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Bill seeks removing scams, stop mules
A measure seeking to penalize individuals engaged in money muling, social engineering schemes, and other fraudulent financial scams was filed in the Senate recently. Senate Bill 2407 or an “Anti-Financial Account Scamming Act” targets to align policies on the administration’s commitment to expand digital transactions, safeguarding the public from scammers and abusive online lenders. “We need to protect the integrity of the country’s financial system and ensure that financial accounts and their owners are protected and are not exploited or lured by cybercriminals or criminal syndicates into the commission of an unlawful or fraudulent activity,” a senator said, highlighting the importance of the significance of cashless transactions and digital payments during the Covid-19 pandemic. The rapid growth and popularity of digital financial services also prompted the rise of financial-related cybercrimes. “Cybercriminals took advantage of technologies to transfer illicit or stolen funds across digital financial services, steal vital information about account holders and take the goal of covertly committing financial crimes,” he said. Senators stressed the need to enact a measure that imposes penalties on individuals “who willingly become conduits for illicit transactions, those who engage in manipulative social engineering tactics and other deceitful schemes” that compromise financial accounts. The post Bill seeks removing scams, stop mules appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Senate bill filed to address increasing money mules, financial scams
Senator Win Gatchalian on Wednesday filed a measure seeking to penalize individuals engaged in money muling, social engineering schemes, and other fraudulent financial scams. Gatchalian said the Senate Bill 2407 or an “Anti-Financial Account Scamming Act” targets to align policies on the administration’s commitment to expand digital transactions, safeguarding the public from scammers and abusive online lenders. “We need to protect the integrity of the country’s financial system and ensure that financial accounts and their owners are protected and are not exploited or lured by cybercriminals or criminal syndicates into the commission of an unlawful or fraudulent activity,” the senator said, highlighting the importance of the significance of cashless transactions and digital payments during the Covid-19 pandemic. Gatchalian lamented the rapid growth and popularity of digital financial services also prompted the rise of financial-related cybercrimes. “Cybercriminals started taking advantage of technologies to transfer illicit or stolen funds across digital financial services, stealing vital information about account holders and taking over their accounts, or enticing account holders with gifts and incentives with the goal of covertly committing financial crimes,” he said. Gatchalian stressed the pressing need to enact a measure that imposes penalties on individuals “who are willingly become conduits for illicit transactions, those who engage in manipulative social engineering tactics and other deceitful schemes” that compromise financial accounts. He added that such encompasses actions such as account takeover, recruiting or enlisting others to commit these acts, and perpetration of these acts on a significant scale comparable to economic sabotage that jeopardizes the security of Filipinos’ financial accounts and the integrity of the country’s financial system. “For the past 3 years, the unsuspecting public lost millions of their hard-earned money to these cybercriminals,” Gatchalian said. As an example, Gatchalian cited the “Mark Nagoyo” scam event wherein more than 700 BDO Unibank customers’ accounts were hacked in late 2021. These unauthorized bank transfers targeted government teachers with Landbank accounts in January last year in which the victims lost between P26,000 to P121,000 from the incident and the massive phishing incident involving GCash users in May this year. “Operations of cybercriminals grew on a large scale, taking advantage of the unemployed, those who are looking for easy money, those who are unaware, and those who are willing to help others, and thriving in jurisdictions with very weak enforcements and penalties like the Philippines,” he noted. In fact, Kaspersky Security Network’s 2022 Report showed that the Philippines ranked 2nd among countries most attacked by web threats in 2022 and the most preferred attack method which includes social engineering schemes. The post Senate bill filed to address increasing money mules, financial scams appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Passage of anti-online piracy bill pushed
President Marcos should certify as urgent the passage of anti-online piracy legislation now pending in the Senate to address online piracy, a consumer advocacy group said......»»
