Admin vows glorious exit
Pandemic notwithstanding, the government, through its effective management of the current crisis and policies that yield a dynamic post-Covid economy, has laid a strong springboard by which the next administration can take off. Presidential Communication Office Secretary Martin Andanar stressed that the remaining 10 months in office of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte will be crucial […].....»»
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......»»
Marcos admin urged to heed UN expert’s call to disband NTF-ELCAC
The Marcos administration should heed the recommendations of a United Nations human rights expert, which includes the abolition of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict, green and rights organizations said Thursday......»»
AFP denies destabilization plot vs Marcos admin
The Armed Forces of the Philippines clarified on Saturday that there is no confirmed destabilization plot against the administration of President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr......»»
PH records P1.4 trillion approved investments under Marcos admin
PH records P1.4 trillion approved investments under Marcos admin.....»»
Marcos admin urged to allow ICC probe Duterte s drug war anew
The Magdalo group on Monday urged President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s administration to allow the International Criminal Court investigators into the country to hold former President Rodrigo Duterte accountable for alleged "crimes against humanity.".....»»
Marcos admin vows high-speed Internet across Philippines by 2026
The Marcos administration announced an ambitious plan for a comprehensive national fiber backbone connectivity by the year 2026. .....»»
Sugar Regulatory Admin halts distribution of imported sugar into the market
The SRA made the decision since farmgate prices of sugar have fallen from P3,000 to around P2,500 to P2,700 per bag, causing problems for farmers......»»
NEA wants Primelectric deal to aid consumers
The National Electrification Administration or NEA has asked Primelectric Holdings, Inc., a unit of MORE Electric and Power Corp., to ensure that its joint venture agreement or JVA with Central Negros Electric Cooperative, Inc. or CENECO will uphold consumers' interest. "I hope we can address the concerns of the opposition. We must also consider them. Regarding the participation of the Member-Consumer-Owners, it has been concluded during the plebiscite so we will put this into motion with all the required legal objectivity,” NEA Administrator Antonio Almeda said on Monday. Last week, Almeda met with Primelectric and CENECO officials to address the opposition concerns to improve the JVA of the involved parties. Primelectric and CENECO presented their joint venture to the NEA board to discuss service improvements for consumers. “This venture seeks to magnify the electric industry in Central Negros by not just streamlining the internal and external operations of concerned parties but also rehabilitating and modernizing the distribution system, which is deemed crucial in providing quality service to our consumers,” Primelectric President Roel Castro said during the hearing. For his part, CENECO acting general manager Atty. Arnel Lapore also supported the critical role the JVA plays in the area, adding that it “strongly” supports the NEA’s objective to achieve efficient service for all consumers. “I’m one with NEA in facilitating the service for the benefit of our consumers. That’s why I strongly support and cooperate through this JVA to ensure we deliver quality operations internally and externally. Rest assured that we duly consider all the suggestions raised by Admin Almeda during the hearing,” Lapore said. Primelectric has already conveyed that it is ready to pour in investments to modernize the system of CENECO. Castro highlighted that the target P2.1 billion initial investment in the capex of its operations will bankroll cutting-edge and top-of-the-line systems for a better consumer experience. Castro also emphasized that the JVA will help achieve the 100 percent total electrification target in the franchise area by 2028 “in alignment” with the present administration’s agenda of achieving sustainable and inclusive economic growth. “We need to rehabilitate the system because if you don’t put in the additional P2 billion investment or even bigger, you will be inheriting a distribution system that is just the same as now that is inefficient. That’s why we have to put (the investment) in P2.1 billion to start rehabilitating and improving the system,” he said. Primelectric and CENECO signed the JVA last 3 June purposely to improve the electricity services in Central Negros. The proposal received support from local leaders, the business sector, and consumer groups. No less than Bacolod City Mayor Albee Benitez described the partnership as “a White Knight that would save our consumers from the looming disaster.” The post NEA wants Primelectric deal to aid consumers appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Marcos admin gets lower approval on key issues – Pulse
Fewer Filipinos approved of the Marcos administration’s performance in key national issues, with a majority disapproving of its performance in controlling inflation, a recent Pulse Asia survey showed......»»
