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VM Quitain: City Council will revisit firecracker ban if necessary
DAVAO CITY (MindaNews – 11 January) – Davao City vice-mayor J Melchor Quitain Jr. said the City ordinance 060-02 also known as firecracker ban ordinance is “as good as it is now” but they would “revisit” it if necessary. Quitain said this amid allegations that organizers of the recent “Paghinugyaw: Sugat sa Bag-ong Tuig,” Davao City’s […].....»»
‘Parasite’ actor Lee found dead amid drug allegations – report
South Korea has tough drug laws, and drug crimes are typically punishable by at least six months in prison or up to 14 years for repeat offenders and dealers.....»»
SMNI suspension urged for alleged violations
Davao City-based legislator and Puwersa ng Bayaning Atleta (PBA) Partylist Representative Margarita “Migs” Ignacia B. Nograles has proposed a resolution urging the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) to suspend the operations of Sonshine Media Network International (SMNI). The resolution alleges that SMNI has violated the terms of its franchise and disseminated false information, failing in its responsibility to the public. This move is in response to multiple complaints filed against SMNI, including accusations of fake news peddling and baseless red-tagging of individuals, groups, and organizations. Specific incidents cited in the resolution include attacks on ACT Teachers Partylist Representative France L. Castro and false claims about House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez's foreign travel expenses. SMNI's host, Jeffrey “Ka Eric” Celiz, admitted to providing inaccurate information on air, further fueling the allegations against the network. Pending the Committee on Legislative Franchises' recommendations on SMNI's alleged violations, Nograles emphasized the urgency for the NTC to halt the deliberate dissemination of false information that may erode public trust. The 25-year franchise of SMNI was renewed in 2019, and the network has not yet issued an official statement regarding the resolution. In a related development, the House of Representatives Committee on Legislative Franchises cited Celiz and former National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-Elcac) spokesperson Lorraine Badoy-Partosa in contempt for refusing to disclose their source of erroneous information and being evasive about their income from co-producing their show. Both anchors will be detained at the House premises until the committee's report is adopted in the plenary. This story highlights the growing scrutiny on SMNI's operations and the calls for accountability amid allegations of spreading false information......»»
FDIC Chair Gruenberg Faces Pressure to Resign Amid GOP Criticism
Title: FDIC Chairman Faces Calls for Resignation Amid Sexual Harassment Allegations Date: [Insert Date] Source: The Daily Guardian Lawmakers from both parties are heaping pressure.....»»
LTFRB chief not yet off the hook
Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board Chairman Teofilo Guadiz III is not yet off the hook despite his reinstatement amid corruption allegations against him, according to Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista......»»
Shippers, transport groups: Keep Bautista as DOTr chief
Some of the country’s largest shipping operators are urging President Marcos to retain Jaime Bautista in his post as transportation secretary amid allegations of corruption......»»
Dissident author warns Russians in Europe to be on guard
Russian author Sergei Lebedev's novel "Untraceable", about an undetectable toxin used to target Kremlin critics, was released a few years ago but has taken on added resonance as alleged poisonings have multiplied. Now the dissident writer is warning that the Russian exile community in Europe faces an ever greater threat amid heightened tensions over the Ukraine war. "This emigre community in Europe is now one of the most important targets for the Russian security (services)," the 42-year-old, now based in Germany, told AFP in an interview at the Frankfurt Book Fair this week. "There will be attempts to infiltrate, to get informants... Of course, there will be some assassination attempts." In Germany -- which Lebedev describes as a "hub" for overseas Russians -- there have been a growing number of suspected cases of Kremlin critics being targeted. In May, German police said they were investigating the possible poisoning of exiled Russians after an activist, Natalia Arno, reported health problems following a Berlin meeting of dissidents. Meanwhile, Berlin-based Russian journalist Elena Kostyuchenko wrote in a Guardian article last month about how she fell ill last year after visiting Munich, and poisoning was suspected. Inside Russia, the most high-profile case in recent years of a Kremlin critic allegedly being poisoned was that of opposition politician Alexei Navalny. Moscow has repeatedly dismissed allegations that it has targeted critics in this way. But Western governments say evidence points to the contrary and for Lebedev, Russians in Europe are not taking the threat seriously enough. 'Very eerie' "They are not very much concerned with security," he said. "They do not understand the principles of how the security services work." "Untraceable", which tells the story of an ageing scientist who creates a highly toxic, undetectable poison, was inspired by the 2018 poisoning of former double agent Sergei Skripal in Salisbury, England. And it was around the time that the book was published in Russia that opposition politician Navalny was allegedly poisoned -- a development that Lebedev said he found "very eerie". While he has been vocal about his opposition to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, he does not believe he faces a threat himself. He has not found himself in the crosshairs of the authorities and feels he does not run the same level of risk as others, such as critical journalists, particularly those still trying to report from inside Russia. Still, Lebedev -- who moved to Germany five years ago with his wife -- said he has been taking extra precautions, particularly when it comes to exchanging sensitive information. Before becoming a full-time writer, Lebedev worked as a geologist and later as a journalist. He was motivated to write a novel after discovering his grandmother's second husband had been the commander of a Soviet labor camp. He was shaken by the revelation and faced the question of how to "deal with this personally -- with the fact that in your family (there) was a murderer". "I realized that the way out was to write a novel." 