Improved tax system aims to double revenues by 2028
The Department of Finance on Thursday wants to improve the tax system in the country during the Marcos Administration to achieve the country's medium-term fiscal framework targets. At the start of the 2024 budget deliberations at the House of Representatives, Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno said the government eyed nearly doubling the tax revenues by 2028. To achieve this, the Finance Chief wants Congress to pass several bills related to the tax measures under the Marcos administration. These include the military and uniformed personnel pension, excise tax on single-use plastics, excise tax on sweetened beverages and junk food, rationalization of mining fiscal regime, VAT on digital service providers, carbon taxation, capital market development bill, motor vehicle road users tax, and tax on pre-mixed alcohol. "These tax revenue measures will enable us to raise revenues totaling P120.5 billion or 0.5 percent of GDP in 2024 and P183.2 billion or 0.6 percent of GDP in 2026," Diokno explained to the lawmakers. He added that the tax revenue is projected to increase from P3.5 trillion in 2023 (14.4 percent of gross domestic product) to P6.5 trillion in 2028 (16.9 percent of GDP). Diokno also mentioned that the non-tax revenue is expected to increase to P183.7 billion in 2028 from P191.1 billion in 2023. The Finance Chief mentioned that the Bureau of Customs has already adopted tax administration measures such as anti-smuggling initiatives, Computer-Aided Risk Management System, and customs modernization program, and fuel marking program. Meanwhile, Diokno said the Bureau of Internal Revenue has already adopted tax administration measures such as broadening of tax base, digital transformation (DX) roadmap, nationwide raid of illegal cigarettes and vapor products, Oplan Kandado, the Run After Tax Evaders (RATE) program, and the Run After Fake Transactions (RAFT) programs. The post Improved tax system aims to double revenues by 2028 appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Escudero to TESDA: Offer ‘tailor-fit’ training to former drug dependents
The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority should offer training and livelihood programs ‘solely’ for former drug dependents who have undergone rehabilitation, said Senator Francis Escudero on Tuesday. Escudero made the recommendation after a meeting with the members of the Senate Committee on Higher, Technical, and Vocational Education and TESDA officials earlier the day. In a public hearing, the Senate panel discussed Senate Bill 2115 and its counterpart House Bill 7721—both proposed measures seeking to institutionalize technical-vocational education and training or TVET and livelihood programs for former drug dependents— an anti-drug campaign that reintegrates them into the mainstream society. The senator said that he was surprised to learn that TESDA does not have any exclusive livelihood and training program for rehabilitated drug users. "If we will institutionalize TESDA's training and livelihood programs for rehabilitated drug dependents, we might as well design something that will specifically cater to them,” Escudero said. During the discussion, TESDA representative Joyce Balong confirmed that the government only prioritizes former drug users in their existing livelihood and training programs. Hence, Escudero ordered the consolidation of the two bills and referred them to a technical working group or TWG so they can better specify the training or livelihood programs that fit exclusively for rehabilitated or former drug dependents. Escudero also instructed the TWG to consider the existing Memorandum of Understanding or Memorandum of Agreement of the Dangerous Drug Board in formulating the new ‘tailored-fit’ programs for the rehabilitated drug dependents, partnering with various government bodies including the Department of Labor and Employment, the Commission on Higher Education and TESDA. Escudero is also rallying for possible additional functions for CHED in the institutionalization of such programs in support of Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002. He said there’s a need to create sustainable programs for the treatment and rehabilitation of individuals who have fallen victim to drug abuse or dangerous drug dependence. The TESDA records showed almost 9,000 former drug dependents were awarded scholarships in 2021, with more than 8,000 of them successfully completing various courses initiated by the TVET program. Escudero agreed with Senator Christopher “Bong” Go, the author of Senate Bill 2115, to include the crafting of exclusive training and livelihood modules for the former drug dependents in the proposed measure. SB 2115 seeks the institutionalization of TESDA's programs as a vital component of the recovery journey of the former drug dependent. “This will allow them to find meaningful employment and rebuild their lives,” said Escudero. The post Escudero to TESDA: Offer ‘tailor-fit’ training to former drug dependents appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Man yields 10 shabu sachets
A 29-year-old guy was apprehended during a buy-bust operation conducted by anti-drug operatives in Taguig on Saturday. The drug sting was carried out by the Taguig Police’s Drug Enforcement Unit at 1:10 a.m. on Abad Street in Barangay South Signal, according to Southern Police District chief Brig. Gen. Roderick Mariano. Police identified the suspect as Alvin Isagon. Recovered from him were 10 plastic sachets containing suspected shabu totaling 40 grams and valued at P272,000, as well as the P500 bill used as buy-bust money, during the operation. Isagon was taken to the Taguig police station custody facility and will be charged with violating Republic Act 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002. The post Man yields 10 shabu sachets appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
2 PBBM priority bills pressed for House okay