Sultan Kudarat insurgents yield
ZAMBOANGA CITY — Three individuals believed to be members of the New People’s Army voluntarily surrendered to authorities and turned over their high-caliber firearms in Lebak, Sultan Kudarat. Lt. Col. John Paul Baldomar, commander of the 37th Infantry (Conqueror) Battalion reported on Wednesday that the former NPAs presented themselves to the soldiers at their headquarters located in Barangay Tibpuan in Lebak town. Baldomar identified the three through their aliases as Red, alias Michelle/Nicole/Jessa and alias Than/Melchor, who served as Admin/ Para-Legal/Finance Officer of the front. The three also turned over two M16 rifles and a Cal. 38 Revolver. According to Baldomar, hardship was the main reason for the surrender of the three former NPAs. Joint Task Force Central commander Major General Alex Rillera urged the remaining NPAs to surrender to the government forces and live happily with their family. Meantime, the Philippine Army’s 3rd Infantry Division has dismissed claims of human rights violation as it welcomed any independent investigation on the clash that claimed the lives of six Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army fighters in Kabankalan City, Negros Occidental last week. Maj. Gen. Marion Sison, commander of 3ID, said soldiers “strictly follow” the Armed Forces of the Philippines rules of engagements “at all times” and are “reminded to always observe and abide by the provisions of the International Humanitarian Law and the Rule of Law.” “We are confident and we firmly believe the said encounter was a legitimate one. We welcome any inquiry to this effect by any independent party,” Sison said in a statement. He added that the investigation would “eventually clear and vindicate” them from various allegations of human rights violation. The post Sultan Kudarat insurgents yield appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Lawmaker sounds alarm over disappearances of youth activists under Marcos Jr. admin
Rep. Raoul Manuel (Kabataan Partylist) expressed concern over the recent abduction of Jonila Castro and Jhed Tamano, community organizers working with fisherfolk opposing reclamation and coastal development projects in Manila Bay. .....»»
DepEd to hire 5,000 non-teaching personnel to ease teachers admin workload
Duterte said the new non-teaching items would soon “relieve the administrative responsibilities” that prevent teachers from focusing on classroom instruction......»»
Senate greenlights OVP’s P2.3-B budget
The Senate Committee on Finance on Monday approved the proposed P2.385-billion budget of the Office of the Vice President, including P500 million in confidential and intelligence funds. Vice President Sara Duterte was physically present at the budget deliberation that lasted about 90 minutes, longer than the 20 minutes the House Committee on Appropriations earlier took to approve the proposed budget. Senator Imee Marcos, vice chair of the Senate panel on finance, asked about the lack of internal guidelines for “handling, monitoring, and the reporting of in-kind donations” that the Commission on Audit had raised to the OVP. Rosalynne Sanchez, the OVP’s director for administrative and financial services, replied that they had prepared draft guidelines and expect to release them “within this quarter.” Meanwhile, OVP Assistant Chief of Staff Lemuel Ortonio confirmed the deployment of 433 personnel to the newly created Vice Presidential Security and Protection Group, or VPSPG. “The creation of the VPSPG is really for the protection of current and future vice presidents,” Ortonio said, pointing out that the number of personnel was determined by both the Armed Forces and the Philippine National Police. “VPSPG personnel consist of admin personnel holding offices at the Vice President’s headquarters, while the rest are doing security and surveillance work in different satellite offices of the OVP,” he explained. Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman on Monday deemed “inordinate and excessive” the 433 security personnel of the OVP, saying that there should be a “rational limit.” “I have been in Congress since 1987. I have not availed of security escorts,” he said. Over the weekend, the OVP said the VPSPG was formed independently of the Presidential Security Group in 2022 and that it did not make sense to compare its personnel count to those of other VPs. Duterte justified the number of escorts by saying that she also heads the Department of Education and serves as co-vice chair of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict. According to Lagman, the salaries of the 433 personnel should not be sourced from the confidential funds of the OVP in accordance with the rules. “That is a completely different budget. Because the confidential funds cannot be used for the payment of salaries and emoluments of those who are involved in the confidential funds,” the seasoned lawmaker said. With Neil Alcober The post Senate greenlights OVP’s P2.3-B budget appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Año: Marcos admin will see end of communist insurgency
