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UN report warns of catastrophic risks to Earth systems
Melting glaciers, unbearable heat and space junk: a month before crunch climate talks in the United Arab Emirates, a UN report published Wednesday warns about irreversible impacts to the planet without drastic changes to connected social and physical systems. The Interconnected Disaster Risks Report identifies thresholds it calls "risk tipping points," defined as "the moment at which a given socioecological system is no longer able to buffer risks and provide its expected function" -- after which the risk of catastrophe increases significantly. It focuses on six areas that connect the physical and natural world with human society: accelerating extinctions, groundwater depletion, mountain glacial melt, space debris, unbearable heat and an "uninsurable" future. "As we indiscriminately extract our water resources, damage nature and biodiversity, and pollute both Earth and space, we are moving dangerously close to the brink of multiple risk tipping points that could destroy the very systems that our life depends on," said Zita Sebesvari, the report's lead author. For example: Underground water reservoirs represent an essential freshwater resource around the world and today mitigate half of the losses of agriculture caused by droughts, which are being exacerbated by climate change. But aquifers themselves are now depleting faster than they can be naturally replenished: Saudi Arabia has already crossed the groundwater risk tipping point while India isn't far behind. In the case of accelerating extinctions, the report highlights the cascading effects of extinctions throughout food chains. "The gopher tortoise, which is threatened with extinction, digs burrows that are used by more than 350 other species for breeding, feeding, protection from predators and avoiding extreme temperatures," the report said. If the gopher tortoise goes extinct, the gopher frog that helps control insect populations will likely follow, triggering effects throughout the entire forest ecosystem of the southeastern United States. Mountain glaciers that store vast amounts of freshwater meanwhile are melting twice as fast as they did in the past two decades. "Peak water" -- the point when a glacier produces its maximum amount of water runoff due to melting -- has been reached or is expected to be reached within the next ten years across small glaciers in Central Europe, Western Canada and South America. "The 90,000+ glaciers of the Himalayas, Karakoram and Hindu Kush mountains are at risk, and so are the nearly 870 million people that rely on them," the report said. In the case of space junk, the report warns Earth's orbit is in danger of becoming so full of debris that a collision triggers a chain reaction that threatens humanity's ability to operate satellites -- including those that provide vital early warning monitoring against disasters. The report finds most solutions currently being implemented focus on delaying problems rather than genuinely addressing the root causes. "We need to understand the difference between adapting to risk tipping points and avoiding them, and between actions that delay looming risks and those that move us towards transformation," it said. The post UN report warns of catastrophic risks to Earth systems appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Attack on Phl would elicit U.S. response — State Dep’t
The United States warned on Monday that any armed attack on Philippine armed forces and Philippine Coast Guard civilian vessels could trigger its 72-year-old Mutual Defense Treaty with the Philippines. “The United States reaffirms that Article IV of the 1951 US-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty extends to armed attacks on Philippine armed forces, public vessels, and aircraft — including those of its Coast Guard — anywhere in the South China Sea,” the US Department of State said in a statement. The statement came a day after a China Coast Guard ship collided with a Philippine resupply vessel that was conducting a routine resupply mission at Ayungin Shoal. During the same resupply mission, a Chinese maritime militia vessel also bumped the BRP Cabra, one of the PCG ships that were escorting the boat contracted by the AFP. Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro Jr. said the collisions, which President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ordered investigated by the PCG, were “intentional.” For its part, the Philippines’ Department of Foreign Affairs said further study is needed to invoke the MDT due to the incident. “The matter of filing another case is something that is still being studied by the government. But, of course, all incidents like these will actually bolster the case that it is not the Philippines that is the aggressor but the other party, which is China,” DFA spokesperson Teresita Daza said. “It’s a provocation on the side of China but at this point, whether it will constitute an armed attack that would allow the invoking of the MDT is something that needs to be studied,” she added. The Philippines and the US agreed under the MDT, signed in 1951, that an armed attack on either of the parties would be considered an attack on the other, necessitating common or joint actions. Ambassador summoned The Philippines on Monday summoned China’s Ambassador to the Philippines, Huang Xilian, to explain the “blocking maneuvers” conducted by its vessels. China has insisted on its territorial rights over the Ayungin Shoal, also known as Second Thomas Shoal, which is in the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone. Swarms of CCG ships and Chinese maritime militia vessels had been monitored in the WPS, which Philippine officials said was a blatant disrespect of the 2016 Arbitral Award on the South China Sea. In July 2016, the Philippines won the arbitral case it lodged against China in the Permanent Court of Arbitration. The US said it stands with the Philippines in the face of China’s “dangerous and unlawful actions obstructing” a 22 October resupply mission to Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea. “By conducting dangerous maneuvers that caused collisions with Philippine resupply and Coast Guard ships, the PRC Coast Guard and maritime militia violated international law by intentionally interfering with the Philippine vessels’ exercise of high seas freedom of navigation,” the US State Department said. “The PRC’s (People’s Republic of China) conduct jeopardized the Filipino crew members’ safety and impeded critically needed supplies from reaching service members stationed on the BRP Sierra Madre. Obstructing supply lines to this longstanding outpost and interfering with lawful Philippine maritime operations undermines regional stability,” it added. Citing the 2016 arbitral ruling on the South China Sea, the US noted that China’s territorial claims to Ayungin Shoal, a low-tide elevation outside the territorial sea of another high tide feature, were unfounded. Unsafe moves “The unsafe maneuvers on 22 October and the PRC water cannoning of a Philippine vessel on 5 August are the latest examples of provocative PRC measures in the South China Sea to enforce its expansive and unlawful maritime claims, reflecting disregard for other states lawfully operating in the region,” the State Department stressed. Aside from the US, Japan, France, Canada, Australia and Germany also condemned China’s aggressive actions in the West Philippine Sea. In a separate statement, Canada condemned what it described as “unlawful and dangerous conduct” of the People’s Republic of China in the WPS, which “provoked two collisions with Philippine vessels engaged in routine operations inside the Philippine exclusive economic zone, in the vicinity of Ayungin Shoal.” “The PRC’s actions are unjustified. China has no lawful claim to the West Philippine Sea. Its actions are incompatible with the obligations of a signatory to the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea,” the Canadian Embassy in Manila said. “Continuing acts of intimidation and coercion undermine safety, stability, and security across the region, and increase the risk of miscalculation,” it added. France, Japan, Germany, too France expressed its “deep concern” over the dangerous maneuvers of the CCG against Philippine vessels “engaged in the Philippine exclusive economic zone.” “France calls for respect of the freedom of navigation guaranteed by international law and recalls its attachment to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and the decision rendered by the Arbitral Court on 12 July 2016,” the Embassy of France to the Philippines said. Japan, likewise, stressed that it was “seriously concerned” and “alarmed” about the collision of Chinese vessels with Philippine vessels. “Seriously concerned about and alarmed by the collision between Chinese and Philippines vessels,” Japanese Ambassador to the Philippines Koshikawa Kazuhiko said in a tweet. Koshikawa said Japan “strongly opposes any unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force or coercion.” “Germany is very concerned about recent confrontations in the SCS involving Chinese coast guard ships and maritime militia vessels in the exclusive economic zone of the Philippines,” German Ambassador to the Philippines Andreas Pfaffernoschke said in a separate tweet. The post Attack on Phl would elicit U.S. response — State Dep’t appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