'Shocked' at Ukraine war The result was the book "Oblivion", about the legacy of the Soviet prison camp system, which was released about a decade ago and launched his literary career. He has since written several books and his latest is a collection of short stories, "A Present Past: Titan and Other Chronicles". It reflects what he believes is Russia's tortured relationship with the Soviet era -- and society's failure to come to terms with the past -- as well as aspects of its problematic present. Lebedev, who lives in Potsdam outside Berlin, did not flee his homeland. He first moved to Germany for professional reasons. But he has not returned since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, fearing it is not safe to do so. He said he was "shocked" when Moscow sent its forces into Ukraine. "I was the same idiot as many of us were, thinking that Putin is a... modern autocratic, modern dictator and not the blood-thirsty maniac that he is." He sees no swift end to the conflict. "The most difficult and problematic thing is that Russians are getting used to the fact that they are at war but still life is sustainable," he said. The post Dissident author warns Russians in Europe to be on guard appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
S. Korean migrant’s tale to open Asia’s biggest film festival
The world premiere of Jang Kun-jae's "Because I Hate Korea" will open Asia's largest film festival Wednesday night as it looks to rally from a year marked by scandal and budget cutbacks. The South Korean director's tale of a disillusioned young woman who relocates to New Zealand is among 209 official entries from 69 countries set to unspool at the Busan International Film Festival, which runs until 13 October. Eighty will be making their world premieres in the southern port city. This year's edition comes as organizers grapple with the fallout from former festival director Huh Moon-yung's resignation in May amid accusations of sexual misconduct. The scandal saw BIFF's 2023 budget reduced by about 10 percent as sponsors withdrew in the wake of the allegations, according to organizers. Kang Seung-ah, now serving as acting deputy director, acknowledged they had endured a "difficult phase" before assembling a lineup she said was "more substantial than ever before". Opening night director Jang, who noted he'd attended BIFF far more as an audience member than a filmmaker, told a late afternoon news conference he had sought to address serious questions with his film. "I believe it's necessary to pay attention to the fact that many young people are finding it difficult to navigate through Korean society. I started questioning whether our society is providing a fair and equitable foundation for young people to pursue their dreams," he told reporters after a preview screening. Based on the best-selling Chang Kang-myoung novel, "Because I Hate Korea" received support from BIFF's Asia Project Market back in 2016. South Korea has transformed itself into a cultural powerhouse since then thanks to the explosive success of the Oscar-winning "Parasite" and the Netflix series "Squid Game". "Many people are now showing great interest in Korean content such as K-pop, K-movies, and K-dramas. Living in such an era, they might develop a certain fantasy about South Korea, I think," Nam Dong-chul, the festival's acting interim director, told reporters. But "I thought it might be good to consider these views from the perspective of people living in Korea and especially the youth in South Korea", he said of the opening night choice. "They might have different thoughts and experiences." Frequent Bong Joon-ho collaborator Go Ah-sung, who delivered a memorable performance as the protagonist of "Because I Hate Korea", was unable to attend the festival due to a back injury. 'Dear Jinri' Despite Go's absence, the festival will still feature serious star power, with acclaimed Hong Kong actor Chow Yun Fat scheduled to receive the Asian Filmmaker of the Year award. Three of Chow's films -- "A Better Tomorrow" (1986), "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" (2000) and 2023's "One More Chance" -- will be screened in his honour. Other highly anticipated screenings include "Dear Jinri", a documentary that features late K-pop star Sulli's last and incomplete project. Sulli, born Choi Jin-ri, took her own life in 2019 after a long struggle with online bullying. The film includes her final media interview, which has not been disclosed previously. Korea's filmmaking diaspora will also be showcased with a special series of screenings that includes "Searching" (2018), starring John Cho, and director Celine Song's Sundance favorite "Past Lives". Netflix's highly anticipated "Yellow Door: 90s Lo-fi Film Club" will also have its world premiere at BIFF. The documentary spotlights South Korea's renowned cinephile generation of the 1990s, acclaimed "Parasite" director Bong among them. "The Movie Emperor", director Ning Hao's satirical take on the Chinese film industry starring Hong Kong actor Andy Lau, is set to close the festival. Ning's comedy "deftly captures the fine line between the film industries in Hong Kong and mainland China", as well as the "delicate relationship between Western film festivals and Asian filmmakers", according to the program notes. The post S. Korean migrant’s tale to open Asia’s biggest film festival appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
DENR suspends protected area accord with Socorro village
Environment Secretary Maria Antonia Yulo-Loyzaga yesterday ordered the suspension of the Protected Area Community-Based Resource Management Agreement of the controversial Socorro Bayanihan Services Inc. in Sitio Kapihan in Socorro town, Surigao del Norte amid various allegations against the group, including child marriage in the hillside community......»»