The National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict said it has made significant progress in its campaign to end the more than five- decade-old local communist insurgency. In a news briefing on Thursday, National Security Adviser Eduardo Año said that the NTF-ELCAC has established Project Management Offices in various government agencies to ensure a systematic and unified approach to ending the armed conflict. Año also cited the success of programs such as the Support to Barangay Development Program and Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program, which he said have played a pivotal role in putting an end to armed conflict. "The SBDP and E-CLIP have helped to improve the lives of people in conflict-affected areas," Año said. "These programs have also helped to convince many members of the New People's Army to lay down their arms and return to the fold of the law." Año also highlighted the importance of the Amnesty Proclamation that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. issued in July. The Amnesty Proclamation offers a chance for NPA members to surrender and avail of government assistance. "I urge the continued support from agencies and our esteemed Congress to ensure the sustained implementation of these programs, further contributing to the journey towards peace and prosperity," Año said. "In line with our pursuit of sustainable peace and development, the Amnesty Proclamation holds considerable significance," he added. When asked about what the government can achieve in terms of insurgency after the term of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., Año said they are now taking a whole-of-nation approach to address the root causes of the rebellion in the country, such as poverty and lack of development in rural areas. "We came from the military service, we were lieutenants. We have been fighting against the insurgents, but it seems like it's just repetitive, you know, because there are missing components," Año said, adding that the government has been fighting the communist insurgency for already five decades. "These missing components, we finally found out, [are] the convergence of all government agencies, stakeholders, local government units, really to bring development and to solve the roots of insurgency in these far-flung areas," he added. Año said the government's support for the barangay development program and the enhanced comprehensive local integration program has led to an increase in the number of surrenders from armed groups. "So, during the term of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., we can finally put an end to this local armed communist conflict," Año said. "And from that point, we will prioritize various developments and ensure the delivery of services. Not only that, we can now shift the focus of the Armed Forces towards external defense," he added. The post Año: Marcos admin will see end of communist insurgency appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Barangay chair, 6 others slapped with graft raps
A Barangay Kaligayahan kagawad (village councilor) slapped his six colleagues and their chairman with graft and falsification charges before the Office of the Ombudsman Thursday, 24 August. Barangay Kaligayahan Kagawad Allan Butch Francisco Jr. in his complaint obtained by DAILY TRIBUNE, said barangay chairman Alfredo ‘Freddy’ Roxas, kagawad Jim Mahusay, kagawad Alexander Rivera, kagawad Perla Adea Mallari, kagawad Arnel Gabito, kagawad Dionisio Gascon, kagawad Sofronio Grimaldo, and barangay secretary Josephine Penarada violated Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, Falsification of Public Documents, and Grave Misconduct for faking an approved resolution. Francisco claimed the said barangay officials made it appear that the Barangay Resolution No. 087 Series of 2023, “Interposing no objection to the application of M.M. Ledesma Laboratories Corp., located at Zabarte Ext.,” was approved on 15 April 2023. It was also certified by Penarada. However, Francisco explained that while they agreed to establish that regular session of their council shall be held every 1st and 2nd Saturdays of each month, 15 April fell on the 3rd Saturday, Roxas postponed it to give way for the Barangay Assembly Day held also on that day. “No session was actually conducted on that day,” Francisco said in his complaint referring to the date the said resolution was passed. He added that neither the supposed notice for the regular session was nor a notice for special session was issued by Roxas for the resolution to be passed. Roxas earlier was also charged of violating the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act by Hernando Compendioa, barangay watchman, who suffered a stroke, and was told by the chieftain to stop working, but later learned that his name was still on the payroll list but not receiving a single centavo. Meanwhile, Graft and Falsification charges were also hurled against Barangay Pasong Tamo chairwoman Mae Tagle before the Office of the Ombudsman by three of her own village staff over a dozen “ghost employees.” Tagle had just been served with another six months suspension for leasing the space barangay pharmacy to private fish and meat vendor by the Special Investigation Committee of the City Council. Florence Andre Fabre, Ruvelinda dela Isla and Mary Lyne Casinos showed that Tagle hired them upon assuming her post on 1 July 2022. Tagle became the village chief because of rule of succession for being the number one kagawad (barangay councilor) when then barangay chairman Banjo Pilar won as a councilor in May 2022 polls. Fabre in their joint affidavit of complaint averred that he was a book keeper and