More senators condemn China’s ‘bullying’ in WPS
More senators on Monday condemned China’s aggressive actions in the West Philippine Sea which resulted in a collision with Philippine vessels en route to a resupply mission to the Ayungin Shoal. For Senate Deputy Majority Leader Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito, China “has gone too far in disrespecting the Philippines” when it performed “dangerous blocking maneuvers” that resulted in a collision with the Unaiza May 2, an indigenous boat contracted by the Armed Forces of the Philippines for a resupply mission to the BRP Sierra Madre. “I strongly condemn the recent aggression of the Chinese Coast Guard against our Philippine Coast Guard,” Ejercito said in a statement. “The reckless maneuvers executed by the CCG, which resulted in a collision with the Armed Forces of the Philippines-contracted resupply vessel, were not only provocative but also a blatant act of bullying that must be denounced, not only by us but by the international community,” he added. Ejercito said the act of harassment of China within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone “obviously violates our sovereignty and territorial integrity.” “We must strongly assert the 2016 arbitral ruling, which clearly affirms that the Philippines has the exclusive rights over the West Philippine Sea,” he said. “This ruling is not only legally binding but a reflection of the principles of international law,” he added. China claims the vast South China Sea, including the West Philippine Sea. However, on 12 July 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration favored the Philippines’ arbitral case against China. Seven years after the Tribunal favored the Philippines’ arbitral case against China, the ruling remains on paper as China continues to disregard it by keeping its illegal activities in the West Philippine Sea. Ejercito said it is “essential to note that this is not the first time the CCG has engaged in such provocative actions against our coastal guards and fisherfolks.” “Moreover, it is the government's duty to ensure the safety of our waters for all Filipinos. We cannot and will not allow such incidents to jeopardize the safety of our people, particularly those who serve in our armed forces and the PCG,” he said. “At the same time, I personally believe that it is high time to expedite the modernization of our Armed Forces in the coming years to protect our sovereignty, safeguard our maritime interests, and ensure the safety and security of our people,” he added. ‘Potential flashpoint’ Senator Grace Poe, likewise, expressed concern over the “dangerous blocking maneuver” carried out by CCG against Philippine vessels. “China's latest act of aggression poses a credible concern that could heighten the tension not only between Philippines and China, but could also be a potential flashpoint in the region,” Poe said in a separate statement. “While an immediate diplomatic protest is anticipated, the recent incident calls for a serious rethinking of our strategies in dealing with these acts,” she added. She continued: “As we firmly assert our rights in our waters, fortifying our relations with like-minded states must continue to thwart similar belligerent actions.” On Sunday, Senate President Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri, Senators Risa Hontiveros, and Francis Tolentino expressed their anger over the collision that put the safety of the Filipino crew at risk. “I am one with peace-loving Filipinos in strongly condemning this latest abhorrent actions of the China Coast Guard and Chinese maritime militia that put in danger the lives of our brave countrymen who were on a routine resupply mission to our troops in Ayungin Shoal,” Zubiri said. “Let me salute our personnel from the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) for displaying courage and restraint in continuing their resupply missions despite the hostile and treacherous acts of China Coast Guard and their maritime militia,” he added. Hontiveros echoed Zubiri’s call on China to “stop” its activities in the West Philippine Sea which she said clearly violates international law. “This latest collision is squarely the China Coast Guard’s fault,” she said in a separate statement. “The 2016 Arbitral Award has resolutely invalidated China’s claims in the West Philippine Sea, making this incident a clear violation of international law,” she added. For his part, Tolentino said the recent confrontation between the Philippines and China clearly shows China’s continuous disregard for international law. He noted that the incident should be investigated by the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea and the Code for Investigation ng Marine Casualties and Incidents of the International Maritime Organization. The post More senators condemn China’s ‘bullying’ in WPS appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Data not compromised on PhilHealth cyberattack
The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation or PhilHealth on Wednesday maintained its claim that its members’ data was not compromised by the recent cyberattack on its system. In an interview with the DAILY TRIBUNE, PhilHealth spokesperson and senior vice president for Health Finance Policy Israel Pargas reiterated that their database remained “intact.” He, however, admitted that hackers behind the cyberattack accessed the data that were stored in the servers affected by the hacking. “We cannot verify that. It can be a possibility because again, checking our database, it is still intact. If we check the database, it appears that no data was compromised or leaked,” he said. “However, since our employees are also working with regard to our members and all, it could be true that there may be data stolen by these hackers. It is uncertain whether any data was stolen or not,” he added. On Tuesday night, the Department of Information and Communications Technology confirmed that the hackers have already started publishing PhilHealth employees’ data on the dark web. DICT Undersecretary Jeffrey Dy said the stolen data includes details on employees’ identification cards, memorandum, directives and hospital bills. The development came a day after the self-imposed deadline of the hackers on the government to pay a $300,000 ransom for the data expired. Dy said the information posted on the dark web could just be a “teaser” of what the hackers have stolen from the state-run health insurer’s system. At the same time, in an advisory, PhilHealth confirmed that some members’ personal information including names, addresses, dates of birth, sex, phone numbers, and PhilHealth identification numbers were compromised. The corporation said it is “working to notify all affected individuals directly.” The state-run health insurer also urged its members to take precautionary measures in light of the cyberattack on its system. “Monitor your credit reports for any unauthorized activity,” it said. Members were also encouraged to place a fraud alert on their credit reports and change their passwords for their online accounts, especially their financial accounts. Members were also advised to be wary of phishing emails and smishing text messages. No numbers Asked how many members were affected by the incident, Pargas said PhilHealth has yet to know the quantity of the data stolen by the hackers. “There might have been data that were compromised but we don’t have any numbers yet,” he said. In case PhilHealth members receive suspicious calls about their data, they may report it through phic.actioncenter2023@gmail.com or phic.dpo@gmail.com, he said. Online Meanwhile, the state-run health insurer said its website, member portal, e-claims, HCI portal, Electronic Premium Remittance System, and electronic PhilHealth Acknowledgment Receipt can now be accessed by the public and their partners. On 22 September, PhilHealth temporarily shut down its website and membership portal due to an “information security incident.” The post Data not compromised on PhilHealth cyberattack appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Confidential funds: Case for transparency
