DENR to coordinate with BOC, DOJ on charges vs companies behind waste shipment from US
The manifesto declared the cargo was “American old corrugated cartons for repulping” but an examination of the initial five containers revealed “prohibited materials which were illegally imported,” the DENR said in a release. .....»»
Scarce vessels face vacationers this long weekend — PPA
The Philippine Ports Authority on Thursday advised vacationers for this upcoming long holiday not only to travel light but to bring tons of patience, as they will likely endure long queues in ports because the number of vessels servicing passengers remains scarce. “That is the concern that we always raise, that the reason why we are having passenger congestion is because we lack vessels. In fact, in my understanding, MARINA (Marina Industry Authority Authority) has already relaxed the scheduling of vessels at Matnog Port. I hope they can also do it here in Batangas Port, which is the second largest port in the country, as well as on the other side, the Calapan Port,” said Santiago during an inspection of Batangas Port on Thursday. He said that by relaxing the scheduling of vessels, turnaround time will be faster and vessels will no longer have to go through berth waiting time. Earlier, PPA general manager Jay Daniel Santiago said they expect 1.4 million passengers to flock to various ports in the country in the lead-up to the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections this 30 October. Travellers are also heading to the provinces for the observance of All Saints and All Souls Day on 1 and 2 November. Santiago reminded passengers not to pay additional charges such as travel insurance, which scrupulous individuals are soliciting outside ports. “Travel insurances for passengers are covered by the common carrier insurance that is being paid by shipping companies. Do not be fooled by these individuals,” he said. Starting Friday, 27 October up to the weekend, some 17,000 to 20,000 passengers are expected to head to Batangas Port, he added. Meanwhile, MARINA on Thursday said it has already advised shipping companies to make sure their online ticketing systems are up and running to ensure the smooth processing of passengers. Eased shipping schedules In a separate statement, MARINA said that in anticipation of the forthcoming "Synchronized Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Election and Undas 2023," the MARINA Regional Office 4 has issued a directive to relax the authorized schedule of trips for shipping operators within its jurisdiction, in anticipation of the expected surge in passengers and cargo in the coming days. The directive aims to ensure the safe, reliable and convenient transportation of passengers and rolling cargo while accommodating the heightened demand. The relaxation of schedules is guided by the conditions outlined in MARINA Advisory No. 2015-10, which provides "Guidelines during Emergency, Holiday Season, and Special Occasion." Key provisions of the said directive include immediate departure when passenger and cargo capacities are met, prompt return to congested ports, increased sailing frequencies and a strict "First Come, First Served" policy for passengers and cargo. MARINA said that in cases where the measures taken to address congestion and meet demand prove insufficient, other shipping companies or operators may be authorized to deploy their vessels to ensure the swift recovery of affected areas from emergency situations, congestion or similar circumstances. “Changes or adjustments in ship schedules will be allowed with written confirmation from MARINA and are subject to modification, cancellation, or revocation for valid reasons. A copy of this order will be provided to concerned shipping lines and government agencies, with a particular focus on the PCG, its stations, PPA, and local government units,” the statement read. The directive is effective from 27 October 2023 to 6 November 2023, or until shipping operations on the affected routes return to normal, whichever occurs earlier. The post Scarce vessels face vacationers this long weekend — PPA appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
PCSO ask lawmakers to toughen laws vs illegal lottery firms
The Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office General Manager Mel Robles, called out lawmakers on Monday to toughen the law against Illegal lottery firms. Robles personally led the filing of charges at Mandaluyong Prosecutors Office against individuals behind the four firms engaged in unauthorized online lottery operations. “I am calling out the attention of the lawmakers to toughen the law. Maybe others see that they can handle the penalty but we’ll see. Even if it’s light, we will still pursue the cases against them,” Robles said. Robles added that PCSO is losing billions of pesos in revenue because of illegal operations perpetrated by the suspects. “We are serious about this. We will prosecute and imprison everyone associated with this illegal operation to stop them,” he said. The PCSO stated that PayMaya reportedly