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Naia rehab: SMC-led consortium bags P170-B project
As early as next year, passengers using Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) could expect improved management of the congested international gateway as a consortium led by San Miguel Corp. (SMC) takes over its operations and maintenance, according to the Department of Transportation (DOTr). The DOTr announced on Friday that the solicited bidding for the highly.....»»
Ombudsman ordersDA Asec dismissed
The Office of the Ombudsman has ordered the dismissal from the service of Department of Agriculture Assistant Secretary Kristine Evangelista in connection with a dubious deal with an onion supplier that led to a spike in the price of the commodity last year. The Ombudsman found Evangelista and John Gabriel Benedict Trinidad III, vice president for operations of Food Terminal Inc., guilty of conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service. They were dismissed for grave misconduct and negligence of duty, respectively. Moreover, the Ombudsman found probable cause to indict Evangelista, Trinidad, and several others for breach of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act (RA 3019) and for “falsification by private individuals and use of falsified documents (Article 172 of the Revised Penal Code).” The criminal and administrative charges against DA Senior Undersecretary Domingo Panganiban, chief accountant officer-in-charge Lolita Jamela, administrative officer V Eunice Biblanias, and budget division head Juanita Lualhati were dropped due to lack of probable cause and insufficiency of evidence. Likewise, the Ombudsman ordered the dismissal of both criminal and administrative charges against FTI president Robert Tan, who will stand as a witness for the prosecution. Back in August, the Ombudsman placed Evangelista, Trinidad, and several others, except for Panganiban and Tan, under preventive suspension in connection with the onion supply shortage in the country’s markets, price manipulation, and the dubious procurement of onions by FTI from Bonena Multi-Purpose Cooperative. Ombudsman records showed the DA entered into a memorandum of agreement with FTI for the Food Mobilization or Kadiwa Food Hub project. FTI, on the other hand, entered into a letter of agreement with Bonena for the delivery of 8,845 bags (approximately 28 kilograms/bag) of onions as part of the Kadiwa Food Hub. They were accused of violating RA 3019 and the Government Procurement Reform Act (RA 9184) due to the lack of parameters in the selection of a cooperative that would supply and deliver the onions; the questionable advance payment of 50 percent of the contract price; non-compliance of the MoA; partial implementation of the contract; and doubtful deliveries by Bonena.” The country experienced an agricultural shortage, primarily in onions, which soared to as high as P500 to P700 per kilo during the last quarter of 2022. The post Ombudsman ordersDA Asec dismissed appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
AirAsia Phl all set for long Undas weekend
AirAsia Philippines on Friday, 27 October, assured all its guests flying to various provinces for the observance of All Souls' Day and All Saints' Day of a smooth and on-time customer journey at NAIA Terminal 2. AirAsia Philippines CEO Ricky Isla and Manila International Airport Authority OIC Bryan Co, along with other airport officials, conducted an inspection of AirAsia check-in counters, kiosks, and boarding gates at NAIA Terminal 2 to demonstrate the airline's readiness for Undas and the long weekend. The airline expects to operate more than 700 domestic flights and carry more than 90,000 guests from 27 October to 1 November. This is 8 percent higher than the figures for the same period in 2022, with all domestic destinations averaging 90 to 93 percent passenger load. In order to effectively handle the influx of guests, four customer happiness counters in addition to the 20 check-in stations were activated. In addition, four self-check-in kiosks are provided to make contactless check-in easier, particularly for passengers who aren't checking bags. "We would like to guarantee our guests a smooth journey this holiday as they travel to their provinces and fly back to Manila. We have activated all and even augmented our ground operations staff to man the check-in counters without breaks. This exercise will also support MIAA's positive on-time performance," Isla said. AirAsia Philippines is closing the month of October with a positive 90 percent on-time performance. "With the commitment of our airline and industry partners, we aim to maintain our strong OTP record from the long weekend rush this year. Our objective is to minimize crowding in passenger and aircraft movement areas through the timely dispatch of flights. We're striving to establish this as a norm at NAIA. Thanks to our partnerships with airlines and government agencies, passengers are starting to notice a positive shift in NAIA operations," shared Co. To avoid being stuck in the traffic rush, AirAsia Philippines is encouraging all its guests to allot extra travel time, at least three to four hours before their flight schedule. Guests are also advised to regularly check their mobile and email accounts or visit the AirAsia Superapp, the AirAsia website (www.airasia.com), and AirAsia social media channels for the latest travel advisories. The post AirAsia Phl all set for long Undas weekend appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Agri officials dismissed by Ombudsman for graft, misconduct
