9 killed in anti-activist raids in Calabarzon
Nine persons were reportedly killed including a leader of militant group Bagong Alyansang Makabayan or Bayan following simultaneous crackdowns against activists in Cavite, Laguna, Batangas and Rizal early yesterday morning......»»
Furlough looms for 1.8M federal employees
United States federal agencies started notifying 1.8 million workers of their temporary furlough with the impending shutdown of the government due to a congressional impasse on the budget. Funding for much of the federal government will expire at midnight on Saturday but lawmakers are mired in perennial deadlock on a new funding bill. A small group of hardline Republicans are demanding deep spending cuts on the budget but Democrats disagree. The American Federation of Government Employees said federal workers would go unpaid for the duration that there is no legislated funding but their salary will be retroactively paid when the new budget law is passed. “If there is a shutdown in just a few days, our service members would be required to continue working but would be doing so without pay, and hundreds and thousands of their civilian colleagues would be furloughed,” Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh said Thursday. The Treasury Department added that among other implications, “most core tax administration functions will stop” and more than half of the Internal Revenue Service staff will be furloughed. Anti-McCarthy protest Dozens of American teenagers occupied the office of the top Republican lawmaker on Thursday to protest against a looming government shutdown that they say will exacerbate the climate crisis. The Sunrise Movement, a nationwide youth environmental campaign, said around 30 of its members flooded inside House Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s office while over a hundred more crowded the hallway outside. The group says 18 protesters were detained by police after refusing to disperse. McCarthy was not present during the protest at the Rayburn House Office Building, across the road from the US Capitol. The Sunrise Movement has voiced concerns over funding for emergency disaster relief and pro-climate provisions in Biden’s signature Inflation Reduction Act. “In my state, in Oregon, people are dying from wildfire smoke and extreme heat in the summers. People are dying in hurricanes across the country and climate disasters everywhere,” activist Adah Crandall, 17, from Portland, told Agence France-Presse. “The GOP has blood on its hands, and if it shuts down the government... and fails to continue providing the support that people need to literally stay alive, they should be ashamed of themselves,” she said. WITH AFP The post Furlough looms for 1.8M federal employees appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Wiping out private armies?
Our otherwise contented political class is definitely on edge with the terrorist branding of suspended Congressman Arnolfo “Arnie” Teves Jr. While the innovative terrorist branding seemingly solely targets mainstream politician Mr. Teves, the branding is actually also a live political grenade thrown right onto the laps of the mainstream political class. Mr. Teves’s case is the first time an elected official is officially designated a terrorist by the nascent Anti-Terrorism Council or ATC. Previously, the ATC consistently tacked terrorist tags on red-tagged activist groups and armed extremist groups. But obviously, now it’s on the right side of the political spectrum. As a matter of course, Mr. Teves — the suspected mastermind in the March 4 assassination of Negros Oriental Governor Roel Degamo — is vehemently contesting the terrorist tag and is trying to reverse it. Anyway, we don’t see yet any telltale signs of mainstream politicians taking serious notice of the terrorist branding, much less starting to scamper for cover. But they will certainly have to. Without a doubt, the unfamiliar use of the anti-terror law complicates matters for politicians, particularly provincial-based pols who maintain private armed groups to ensure their political dominance. And, going by how it describes its intention, the ATC is clearly going after private armed groups. “The tragic incident on 4 March 2023, which claimed several lives and left many others injured, is a stark reminder of the threat posed by private armed groups within our country,” the ATC said in its resolution. ATC’s move also comes after Mr. Marcos Jr., in the wake of Degamo’s killing, ordered the dismantling of “private armies.” Mr. Marcos Jr.’s order shouldn’t be surprising. He actually has no choice but to interdict. Otherwise, he violates the Constitution. The 1987 Constitution provides in Article XVIII, Section 24 that “private armies and other armed groups not recognized by duly constituted authority shall be dismantled.” Private armed groups, of course, had long been an ugly blight on our electoral politics, not only on violence-prone Negros Island. In fact, because of private armies, politicians from North to South, both historically and at present, have been paying a deadly price, with probably 100 politicians killed every year. And in most cases, says a 2022 study, “the principals ordering the killings are not investigated, remain in the shadows and enjoy almost complete impunity. As a result, in the vast majority of cases, it cannot be proven who actually ordered the killings.” Such impunities have, of course, morphed into a violent “culture of fear” all over the country. A point ATC emphasizes in its Teves resolution: “The numerous killings and harassments in Negros Oriental which culminated in the assassination of Gov. Degamo must not be taken as isolated and random incidents of violence. A closer evaluation of these killings and harassments have an unmistakable pattern of a rather organized and orchestrated action. These killings and harassments are meticulously and deliberately planned and executed for the purpose of intimidating the residents of Negros Oriental as well as to create an atmosphere or spread a message of fear.” Despite these substantial political issues, no law — oddly enough despite repeated attempts — has been enacted to penalize private armies and other armed groups, which the Philippine National Police says numbered some 155 in 2021. Of that number, police say they consider almost half as “highly active.” Clearly, something sweeping needs to be done against private armed groups to dramatically change the political landscape. Inadvertently, the Teves camp decries the “weaponization” of the Anti-Terror Act, claiming that the government is using it “for the purpose for which it was not designed.” Yet, a private army is unquestionably designed for terror. This fact leaves us with one provocative question: If this government had accidentally found a powerful weapon, does this mean now this government is bold enough to totally wipe out all entrenched private armies? The post Wiping out private armies? appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Branson urges Singapore to ‘grant mercy’ to woman set for hanging