remitted billions to a company operating an illegal online lottery. “A payment platform, like PayMaya, reported that they were able to remit about P4.7 billion to a company that was operating the Illegal lotto. It is also included in the complaint affidavit,” he said. The criminal complaints were filed against four companies, Eplayment Corporation, Paymero Technologies Limited, GlobalComRCI International, and Blockchain Smart-Tech Co. I.T. Consultancy. The complaints were prompted by an investigation conducted by the National Bureau of Investigation, which revealed that the mentioned companies were responsible for the ownership, operation, and administration of Pakilotto and Surelotto. The companies reportedly misused the PCSO’s name, logo, and various lottery games, soliciting and accepting bets from the public through their unauthorized mobile application and websites. Robles said that based on their investigation, they have found out that the alleged suspects for Illegal online lottery are operating in the cities of Quezon and Cebu. “We found out one in NCR, in Quezon City, the other is in Cebu,” he said. PCSO reported that Eplayment, which operated under the now-defunct website ‘Pakilotto’, was soliciting and accepting bets from the public at an inflated price of P30 per ticket, a 50% markup compared to the standard P20 lotto ticket. Meanwhile, Surelotto, a similar mobile app, sold tickets online for P25, a 25% increase from the regular lotto price. Prizes of smaller denominations are allegedly directly deposited into the winner’s registered bank account, while jackpot prizes require winners to visit the Surelotto office in person. The complaint-affidavit states that the owners, directors, and/or officers of Paymero, Eplayment, GlobalComRMCI, and Blockchain, as owners, operators, and/or administrators of Pakilotto and Sukilotto, have committed Usurpation of Authority under Article 177 of the Revised Penal Code, a violation of R.A. No. 1169, as amended, and a violation of Presidential Decree No. 1602, as amended by Republic Act No. 9287, in connection with Executive Order No. 13, Series of 2017. Robles emphasized that PCSO remains fully committed to preserving the integrity and legitimacy of its lottery games, ensuring fair treatment and protection for the public. The post PCSO ask lawmakers to toughen laws vs illegal lottery firms appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
DoJ probing subcontracting ‘swindle’
The Department of Justice will look at the circumstances regarding the filing of multiple counts of swindling against corporate officials of a global telecommunications equipment firm. The DoJ will review the 29-page complaint recently lodged before the National Prosecution Office against eight Manila-based Ericsson Telecommunications Inc. officials. The officials are facing estafa charges for allegedly refusing to pay local subcontractors some P54 million covering 32 completed projects in Luzon alone. The “swindled” Filipino subcontractors completed various technical works involving system integration, structured cabling, civil works, and electrical services for a long list of projects in malls, hospitals, business centers, and schools from 2020 to 2023. The DoJ expressed determination to resolve what appears to be a common practice by foreign investors who take advantage of Filipino subcontractors. The department reminded foreign entities to comply with Republic Act 5455, which requires companies owned in whole or in part by foreigners to contribute to the sound and balanced development of the national company on a self-sustaining basis. The DoJ also warned that abusive foreign investors would be held civilly and criminally accountable. Respondents in the criminal case were foreign corporate bosses Martin Wiktorin, Jesmin Ehsan, Johan Kvist and Wee Tiong Ng. Estafa charges were also filed against Emerson Clemena, Jose Michael Hernal, Charis Heidi Ibarra and Roderick Reodica — all holding office at Ericsson’s Bonifacio Global City office in Taguig City. The government does not condone foreign business companies taking advantage of Filipino subcontractors. The post DoJ probing subcontracting ‘swindle’ appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Trump told Australian businessman US nuclear subs secrets — report
Former president Donald Trump shared classified information about US nuclear submarines with an Australian businessman shortly after he left office, in a meeting at his Florida private members club Mar-a-Lago, US media said Thursday. The New York Times, citing unnamed sources, identified the businessman as billionaire Anthony Pratt, who heads one of the world's largest packaging companies. ABC News, which first revealed the story, said Pratt later shared sensitive details about the US submarines with "scores of others, including more than a dozen foreign officials, several of his own employees, and a handful of journalists." Sources told the Times that Trump's disclosures "potentially endangered the US nuclear fleet." Federal prosecutors already investigating Trump for holding