The Office of the Ombudsman has ordered the dismissal from service of Department of Agriculture assistant secretary Kristine Evangelista in relation to a dubious deal with an onion supplier that led to a spike in the commodity last year. The Ombudsman found Evangelista and John Gabriel Benedict Trinidad III, vice president for operations of Food Terminal Incorporated, guilty of conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service and dismissed for grave misconduct and negligence of duty, respectively. Moreover, the Ombudsman found probable cause to indict Evangelista, Trinidad and several others for breaching the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act (RA 3019), and for "falsification by private individuals and use of falsified documents (Article 172 of the Revised Penal Code)." The criminal and administrative charges against DA senior undersecretary Domingo Panganiban, chief accountant officer-in-charge Lolita Jamela, administrative officer V Eunice Biblanias and budget division head Juanita Lualhati, however, were dropped due to lack of probable cause and insufficiency of evidence. Likewise, the Ombudsman ordered the dismissal of both criminal and administrative charges against FTI president Robert Tan to stand as a witness of the prosecution. Back in August, the Ombudsman placed Evangelista, Trinidad and several others, except for Panganiban and Tan, under preventive suspension in connection with the onion supply shortage in the Philippine markets, price manipulation and the dubious procurement of onions by FTI from Bonena Multi-Purpose Cooperative. The Ombudsman’s records showed that the DA entered into a memorandum of agreement with FTI for the Food Mobilization or Kadiwa Food Hub project. FTI, on the other hand, entered into a letter of agreement with Bonena for the delivery of 8,845 bags (approximately 28 kilograms/bag) of onions as part of the said Kadiwa Food Hub. They were accused of violating RA 3019 and the Government Procurement Reform Act (RA 9184) due to the lack of parameters in the selection of a cooperative that will supply and deliver the onions; questionable advance payment of 50 percent of the contract price; non-compliance of the MoA; partial implementation of the contract; and doubtful deliveries by Bonena. During the last quarter of 2022, the country experienced an agricultural shortage, primarily in onions, the prices of which soared to as high as P500 to P700 per kilo. Citing the evidence, Ombudsman Samuel Martires said “it seems like the prices of onions were manipulated.” “It seems like there was no bidding. We obtained CCTV footage from FTI showing what looks like a single person bringing three envelopes to the senior vice president,” he said. The post Agri officials dismissed by Ombudsman for graft, misconduct appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Sandiganbayan junks ex-BoC exec’s plea
The Sandiganbayan has junked the appeal of an ex-official of the Bureau of Correction and a private defendant convicted of graft over an anomalous sugar deal worth over P10 million in 2000. In a seven-page resolution, the Sandiganbayan Fifth Division turned down the appeal filed by ex-BoC official Benjamin Bongon and Roger Ang, who were found guilty of violation of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act (RA 3019) and were sentenced to up to seven years behind bars by the Cebu Regional Trial Court Branch 23 in December 2017. The lower court, likewise, ordered the accused to pay a P10,859,063 fine. The graft case involved the 28,000 bags of unmanifested imported sugar carried by M/V Affy that the BoC seized in 1999 and was later auctioned in 2000. Ang, the proprietor of Consumer Enterprises, won the bidding and deposited P21 million, equivalent to the price of 28,000 bags. However, a composite team reported to Bongon, the erstwhile chief of the Auction and Cargo Disposal Division of the BoC-Port of Cebu, that only 13,753 bags of sugar were offloaded from the vessel and subsequently acquired by Ang. This prompted Ang to refund P10,859,063, corresponding to the surplus of his initial payment of P21,341,600. The post Sandiganbayan junks ex-BoC exec’s plea appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Moscow detains another American journalist
A Russian-American journalist working for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty has been detained in Russia and charged with failing to register as a foreign agent, her employer and a journalist watchdog group said Wednesday. Alsu Kurmasheva, an editor with the United States Congress-funded outlet’s Tatar-Bashkir service, “needs to be released so she can return to her family immediately,” RFE/RL acting president Jeffrey Gedmin said in a statement. “Alsu is a highly respected colleague, devoted wife and dedicated mother to two children,” Gedmin said. She is the second US journalist to be held by Russia in recent months. Evan Gershkovich, a reporter for the Wall Street Journal, has been detained since March, accused of spying. Kurmasheva was being held at a temporary detention center as of Wednesday evening, the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists said in a statement, citing state media Tatar-Inform. A representative of Russian human-rights news website OVD-Info told CPJ that Kurmasheva would “most likely” be transferred to pre-trial detention shortly. Kurmasheva lives in Prague, Czech Republic, but entered Russia on 20 May for a family emergency, the CPJ said. She was temporarily detained at the Kazan airport on 2 June before her return flight, where both her US and Russian passports were confiscated and she was fined for failing to register her American passport with Russian authorities, according to RFE/RFL. Citing Tatar-Inform, the CPJ said Kurmasheva is accused of having “deliberately conducted a targeted collection of military information about Russian activities via the Internet in order to transmit information to foreign sources” last year, and providing international authorities with “alternative analytical materials” as part of “information campaigns discrediting Russia.” Kurmasheva was awaiting the return of her passports when the new charges were announced Wednesday, the CPJ said, adding that if found guilty she faces up to five years in jail. The post Moscow detains another American journalist appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Mitsubishi bags P9 billion airport train deal
The supplier of the new generation trains for the Light Rail Transit Line 1 has bagged a P9-billion deal to provide the airport express for the North-South Commuter Railway......»»
