Cabinet approves gradual expansion of persons allowed to go out
The government on Tuesday announced that it will let more people go out despite the pandemic still ongoing as it eases the age group restriction allowed to leave their homes, saying the move would unlikely add to the country's more than 344,000 coronavirus cases......»»
CCS approves Rs 19,000 cr mega Indian Navy deal for BrahMos missiles
By Ajit DubeyNew Delhi [India], February 22 (ANI): In a mega boost for the Indian Navy, the Cabinet Committee on Security has cleared the acquisition of over 200 BrahMos extended-range supersonic cruise missiles for deployment on its warships. The deal worth around Rs 19,000 crore was cleared in a meeting held on Wednesday evening, top government sources told ANI. The contract is set to be signed in the first week of Marc.....»»
CCS approves Rs 19,000 cr mega Indian Navy deal for BrahMos missiles
By Ajit DubeyNew Delhi [India], February 22 (ANI): In a mega boost for the Indian Navy, the Cabinet Committee on Security has cleared the acquisition of over 200 BrahMos extended-range supersonic cruise missiles for deployment on its warships. The deal worth around Rs 19,000 crore was cleared in a meeting held on Wednesday evening, top government sources told ANI. The contract is set to be signed in the first week of Marc.....»»
Israeli Cabinet approves ceasefire with Hamas that includes release of 50 hostages
Israeli Cabinet approves ceasefire with Hamas that includes release of 50 hostages.....»»
How nations allow or restrict legal gender change
A small number of countries have made it easier for transgender people to change their legal gender, while other nations have restricted such changes, notably Russia and Pakistan. Here is a snapshot of the situation around the world. Exception, not the rule According to the International Lesbian and Gay Association (ILGA), 24 UN member states have legally allowed people to change their gender on the basis of self-identification. In about 40 other countries, the legal and administrative process can take years and may include requirements such as psychiatric diagnosis, hormone treatment, gender confirmation surgery, or even sterilization. Making it easier Argentina has led the way on transgender rights, allowing a change of gender on national ID cards with a simple declaration since 2012. Several Latin American countries have followed suit. Denmark was the first European country in 2014 to allow adults to apply for a gender change without undergoing medical or psychological assessments, with Belgium, Ireland, Malta, Norway, Portugal, and most recently Spain following suit. Since 2017, France has allowed transgender people to change their status on their ID documents without treatment, surgery, or sterilization but they must receive court approval. The issue of trans rights sparked a fierce row in 2022 in Scotland, where parliament passed a bill making it easier for people to self-identify their gender that was sensationally vetoed by London. The German cabinet in August 2023 signed off plans under which Germans will be able to change their name or legal gender by making a simple application to their local registry office. The law still has to go to parliament. Hesitating Sweden, one of the world's most liberal countries, was the first in the world to authorize physical and legal gender reassignment for adults in 1972. But last year it began restricting hormone therapy available for children diagnosed with gender dysphoria, such as puberty blockers, citing the need for caution following a strong increase in demand. It also restricted access to mastectomies for teenage girls wanting to transition. Finland in 2020 had already restricted hormone treatment for minors. Making it harder Russia adopted new legislation in July 2023 banning "medical interventions aimed at changing the sex of a person" and "the state registration of a change of gender without an operation". President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly railed against transgender rights in his speeches. Pakistan's religious judiciary ruled in May that landmark transgender legal protections from 2018 are un-Islamic and therefore void. An appeal is being sought with the Supreme Court. Pakistan continues to recognize the existence of a third gender, neither masculine nor feminine, as do India and Nepal. Restricting gender-affirming treatment, such as puberty blockers for minors, has become a major campaign of US conservatives. Arkansas in 2021 became the first US state to ban physicians and health workers from offering transition-related treatment to transgender minors. A federal judge in June overturned the ban. Around 20 states, including Florida and Texas, have passed similar laws. Anti-LGBTQ sentiment in Hungary has escalated during the rule of Viktor Orban's right-wing government. In May 2020, the country passed a law making it impossible for transgender people to change their name and gender on their ID documents. The post How nations allow or restrict legal gender change appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Court approves Yanson matriarch’s last will disinheriting 4 children
