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Baltimore bridge accident: Freighter pilot called for tugboat help before plowing into bridge
BALTIMORE — The pilot of the cargo freighter had radioed for tugboat help and reported a power loss minutes before the Baltimore bridge accident, federal safety officials said on Wednesday, citing audio from the ship’s “black box” data recorder. The head of the National Transportation Safety Board also said that Francis Scott Key Bridge, a.....»»
Companies State it Takes More Than 6 Months to Fill Cybersecurity Positions
The latest Kaspersky survey found that 48% of companies require over half a year to find a qualified cybersecurity professional. A lack of proven experience was cited as one of the biggest challenges, along with the high cost of hiring and global competition in talent acquisition. With global labor markets continuing to clamor for InfoSec […].....»»
Australia s reputation among Pacific neighbours weakening
From carrying the Coalition's AUKUS pact to supporting Israel's self-defence initiative, Labor's reputation is souring among voters. Bilal Cleland reports.ASIA IS SENSITIVE to memories of the White Australia Policy, the f.....»»
Marcos admin eyes building 20 new dams by 2028
To meet the country’s growing demand for water and power, the government is eyeing to build 20 medium and three to five large dams by 2028, the end of President Marcos’ term, according to National Irrigation Administration head Eduardo Guillen......»»
Australia s reputation among Pacific neighbours weakening
From carrying the Coalition's AUKUS pact to supporting Israel's self-defence initiative, Labor's reputation is souring among voters. Bilal Cleland reports.ASIA IS SENSITIVE to memories of the White Australia Policy, the f.....»»
EDITORIAL — Irresponsible driving
As travel increases this Holy Week, motorists are expressing concern about a road accident this month that penalized an innocent driver. Video footage showed a Toyota Innova traversing the northbound lane of the Skyway Stage 3 on March 10 when a motorcycle moving beyond the speed limit counter-flowed, colliding head-on with the Innova......»»
Blue Eagles coach tempers Final Four expectations amid momentum
Ateneo Blue Eagles head coach Sergio Veloso is not getting ahead of himself as his team is slowly showing its form in the UAAP Season 86 women’s volleyball tournament......»»
Claudine nag-worry sa pagkikita nina Julia at Bea: Hindi ‘yan matapang
ISA si Claudine Barretto sa mga natuwa sa pagbabati nina Julia Barretto at Bea Alonzo na nangyari sa tribute party ni Johnny Manahan o mas kilala bilang Mr. M. Nangyari ito sa Marriott Hotel last Saturday, March 16, na dinaluhan ng mahigit 100 celebrities na naging malapit sa starbuilder na dating head ng Star Magic. Nag-viral.....»»
Eumir faces ‘heavy’ test tonight
Olympic qualifier Eumir Marcial will take on a heavier opponent Thoedsak Sinam of Thailand in an eight-round bout at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium tonight as MP Promotions head Sean Gibbons said it’s a prelude to facing bigger bruisers in Paris......»»
Asian qualifying results for 2026 FIFA World Cup
BEIJING, March 22 (Xinhua) -- Following are Thursday's results in Asian qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico: Group A At Doha Qatar bt Kuwait 3-0 At Abha, Saudi Arabia Afghanistan tied India 0-0 Group B At Tokyo Japan bt DPR Korea 1-0 At Yangon Myanmar tied Syria 1-1 Group C At Seoul South Korea tied T.....»»
GCash sets sights on further international expansion
With GCash Overseas, Filipinos in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Spain, Italy, Germany, Qatar, Kuwait, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, Hong Kong and Australia can now download and use the GCash app, whether they have Philippine SIMs or local mobile phone numbers in the countries or territories where they live......»»
Minglanilla’s ‘6th man’ crucial for Gullas Cup finals— Velez
CEBU CITY, Philippines— Jesus “Boyet” Velez, the head coach of Abante Minglanilla, admitted that their sixth man, their home crowd, would be a massive factor for the winner-take-all Game 3 of the Rhea Gullas Cup First District of Cebu Inter-City/Municipality Basketball Tournament Best-of-Three finals on Saturday, March 23, at the Minglanilla Sports Complex. Talisay Aksyon.....»»
Stray cat critical after head struck by arrow
A STRAY cat in Davao City sustained a "life-threatening" injury after its head was struck by an arrow......»»