The allocation of confidential funds in the national budget has been a long-standing practice aimed at providing the government with the flexibility to address unforeseen circumstances and sensitive issues. However, recent controversies in Congress have ignited a debate on whether these confidential funds should be scrutinized and possibly scrapped in the pursuit of greater transparency and accountability. Confidential funds have historical roots in the need for the government to respond swiftly to emergencies and delicate situations without compromising national security. These funds are often earmarked for intelligence activities, diplomatic initiatives, and crisis response. The inherent secrecy surrounding these allocations has traditionally been justified as essential for the effective functioning of government in critical times. The recent controversies in Congress, however, have cast a spotlight on potential abuses of confidential funds. Allegations of misappropriation, lack of oversight, and misuse of these funds have fueled calls for their elimination. In fact, militant groups have called on the government to stop what they termed a confidential fund spree that it fears has become a tradition in the Philippine budget system that deprived Filipinos of better living conditions. Critics argue that the secrecy surrounding these allocations fosters an environment ripe for corruption and undermines the principles of transparency and accountability. The confidential nature of these funds makes it challenging to establish a robust system of checks and balances. Without adequate oversight, there is a risk that these funds could be misused or diverted for purposes other than that originally intended, leading to a lack of accountability. The lack of transparency can create an environment conducive to corruption. The clandestine nature of confidential funds may tempt individuals to exploit these resources for personal gain, away from the scrutiny of auditors and oversight mechanisms. As recent controversies have demonstrated, public trust in government institutions can be severely eroded when mismanagement or corruption occurs. The perception that public funds are being used inappropriately can damage the relationship between citizens and their government. In weighing the advantages and disadvantages of retaining or scrapping confidential funds in the national budget, a delicate balance must be struck. Now that Congress is mulling realigning the confidential funds of multiple government agencies toward national security, lawmakers should ensure that the confidential funds of agencies that have nothing to do with national security would be realigned to public services. While the need for flexibility in crisis response and the imperative to safeguard national security remain compelling arguments in favor of maintaining confidential funds, the recent controversies in Congress highlight the risks associated with their lack of transparency and accountability. Rather than an outright elimination, a more prudent approach may involve instituting reforms to enhance oversight mechanisms and ensure the responsible use of confidential funds. Implementing robust auditing processes, increasing transparency in reporting, and involving independent bodies in overseeing these allocations could help strike a balance between the need for confidentiality and the imperative of public accountability. Ultimately, the debate over confidential funds should be approached with the recognition that the challenges faced by the government are dynamic and multifaceted. Striking the right balance between secrecy and accountability is crucial to ensuring that confidential funds serve their intended purposes without compromising the principles of good governance and public trust. As societies evolve, so too should the mechanisms in place to ensure that the allocation and utilization of public funds align with the values of transparency, accountability, and the common good. The post Confidential funds: Case for transparency appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
PhilHealth insists ‘no data was compromised’ amid cyberattack
The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation or PhilHealth on Wednesday maintained its claim that its members' data was not compromised by the recent cyberattack on its system. In an interview with Daily Tribune, PhilHealth spokesperson and Senior Vice President for Health Finance Policy Israel Pargas reiterated that their database remained “intact”. He, however, admitted that hackers behind the cyberattack accessed the data that were stored in the servers affected by the hacking. “We cannot verify that. It can be a possibility because again, checking our database, it is still intact. If we check the database, it appears that no data was compromised or leaked,” he said. “However, since our employees are also working with regard to our members and all, it could be true that there may be data stolen by these hackers. It is uncertain whether any data was stolen or not,” he added. On Tuesday night, the Department of Information and Technology confirmed that the hackers have already started publishing PhilHealth employees’ data on the dark web. DICT Undersecretary Jeffrey Dy said the stolen data includes details on employees' identification cards, memorandum, directives, and hospital bills. The development came a day after the self-imposed deadline of the hackers on the government to pay a $300,000 ransom for the data expired. Dy said the information posted on the dark web could just be a “teaser” of what the hackers have stolen from the state-run health insurer’s system. At the same time, in an advisory, PhilHealth confirmed that some members' personal information including names, addresses, dates of birth, sex, phone numbers, and PhilHealth identification numbers were compromised. The corporation said it is “working to notify all affected individuals directly.” The state-run health insurer also urged its members to take precautionary measures in light of the cyberattack on its system. “Monitor your credit reports for any unauthorized activity,” it said. Members were also encouraged to place a fraud alert on their credit reports and change their passwords for their online accounts, especially their financial accounts. Members were also advised to be wary of phishing emails and smishing text messages. No numbers Asked how many members were affected by the incident, Pargas said PhilHealth has yet to know the quantity of the data stolen by the hackers. “There might have been data that were compromised but we don’t have any numbers yet,” he said. In case PhilHealth members receive suspicious calls about their data, they may report it through phic.actioncenter2023@gmail.com or phic.dpo@gmail.com, he said. Online Meanwhile, the state-run health insurer said its website, member portal, e-claims, HCI portal, Electronic Premium Remittance System, and electronic PhilHealth Acknowledgment Receipt can now be accessed by the public and their partners. On September 22, PhilHealth temporarily shut down its website and membership portal due to an "information security incident." The post PhilHealth insists ‘no data was compromised’ amid cyberattack appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Gatchalian to PhilHealth: Update mental health package
The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation should present an update on the rollout of its package for mental health illnesses, Senator Win Gatchalian said Thursday. Gatchalian cited that PhilHealth earlier planned to roll out its mental health outpatient package in July. The senator flagged the unreleased package despite “the country is facing a pandemic of mental health issues.” To date, Gatchalian said that PhilHealth only offers a P7,800 case rate for confined patients having specific conditions such as dementia, bipolar disorders, schizophrenia, and anxiety disorders. He lamented that the high cost of mental health services makes it inaccessible to many Filipinos to acquire fair mental care. Gatchalian, who chairs the Senate Committee on Basic Education, noted that a cursory search on the internet would point to packages costing up to P43,800. "Sisingilin ko ang PhilHealth sa mental health package dahil nangako sila. Noong una natuwa kami dahil may acknowledgement sila na may problema tayo sa mental health at mababa ang ating package, pero wala namang aksyon na nangyari,” he said. “Sisingilin talaga namin sila dahil nga kung titignan natin yung datos, mahigit 4,000 ang nagpakamatay sa isang taon at 400 ang nagpakamatay mula sa mga paaralan natin kaya talagang may problema tayo pagdating sa mental health," he added. Gatchalian described the increasing deaths of Filipinos due to suicide as logged National Center for Mental Health as “alarming.” In 2019, the NCMH recorded 3,129 calls, of which 325 or 10 percent were suicide-related. In the same year, the Philippine Statistics Authority recorded 2,810 deaths due to suicide. At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the calls to the NCMH related to mental health problems had almost quadrupled to 11,017. While suicide-related calls rose to 15 percent or 1,382. The deaths by suicide almost doubled to 4,892 in the same period. In 2022, the number of calls to the NCMH and deaths by suicide remain high. Out of the 18,011 total calls to the NCMH that year, 6,853 were suicide-related. That same year, the PSA recorded 3,103 deaths by suicide. Gatchalian further emphasized how mental health issues affect learners with 404 learners dying by suicide during the School Year 2021-2022. The Senate recently approved on third and final reading of the Basic Education Mental Health and Well-Being Promotion Act. The proposed measure, which was authored and sponsored by Gatchalian, seeks to institutionalize the School-Based Mental Health Program to promote and ensure the mental health and well-being of learners in public and private basic education institutions. The post Gatchalian to PhilHealth: Update mental health package appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