A Bacolod City regional trial court approved the petition of Yanson Group of Bus Companies matriarch Olivia Villaflores Yanson for probate of her last will disinheriting four of her children and naming two as her universal heirs. Bacolod City Regional Trial Court Branch 44 Presiding Judge Ana Celeste P. Bernad in Special Proclamation No. 19-2771 dated 31 August 2023, said: “The last will of Olivia Villaflores Yanson is allowed probate as it complied with the formalities required by law”. Olivia, who together with her husband, the late Ricardo Yanson Sr. established Vallacar Transit Inc. in 1968 that eventually became the largest bus company in the Philippines, named her children Leo Rey and Ginnette as the universal heirs in her will. It may be recalled that on 15 April 2019, Yanson filed a petition for probate of her last will and testament, which was docketed as Special Proceedings No. 19-2771. Olivia’s four other children—Roy, Emily, Ma. Lourdes Celina and Ricardo Jr.—who are collectively known as the Yanson 4, opposed the probate of her will, saying their mother was under due and improper influence and pressure from Leo Rey and Ginnette. Judge Bernad, in her proclamation, said the oppositors to the probate process had not presented any evidence to the court that would show that there was undue influence or pressure exerted on the petitioner before or during the execution of her last will and testament. The court said the petitioner (Olivia) had shown to the court and proved that it was her personal decision to make a last will and testament and that she asked her lawyers to prepare a draft containing all the provisions she wanted. Olivia was 85 years old when she made her last will and testament and proved she was in full possession of all her reasoning faculties or her mind was unbroken, unimpaired or unshattered by disease, injury or other cause at that time. The petitioner said she knew the nature and extent of her estate and she clearly understood the importance and consequences of making a last will and testament. The petitioner signed the will in the presence of four subscribing witnesses. The will was also acknowledged before a notary public by the petitioner and the instrumental witnesses. Judge Bernad said that in considering the petition and the opposition, the court kept the pronouncements of the Supreme Court in mind and only looked at the issue of the extrinsic validity of the last will and testament of Olivia Yanson. The Supreme Court in a 2020 ruling said "the main issue which the court must determine in a probate proceeding is the due execution or the extrinsic validity of the will as provided in Section 1, Rule 75 of the Rules of Court.” It said the probate court could not inquire into the intrinsic validity of the will or the disposition of the estate by the testator. Thus, due execution is "whether the testator, being sound of mind, freely executed the will in accordance with the formalities prescribed by law." The post Court approves Yanson matriarch’s last will disinheriting 4 children appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
DoH’s Herbosa faces CA scrutiny
Dr. Teodoro “Ted” Herbosa’s fate as secretary of the Department of Health may be determined today by the powerful Commission on Appointments. Herbosa, who was tapped by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to head the DoH last June, is the only Cabinet official who has yet to be confirmed by the CA. He will face the 25-member constitutional body that is mandated to confirm or reject appointments made by the President. In August, SAGIP Partylist Rep. Rodante Marcoleta admonished Herbosa for opposing the Department of Trade and Industry’s plan to make the Philippines a manufacturing hub for heated tobacco products or HTPs. Marcoleta had then cautioned Herbosa to “respect the rule of law” if he wanted to secure his appointment. “The Philippine government, particularly the House and the Senate, have already set the state policy on vape and heated tobacco products with the passage of RA 11900 (Vaporized Nicotine and Non-Nicotine Products Regulation Law) regulating the same. The President allowed it to lapse into law which means he supports the policies stated therein. Otherwise, he would have vetoed it,” Marcoleta said. “If he (Herbosa) wants to secure his confirmation, he should learn to respect the rule of law and abide by existing laws and state policies enacted by Congress,” Marcoleta added. Herbosa had expressed his opposition to the vape law, stressing that it was “counter-productive” to the government’s long history of fighting against the use of tobacco products. He also urged the economic managers to reconsider their support of the law, saying it would later outweigh any economic gains. “The economic managers should consider the long-term economic burden resulting from these harmful products due to premature sickness and deaths, which outweighs any potential economic gains from investing in these industries,” he said. Prior to his appointment, Herbosa served as special adviser to the National Task Force against Covid-19. He was also an undersecretary at the Department of Health from 2010 to 2015 under the Aquino administration. The post DoH’s Herbosa faces CA scrutiny appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Still without CA nod, Herbosa to face powerful appointments body