Two bills President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. listed in his wish list in Congress have been lobbied in the House of Representatives a day after the Chief Executive named it in his second State of the Nation Address. The proposed Tatak-Pinoy (Proudly Filipino) law and the Anti-Agricultural Smuggling Act, among Mr. Marcos’ 17 priority legislation that he asked Congress to enact, were embodied in House Bills 8601 and 8600, respectively, filed on 25 July by Quezon Rep. Keith Micah Tan. Marcos, during his second SoNA on Monday, bared before Congress his 17 priority bills in his second year in office, seeking its legislative power for its enactment. Seven of the total measures have already hurdled the lower chamber, with the remaining ten expected to be passed in October and December, confirmed by Speaker Martin Romualdez. Tan’s HB 8601 calls for the creation, funding, and implementation of the Tatak Pinoy Strategy by the Tatak Pinoy Council composed of the National Economic and Development Authority’s director general and Departments of Trade and Industry and Finance’s secretary. “The goal is to make the country competent in producing and offering complex or sophisticated products and services in order to empower the economic sector to branch out into other forms of complex production and economic activity towards jumpstarting national development that is anchored in the ingenuity of the Filipinos,” the lawmaker said in filing the bill. The proposal aims to make Filipino-made products, goods, and services competitive in the global market. Meanwhile, HB 8600, among other similar bills filed in the House, intends to amend Republic Act 10845, or the Anti-Agricultural Smuggling Act of 2016. Among the provisions is the imposition of harsher penalties s on anyone found to have smuggled agricultural goods into the country, considering that no one has been prosecuted under existing laws despite the widespread smuggling of rice, sugar, onions, carrots, garlic, fish, and pork, Tan said. Last year, the government seized P1.2-billion of smuggled agricultural products. Also last year, the country experienced an agricultural shortage, primarily in onions, which soared as high as P500 to P700 per kilo during the last quarter of 2022. Earlier this week, Speaker Martin Romualdez has vowed that the House will approve four bills, including the Tatak Pinoy and Anti-Agricultural Smuggling before Congress goes into its first recess in October in the 10 priority measures that the chamber has yet to pass. The post 2 PBBM priority bills pressed for House okay appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Marcos’ anti-drug focus must improve
Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa hopes President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. will put more focus on the drug problem during the remainder of his term. “Just a little attention. I hope the drug situation will be taken care of,” Dela Rosa said shortly before Marcos delivered his second State of the Nation Address. “It is different if the Chief Executive himself will pay attention to the drug problem,” he stressed. In his SoNA, Marcos said the battle against illegal drugs will continue after the government launched the “Buhay Ingatan, Droga’y Ayawan” or BIDA program and will put up 102 Balay Silangan Reformation Centers nationwide. “The campaign against illegal drugs continues — but it has taken on a new face. It is now geared towards community-based treatment, rehabilitation, education, and reintegration, to curb drug dependence among our affected citizenry,” the President said. Marcos said the government will be relentless in the fight against drug syndicates by “shutting down their illegal activities and dismantling their network of operations.” “Unscrupulous law enforcers and others involved in the highly nefarious drug trade have been exposed. I will be accepting their resignations,” he said. The President vowed to install individuals of unquestionable integrity who will be effective and trustworthy in the task of eliminating the drug problem, which he described as a “dreaded and corrosive social curse.” “We cannot tolerate corruption or incompetence in government,” he added. Meanwhile, Dela Rosa believes Marcos will continue to support the push to revive the Reserve Officers Training Corps. “He already mentioned the ROTC [program] during his first SoNA. The ROTC bill is still pending, but I will continue pushing for it,” Dela Rosa said. Wowing ‘em all Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte wore a traditional Maguindanaon dress for the annual event. Her SoNA outfit was a Bangala paired with trousers and a flowing inaul or malong. It featured gold accessories that symbolize the wealth and abundance of Mindanao’s natural resources. The inaul is a Maguindanao fabric intricately handwoven using cotton and silk. It is a treasured cultural gem that profoundly reflects the pride, bravery, heritage, and history of the people of Maguindanao. During the first SoNA, Duterte wore a traditional Bagobo Tagabawa dress. She thanked Gov. Bai Mariam Mangudadatu of Maguindanao del Sur and Jearson Demavivas for their creative input that inspired her to wear a Maguindanaon traditional dress. Cotabato City-based designer Israel Ellah Ungkakay designed the dress. Ungkakay has been promoting the culture and tradition of the Moro people of Mindanao through his designs for 16 years after finishing college at the University of Southern Mindanao. He was recently recognized for his contributions to the promotion of Mindanao by the local government of Cotabato City. Travel sector highlighted Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco rated exceptional the President’s address as he highlighted the crucial role that tourism plays as a reliable pillar of economic growth, providing livelihood to more than 5 million Filipinos. “The President’s ‘whole-of-nation’ approach to development we take as an affirmation of his administration’s thrust towards strengthened tourism governance between and among all stakeholders of the tourism industry,” she said. “As an industry that banks and thrives on the scale of infrastructure development, we are elated to know the President’s continuing commitment to connect all prospective sites of economic development,” she added. Marcos said the stress on tourism will spur the sector’s development countrywide, and consequently, create more livelihood opportunities for Filipinos. The post Marcos’ anti-drug focus must improve appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