British tycoon Richard Branson urged Singapore on Thursday to halt an impending hanging that would be the city-state's first execution of a woman in nearly 20 years. Convicted drug trafficker Saridewi Djamani, 45, is scheduled to be hanged on Friday, according to the local rights group Transformative Justice Collective (TJC). "It's still not too late to grant mercy to Saridewi Djamani," Branson posted Thursday on Twitter, which is being rebranded as "X". "Shameful that Singapore's leaders continue to hang people for non-violent drug offences, joining countries like North Korea and Iran that still do so against evidence and better judgement," the billionaire said. Djamani was sentenced to death in 2018 for trafficking around 30 grams (1.06 ounces) of heroin. If her execution goes ahead, she will be the first woman put to death in Singapore since 2004, when 36-year-old hairdresser Yen May Woen was hanged for drug trafficking, according to TJC activist Kokila Annamalai. Prison officials have not answered emailed questions from AFP seeking confirmation of Djamani's scheduled execution, but local rights activists said her family had received a notice setting the date. Rights watchdog Amnesty International has also urged Singapore to halt the hanging, saying there is no evidence the death penalty acts as a deterrent to crime. The Asian financial hub has some of the world's toughest anti-narcotics laws and insists the death penalty is effective in discouraging trafficking. Singapore's law minister last year challenged Branson to a televised debate in the city-state on the death penalty. The tycoon declined, saying such a debate "cannot do the complexity of the death penalty any service". On Wednesday, Singapore hanged a local man convicted of drug trafficking, the 14th prisoner sent to the gallows since the government resumed executions in March 2022 after a two-year pause during the Covid-19 pandemic. Mohd Aziz bin Hussain, 57, was convicted and sentenced to death in 2017 for trafficking around 50 grams of heroin. The post Branson urges Singapore to ‘grant mercy’ to woman set for hanging appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Singapore hangs 14th drug convict since last year
Singapore on Wednesday hanged a local man convicted of drug trafficking, officials said, two days before the scheduled execution of the first woman prisoner in the city-state in nearly 20 years. Mohd Aziz bin Hussain, convicted and sentenced to death in 2017 for trafficking "not less than 49.98 grams" (1.76 ounces) of heroin, was executed at Changi Prison, the Central Narcotics Bureau said in a statement. The 57-year-old was the 14th convict sent to the gallows since the government resumed executions in March 2022 after a two-year pause during the Covid-19 pandemic. Hussain's previous appeals against his conviction and sentence had been dismissed, and a petition for presidential clemency was also denied. A woman drug convict, 45-year-old Saridewi Djamani, is scheduled to be hanged on Friday, according to the local rights group Transformative Justice Collective (TJC). She was sentenced to death in 2018 for trafficking around 30 grams of heroin. If carried out, Djamani would be the first woman executed in Singapore since 2004, when 36-year-old hairdresser Yen May Woen was hanged for drug trafficking, according to TJC activist Kokila Annamalai. Singapore has some of the world's toughest anti-drug laws -- trafficking more than 500 grams of cannabis or over 15 grams of heroin can result in the death penalty. Rights watchdog Amnesty International on Tuesday urged Singapore to halt the executions, saying there was no evidence the death penalty acted as a deterrent to crime. "It is unconscionable that authorities in Singapore continue to cruelly pursue more executions in the name of drug control," Amnesty death penalty expert Chiara Sangiorgio said in a statement. Singapore, however, insists that the death penalty has helped make it one of Asia's safest countries. Among those hanged since last year was Nagaenthran K. Dharmalingam, whose execution sparked a global outcry, including from the United Nations and British tycoon Richard Branson, because he was deemed to have a mental disability. The post Singapore hangs 14th drug convict since last year appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Singapore to execute first woman in nearly 20 years: rights groups