Davao Cenro underscores how trees mitigate rising temperatures
The Davao City Environment and Natural Resources Office (Cenro) recently underscored the vital role of trees in mitigating rising temperatures. In a radio interview, Christopher Asibal, chief of the Cenro Upland Community Project & Forest Management Section, explained that trees and humans have a symbiotic relationship. Trees provide oxygen for humans to breathe, while humans help trees by absorbing their carbon dioxide. Asibal also noted various environmental ordinances in the city, particularly the recent Heritage Tree Ordinance, which aims to protect trees that hold significant value for both the city and the environment. He urged Dabawenyos who have trees in their areas to take proper care of them, especially during the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Election (BSKE) period when campaigners often attach banners to trees. Asibal said that any injury to a tree can serve as an entry point for fungi, leading to the tree's deterioration......»»
SC absolves Resorts World gunman
The lone gunman in the Resort’s World tragedy in 2017 that resulted in the death of more than 30 individuals and injured 54 others got a favorable decision from the Supreme Court as the guilty verdict for dishonesty in his Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth was reversed. The reversal came six years after the death of Jessie Javier Carlos, the gunman, who was given a guilty verdict for dishonesty when he was still a government employee. The SC en banc, in a 16-page decision, promulgated on 18 April, reversed and set aside the October 2015 decision of the Court of Appeals after it found that the government failed to comply with procedures under Republic Act 6713, or the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees. It also set aside the penalty of dismissal from service, with accessory penalties of cancellation of eligibility, forfeiture of retirement benefits, and perpetual disqualification for reemployment imposed against Carlos. “In making the clarifications in this present case, this Court is not, in any way, tolerating the concealment of ill-gotten wealth,” the SC said. “Strict compliance with Section 10 of Republic Act 6713 precisely allows the government to weed out simple, correctible errors from actually deliberate, sinister attempts to conceal ill-gotten wealth,” it later added. The deceased Carlos was a former tax specialist at the Department of Finance — One-Stop Shop Tax Credit and Duty Drawback Center on a contractual basis. The Office of the Ombudsman found him guilty of grave misconduct and gross neglect of duty in 2012 for failing to disclose several assets. In 2015, the CA granted in part his petition and found him guilty of dishonesty. Carlos, however, argued that he was not given the opportunity to correct his alleged omissions or mistakes. For its part, the SC said Carlos cannot be held liable for omissions or errors in his SALNs because the government failed to comply with the review and compliance procedure under RA 6713 and he was not given the opportunity to correct his SALN. “The foregoing review and compliance mechanism is mandatory. Without compliance with it, liability for failure to file, or for omissions or errors in SALNs will not attach,” the SC said. It added the reporting individual cannot be subjected to disciplinary action without being informed of their errors or omissions, and also being afforded an opportunity to comply. After his 2017 attack at the Resorts World Manila that led to the deaths of scores of individuals and injuries to others in a shooting rampage, Carlos took his own life. His family asked for forgiveness from the victims. The post SC absolves Resorts World gunman appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Deadly fire burning on car transport ship off Netherlands
Authorities were battling Wednesday a deadly blaze raging aboard a car carrier ship off the Netherlands, sparking fears of ecological damage to a fragile nearby island chain. The cargo aboard the vessel includes electric vehicles and a coastguard official told Dutch media that authorities were looking into whether the fire had started with one of them. Rescue personnel received a call shortly after midnight (2200 GMT Tuesday) saying a fire had started on the Fremantle Highway, a Panamanian-registered ship with 3,000 vehicles on board, about 14.5 nautical miles off the northern Dutch island of Ameland. "All 23 crew members have... been evacuated off the ship" with the use of helicopters and a boat, the Dutch coastguard said on its website. "The crew tried to put out the fire themselves, but failed. Unfortunately one person died and several others were injured," it added. At least seven crew members jumped overboard and were rescued from the water, while the rest were airlifted by helicopter. The Fremantle Highway is an 18,500-tonne car carrier ship and was sailing between Bremerhaven in Germany and Port Said in Egypt when the blaze broke out, according to the marinetraffic.com website. "The blaze is still raging on board," the coastguard said in a later update, adding that the ship was listing. The Fremantle Highway is currently close to Ameland, one of four ecologically sensitive Frisian islands, situated in the Waddensee area just north of the Dutch mainland. Environmental risk Also called the Frisian