House to prioritize LEDAC-approved bills
The House of Representatives reconvened for the second regular session of the 19th Congress on Monday after a nearly two-month break. Speaker Martin Romualdez, leading the plenary, assured the Executive department that the legislature would prioritize the bills approved by the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council or LEDAC during its second meeting. LEDAC-endorsed bills are in line with the Marcos government’s Agenda for Prosperity or socio-economic policy. “We face the remaining bills in the LEDAC priority list with enthusiasm and optimism, steadfast in our determination to transform these initiatives into concrete laws for the benefit of our fellow Filipinos,” Romualdez told his peers during his speech hours before the President delivered his second State of the Nation Address. Three hundred eleven congressmen responded in the roll call during the opening of the session. Negros Oriental Rep. Arnie Teves was not around due to his suspension. “Our unwavering aim is to realize them before the year ends. We stay committed to spurring economic growth, alleviating poverty, augmenting healthcare services, and fostering job opportunities for our fellow countrymen,” he continued. The House leader, cousin of the President, is referring to 20 LEDAC bills, namely, amendments to the BOT Law or Public-Private Partnership bill; National Disease Prevention Management Authority; Internet Transactions Act or E-Commerce Law; Health Emergency Auxiliary Reinforcement Team Act, formerly Medical Reserve Corps; Virology Institute of the Philippines; Mandatory ROTC and National Service Training Program; Revitalizing the Salt Industry; Valuation Reform; and E-Government and E-Governance. Completing the LEDAC list are the Ease of Paying Taxes Equally; National Government Rightsizing Program; Unified System of Separation/Retirement and Pension of Military and Other Uniformed Personnel; LGU Income: Classification; Waste-to-Energy Bill; New Philippine Passport Act; Magna Carta of Filipino Seafarers; National Employment Action Plan; Amendments to the Anti-Agricultural Smuggling Act; Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas-endorsed Bank Deposit Secrecy; and Anti-Financial Account Scamming Act. Aside from the LEDAC, the House said it would keep its eyes on how the newly enacted New Agrarian Emancipation Act (RA 11953), inked by the President last 7 July, is being implemented. “It is equally imperative to address the issues confronting our agricultural sector in the soonest possible time. We will redouble our efforts to stop the smuggling of rice, sugar, and onions, which harms our farmers’ competitiveness and disrupts the agricultural value chain,” said Romualdez, among the principal authors of RA 11953. “We shall safeguard our farmers’ interests, ensure equitable market conditions, and foster sustainable farming methods to ensure our nation’s food security.” The law wrote off "all principal loans, unpaid amortization, and interest" of 610,054 agrarian reform beneficiaries totaling P57 billion from the time of the President's late father, Ferdinand E. Marcos Sr. The post House to prioritize LEDAC-approved bills appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Marcos seeks Congress support on 12 key bills
In his second State of the Nation Address delivered at the House of Representatives on Monday, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. sought Congress' support to pass 12 pieces of legislation that would influence the economy, agriculture, fisheries, local government as well as transparency in government. He asked for support from the members of the Senate and the House of Representatives to pass and amend the excise tax on single-use plastics, VAT on digital services, rationalization of mining fiscal regime, motor vehicle user’s charge/road user’s tax, and military and uniformed personnel pension that all fall under the country’s Medium-Term Fiscal Framework. Congress, Marcos said, should also amend the Fisheries Code (RA 8550), the Anti-Agricultural Smuggling Act (10845) and the Cooperative Code (RA 9520) to combat the woes that hound the agriculture sector and direct affects the Filipino consumers. “Our Fisheries Code must be revised to incorporate and strengthen science-based analysis and determination of fishing areas. This approach will protect both the interests of our fisherfolk and our fisheries and aquatic resources,” Marcos said. “To this end, we will seek the support of Congress to amend the Code to guarantee the sustainable development of our fisheries sector in harmony with environmental balance,” he added. The Chief Executive also vowed to intensify efforts to prevent agricultural smuggling and hoarding, which he said continue to hurt Filipinos’ pockets. During the last quarter of 2022, prices of agricultural products, particularly onion, soared to as high as P500 to P700 per kilo. This prompted the House to to start a probe in January and to expedite the passage of a bill that would amend the Anti-Agricultural Smuggling Act. Meanwhile, the legislature must also enact a New Government Procurement Law and New Government Auditing Code, “ to make government procurement and auditing more attuned to these changing times,” Marcos said. “We will give effect to the mandate of the Constitution and the Local Government Code, as clarified by the Supreme Court, very soon. Almost all the required Devolution Transition Plans of the LGUs are done. To fully prepare them for optimal devolution, the necessary technical and financial assistance is being extended to our local governments,” he added. The other priority bills he laid out during his speech were on anti-financial accounts scamming, the Tatak-Pinoy (Proudly Filipino) law, The Blue Economy law, ease of paying taxes, LGU income classification and The Philippine Immigration Act. The post Marcos seeks Congress support on 12 key bills 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......»»