Climate change ‘dystopian future already here’: UN rights chief
Climate change is sparking human rights emergencies in numerous countries, the UN rights chief said Monday, stressing the need to fight the impunity of those who "plunder our environment". Speaking before the United Nations Human Rights Council, Volker Turk pointed to recent examples of the "environmental horror that is our global planetary crisis". He described visiting Basra, Iraq, where date palms once lined canals, but now "drought, searing heat, extreme pollution and fast-depleting supplies of fresh water are creating barren landscapes of rubble and dust". "This spiraling damage is a human rights emergency for Iraq, and many other countries," he said in his address opening the 54th council session in Geneva. "Climate change is pushing millions of people into famine. It is destroying hopes, opportunities, homes and lives. In recent months, urgent warnings have become lethal realities again and again all around the world," Turk said. "We do not need more warnings. The dystopian future is already here. We need urgent action now." Turk was speaking after the G20 at the weekend failed to commit to a phase-out of fossil fuels, something he said was desperately needed. - 'Nonchalance' at migrant deaths - At a time when the ravages of climate change are forcing more and more people to leave their homes, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights said he was "shocked by the nonchalance" seen towards surging numbers of migrant deaths. "It is evident that far more migrants and refugees are dying, unnoticed," he said, pointing to the more than "2,300 people reported dead or missing in the Mediterranean this year, including the loss of more than 600 lives in a single shipwreck off Greece in June." He also highlighted migrant deaths in the English Channel, the Bay of Bengal, in the Caribbean, along the US-Mexican border, and at the Saudi border, where he said his "office is seeking urgent clarification about allegations of killings and mistreatment". The UN rights chief also highlighted a wide range of other concerning situations around the world, including in Russia, Pakistan and the Palestinian territory. On China, he reiterated concerns raised in a report by his office a year ago about the situation in the far-western Xinjiang region, which cited possible crimes against humanity against Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities. "As my Office highlighted a year ago, the concerns in the Xinjiang ... requires strong remedial action by the authorities," Turk said Monday, also voicing concern at "continued detention of human rights advocates". - 'Ecocide' - Turk also spoke about the situation in Lebanon, decrying a total lack of accountability for the 2020 Beirut port blast, that killed more than 220 people, urging "an international fact-finding mission to look into human rights violations related to this tragedy." And he mentioned the situation in Iran, one year after the death of Mahsa Amini in custody after her arrest for allegedly breaching the strict dress code for women. Turk voiced concern at a bill that would impose harsher penalties for breaching the dress code, and "renewed deployment of the morality police." Climate change and environmental degradation played a role in a number of the rights situations he mentioned, including in Africa's Sahel region. Turk insisted on the need to "counter the impunity of people and businesses who severely plunder our environment", welcoming a proposal to recognize "ecocide" as an international crime. Amid the towering problems facing the world, Turk decried "politics of deception". "Helped by new technologies, lies and disinformation are mass-produced to sow chaos, to confuse, and ultimately to deny reality and ensure no action will be taken that could endanger the interests of entrenched elites," he said. "The most apparent case of this is climate change." nl/apo/yad © Agence France-Presse The post Climate change ‘dystopian future already here’: UN rights chief appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Trudeau to be star witness in election meddling probe
The Canadian prime minister could be the star witness in his government’s investigation of alleged national election meddling by China, Russia and other countries. Justin Trudeau was asked by reporters in Singapore Friday on the possibility of him testifying in the case, he replied, “Willingly and with very much enthusiasm.” The prime minister, who was coming from the ASEAN Summit in Indonesia, added, “I think it’s important for Canadians to know exactly everything this government has been doing in regards to foreign interference, and to talk frankly about the challenges that we continue to face in our democracies around the world.” His statement came a day after Ottawa named an appeals court judge to lead the inquiry into the allegations surrounding federal elections in 2019 and 2021. Quebec Court of Appeal Justice Marie-Josee Hogue replaces the investigator who resigned in June. Trudeau faced pressure to explain how it first responded to the claims that Beijing sought to subvert Canada’s democratic process. Relations between Ottawa and Beijing hit a new low this year amid accusations of Chinese meddling in those elections and the attempted intimidation of Canadian lawmakers that led to the expulsion of a Chinese diplomat in May. Beijing has called the accusations “groundless” and responded by sending home a Canadian diplomat from the country’s consulate in Shanghai. The reported accusations included secret campaign donations and that Chinese operatives were working for Canadian candidates and lawmakers in an attempt to influence policy. WITH AFP The post Trudeau to be star witness in election meddling probe appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Suspected Syria bomber jumps to death from building