classified material at Mar-a-Lago after he left office, interviewed Pratt twice about the incident, the reports said. Pratt may now be called by prosecutors to testify against Trump in his classified documents trial, which is due to start next May in Florida. Pratt met Trump at his Palm Beach club in April 2021, and told the ex-president he thought Australia should start buying its submarines from the US, ABC reported. In response, Trump allegedly told the businessman the exact number of nuclear warheads US submarines routinely carry, and precisely how close they can get to Russian submarines without being detected, the news outlet said. Aside from the classified documents case, Trump faces three other indictments: one federal and one in Georgia over his efforts to overturn his election loss and stay in power, and one in New York stemming from election-eve hush money payments in 2016 to a porn star. Trump is currently on trial in New York on charges of wildly and fraudulently inflating the value of his assets so as to get better terms from banks and insurance companies. The post Trump told Australian businessman US nuclear subs secrets — report appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
European companies sold spyware to despots: media
European companies sold powerful spyware to authoritarian regimes which have used it against dissenters, a group of investigative media said Thursday. According to the probe -- by European Investigative Collaborations (EIC) and spearheaded by the French site Mediapart and Germany's Der Spiegel weekly -- European companies "supplied dictators cyber-surveillance tools for more than a decade", EIC said in a statement. "During the last decade the Western world has encouraged and applauded the digital tools that empower democracy activism in countries under authoritarian regimes," it said. "But at the same time European companies have supplied such authoritarian regimes the digital back doors to turn any digital device into powerful spying tools against dissenters," it said. The Predator Files investigation, named after the software, said the sellers benefited from "the passive complicity of many European governments". The investigation focused on the Intellexa Alliance, a group of companies through which EIC said Predator software had been supplied to authoritarian states. Intellaxa is run by former Israeli intelligence officials mostly based in Europe, and was targeted by US sanctions in July. "Activists, journalists and academics have been targeted, as have European and US officials," it said. The findings of the investigation run by 15 media are based on hundreds of confidential documents obtained by Mediapart and Der Spiegel and analyzed with the help of the Security Lab of Amnesty International, a human rights organization. Amnesty called Intellexa "a complex, morphing group of interconnected companies" and Predator "its highly invasive spyware". "Intellexa alliance's products have been found in at least 25 countries across Europe, Asia, the Middle East and Africa and have been used to undermine human rights, press freedom, and social movements across the globe," Amnesty said. "Highly invasive surveillance products are being traded on a near industrial scale and are free to operate in the shadows without oversight or any genuine accountability," it added. Mediapart said that a French company, Nexa, had sold Predator to "at least three autocracies: Egypt, Vietnam and Madagascar". Mediapart said the spyware had also been sold to Qatar, Congo Brazzaville, the United Arab Emirates and Pakistan "under the complacent eyes of the French secret services". Criminal charges against Nexa and four of its managers, brought in 2021 over spyware sales, were downgraded a year later, making their trial unlikely, legal sources told AFP. EIC said its members would publish further details over the coming days. The recent revelations follow a 2021 scandal around Pegasus, a spyware sold by Israeli company NSO Group, with several media reporting that it had been used to illegally spy on more than 50,000 individuals. The post European companies sold spyware to despots: media appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Trial of disgraced crypto star Bankman-Fried begins
The trial of Sam Bankman-Fried, former CEO of one of cryptocurrency's biggest exchanges, began Tuesday with a jury set to determine if he committed massive fraud by stealing billions of dollars from clients. The 31-year-old -- once one of the most respected figures in crypto -- now faces decades in prison and could see his name stand alongside Bernie Madoff and Elizabeth Holmes as the era's most prominent fraudsters. The first day of the trial was devoted to jury selection for a case that is set to last about six weeks. Bankman-Fried faces seven counts including wire fraud, securities and commodities fraud, and money laundering. He risks more than 100 years behind bars if he is found guilty on all charges. Bankman-Fried entered the courtroom alone -- without being escorted by security guards -- uncuffed, and took his