Philippines’ Marcos signs $9 bn wealth fund into law
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos on Tuesday signed into law a bill creating a $9 billion sovereign wealth fund aimed at boosting economic growth and infrastructure spending, but critics warned it will be prone to misuse. Marcos had pushed Congress for swift approval of the bill, which was filed by his son and cousin late last year. During a signing ceremony at the presidential palace, Marcos said the fund would "leverage a small fraction" of the government's money without adding to the country's debt burden. "We will leverage on a small fraction of the considerable but underutilized investable funds of government and stimulate the economy without the disadvantage of having additional fiscal and debt burden," Marcos said, less a week before he is due to deliver his second State of the Nation address. But a small group of protesters rallied near the palace in opposition to the law, claiming the fund was a "deception" and would put public money "in danger". The 500-billion-peso "Maharlika Investment Fund" will draw most of its funds from the national government, including the central bank, gaming revenue and two state-owned banks. Private banks and companies will also be allowed to invest. The original proposal was for a $4.9 billion fund that would be partly bankrolled by state-run pensions for government and private-sector workers, sparking public fears that retirement savings could be put at risk. The final version of the bill approved by Congress in May said pension funds would not have to contribute. The fund will be allowed to make a wide range of investments, including in corporate bonds, equities, joint ventures, and infrastructure projects. Marcos said Tuesday the fund would help the government achieve its economic growth targets and reduce reliance on foreign borrowings to pay for new roads and bridges. He insisted the fund would be transparent and only top finance professionals would be hired to manage it. "I assure you that the resources entrusted to the fund are taken care of with utmost prudence and integrity," Marcos said. Conventional sovereign wealth funds are seeded by windfall government profits from natural resources such as oil or minerals. The word "maharlika" is widely associated with Marcos Jr's late dictator father and namesake, who presided over widespread human rights abuses and corruption during his two decades in power. He was ousted in 1986. Marcos Sr claimed to have led an anti-Japanese guerrilla unit called Ang Mga Maharlika during World War II, but he has been accused of lying about his war record. mff/amj/dan © Agence France-Presse The post Philippines’ Marcos signs $9 bn wealth fund into law appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Tribune, Marcos share good gov’t journey (17)
“Without fear or favor,” was how former Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. chose the Daily Tribune motto in justifying his vote for the acquittal of Chief Justice Renato Corona in the 2012 impeachment trial. Marcos was one of three senators, the others being Miriam Defensor Santiago and Joker Arroyo, who voted to acquit, against 20 who voted to convict Corona. The senator-judges voted only on article 2 of the original eight charges in the impeachment complaint, which was Corona’s “failure to disclose to the public his statement of assets, liabilities and net worth as required under the Constitution.” When Corona passed away in 29 April 2016, Marcos said that he had been a victim of a “great injustice.” “It is unfortunate that at the time of his death, he was still under this cloud that had remained above him since the impeachment trial,” Marcos lamented. He stressed that Corona was clearly a casualty of “selective justice.” History validated the points Marcos made as it was revealed that money was passed around, straight from a Palace slush fund, to influence the vote to oust Corona. In defense of his vote in the impeachment court, Marcos cited Lady Justice who “wears a blindfold for a reason.” “She is to render judgment based on law and evidence without regard to the circumstances and personalities of the parties involved,” he noted. He said that like Lady Justice, the senator-judges were bound to dispense justice “without fear or favor.” “An impeachment trial is sui generis. But, be that as it may, the Bill of Rights stands supreme over all the powers of government, including the power to impeach, and nowhere is this precept more opposite than in this case, where the government has mustered all the resources at its disposal not only to secure evidence against the chief justice but further to ensure his conviction,” Marcos had noted. He indicated that the crucial issues that had piqued the interest of the senator-judges, as well as of the public, “were outside the original ambit of the impeachment complaint” and were raised only after the filing of the complaint. “Evidence in some of these issues came from questionable sources, beginning with the unidentified ‘little lady’ who supplied documents anonymously, leaving them on gates and in mailboxes.” The “little lady” was later identified as a journalist who was doing errands for the Liberal Party to pin Corona and fulfill the wish of the late President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III to have the chief justice removed. Marcos said that “at the expense of the sub judice rule, evidence was presented to the public on several occasions even before they were formally offered before this court.” “Worse, information was grossly exaggerated with the apparent intention to predispose the public mind against the chief justice,” Marcos