Singapore is set to hang two drug convicts this week, including the first woman to be sent to the gallows in nearly 20 years, rights groups said Tuesday, while urging the executions be halted. Local rights organization Transformative Justice Collective (TJC) said a 56-year-old man convicted of trafficking 50 grams (1.76 ounces) of heroin is scheduled to be hanged on Wednesday at the Southeast Asian city-state's Changi Prison. A 45-year-old woman convict who TJC identified as Saridewi Djamani is also set to be sent to the gallows on Friday. She was sentenced to death in 2018 for trafficking around 30 grams of heroin. If carried out, she would be the first woman to be executed in Singapore since 2004 when 36-year-old hairdresser Yen May Woen was hanged for drug trafficking, said TJC activist Kokila Annamalai. TJC said the two prisoners are Singaporeans and their families have received notices setting the dates of their executions. Prison officials have not answered emailed questions from AFP seeking confirmation. Singapore imposes the death penalty for certain crimes, including murder and some forms of kidnapping. It also has some of the world's toughest anti-drug laws: trafficking more than 500 grams of cannabis and 15 grams of heroin can result in the death penalty. At least 13 people have been hanged so far since the government resumed executions following a two-year hiatus in place during the Covid-19 pandemic. Rights watchdog Amnesty International on Tuesday urged Singapore to halt the impending executions. "It is unconscionable that authorities in Singapore continue to cruelly pursue more executions in the name of drug control," Amnesty's death penalty expert Chiara Sangiorgio said in a statement. "There is no evidence that the death penalty has a unique deterrent effect or that it has any impact on the use and availability of drugs. "As countries around the world do away with the death penalty and embrace drug policy reform, Singapore's authorities are doing neither," Sangiorgio added. Singapore insists that the death penalty is an effective crime deterrent. The post Singapore to execute first woman in nearly 20 years: rights groups appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Acorda: BBM’s second SoNA ‘peaceful’
About 5,000 protesters were allowed by the police to express their grievances along Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City Monday as President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. delivered his second State of the Nation Address at the Batasang Pambansa before a joint session of the Senate and the House of Representatives. Philippine National Police chief Benjamin Acorda Jr. said he had ordered maximum tolerance to be employed by the cops in dealing with the protesters, who also held activities near Mendiola Bridge in Manila, within sight of Malacañang Palace, the seat of government power. Acorda said as he inspected police lines near the SoNA venue that, “we are professionals and we exercise [restraint] in all our dealings [with the people] while providing the proper security for the President.” “We talked with our personnel and we emphasized the observance of human rights and maximum tolerance,” he added, explaining that the police made sure that pro-administration and anti-Marcos groups did not get close to one another. He said they were allowed to hold their respective programs far from each other so as to prevent untowards incidents arising from misunderstanding and the taunting that attended encounters of rival groups in the past. The Quezon City government designated places where the groups could hold their respective programs. “Regardless of affiliation, whether pro or anti and whatever, our guidelines included maximum tolerance, and we appealed to them to stay in their designated areas,” the PNP chief said. The PNP deployed more than 20,000 policemen, who were augmented by personnel from various government agencies that included the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority, the military, the Bureau of Fire Protection and local government units. The anti-SoNA rally was staged along Commonwealth Avenue while pro-Marcos supporters held their own program near the Commission on Audit compound. Acorda said the SoNA was delivered by the President in relative peace, with no untoward incident reported. Earlier, Metro Manila chief P/Brig. Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. warned protesters that as much as the police do not want to use unnecessary force, they would arrest anyone who would cause trouble. “When you are struck, you’ll be in pain so don’t strike anyone. The police are ready and we have the necessary protective gear. Our cops know what to do and they will affect arrests as needed,” Nartatez said. He had vowed to enforce the Clean Air Act should protesters burn effigies. No arrests were reported, however, when a “two-faced” effigy of the President was burned. Still, Nartatez said they were documenting everything and violators “will face penalties.” Progressive groups started their protest march near the Philippine Coconut Authority and ended it along Tandang Sora near the Commission on Human Rights, where they held a program. The NCRPO earlier deployed two Skydio drones, along with a mobile command center bus, for a wide aerial view coverage. These drones, the NCRPO said, were used to effectively monitor the movement of people and vehicles and prevent untoward incidents. A gun ban was also imposed over Metro Manila, Calabarzon and Central Luzon, starting 12:01 a.m. on 24 July until midnight the next day. Small groups of militants staged their rally at Claro. M. Recto Avenue in Manila. The post Acorda: BBM’s second SoNA ‘peaceful’ appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Tingting Cojuangco — Christian Espiritu’s ultimate muse
Through the years of Philippine fashion history, Margarita “Tingting” de los Reyes Cojuangco has always been known as the muse of the iconic Filipino designer Christian Espiritu who recently passed away. Theirs is a friendship that had stood the test of time. Tingting was named one of the 100 beautiful women of the world by the international magazine, Harper’s Bazaar, on the occasion of its 100 founding anniversary. During the early years of the 1970s, she made it to the Hall of Fame of Manila’s Best Dressed List, an annual selection initiated by the old guard of Philippine fashion, among them Ramon Valera, Salavacion Lim Higgins of Slim’s, Pilar Romack of New Yorker Gown Salon, and Imelda Reyes of Milie’s Gowns. In the 1980s, Tingting, who graced the social pages as a teenager and a young matron, transformed into a new woman, this time as a street activist braving the firecanons and tear gas, a Yellow campaigner in the South, and finally a graduate student and scholar specializing in the ethnic muslim communities of Cotabago and Zamboanga. She would cap this with a National Defense College master’s thesis on the then rebel Moro Islamic Liberation Front. Through it all, she kept her friendship with the man who