Dr. Teodoro “Ted” Herbosa’s fate as secretary of the Department of Health is scheduled to be determined today by the powerful Commission on Appointments. Herbosa, who was tapped by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to lead the Health department last June, is the only remaining Cabinet official who has yet to be confirmed by the CA. He would face the 25-member Constitutional body that is mandated to confirm or reject appointments made by the president. In August, SAGIP Party-list Rep. Rodante Marcoleta admonished Herbosa for opposing the Department of Trade and Industry’s plan to make the Philippines a manufacturing hub for heated tobacco products or HTPs. Marcoleta then cautioned Herbosa to “respect the rule of law” if he wanted to secure his appointment. “The Philippine government, particularly Congress and Senate, have already set the country’s state policy on vape and heated tobacco products with the passage of RA11900 (Vaporized Nicotine and Non-Nicotine Products Regulation law ) regulating the same. The President allowed it to lapse into law which means he supports the policies stated therein. Otherwise, he would have vetoed it,” he said. “If he wants to secure his confirmation, he should learn to respect the rule of law and abide by existing laws and state policies enacted by Congress,” he added. Herbosa expressed his opposition to the government’s proposal, stressing that it would be “counterproductive” to the government’s long history of fighting against the use of tobacco products. “Economic managers should consider the long-term economic burden resulting from these harmful products due to premature sickness and deaths, which outweighs potential economic gains from investing in these industries,” he said. Prior to his appointment, Herbosa served as special adviser to the National Task Force against Covid-19. He also served as undersecretary at the Department of Health from 2010 to 2015, under the Aquino administration. The post Still without CA nod, Herbosa to face powerful appointments body appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Solon: OVP ‘fund shift’ constitutional
One of the vice chairpersons of the House Committee on Appropriations on Sunday has joined other members of the panel in clarifying that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s transfer of P125 million to the office of Vice President Sara Duterte was not unconstitutional. Iloilo Representative Janette Garin stressed that the transfer of the Office of the President’s P221.42-million fund to the Office of the Vice President — which included the P125-million confidential fund allegedly spent by in just 19 days, was sourced from Marcos’ contingent fund. “The problem was that there was confusion about contingent funds versus confidential funds. And in my opinion, that was the first mistake because the people were confused because they thought that the used contingent fund of the Office of the Vice President was confidential,” Garin said in a radio interview on Sunday. “What happened here is that the confidential fund was tainted because it was not immediately answered or clarified. Just to be factual, what the Office of the Vice President used was a contingent fund that was included in the special purpose fund,” she added. The lawmaker explained that the special purpose fund is a fund of the President that he can use for current or new programs when a Cabinet official or an office requests it. The issue of the fund transfer first came when the Commission on Audit report revealed that the OVP spent P125 million in confidential funds for 2022. Then-Vice President Leni Robredo, who then prepared the 2022 budget of the OVP, said there was no line item for confidential funds in the budget they crafted. Confidential funds are used for discreet costs associated with surveillance operations carried out by civilian government agencies in support of their mandate or operations. Lawmakers Elizaldy Co and Stella Quimbo, the panel’s chair and the senior vice chair, earlier shed light on the issue, saying the transfer of the funds was allowed in the 2022 General Appropriations Act, despite opposition solons claims that it breached the law since there was no line item in the OVP’s 2022 budget on confidential funds. The Department of Budget and Management likewise defended the legality of such transfer in a letter sent to Co last week, which the latter has yet to provide a copy to the House reporters. Co said that the P125 million released to OVP came from the P7-billion budget set aside as contingent funds for 2022 and “was intended to support the OVP’s Good Governance Engagements and Social Services Projects,” citing DBM chief Amenah Pangandaman. Pangandaman, however, cleared that they did not bypass the House’s power over the purse when it released contingency funds to the OVP. The post Solon: OVP ‘fund shift’ constitutional appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
UN chief convenes ‘no nonsense’ climate summit, without China or US
