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DILG recognizes town mayor’s suspension
The Department of the Interior and Local Government on Thursday recognized the suspension order on Bonifacio town mayor Samson Dumanjug in Misamis Occidental. In a statement, the DILG commented on the suspension of Dumanjug which was discussed during the Senate Committee on Public Order hearing last 1 August 2023. Under Administrative Order 22 s. 2011, the suspension order of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan should be appealed to the Office of the President within 15 days from notice of the order., the DILG said. “However, Mayor Dumanjug did not file an appeal. The 2023 Suspension Order against Mayor Dumanjug thus became final and executory. Further, there was no stay of execution issued by any proper office or court. In recognizing the Suspension Order, the DILG complied with and followed the law,” read the statement. Last Tuesday, Occidental Gov. Henry Oaminal appeared before the Senate Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs for the hearing called by chairman Senator Ronald dela Rosa. Dela Rosa, in calling for the probe, has cited the letter complaint of the Dumanjug couple that local police officers and local government executives subjected them to alleged inhumane and violent treatment when they were evicted from the municipal hall building last 16 June. Oaminal said law enforcement agents were pressed to use force in enforcing the suspension order on Dumanjug and his wife, Vice Mayor Evelyn Dumajug to resume the delivery of basic services to their constituents. Oaminal told senators that the Dumanjugs have locked themselves in the mayor’s office since 30 May after he directed the service of the preventive suspension order issued by the Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Misamis Occidental in relation to Administrative Case 01-23 or a case of betrayal of public trust against the couple. On 7 June, Oaminal said the DILG Region 10 issued a memorandum recognizing Ricky Bulahan as the acting municipal mayor of Bonifacio town. This was supported with a letter dated 9 June 2023 coming from the DILG Central Office in Quezon City. The case stemmed from an administrative complaint filed against the Dumanjug couple last September 2022 for abuse of authority, dishonesty, and grave misconduct for the procurement of excavators and garbage compactor trucks which were allegedly overpriced. The post DILG recognizes town mayor’s suspension appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
JPE: Merger can’t happen
The proposed merger of the Land Bank of the Philippines and the Development Bank of the Philippines can’t be done because of legal infirmities — LandBank still holds the private shares it obtained after it absorbed the United Coconut Planters Bank or UCPB. “The problem there is how would they merge the two banks when UCPB, which was taken over by LandBank, had private shareholders, who were mostly coconut farmers,” according to Presidential Legal Counsel Juan Ponce Enrile. “Who are they to confiscate the properties of Filipinos? The Constitution says: ‘No person shall be deprived of life, liberty, and property without due process,’” he pointed out. “If President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos will ask my opinion on the merger, I will probably express a negative position,” Enrile said on his weekly program, Bayan ni Juan. Enrile blamed the Presidential Commission on Good Government or PCGG for mismanaging UCPB, which led to its bankruptcy, the reason for its consolidation with LandBank. “Who should be accountable for the millions of pesos lost in UCPB?” he asked. Enrile accused PCGG agents and nominees of squandering the money of the bank. Class suit appropriate “UCPB stockholders should file a class suit against the PCGG. It was not the fault of the share owners what happened to the bank, it was the fault of the government and the PCGG.” “They failed to manage the bank well considering that 72.5 percent of the bank’s shareholders were private individuals,” he said. “PCGG’s first chairman was former senator Jovito Salonga; he was then followed by a lineup of crocodiles who were responsible for the dissipation of the funds in UCPB,” according to Enrile. “UCPB, before it was taken over by the government, was a very lucrative and liquid bank. When the pilferers took over, we do not know what happened to the contributions of the coconut farmers,” he said. “Should we forget what happened, without anybody answering for it?” Enrile asked the Bureau of Internal Revenue, for instance, to run after the PCGG officials and employees who enriched themselves with the stolen money. “There were many who became rich at the expense of UCPB,” he said. “(The administration of the late President Cory Aquino) made it appear that UCPB was funded using ill-gotten money; they just did not understand the objective in creating the bank,” the former Senate President said. After the EDSA Revolt on 25 February 1986, among the first moves of the then “revolutionary government” of Aquino was to create the PCGG to investigate and recover the ill-gotten wealth. On 31 July 1987, the PCGG sequestered shares of stock in UCPB registered in the names of one million coconut farmers under the so-called Coconut Industry Investment Fund companies and those owned by tycoon Eduardo Cojuangco Jr. The sequestered UCPB shares were then worth an estimated P10 billion but have grown lately to around P70 billion, including the San Miguel Corp. shares bought with coconut levy funds. On 28 February 2001, the Sandiganbayan First Division ordered the PCGG to allow the CIIF companies and Cojuangco to vote on the sequestered UCPB shares. On 14 December 2001, the Supreme Court reversed Sandiganbayan’s decision, ruling that the PCGG had the right to