first showed the world her potential. Christian saw in Tingting, this gangly yet beautiful teenager, a lady worth grooming and turning into an icon of fashion. Tingting thus became Christian’s muse. Chosen by her mother and grandmother, Christian made her outfit for her high school prom at Maryknoll College. It was the beginning of a lifelong friendship and collaboration that would pass through social, political and economic upheavals in this country. No matter, they were constant in each other’s lives, not minding intrigues, the cycle of fortunes and The recent demise of her original mentor and designer, Christian, brought Tingting out of her reculsive and quiet life to share with the Daily Tribune her memories of the designer who streamline Filipiniana, incorporating his knowledge as a graduate of architecture. The interview with Tingting Cojuangco follows: “He launched my modeling career” Daily Tribune (DT): How did you meet Christian? Did you go to him for your teenage formal dresses, and not only during your wedding? Tingting delos Reyes Cojuangco (TRC): My mom and grandma Lucia “Dada” admired the simplicity of his designs on the Christian Espiritu shop on their way to fetch me from Maryknoll College. [caption id="attachment_148162" align="aligncenter" width="525"] CHRISTIAN and Tingting photographed by Jaime Zobel de Ayala.[/caption] The display changed constantly but the clothes were cut simply along the revered lines of Audrey Hepburn’s and Jackie Onassis. His below the knee dresses were sleeveless, with a boat collar, 2-pin tucks under the bust accentuated the waist and hips that ended in semi straight skirt. Mom brought me into his shop at age 15 it was called “Christian” for Christian Espiritu. He launched my modeling career at 16 years old with Gilbert Perez who taught me how to pose. Mother always reminded me, a pretty face looses attraction if the voice isn’t modulated or manners are impeccable and courteousness for elders. Christian reinforced Mom’s belief, simplicity are carried off with poise, beauty and elegance. Christian’s creativeness suggested taste with ease and wealth subdued characterizing by minimalism. DT: Tell me about that wedding gown. Why did you choose him and not Valera or one of the stalwarts of the era? What was his inspiration for the gown? What did you tell him about your preferences? TRC: He made my wedding gown and the whole entourage. My in-laws wanted my wedding gown to be made by Valera a great designer of his time. But I insisted on Christian. For my wedding gown he sketched the simplest white gown, it turned out he had sequins sewed on the satin fabric one by one. He put a sheer fabric organza on top of the gown. It was very elegant for my morning wedding as the sequins shined different colors depending on the lights. That was his precision. For my wedding Christian was at home with his assistant Romulo Estrada. I recall Inno Sotto as his right hand, both dressed me up constantly. Did I have a preference in designs? He said “bahala na ako” and I agreed. That was trust and loyalty. He designed my dresses with simplicity, cut perfectly, shaping my thin body whether it was a day dress or gown. “His dresses were cut perfectly.” DT: When you were married already, did you still see him for your outfits? Which of the dresses and gowns he made for you do you remember? TRC: Yes, we had a friendship of two family’s compadres and ninangs. He did China’s wedding gown of gray and pink even if he claimed he was retired. I forced him. DT: What made him an outstanding designer? TRC: Simplicity. His dresses were cut perfectly and fabrics that didn’t crumple with pin tucks here and there. With the timelessness in the designs and his execution I could wear Christian’s couture clothes for many years. DT: You are in the Best Dressed Hall of Fame. Was he among the designers that you admired and commissioned to do your dresses? TRC: Yes and our friendship developed through the years and confidence. He never spoke bad of anybody. He would just put his hands together and smile. DT: Any unforgettable creation of his exclusively for you? Can you describe some of the gowns and dresses he made for you? TRC: I had a satin dress with a round Chinese emblem and tassel. His clothes for me were stand outs…my gowns for formal functions were of full skirts. “He said, ‘The language of fashion is refined, cultured and well-mannered.’” DT: When was the last time you saw him? Tell us about that last encounter with him. TRC: At an Elegant Women event in Diamond Hotel, Elegance…Merriam-Webster defines it as “refined grace or dignified propriety; tasteful richness of design or ornamentation; restrained beauty of style.” The Cambridge Dictionary writes “graceful and attractive in appearance or behavior.” When the project of elegant women first came up, it was for me to make a list of best dressed women. It had been done too many times now without a conclusion. I figure that there are many Filipinas who have the perfect body for dressing, who dress and accessorize well – but money and a stylist can do that. And, as the cliché goes, money cannot buy class. So, the concept evolved and we agreed on making a list of The Elegant Filipina. We also decided that, first, this project would be for a cause, and second, that I would be allowed to redefine the meaning of elegance to inspire others to contribute to one’s community, society and country by being an elegant example. While the list was handpicked by me, I sought advice to validate my choices. This panel was composed of designer Christian Espiritu, fashion entrepreneur Tina Ocampo, Monaco Consul Fortune Ledesma, Philippine Tatler’s Editor-In-Chief Anton San Diego, and Managing Editor Chit Lijauco and Pete Cura. We defined an Elegant Filipina as: He said “The woman at the center of attention knows that the language of fashion is refined, cultured and well-mannered; Commands respect in her chosen field; leaves a legacy of power and grace, beauty and sophistication, wisdom and compassion.” At the first Elegant Women event, he was elegant in his suit with a scarf wearing his trade mark of silver bracelets or varied silver rings. I called him three weeks ago and we promised to see each other. It didn’t happen. “He never mixed politics with art.” [caption id="attachment_148158" align="aligncenter" width="525"] A PORTRAIT of Christian Espiritu by Jaime Zobel de Ayala, 1987.