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is set Wednesday to host a climate meeting marred at its outset by the absence of speakers from the world's top two emitters, China and the United States. Despite increasing extreme weather events and record-shattering global temperatures, greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise and fossil fuel companies reap handsome profits. Guterres has thus billed the "Climate Ambition Summit" as a "no nonsense" forum where leaders or cabinet ministers will announce specific actions that deliver on their commitments under the Paris Agreement. The bar for making the podium was set high, with the UN chief making clear that only leaders who had made concrete plans to achieve net-zero greenhouse emissions would be allowed to speak. After receiving more than 100 applications to take part, the UN finally released a list on Tuesday night of 41 speakers which did not include China, the United States, the United Kingdom, Japan or India. "Tomorrow, I will welcome credible first movers and doers to our Climate Ambition Summit," Guterres said Tuesday. Several major leaders didn't bother making the trip to New York for this year's UN General Assembly, including President Xi Jinping of China and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak from the United Kingdom, who said he was too busy. US President Joe Biden, who addressed the General Assembly on Tuesday, sent his climate envoy John Kerry to the meeting -- though Kerry won't be permitted to speak. "There's no doubt that the absence of so many leaders from the world's biggest economies and emitters will clearly have an impact on the outcomes of the summit," Alden Meyer of climate think tank E3G said. He blamed competing issues -- from the Ukraine conflict to US-China tensions and rising economic uncertainty. "But I think it's also the opposition in many of these countries from the fossil fuel industry and other powerful interests to the kind of transformational changes that are needed," said Meyer. Catherine Abreu, executive director of nonprofit Destination Zero, said it was "perhaps a good-news story that we see Biden not being given a speaking slot at the summit" because the United States is continuing to expand fossil fuel projects even as it makes historic investments in renewables. "I think about this as being a correction from past summits, where leaders have been given the opportunity to take credit for climate leadership on the global stage, while they continue to pursue plans to develop fossil fuels, and continue driving the climate crisis back at home," she added. While the United States won't take the rostrum, California will be represented by Governor Gavin Newsom. From Britain, London Mayor Sadiq Khan will also attend. Growing anger The event is the biggest climate summit in New York since 2019, when Greta Thunberg stunned the world with her "How Dare You" speech before the UN. Anger is building among climate activists, particularly younger people, who turned out in thousands last weekend for the "March to End Fossil Fuels" in New York. Observers are eager however to see what Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and European Union President Ursula von der Leyen say both on their own goals and on financing commitments for the developing world. The failure of advanced economies, responsible for the majority of historic emissions, to honor their promises to the worst affected lower-income nations has long been a sore point in climate talks. There are some bright spots, including the announcement that Colombia and Panama are joining a grouping called the Powering Past Coal Alliance -- particularly notable as Colombia is the world's sixth biggest coal exporter. Wednesday's summit comes weeks ahead of the COP28 climate talks in the United Arab Emirates, where goals include tripling renewable energy by 2030, and ending by 2050 the generation of fossil fuel energy that isn't "abated" by carbon capture technology. The post UN chief convenes ‘no nonsense’ climate summit, without China or US appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
PEZA secures P10.8B investments from Japan, signs MOU for automation of ICT systems
In conjunction with the visit of the members of the President’s Cabinet to improve economic ties with Japan, PEZA pursued a five-day outbound mission to Tokyo resulting in P10.8 billion in solid investment expansion commitments from PEZA-registered Japanese enterprises. Held from 28 August to 2 September 2023, PEZA participated in an investment forum organized by junca Global Holdings and a series of business-to-business meetings that capitalized on investment leads sought by PEZA, and those from Sumitomo Corporation and the First Philippines Industrial Park, Inc., one of PEZA’s leading developer-operators. PEZA also explored new strategic areas of collaboration with Kiraboshi Bank, one of the leading regional banks in Tokyo, and with the Organization for Small & Medium Enterprises and Regional Innovation JAPAN, a government agency under the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry in charge of supporting the needs of Japanese SMEs. Further, PEZA entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with NEOJAPAN that will allow PEZA to use NEOJAPAN’s desknet’s NEO and Appsuite, free of charge to PEZA until the end of 2023. In an investment promotion forum organized by junca Global Holdings on 29 August, Director General Tereso O. Panga highlighted Japan’s contribution to the Philippine economy, stating “Our top country investor, Japan, has a total of P766.550 billion investments from 1995 to June 2023 making up for the 27.37 percent of PEZA’s overall investments by country. This investment comes from 877 Japanese locators with 339,751 direct employments as of May 2023 and exports of $ 6.370 billion from January to May this year.” The said forum was attended by representatives from various industries, specifically from renewable energy/alternative fuel to water