pointed out. He cited as an example the Land Registration Authority report with the “discredited” list of 45 properties and the unauthenticated Anti-Money Laundering Council report claiming that the chief justice had $10 million. Fair, impartial and just Still, Marcos said the chief justice sufficiently addressed the accusations against him with regard to the filing of his Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth and the disclosure of his real properties and peso deposits. Relative to his dollar deposits, the chief justice believed that he was under no legal duty to declare them pursuant to Republic Act 6426 which affords absolute confidentiality to all foreign currency depositors, Marcos indicated. “In view of the ambiguous situation created by the concurrent application of the 1987 Constitution, the SALN law and the FCDU law, and absent a determinative judicial pronouncement that resolves the contrary positions in this legal issue, the chief justice must be presumed to have acted in good faith,” Marcos said. He pointed out that “it has been held that not all omissions and misdeclarations in the SALN amount to dishonesty.” “When the furor has died down and this political storm has subsided, I know that like Lady Justice we shall find solace in the fact that this decision, though it may be not popular, was fair, impartial and just,” Marcos declared. The post Tribune, Marcos share good gov’t journey (17) appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
LIST: 20 measures prioritized for passage by December 2023
Some of the measures that the president and leaders of Congress agreed to pass by December 2023 are the Mandatory ROTC bill, Magna Carta for Filipino Seafarers bill and a bill amending the Anti-Agricultural Smuggling Act......»»
BSP insists on Anti-Financial Account Scamming, Bank Deposit Secrecy bills
The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) has suggested adding a new measure to the priority bills of the Marcos administration that would give the BSP the power to open bank accounts suspected of being involved in money laundering and terrorism, Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman said on Wednesday. In a phone interview with reporters after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. convened the Legislative Executive Development Advisory Council, Pangandaman said BSP wanted the Anti-Financial Account Scamming Bill and the Bank Deposit Secrecy Bill to be included in the administration's legislative priorities. "We are the only country left in the world that hasn't passed our bank secrecy. It was only Lebanon and the Philippines. But Lebanon passed it last year. So we need to have one. And the Anti-Financial Account Scamming Act or the AFASA bill," Pangandaman said. Pangandaman explained that the Bank Deposit Secrecy bill would be beneficial in cases related to money laundering or when evidence and documents are required for court proceedings. She added the BSP would be able to share this information with various entities such as the Securities Exchanges Commission, the Department of Justice, the Anti-Money Laundering Council, and other courts and agencies. On the other hand, the AFASA bill aims to act as a deterrent for cybercriminals, as explained by the Secretary. Pangandaman added that the bill would impose penalties on those who engage in these activities. She said that the bill is also being drafted in response to the increasing prevalence of hacking incidents. "I think this is when there are problems with phishing and money mules, which will be penalized by the law," Pangandaman said. Pangandaman provided a list of the key measures that the administration intends to pass by December 2023. These measures include: 1. Amendments of the BOT Law/PPP bill 2. National Disease Prevention Management Authority 3. Internet Transactions Act/E-Commerce Law 4. Medical Reserve Corps 5. Virology Institute of the Philippines 6. Mandatory ROTC and NSTP 7. Revitalizing the Salt Industry 8. Valuation Reform 9. E-Government/E-Governance Act 10. Ease of Paying Taxes 11. National Government Rightsizing Program 12. Unified System of Separation, Retirement and Pension of MUPS 13. LGU Income Classification 14. Waste-to-Energy bill 15. New Philippine Passport Act 16. Magna Carta of Filipino Seafarers 17. National Employment Action Plan 18. Amendments to the Anti-Agricultural Smuggling Act In a separate statement, Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri said they had a productive LEDAC meaning. " President Marcos was very participative, with his questions on the problems and bottlenecks in some of the bills,” Zubiri said. The post BSP insists on Anti-Financial Account Scamming, Bank Deposit Secrecy bills appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Challenges in Antitrust Law
The passage of the Philippine Competition Act or PCA was a watershed moment for Philippine competition policy. Before its passage, Philippine antitrust laws were scattered into about 30 different laws with outdated provisions and hardly any jurisprudence. In July 2015, Republic Act 10667 was enacted, marking the end of a two -decade congressional push to finally enact a law that would promote fair competition in economic activities and penalize anti-competitive conduct. As international trade became significantly easier with reduced cross-border trade barriers, it became important to look at domestic measures, particularly domestic competition law, otherwise known as antitrust law, to facilitate trade and investment. In the face of globalization and reduced barriers to international trade, the PCA is considered a breakthrough legislation. Before