Travel patterns led to arrest of mother-daughter drug smugglers
Bureau of Immigration Commissioner Norman Tansingco lauded on Friday the BI Anti-Terrorist Group (BI-ATG) for its role in the successful interdiction of two drug couriers on 27 September. In a report given to Tansingco, BI-ATG airport head Bienvenido Castillo III shared that the mother-and-daughter tandem, who were identified as Siti Aishah Binte Awang and Nur Alaviyah Binte Hanaffe, both Singaporeans, were intercepted after arriving at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 via a Qatar Airlines flight QR928 from Doha. According to Castillo, the two suspects attempted to transit to Hong Kong via the Philippines but the BI officer at NAIA 3 intercepted them after detecting suspicious travel patterns. Castillo said that they also received information about the suspects from their international counterparts. They observed that the suspects would come in and out of the country in several instances and noted suspicious travels. He added that they also discovered another individual with the exact same patterns; hence, they immediately coordinated the matter with the members of the NAIA-Drug Interdiction Task Group (NAIA-DITG). After alerting the task group, members from the Bureau of Customs (BOC) and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) conducted an immediate entrapment operation with the assistance of airline representatives. A canine inspection showed that the duo’s luggage contained suspicious materials. Checks by the BOC confirmed that their bags contained six cookie tin cans and five cylindrical chip cans containing 564 pellets with a white powdered substance. The substance, identified as cocaine, totaled more or less 14,360 grams, with a current street value of PhP76,108,000. Tansingco hailed the arrest and commended the BI-ATG for the immediate and proactive actions that led to the interdiction. The BI chief said that the alertness of their immigration officers in analyzing the travel patterns of these criminals was instrumental in this arrest. Tansingco added that close coordination among government agencies in the airports is necessary to protect our borders from all kinds of criminal activity. Both suspects were arrested by the PDEA and remain under the agency’s custody for the filing of the appropriate charges against them. The post Travel patterns led to arrest of mother-daughter drug smugglers appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
NAIA lady scanner, others found ‘guilty of stealing’
According to Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista, the female Security Screening Officer and three other members of the Office for Transportation Security who were caught on closed-circuit television were "found guilty of stealing" in the cash-swallowing incident that occurred on 8 September 2023 at Terminal 1's final security checkpoint at Ninoy Aquino International Airport. Bautista said the guilty verdict was included in the investigation report handed to him by the OTS group of investigators, including the CCTV footage showing the lady scanner putting the money into her mouth and three other accomplices. The female SSO is facing administrative and criminal cases, as well as those who were involved in the 8 September incidents. “Ang sinasabi sa imbestigasyon ay guilty na pera ang sinubo. Although ang sinasabi nga ng babae ay chocolate daw, mayroon siyang affidavit. Pero ang nakita ng mga imbestigador na guilty siya,” Bautista said in an interview with the media after a Senate hearing on Tuesday. “Ang result ay, although hindi pa lumalabas officially, parang lumalabas na talagang nakita na mayroon silang pagkakasala. Apat kasi yung nakita natin dito na may talagang ginawa sa CCTV. Siguro pag nagkaroon ng criminal investigation, may lalabas pa kung mayroon pang other people involved,” he added. CCTV footage showed that at around 8:20 p.m. on 8 September, the Chinese passenger, identified only as Mr. Cai, placed his shoulder bag on the inspection tray at the final security checkpoint. As Cai passed through the body scanner, the screener could be seen conducting a manual search of his bag on the inspection table. The screener “suspiciously turned away while apparently holding something in her left hand with her fist tightly closed. She then swiftly placed something in her waist area and went back to the inspection table.” Cai had returned to the screening area and complained after discovering that his wallet was open and some of his money was missing. The passenger confronted the screener, who turned her back on him. In footage taken by another CCTV camera, she was “clearly seen deliberately swallowing the dollar bills, folded into one small piece,” as she used a handkerchief to cover her mouth. The screener was seen having difficulty swallowing the bills despite drinking water from a bottle given to her by a colleague. The screener’s supervisor approached her, “seemingly communicating with her” as she was “almost choking in her effort to swallow the dollar bills” to “apparently ensure that the bills were properly disposed of (no evidence),” according to the report. Cai has refused to file charges against the screener. Former OTS Administrator Ma.O. Aplasca confirmed on Friday, 22 September, that they received the counter affidavit of the accused and even said that, as of today Friday, she continues to deny the allegations that she swallowed the dollar bills. An OTS source said that it is not the normal way to eat chocolate by pushing something into her throat with her finger and drinking bottled water afterward. Secretary Bautista has directed the Office of Transportation Security (OTS) to immediately file the necessary charges against security screening personnel found involved in an 8 September incident of baggage theft at Terminal 1 of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport. Bautista