EU envoy calls out China’s new floating barrier in Scarborough Shoal
“Deeply concerning.” This was how European Union Ambassador to the Philippines Luc Veron described China’s move to install a floating barrier around Scarborough Shoal Bajo, also known as Bajo de Masinloc. In a tweet, Veron flagged China’s newest actions in the West Philippine Sea, which now prevents Filipino fishermen from entering the shoal for their livelihood activities. He said that China’s action "disregards" the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea or UNCLOS. “The installation of the floating barrier is dangerous, detrimental to the livelihoods of Philippines fishermen, and disregards the peace-driven objectives of UNCLOS,” he said. Over the weekend, the Philippine Coast Guard reported the presence of the floating barrier in the southeastern portion of Bajo de Masinloc, allegedly installed by the China Coast Guard. Located 120 nautical miles from Zambales, Bajo de Masinloc is considered a traditional fishing ground for Filipinos in the West Philippine Sea. The Philippines’ Department of Foreign Affairs had already vowed to “take all necessary measures” to protect the country's sovereignty and the livelihood of affected Filipino fishermen. “We will take all appropriate measures to protect our country’s sovereignty and the livelihood of our fisherfolk,” the DFA said in a statement. China claims the vast South China Sea, including the West Philippine Sea. The 2016 Arbitral Award on the South China Sea invalidated Beijing’s historic nine-dash line claim in the entire South China Sea. Seven years after the Tribunal favored the Philippines’ arbitral case against China, the ruling remains on paper as China continues to disregard it by going about its illegal activities in the West Philippine Sea. The post EU envoy calls out China’s new floating barrier in Scarborough Shoal appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Businesswoman scammed out of P265K
CANDON CITY, Ilocos Sur — A businesswoman was scammed of P265,000 in cash by a suspect who claimed to be a “District Prosecutor.” Victim Natasha Abaya of Barangay San Isidro, Candon City, Ilocos Sur, filed a complaint with the Candon City police on Friday. Abaya said that at about 12:55 p.m. on Thursday, she received a phone call from an unknown person with the contact number 09087793623. The female caller introduced herself as District Prosecutor Angeline Delos Santos Ordonia and said she was looking for a relative of Elvis Imperial (Abaya’s cousin) who was facing criminal charges for violating RA 9165. The caller offered to help dismiss the case. During their conversation, the caller allegedly gave Abaya three options to settle the case, including paying P189,000 to have the charges dropped. At around 1:32 p.m., Abaya went to a store in Barangay San Jose, Candon City, and sent P95,000 to account number 09622372583 through “pay and go.” After Abaya sent the money, the caller told her that “if you fail to complete the amount, we will file the case against him, even if we get a million pesos, we will not be able to release him.” To complete the amount of P190,000, at around 2:24 p.m., Abaya sent another P95,000 to account number 09621662553 through “pay and go.” The caller then told Abaya that her cousin was facing two cases, Section 5 and Section 15. She told Abaya to send another P75,000 so that there would be no more cases against her cousin and that he would be immediately released. At around 3:58 p.m., Abaya sent another P25,000 to account number 09563886041 through GCash. Police gathered that at around 4:13 p.m., she sent another P50,000. The total amount sent was P265,000. After sending the full amount, the caller stopped answering Abaya’s calls after the last payment. The post Businesswoman scammed out of P265K appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
DND chief: China charge ‘hypocritical’
China accusing the Philippines of being an environmental menace for allowing the rusting BRP Sierra Madre landing ship to remain moored at Ayungin Shoal is “hypocritical,” Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. said. “The statement of China that the grounded Sierra Madre is causing irrevocable harm is, to put it as politely as possible, hypocritical,” Teodoro, reacting to Mao’s statement, told reporters on Saturday. Teodoro was reacting to Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Mao Ning’s statement that the rusting BRP Sierra Madre ship was a pollutant and source of waste in the West Philippine Sea. The BRP Sierra Madre is a landing vessel deliberately grounded on Ayungin Shoal in 1995 to serve as an outpost manned by a platoon of Marines. Mao called the Philippines to tow the Sierra Madre away from the shoal. He urged to “stop polluting” the waters around it “if it really cares about the environment.” Philippine officials were not amused, however. The Office of the Solicitor General said it is considering filing a lawsuit against China before an international court for destroying corals in at least two key features in the WPS, namely, Rozul or Iroquois Reef and Escoda or Sabina Shoal. Pot calls kettle black “Talk about the pot calling the kettle black. China continues to damage the WPS with its illegal reclamation activities after it was found to be a violator of international law in the 2016 Arbitral Award when such activities damaged the marine environment,” Teodoro said. He described China’s remarks as mere “propaganda” to divert international attention from its illegal activities in the WPS. “Disingenuous propaganda lines such as this only serve to expose China’s insincerity and will only heighten the mistrust of the Filipino people and the rest of the world toward the Chinese government,” Teodoro said. China has repeatedly denied the Philippines’ sovereign right over the WPS based on the 2016 arbitral ruling of the Permanent Court of Arbitration at The Hague. Coral destruction, a crime The Chinese foreign ministry also recently criticized the Philippines for creating “political drama” when it alleged massive coral harvesting at Rozul Reef and Escoda Shoal. “The destruction of corals goes far beyond drama. It is a violent act and a serious crime against humanity,” said Commodore Jay Tarriela, PCG spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea, in a post on X (formerly Twitter). “Stop making (allegations) that the BRP Sierra Madre is polluting the waters, but blame it (on) your numerous Chinese maritime militia vessels swarming the Philippines’ EEZ,” Tarriela said. Tarriela noted that the PCG conducted extensive underwater surveys of the seabed at both Rozul Reef and Escoda Shoal. “The results of these surveys showed that the marine ecosystem in the subject features appeared to be lifeless, with minimal to no signs of life. Moreover, the surveys conducted at Escoda Shoal revealed visible discoloration of its seabed, strongly indicating that deliberate activities may have been undertaken to modify the natural topography of the underwater terrain,” he said. On Thursday, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said the government would file environmental cases against China for its destructive activities in the WPS before the Permanent Court of Arbitration as it has a lot of evidence to pursue a case. Remulla said the case filing was not connected to the territorial dispute, maintaining that the “destruction of the environment is a sin against humanity.” On the other hand, Solicitor General Menardo Guevarra confirmed the plan to file charges against China before the arbitral court. @tribunephl_raf The post DND chief: China charge ‘hypocritical’ appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Abduction of activists sparks calls to surface desaparecidos
In a statement Wednesday, Karapatan said the case of Castro and Tamano should push the government to strengthen investigation and efforts to find and surface all victims of enforced disappearances or desaparecidos. .....»»
