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Trending tickers: Trump Media, Tesla, Bitcoin and DS Smith
Former US president Donald Trump’s media firm, Trump Media & Technology Group, had a successful stock market debut in New York, with shares soaring past.....»»
Trump to face jurors in April before facing US voters in November
Republican strategists say voters have grown accustomed to Donald Trump's norm-shattering behavior, but a guilty verdict could hurt his ability to win over swing voters who decide elections.....»»
Locked in: UE star rookie Casiey Dongallo dispels transfer rumors after 6-game skid
UE super rookie Casiey Dongallo quickly shuts down fast-swirling rumors of her looming exit from the Lady Warriors despite going through a lengthy six-game losing streak.....»»
Executioner
Earlier this week, Trump adviser Peter Navarro finally stepped into jail......»»
Why Trump May Benefit from Truth Social Stock Market Merger
A recent study has shed light on the negative effects of excessive screen time on children’s development. Researchers have found that children who spend extended.....»»
Pope Francis asks aide to read ceremonial speech due to bronchitis
Afterwards, the pope is able to meet German Chancellor Olaf Scholz during an audience at the Vatican.....»»
Bello’s camp hopeful court to junk cyberlibel charges
THE camp of former vice presidential candidate Professor Walden Bello is hopeful that the court would junk the cyberlibel complaints filed by the aide of Vice President Sara Duterte......»»
Google rebrands Bard chatbot as Gemini, rolls out paid subscription
Google says Android users can opt into Gemini as the default digital aide on their phones, accessing it through an app, the power button or by saying 'Hey Google'.....»»
Cebu City College construction in Ramos Public Market starts
CEBU CITY, Philippines — The construction of the Cebu City College in Ramos Public Market is ongoing despite the continued operation of some vendors there. This was confirmed by Grace Arinaza, admin aide 3 of Ramos Public Market, via Sugboanon Channel’s program on Wednesday, Feb. 7. The construction of the Cebu City College was already.....»»
Man posing as Abalos aide caught
A man who reportedly posed as the chief of staff of Interior Secretary Benjamin Abalos was arrested by authorities during an entrapment operation last week......»»
Fiscals grill Enrile ex-aide on ‘pork papers’
State prosecutors yesterday questioned lawyer Jessica Lucila “Gigi” Reyes, former chief of staff of former senator and now Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Juan Ponce Enrile, on her claim that her signatures on the “pork papers” were forged......»»
SC twice ordered Consing to be tried for fraud, but …
Any news about the Marcos Jr. admin’s “sovereign” Maharlika Investment Fund sparks controversy. So when Malacañang aide Rafael Jose Consing Jr. was appointed Monday as MIF president, documents swiftly spread online about his two cases of financial fraud......»»
New OIC Appointed for FICELCO
Bato, Catanduanes – Effective as of November 3, 2023, Engr. Neil P. Tesorero has assumed the role of Officer-In-Charge General Manager of the First Catanduanes Electric Cooperative, Inc. (FICELCO). Tesorero began his journey with FICELCO in 2004 as an Engineering Aide Project Employee. He subsequently moved up the ranks, serving as a Technical Auditor (2013-2014), […].....»»
Enrile’s ex-aide fails anew to have plunder case dismissed
The Sandiganbayan has denied the appeal of Jessica Lucila “Gigi” Reyes, the former chief of staff of presidential legal counsel Juan Ponce Enrile, to file a demurrer to evidence that would allow her to seek the dismissal of the plunder case against her without presenting her defense......»»
Ex-LTFRB aide cited in contempt for failing to back corruption claims
Lawmakers cited former LTFRB official Jeffrey Tumbado in contempt after he failed to explain his allegations of corruption against suspended LTFRB chairperson Teofilo Guadiz III and the agency as a whole......»»
LTFRB whistle-blower appears at NBI probe
The former aide of suspended Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board chairman Teofilo Guadiz III, who exposed alleged corruption in the LTFRB, attended the National Bureau of Investigation hearing yesterday......»»