vote on the sequestered UCPB shares. First universal bank UCPB, founded in 1938, was the first universal bank in the country. The PCGG argued that the sequestered UCPB shares were acquired with coconut levy funds, which were public in character. The CIIF companies and Cojuangco countered that they were the rightful owners of the sequestered UCPB shares. “The government takeover of UCPB was an injustice to the coconut farmers. Nothing has happened since to address the injustice,” Enrile said. After the funds of the bank were depleted, it borrowed money from LandBank. Enrile said the merger of LandBank with DBP will have the effect of removing the PCGG’s responsibility for the injustice done to the small farmers. “They want to erase the wrong done to the poor,” he said. “Those favoring the merger should be aware of the need to repeal the law that created the DBP to allow the transfer of its assets to LandBank. Both are chartered government enterprises,” Enrile noted. He added, “I respect the position of Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno (in advocating the merger) but he is not a lawyer.” On 25 June 2021, former President Rodrigo Duterte signed Executive Order 142, approving the merger of LandBank and UCPB. On 14 December 2021, UCPB shareholders approved the merger plan. On 1 March 2022, the merger took effect. LandBank became the surviving entity and UCPB was dissolved. In July 2022, UCPB branches throughout the country started being converted to LandBank branches. On 1 March 2023, the merger was fully completed resulting in a combined asset base of P2.8 trillion, making LandBank the second-largest bank in the Philippines. The post JPE: Merger can’t happen appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Cop who died saving 2 kids honored
The National Capital Region Police Office police officer who died while saving two toddlers from drowning in Cagayan has been honored by the Philippine National Police. PNP chief Gen. Benjamin Acorda Jr. announced on Monday that P/Cpl. Mark Edison Arinabo of the Makati City police had been awarded the Medalya ng Kadakilaan (posthumous) for his heroism. “We will always honor Cpl Arinabo’s memory because of his unselfish deeds, which went above and above the call of duty,” Acorda said. Acorda added the PNP expressed its appreciation to Arinabo’s parents as their son’s lifelong commitment to the PNP and the Filipino people was made possible by their nurturing support, tolerance, love, and understanding. Meanwhile, Criminal Investigation and Detection Group agents detained the Mayor of Mabini, Batangas, and two of his brothers for illegal possession of firearms and explosives. Nilo Villanueva, the mayor of Mabini, and his brothers Oliver, a former police officer, and Bayani, a barangay chairman, were detained during the execution of search warrants at their respective homes in Sitio Silangan, Barangay Sto. Tomas, and Sitio Pook, Barangay Pulong Niogan Saturday morning, according to CIDG director Maj. Gen. Romeo Caramat Jr. Ariel Vilannueva, Nilo’s brother, was also the target of a police raid in Sitio Kanluran, Barangay Sampaguita. But during the operation, the warrant’s target was not there. The post Cop who died saving 2 kids honored appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
North Korea confirms June launch of military spy satellite: KCNA
North Korea has confirmed it will launch a reconnaissance satellite in June, saying it is needed to monitor military movements of the United States and its partners in real-time, state media reported Tuesday, citing a senior defence official. Japan said Monday it had been informed by Pyongyang that a satellite launch could happen as early as this week, but Tokyo warned the North may in fact be planning a sanctions-defying ballistic missile test. The North's state Korean Central News Agency cited Ri Pyong Chol, vice-chairman of the ruling party's central military commission, as saying the "military reconnaissance satellite No. 1" would be "launched in June". That satellite, along with "various reconnaissance means due to be newly tested, are indispensable to tracking, monitoring... and coping with in advance in real time the dangerous military acts of the US and its vassal forces", the statement said. Citing "reckless" acts by Washington and Seoul, Ri said North Korea felt "the need to expand reconnaissance and information means and improve various defensive and offensive weapons" in an effort to bolster military preparedness. The official also accused the United States of conducting "hostile air espionage activities on the Korean peninsula and in its vicinity", according to the KCNA dispatch. North Korea informed Japan it would launch a rocket between May 31 and June 11, identifying waters near the Yellow Sea, the East China Sea and to the east of Luzon Island in the Philippines as warning areas, a Japanese coast guard spokesman told AFP. Such zones are usually designated for falling debris or rocket stages. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida told officials to gather intelligence "on North Korea's notification about the launch of a ballistic missile that it describes as a satellite", his office said in a tweet. "Even if it's described as a satellite, a launch using ballistic missile technology would be a violation of United Nations Security Council resolutions" and would threaten people's safety, Kishida told reporters. In 2012 and 2016, Pyongyang tested ballistic missiles that it called satellite launches. Both flew over Japan's southern Okinawa region. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un this month inspected the country's first military spy satellite as it was prepared for launch, and gave the green light for its "future action plan". In 2021, Kim had identified the development of such satellites as a key defence project for the North Korean military. Because long-range rockets and space launchers share the same technology, analysts say developing the ability to put a satellite in orbit would provide Pyongyang with cover for testing banned intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs). Japan's defence ministry issued an order to shoot down any ballistic missile confirmed to be on course to fall into its territory. South Korea's foreign ministry condemned the launch plan, but officials did not confirm to AFP if Seoul had been directly notified of it. "North Korea's so-called 'satellite launch' is a serious violation of UN Security Council resolutions banning all launches using ballistic missile technology, and is a clearly illegal act that cannot be justified under any pretext," the ministry said. South Korea and Japan have been working to mend long-frayed ties, including with greater cooperation on North Korea's military threats. Meanwhile, Kishida on Monday reiterated that Tokyo is open to talks with Pyongyang. North Korean state media on Monday published a statement from the country's vice minister of foreign affairs, appearing to endorse a conciliatory approach to relations with Japan -- an unusual stance from Pyongyang. If Japan avoids "being shackled by the past, and seeks a way out for improving the relations, there is no reason for the DPRK and Japan not to meet", said the statement from Pak Sang Gil, using the initials of North Korea's official name. Pak said, however, that Japan needs to move on from sticking points such as the "abduction issue" for ties to improve. Japan suspects dozens of people who are still missing were abducted by North Korean agents in the 1970s and 1980s to train spies in the Japanese language and culture. The post North Korea confirms June launch of military spy satellite: KCNA appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Manning agents plead for equal protection over disability claims
Rumors of the scrapping of the escrow provision in the Senate version of the proposed Magna Carta for Seafarers have alarmed manning agents. Captain Reynaldo Casareo, president of Cargo Safeway Inc., one of the biggest crewing agencies in the country, said Wednesday the Senate Committee on Migrant Workers headed by Senator Raffy Tulfo should clarify whether or not the Senate bill will have an escrow provision like the MCS version already passed by the House of Representatives. Casareo said they want protection against seafarers who collude with ambulance chasers to get payments for permanent disability suffered on duty when the injury is not really permanent. “Senator Tulfo, please also listen to the agencies and shipowners being abused by ambulance chasers and not those seafarer groups that clearly have different intensions,” Casareo said. Another manning executive who requested not to be named also appealed to the senator. “If Senator Tulfo has indeed believed that the escrow provision is anti-seafarer, then this is bad. It was supposed to help ship owners that are providing opportunities to our seafarers. We hope he will listen to us.” Kabayan Partylist Representative Ron Salo, chairman of the House Committee on Overseas Workers Affairs, inserted in the MCS bill the provision for the creation of an escrow account that would strengthen the fight against ambulance chasing. Co-author and OFW Party-list Rep. Marissa “Del Mar” Magsino earlier said the provision was intended to address the inimical practice of ambulance chasing perpetrated by unscrupulous lawyers and litigants to the prejudice of employers and manning agencies. “The proposal is to place in escrow the monetary award (for disability claims) in favor of a seafarer if the employer or manning agency concerned has appealed the decision for judicial review,” Magsino said. “To counter-balance it, the seafarer is given the option to file a corresponding bond as a security, if he wishes to move for the execution of the decision pending appeal. These twin mechanisms are precise to prevent the dissipation of the monetary award in the hands of the winning party in the absence of a final judgment,” she said. During the Maritime Familiarization Workshop for Media organized by the seafarers’ union AMOSUP over the weekend, Atty. Iris Baguilat, chairperson of the ALMA Maritime Group and president of Dohle Seafront Crewing (Manila), said seafarer deployment dwindles yearly because of several factors, including the rampant illegal practice of ambulance chasing. Quoting the employers’ group International Maritime Employers’ Council, Baguilat said “Ambulance chasing is the biggest threat to Filipino seafarer employability” since it made them expensive due to their lawyers’ erroneous claims. She said that the Department of Migrant Workers reported that, based on National Conciliation and Mediation Board data alone for 2018 to 2022, between 28 percent and 30 percent of the monetary awards by NCMB amounting to over P2.57 billion have been reversed by higher courts for being erroneous. “Most of this award has not been returned to the shipowners,” Baguilat said. The post Manning agents plead for equal protection over disability claims appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Fugitive Teves claims ‘persecution’