recycling, real estate, financial services, food processing, cosmetics manufacturing and distribution including research and development on sprayed stem cell therapy, and human resource training and management. Panga also reported that “2023 is proving to mark the significant rise of the semiconductor industry with several industry leaders proceeding with their expansion plans to address the projected demand in their products due to the rise of the electronic vehicle industry and steady technological advancements in the downsizing of gadgets and their parts.” “PEZA will make sure that the country will be poised to receive these investments as we have a small window to get the manufacturing of new high-tech products into the Philippines given the competitiveness of the industry,” he added. The mission allowed PEZA to secure P10.8 billion in investment commitments from Japanese companies, namely the Terumo Corporation (P1 billion), Taiyo Yuden (P1.6 billion), TDK Corporation (P7.2 billion) and Almex Technologies (P1 billion). Panga’s statement is further solidified by the P111.207 billion in investments already approved by the PEZA Board for the first nine months of 2023, and expansion announcements by some of PEZA’s biggest locators such as Knowles (Philippines) Electronics Corporation, Terumo, Wipro Philippines, Inc., and Isla Import Terminals, Inc. According to Panga, “Taiyo Yuden CO., LTD. has an investment plan to operate their business in Taiyo Yuden (Philippines), Inc. We are proud to have locators such as Taiyo Yuden grow inside PEZA’s ecosystem since 1989. The ongoing investment plan covers the calendar year 2023-2024, with the total investment amounting to P1.6 billion. This signifies a continued era of trust and confidence in the country’s investment facilitation climate.” The Metal Power Inductor is Taiyo Yuden’s newly patented product with cutting-edge technology. The Philippine facility is the first manufacturing site aside from the facilities in Japan. The new product is the world’s first multilayer-type metal power inductor with the latest multilayer technology and its unique metal material characteristics. On the other hand, the TDK Corporation, an electronics manufacturing company that uses leading magnetic technology will have its first expansion from 2023 to 2026 while its second expansion will begin in 2024. TDK’s new product is a bio-magnetic sensor for monitoring heartbeats. Promising investment leads are also in the pipeline such as the partnership with Kiraboshi Bank, LTD., As one of the largest regional banks in Tokyo, Japan, Kiraboshi Bank caters to a large network of enterprise clients including PEZA registration-eligible business enterprises. Meanwhile, talks with the SME Support JAPAN led to the possible inclusion of the Philippines in the conduct of CEO Business Meetings that will allow direct linkage between Japanese SMEs and PEZA RBEs. PEZA also considers the partnership as a promising prospect since the Philippines is in a position to address the human resource needs of Japanese SMEs that are looking to expand operations. According to SME Support Senior Director General Soma Hirohisa they are “looking forward to the possible partnership with PEZA to produce more success stories for Japanese SMEs, similar to those who setup manufacturing facility in the ecozones to export these products to Japan and other global markets.” On the other hand, Kaneko Cord Co., LTD. is a company engaged in various industries such as the production of electrical wires, cables, and the manufacture of medical tubes and caviar productions is interested in transferring its Japan-based operations to the Philippines. Kaneko representatives later lauded the productive meeting with PEZA, stating that the meeting “surely expedited the beginning of [their] business in the Philippines.” Meltec Corporation also have plans to expand their operations in the Philippines due to the country’s strategic location to its clients and the presence Filipinos workers with high-quality skills and positive attitude. On 1 September 2023, PEZA entered into an MOU with NEOJAPAN that will allow PEZA to use NEOJAPAN’s desknet’s NEO and Appsuite, free of charge to PEZA for a limited period. The use of these groupware solutions will allow PEZA to digitize, automate, and centralize most of its internal documents and processes under a secure IT environment. With this partnership, PEZA will be taking the lead in government administration, being one of the first Philippine government agencies to use the product as a standard operating office system. In Japan, desknet’s NEO is used by 40 percent of all Japanese LGUs, ministries such as the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communication, universities such as The University of Tokyo, and large enterprises such as Toyota, Mitsubishi Motors, Mizuho, Pilot and Fujifilm. Represented by Panga and Corporate Center Senior Director Tsuneko Aoki, PEZA and NEOJAPAN inked the engagement geared toward exploring areas of collaboration and cooperation in developing, improving and automating the administrative processes of PEZA through the adoption of appropriate ICT systems. In Japan, desknet’s NEO is used by 40 percent of all Japanese LGUs, ministries such as the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communication, universities such as The University of Tokyo, and large enterprises such as Toyota, Mitsubishi Motors, Mizuho, Pilot and Fujifilm. The MOU is also in compliance with Republic Act No. 10173 or the Data Privacy Act of 2012 and Confidentiality of Information. This is part of PEZA’s initiatives towards contributing to the goal of the Department of Trade and Industry of promoting digital transformation in the Philippines that is science, technology, and innovation-driven. The post PEZA secures P10.8B investments from Japan, signs MOU for automation of ICT systems appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Economic team supports rice price cap as sound ‘stop-gap’ measure
Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno and Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman reiterated on Monday their support for President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s order to impose a rice price cap. In a statement, Diokno underscored the importance of immediately implementing a comprehensive set of measures aimed at securing long-term stability within the rice market. "Executive Order No. 39 was issued by the President as the chief executive and the concurrent secretary of the Department of Agriculture. EO 39 serves as a lifeline, extending much-needed relief to Filipinos grappling with the high rice prices,” he said. Under EO No. 39, the mandated price of regular milled rice is P41 per kilogram while well-milled rice is at P45 per kilogram. The Finance Secretary said the economic team views EO 39 as an essential stop-gap measure that needs to be supplemented with additional measures to achieve long-term rice price stability in the country. “We agree with the President that implementing a price cap on rice is the most prudent course of action at the moment to achieve two critical objectives: stabilizing rice prices and extending immediate support to our fellow countrymen," he added. The Finance chief said the President has directed the economic team to implement measures that will mitigate the negative impact of the price controls on rice retailers and farmers. In a separate statement, Pangandaman said the EO will “effectively serve” as an “active stop gap” to address the market’s current circumstances. Pangandaman added that current measures warrant a special mitigating measure. “In an ideal scenario, we can let the market dictate prices. However, as NEDA noted, we are now faced with extraordinary factors that we have to consider," Pangandaman explained. “I join the Chairman and Co-Chairman of the Economic Development Group of the Cabinet in supporting this measure because it is necessary at this time to help those most affected by the otherwise uncontrollable sharp increase in the price of rice,” Pangandaman added. Diokno said in a briefing last Friday that Marcos did not consult the economic team before imposing the order. The economic managers were in the 14th Philippines-Japan High-Level Joint Committee Meeting on Infrastructure Development and Economic Cooperation in Tokyo during the last week of August when Marcos made the announcement, he said. "We were in Japan when that was announced. I was sitting with (NEDA Secretary) Arsi (Balisacan) and we were talking to Japanese investors. Of course, we were shocked." Diokno, the head of the Marcos administration's economic team, said the price cap shouldn't be imposed for too long because it is not sustainable. Price controls "don't really work" under ideal market conditions, and "it has adverse effects if allowed to linger for a longer period," he added. The post Economic team supports rice price cap as sound ‘stop-gap’ measure appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
ICC evidence not admissible
Detractors of the government who will be tapped by the International Criminal Court, or ICC, will be supplying information that is not formally offered as evidence and thus is not admissible in court, according to Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Juan Ponce Enrile. Enrile was referring to a rule of court that requires a party to make a formal offer of evidence by stating its substance or nature and the purpose or purposes for which the evidence is offered. Without a formal offer of evidence, and hence without disclosure of its purpose, it cannot be determined whether it is admissible or not. President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on Friday directed the government to cease discussions with the ICC. “As far as the Philippines is concerned, we are done with the ICC,” Marcos said. The ICC should examine the sources of the evidence that is being supplied to it. “That’s what I am wondering about, why does the ICC have strong links with the enemies of the state who are engaged in murdering their members primarily through purges?” Enrile asked. “Why does the ICC insist on investigating the country which is a democracy? The Philippines has a Constitution which says that the government should enforce the law,” he averred. “The leftists, who do they consider are the enemies? They are not conducting an armed struggle against Rodrigo Duterte or against Ferdinand Marcos Jr. but their battle is directed at the Constitution,” the former Senate president said. “As an institution of democratic organizations like the UN, why is the ICC timid about investigating atrocities of the New People’s Army?” he added. Pure gov’t function “The campaign against drugs involves law