A man suspected of bombing a Shiite shrine in Syria last month died after he jumped from the seventh floor of a building where he was allegedly hiding from pursuers. Wissam Dalla, a Syrian in his early twenties, “threw himself from the seventh floor” of a building where he had been staying with relatives “after learning his location had been discovered,” Hezbollah said in a statement sent to Agence France-Presse. Dalla was “responsible for the explosion in the Sayyida Zeinab area” south of the Syrian capital last month, the Shiite Muslim group added. AFP was unable to independently confirm the allegations against Dalla. Hezbollah was pursuing Dalla late Friday south of the Lebanese capital, the Iran-backed group said. The group had pursued Dalla amid fears he could carry out another attack, the statement added, saying he was taken to hospital but died. “Relevant bodies” in Hezbollah were informed that he had entered Lebanon secretly, the statement said. The apparent suicide took place in Hay al-Sellom, an impoverished neighborhood in Beirut’s southern suburbs — a Hezbollah stronghold. Shiite shrines are a frequent target of attacks by Sunni Muslim extremists, not only in Syria but also in neighboring Iraq. WITH AFP The post Suspected Syria bomber jumps to death from building appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
US Justice Dept names special counsel to probe Biden’s son
The US Justice Department on Friday escalated its investigation into President Joe Biden's son Hunter, naming a special counsel amid allegations he engaged in illicit business deals overseas. Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed Delaware federal prosecutor David Weiss, who recently investigated Hunter Biden on tax and gun charges in a case that remains open. Weiss, who opened his probe in 2019, recently revealed that he was investigating Biden along other lines, and Garland said Weiss had requested special counsel status to be able to pursue his probe more widely. "Upon considering his request, as well as the extraordinary circumstances relating to this matter, I have concluded that it is in the public interest to appoint him as special counsel," Garland said. Deals in China, Ukraine Hunter Biden has come under investigation in Congress over business deals he did in China, Ukraine, and elsewhere during and after his father's 2009-2017 term as vice president. A former business associate told Congress recently that Hunter had gotten his father involved in telephone calls with his foreign partners several times. Republicans allege Joe Biden used his political position to help his son -- a claim the president denies. The move comes as Joe Biden is running for reelection, possibly in a rematch with former president Donald Trump, himself accused of felony crimes in the investigation by another Justice Department special counsel, Jack Smith. Garland gave no hint on the subject matter of Weiss' expanded probe, saying his elevation to the special counsel "reaffirms" the independence and authority of his investigation. Last month, the 53-year-old Hunter aborted a plea deal with Weiss over gun and tax charges after a judge pointed out inconsistencies in the agreement. The deal would have seen Biden avoid prison: he would have been sentenced to probation on two tax avoidance counts, and be forced into a counseling and rehabilitation program for the firearms charge. But the deal fell apart after Judge Maryellen Noreika queried why the gun charge was included in a tax case, and whether the agreement protected Biden from charges that might arise from a wider investigation of his business dealings. Biden then entered a not-guilty plea, and the two sides were expected to work out a new agreement. But in a filing in Delaware court on Friday, Weiss said those talks had reached an impasse and withdrew the offer of a plea deal. Instead, he indicated that the tax charges could be expanded to other venues. Republicans say DOJ protecting Biden There was no comment from the White House on Weiss's elevation to special counsel. In a social media post, a Trump spokesperson alleged that the Biden family had been "protected by the Justice Department for decades." "There is overwhelming evidence and credible testimony detailing their wrongdoing of lying to the American people and selling out the country to foreign enemies for the Biden Cartel's own financial gain," the spokesperson said, without offering evidence. Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy indicated that the Congressional probe of Hunter Biden will continue. "This action by Biden's DOJ cannot be used to obstruct congressional investigations or whitewash the Biden family corruption," he said on social media. The post US Justice Dept names special counsel to probe Biden’s son appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
India announces new French fighter jet deal as Modi visits Paris