[/caption] DT: He turned his back on his number one client, Imelda Marcos, after Ninoy died. Were you ever with Christian during the Anti-Marcos rallies? Do you recall if he was in EDSA? TRC: Christian was calm, well educated, schooled and respectful. He wouldn’t hurt anyone’s feelings. Never mixed politics and arts. I don’t know about that. I was not with Christian rallying. For rallies I only wore blue jeans or khaki pants and trubenized blouses made of cotton white t-shirt. DT: Who are his other clients from your social set? Who were his loyal customers. TRC: I don’t know. I didn’t care nor ask. That’s not my concern. DT: How did your relationship evolve in the latter years of his life? TRC: I love him. He was part of my growing up and getting old. DT: What do you think was his greatest contribution to Philippine fashion? How did he influence the Philippine fashion industry? TRC: He kept piña alive and the Paranaque bordaderas working day to midnight in their livelihood of Filipino tradition. He used muted colors of fabric. He made women look elegant and desired without showing of their bodies. I agreed that elegance can be expensive. But elegance can be inexpensive too, but confidence and amiability are the key factors. The post Tingting Cojuangco — Christian Espiritu’s ultimate muse appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Phl judge steps down from jailed Duterte critic’s case
The lawyers for jailed Philippine human rights activist Leila de Lima vowed to win her freedom after a judge who recently denied her bail quit the trial on Friday. De Lima, one of the most outspoken critics of former president Rodrigo Duterte and his deadly anti-drug war, has been in prison for more than six years on narcotics-related charges. She says the three charges -- two of which have been dismissed -- were fabricated to silence her. Romeo Buenaventura, the judge in the trial over the remaining charge, stepped down on Friday, saying his decisions in the case are "vulnerable to charges of bias and partiality", according to a copy of the ruling seen by AFP. The case will now be assigned to a new court that de Lima's lawyers said will hopefully grant bail, which Buenaventura had denied on 7 June. De Lima's lawyer Filibon Tacardon told AFP that the campaigner is "steadfast in her resolve that her vindication is near". Buenaventura faced calls from de Lima and other defendants to recuse himself on the grounds that he had failed to disclose that his brother had served as a lawyer for a prosecution witness who had since recanted his testimony. The judge has rejected allegations of bias. De Lima, 63, is accused of taking money from inmates inside the largest prison in the Philippines to allow them to sell drugs while she was the justice minister from 2010 to 2015. Multiple witnesses, including prison gang bosses, died or recanted their testimonies, resulting in the dismissal of two charges against de Lima. The mother of two still faces life in prison if she is convicted on the remaining charge. Since President Ferdinand Marcos came into office in June last year, there have been renewed calls from human rights groups, foreign diplomats and politicians for de Lima's release. While in jail, she suffered various health problems including one that required surgery. In October 2022, she was briefly taken hostage during an attempted breakout by three detained Islamist militants. Before her arrest in February 2017, de Lima had spent a decade investigating "death squad" killings allegedly orchestrated by Duterte during his time as Davao City mayor and in the early days of his presidency. The post Phl judge steps down from jailed Duterte critic’s case appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
China jails US citizen for life on espionage charges
China has sentenced a 78-year-old US citizen to life in prison for espionage, a court said Monday, but revealed few details about the previously unreported case. Such heavy terms are relatively rare for foreign citizens in China, and the jailing of American passport holder John Shing-wan Leung is likely to further strain already-damaged ties between Beijing and Washington. Leung, who is also a Hong Kong permanent resident, "was found guilty of espionage, sentenced to life imprisonment, deprived of political rights for life", said a statement from the Intermediate People's Court in the eastern Chinese city of Suzhou. Suzhou authorities "took compulsory measures according to the law" against Leung in April 2021, it said, without specifying when he had been taken into custody. It was unclear where Leung had been living at the time of his arrest. A spokesperson for the US embassy in Beijing said they were aware of reports that a US citizen had been recently convicted and sentenced in Suzhou. "The Department of State has no greater priority than the safety and security of US citizens overseas," the spokesperson said. "Due to privacy considerations, we have no further comment." The court statement provided no further details on the charges, and closed-door trials are routine in China for sensitive cases. Foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin declined to comment further on the case at a regular press briefing on Monday. In Hong Kong, security minister Chris Tang told a news conference Monday the city's authorities were notified of Leung's arrest in 2021. "The Hong Kong police have carried out follow-up action according to the notification," Tang said, refusing to elaborate further. Rights activist jailed The jailing is likely to further damage relations with Washington, which are already severely strained over issues such as trade, human rights and Taiwan. Washington and Beijing have just ended an unofficial pause in high-level contacts over the United States' shooting down in February of a suspected Chinese surveillance balloon. US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and top Chinese diplomat Wang Yi held eight hours