the enactment of the PCA, the Philippine Constitution already provided for a clear mandate to promote competition and prohibit combinations in restraint of trade. Article XII, Section 19 of the 1987 Constitution provides: “The State shall regulate or prohibit monopolies when the public interest so requires. No combinations in restraint of trade or unfair competition shall be allowed.” The fundamental principle espoused by Section 19, Article XII of the Constitution is competition, for it alone can release the creative forces of the market. But the competition that can unleash these creative forces is fair. Ideally, this kind of competition requires the presence of not one, not just a few, but several players. A market controlled by one player or dominated by a handful of players is hardly a market where honest-to-goodness competition will prevail. The Philippine Competition Act addresses many of the issues and inadequacies that prevented an effective competition regime from taking hold in our jurisdiction. The PCA lays down the foundation for creating a working competition regime that can help achieve the goals of economic efficiency as well as the protection of consumer welfare. However, the new competition authority has many challenges to confront. Philippine competition law, being in its infancy, needs to develop its ability to detect and investigate anti-competitive conduct and impose and enforce sanctions for anti-competitive behavior. There is a steep learning curve, considering that competition law engages with esoteric and abstract economic concepts. Overcoming this learning curve will require close engagement with specialists across multiple fields. The road to the PCA’s passage was met with many obstacles, the biggest obstacle being the death of the principal proponent of the House competition bill, Representative Enrique M. Cojuangco Sr. Competition law also faces the challenge of harmonization with the competition laws of other countries. Harmonization is critical because many competition laws apply extra-territorially which means competition laws of two countries may overlap. A recent example of a significant cross-border merger where the extra-territorial application of competition law became an issue is the Grab/Uber case. The number of cross-border mergers will only increase in the years to come as revealed in a 2014 OECD study, which means there will be more contentious mergers across state boundaries. Nevertheless, enacting a competition law in the first place is already a massive achievement. The road to the PCA’s passage was met with many obstacles, the biggest obstacle being the death of the principal proponent of the House competition bill, Representative Enrique M. Cojuangco Sr. Following Representative Cojuangco’s death, House lawmakers gathered to pass House Bill 5286 on second reading, as a tribute to its fallen sponsor. On 10 June 2015, Republic Act 10667, a consolidation of Senate Bill 2282 and House Bill 5286, was finally passed by the Senate and the House of Representatives. It is worth noting that the Philippines is among the last in the Asian region and the world to pass a comprehensive competition law. But as they always say, better late than never. ***** Atty. Lean Carlo Macoto obtained his Juris Doctor degree from the University of the Philippines College of Law and was admitted to the Philippine Bar in 2023. He is currently an associate at Aranas Cruz Araneta Parker & Faustino Law Offices. The post Challenges in Antitrust Law appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
LGBTQI+ members trustworthy, says survey
A recent survey conducted by the Social Weather Stations revealed that most Filipino adults believe that gays and lesbians possess the same level of trustworthiness as any other Filipino. The private pollster’s First Quarter 2023 Social Weather Survey, which took place from 26 to 29 March coincided with the upcoming nationwide pride marches, which aim to celebrate the freedom to love and advocate for the enactment of the sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression or the SOGIE Equality bill. According to the survey, an overwhelming majority of 79 percent, approximately 4 out of 5 Filipino adults, agreed that “members of LGBTQI+ or Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and Intersex, are just as trustworthy as any other Filipino” and this figure demonstrates a significant increase compared to a previous SWS survey conducted in September 2013, where only 67 percent of respondents agreed with the same statement. Regarding whether gay individuals or lesbians have made substantial contributions to the progress of society, 73 percent of respondents agreed. In the 2013 survey, only 54 percent of participants agreed with this statement. In addition to the favorable findings regarding attitudes towards gays and lesbians, the survey also revealed that 43 percent of the participants believed that sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV/AIDS, were limited to individuals within that community. Furthermore, the poll indicated that 40 percent of respondents desired for their gay or lesbian family members to undergo a transformation and become heterosexual individuals. Additionally, the survey disclosed that 26 percent of participants held the belief that being gay or lesbian is contagious. Meanwhile, many Filipino adults agreed that “Muslims are equally trustworthy to any other Filipino.” This year’s SWS survey revealed that about 65 percent of Filipinos agreed with the said notion. This is a high jump from September 2013’s 44 percent figure or not even half of the respondents. Based on the 2020 census by the Philippine Statistics Authority, approximately 6.4 percent of the Philippine population identifies as Muslim. As a religious minority within a predominantly Catholic country, some Filipino Muslims have faced challenges such as anti-Muslim comments from politicians and micro-aggressions from non-Muslim individuals. The survey asked 1,200 Filipino adults nationwide about their perceptions about gays, lesbians and Muslims in the country. The post LGBTQI+ members trustworthy, says survey appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