India announced a new multi-billion-dollar deal for French fighter jets on Thursday as Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Paris for a two-day trip that will see him feted as the guest of honor during France's national day celebrations. India's defense ministry said that the country intended to order 26 more Rafale jets as well as another three Scorpene-class submarines, with the price and other terms still being worked out. India is one of the biggest buyers of French arms, and Modi announced a landmark deal for 36 Rafale fighter jets during a 2015 trip to Paris that was worth around 4.0 billion euros at the time. Some of those Indian-piloted Rafales will take part in a flypast on Friday during France's Bastille Day military parade where Modi will sit alongside French President Emmanuel Macron as guest of honour. "This closeness is not limited to just the leaders of two countries, it is in fact a reflection of the unwavering friendship between India and France," Modi told an enthusiastic crowd of Indians living in France on Thursday evening. Despite differences over the war in Ukraine and tensions over human rights in India, Western democracies are courting Modi and India as a counterweight to China in Asia. Macron's red carpet welcome comes weeks after Modi was given the rare honor of a White House state dinner in Washington -- a city he was once banned from visiting. "India is one of the pillars of our Indo-Pacific strategy," an aide to Macron told reporters this week on condition of anonymity. Human rights But amid the pomp and diplomatic courting in France, a resolution from the European Parliament on Thursday served as a reminder of Modi's controversial leadership style and Hindu nationalist agenda that has critics at home and abroad. Sitting in Strasbourg in eastern France, EU parliamentarians approved a motion that urged India to end violence in the country's restive northeastern Manipur state and to protect minorities there. Clashes between the majority Meitei, who are mostly Hindus, and the mainly Christian Kuki tribe have left at least 120 people dead, 50,000 displaced and over 1,700 houses destroyed, the parliament said. It criticized the "nationalistic rhetoric" of the local state government, run by Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party. Modi's role during Bastille Day in France was "an affront not only to India's minority communities, journalists and human rights defenders but also to India as a democracy," the text's chief negotiator, Pierre Larrouturou, said. A protest called against Modi drew only a few dozen people in central Paris on Thursday. Strategic partnership Modi has visited France four times since Macron came to power in 2017, while Macron was honored with a state visit to New Delhi in 2018. Aides on both sides have talked up the personal chemistry between the two leaders and pointed to cooperation on climate change, space technology, and nuclear power as part of a 25-year-old "strategic partnership" between France and India. Modi told the French newspaper Les Echos that bilateral trade had doubled in the last nine years and Macron's "thinking really matches ours". India and France "are naturally compatible" and "we see France as one of our foremost global partners," Modi added. Few observers expect Macron to raise rights concerns with Modi publicly. "The fact that explains France's relative success in this relationship is that unlike the US, the UK, Canada, Germany and a few other European countries, you've hardly seen France commenting on the internal affairs of India," Constantino Xavier from the Centre for Social and Economic Progress, a New Delhi-based think tank, said this week. "That has been appreciated on the Indian side." Modi has been dogged by allegations he was complicit in religious violence during his tenure as chief minister of the western state of Gujarat in 2002 when around 1,000 people, mostly Muslims, were killed in sectarian riots. The Indian government and judicial probes have cleared him of culpability. Since his first crushing electoral victory in 2014, he has also been denounced by rights groups for increased discrimination and violence towards the country's Muslims, as well as stifling independent media. "Diversity is the biggest strength of our democracy," he told the meeting on Thursday evening that also lauded the country's economic growth. Many European and American businesses, including US tech giant Apple, are ramping up production there to mitigate the threat of supply chain disruptions from China. The war in Ukraine has heightened concerns in the West about the risk of conflicts disrupting the flow of key raw materials and technology from China, but it has also exposed a rift with India. New Delhi, which has long sought to balance its ties with Moscow and the West, has declined to condemn Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine and has emerged as a top buyer of discounted Russian oil during the biggest conflict in Europe since World War II. The post India announces new French fighter jet deal as Modi visits Paris appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Musk threatens to sue Meta over Threads
Elon Musk’s Twitter is threatening to take Facebook’s parent company, Meta, to court over its new rival social media app, Threads. In a letter to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Twitter’s lawyer, Alex Spiro, accused Meta of using “Twitter’s trade secrets and other intellectual property” to build Threads. Spiro also suggested that Meta had been “crawling and scraping” Twitter data on users and followers by reminding the company such activity is “expressly prohibited.” A spokesman for Meta denied the allegations, saying that no former Twitter employees are working on Threads and that the app is not powered by Instagram. Twitter representatives did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The letter comes amid growing tension between Musk and Zuckerberg. The two men have been trading barbs on social media, and Zuckerberg has even taken shots at Twitter and Musk in public. It remains to be seen whether Twitter will actually sue Meta. However, the letter is a sign of the increasing legal battles between the two tech giants. Threads is a new social media app from Meta that is designed for close friends and family. The app allows users to share photos, videos, and text messages with a select group of people. Twitter is concerned that Threads may be a copycat of its own app, Fleets. Fleets was a short-lived feature on Twitter that allowed users to share ephemeral posts that disappeared after 24 hours. In the letter to Zuckerberg, Spiro accused Meta of using “Twitter’s trade secrets and other intellectual property” to build Threads. Spiro also suggested that Meta had been “crawling and scraping” Twitter data on users and followers by reminding the company such activity is “expressly prohibited.” A spokesman for Meta denied the allegations, saying that no former Twitter employees are working on Threads and that the app is not powered by Instagram. The post Musk threatens to sue Meta over Threads appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Tribune, Marcos share good gov’t journey (6)