Solicitation scam for beauty pageant bared
Muntinlupa Rep. Jaime Fresnedi and Mayor Ruffy Biazon have warned of a solicitation scam using a fake endorsement letter for a beauty pageant. Fresnedi, in a Facebook post, said a fake endorsement letter indicating that it came from his office was being used to solicit from business establishments for the “Miss Amazing Philippines” beauty pageant in exchange for a five percent discount when they renew their business permits. The fake endorsement letter certified that a certain Rovic Macariola from Barangay Putatan appeared on 15 September in Fresnedi’s office “with the purpose of seeking permission for the introduction and fulfillment of the candidate requirements for the competition of ‘Miss Amazing Philippines 2023’ pageant.” In a statement, Fresnedi said “The public is hereby warned that Rovic P. Macariola did not appear on the 15th day of September 2023 and sought permission from this Office relative to the requirements for the competition of ‘Miss Amazing Philippines’ 2023 pageant.” The solon added, “Further, Atty. Miguelito Rueda-Gozos who allegedly approved the Certificate of Appearance as a lawyer holding position as a mere Administrative Aide II is not connected with the Office of the House of Representatives of the Lone District of Muntinlupa.” The letterhead used in the fake endorsement letter “pertains to the City Government of Muntinlupa and not to the Lone District and the signature of the undersigned in the Certificate of Appearance was forged.” Fresnedi said, “the public is hereby advised that the Office of Representative Jaime R. Fresnedi did not issue the Certificate of Appearance and that they should not transact with Rovic P. Macariola who made the foregoing false representations in order to solicit donations for the alleged beauty pageant.” Mayor Biazon said the matter is a scam and the city government does not ask money or donation in exchange for a discount. The people of Muntinlupa were strongly urged by Fresnedi to send information and reports of Macariola’s activities to the police for the filing of a complaint against him. The post Solicitation scam for beauty pageant bared appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Chronic bureaucratic lapses
The entire bureaucracy suffers from serious lapses. Let’s borrow the phrase, “seven deadly sins,” as a handle to better understand how they indicatively fail to inform public policy on what government “should do or should not do,” to wit: First: “Tight fiscal space.” A little over 60 percent of GDP (gross domestic product) is reserved for foreign lending institutions with which the country has huge borrowings. Consequently, the government has to make do with the remaining less than 40 percent in terms of public spending. It’s no urban legend that about 45 percent of these allocable public funds is siphoned off due to massive corruption across all levels of government. Second: “Good governance.” The term, as often used, is an oxymoron. Whenever presidential appointees in any line department, agency, or bureau introduce reforms or new management ideas into state affairs, it’s unfortunate that outcomes and impacts go in the opposite direction — or bad governance overshadowing good. Isn’t it a paradox that the “top brass” of the Manila International Airport Authority were dismissed by the Ombudsman even as key stakeholders and captains of industry (i.e., the Makati Business Club) vetted and vouched for their performance par excellence on the job? Contrivedly, a purely management issue just shouldn’t be within the purview of the Ombudsman. For another, how is it that the housing program has become too costly for the government? Reportedly, P36 billion in interest is accrued by the government every year if one million houses are built. With a target of three million houses, the onerous interest is pegged at P100 billion every year, a “sunk cost” that the economy can ill afford to sustain. Why even start a program that demands that humongous amount of interest on a year-by-year basis? Third: “Street-level bureaucracy.” Nearly the whole range of public affairs appears to be manned by those we can compare to a typical traffic enforcer, gate guard, or utility aide, who, if given a chance to exercise a little authority, tend to behave as their actuations come directly from above. Fourth: “Tax hike.” Some strange mathematicians in Congress thought of taxing vehicles per kilo of weight, coupled with jacking up taxes on vehicle users by as much as 90 percent. Worse, how can there be an increase in the road users’ tax – year in and year out? Fifth: “45 seconds turnaround time.” This is the kind of rhetoric that rests on the “big bluff” or what one legislator calls a “promissory note,” or the carrot, to get what they want in their agency budgets. Scenes like offloading, missed flights, and logjams would never be a thing of the past since the Bureau of Immigration operationalized its new set of guidelines that are essentially racist, if not anti-poor, against outbound Filipino travelers, while sparing foreign travelers. Sixth: “Privatization overdrive.” There’s a dangerous pattern or trend of government aiming to privatize the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, all 45 casinos of PAGCOR, some mass transport systems (e.g., LRTs), and the toll expressways. Whether or not this privatization track is driven by the “gospel of efficiency” is another story. More likely, it’s because it opens doors to raising “windfall capital” and making available “alternative investments.” Seventh: “Multiple allotments.” As if a mere afterthought, there are “double entries,” even multiple ones, in the National Expenditure Plan that bloat the budget and such entries by various agencies even insulate them from any accountability. This explains why what is budgeted — twice or thrice — cannot be disbursed over and over again, not to mention the perennial failure of most line departments to fully utilize their budgets. In the voluminous General Appropriations Act the President signs, every budget cycle has become a “hiding place” for public funds that only trained eyes can declassify as “significant others,” for lack of a better term. It isn’t remote to say that when an agency prepares its budget, it knows under which item in its “shopping list” the money is. The post Chronic bureaucratic lapses appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Chinese FM Wang Yi to visit Russia on 18-21 September — foreign ministry
China's top diplomat Wang Yi will begin a four-day visit to Russia for security talks on Monday, his foreign ministry said, the latest in a series of high-level visits and phone calls between the two sides. China and Russia are strategic allies, with both countries frequently touting their "no limits" partnership and economic and military cooperation. Their ties became even closer after Russia invaded Ukraine in February last year, which China has refused to criticize. China's foreign ministry said in a statement Monday that Wang "will go to Russia to hold the 18th round of the China-Russian Strategic Security Consultations (SSCC) from 18 to 21 September" at the invitation of Nikolai Patrushev, secretary of Moscow's security council. In an earlier briefing, the Russian foreign ministry said Wang would meet with his counterpart Sergei Lavrov, and the two planned to "focus on efforts to strengthen collaboration on the international scene". "There will be a detailed exchange of views on issues related to a settlement in Ukraine, as well as ways of ensuring stability and security in the Asia-Pacific region," a spokesperson said. China has sought to position itself as a neutral party in the Ukraine war while offering Moscow a vital diplomatic and financial lifeline as its international isolation deepens. But it has stopped short of overt military involvement or sending lethal arms to Moscow. Last month, Chinese Defence Minister Li Shangfu visited Russia and Belarus and called for closer military cooperation. In recent months the two countries have carried out joint sea and air patrols, the latter of which caused South Korea to deploy fighter jets as a precaution. The high-level contact looks set to ramp up, with an aide to Vladimir Putin saying in July that the Russian president was planning to visit China in October. In March, President Xi Jinping made a state visit to Moscow and declared relations between the two countries were entering a new era. The post Chinese FM Wang Yi to visit Russia on 18-21 September — foreign ministry appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Barangay Captain accuser cries harassment
Days after she filed a graft case against Quezon City Barangay Kaligayahan Chairman Alfredo “Freddy” Roxas, threats that something bad would happen to her flooded her mobile phone and social media account. Aljean Abe, the village’s former teaching aide went to the Office of the Ombudsman on Friday to file another Grave Coercion charge against Roxas in relation to Republic Act 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act. Abe in her complaint furnished to DAILY TRIBUNE narrated that when she filed the graft charges last 11 September, several messages were sent to her cellular phone by supporters of Roxas threatening to do harm to her. Abe averred that the threat messages came from Mark Roldan Santiago Sedilla and Jennilyn Guiling Montefalco both employees of Barangay Kaligayahan and avid supporters of Roxas who is also an honorary councilor for being the president of League of Barangay Chairmen in the city. Fearing for her life and her family, Abe decided to transfer to a place where Roxas and his supporters could not reach her. However, the following day (12 September) she was surprised to see their barangay vehicle parked in front of her new address where Melanie Aviguetero, Jamaica Jallorica and an unidentified man tried to take photos of her. The three are also employees of Barangay Kaligayahan, according to Abe, who informed her that she needed to go to their office and talk to Roxas. Two days after (14 September) Abe said she received a text message asking why she filed a graft case against Roxas. She was also asked if she needed monetary assistance from their barangay and if she wanted to be hired again as barangay worker. If she agrees, she needs to go to their barangay to sign a contract and some documents in front of a lawyer. These things, Abe said prompted her to file the grave coercion charges against Roxas. The post Barangay Captain accuser cries harassment appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»