Belmonte calls for reforms in BFP-QCFD
Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte on Monday called on the Bureau of Fire Protection to undertake reforms in the BFP - Quezon City Fire District (QCFD). Belmonte made the call as results of the probe conducted by the city government and the Quezon City Council revealed lax inspection, backlog in the examination of businesses, and other lapses in the performance of the BFP-QCFD. "The BFP should look into how the BFP-QCFD fulfilled its mandate in the light of tragic loss of lives and properties due to recent fires in the city. Were the BFP-QCFD leadership remiss in their duties? They should hold their personnel accountable if proven guilty of inefficiency," she said. Belmonte earlier sought the relief of two officials from the BFP-QCFD following a review of the performance of the agency prompted by the tragic loss of lives caused by the fire last 31 August in Tandang Sora. An evaluation conducted by the city government of each fire incident that occurred this year showed on average, more damage, injury, and death compared to the previous year. “The capability and effectiveness of the BFP-QCFD in responding to these fires have lessened significantly. The city government recognizes that each fire has its own distinct volatile circumstances. Nonetheless, the severity of this year's incidents necessitates a call for a change in the leadership of the agency. A change is needed for the welfare of our citizens. We look forward to a better performance from the BFP," Belmonte said. The two officials were identified as BFP-QCFD fire marshall, Fire Senior Superintendent Aristotle Bañaga, and the chief of the QCFD Fire Prevention Branch, Fire Chief Inspector Dominic Salvacion. Data from the BFP revealed that from January to August 2023, there were 153 fires recorded in the city, while there were only 219 fires from January to December 2022. With a third of the year left, there have already been eight firefighters and 63 civilians injured compared to only two firefighters and 60 civilians for the entirety of last year. Moreover, there were already 24 deaths in the first eight months of this year while there were 30 from January to December 2022. There were 8,362 individuals or 2,380 families affected by the fires up to August this year, higher than the whole of last year’s record of 7,295 individuals or 2,005 families. “For this reason and to protect the people of Quezon City, I am calling upon the national leadership of the Bureau of Fire Protection to assign to us a new fire marshall for the QCFD and a new inspection head,” Belmonte added. Belmonte also called on the BFP to be more transparent in their own investigation of the Tandang Sora fire. “The BFP has failed to reciprocate the city government’s efforts to exercise transparency. They resisted our calls to be apprised of the progress of their own probe, or to our requests for coordination. We therefore ask the BFP to cooperate fully with the city government as mandated by law, to ensure full transparency and clarity in these investigations. Our people demand more, and the victims and their families deserve nothing less,” Belmonte said. Belmonte earlier ordered the City Legal Department to form a Special Panel of Investigators to probe the incident and if warranted by evidence, to file the appropriate case(s) against pertinent and surviving officers of the business establishment involved in the deadly fire in Tandang Sora. Local government personnel found to be liable after the conduct of the investigation will likewise face administrative and criminal charges. “The city government continues to thoroughly investigate the devastating fire of August 31. It has coordinated with and interviewed its departments, the barangay, the homeowners association, the relatives of the victims, and the survivors, to ascertain the circumstances that brought about this tragedy. We will leave no stone unturned, and we will not spare even our own officials and personnel,” the mayor added. The mayor assured the residents that the city government will continue to beef up the city’s fire prevention measures and efforts. On 14 September, Mayor Belmonte extended financial assistance to the families of the fire victims. Earlier, the city government helped arrange for the cremation of the remains of the victims, among others. The post Belmonte calls for reforms in BFP-QCFD appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Clampdown and grief as Iranians remember Mahsa Amini
Iranians at home and abroad marked the first anniversary Saturday of the death in police custody of Mahsa Amini, with activists speaking of a renewed crackdown to prevent any resurgence of the protests which rocked major cities last year. Amini, a 22-year-old Iranian Kurd, died a few days after her arrest by religious police for allegedly violating the strict dress code for women in force since shortly after the 1979 revolution. Her family says she died from a blow to the head but this is disputed by Iranian authorities. Anger over her death rapidly expanded into weeks of taboo-breaking protests which saw women tearing off their mandatory headscarves in an open challenge to the Islamic republic's system of government under supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. But after several months, they lost momentum in the face of a crackdown that saw security forces kill 551 protesters, according to Norway-based Iran Human Rights (IHR), and arrest more than 22,000, according to Amnesty International. Iranian authorities say dozens of security personnel were also killed in what they describe as "riots" incited by foreign governments and hostile media. Seven men have been executed after being convicted in protest-related cases. Campaigners say the authorities have renewed their crackdown in the runup to the anniversary, putting pressure on relatives of those killed in the protests in a bid to stop them speaking out. New York-based Human Rights Watch said family members of at least 36 people killed or executed in the crackdown had been interrogated, arrested, prosecuted or sentenced to prison over the past month. "Iranian authorities are trying to impose a chokehold on dissent to prevent public commemoration of Mahsa Jina Amini's death in custody, which has become the symbol of the government's systematic oppression of women, injustice and impunity," said HRW's senior Iran researcher, Tara Sepehri Far. 'Repressive forces' deployed The two journalists who did the most to publicize the Amini case –- Niloufar Hamedi and Elahe Mohammadi who respectively reported from her hospital and funeral –- have been held in prison for almost a year. Another reporter, Nazila Maroufian who interviewed Amini's father Amjad, has been arrested repeatedly. Amjad Amini has told Persian media based outside Iran that he plans to hold a commemoration for his daughter in their hometown of Saqez in Kurdish-populated western Iran later Saturday. Outlets, including Prague-based Radio Farda, said he was summoned by intelligence officials after his announcement. He was not arrested but one of Amini's uncles, Safa Aeli, was detained in Saqez on 5 September. According to Kurdish-focused news outlet Hengaw, the government has sent additional security forces to Saqez and other towns in western Iran that could become flashpoints. On Saturday, Hengaw said, "repressive forces" were deployed around the Amini family residence in Saqez. It posted photos on X, formerly Twitter, showing armed men in fatigues on the streets of Saqez, as well as video of shops shuttered and on strike to mark the anniversary in Saqez, Sanandaj and other cities of Kurdistan province. 'Doubling down' While some women are still seen walking in public without headscarves, particularly in wealthy, traditionally liberal areas of north Tehran, the conservative-dominated parliament is currently considering a draft law that would impose far stiffer penalties for non-compliance. "The Islamic republic is doubling down on repression and reprisals against its citizens and seeking to introduce new and more draconian laws that severely restrict further the rights of women and girls," said Sara Hossain, the chair of the UN fact-finding mission set up to investigate the crackdown. Under the slogan "Say her name!", Iranian emigres are expected to hold commemorative rallies, with large demonstrations expected in Paris and Toronto. Amnesty International accused Iran's authorities of committing a "litany of crimes under international law to eradicate any challenge to their iron grip on power" and lamented that not a single official had been even investigated over Amini's death or the crackdown. "The anniversary offers a stark reminder for countries around the world of the need to initiate criminal investigations into the heinous crimes committed by the Iranian authorities under universal jurisdiction," said Amnesty's Middle East and North Africa deputy director, Diana Eltahawy. On the eve of the anniversary, Iran's arch-foe the United States and its Western allies including Britain and the European Union imposed new sanctions on the Islamic republic over its protest crackdown. Announcing the measures, US President Joe Biden led international calls in solidarity with Iranians on the anniversary of Amini's death. "Iranians alone will determine the fate of their country, but the United States remains committed to standing with them," he said. Iran's foreign ministry spokesman Nasser Kanani slammed the Western countries' "illegal and undiplomatic actions" in a statement late Friday. The post Clampdown and grief as Iranians remember Mahsa Amini appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