Allegations that President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has evaded transparency do not have a leg to stand on based on his stand on issues, as reported by Daily Tribune. During his stint as a senator, Marcos demanded from the Armed Forces of the Philippines the disclosure of the details of an encounter in Basilan in 2016, amid reports that the military had imposed a news blackout. A clash in Basilan between soldiers and members of the Abu Sayyaf Group left at least 18 soldiers dead and some 80 others wounded. The incident happened a year after the Mamasapano debacle, in which 44 Special Action Force troopers were massacred. The AFP, Marcos said, had to make public who led the operation and the exact purpose of the mission in an area controlled by the armed group. “Who was in charge of the operation? What was the exact objective of the operation? We need answers because this is something that strikes a chord with every Filipino because of the Mamasapano incident a year ago,” he had said. “Here we go again. We are again in the dark about what happened,” Marcos said, referring to the confusion that followed the tragic Oplan Exodus that neutralized Malaysian terrorist Marwan. Marcos expressed concern over the silence of the AFP, and noted a similarity to the ill-fated Mamasapano operation. It took a series of Senate investigations before the public got details of the operation and the officials involved. Then Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin and AFP Chief of Staff Hernando Iriberri were found to have flown to Zamboanga City and Basilan province to meet with ground commanders regarding the disclosure of details of the encounter. A 10-hour firefight erupted a day after Italian hostage, former missionary Rolando del Torchio, was released by the ASG. Transparency as a practice Marcos said the entire nation and the families of the slain soldiers deserved full transparency on the military operation against the international terrorist group. “We need a full picture of the encounter. We should not hide these details. The Filipino people and most especially the families of the soldiers killed and wounded deserve to know the whole truth,” he said. Reports said government forces were deployed to hunt down ASG commander Isnilon Hapilon who was involved in several terrorist attacks. About 100 ASG bandits were involved in the clash with the government troops. Four soldiers were decapitated. The ASG had launched a kidnapping spree then, snatching 10 Indonesian fishermen, followed quickly by four more hostages. The four were Dutch Ewold Hurn, Canadians John Ridsdel and Robert Hall and Norwegian Kjartan Sekkingstad. Marcos and the other senators honored the slain soldiers, citing their bravery. (To be continued) The post Tribune, Marcos share good gov’t journey (6) appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Gentle Hands could reopen with conditions
The Department of Social Welfare and Development said Gentle Hands Inc. will not be allowed to operate without first securing a fire safety inspection certificate or FSIC. “We know that if you don’t have an FSIC, you will be put on the negative list and automatically consider your business permit null and void because these permits are provisional and anchored on the fire safety and occupancy permit,” DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian told reporters, shortly after Wednesday’s inquiry by the Senate committee on women, children, family relations and gender equality. DSWD’s fact-finding team, Gatchalian said, is working on the physical, finance and admin, as well as the case and program management of the orphanage. The DSWD earlier issued a cease and desist order against Gentle Hands Inc. for violating Republic Act 7610 or the Special Protection of Children against Child Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination, which prompted the Senate to investigate the matter. Even if the orphanage complies with RA 7610, Gatchalian said, the DSWD will still have to complete its assessment of GHI’s compliance with the minimum standards for residential facilities for children. He added that the National Authority on Child Care will also have to assess the orphanage’s help intervention since there was reportedly a “high rate of disruptions” among adopted children. “So there are two (assessments)that are ongoing and we will consolidate the reports and we will publish it as soon as possible,” he said. Gatchalian defended the closure of the orphanage saying it was afforded due process before the issuance of the DSWD’s order. During the inquiry sought by Senators Risa Hontiveros and Koko Pimentel, the allegations that led to the issuance of the cease and desist order against the orphanage were discussed. Among the reviewed topics were the DSWD’s policies on the living standards for residential facilities for children, and the evaluation of the process undertaken by the DSWD on the removal of children from the childcare facility. Hontiveros said it appears that the inquiry has created a polarizing atmosphere among the parties involved amid the significance of tackling the issue. “While it is understandable to some extent given the value we ascribe to our children, it would be good to remind all of us that we are here to seek clarity, and ultimately, to find solutions to problems that impact children who are among the most vulnerable,” she said. The post Gentle Hands could reopen with conditions appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Facing impeachment, Ecuador’s president dissolves Congress