SWS: LGBTQ+ trust levels now equal with straight, cisgender
A recent survey conducted by private pollster Social Weather Stations reveals that most Filipino adults believe that gays and lesbians possess the same level of trustworthiness as any other Filipino. The private pollster's First Quarter 2023 Social Weather Survey, which took place from 26 March to 29 March, coincided with the upcoming nationwide pride marches, which aim to celebrate the freedom to love and advocate for the enactment of the sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression (SOGIE) Equality bill. SWS asked 1,200 Filipino adults nationwide about their perceptions about gays, lesbians, and Muslims in the country. According to the survey, an overwhelming majority of 79 percent, approximately 4 out of 5 Filipino adults, agreed that "gays or lesbians are just as trustworthy as any other Filipino." This figure demonstrates a significant increase compared to a previous SWS survey conducted in September 2013, where only 67 percent of respondents agreed with the same statement. Regarding whether gay individuals or lesbians have made substantial contributions to the progress of society, 73 percent of respondents agreed. In the 2013 survey, only 54 percent of participants agreed with this statement. In addition to the favorable findings regarding attitudes towards gays and lesbians, the survey results revealed that 43 percent of the participants believed that sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV/AIDS, were limited to individuals within that community. Furthermore, the poll indicated that 40 percent of respondents desired for their gay or lesbian family members to undergo a transformation and become heterosexual individuals. Additionally, the survey disclosed that 26 percent of participants held the belief that being gay or lesbian is contagious. Muslims equally trustworthy Meanwhile, many Filipino adults agreed that "Muslims are equally trustworthy to any other Filipino." This year's SWS survey revealed that about 65 percent of Filipinos agreed with the said notion. This is a high jump from September 2013's 44 percent figure or not even half of the respondents. Based on the 2020 census by the Philippine Statistics Authority, approximately 6.4 percent of the Philippine population identifies as Muslim. As a religious minority within a predominantly Catholic country, some Filipino Muslims have faced challenges such as anti-Muslim comments from politicians and microaggressions from non-Muslim individuals. The post SWS: LGBTQ+ trust levels now equal with straight, cisgender appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
‘Office Maritess’ bill needs review
The Trade Union Congress of the Philippines on Monday said that there is a need to study the effectiveness of a proposed bill that would penalize acts of bullying and spreading malicious information in the workplace. The measure — House Bill 8446 or the “Anti-Bullying in the Workplace Act” filed by Quezon City Representative Ralph Tulfo and Anti-Crime and Terrorism Community Involvement and Support Partylist Representative Jocelyn Tulfo — seeks to penalize bullying which affects workers’ mental and emotional health. In a radio interview, TUCP legislative officer Carlos Miguel Onate called for a comprehensive review of existing laws against violence and harassment in the workplace, creating a unified law against practices that adversely affect workers. “There are many existing laws against violence and harassment in the workplace, but our observation is that there needs to be a stronger implementation and harmonization of the law because there’s so many of them. It needs to be comprehensive,” Onate said. He also lauded the creation of the proposed legislation, saying that the bill jives with their calls to ratify International Labor Organization Convention 190 or the Violence and Harassment Convention. Onate explained that the ratification would institutionalize laws against violence and harassment of workers, many of which have not been able to address their concerns to their employers for fear of losing employment. He particularly cited the dynamics between regular and contractual workers, with the latter not having the chance of telling their experiences to their employers’ human resources divisions due to job security. “We welcome the legislation that advances the welfare of workers against office bullying. We need to reiterate the ratification of ILO Convention 190 which could allow a overhaul [and] comprehensive review of our legislation against violence and harassment in the world of work,” Onate said. Aside from such laws, Onate proposed more efforts from the government to curb bad practices in the workplace, including adding more labor inspectors, claiming that the current ratio of labor inspectors to companies is at one over 800. The post ‘Office Maritess’ bill needs review appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
House bill seeks anti-bullying policies at workplace
For two members of the House of Representatives, anti-bullying policies should not only exist in schools but in workplaces as well......»»