita Moran-Floirendo announced during a hearing of the Senate committee on cultural communities, that The Cultural Center of the Philippines — home to the Cinemalaya festival — will close its doors starting January 2023 for renovation and structural retrofitting works, and will reopen in March 2025. This marks the first time that Cinemalaya, on its 19th year, which has the theme “ilumiNasyon,” will be held at various venues inside the adjacent Philippine International Convention Center, from 4 to 13 August 2023. The rise of political films With the country deeply driven by polarized political views, the Marcos administration saw a war between political commercial films. [caption id="attachment_161370" align="aligncenter" width="1800"] ‘MAID in Malacanang’ stars Cristine Reyes, Diego Loyzaga and Ella Cruz. | Photograph courtesy of viva[/caption] On 29 July 2022, Darryl Yap’s period drama Maid in Malacañang, touted as “the most controversial film of the year,” was released to packed cinemas. The movie, about the Marcos family’s last three days in Malacañang Palace before they were forced into exile, premiered at SM North EDSA and was released nationwide on 3 August 2022. Yap, who passionately campaigned for Marcos, became a controversial filmmaker with the release of his Marcos film. Leni Robredo supporters tried to boycott the film, with some Filipino movie critics exposing themselves as heavily political and non-neutral with their reviews, accusing the film of propaganda and historical revisionism. The attempt to quash the movie’s release failed and it became a box-office hit, with producer Viva Films releasing a statement that it earned a whopping P21 million on its opening day and P63 million three days after its release. It was the first time in Philippine cinema history that local theaters nationwide saw a deluge of moviegoers lining up to watch a movie on the big screen, mostly driven by political affiliation. Another unsuccessful political attempt to diminish the film’s release was Vince Tañada’s re-release of his Martial Law film Katips to counter Maid in Malacañang. Tañada’s film eventually won Best Picture at the Famas Awards. MIM actress Ella Cruz’s remark during a press conference, that “history is like tsismis,” further fanned the flames of political debate online. Eight months later, in March 2022, Viva released Yap’s second installment in his Marcos trilogy, Martyr or Murderer, which now focused on Ferdinand Marcos and the assassination of Ninoy Aquino. Two anti-Marcos movies rose to combat the film — Joel Lamangan’s Oras de Peligro, released on the same day, and Tañada’s movie adaptation of his musical play Ako Si Ninoy, released one week earlier. Movie buffs, political analysts, film critics, the press and social media influencers dove into feverish commentaries on the three films, and Philippine cinemas were ignited and, for a while, became alive with social discourse. New FDCP head On 21 July 2022, Tirso S. Cruz III officially assumed his position as the head of the country’s national film agency, the Film Development Council of the Philippines. He replaced Liza Diño, who was appointed by President Rodrigo Duterte as FDCP chairperson on 12 August 2016. [caption id="attachment_161368" align="aligncenter" width="736"] FDCP chair Tirso Cruz III. | PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF FDCP[/caption] Cruz, a veteran actor, said that the target of the FDCP under the Marcos administration was to support local films, not just in Metro Manila, but also from regional filmmakers. He also professed support for film students and highlighted archiving as part of the FDCP’s agenda, with 42,000 materials in its archives to be salvaged. MTRCB In September 2022, the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board released a statement addressing the controversy about its proposal to expand its jurisdiction to online streaming services like Netflix, Vivamax, Amazon Prime and other streaming platforms. The MTRCB said it was responding to multitudes of complaints from parents and other concerned groups demanding that the agency regulate movie and TV online platforms to protect children from harmful viewing. The Marcos administration has seen a continuous boom in streamers, which began during the pandemic, with Vivamax becoming one of the leading local streamers due to the popularity of Filipino sexploitation films. On 23 February 2023, MTRCB chairperson Lala Sotto-Antonio expressed her gratitude to Senators Francis “Tol” Tolentino, Grace Poe and Sherwin Gatchalian for the separate bills they filed that would amend and expand the board’s mandate. “We welcome the move to amend the charter of the MTRCB as it will allow the agency to adequately adapt to changes in technology and the ever-evolving needs of the viewing public and our other stakeholders,” Sotto-Antonio said before the Senate Committee on Public Information and Mass Media chaired by Senator Robinhood C. Padilla. Eddie Garcia Act In January 2023, the chamber passed through voice voting House Bill 1270, or the proposed Eddie Garcia Act, at the House plenary session. [caption id="attachment_161367" align="aligncenter" width="1000"] HOUSE Bill 1270 has been proposed in honor of the late actor Eddie Garcia. | Photograph courtesy of gma-7[/caption] Camarines Sur Rep. Luis Raymund Villafuerte authored the bill, which aims to provide workers in the movie, television and radio entertainment industry opportunities for well-paid employment and protect them from economic exploitation, abuse and harassment, as well as hazardous working conditions. The bill was named after the late veteran actor Eddie Garcia, who died in 2019 after suffering a neck injury while shooting the television series Rosang Agimat, produced by GMA Network. According to Villafuerte, productions would go from 16 to 24 continuous work hours per set and would rush productions to save costs. The proposed law mandates that normal work hours of the worker or talent shall be eight hours a day; overtime work should not exceed more than 12 hours in a 24-hour period; and the total number of work hours shall not exceed 60 