Islands, the area has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site and has a rich diversity of more than 10,000 aquatic and terrestrial species. This included more than 140 species of fish of which some 20 spent their entire life in the tidal areas along the islands' famous mud flats. The area also has a large seal and porpoise population. Should the Fremantle Highway sink, "it would be a disaster of the highest order," the daily tabloid De Telegraaf said. Salvage vessels were on the scene trying to put out the blaze and prevent the ship from sinking, the NOS national broadcaster said. Specialized firefighters were called from Rotterdam, who would be taken to the ship by helicopter. But the fire developed so quickly that it was no longer safe to bring those firefighters on board. A tug vessel has however managed to attach a cable to the stricken ship to prevent it from drifting and blocking an important sailing route into Germany, the NOS said. "We are taking into account all scenarios," a coastguard official told the NOS. The possible cause of the fire was an electric vehicle, one of some 25 on board, the official said. The injured sailors were taken to the northern towns of Lauwersoog and Eelde and left in the care of paramedics there. "They all suffered from breathing problems, but none are in serious danger," a safety official of the Drenthe region told AFP. "Currently several parties including salvagers and the Dutch authorities are looking at minimizing the damage as much as possible," the Coast Guard said. Some 340 containers tumbled off one of the world's largest container ships after a storm in the same area in early 2019, littering kilometers of pristine coastline with plastic and polystyrene. The most serious incident in recent times off the busy Dutch coast happened in December 2012 when the Bahamian-flagged car carrier Baltic Ice collided with a container ship and sank. Eleven sailors were killed in that incident. The post Deadly fire burning on car transport ship off Netherlands appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Faulty, defective accessories lead to road accidents—LTO
7,451 motorists were apprehended for various violation of traffic laws in the first half of 2023, the Land Transportation Office-National Capital Region (LTO-NCR) reported over the weekend. Of this numbers, LTO-NCR Regional Director Roque I. Verzosa III said. 837 individuals were found to be operating motor vehicles with faulty accessories, devices, equipment, and parts, violating the provisions of Republic Act 4136, also known as the Land Transportation and Traffic Code. Thus Verzosa issued a safety advisory, urging motorists to exercise caution and refrain from driving motor vehicles with defective accessories to mitigate the risk of accidents. According to Verzosa, driving motor vehicles with faulty or malfunctioning components can pose several dangers, including: malfunctioning of headlights, taillights, or turn signals can impair visibility, reducing other drivers' ability to see your vehicle's movements and increasing the likelihood of accidents. Faulty brake systems or worn-out brake pads can hinder your ability to stop the vehicle efficiently, resulting in longer stopping distances and an increased risk of collisions. Defective steering mechanisms or suspension components can diminish your control over the vehicle, heightening the chances of accidents, particularly during maneuvers like turning or sudden lane changes. Defective airbags, seat belts, or child safety restraints may not provide adequate protection in the event of an accident, significantly increasing the risk of injuries or fatalities for occupants. Malfunctioning wiring or electrical components can give rise to electrical malfunctions, such as fires or electrical shorts, can lead to vehicle breakdowns or accidents on the road. Malfunctioning accessories such as horns, wipers, or emergency lights can impede your ability to effectively communicate or respond in emergency situations, potentially endangering yourself and others. "It is crucial to address any defective accessory promptly by repairing or replacing it to ensure your safety and the safety of passengers and other road users," Verzosa said. The LTO-NCR chief said that based on their data, another 1,055 motorists were apprehended by personnel from the Regional Law Enforcement Unit (RLEU) and the District Law Enforcement Teams (DLET) for violating other provisions of Republic Act 4136. The majority of these motorists, according to Verzosa, were issued tickets for various violations such as failure to carry OR/CR while driving a motor vehicle (154); unregistered motor vehicle (131); disregarding traffic signs (122); unauthorized mv modification (100); reckless driving (95); driver wearing slippers (81); obstruction (44); failure to provide canvass cover to cargos or freight of trucks (39); driving without a valid driver's license (34); failure to attach motor vehicle license plates (28); no CPC (Certificate of Public Convenience) carried (23); allowing passengers on top or cover of a motor vehicle (18); motor vehicles operating with unauthorized accessories, devices, equipment, and parts (17); pick and drop passenger (16); breach of franchise (15); excess passenger (14); Illegal terminal (13); motor vehicle operating with improper accessories, devices, equipment, parts (12); driving without valid certificate of public convenience (11); improper attachment of mv license plates (10); no authorization to use improvised plate (10); unregistered topload (9); and disregarding traffic officer (9). Verzosa said other motorists were apprehended due to violations of R.A. 875O (failure to wear the prescribed seat belt device and failure to require the front passenger to wear a seatbelt device); and R. A. 10054 (failure to wear the standard protective motorcycle helmet and failure to require the back rider to wear the standard protective motorcycle helmet). He said a total of 881 motorists were apprehended for failure to wear the prescribed seat belt device, which falls under R.A. 8750. On the other hand, another 343 motorists were also apprehended for failing to wear the standard protective motorcycle helmet under R.A. 10054. The post Faulty, defective accessories lead to road accidents—LTO appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Proper authentication, must in recognition
As I have always emphasized in my articles, it is of utmost importance to strictly follow our rules of procedure in court. No matter how meritorious your case may be, you will not attain victory simply because of technical infirmities. Or you may achieve victory but once challenged, may lose it. It will be short-lived, which just sorely dampens your elation. Consider this case I will discuss with you. Petitioner Maricel L. Rivera was the wife of a Korean national, respondent Woo Namsun. The husband obtained a divorce in South Korea. To capacitate her to remarry, the petitioner-wife filed a petition for recognition of a foreign decree — the divorce judgment, with our courts in Quezon City. Petitioner attached to her petition the required documents for the grant of recognition. After due proceedings, the trial court gave her the nod. The Office of the Solicitor-General, representing the State, however, did not agree. It asserted that the petitioner did not follow the technical requirements as mandated. Accordingly, the court must reconsider its decision and deny recognition. Over the objection of the OSG, the court stood pat on its decision. It decreed that it would be unfair for the petitioner to stay married simply because of technicalities. Dissatisfied, the OSG posed the question before the Court of Appeals. The appellate court reversed the trial court. It opined that if technical rules are not followed, the recognition of the foreign judgment must be denied. It was thus the petitioner-wife’s turn to seek relief from the Highest Court. The Supreme Court, after looking into the issues, had this to say. “As the foreign divorce decree allegedly issued by the Seoul Family Court, as well as the Civil Act of South Korea, purports to be official acts of sovereign authority, they may be established by complying with the requirements of Section 24 and 25, Rule 132 of the Rules of Court. Otherwise stated, to prove the foreign judgment and the law on which it was based, the Section requires proof, either by (1) official publications; or (2) copies attested by the officer having legal custody of the documents. Should the copies of official records be proven to be stored outside of the Philippines, they must be accompanied by a certificate issued by the proper diplomatic or consular officer in the Philippine foreign service stationed in the foreign country in which the record is kept; and (2) authenticated by the seal of his office. “If copies are offered into evidence, the attestation: (1) must state that is a correct copy of the original or a specific part thereof; and (2) must be under the official seal of the attesting officer, or if he be the clerk of a court, under such seal of said court. In the instant case, petitioner failed to satisfy the foregoing requirements. To prove the fact of divorce, petitioner presented notarized copies of the said judgment with both English and Korean translations. Attached thereto is a letter of confirmation by the Embassy of the Republic of South Korea in the Philippines, which was signed by Chin Hyuun Yong, as counselor and consul, as well as an Authentication Certificate by the DFA. This Court cannot deny the insufficiency of the evidence presented. “While Chin Hyun Yong may be a counselor or consul of South Korea, his capacity as such cannot be construed by this Court to mean that he is an officer having legal custody of the judgment of divorce. In fact, the Authentication Certificate issued by the DFA only certifies that the latter was, at the time of signing, a counselor and consul of the Embassy of the Republic of South Korea. “Glaringly, nothing in the submitted documents would even lead this Court to assume that he was indeed the legal custodian of the judgment of divorce as contemplated by the Rules. Woefully, Chin Yun Hong is, therefore, in no position to attest that the judgment of divorce as found in the records is a genuine and correct copy of the original or a specific part thereof. Contrary to petitioner’s insistence that the records are found in the Philippines, it cannot be denied that the judgment of divorce is found abroad, being an official record of the Seoul Family Court. Being stored outside of the Philippines, the said judgment should have been accompanied by a certificate issued by a Philippine diplomatic or consular officer stationed in South