of talks in Vienna in an apparent breakthrough last week, with both sides describing the meeting as "candid, substantive and constructive". On Friday, Washington issued a statement condemning the reported sentencing of a Chinese human rights activist for "inciting subversion of state power". Guo Feixiong, also known as Yang Maodong, was jailed for eight years, according to rights groups. There has been no official confirmation of the sentencing from China. The US State Department said in its statement its diplomats had been barred from attending the trial in southern China. "We urge the PRC to live up to its international commitments, give its citizens due process, respect their human rights and fundamental freedoms including freedom of speech, and end the use of arbitrary detentions and exit bans," said US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller. A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said on Monday the country's "judicial authorities act in accordance with the law, and their actions brook no interference". US President Joe Biden is due to head to Hiroshima for a meeting of leaders of the G7 group of major developed economies. The G7's relationship with China is expected to be high on the agenda at the May 19-21 summit. Other high-profile espionage cases in recent years include the arrest in 2019 of Chinese-born Australian writer Yang Jun. Australia called last week for another of its nationals, jailed journalist Cheng Lei, to be reunited with her family after 1,000 days in detention over "supplying state secrets overseas". In April, authorities formally charged a prominent Chinese journalist with spying, more than a year after he was detained while having lunch at a Beijing restaurant with a Japanese diplomat, a media rights group said. Revised anti-espionage law Also in April, China approved an amendment to its anti-espionage law, broadening its scope by widening the definition of spying and banning the transfer of any data related to what the authorities define as national security. The changes to the law will come into force on July 1. "Chinese authorities have long had an essentially free hand in addressing national security concerns," Chinese law expert Jeremy Daum wrote. "The laws involved are sometimes amorphous and vague, leading to selective, or even arbitrary, enforcement," he said, adding that the definition of "espionage" was already so broad "it isn't immediately clear what the impact of the expanded definition will be". The post China jails US citizen for life on espionage charges appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Anti-monarchists among UK protesters arrested before king’s coronation
UK police on Saturday arrested leading members of the anti-monarchy group Republic as they prepared to protest along the route of a procession for the coronation of King Charles III, the organization said. "They've arrested six of our organizers and seized hundreds of placards, they won't tell us why they've arrested them or where they're being held," a Republic activist told AFP in London's Trafalgar Square. Republic chief executive Graham Smith was one of those arrested before the group had a chance to wave placards declaring: "Not My King." Some onlookers nearby shouted "free Graham Smith" but others shouted "God save the king" and waved UK flags. A camera crew from the group Alliance of European Republican Movements was at the scene and asked a senior police officer why the group had been detained. "They're under arrest. End of," the officer told them, walking off, according to footage posted by the group on Twitter. UK police forces were controversially granted new anti-protest powers by the government under a new law rushed through this week. On its Twitter feed, Republic confirmed the arrests and seizure of placards. "Is this democracy?" it demanded. Smith told reporters last week: "We certainly have no plans to disrupt the actual procession." Waving placards and shouting would show "in front of the world's press that we are not a country of loyalists, that there is a growing opposition", the Republic founder said. The new law was enacted after months of disruptive tactics around Britain by groups opposed to fossil fuels. It entails stiffer jail terms against activists gluing and padlocking themselves to immovable objects. Separately Saturday, 13 members of the group Just Stop Oil were arrested and handcuffed by police on The Mall between Trafalgar Square and Buckingham Palace, an AFP reporter saw. In a statement, the Metropolitan police confirmed only seven arrests early Saturday "on suspicion of offenses including breaching the peace and conspiracy to cause public nuisance close to the coronation". Officers seized "lock-on devices" from one group next to Trafalgar Square, it said. The post Anti-monarchists among UK protesters arrested before king’s coronation appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Region 4-A has new police director
CAMP GEN VICENTE LIM, Laguna — The Philippine National Police announced on Sunday the appointment of P/Brig. Gen. Carlito Gaces as new police director of Region 4-A, replacing P/Brig. Gen. Melencio Nartates. The newly-minted police regional director also fired a warning to police officers in the region to not challenge his leadership amid the controversial issues rocking the PNP such as the issue on the P6.7 billion-worth of illegal drugs which dragged the names 47 top police officials. The turnover of command was administered and witnessed by PNP chief Police General Rodolfo Azurin Jr. “Where my leadership is concerned, I am looking forward to developing a God-centered police organization with God-fearing and respected police officers,” Gaces said. “This can be achieved through strengthened and sustained internal cleansing and moral enhancement program with the help of KASIMBAYANAN community advisers.” “Everyone must toe the line and those who dare to challenge my leadership, the law and the rules I forewarned you to stop,” he added. He added that he will guide the Police Regional Office 4-A in sustaining the intensified campaign against illegal drugs, criminality and insurgency to keep the