hours in a week. Paul Soriano Relatively unknown to most Pinoy moviegoers, filmmaker Paul Soriano was put on the limelight as the man behind the President’s advertisements — way back from campaigns since Marcos started out as vice governor, and then, governor of Ilocos Norte, up until his senatorial campaign, and eventually his campaign for the vice presidency and presidency. [caption id="attachment_161371" align="aligncenter" width="781"] PRESIDENTIAL Adviser on Creative Communications Paul Soriano. | PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF ig/PAUL SORIANO[/caption] Of course, the opposition in the film industry predictably canceled Soriano, the blood nephew of First Lady Liza Cacho Araneta-Marcos. Dolly de Leon It was also during the BBM era that Filipina actress Dolly de Leon gained international fame for her performance in the 2022 Cannes Palme d’Or winner Triangle of Sadness. [caption id="attachment_161366" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Dolly de Leon gained international fame for her performance in the 2022 Cannes Palme d’Or winner ‘Triangle of Sadness.’ | Photograph courtesy ofig/dolly de leon[/caption] The 54-year old film, television and theater actress made history by becoming the first Filipino actor to be nominated at the British Academy Film Awards and Golden Globe Awards. Filipino movie fans and critics, having been exposed to global content since the rise of the streamers, plus the proliferation of self-published movie reviews, are generally still disappointed with the output and system of the Philippine film industry, but filled with hope that, with full support from the government, Philippine cinema will finally become truly internationally competitive, sustainable and recognized. The post Phl cinema in the first year of BBM appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Phl Supreme Court disbars Marcos adviser over ‘misogynistic’ outburst
The Philippines Supreme Court said Wednesday it has stripped a new adviser to President Ferdinand Marcos of the right to practice law over a "misogynistic" outburst against a journalist. Marcos appointed lawyer Lorenzo Gadon as his adviser on poverty alleviation on Monday, highlighting his "legal expertise and extensive experience in various industries". The Supreme Court voted unanimously the next day to disbar Gadon over his "misogynistic, sexist, abusive and repeated intemperate language", the court's public information office said in a statement Wednesday. However, Marcos's top aide, Lucas Bersamin, said Gadon would remain in his position and the president "believes he will do a good job". The court cited a viral video in which Gadon "repeatedly cursed and uttered profane remarks" against a woman journalist before last year's election, which it described as "indisputably scandalous". "The Court pointed out that Gadon unfortunately failed to realize that lawyers are expected to avoid scandalous behavior, whether in their public or private life," the public information office said. Gadon, who backed Marcos's bid for the presidency but failed in his own attempt to win a Senate seat, was previously convicted and suspended from practicing law for three months for using "offensive and intemperate language", and faced 10 other administrative cases, the statement said. "Although these cases have yet to be decided, the volume of administrative complaints filed against Atty. Gadon indubitably speaks of his character," it said. Gadon said in a statement posted on Facebook he would appeal against the decision because the penalty was "too harsh". He claimed the reporter had been "blatantly spreading lies" against Marcos during the 2022 election campaign. The left-wing Akbayan Party described Gadon as a "buffoon" and called on Marcos to rescind his appointment. The post Phl Supreme Court disbars Marcos adviser over ‘misogynistic’ outburst appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Gadon will remain despite disbarment
Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin on Wednesday said that Presidential Adviser on Poverty Alleviation Lorenzo "Larry" Gadon would continue to serve as Presidential Adviser on Poverty Alleviation despite the pending cases against him before the Supreme Court. In a statement released by the Presidential Communications Office, Bersamin said that the President was aware of Gadon's cases, but believed that his work as a presidential adviser would not be affected by his status as a lawyer. "This is a matter which he will have to personally attend to," Bersamin said. "But the President believes that he will do a good job," he added. The Supreme Court, by a unanimous vote of 15-0, disbarred Gadon for his "misogynistic, sexist and abusive remarks", against journalist Raissa Robles. Gadon's dismissal came after a video clip went viral online where he repeatedly cursed and uttered profane remarks against Robles. The Presidential Adviser, for his part, said that he would file a motion for reconsideration. He added he would treat the matter as a personal concern and will not affect his commitment to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. "The position and the task given to me by the President do not require lawyering hence my suspension and disbarment have no effect on my appointment," Gadon said. The post Gadon will remain despite disbarment appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Muntinlupa judge inhibits from De Lima case