Korea, which must be authenticated by his seal – this, petitioner failed to attach. “On the other hand, to prove the law of South Korea as a fact, petitioner offered in evidence a copy of the Civil Act of South Korea, a letter of confirmation from the Embassy of the Republic of South Korea in the Philippines, and an Authentication Certificate for the DFA. The law suffers the same fate as the judgment. Aside from being authenticated by Chin Hyun Yong, who to reiterate, is in no position to ensure its existence, there is no implication that the signature appearing thereon is genuine.” As can be gleaned above, petitioner Maricel already had the favorable judgment in her hands. And yet, of failure to comply with proper authentication, she lost her victory and had to go through this long process. In the end, the Supreme Court upheld the Court of Appeals. It, however, gave her a second chance by remanding the case back to the trial court for further proceedings. This time, she is given a chance to do it right. And do it right she must. The facts and quoted decision are from Maricel Rivera v. Woo Namsun (G.R. No. 248355 promulgated on November 23, 2021) The post Proper authentication, must in recognition appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
After SpaceX, NASA taps Bezos’s Blue Origin to build Moon lander
Two years after awarding Elon Musk's SpaceX a contract to ferry astronauts to the surface of the Moon, NASA on Friday announced it had chosen Blue Origin, a rival space company founded by billionaire Jeff Bezos, to build a second lunar lander. Blue Origin's lander was selected for the Artemis 5 mission, currently scheduled to take place in 2029. The company will first have to demonstrate it can safely land on the Moon without a crew. Bezos, the founder and former CEO of Amazon, said on Twitter he was "honored to be on this journey with @NASA to land astronauts on the Moon -- this time to stay." The contract amounts to $3.4 billion, but John Couluris, vice president in charge of lunar transport at Blue Origin, said during a press conference that the company would itself contribute "well north" of that amount to develop the craft. The Artemis program marks NASA's return to the Moon after more than 50 years and is made up of several missions, each with increasing complexity. In 2021, the US agency chose SpaceX to build a lander for Artemis 3, the first mission in the series to have actual astronauts set foot on the lunar surface. The contract was worth $2.9 billion, although SpaceX is supplementing that amount with its own funding. Blue Origin had also competed for the first contract and filed an unsuccessful lawsuit against NASA when SpaceX was chosen as the sole lander provider. The space agency had originally intended to offer two contracts, a practice commonly used to guard against the possibility one fails, but said it had been constrained by budget concerns. NASA in 2022 also chose the SpaceX lander for its Artemis 4 mission, but at the same time requested submissions from other companies for the rest of the program. "We want more competition. We want two landers," NASA boss Bill Nelson said on Friday. "It means that you have reliability. You have backups." Blue Origin's lander, dubbed Blue Moon, is being developed with several partner companies, including Draper, Boeing, Astrobotic, Honeybee Robotics, and Lockheed Martin. The latter will be responsible for developing a crucial element. Once in lunar orbit, Blue Moon will need to be refueled before it can descend and collect the astronauts from the surface of the Moon. Therefore Lockheed Martin has to develop a kind of shuttle to refuel Blue Moon around the Moon. Blue Origin plans to use its New Glenn rocket, which has never flown before, to launch both its lander and this refueling shuttle. Artemis 4, scheduled for 2028, and Artemis 5 a year later will both land on the Moon, but will first pass through a new space station in lunar orbit, called Gateway, which has yet to be constructed. Prelude to Mars Artemis astronauts will take off aboard NASA's Orion capsule, propelled to the Moon by the agency's new SLS mega-rocket. Both these elements were tested uncrewed when Artemis 1 took place six months ago and will be tested with the crew during Artemis 2. For Artemis 3, Orion will dock directly to SpaceX's lander. Two astronauts will then descend on the Moon for about a week, while two others will remain on board Orion. Once their experiments are over, the two adventurers will go back in the lander to Orion, which will bring the four crew members back to Earth. Afterward, Orion will attach to the Gateway space station, and the astronauts will pass through it before boarding the SpaceX lander, for Artemis 4, or Blue Origin for Artemis 5. All of these missions target the south pole of the Moon, where there is water in the form of ice. SpaceX's lander will be a modified version of its Starship spacecraft, currently under development in Texas. It exploded in flight during a first major test in April. The goal of the Artemis program is to learn to live on the Moon, in order to test out all the technologies necessary for an even more perilous journey: to Mars. The post After SpaceX, NASA taps Bezos’s Blue Origin to build Moon lander appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Filed out of time