economic vibrancy of CALABARZON. Gaces stressed that every police station shall serve as a bridge for sustainable peace and development. “We will create safer and more secure streets and cyberspace in CALABARZON. We will keep people safe and secured not only from their homes but even in the cyberspace through maximum police presence in the streets and cyber patrolling and awareness. We will strengthen the Anti-Cybercrime Unit in 4A to keep it more responsive to the people’s needs,” Gaces said. He also vowed “to create stronger community partnerships and strengthen our community engagements by sustaining the community mobilization program of PRO 4-A. “I encourage the local leaders, government agencies, and the community to work closely with your PNP for Crime Prevention and Solution is best achieved through a Unified Action against crime,” Gaces said. The post Region 4-A has new police director appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Inclusion of LGBTQ+ persons in Cagayan Valley LTO office’s priority lane criticized
Many in the LGBTQ+ community disapproved of the inclusion of LGBTQ+ persons in the priority lane at an office of the Land Transportation Office in the Cagayan Valley Region. Priority lanes are usually reserved for senior citizens, pregnant women and persons with disabilities. On 15 April, Bahaghari raised concerns on the inclusion. “While at first glance providing a priority lane for the LGBTQ+ community appears convenient for us, it is worth noting that priority lanes exist to help people with physical and/or mental difficulties in processing transactions. We want to make it clear: being LGBTQ+ in no way impairs or affects a person’s physical capacity to take part in social and governmental functions. Hindi po sakit o kapansanan ang pagiging LGBTQ+,” Reyna Valmores, the national LGBTQ+ organization’s chairperson, said. She further said that the action is “well-meaning,” however, “this does not erase the fact that the implication of LTO’s LGBTQ+ priority lane is dangerous. To this day, many people including lawmakers cling to the erroneous notion that being LGBTQ+ is a disorder.” Valmores offered more appropriate options in catering to the LGBTQ+ sector. “If the LTO so wishes, we are very much open and willing to hold gender sensitivity trainings and discussions on crafting anti-discrimination policies within the LTO, so that we can combat discrimination against both LTO’s workers as well as ordinary Filipinos seeking to have their licenses processed in the office,” the transgender woman activist said. She added: “Beyond the LTO, we wish to highlight that it would be more productive for government to create policies that address the actual issues raised by the LGBTQ+ community, such as passing the SOGIE Equality Bill to combat discrimination, instituting marriage equality, and in a time of economic crisis like this, raising wages towards a family living wage which could be enjoyed by all Filipinos regardless of gender.” Many LGBTQ+ persons commented that such inclusion gives the impression that the sector wants special privileges when what they are asking for are equal rights and freedom from abuse and discrimination because of their genders. On 16 April, LTO ordered the removal of signs that included the LGBTQ+ in the priority lane. “I understand that the region’s leadership merely conceptualized the activity in a desire to recognize the LGBTQ+ community. There was no intention to offend or unnecessarily put them in the spotlight,” LTO chief Jay Art Tugade said in statement, adding that it was an isolated case. The post Inclusion of LGBTQ+ persons in Cagayan Valley LTO office’s priority lane criticized appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Germany ends nuclear era as last reactors power down
Germany switched off its last three nuclear reactors on Saturday, exiting atomic power even as it seeks to wean itself off fossil fuels and manage an energy crisis caused by the war in Ukraine. While many Western countries are upping their investments in atomic energy to reduce their emissions, Germany brought an early end to its nuclear age. It's "the end of an era," the RWE energy firm said in a statement shortly after midnight confirming the three reactors had been disconnected from the electricity grid. Europe's largest economy has been looking to leave behind nuclear power since 2002, but the phase-out was accelerated by former chancellor Angela Merkel in 2011 after the Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan. The exit decision was popular in a country with a powerful anti-nuclear movement, stoked by lingering fears of a Cold War conflict and atomic disasters such as Chernobyl in Ukraine. "The risks of nuclear power are ultimately unmanageable," said Environment Minister Steffi Lemke, who this week made a pilgrimage to the ill-fated Japanese plant ahead of a G7 meeting in the country. Anti-nuclear demonstrators took to the streets in several German cities to mark the closures. Greenpeace, at the heart of the anti-nuclear movement, organized a celebratory party at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin. "We are putting an end to a dangerous, unsustainable and costly technology," said Green MP Juergen Trittin. In front of the Brandenburg Gate, activists symbolically slayed a model dinosaur. Initially planned for the end of 2022, Germany's nuclear exit was delayed as Russian gas supplies dwindled. Germany, the largest emitter in the European Union, also powered up some of its mothballed coal-fuelled plants to cover the potential gap left by gas. The challenging energy situation had increased calls domestically for the exit from nuclear to be delayed. Germany had to "expand the supply of energy and not restrict it any further" in light of potential shortages and high prices, the president of the German chamber of commerce Peter Adrian told the Rheinische Post daily. Friedrich Merz, leader of the opposition CDU party, said the abandonment of nuclear power was the result of an "almost fanatical bias". Meanwhile the conservative daily FAZ headlined its Saturday edition "Thanks, nuclear energy," as it listed benefits it said nuclear had