assistant of barangay assistant treasurer Gloria Sareño who was in-charged of preparing payroll for the entire staff of their village. He said that from July to September 2022 nothing unusual happened in their payroll, until came October 2022, when there were 10 other names added to the list of their payroll, and was instructed by Tagle’s daughter Mary Jean, who acted as their admin aide IV, to also sign on behalf of the additional names on the list and be quiet about it. Fabre also found out that one of the names added was Tagle’s maid Melina Barcelo with a work item as “contact tracer” receiving a monthly salary of P6,500. To his estimate, about a million pesos has been pocketed by Tagle since that month until April 2023, as the names added in their payroll list were not really receiving their salary. Dela Isla, on the other hand, worked as an assistant trainer along with her daughter Florbhy who worked as a traffic enforcer from 1 July 2022 to 30 November, 2022. But the younger Dela Isla had resigned the following month. To her surprise, Dela Isla learned that the name of her daughter was still listed in their payroll when Tagle got her first suspension on June 2023, pocketing her daughter’s salary for six months. Casinos, on another end, who was also hired by Tagle as an Auxiliary member of the village watchmen team, also learned that even her husband’s name who was working at the nearby Himlayang Filipino was also listed as “ghost employee.” The three complainants also attached the affidavit of Daniel Tecson whose name was also listed as “ghost employees” who did not even received a single centavo from Tagle, when they filed the charges on 13 June 2023 for fear of being implicated in Tagle’s scheme. The post Barangay chair, 6 others slapped with graft raps appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
DAR fast-tracks land distribution in first year of PBBM admin
Agrarian Reform Secretary Conrado Estrella III on Sunday reported that the DAR had already distributed a total of 71,360 titles covering 85,853 hectares to 68,427 farmer-beneficiaries. Of these, Estrella said some 49, 484 titles covering 43, 623 hectares were distributed to 43, 623 farmer-beneficiaries from January to July 2023. From January to December 2022, under the previous DAR administration, only 2,343 titles covering 2,159 hectares were distributed to 3,393 farmers. Under the present administration, within a comparable period, from July to December 2022, the numbers soared to 6,736 titles covering 8,991 hectares distributed to 6,945 beneficiaries. The DAR secretary specifically cited the record-breaking performance on the distribution of e-titles under the project Support to Parcelization of Lands for Individual Titling (SPLIT) which parcelized lands under collective certificates of land ownership awards (CCLOAs) to have specific areas titled to individual farmers. A whopping 1,6275 percent increase was noted from January to July 2023 with a total of 33,654 e-titles covering 46, 241 hectares given to 29,320 ARBs compared to only 2,343 titles covering 3, 393 hectares distributed to 2, 159 beneficiaries from March 2021 to June 2022 under the previous administration. Estrella said that the SPLIT land distribution performance for the first 7 months of 2023 is outstanding compared to the cumulative 22 months of overall land distribution accomplishments from March 2021 to December 2022. “The DAR is bent on distributing the remaining target of at least 30,000 titles more for this year to complete its target for 2023 to distribute a total of at least 80,000 titles to our ARBs nationwide,” Estrella said. At the House Committee on Appropriations budget hearing on 17 August 2022, Estrella also cited his same report that lawmakers lauded the performance of the DAR and expressed support for the move to increase the 2024 budget of the DAR which only amounted to P9.392-billion from P16 billion in 2023. The solons noted that the proposed 2024 budget is insufficient to finance its three major program thrusts in 2024 namely accelerated land distribution, swifter agrarian justice delivery, and strategic provision of broader support services to farmers. The DAR’s P9.392.29-billion proposed budget is 40.74 percent or P6.457.241-billion lower than its 2023 appropriation of P15.850.2-billion. Estrella also cited the major performance milestones of the DAR in the first year of this administration which include the signing of Republic Act No. 11953 or the New Agrarian Reform Emancipation Act which condones all the unpaid amortizations of the agrarian debt, including interest and surcharges, if any. Under the said law, the government also assumes the obligation of 10,201 ARBs tilling 11, 531.24 hectares of land to pay the remaining balance of the direct compensation due the concerned landowners under the Voluntary Land Transfer (VLT) or the Direct Payment Scheme (DPS) amounting to P 206,247,776.41 million. The post DAR fast-tracks land distribution in first year of PBBM admin appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Marcos admin urged to pair media literacy project with concrete solutions to fight political disinformation
The government’s highly publicized media literacy campaign should be paired with concrete safeguards to prevent politicians from capitalizing on the spread of disinformation, several groups of media literacy advocates and researchers said......»»