expressed frustration and dismay at the incident at NAIA that the Secretary was recently trying to promote among potential foreign investors who may want to operate and maintain the country's main gateway. He even authorized imposing the maximum penalty on those found guilty to demonstrate the Department's determined push to rid NAIA as well as other attached agencies of scalawags. Former OTS Administrator Ma.O. Aplasca submitted his courtesy resignation last Tuesday, 26 September, to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. through DOTr Secretary Bautista after Speaker of the House of Representatives Martin Romualdez asked him to resign or the speaker would personally block the budget of OTS and DOTr due to the repeated stealing scandal. The post NAIA lady scanner, others found ‘guilty of stealing’ appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
OTS on fire anew as passenger loses $300
As a video of two US-TSA screening officers taking things from bags in trays lined up at the x-ray machine went viral over the weekend, another episode of theft at Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 1 has allegedly included the Office for Transportation Security. A press release from the OTS only came out on Monday afternoon, confirming the incident involving one of their Security Screening Officers at NAIA. But the issue began circulating in social media group chats as early as last week. Notably, the press release was also issued after a member of the Airport Press Club confirmed with the OTS public information office that such information was true. The said release did not contain vital details of the incident, referring to when, where, and how the alleged theft happened. Information revealed that the incident happened as early as 8 a.m., at Terminal 1 of NAIA. After going through the final security check, a departing passenger who is a foreign national, reportedly complained of having lost $300 in cash and was creating a commotion about the incident. The alleged theft was reportedly committed by one of the OTS SSO at that time, a female, while the passenger was passing through the final security check on the said terminal. It can be recalled that six months ago (22 February 2023), five personnel of the OTS assigned at the NAIA Terminal 2 were suspended after two videos of them went viral on social media, taking money from a transiting Thai tourist identified as Kitja Thabthim. The amount involved was 40,000 yen. A few days later, another screening officer was caught on CCTV stealing a watch of a Chinese passenger at the NAIA Terminal 1. Passenger Sun Yuhong complained that his watch was missing in his bag after he was screened by Valeriano Ricaplaza Jr., 31. Ricaplaza was later nabbed by members of the Philippine National Police Aviation Security Group. Closed-circuit television footage at NAIA Terminal 1 reveals a female personnel from the OTS swallowing the $300 taken from a departing Chinese passenger in what appears to be an effort to get rid of the evidence after the passenger complained about losing his money shortly after his bag had passed through at the final security checkpoint. Records from the airport authorities, which identified the involved OTS personnel as a female SSO and stated that an x-ray operator and her supervisor also had a part to play in the incident, provided evidence to support this. The post OTS on fire anew as passenger loses $300 appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
OTS on fire anew as another theft incident uncovered at NAIA-1
As a video of two US-TSA screening officers taking things from bags in trays lined up at the x-ray machine went viral over the weekend, another theft incident at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 1 has been uncovered. A press release from the Office for Transportation Security (OTS) came out on Monday afternoon, confirming the incident involving one of their security screening officers (SSO) at NAIA. But the issue began circulating in social media group chats as early as last week. Notably, the press release was also issued after a member of the Airport Press Club (APC) confirmed with the OTS public information office that such information was true. The said release did not contain vital details of the incident, referring to when, where, and how the alleged theft happened. Information revealed that the incident happened as early as 8 September 2023 at the NAIA Terminal 1. After going through the final security check, a departing passenger who is a foreign national reportedly complained of having lost US$300 in cash and was creating a commotion about the incident. The alleged theft was reportedly committed by one of the OTS security screening officers at that time, a female, while the passenger was passing through the final security check at the said terminal. It can be recalled that six months ago 22 February 2023), five personnel of the OTS assigned at the NAIA Terminal 2 were suspended after two videos of them went viral on social media, as they were shown taking money from a transiting Thai tourist identified as Kitja Thabthim. The amount involved was 40,000 yen. A few days later, another screening officer was caught on CCTV stealing a watch of a Chinese passenger at the NAIA Terminal 1. Passenger Sun Yuhong complained that his watch was missing from his bag after he was screened by Valeriano Ricaplaza Jr., age 31. Ricaplaza was later nabbed by members of the Philippine National Police Aviation Security Group. The post OTS on fire anew as another theft incident uncovered at NAIA-1 appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Russian spies arrested, charged