brought the country over the years. Outside observers have been similarly irked by Germany's insistence on exiting nuclear while ramping up its coal usage, with climate activist Greta Thunberg in October slamming the move as "a mistake". As expected, the Isar 2 reactor in the southeast of the country, the Neckarwestheim facility in the southwest and Emsland in the northwest were disconnected from the electricity network before midnight. Earlier, Guido Knott, CEO of PreussenElektra, which operates Isar 2, said it would be "a very moving moment" to power down the reactor. The three final plants provided just six percent of Germany's energy last year, compared with 30.8 percent from all nuclear plants in 1997. "Sooner or later" the reactors will start being dismantled, Economy Minister Robert Habeck told the Funke group ahead of the scheduled decommissioning, brushing aside the idea of an extension. The government has the energy situation "under control", Habeck assured, having filled gas stores and built new infrastructure for the import of liquefied natural gas to bridge the gap left by Russian supplies. Instead, the minister is focused on getting Germany to produce 80 percent of its energy from renewables by 2030. To this end, Chancellor Olaf Scholz has called for the installation of "four to five wind turbines a day" over the next few years -- a tall order given that just 551 were installed last year. But the current rate of progress on renewables could well be too slow for Germany to meet its climate protection goals. Despite planning to exit nuclear, Germany has not "pushed ahead enough with the expansion of renewables in the last 10 years", Simon Mueller from the Agora Energiewende think tank told AFP. To build enough onshore wind capacity, according to Mueller, Germany now has to "pull out all the stops". The post Germany ends nuclear era as last reactors power down appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Anti-dam activist’s abductors wanted him to turn gov’t spy
Tauli’s colleagues said kidnappers were state security forces. The post Anti-dam activist’s abductors wanted him to turn gov’t spy appeared first on Bulatlat......»»
PNP Deputy Chief Dickson visits Calabarzon, leads oversight committee meeting
CAMP BGEN VICENTE P LIM – The Deputy Chief PNP for Operations, PLTGEN Israel Ephraim T Dickson, visited the Police Regional Office Calabarzon on Thursday and presided over the Oversight Committee Meeting on Anti-Illegal Drugs, Enhanced-Managing Police Operations (E-MPO), PNP Committee on Legal Action (COLA), and Counter Terrorism Task Force (CTTF)......»»
Bloodbath Day : Deaths, arrests reported in police raids in Calabarzon
Police raids that swept across three provinces in Calabarzon left at least two people dead including an activist leader, groups said on Sunday with one lawmaker describing the operations as a "bloodbath.".....»»
Ramped-up red-tagging a prelude to crackdown under anti-terror law, Casiño warns
An activist and former lawmaker on Tuesday warned that the red-tagging by security forces is a prelude to a harsher crackdown on critics and groups under the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020......»»
With two detained for anti-terror charge, petitioners press SC to stop implementation of law
With two people now detained over the controversial Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020, activist group Bayan and more than 40 others on Wednesday urged the Supreme Court to nullify the law and stop the government from implementing it......»»
Ex-activist comes out as NTF-ELCAC source
A former activist actively involved in the anti-communist campaign using an assumed identity has turned out to be the “ace resource person” of controversial Southern Luzon Command chief Maj. Gen. Antonio Parlade Jr., after being unmasked by a leader of a militant student organization......»»
Opposition solons chide General Parlade on red-tagging
Opposition lawmakers chided Thursday Lt. Gen. Antonio Parlade, a staunch anti-communist military official, for allegedly red-tagging actress Liza Soberano after appearing in a webinar against gender-based exploitation and sexual harassment. Parlade commented on Soberano when she appeared in the webinar sponsored by Gabriela Youth. Deputy Minority Leader and Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Isagani Zarate said Parlade has been “red-tagging anyone who works or espousing the same cause and issues of progressive groups.” “Anybody and everybody should speak out against abuse and not let them be until they are extinguished,” said Zarate. He chided Parlade for allegedly assuming that “celebrities, the youth, women, urban poor, lumad and rural folk are ignorant or even stupid, to stand up for their rights and beliefs on their own.” In a separate statement, Gabriela Partylist Rep. Arlene Brosas finds it “starkly ironic” for Parlade to appeal to stop red-tagging Soberano when it was the military official who actually made the accusation. “By saying that Soberano is “not yet an NPA,” he is maliciously associating the actress with the armed movement when what she did in the youth forum was only to speak up for all the victims of gender-based violence and abuse,” said Brosas. She stated: “It is clear that Parlade, the NTF-ELCAC and the paid trolls are the ones who are rabidly red-tagging Liza Soberano and other female celebrities and influencers who are taking a stand and speaking out against the macho-fascism under the Duterte regime.” Reacting to the statements of the Makabayan solons and Senator Risa Hontiveros, Parlade said it is “government’s job to expose this duplicitous nature of the CPP (Communist Party of the Philippines). “But we differ in the way Gabriela exploits these genuine advocates, because the CPP’s underground MAKIBAKA, is the one stirring and orchestrating it,” said the general. He described the CPP as a monster that “knows no friend.” “They will feed you to the lion’s den if you are not careful. This is what happened to Jo Lapira, Ren Manalo, Camille Manangan etc., Gabriela Youth who were all killed for ceasing to be a plain activist and ended up being with the terrorist,” Parlade noted. .....»»