enforcement. Don’t we have a law against the use of drugs and the crimes that happened were all here in the country so what will our President do, will he not implement the law?” Enrile said. “It boils down to law enforcement versus the International Criminal Court or ICC,” the veteran public servant pointed out. “The campaign against drugs is an internal affair. The ICC does not know the level of criminality in the country,” he indicated. “The ICC is not a government, why should we surrender to them our obligation?” “My stand has been against filing any pleadings or actions with the ICC. Let the tribunal make its move. We do not recognize their jurisdiction over us,” Enrile said. “There are those in the Cabinet who wanted to be strictly legal in dealing with the ICC so since that’s what they wanted we let them engage the tribunal.” “So what happened was that we bungled it, the appeal was thrown out,” he noted. “Since we have already withdrawn from the Rome Statute, we should not participate in their proceedings,” Enrile emphasized. “If the Commission on Human Rights will continue engaging the ICC, they must remember that they are still part of the government and they are being supported by tax money raised from the public and they are not being supported by the ICC or the United Nations,” he said. Probers not allowed The Department of Justice, or DoJ, meanwhile, plans to prevent the entry of ICC investigators into the country. Justice Undersecretary Raul Vasquez said that since the Philippines has withdrawn from the treaty that created the ICC, “all options are with the Executive department.” Vasquez said that among the options is for the government to prohibit ICC investigators from entering the country. However, he said, “They can be accepted, they can be allowed subject to limitations.” The DoJ official said the decision on how to address the ICC visits will be up to the President, being the country’s chief policymaker. “For now his decision is to disengage from the ICC. That means we won’t coordinate, we won’t allow them to come here as ICC,” Vasquez said. The post ICC evidence not admissible appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Boying back to work Monday after bypass
Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin “Boying” Remulla yesterday affirmed his intention to remain in office despite the seriousness of his recent coronary artery or heart bypass surgery. Remulla confirmed the operation was the reason he took a 10-day wellness leave from the Department of Justice. He said he had spoken with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who expressed delight at his successful surgery and wished him a full and speedy recovery. A congressman representing Cavite before joining the Cabinet, Remulla said he plans to resume work on Monday, but admitted he might not be physically present at the DoJ every day. He said he would be undergoing therapy while following a post-operation regimen. Earlier, the DoJ had cited “personal reasons” for Remulla’s leave, as it assured that it remained committed to “upholding the rule of law and ensuring that justice is served.” Remulla would, however, be returning to a DoJ grappling with revelations that the National Bureau of Investigation, an agency under the department, had allowed a co-accused of former senator Leila de Lima in a Muntinlupa drug case to walk in and out of detention. In a Senate hearing Wednesday, Jose Adrian “Jad” Tamson Dera admitted he had been leaving his detention cell at the NBI while on trial along with De Lima. He along with an NBI security detail had reportedly gone to restaurants as far away as Tagaytay. The Muntinlupa court hearing the De Lima case has ordered Dera’s transfer to the Muntinlupa City jail. In another incident, a video of a supposed “command conference” at the NBI that reportedly featured a near-naked woman dancing to provide entertainment has been making the rounds of the Internet. Aside from the De Lima case, the DoJ is in the thick of preparations to prosecute the suspects and the alleged mastermind, Negros Oriental Representative Arnolfo Teves Jr., in the assassination of Negros Oriental Governor Roel Degamo. The post Boying back to work Monday after bypass appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Jerusalem tensions run high ahead of far-right Israeli rally
Jerusalem police and residents were bracing for extremist ministers and their supporters to rally on Thursday in an annual flag-waving march commemorating Israel's capture of the Old City. Palestinians in Jerusalem, who tend to close their shops and are banned from the social hub of Damascus Gate to make way for the marchers, view the parade as provocative. In the late morning, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the Jerusalem celebrations were being held "3,000 years after being established by King David, 75 after it was re-established as the capital of the reborn state of Israel, and 56 years after being reunited". Two of his extreme-right cabinet members, Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, are expected to attend Thursday's rally, one of the events marking what Israelis refer to as Jerusalem Day. Following the Six-Day War of 1967, Israel annexed east Jerusalem and its Old City in a move never recognized by the international community. Thursday's rally takes place days into a ceasefire that ended deadly cross-border fighting with Islamic Jihad militants in Gaza. Thirty-three people including multiple civilians were killed in the blockaded Palestinian enclave and two in Israel, a citizen, and a Gazan laborer. Militant group Hamas which rules the coastal territory said ahead of the march it "condemns the campaign of the Zionist occupation (Israel) against our Palestinian people in occupied Jerusalem". Two years ago, after weeks of violence in Jerusalem in which scores of Palestinians were wounded, a war between Hamas and Israel erupted during the march. 