A suspected Russian spy in Sweden accused of passing Western technology information to Moscow was charged on Monday while another allegedly recruited by Israel has been arrested in Lebanon. Swedish-Russian Sergei Skvortsov, 60, was formally charged with carrying out “unlawful intelligence activities” against the United States and Sweden for a decade until his arrest in November 2022, court documents showed. In the indictment filed with the Stockholm district court, the prosecution accused Skvortsov of gathering, through companies he ran, “information and the actual acquisition of various items that the Russian state and the defense forces could not acquire on the open market due to export rules and sanctions.” Prosecutor Henrik Olin told AFP the products involved were “mainly electronic devices,” “a lot of (which) emanate from the US.” According to the prosecution, Skvortsov had been acting against US interests since 1 January 2013 until his arrest in November 2022, and against Swedish interests since 1 July 2014. Skvortsov was arrested last year in a spectacular helicopter raid on his suburban Stockholm home. Meanwhile, the Iran-backed Hezbollah group reported the unnamed spy to Lebanese security forces for staging a reconnaissance mission of their headquarters in the southern suburbs of Beirut and south Lebanon, an official told AFP. Security forces arrested him around two weeks ago at Beirut airport while he was trying to flee with his wife and child, the official said. It came after Hezbollah told security forces that the suspect had tried to break into an apartment in Beirut’s southern suburb, a stronghold for the group. On Saturday, the Russian embassy in Beirut said it was “aware” of the arrests and “taking the necessary steps to clarify the details of the circumstances,” according to state-run news agency RIA Novosti. WITH AFP The post Russian spies arrested, charged appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Commuters’ group asks Makati Business Club to mind own business
A commuters' group on Sunday said business groups should mind their own business, instead of dipping their hands into the exclusive affairs of the Office of the Ombudsman. Atty. Ariel Inton, who heads the Lawyers for Commuters Safety and Protection, particularly chided the Makati Business Club (MBC) for criticizing the dismissal order by the Ombudsman leveled against officials of the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA). "The Makati Business Club has no personality to the case," Inton, a former official of the LTFRB, said. Inton was reacting to the MBC statement urging Ombudsman Samuel Martires to reconsider the dismissal of MIAA acting general manager Cesar Chiong and acting assistant general manager Irene Montalbo, who were accused of grave abuse of authority. The Office of the Ombudsman earlier this month ordered the two officials dismissed after ruling that they were guilty of grave misconduct and abuse of authority in ordering the reassignments of nearly 300 MIAA employees. Inton said it is Chiong and Montalbo who should be appealing to the Ombudsman by filing a motion for reconsideration on its decision, "rather than the MBC do the talking." Inton also rebuked Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista on how the latter handles the transport system (air, land, and sea) like "hinalong kalamay (mixed rice cake)", adding that the transport chief should have an "iron fist" for his subordinates to focus on their jobs. "As transport commuter advocates, we feel the pressure of his job. He (Bautista) should look to his subordinates to focus on their jobs," Inton said referring to how Bautista should run the DOTr. Critics find Bautista "too soft" in running the DOTr making the NAIA one of the worst airports in Asia, based on passengers' queueing experiences, according to data obtained by property management and hospitality company Casago. The DOTr, they said, should be run by those coming from the land transportation system, not like Bautista who came from the private sector. Inton's group recommended Thomas "Tim" Orbos who was once the general manager of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority and Undersecretary for Road Transport and Infrastructure of the Department of Transportation under the Duterte administration; former Party-list Congressman Jonathan A. Dela Cruz and Jess Manalo (Angkla Party-list) as Bautista's possible replacements. Meanwhile, Presidential Adviser on Poverty Alleviation Secretary Larry Gadon said he stands by the decision of Martires in his ruling to dismiss former airport GM Chiong and former Procurement Service of the Department of Budget and Management (PS-DBM) head Lloyd Christopher Lao from service with perpetual disqualification from holding public office. "I know that OMB Martires is apolitical as his decisions are based on the merits, facts, and evidence and beyond personal biases," Gadon said. He emphasized that it should be noted that decisions on removing public officials are not based solely on criminal intent or the consequences of a criminal act. "It may be based also on incompetence or acts of omission the effect of which resulted in irreparable damage to the public and the government. So even if the official is not criminally charged nor proven guilty as yet, the official may still be removed for utter lack of competence or lack of responsibility and due diligence in performing his functions. More so if the acts or omissions have inflicted great damage to the public," the Malacañang official explained. "OMB Martires does not look at personalities but more on the issues and acts that are proven by mere preponderance of evidence," Gadon added. The post Commuters’ group asks Makati Business Club to mind own business appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
The airport and floods
If there is one thing that riles Ramon S. Ang to the max, it is being accused, unfairly and falsely, of wrongdoing, especially as regards the consequences of action taken by the San Miguel Corp. management to implement or execute its major projects......»»