place alongside his lawyers, an AFP journalist observed. Dressed in a dark suit and striped tie, his usually long curly hair was cut short, reportedly by a fellow inmate at the Brooklyn jail where he is being detained. "You have the right to testify in your defense in this case. The decision is up to you," US District Judge Lewis Kaplan told Bankman Fried. In just a few years, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology graduate turned his FTX platform into the world's second-biggest crypto exchange, making him a tech world billionaire wunderkind. FTX became a global name through a marketing campaign that included celebrity partnerships with stars such as supermodel Gisele Bundchen and basketball legend Stephen Curry, and buying the naming rights for the home arena of the Miami Heat basketball club. Bankman-Fried also stepped in as a kind of savior of the industry when other crypto companies faced difficulties, with FTX swooping in to offer a financial lifeline. At the height of his career, Bankman-Fried was thought to be worth $26 billion as he attracted droves of small investors to invest in cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin or Ethereum. But his steep rise was matched by his ignominious downfall, which saw him escorted last year by police from his luxury apartment in the Bahamas and extradited to face charges in the United States. 'Gambling at own casino' His empire began to crumble last November when a news report pointed to unhealthy ties between the FTX platform and Alameda Research, Bankman-Fried's personally owned-trading company. The revelations kept growing and major investors pulled their money out of FTX, sinking it swiftly into bankruptcy. Once the dust had settled, some $8.7 billion in client funds was still unaccounted for and Bankman-Fried was accused of using FTX deposits to buy luxury real estate or donate more than $100 million to US politicians through Alameda. "He was gambling in his own casino and it created conflicts of interest," Michael Lewis, an author who followed Bankman-Fried closely during the period, told CBS. Everything "unravels because the depositors at FTX want their money back and it's not all there," the author of "Liar's Poker" and other titles added. The climax of the trial is expected to be when his former friends and colleagues take the stand, including Carlonie Ellison, his one-time romantic partner and Alameda executive, and Gary Wang, his closest associate. Ellison and Wang have also been indicted in the case and agreed to cooperate with US authorities, which may prove Bankman-Fried's undoing. After his spectacular arrest in the Bahamas, Bankman-Fried was initially held under house arrest but was ordered behind bars in August over alleged attempts at witness intimidation. According to prosecutors, while holed up at his parents' home in California, Bankman-Fried spoke regularly to journalists and passed documents to The New York Times in an effort to influence the testimony of Ellison. The post Trial of disgraced crypto star Bankman-Fried begins appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
PBBM urged to appoint full-time DA chief
President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. should appoint a “full-time and competent alter ego” to lead the Department of Agriculture, said Senator Francis Escudero on Monday. In a radio interview, Escudero lamented that the DA chief should address the challenges confronted by the agricultural sector with “urgency” including the administration’s campaign against rice smuggling and hoarding. “If that’s really important, it should have a full-time and dedicated secretary and not just a part-time one,” he lamented. While he understands the President’s desire to hold on to the position in a bid to “personally oversee” the sector, Escudero stressed that “there are too many national issues and concerns that Marcos has to attend to as head of state.” “The President’s intention was good. But the problem is, he has only one body, two hands and his 24 hours is for ours, too,” he added. Escudero further pressed the need to focus on resolving woes related to the agricultural sector, particularly rice smuggling and hoarding — which is mainly blamed for the high prices of rice in the markets. Also, Escudero reiterated his call to the government to expose the names of people, not just the trading companies, involved in rice smuggling and hoarding in the country. He said filing the appropriate charges must also be filed against them. The Bureau of Customs reported Saturday that it has seized P31.5 billion worth of smuggled goods, including agricultural products, from January to September this year. The majority of the items seized by the bureau were counterfeit items such as shoes, bags and clothes. The smuggled agricultural products were logged at P3.3 billion. Despite this huge amount of seizure accomplishments by the BoC, Escudero previously lamented that there were no charges filed against any individual involved in the smuggling. The post PBBM urged to appoint full-time DA chief appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Escudero urges Marcos to appoint full-time DA chief