Muntinlupa City Regional Trial Court Branch 256 Presiding Judge Romeo Buenaventura announced on Friday that he decided to inhibit from handling the remaining illegal drug charges against former Senator Leila de Lima. In a seven-page order dated 15 June 2023, the judge expressed his decision to recuse, stating that the suspicions raised by the accused, although baseless and maybe contrived, have tainted the court’s integrity and impartiality. He also emphasized the need to uphold trust and confidence in all future proceedings related to the case. “For this reason, the undersigned Presiding Judge will exercise his discretion and will recuse himself from further hearing this case not because the allegations are true, but because it is his avowed duty as member of the Bench to promote confidence in the judicial system,” Buenaventura said. Earlier, Joenel Sanchez, Ronnie Dayan, and Franklin Bucayu in their respective motion requested Judge Buenaventura’s immediate withdrawal from the case, alleging that he is the brother of Atty. Emmanuel Buenaventura, who purportedly assisted Dayan in one of his affidavits, later claiming coercion. Sanchez also revealed that Atty. Buenaventura had served as a legal adviser to the late Mindoro Congressman Reynaldo Umali during congressional hearings on the alleged drug trade at Bilibid. He asserted that Judge Buenaventura failed to disclose his relationship with Atty. Buenaventura. Buenaventura on 7 June issued a 35-page order denying de Lima’s request for bail. The court deemed her experience of being taken hostage as “injurious to health” or a threat to her life unlike in other bail cases. However, the judge clarified that evaluating the strength of the evidence does not predetermine the final outcome of the case. To recall, the Department of Justice filed the charges against De Lima alleging her involvement in the illegal drug trade during her tenure as justice secretary under the Aquino administration. Since 2017, the former lawmaker was detained at the Philippine National Police-Custodial Center in Quezon City. The post Muntinlupa judge inhibits from De Lima case appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Giving the best?
A Philippine government advertisement on a London bus featuring May Parsons, a Filipina-British nurse, launched during King Charles III’s coronation last week, stirred controversy. In the ad on a double-decker bus, Parsons was holding up a syringe and described as the nurse who gave the world’s first Covid-19 vaccine, with the tagline “A Filipina. We Give the World Our Best. The Philippines.” It did not sit well, though with Senate Committee on Tourism chairman, Sen. Nancy Binay who said, “There seems to be a disconnect in the messaging. It’s bothersome because when you see the ad, it seems that we are offering the world our nurses — which is a bit off since we’re already running low on health workers here.” “We don’t want to commodify our people, and we don’t want to be labeled as a country that exports labor,” she went on to say. “What is the connection of a nurse, syringe, and vaccine to the tourist destinations we’re promoting.” Office of the Presidential Adviser on Creative Communications Secretary Paul Soriano was quick to clarify that the ad was part of a “country branding campaign” to raise the spirits of Filipinos who are doing well in other countries. “We Give the World Our Best — The Philippines” is meant to promote and focus on the Filipino achievers abroad,” he said. “PACC wants to clear the confusion and clarify that it was not meant, in any way, to promote the country’s tourist destinations.” While Binay recognized that the results of such an advertisement have yet to be seen, Binay said the ad’s messaging is not aligned with the country’s goals for tourism. Tourism ad or not, Binay’s comments make sense. The government should not be focused on labor export but instead, prevent brain drain by providing decent-paying jobs, and promoting the country’s tourist destinations. The government’s neglect of our healthcare workers pushes them to seek good fortune in other countries, while those who choose to stay have to make do with meager pay. It should stop acting as a recruitment agency rather than giving its citizens a living wage. The life of an overseas Filipino worker is not a movie material that the government can produce to influence others to leave their families and homeland. We should walk the talk when we praise our local healthcare workers for their heroism during the Covid-19 pandemic by providing them their due protection through adequate support and benefits. A case in point is the unpaid Health Emergency Allowance during the pandemic. Although sending workers abroad can sometimes be related to tourism, it is not necessarily a core aspect of the tourism industry. In some cases, workers may be sent abroad to work in tourism-related jobs, such as hotel staff, tour guides, or restaurant workers who may play an important role in facilitating tourism experiences for visitors. Exporting labor can be related to other industries such as construction, healthcare, or technology, and not necessarily related to tourism. Clear as day, the tourism industry consists of many components, such as transportation, attractions, events, and activities that do not involve sending workers abroad. The role of health workers in tourism is usually focused on ensuring the health and safety of tourists, rather than promoting tourism itself — typically viewed as a public health and safety issue, rather than a component of tourism promotion. Campaign branding abroad can wait. Why not improve country marketing first which will drive tourist traffic to the Philippines and define the overall tourist experience? Start with the country’s gateways — airports and seaports. It is an overdue plan announced in August 2022. There is so much to be done to bring improvements to the country’s air and seaports that will encapsulate the “Filipino Brand” and give tourists a good first and last impression when they visit the Philippines. Pick up the lessons learned from the NAIA fiasco and horrific seaports. For now, the best tagline should be “We Give Tourists Our Best. The Philippines.” The post Giving the best? appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
COVID-19 pandemic malapit nang magwakas – mga eksperto
MANILA, Philippines- Inihayag ng grupo ng health at economic experts nitong Martes ang kumpiyansa na nalalapit nang magwakas ang COVID-19 pandemic at posibleng nag-peak na rin umano ang coronavirus cases sa National Capital Region (NCR). Sinabi ni dating National Task Force (NTF) against COVID-19 medical adviser Dr. Ted Herbosa na hindi na ititnuturing ang COVID-19 […] The post COVID-19 pandemic malapit nang magwakas – mga eksperto appeared first on REMATE ONLINE......»»