China executes South Korean for drug trafficking
China has executed a South Korean national for drug trafficking, Beijing's foreign ministry said, the first time such a sentence has been carried out on a citizen of that country in almost a decade. A court in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou "lawfully pronounced a verdict and executed the South Korean defendant... for drug trafficking" on Friday, the foreign ministry said in a statement. "When defendants of different nationalities commit crimes on Chinese territory, Chinese law shall be applied equally", it added. An official from Seoul's foreign ministry told reporters Friday that "the death penalty was carried out today for a South Korean citizen who was sentenced to death for selling drugs in China". Beijing said the individual, who Chinese officials named Jiang -- which would be rendered Kang in Korean -- had had their "legitimate rights and interests" protected. South Korea expressed "regret that the death penalty has been carried out against our citizen". "The government has made multiple requests for reconsideration or postponement of the execution on humanitarian grounds through various channels since the death sentence was announced," the official said. It is the first execution of a South Korean drug offender by China in nine years, South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported. The individual was arrested in China in 2014 in possession of five kilograms of methamphetamine, according to Yonhap. He was sentenced to death in 2019, the agency said. China, the world's top executioner, frequently carries out the death penalty by lethal injection for very serious crimes. The Chinese legal system is tightly controlled by the ruling Communist Party and courts have a near-100 percent conviction rate in criminal cases. Like many countries in the region, China has strict drug laws, and several foreign nationals have been handed death penalties for trafficking in recent years. In 2020, an Australian was sentenced to death in China for drug trafficking. According to Chinese media, he was arrested at Guangzhou airport in December 2013 with more than 7.5 kilograms of methamphetamine in his luggage. And in 2019, China sentenced two Canadian nationals accused of drug trafficking to death at a time when relations with Ottawa were nosediving. Seoul said Friday's execution was "unrelated to the relationship between China and South Korea". The post China executes South Korean for drug trafficking appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Ex-ally sues Monaco’s ruler in ‘Rock Files’ scandal
A former confidant of Monaco's ruler Prince Albert II is suing the monarch in an unprecedented and potentially damaging court case triggered by the release of leaks that have rocked the usually placid Mediterranean playground for the rich and famous. Claude Palmero was for over two decades in charge of managing the palace's assets, first for Albert's father Rainier III, the husband of the US actress Grace Kelly, and then their son Prince Albert when he became ruler in 2005. But now Palmero is asking for around one million euros ($1.1 million) in damages from the palace, according to a complaint seen by AFP, over losing his job after becoming embroiled along with other former senior palace officials in unverified allegations posted in the "Dossiers du Rocher" ("Rock Files", referring to Monaco by its nickname) website from 2021. The website hosted videos, confidential email conversations and hostile articles dealing with property development in the principality. The controversy has roughed up the usually calm waters around Monaco, a tiny principality surrounded by French territory which attracts ultra-rich residents –- like tennis star Novak Djokovic and formula 1 champion Lewis Hamilton -- due to its favourable tax regime. With a population of barely 40,000, Monaco neither imposes income nor wealth taxes. Among the material published by Dossiers du Rocher were email exchanges between four people close to Albert, including Palmero, accusing them of collusion in an alleged financial scam. As well as Palmero, Albert's chief of staff Laurent Anselmi also lost his job in June. 'From another age' In charge of the crown assets, Palmero was known as a Monegasque eminence grise, who was tasked with strategic issues including taking a stake in Nice's airport and buying property, as well as being a keeper of palace secrets. He lodged an appeal against his dismissal in the case before Monaco's constitutional court, known as the Supreme Tribunal, that his lawyer filed on 13 July. "No reason has ever been given to justify these decisions that come from another age and manifestly violate the principle of legality," said the complaint filed by one of his lawyers Pierre-Olivier Sur and seen by AFP. "Prince Albert II during his reign has congratulated himself in front of his subjects and the whole world that Monaco is a state of law. "Alas, there are circumstances where this principle is sadly forgotten by him and favour the violence of arbitrariness," it added. Palmero is seeking the condemnation of the prince to repair "the immense moral damage, injury and disruption to living conditions", claiming the one million euros and his reinstatement. Albert's lawyer Jean-Michel Darrois said in response: "This is a discretionary decision by the royal house as is the case with several other monarchies." But the controversy is deeply unwelcome for Albert, who has already been under intense scrutiny over his marriage to Princess Charlene, the former South African Olympic swimmer in 2011, in French and international media in recent months. Charlene only returned to Monaco in March 2022 after a months-long absence for medical treatment. Raids and infighting The case, which is set to be heard in the coming weeks, comes as judicial authorities launched a series of searches in mid-July at the four former confidants of the prince accused in the Dossiers du Rocher. All those involved deny the allegations put forward by the Dossiers du Rocher, which published their private correspondence and whose origins remain a mystery despite investigations by the French and Monaco authorities. Patrice Pastor, a Monegasque construction entrepreneur, has filed a complaint over alleged influence peddling against them. But while they suspect him of being behind the website the businessman strongly denies this. The purported motive of Pastor, whose