Suspended Negros Oriental Representative Arnie Teves claimed that the military and police raided one of his properties in Bayawan City without a search warrant. “This is real persecution already. This is too much. It’s not right anymore. It’s wrong. The trampling on human rights is too much. Shouldn’t you have freedom and peace in your home and community? Now it’s gone,” he said in Filipino in a press briefing conducted remotely yesterday. Teves is a suspect in the 4 March 2023 assassination of Negros Oriental Governor Roel Degamo. One of Teves’ lawyers, Ferdinand Topacio, said his client is being subjected to “harassment” as government forces also raided a poultry farm that Teves owns in Bayawan even during the celebration of Eid’l Fitr or the Feast of Ramadan on Friday. Approximately 15 short and high-powered firearms, explosives, and ammunition were found during the initial raid on Teves’ property and two other homes allegedly owned by his relatives on 10 March. Teves’ camp decried as illegal the raid on his properties by the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group on 25 March. The authorities have linked his younger brother, former governor Pryde Henry Teves, to the killing of Degamo. The embattled lawmaker talked with the media through his Facebook page, where he said he hoped the raiders did not plant evidence. Teves also sought the help of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to stop government agents from raiding his properties without a search warrant. The President, however, had refused to be drawn into Teves’ problems, saying the legislator should just return home to face the charges. Suspension from House His plea to Marcos came days after he revealed in an interview that he had also sought the help of a colleague in returning home after he had insisted on remaining abroad because he did not feel safe. Last 22 March, the President urged the embattled lawmaker to return to the country, assuring him of tight security upon arrival. Teves is also facing charges over loose firearms and a series of killings in the province in 2019. He has been out of the country since 28 February and his failure to return home to perform his congressional duties and face the allegations leveled against him prompted his two-month suspension by the House ethics panel. PDP, Beijing party solidify ties The meeting was aimed at strengthening economic and cultural cooperation between China and the Philippines. Members of the major political party Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan or PDP Laban yesterday met with their counterparts in the International Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China or IDCPC at the Sheraton Hotel in Pasay City. Former president and PDP Laban chairman Rodrigo Duterte joined the meeting via Zoom, along with vice chairman Alfonso Cusi, Senator Robinhood Padilla, Former Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea, Secretary General Melvin Matibag, and the party’s Council of Elders and national executive committee. The meeting was aimed at strengthening economic and cultural cooperation between China and the Philippines. The party leaders and the IDCPC delegation, led by the Director-General of the Asian Bureau Peng Xiubin, discussed methods for strengthening their relationship. Given his high approval rating of over 80 percent even upon his retirement, the conference was significant because former President Duterte’s influence within the party could affect its future direction. In addition, the meeting highlighted the growing relationship between the Philippines and China, as both countries have made efforts in recent years to strengthen trade and investment ties. China has made significant contributions to infrastructure and exchange programs in the cultural and educational realms. The Philippines’ strategic location and swiftly expanding economy in Southeast Asia make it a key player in the region. Therefore, establishing strong alliances with other nations, particularly China, is crucial for its future growth and development. The meeting signified a turning point in Philippine politics. It emphasizes the importance of international relations and political parties working together to influence the country’s future, as well as in the strengthening of “people-to-people” ties. The post Fugitive Teves claims ‘persecution’ appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Ramirez writes OSG to seize assets of payroll scammer
Philippine Sports Commission chairman William ‘Butch’ Ramirez seeks the help of the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) on the agency's case against one of its staff discovered to be cheating the government in a payroll scam. Back from his month-long leave to take care of his sick wife, the PSC head hit the ground running on Monday addressing the latest controversy to hit the sports agency. "We need all the help we can get to get to the bottom of this and make every effort that nothing of this sort ever happens again," explained Ramirez, who also convened the sports agency's board the same day to discuss the matter as well as other pertinent matters needing the body's decision. In the letter to the OSG, Ramirez sought "assistance in instituting proper proceedings relative to the complaint filed against Paul Michael Ignacio" including garnishment of all real or personal property and the reversion of these back to the government. Just a week ago, Ignacio was taken by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) agents acting on the request of PSC's Executive Director Merlita Ibay for assistance on the discovered payroll padding committed by Ignacio. This also prompted the agency to take stock of its entire operations, some areas of which received ISO certification just last year. "The board is 100% with the Chairman on this," said Commissioner Ramon Fernandez who was Officer in Charge when the irregularity came to notice. Atty. Guillermo Iroy, Jr., Deputy Executive Director for Support has been appointed to lead the legal team in pursuing the case. In the same board meeting, it was also approved to have process and organizational auditors to help the agency in its mission to fortify all bureaus. Ramirez explained that "we need fresh eyes to take a look at our processes and seek out areas that need to be strengthened." Another online meeting is set on Wednesday between the board and the audit team......»»