How to best enjoy olive oil
The generous use of olive oil, according to many medical studies, appears to be a key contributor in making the Mediterranean diet one of the healthiest. That’s because the oil extracted from the fleshy part of the ripened fruit of the olive tree has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that help lower risks of cardiovascular disease, some types of cancer and even dementia. Additionally, olive oil is prized in countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea, including major producers Spain and Italy, for giving dishes an extra layer of flavor with its nutty and fruity notes. It also helps balance the other ingredients in a dish with its velvety texture, either while cooking, giving a finishing touch, or making a salad dressing. [caption id="attachment_183424" align="aligncenter" width="525"] Presa Ibérica de Cerdo[/caption] To showcase the delicacy and versatility of olive oil, the Doña Elena local brand sourced from Spain has teamed up with Terraza Martinez, a restaurant located in the Bonifacio Global City that specializes in Spanish and Mediterranean cuisines. Chef Luis Martinez has come up with a special four-course menu using the three types of olive oil: extra virgin (first cold pressed, unrefined), pure (combination of extra virgin and refined oils) and pomace (extracted after the first press). The menu is available this whole month of September for only P1,950 at Terraza Martinez (Ground Floor, The Arcade, Shangri-La at The Fort, 5th Avenue, BGC). [caption id="attachment_183425" align="aligncenter" width="525"] Manchego Cheesecake.[/caption] “It’s a balance of the dishes,” the Valencia native told DAILY TRIBUNE at the launch of the culinary collaboration. “In Spain, with a Mediterranean diet, we start with a cold soup, gazpacho.” He whipped it up using pure olive oil, canned diced tomatoes, anchovies, garlic prawns, tomato tartar, capers and croutons. The result was an exquisite unitary blend of the ingredients that will excite even the strictly hot soup-loving Pinoys. “You can continue with a salad,” Martinez said of his next dish. “In this case, I use cured snapper carpaccio as a kind of salad.” It consisted of thinly sliced snapper fish, which is marinated in extra virgin oil, along with crushed tomato, fried capers and lime zest. It then teases the taste buds to enjoy more the culinary journey. [caption id="attachment_183426" align="aligncenter" width="821"] Terraza Martinez Special Menu.[/caption] “Then you have a main dish of meat or fish,” he pointed out on what they usually have in Spain. For the special menu, he used presa Ibérica, or the meat cut located slightly below the pork tenderloin. His own recipe of Presa Ibérica de Cerdo was glazed and charcoal-grilled. It’s then served with truffle mashed potato, shallots caramelized in olive oil, wild fresh mushrooms and demi-glacé sauce. (The pescatarians at the event were served with Bacalao instead.) “For dessert, I made cheesecake because I know a lot of people like cheesecake,” he explained, grinning. “But in this case, I’m using Manchego cheese from Spain.” His Manchego Cheesecake was tangy and smooth with a light touch of pomace olive oil. It’s topped with blueberry jelly and mango slices that add a bit of sweetness and some juicy flavor. [caption id="attachment_183428" align="aligncenter" width="525"] Chef Luis Martinez.[/caption] Martinez also gave a few reminders in using what he calls “liquid gold,” such as extra virgin oil is not for cooking. It’s best used in salads, where its flavor can be tasted to its purest form. Pure and pomace olive oil are ideal for cooking, especially deep frying, as they can tolerate high temperature. The post How to best enjoy olive oil appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
ChatGPT diagnoses ER patients ‘like a human doctor’: study
Artificial intelligence chatbot ChatGPT diagnosed patients rushed to emergency at least as well as doctors and in some cases outperformed them, Dutch researchers have found, saying AI could "revolutionize the medical field". But the report published Wednesday also stressed ER doctors needn't hang up their scrubs just yet, with the chatbot potentially able to speed up diagnosis but not replace human medical judgment and experience. Scientists examined 30 cases treated in emergency service in the Netherlands in 2022, feeding in anonymized patient history, lab tests, and the doctors' own observations to ChatGPT, asking it to provide five possible diagnoses. They then compared the chatbot's shortlist to the same five diagnoses suggested by ER doctors with access to the same information, and then cross-checked with the correct diagnosis in each case. Doctors had the correct diagnosis in the top five in 87 percent of cases, compared to 97 percent for ChatGPT version 3.5 and 87 percent for version 4.0. "Simply put, this indicates that ChatGPT was able to suggest medical diagnoses much like a human doctor would," said Hidde ten Berg, from the emergency medicine department at the Netherlands' Jeroen Bosch Hospital. Co-author Steef Kurstjens told AFP the survey did not indicate that computers could one day be running the ER, but that AI can play a vital role in assisting under-pressure medics. "The key point is that the chatbot doesn't replace the physician but it can help in providing a diagnosis and it can maybe come up with ideas the doctor hasn't thought of," Kurstjens told AFP. Large language models such as ChatGPT are not designed as medical devices, he stressed, and there would also be privacy concerns about feeding confidential and sensitive medical data into a chatbot. 'Bloopers' And as in other fields, ChatGPT showed some limitations. The chatbot's reasoning was "at times medically implausible or inconsistent, which can lead to misinformation or incorrect diagnosis, with significant implications," the report noted. The scientists also admitted some shortcomings with the research. The sample size was small, with 30 cases examined. In addition, only relatively simple cases were looked at, with patients presenting a single primary complaint. It was not clear how well the chatbot would fare with more complex cases. "The efficacy of ChatGPT in providing multiple distinct diagnoses for patients with complex or rare diseases remains unverified." Sometimes the chatbot did not provide the correct diagnosis in its top five possibilities, Kurstjens explained, notably in the case of an abdominal aneurysm, a potentially life-threatening complication where the aorta artery swells up. The only consolation for ChatGPT: in that case the doctor got it wrong too. The report sets out what it calls the medical "bloopers" the chatbot made, for example diagnosing anaemia (low haemoglobin levels in the blood) in a patient with a normal haemoglobin count. "It's vital to remember that ChatGPT is not a medical device and there are concerns over privacy when using ChatGPT with medical data," concluded ten Berg. "However, there is potential here for saving time and reducing waiting times in the emergency department. The benefit of using artificial intelligence could be in supporting doctors with less experience, or it could help in spotting rare diseases," he added. The findings -- published in the medical journal Annals of Emergency Medicine -- will be presented at the European Emergency Medicine Congress (EUSEM) 2023 in Barcelona. The post ChatGPT diagnoses ER patients ‘like a human doctor’: study appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Dutch ‘Indiana Jones’ art sleuth recovers stolen Van Gogh