Ecuadoran President Guillermo Lasso, who is weathering impeachment proceedings in Congress over alleged corruption, issued a decree Wednesday dissolving the legislature. The decree released abruptly by the unpopular conservative president's office states that Lasso is dissolving the opposition-led National Assembly "due to a grave political crisis and national commotion." In dissolving Congress, Lasso also called upon the National Electoral Council (CNE) to call new elections. It is the first time a president in Ecuador has dissolved the legislature. By law, within seven days of the publication of this decree, the CNE must convene new presidential and legislative elections to finish out the current term. Until a new National Assembly is sworn in, Lasso is able to rule by decree, with checks by the constitutional court. Lasso's impeachment trial opened in Congress on Tuesday, amid a spike in violence related to drug trafficking in the South American country and widespread anger over the rising cost of living. Lasso is very unpopular. The majority left-wing opposition has accused Lasso of knowing about alleged corruption in state-owned companies, in which his brother-in-law Danilo Carrera and a businessman accused of drug trafficking have been implicated. Speaking on state television Wednesday, Lasso defended his decision to dissolve the National Assembly. "It is a democratic decision not only because it is constitutional but because it returns to the Ecuadoran people the possibility to decide," Lasso said, referencing the new elections. Ecuador's congress tried to impeach Lasso in June, at a time of violent protests against the rising cost of living but came up 12 votes short. A similar political drama played out late last year in neighboring Peru. Then-president Pedro Castillo, also facing corruption allegations, tried to dissolve congress in December so he could rule by decree. He was arrested the same day and is now in prison awaiting trial on charges of rebellion. The post Facing impeachment, Ecuador’s president dissolves Congress appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
PNP overhaul of anti-drug units ongoing
The Philippine National Police said dissolving special operations units attached to the PNP-Drug Enforcement Group is part of efforts to overhaul its anti-illegal drugs operations. PNP spokesperson Col. Jean Fajardo admitted that there were already initial discussions that the 17 SOUs could not just be disbanded since there is more than 1,000 PNP personnel that would be affected. She added that all top units of the PNP were already asked for comments, conclusions and recommendations in connection with the proposed deactivation of PDEG’s SOUs. “Once all the inputs are in, this will be submitted to the Office of the Chief PNP and if approved, it will be submitted to the National Police Commission for review,” Fajardo told reporters in a press briefing held at Camp Crame. PNP chief Gen. Benjamin Acorda earlier said that should the proposal be approved, all the operations of PDEG are COPLAN (case operational plan)-based and that much of the illegal drugs campaign would be delegated to regional and provincial Drug Enforcement Units. Meanwhile, more than 700 policemen assigned to the 17 SOU of the PDEG are set to be recalled and be subjected to a values formation and moral recovery program. Fajardo said the PDEG leadership under Brig. Gen. Faro Olaguera is now preparing for the recall of all its SOU personnel while the discussion on whether or not the 17 units would be disbanded is ongoing. The 17 SOU units of PDEG represent the 17 regions in the country. “According to him (Olaguera), they are now preparing for the possible transport of their personnel here at the National Headquarters (Camp Crame, Quezon City) and they are also preparing for the billeting area for them,” Fajardo said. “And should they be transported here at the NHQ, they will be included in the program that is now being prepared and spearheaded by the Directorate for Human Resources and Doctrine Development for them to undergo values formation and moral recovery program and other reorientation courses,” she added. The deactivation of PDEG’s SOUs became a hot topic in the PNP over the involvement of some anti-narcotics policemen to illegal drugs activities that include recycling and pilferage of confiscated illegal drugs. The recent and biggest controversy that hit the PNP was the October 2022 operation in Manila wherein PDEG personnel, some of them were assigned to the PDEG-SOU of Region 4A, were accused of stealing kilos of shabu from the 990 kilos confiscated from a lending agency owned by dismissed police master sergeant Rodolfo Mayo Jr. Former PNP chief Rodolfo Azurin, Jr. was also quoted saying that the reason why he would not attend on-site presentations of confiscated illegal drugs is that such successful operations are sometimes included in the playbook of illegal drugs syndicates to make it appear that the drug war is winning. Two police generals and two police colonels were also recommended to be kicked out of the police service and be slapped with criminal and administrative charges for illegal drugs involvement. All of them turned out to be former officials of the PDEG. Earlier, Acorda also said policemen will undergo “proper vetting” before they will be assigned to police units involved in the continuing war against illegal drugs. Acorda made the pronouncement amid recent findings about the involvement of some personnel