BARMM Council of Leaders formation a significant step forward – Marcos admin officials
Several officials of the Marcos administration hailed the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao's establishment of the Council of Leaders as an intergovernmental relations framework......»»
Human rights in Phl ‘improved’ under Marcos admin – EU chief
The state of human rights in the Philippines has improved under the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Tuesday. In a television interview, Von der Leyen, who is currently in Manila for a two-day visit, said the Philippine government is now “more cooperative.” "The government now is much more cooperative with the United Nations and other international organizations; this is very important. Therefore, we see progress," she said. "As I said, there's much improvement, still topics that we have to discuss, issues that are raised in the constant dialogue that we have with the Philippines. But the environment is much better and this is important for us that there's improvement in the steps forward," she added. Earlier this year, European Union’s Subcommittee on Human Rights Chair Hannah Neumann made a similar observation when she visited the Philippines. Neumann noted that the human rights in the country is “better” than it was during the term of Marcos’ predecessor, former President Rodrigo Duterte. “It was better than it was under President Duterte. I think that it is what we can clearly state,” she said. “We had an impression that everyone is very willing to discuss human rights issues with us which has not been the case during the previous administration,” she added. Neumann, likewise, welcomed the new approach of government under the Marcos administration in terms of its anti-narcotics campaign. Duterte is accused of committing crimes against humanity before the International Criminal Court in relation to his bloody war on drugs that killed at least 7,000 people, according to government data. However, both local and International human rights groups disagreed with the figures, stressing that it was way higher than the said numbers. ‘GSP+ extended’ Von der Leyen also announced the Philippines would still be able to enjoy the EU's Generalized Scheme of Preferences Plus (GSP+), as it was extended until 2007. "We evaluated the situation, and we found that we can extend the status quo, that is good news... till 2027," she said. Under the EU's Generalized Scheme of Preferences Plus (GSP+), developing countries will be given special incentives which include cutting import duties to zero on more than two-thirds of the tariff lines of their exports. The Philippines is among the developing nations that currently enjoy the perks of the EU’s GSP+. The trade preference allows 6,274 Philippine products into Europe duty-free. In 2021, the European Parliament warned then-president Duterte that it will suspend the country’s trade privileges under the GSP+ unless it complies with human rights obligations and ensures free and fair elections during last year’s elections.. The post Human rights in Phl ‘improved’ under Marcos admin – EU chief appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Gun permit ‘forgers’ in hot water
The Philippine National Police on Tuesday revealed that five members of the PNP-Health Service were involved in alleged irregularities in the issuance of psychiatric and psychological examination results for applicants of license to own and possess firearms. PNP-Civil Security Group chief Brig. Gen. Benjamin Silo Jr. said that administrative and criminal charges are being prepared against a police major, three non-commissioned officers and a non-uniformed employee. They are set to be slapped with grave irregularity in the performance of duty, conduct unbecoming of a police officer and grave misconduct before the Internal Affairs Service for manipulating the results of the psychiatric and psychological examinations from August 2022 to February this year. “We already identified the persons responsible for these irregularities and right now we are filing admin and criminal cases against them before the Office of the Ombudsman. We recommended they should be placed on floating status and right now we already deactivated their accounts,” Silo said in a press briefing. He added they will also be charged for graft and corruption and violation of Republic Act 11032 or the Ease of Doing Business law before the Office of the Ombudsman. Reports indicated that at least 377 applicants who were supposed to get a failing grade “passed” the psychiatric and psychological examinations and Silo disclosed that the CSG has already revoked the licenses of the applicants. “Out of the 377, [a total of] 64 had a non-appearance while the remaining 313 actually failed but their test results were manipulated. This was found through an investigation of our computer system and the help of our IT (information technology) experts. We also secured the testimonies of clients being victimized by this group,” Silo said. Citing the affidavits of some applicants, Silo said some of them paid P30,000 to P35,000 for the falsified result. The processing fee for the LTOPF only costs around P2,180. “Let’s not look at the income of these crooks anymore. Let’s just look at the impact on the public. If the one who holds a gun is psychotic, imagine the danger it can give to the public. Imagine if the one holding firearms is an addict, you know how big the possible effect of this to the society,” Silo said. The post Gun permit ‘forgers’ in hot water appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»