'Acquiescence' to extremists Some 2,500 police officers were securing the march, which begins in the western part of the city at 4:00 p.m. (1300 GMT), proceeds through the Old City, and ends at the Western Wall plaza. On Thursday morning, an AFP journalist saw tourist groups walking through the historic gateway, while Palestinians sold bread from a stall and opened their shops before the afternoon shutdown. Later in the day, the vast majority of shops in the Old City were closed, with Palestinian resident, Abu al-Abed, 72, saying he wanted "to go home". The marchers "are harmful, they're walking and start to hit the doors of the shops and the doors of our houses," he told AFP. Scuffles between Jewish and Palestinian youths were taking place as early marchers arrived in the Old City, with police saying that in some cases forces "were required to act to prevent friction and provocations". Prior to the march, dozens of Jews -- including at least three lawmakers from Netanyahu's right-wing Likud party and a minister from Ben-Gvir's Jewish Power faction -- visited Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa mosque compound, Islam's third holiest site. Jews, who call it the Temple Mount and revere it as their religion's holiest site, are allowed to visit but not pray. One of them, Tom Nissani, was sitting at Jaffa Gate with an Israeli flag, awaiting the march. "It's our capital city, we have to show it, to enjoy it, to fight for it", the 34-year-old West Bank settler who works for an organization promoting Jewish presence on the Temple Mount told AFP. "Israel is not stable enough to be naive about the capital or the whole country, we still have to fight... many forces that are trying to prevent us from making roots in the land of Israel," he said. Transport Minister Miri Regev, from Netanyahu's Likud, was among Israelis waving flags at Damascus Gate hours before the official rally. A spokesman for Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas warned Israel "against insisting on organizing the provocative flag march". Pushing ahead with the parade "confirms the acquiescence of the Israeli government to Jewish extremists", spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeineh said Wednesday. Since last year's rally, Israel's leadership has taken a marked shift to the far-right. Ben-Gvir, the country's national security minister who is expected to attend, was convicted in 2007 of supporting a terrorist group and inciting racism. Far-right ally Smotrich holds the finance portfolio along with some powers in the occupied West Bank and also has a history of inflammatory remarks about Palestinians. The post Jerusalem tensions run high ahead of far-right Israeli rally appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
FIRB approves perks for P412 billion projects
The Cabinet-level Fiscal Incentives Review Board has approved 16 projects worth P412 billion since its creation last year following the enactment of the Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises Law......»»
IATF approves 100% capacity staycation; swab tests waived
With the significant decrease in the number of coronavirus cases in Metro Manila, duly accredited hotels are now allowed to resume operations up to 100 percent capacity for “staycation” without the need for guests to get swab tests......»»
Manila mayor approves face-to-face classes in 4 medical schools
Manila City Mayor Isko Moreno on Wednesday allowed four medical schools to resume limited in-person classes and clerkships for health-related programs......»»
Duterte approves creation of intel group vs. agri smugglers, profiteers
President Rodrigo Duterte has approved the creation of an “economic intelligence” group to go after smugglers, profiteers, and hoarders of agricultural products, the Palace announced Thursday, after the prices of pork recently skyrocketed to P450 due to supposed low supply. Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles said the President approved during the Cabinet meeting the creation of […] The post Duterte approves creation of intel group vs. agri smugglers, profiteers appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Maximum care
The President and his Cabinet have given the go-ahead to the proposal for a limited dry run on January 11-23 of the Department of Education proposal for face-to-face classes, with only chosen schools in coronavirus low-risk areas allowed to participate. The list of participating schools will be known December 28......»»
IATF approves antigen screening protocol for domestic travel
The government has approved the Antigen Screening Protocol for Domestic Air Travel for tourism, a few days after President Duterte allowed the resumption of local tourism activities to boost the economy battered by the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic......»»