‘Make establishments open only to the fully vaccinated’
With the recent surge in COVID cases in Metro Manila, Presidential Adviser for Entrepreneurship and Go Negosyo founder Joey Concepcion said it is time for both the government and the private sector to consider implementing stronger measures to effectively mitigate the spread of the virus in the National Capital Region......»»
As COVID-19 cases rise, business leaders back 2-week lockdown in Metro Manila
Businesses are supporting calls for a fresh round of brief lockdowns to curb Delta variant infections, Presidential Adviser for Entrepreneurship Joey Concepcion said Wednesday......»»
Effects of ECQ may take 2 weeks to manifest
The effect of the enhanced community quarantine on COVID-19 cases in Metro Manila and surrounding provinces may take up to two weeks to manifest, an adviser of the National Task Force against COVID-19 said yesterday......»»
‘Give vaccines donated by private sector to NCR’
The private sector wants to focus its vaccine donations to the government in the National Capital Region , epicenter of the current surge in COVID-19 cases, presidential adviser for entrepreneurship Joey Concepcion said yesterday......»»
Leachon: Pista ng Nazareno a ‘recipe’ for COVID-19 cases surge
The Feast of the Black Nazarene attended by thousands is a “recipe for a super spreading event and a huge surge [in COVID-19 cases],” a former COVID-19 task force adviser said Saturday. In a social media post, health reform advocate Dr. Tony Leachon said the religious event’s aftermath would be grounds for the government to […] The post Leachon: Pista ng Nazareno a ‘recipe’ for COVID-19 cases surge appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Italy ‘second wave’ fears grow as virus cases top 5,000
Italy was grappling Friday with fears of a second coronavirus wave similar to the ones seen in Britain, France and Spain, as it registered over 5,000 new infections in 24 hours. “We’re under extreme pressure,” the World Health Organization’s Italian government adviser Walter Ricciardi said, warning that spaces in Covid-19 hospitals were running out in the worst-hit regions. Italy registered 5,372 new cases Friday, the health ministry said, nearly 1,000 more than on Thursday. The country has not seen such high numbers of recorded new infections since mid-April. New infections are still well behind Britain, France and Spain, which are registering between 12,000 and 19,000 cases in 24 hours. But Ricciardi said the rise in cases could reach those levels in Italy just as winter begins and common influenza strikes. “When the flu comes, we risk having 16 thousand cases in a day,” he said in an interview with broadcaster Sky TG24. “I am very worried… (about) sub-intensive units because there are infectious patients who need to be treated in a certain way and beds are already running out. And that’s before the flu hits,” he said. The government moved to tackle the sharp rise in case numbers earlier this week, making wearing face masks compulsory in outdoor spaces across the country, on top of all indoor spaces apart from homes. – ‘Dramatic decisions’ – Lazio, the region which houses capital Rome, has been performing particularly badly, along with Campania in the south and Lombardy in the north, where the pandemic broke out in Italy back in February. According to official figures, more than 36,000 people have died of the virus in Italy, where a nationwide lockdown — the first in any European country — lasted over two months. Drained by years of budget cuts, southern Italy’s overstretched health care system escaped the brunt of the virus after movement between regions was banned, preventing cases from travelling down the country. But there are fears it would not escape a second wave. The Italian Association of Hospital Anaesthesiologists said Friday that hospitals in the south, where infrastructure is weaker, were not ready for an escalating crisis, despite efforts made to boost beds and staff numbers. Campania’s regional president Vincenzo De Luca said on Facebook he thought “we’ve reached the point where dramatic decisions need to be taken”. He said he could not rule out a new lockdown of the region. Regional Affairs Minister Francesco Boccia said Friday that if the upward trend continued, movement of people between regions may be temporarily banned. “A rise in the number of contagions was predictable. Intensive care units have been reinforced,” he said. “However, I cannot rule out limits on movements. Nothing can be ruled out at the moment,” he told Radio Capitale......»»