group is worth up to 30 billion euros, is alleged by his enemies to have wanted to maintain control over lucrative real estate transactions in the principality, which Palmero and his allies sought to limit. According to official figures, 88 new apartments were sold in 2022 in Monaco, for a stratospheric total amount of 1.2 billion euros. The Pastor group is particularly involved in the Mareterra project, six hectares of luxurious buildings looking out to the Mediterranean. First reported by France's Le Monde daily, the searches targeted, in France and Monaco, the homes and offices of Claude Palmero, the law firm of Thierry Lacoste, childhood friend of the prince, Laurent Anselmi, and Didier Linotte, president of the Supreme Tribunal, who is about to leave office. Monaco's prosecutor general refused any comment. The four men do not deny being in touch with each other but insist it was to deal with regular business of Monaco. Two other men are also reported to be part of the group: former Monaco government chief Michel Roger, who is said to have formed it, was left a paraplegic after an accident in 2015. The sixth man was Jean-Francois Renucci, former head of the court of cassation in Monaco, who died in a car accident between Monaco and Nice in 2021 just as the Dossiers du Rocher scandal was erupting. The four allege that Pastor has now won the favor of the prince but this was denied by a palace aide. "This prince does not take sides," the aide, who was not named, told Le Figaro daily. The post Ex-ally sues Monaco’s ruler in ‘Rock Files’ scandal appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Ombudsman suspends 3 DA, 2 FTI officials
Ombudsman Samuel Martires yesterday placed three officials of the Department of Agriculture and two executives of Food Terminal Inc. under preventive suspension in connection with the onion supply shortage in the country. In a three-page order dated 1 August, Martires suspended DA Assistant Secretary Kristine Evangelista, administrative officer Eunice Biblanias, DA officer-in-charge chief accountant Lolita Jamela, FTI vice president for operations John Gabriel Benedict Trinidad III, and FTI budget division head Juanita Lualhati. They were suspended without pay for the duration of the proceedings against them. The DA and FTI officials were charged with grave misconduct, gross neglect of duty, and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service over the onion supply shortage, price manipulation, and the allegedly dubious procurement of onions by FTI from Bonena Multi-Purpose Cooperative. The complaint included DA senior undersecretary Domingo Panganiban and FTI president Robert Tan among the respondents. They, however, were not suspended. Based on the records obtained by the Ombudsman, the DA, through Panganiban, entered into a memorandum of agreement with FTI for the Food Mobilization or Kadiwa Food Hub project. FTI, on the other hand, signed a letter of agreement with Bonena for the delivery of 8,845 bags (approximately 28 kilos/bag) of onions as part of the Kadiwa Food Hub. The respondents are accused of breaching the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act (RA 3019) and the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act (RA 9184) for the lack of parameters in the selection of the cooperative that would supply and deliver the onions; for the questionable advance payment of 50 percent of the contract price; the non-compliance of the MoA; the partial implementation of the contract, and doubtful deliveries by Bonena. “In view of the foregoing, it appears that the evidence of guilt of respondents Evangelista, Biblanias, Jamela, Trinidad III and Lualhati is strong, and the charges against them involve Grave Misconduct and Gross Neglect of Duty which may warrant their removal from the service,” the Ombudsman said. They were then placed under preventive suspension as they could influence potential witnesses and prejudice the case should they remain in office, the Ombudsman said. Last year, the country experienced an agricultural shortage, primarily of onions, the price of which soared to as high as P500 to P700 per kilo during the last quarter of 2022. The post Ombudsman suspends 3 DA, 2 FTI officials appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Ombudsman suspends 5 officials over onion shortage
Ombudsman Samuel Martires has placed three officials of the Department of Agriculture and two from Food Terminal Incorporated under preventive suspension in connection with the onion supply shortage in the Philippine markets. In a three-page order dated 1 August, Martires ordered the suspension of DA assistant secretary Kristine Evangelista, administrative officer Eunice Biblanias, DA officer-in-charge chief accountant Lolita Jamela, FTI vice president for operations John Gabriel Benedict Trinidad III and budget division head Juanita Lualhati without pay for the duration of the proceedings until the same is terminated. The DA and FTI officials were charged with grave misconduct, gross neglect of duty and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service over the onion supply shortage, price manipulation and dubious procurement of onions by FTI from Bonena Multi-Purpose Cooperative. The complaint filed before the Ombudsman includes DA senior undersecretary Domingo Panganiban and FTI president Robert Tan among the respondents. However, they were excluded from the preventive suspension. Based on the records obtained by the Ombudsman, the DA, through Panganiban, entered into a memorandum of agreement with FTI for the Food Mobilization or Kadiwa Food Hub project. FTI, on the other hand, entered into a letter of agreement with Bonena for the delivery of 8,845 bags (approximately 28 kilograms/bag) of onions as part of the said Kadiwa Food Hub. The respondents are accused of breaching the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act (RA 3019) and the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act (RA 9184) due to the lack of parameters in the selection of the cooperative that will supply and deliver the onions, the questionable advance payment of 50 percent of the contract price, non-compliance with the MoA, partial implementation of the contract and doubtful deliveries by Bonena. "In view of the foregoing, it appears that the evidence of guilt of respondents Evangelista, Biblanias, Jamela, Trinidad III, and Lualhati is strong, and the charges against them involve Grave