Here you see the strict application of the rules of procedure; where non-compliance results in the disallowance of the review of the merits of a case You may have noticed that I usually write about annulment cases. What I write about today is also about annulment but has nothing to do with the merits of the case. Rather, it focuses on the procedure involved in annulment, and how crucial compliance is. As I emphasized before, rules of procedure must be strictly followed. Its compliance can mean the case’s victory; while non-compliance, its demise. In Republic of the Philippines v. Teresita I. Salinas (G.R. 238308 promulgated on 12 October 2022), the wife filed for an annulment. After due proceedings, the court granted the petition and accordingly, declared her marriage null and void. The Office of the Solicitor General or OSG, however, disagreed. It filed a motion for reconsideration. The court denied its motion on 27 July 2015. The OSG received the denial on 4 August 2015. Under the rules, any appeal should be done within 15 days from receipt of the order. Thus, the OSG had until 19 August 2015. An appeal may be filed personally with the court or sent by registered mail to it. The OSG opted to mail. Problem is, it did so only on 5 October 2015, said date having been stamped on the envelope by the post office where the notice of appeal was mailed. This filing date is obviously way beyond the 19 August 2015 deadline. Naturally, the court denied the appeal ruling it was time-barred. The OSG elevated the matter before the Court of Appeals. Upon review, the appellate court did not grant the appellant its nod. It was of the considered view that the OSG was not able to timely appeal its cause. This is even though the OSG presented its official records showing that the appeal was filed within the prescribed period. Not being sustained by the appellate court, the OSG had no other source of relief but the Supreme Court. Failure to obey leads to a case’s sudden end no matter how meritorious it is. When this issue was posed, the Highest Court ruled, “plainly, the pleading’s filing date can be proved either by (1) the post stamp on the envelope, which is considered part of the records; or, (2) the registry receipt. Thus, no grave abuse of discretion can be imputed to the RTC in considering the date stamped on the envelope of the Republic’s Notice of Appeal, which was 5 October 2015, as the date of the filing. Contrary to the CA’s ruling, the photocopy of the OSG Inner Registered Sack Bill cannot be equated to a registry receipt nor given probative value. Unlike a registry receipt, the OSG’s Inner Registered Sack Bill was not issued or signed by the postmaster or any authorized receiving personnel of the concerned post office; hence, unverified to be authentic. It was merely a list of mail matters supposedly sent out by the OSG with corresponding entry and registry numbers, addresses, and posting dates. “Thus, even if we admit the authenticity of the OSG Inner Sack Bill, it cannot be a sufficient basis to conclude that the mail matter pertaining to the Notice of Appeal listed on it was actually dispatched and received by the Ermita Post Office on 18 August 2015. The Republic attempted to bolster its claim of timely filing by presenting a Certification issued by the Ermita Post Office postmaster. Contrary to the Republic’s argument, this certification does not suffice to prove that it filed its Notice of Appeal on 18 August 2015 given that a different date appears on the envelope containing such pleading. “We reiterate, under Section 3, Rule 13 of the Rules, the date of filing is shown either in the post office stamp on the envelope or the registry receipt. Thus, while the postmaster’s certification is usually sufficient proof of mailing, its evidentiary value is different in this case as it is not merely intended to prove the fact of mailing, but to prove that the date stamped on the pleading’s envelope was either incorrect due to the post office’s inadvertence or not stamped by the post office. “We stress, the envelope and the date appearing on it is made part of the records; hence, it carries the presumption that the date stamped on it was done in the course of the official duties that have been regularly performed, unless proven otherwise. Starkly, the Certification is bereft of any explanation as to the discrepancy between the date appearing on the envelope and the date stated in the Certification. “At this juncture, it is noteworthy that the Republic provided us with no means of ascertaining whether the RTC erred in appreciating the genuineness of the date appearing on the envelope since it did not attach the Notice of Appeal with the affidavit of service, if any, and the subject envelope. Note that even the pertinent RTC orders were attached to this petition for our reference and evaluation. Hence, we are constrained to uphold the factual findings of the RTC, which was able to actually see the questioned document/s.” Here you see the strict application of the rules of procedure; where non-compliance results in the disallowance of the review of the merits of a case. It is imperative to adhere strictly to these rules to avoid any fatal technical infirmity. Failure to obey leads to a case’s sudden end no matter how meritorious it is. The facts and ruling are from the case cited above. The post Filed out of time appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»