A Dutch art detective has recovered a precious Vincent van Gogh painting that was stolen from a museum in a daring midnight heist during the coronavirus lockdown three-and-a-half years ago, police said Tuesday. Arthur Brand took possession of the missing painting, the 1884 "Parsonage Garden at Nuenen in Spring", worth between three and six million euros ($3.2 and $6.4 million), at his Amsterdam home on Monday, stuffed in a blue IKEA bag. Brand, dubbed the "Indiana Jones of the Art World" for tracing a series of high-profile lost artworks, told AFP that confirming the painting was the stolen Van Gogh was "one of the greatest moments of my life." "Arthur Brand, in cooperation with the Dutch police, has solved this matter," Richard Bronswijk of the Dutch police arts crime unit confirmed to AFP. "This is definitely the real one, there's no doubt about it." Brand told AFP that frequent calls by him and the Dutch police to hand back the stolen artwork finally paid off when a man, whose identity was not revealed for his own safety, handed Brand the painting in a blue IKEA bag, covered with bubble-wrap and stuffed in a pillow casing. A video clip supplied by Brand showed him unpacking the painting in his lounge and gasping in astonishment when he realized what it was. "I couldn't believe it," he said. 'Massive headache' The painting was burgled from the Singer Laren Museum near Amsterdam on 30 March 2020 in a heist that made headlines around the world. Dutch police released video images shortly after the burglary showing a thief smashing through a glass door in the middle of the night, before running out with the painting tucked under his right arm. In April 2021, police arrested a man named in Dutch media as Nils M. for the theft. He was later convicted and sentenced to eight years behind bars. M. was also convicted for stealing another masterpiece by Frans Hals called "Two Laughing Boys" in a separate heist. "After a few months I heard from a source in the criminal world who had bought the Van Gogh," from Nils M, said Brand, who has gained fame for his remarkable recoveries of stolen art, including the "Hitler's Horses" bronze statues, a Picasso painting and a ring that once belonged to Oscar Wilde. This man, identified by Dutch media as Peter Roy K., was currently behind bars for a separate case involving the large-scale import and export of cocaine, Brand said. K. wanted to use the painting as collateral to negotiate a reduction in his sentence. Brand confirmed Peter Roy K.'s identity, stressing he had said before that "no deal for a reduced sentence would be made." The whereabouts of the Van Gogh however remained unknown until two weeks ago when a mysterious man contacted Brand saying he wanted to return it. After some negotiation, Brand persuaded the man -- who had "nothing to do with the theft", according to the art detective -- to hand back the artwork. "The man told me 'I want to return the Van Gogh. It has caused a massive headache'" because it could not be used as a bargaining chip, Brand said. "In an operation done in close coordination with the Dutch police, we got the painting back," he said. The painting, which comes from relatively early on in Van Gogh's career, before the prolific artist embarked on his trademark post-impressionist paintings such as "Sunflowers" and his vivid self-portraits, has already been handed back to the director of the Groninger Museum, from where it was on loan to the Singer Laren Museum. "At first there was disbelief. Staff were asking themselves 'can this be true'?" said Karina Smrkovsky, head of communications at the Groninger museum. "Then, when it was confirmed, our disbelief turned into delight. We are incredibly happy that it has been been returned," Smrkovsky told AFP. "We are incredibly thankful to Arthur Brand for getting it back." Smrkovsky said however that the painting would not be on public display immediately, most probably only next year. "We are delighted that art lovers from all over the world once again will be able to see this wonderful painting," said Evert van Os, museum director at Singer Laren. Meanwhile Frans Hals' "Two Laughing Boys" remains missing -- but Brand said he hoped it would also be returned soon. The post Dutch ‘Indiana Jones’ art sleuth recovers stolen Van Gogh appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Handwritten letters a lifeline in war-devastated Darfur
With no cell service or phone calls, people in Sudan's war-ravaged western region of Darfur are resorting to a bygone means of communication: handwritten letters, carried by taxi drivers. Ahmed Issa, 25, sits on a plastic chair in a roadside cafe, penning a message to relatives he left behind in Nyala, the capital of South Darfur state. In the safety of El Daein, 150 kilometers (93 miles) southeast, he told AFP the letters are often the only way to get news in and out of his hometown, the second-biggest city in Sudan and the site of brutal battles between the regular army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces. "Even at the start of the fighting, it was hard to get in touch with people in other neighborhoods inside Nyala," he said, nearly five months after the war began. The situation has only grown worse since, with horrific violence reported across Darfur, a region the size of France that is home to around a quarter of Sudan's 48 million people. They remember all too painfully the years-long war and atrocities that began in 2003. Hundreds of thousands were killed and more than two million displaced after the government of Omar al-Bashir unleashed the Janjaweed militia in response to a rebel uprising. Hunched forward in a black patterned shirt and a neat crew cut, Issa carefully folds his letter over and over. "You wait a week for the letter to arrive, and you don't know for sure if they'll get it," he told AFP. "And if they do, there's no guarantee they can send one back" through the treacherous roads in and out of Nyala. Three months ago, the West Darfur state capital of El Geneina seemed to be the nucleus of the fighting, becoming a symbol of the return of ethnic violence in Darfur. Western countries and the UN linked the violence to the RSF and its allies. It triggered the International Criminal Court to open a new investigation into alleged war crimes. Now Nyala is the centre of clashes between the army and the RSF. On one day last week 39 civilians, most of them women and children, were killed when shelling hit their homes in Nyala, medics and witnesses said. Over 10 days in August, more than 50,000 people fled Nyala's violence, according to the United Nations. Water and electricity networks quickly failed, compounding threats in a city where one in four people already needed humanitarian aid before the war, the UN said. The messenger Residents on Sunday looked up to see a new escalation of the violence: Air Force fighter jets -- whose strikes have been largely limited to the capital Khartoum -- were flying overhead. Their bombs struck both RSF bases and the residential neighborhoods they inhabit, witnesses told AFP. People will do anything to make sure their loved ones are alright, according to human rights defender Ahmed Gouja, who left Nyala but is trying to inform the world of the gruesome violence unfolding. Last week, he reported on Twitter, which is being rebranded as X, that five entire families were "killed in one day". He himself spent 16 days "with no info" about his family in Nyala, before finally reaching "one of my brothers who arrived at El Daein, searching for an internet signal". "We die every moment that passes while we are deprived" of news of loved ones, he wrote. For weeks, Suleiman Mofaddal has seen families like Gouja's walk through his El Daein office, a small room with yellow walls, anxious for news of those who cannot or refuse to leave their homes in Nyala. On his desk sits a pile of small, neatly folded paper rectangles, each with a name scrawled in blue ink. Some have a phone number, just in case the recipient gets cell service for even a moment. All wait to be handed to drivers on Mofaddal's team, who will carry the letters on their way to Nyala. "Most often, the recipient immediately writes a response and hands it back to the driver before he leaves," Mofaddal told AFP. Then the driver heads back out, hoping the road ahead won't be closed -- by either the bombs, militia checkpoints, or the downpours of Sudan's rainy season. The post Handwritten letters a lifeline in war-devastated Darfur appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
CHR to cooperate with ICC on drug probe
The Commission on Human Rights maintained a steadfast stance in its commitment to work with the International Criminal Court to probe the country's war on drugs on the watch of then-President Rodrigo Duterte. In the deliberations for the department's budget for 2024 before the House Committee on Appropriations, CHR Chairperson Richard Palpal-latoc assured lawmakers the agency would cooperate with the ICC by furnishing evidence it gathered in its past investigation. "As you may recall, the CHR has investigated extra-judicial killings in relation to the drug war before. And out of that investigation, the CHR has generated a report on EJK in relation to the drug war," Palpal-latoc said. The confirmation came following a question by Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman about the extent of cooperation the human rights watchdog intends to grant to the ICC as it previously declared that they are "willing to cooperate" into the drug war probe, which has resulted "in thousands of extra-judicial killings, particularly the impoverished and marginalized drug suspects." About 7,000 people were killed under Duterte's drug war, based on the government's data, the majority of whom were from low-income families. However, local and international human rights organizations estimate it exceeded 30,000. According to Palpal-latoc, they are willing to supply the ICC evidence that the CHR already gathered in the previous investigation. However, he stressed that since the agency has yet to learn the details of the case filed in the ICC, the parameters of their cooperation are unknown. This, however, did not sit well with