Misconduct and Gross Neglect of Duty which may warrant their removal from the service," the Ombudsman said. They were placed under preventive suspension as they could influence potential witnesses and may prejudice the case filed against them should they remain to stay in their respective offices, the Ombudsman explained. In January this year, Martires said the Ombudsman would allow the Department of Justice to investigate the soaring prices of red and white onions once the department proved that a private sector entity or entities was behind the persistent hike in the commodity prices. He had previously said the DoJ would only enter the picture should the Ombudsman fail to prove that DA officials are involved and there is a conspiracy between its officials and the private sector. The country experienced an onion shortage in the last quarter of 2022, prompting prices to soar as high as P500 to P700 per kilo. The post Ombudsman suspends 5 officials over onion shortage appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Ukraine, Turkey rip POW deal with Russia
Russia has accused Ukraine and Turkey of violating an agreement to keep swapped Ukrainian prisoners of war in Turkey until the end of the conflict. “The return of Azov commanders from Turkey to Ukraine is nothing but a direct violation of the terms of existing agreements,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov was quoted as saying by Russian news agencies. During his visit in Turkey and talks with his Turkish counterpart, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky negotiated the release and repatriation of several Ukrainian commanders who were captured by Russian troops in Mariupol in May 2022 and later swapped for Russian POWs. The exchange condition was for the Ukrainian POWs to remain in Turkey until the end of the war. The Ukrainian presidency confirmed that it had secured the return of members of the crack Azov regiment. Zelensky greeted the commanders at Istanbul airport ahead of their flight to Ukraine. The repatriated commanders were celebrated as heroes in Ukraine for their stiff resistance within the Azovstal factory during the Russian siege of Mariupol. The so-called Azov fighters are reviled in Russia for their links with Ukrainian ultranationalists. Meanwhile, eight people were killed and 13 injured on Saturday in Lyman in eastern Ukraine after the town came under Russian rocket fire, Ukraine’s interior ministry said. Pavlo Kyrylenko, governor of the Donetsk region where Lyman is located, said “at around 10 a.m., the Russians struck the town with multiple rocket launchers.” Lyman, a major rail hub, was initially captured by Russian forces but then re-taken by Ukraine’s army in October. The post Ukraine, Turkey rip POW deal with Russia appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Russian reporter ‘savagely’ beaten in Chechnya
An award-winning Russian investigative journalist is in hospital after being badly beaten by armed assailants during a trip to Chechnya, her newspaper and a rights group said. The attack happened early on Tuesday as well-known journalist Elena Milashina and Alexander Nemov, a lawyer, were traveling from the airport. Her newspaper, Novaya Gazeta, published a video of Milashina in hospital with her head shaven and covered in a green-colored dye -- used to target Kremlin critics -- and her hands bandaged. She said the attack, which included having a gun held to her head, was linked to her "professional activity in Chechnya." Milashina has covered rights abuses in Chechnya, the Caucasus republic ruled by former warlord Ramzan Kadyrov, for years. She came to Grozny on Tuesday to attend the sentencing of Zarema Musayeva, whose husband and sons have fallen foul of the Kadyrov regime but did not make it there. "It's a sensitive case," she said, calling Musayeva a "hostage." Musayeva later was handed 5-and-a-half years on fraud charges widely seen as political revenge against her family. Milashina recounted the attack in a video shared by Novaya Gazeta: "They came, they threw out the driver, the taxi driver from the car. They jumped in, pushed our heads down, they tied my hands, put us on our knees with a gun to the head," she said. "They did everything nervously. They didn't manage to tie my hands properly." The Memorial human rights group said the pair were "savagely" beaten. She said she was taken to neighboring Ossetia for safety and the newspaper said she will go back to Moscow once a medical team examines her. Not welcome Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters during a briefing that President Vladimir Putin had been informed. "We are talking about a very serious attack that requires vigorous measures," Peskov said. Kadyrov, who has been accused of persistent rights abuses in his restive region, said in a statement online he had instructed officials to determine who was behind the attack. "The authorities began to work immediately after the announcement of the incident," the statement read. But his rights ombudsman Mansur Soltayev said Milashina was "not welcome by a large part of the public" in Chechnya. He said this was especially true during Moscow's Ukraine offensive, during which "the Chechen nation supports the efforts of the president of Russia." The media rights group Reporters Without Borders said it was "horrified by the savage attack" on Milashina. And the rights group Amnesty International urged Russia to investigate the "vicious" beating. Milashina's paper Novaya Gazeta, Russia's top independent publication, said she and Nemov were in a hospital in the Chechen capital Grozny. Novaya Gazeta in February last year said that Milashina had to leave Russia temporarily after receiving death threats from the Chechen leadership. The paper, whose chief editor Dmitry Muratov won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2021, has since 2000 seen six journalists and contributors killed, including investigative reporter Anna Politkovskaya. By focusing on rights abuses in Chechnya, Milashina has followed in the footsteps of Politkovskaya, a fierce critic of the Kremlin's policies in Chechnya, who was shot dead in 2006. Russian human rights commissioner Tatyana Moskalkova was quoted by Russian news agencies as saying that the incident "should be carefully investigated and the perpetrators brought to justice". The post Russian reporter ‘savagely’ beaten in Chechnya appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»