President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. should appoint a “full-time and competent alter ego” to lead the Department of Agriculture, said Senator Francis Escudero on Monday. In a radio interview, Escudero lamented that the DA chief should address the challenges confronted by the agricultural sector with “urgency” including the administration's campaign against rice smuggling and hoarding. “Kung mahalaga talaga iyan, kailangang may full-time at dedicated na kalihim at hindi part-time lamang (If that's really important, it should have a full-time and dedicated secretary and not just a part-time one,” he lamented. While he understands the President's desire to hold on to the position in a bid to "personally oversee" the sector, Escudero stressed that “there are too many national issues and concerns that Marcos has to attend to as head of state.” “Maganda ang intensyon ng Pangulo. Ang problema ay iisa lang ang katawan niya, dadalawa lamang ang mga kamay niya at ang 24 oras niya ay 24 oras din nating lahat (The President’s intention was good. But the problem is, he has only one body, two hands and his 24 hours time is for ours too),” he added. Escudero further pressed the need to focus on resolving woes related to the agricultural sector, particularly rice smuggling and hoarding, which are mainly blamed for the high prices of rice in the markets. Also, Escudero reiterated his call for the government to expose the names of people, not just the trading companies, involved in rice smuggling and hoarding in the country. He said appropriate charges must also be filed against them. The Bureau of Customs reported Saturday that it has seized P31.5 billion worth of smuggled goods, including agricultural products, from January to September this year. The majority of the items seized by the bureau were counterfeit items such as shoes, bags and clothes. The smuggled agricultural products were logged at P3.3 billion. Escudero had previously lamented that no charges have been filed against any individual involved in the smuggling of goods into the country. The post Escudero urges Marcos to appoint full-time DA chief appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
8.3K permits for telecom towers granted
More than 8,300 permits and clearances to build cell towers of telecommunications companies have been approved by 668 local government units, or LGUs, across the country, the Department of the Interior and Local Government said Monday. DILG Secretary Benhur Abalos Jr. said that as of 15 September, 8,311 permits for telecom towers had been approved by cities and municipalities, while 2,404 permits were still being processed in 229 cities and municipalities. Abalos said the DILG is monitoring the processing of permits and will issue show-cause orders to LGUs that delay the process. He said this is in support of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s directive to improve and digitalize business processes, as he underscored DILG efforts to build smart cities and sustainable communities. Abalos said LGUs are streamlining their regulatory processes in line with Republic Act 11032, or the Ease of Doing Business Act. He cited his experience as a mayor of Mandaluyong City where complaints from the public were immediately acted on. He said Executive Order 32, signed by the President last July, streamlined permit processes for the construction of telecommunications and Internet infrastructure. The EO states that no other national or local permits or clearances shall be required for the construction and operation of telecommunications and internet infrastructure except those required by law. “There is usually a lot of red tape when building a telecoms tower. Because of this executive order, the requirements have been reduced and we expect interconnectivity to improve,” he said in Filipino. He added that efforts are being exerted to adopt digital or electronic facilities for business registration and renewal, and for the assessment and collection of local taxes, fees, and charges, as well as to shift to cashless payments pursuant to EO 170. “We have a joint initiative with the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas called Paleng-QR. When you buy vegetables and food at the market, you no longer need to bring cash. Several LGUs across the country are now into cashless transactions through this system,” he explained. The post 8.3K permits for telecom towers granted appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Ressa, Rappler acquitted of tax evasion