Lagman, asserting that the CHR should have been aware of this matter, taking into account the accusation made openly and publicly. According to the veteran lawmaker, CHR's pronouncement of cooperation without initiating communication with the ICC was merely a "soundbite" and a "press release" for the media. "Why don't you know? It's an open and public accusation before the ICC against the culprits in this war on drugs. Do you have a copy of the accusation brought before the ICC by some affected victims and advocates?" Lagman said. "You are fully aware that the official position of the national government is not to cooperate with the ICC and that bold statement is, in fact, a challenge to that position," he added. Palpal-latoc, on the other hand, countered that the CHR is "not a party" to the ICC investigation. Nonetheless, the CHR chief said that they are willing to provide legal assistance to the victims of human rights violations as well as witness protection pursuant to their mandate. Calls were made to cease the ICC's probe into Duterte's "war on drugs" that claimed thousands of lives during his six years of power that started in 2016. Justice Secretary Boying Remulla maintained a firm stance that the country would not engage in the ICC, claiming that the Philippine government would not let the court interfere in the country's business. Senator Bato de la Rosa, who led Duterte's anti-drug campaign, locally known as "Oplan Tokhang" previously said that he is ready in case a warrant of arrest has been served, but only by Philippine authorities and not by any foreigner directed by the ICC. The former PNP chief and Vice President Sara Duterte were the Philippine officials mentioned in the ICC prosecutor's report on the killings. The post CHR to cooperate with ICC on drug probe appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Road rage
Those with sharp memories and local crime story buffs will never forget three road rage cases that hogged print and broadcast news headlines toward the end of the 20th century and into the millennium. These high-profile cases involving detainees Inocencio Gonzales, Rolito Go, and Jason Ivler ended in their conviction and sentencing to long prison terms, with their names forever etched in the annals of heinous crimes recorded in the country. A brief refresher. On 2 July 1991, a De La Salle University engineering student was driving on a one-way street in San Juan City, Metro Manila, when he ran into construction firm executive Rolito Go, plying the road from the opposite direction. After a brief altercation, Go shot Eldon Maguan in the head, who died in the aftermath. Go served 25 years in prison before he was released. Seven years later, in the middle of a heated argument over a parking slot, real estate developer Inocencio Gonzales Jr. lost his cool, which led to the fatal shooting of a pregnant woman and the wounding of two younger children with her and her husband at the Loyola Memorial Park in Marikina City on 21 October 1998. Gonzalez was meted a 14-year prison term. In 2009, a nephew of music celebrity Freddie Aguilar, Jason Ivler, shot dead a son of former Malacañang official Renato Ebarle Sr. after a tiff on a Quezon City road. An earlier road incident in 2004 that snuffed the life of another Malacañang official, Nestor Ponce, also pointed to Ivler as the accused in Ponce’s death. A Quezon City court found Ivler guilty of the murder of Renato Ebarle Jr. and sentenced him to 40 years in jail. There are no available statistics on road rage incidents in the Philippines, but observers have noted an alarming increase in recent years. But in the United States, statistics show 413 people were hurt in road rage shootings in 2022, or a 135 percent increase from 2018. US traffic experts say confrontational driving is more often the case that could be caused by traffic conditions, inconsiderate motorists, and high stress levels among motorists with ages ranging from 19 to 39. Not too long ago, two road rage incidents that have gained public attention because of social media posts that had gone viral involved men in uniform. In the viral video of an incident in Quezon City, Wilfredo Gonzales, a policeman dismissed from the service for grave misconduct in 2018, was shown brandishing a gun and threatening a cyclist in a traffic row. Even more controversial was a press conference conducted by the QC police days later that suggested they were “lawyering” for Gonzales, a former QC policeman. The PNP has no mandate to host such a press conference, it was later learned. In a separate incident, a Pasay City policeman, SSgt. Marsan Dolipas was also shown in a video post holding down an armed Angelito Velasquez Rencio, who said he was an Intelligence agent, after a traffic dispute in Makati City when the latter allegedly sideswiped the policeman. Both incidents prompted the usual calls for an investigation. Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri and Senator Rafael Tulfo have called for a Senate probe into the escalation of road rage cases in the country. It is interesting to note that even President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. filed Senate 2923 when he was still a senator back in 2011. The bill “hopes to once and for all stomp rood rage as on unnecessary and reprehensible evil, and define such as a circumstance that could aggravate, or even qualify, on offense occasioned by it. The incidents involve public order and safety, particularly “road sharing,” a concept that they said is often ignored or alien to many Filipino motorists, added the senators. For his part, Interior and Local Government Secretary Benhur Abalos, whose jurisdiction includes the control of the PNP, said: “For the sake of a peaceful and orderly society, we cannot allow a culture of impunity. We cannot allow bullies to intimidate people with deadly weapons. There must be consequences here.” Still, the incidents persist. Behavioral scientists attribute road rage to several reasons: A need to control other drivers who violate their space, unchecked anger or aggression, huge egos, or a need to be dominant. Others think the rise in incidents lately came about by the advent of Covid-19 when stress levels reached abnormally unreachable heights caused by depression, the loss of jobs or loved ones to the pandemic, and the inability to cope with such. Solutions have been suggested. Push for continuing driver anger management education. Discard the “it’s the other driver’s fault” excuse. Don’t allow anyone to push your “rage buttons” by staying calm and collected when an altercation appears to be headed your way. Yield to others. These may be easier said than done, but why not take the chance? As an anger management expert said: Realize road rage is ridiculous, life-threatening, and not something you have to participate in — ever. And you can arrive at your destination safe and sure. The post Road rage appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Phl rejects China’s newest ’10-dashed line’ map
The Philippines on Thursday protested the inclusion of some of its sovereign territories on the newest version of China's standard map. The Philippine government, through the Department of Foreign Affairs, called out China for including the country’s maritime zones in its 2023 version of its standard map. “The Philippines rejects the 2023 version of China’s Standard Map issued by the Ministry of Natural Resources of the People's Republic of China on August 28, 2023, because of its inclusion of the nine-dashed line (now a ten-dashed line) that supposedly shows China’s boundaries in the South China Sea,” the DFA said in a statement. “This latest attempt to legitimize China’s purported sovereignty and jurisdiction over Philippine features and maritime zones has no basis under international law, particularly the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea,” it added. Earlier this week, China released its 2023 version of its standard map which also covered the western parts of the Philippine maritime zones. According to the DFA, the arbitral award, which the Philippines won in 2016, “invalidated” China’s nine-dashed line claim in the South China Sea. “It categorically stated that ‘maritime areas of the South China Sea encompassed by the relevant part of the ‘nine-dash line’ are contrary to the Convention and without lawful effect to the extent that they exceed the geographic and substantive limits of China’s maritime entitlements under the Convention,’” the statement read. “The Philippines, therefore, calls on China to act responsibly and abide by its obligations under UNCLOS and the final and binding 2016 Arbitral Award,” it added. China claims the vast South China Sea, including the West Philippine Sea. On 12 July 2016, the Philippines won its arbitral case against China in the Permanent Court of Arbitration – a landmark decision that China continues to reject. Aside from the Philippines, Malaysia and India also protested against China’s newly-published map, which also included parts of disputed territories. The post Phl rejects China’s newest ’10-dashed line’ map appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»