of the PDEG in illegal drugs. More than 40 personnel of the PDEG were disarmed, ordered restricted and are now under investigation over allegations of drug protection racket, pilferage and recycling of confiscated illegal drugs. “The anti-illegal drug campaign shall be done by ensuring proper vetting of PDEG and Drug Enforcement Unit personnel to make sure that only those who have successfully undergone an honest vetting process will be assigned with anti-illegal drug units,” he said Acorda, who used to be the head of the PNP’s Directorate for Intelligence, wants to maximize all the information that must be obtained in ensuring that anti-narcotics personnel of the PNP are all clean. He said the vetting process will be done from the PDEG down to the station level of drug enforcement units. Fajardo said the move is also aimed at ensuring that those who have a derogatory record will not be returned to the PDEG or any PNP anti-illegal drugs unit -- the issue behind dismissed Mayo. “The background investigation will further be intensified and field commanders were the ones tasked to conduct it and all their findings were tasked to be written so that if there would be problems later on, we would hold them accountable,” said Fajardo. Fajardo said there is also an ongoing review of the existing policies in the conduct of background investigations. The post PNP overhaul of anti-drug units ongoing appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Another disgraceful police scandal
With too many whys, a clear-cut and independent full-blown investigation is imperative into the now infamous alleged police cover-up and pilferage of illegal drugs worth billions. But by any yardstick, the police can’t be a party to such an investigation. Not only because the investigation involves top police officers but also — and more damningly — because the police brass hasn’t been exactly forthright about their own promised probe of the disgraceful incident. In fact, Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos said that as early as February, his department had raised concerns to police brass about the slow pace of the police investigation into the arrest of Police Master Sergeant Rodolfo Mayo Jr., the seizure of illegal drugs worth P6.7 billion, and what happened to the drug haul afterward. Apparently, the concerns were ignored, forcing Mr. Abalos to launch another inquiry, this time with the National Police Commission in the lead. It was only after Mr. Abalos publicly disclosed what he described as a “massive attempt to cover up” Mayo’s arrest did the police brass divulge its investigation report that found a coterie of 49 Drug Enforcement Group officers and men liable for criminal and administrative charges amid irregularities in the illegal drug seizure. At the same time, police also officially divulged that some DEG officers speciously stole from the drug haul at least 42 kg of illegal drugs, that was found in an abandoned car near Camp Crame. Mr. Abalos wasn’t alone in raising suspicions about the slow pace of the official police probe into Mayo’s arrest last October, however. Last month, an evidently peeved Rep. Robert Ace Barbers, chairperson of the House Committee on Dangerous Drugs, lashed out, saying that after six months the police special investigation task group looking into the incident still had nothing to show for it. “Why is it said that the PNP SITG is foot-dragging or dilly-dallying on their probe? Are they covering up for something we don’t know or are they still trying to make up a different script about his arrest and involvement in shabu stockpiling and possibly for recycling?” Mr. Barbers furiously asked then. Aside from these damning cover-up allegations, a flurry of other questions surfaced about Mayo’s arrest. CCTV footage, for instance, purportedly showed that instead of immediately spiriting away a handcuffed Mayo following his arrest in Tondo, Manila, police officers entered a nearby building with him and then suspiciously transferred bags and luggage into several vehicles. The building in question, which Mayo allegedly owned, was where the illegal drugs were stored. Even more puzzling, Abalos said, the police apparently already had Mayo in their custody even before the raid. A DEG report claimed he was arrested after a hot pursuit operation the following day. Worse, Mayo was even listed as an arresting officer in a different operation on the day of the raid. In the aftermath, other serious issues surfaced, including revelations of the disgusting practice of drug operatives setting aside 30 percent of seized illegal drugs to pay off informants. Nonetheless, the latest police scandal ricochets into broader issues like if the police organization can still restore integrity and professionalism in the ranks amid the temptations of lucrative criminal activities. Particularly so since the police brass haven’t so far demonstrated political will for serious reforms. Outgoing PNP chief Gen. Adolfo Azurin Jr., who is set to retire tomorrow (24 April), for instance, was reticent about the Abalos exposè until last week, only to issue a lame blanket denial that senior police officers had covered up the Mayo case. Yet, something must urgently be done about the increasing police involvement in mafia-life criminal undertakings. We can’t take such urgency lightly. A recent report by the Global Initiative Against Transnational Crime, for instance, predicts that emboldened Filipino mafia-style criminal groups, particularly state-embedded actors like the police, are going to step up their nefarious violent doings in the next few years. Not doing anything now therefore means we’ll end up paying a steep price later on. Email: nevqjr@yahoo.com.ph The post Another disgraceful police scandal appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»