Nobel Laureate Maria Ressa and Rappler Holdings Corporation were acquitted by a Pasig court in a tax evasion case filed in connection with their supposed failure to declare tax in 2015. Atty. Francis Lim, counsel of Ressa, said his client and RHC were acquitted by the Pasig Regional Trial Court Branch 157 of violation of Section 255 of the National Internal Revenue Code (Tax Code) for the failure of the prosecution to prove their guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. All five tax evasion charges filed against the respondents have been junked by the Pasig RTC which was filed during the administration of former President Rodrigo Duterte. Ressa, 59 years old, shared the Nobel Peace Prize with Russian journalist Dmitry Muratov in 2021. She has been fighting multiple charges filed during the administration of former President Rodrigo Duterte. The journalist and Rappler had faced five government charges of tax evasion stemming from the 2015 sale of Philippine depositary receipts, which is a way for companies to raise money from foreign investors. In January, the Court of Tax Appeals First Division found Ressa and RHC not guilty on three counts of failure to supply the correct information and one count of tax evasion, amounting to P141 million worth of taxes, including surcharge and interest. The fifth charge was heard by a different court, which cleared her and Rappler of wrongdoing yesterday. However, Ressa and Rappler face an uncertain future as they battle another two court cases, despite the acquittals. Ressa and a former colleague Rey Santos Jr. are appealing a cyber libel conviction that carries a nearly seven-year jail sentence. The post Ressa, Rappler acquitted of tax evasion appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Philippine Nobel winner Maria Ressa acquitted of tax evasion — court
Philippine Nobel laureate Maria Ressa was acquitted Tuesday of her final tax evasion charge, in the latest legal victory for the veteran journalist as she battles to stay out of prison. Ressa smiled as the judge delivered the verdict in the years-long case, an AFP journalist inside the courtroom said. The 59-year-old, who shared the Nobel Peace Prize with Russian journalist Dmitry Muratov in 2021, has been fighting multiple charges filed during the administration of former president Rodrigo Duterte. Ressa, a vocal critic of Duterte and his deadly drug war, has long maintained that the cases against her and the news website Rappler, which she co-founded in 2012, were politically motivated. Ressa and Rappler had faced five government charges of tax evasion stemming from the 2015 sale of Philippine depositary receipts, which is a way for companies to raise money from foreign investors. A court acquitted them on four of the charges in January. The fifth charge was heard by a different court, which cleared her of wrongdoing on Tuesday. Despite the acquittals, Ressa and Rappler face an uncertain future as they battle another two court cases. The post Philippine Nobel winner Maria Ressa acquitted of tax evasion — court appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Court to deliver verdict on hacker behind biggest leak in football history
A Portuguese court was due on Monday to deliver its verdict on hacker Rui Pinto, whose flood of "Football Leaks" revelations exposed dirty dealings in international football. It was the biggest information leak in sports history and sparked criminal investigations in Belgium, Britain, France, Spain and Switzerland. The verdict, which has been postponed several times, was due to be delivered at a hearing in Lisbon starting at 2:30 pm (1330 GMT). Pinto, 34, is charged with 89 hacking offences, and with attempted extortion, a crime punishable in Portugal by between two and 10 years in prison. He argues he is a whistleblower, whose actions exposed underhand dealings involving top football stars, clubs and agents. Between 2015 and 2018, he shared 18.6 million documents on the internet and with a consortium of European newspapers, which published details. The revelations shook the football world. They included the salaries of Lionel Messi and Neymar, an accusation of rape against Cristiano Ronaldo, alleged financial sleight of hand at Manchester City and ethnic profiling at Paris Saint Germain. Defendant and witness Pinto is both a defendant and a protected witness in Portugal. When his trial began in September 2020, Pinto told the court he had been shocked by what he had discovered and was proud of bringing it to public knowledge. But he has admitted he used illegal means to obtain documents. His alleged victims include top Portuguese football club Sporting Lisbon, the Portuguese Football Federation, lawyers, magistrates and Doyen Sports -- a Malta-based investment fund run by Kazakh-Turkish oligarchs. Pinto was arrested in Hungary in 2019 and extradited to Portugal, where he spent a year behind bars before agreeing to cooperate with the Portuguese authorities on other cases, giving them access to encrypted documents he had obtained. The French authorities have also sought his cooperation over the "Luanda Leaks", a release of 715,000 documents providing compromising information on Angolan billionaire Isabel dos Santos, daughter of former president Jose Eduardo dos Santos. Dos Santos, once the richest woman in Africa, has faced several court cases on charges she syphoned billions of dollars from Angolan state companies during her father's four decades in office. The post Court to deliver verdict on hacker behind biggest leak in football history appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