Magsasarang POGO pinababantayan, baka magpalit lang ng pangalan
PINABABANTAYAN ni House committee on ways and means chairman at Albay Rep. Joey Sarte Salceda ang mga nagsasarang Philippine Offshore Gaming Corp., (POGO) dahil maaari na magpalit lamang umano ng pangalan ang mga ito upang matakasan ang buwis na kailangan nitong bayaran. “POGOs will still be liable to the law, as withholding agents of their […] The post Magsasarang POGO pinababantayan, baka magpalit lang ng pangalan appeared first on Bandera......»»
Go inspects Bacolod Super Health Center
Sen. Bong Go, chairperson of the Senate committee on health and demography, inspected a Super Health Center in Bacolod City on Sunday......»»
Public utility trike operators urged to renew franchise, warned vs overpricing
THE Davao City Transport and Traffic Management Office (CTTMO) conducted a dialogue with the different Tricycle Operators and Drivers’ Associations (Todas) of Toril District to remind drivers of the provisions of the Traffic Code of the City......»»
Lotto, digit games suspended over Holy Week – PCSO
Lotto and other digit games will be suspended from Maundy Thursday to Easter Sunday, March 28 to 31, in observance of Lent, the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office announced yesterday......»»
SC allows UN expert to act as friend of the court in Maria Ressa s cyber libel plea
Irene Khan, United Nations (UN) Special Rapporteur for freedom of expression and opinion, has been allowed by the Supreme Court (SC) to sit as an "amicus curiae" to the court in the appeal for the cyber libel case of Rappler.com chief executive officer Maria Ressa and former researcher Reynaldo Santos......»»
James Yap fulfilled after record All-Star appearance in Bacolod homecoming
James Yap claims the record for most PBA All-Star Game selections, seeing action for Team Mark in an entertaining clash with Team Japeth that ended in a draw in Bacolod City.....»»
Canino is Olympiad bound
It was sealed by an 83-move draw with Woman FIDE Master Cherry Ann Mejia of a Sicilian in the 10th and penultimate round of the Philippine National Women’s Chess Championship at the Malolos City Hall in Bulacan......»»
Teves gets 15 more days in Timor-Leste
The detention of expelled Negros Oriental congressman Arnolfo Teves Jr. in East Timor has been extended by a local court for 15 days following a trial on March 23, Teves’ lawyer Ferdinand Topacio said......»»
PBA All-Stars settle for draw
The 2024 PBA All-Star ended in a draw as Team Mark came from behind against Team Japeth, 140-140, Sunday night at the University of St. La Salle gymnasium in Bacolod......»»
LTFRB to inspect transport terminals
Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board Chairman Teofilo Guadiz is scheduled to inspect transport terminals tomorrow ahead of the exodus of passengers during the Holy Week, LTFRB spokesperson Celine Pialago said yesterday......»»
SC affirms ruling granting bail to ex-Masbate lawmaker, Napoles
The Supreme Court (SC) has affirmed a ruling of the Sandiganbayan that allowed businesswoman Janet Lim-Napoles and former Masbate congresswoman Rizalina Seachone-Laneta to post bail in the plunder charges filed against them in connection with the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) or pork scam......»»
Sabalenka wins with heavy heart
World number two Aryna Sabalenka returned to the court for the first time since the death of her former boyfriend earlier this week and kept her emotions in check as she beat Spain’s Paula Badosa, 6-4 6-3 on Friday......»»
SC upholds decision granting Napoles bail in one PDAF case
Pork barrel scam mastermind Janet Lim-Napoles and former Masbate Rep. Rizalina Seachon-Lanete have been allowed to post bail after the Supreme Court dismissed a case related to the Priority Development Assistance Fund......»»