The legal woes of Donald Trump
Former US president Donald Trump is facing four criminal indictments, all filed since March -- with the Republican frontrunner in the 2024 White House race possibly navigating a series of trials as he campaigns. On Thursday, he was formally arrested on 13 counts in the southern state of Georgia in connection with his alleged efforts to interfere with the results of the 2020 election, which he lost to Democrat Joe Biden. Trump has already been indicted in federal court in connection with election interference in multiple states, and over his handling of classified documents, making him the first former US president to face federal criminal charges. The twice-impeached Trump has also been charged in New York with making election-eve hush money payments to a porn star. Here are the key cases involving the 77-year-old one-term president -- and others that could materialize: Georgia election meddling Trump stands accused in Georgia of pressuring state officials to overturn Biden's election victory -- incidents that were also referred to in a federal indictment. Evidence includes a taped phone call in which he asked Georgia's then-secretary of state to "find" enough votes to reverse the result. Fulton County's top prosecutor Fani Willis has charged Trump with 13 felony counts including violating Georgia's Racketeer Influenced And Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act, as well as six conspiracy counts over alleged efforts to commit forgery, impersonate a public official and submit false statements and documents. Eighteen co-defendants also were indicted, including Trump's former personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani, for pressuring local legislators over the result after the election, and Trump's White House chief of staff, Mark Meadows. 2020 election interference Special Counsel Jack Smith had already slapped Trump with four federal charges related to efforts to overturn the 2020 election results. Trump is charged with conspiracy to defraud the United States, as well as conspiracy to obstruct and obstruction of an official proceeding -- the January 6, 2021, meeting of a joint session of Congress held to certify Biden's election victory. He is also charged with conspiracy to deny Americans the right to vote and to have one's vote counted. The indictment mentions six co-conspirators but none are identified -- Trump, currently the frontrunner for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, is the only named defendant. Trump supporters stormed the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, as Congress met to certify the presidential election results. Before what was ultimately a deadly attack, Trump delivered a fiery speech urging the crowd to "fight like hell." Classified documents Trump, in another indictment brought by Smith, is accused of endangering national security by holding onto top secret nuclear and defense documents after leaving the White House. Trump kept the files -- which included records from the Pentagon, CIA, and National Security Agency -- unsecured at his Mar-a-Lago home in Florida and thwarted official efforts to retrieve them, according to the indictment. Trump was initially charged with 31 counts of "willful retention of national defense information," each punishable by up to 10 years in prison. A count was added related to a classified document "concerning military activity in a foreign country." He also faces charges of conspiracy to obstruct justice, making false statements, and other offenses. The federal judge in the case has set a trial date of May 20, 2024, at the height of the presidential campaign. Stormy A New York grand jury indicted Trump in March over alleged hush money payments made to porn star Stormy Daniels. Prosecutors say the money was paid prior to the 2016 election to silence Daniels over claims she had a tryst with Trump in 2006 -- a year after he married Melania Trump. Late in the campaign, Trump's lawyer Michael Cohen arranged a payment of $130,000 to Daniels in exchange for her pledge of confidentiality, prosecutors said. That case, in which he faces 34 felony counts, is due to go to trial next March, in the middle of the Republican primary election season. Other probes Trump was found liable in a civil case for sexually abusing and defaming a former magazine columnist, E. Jean Carroll, in 1996, and ordered to pay her $5 million in damages. In New York, state Attorney General Letitia James has filed a civil suit against Trump and three of his children, accusing them of fraud by over-valuing assets to secure loans and then under-valuing them to minimize taxes. James is seeking $250 million in penalties as well as banning Trump and his children from serving as executives at companies in the city. Trump has denied all wrongdoing. The post The legal woes of Donald Trump appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried jailed after bail revoked
A US federal judge on Friday ordered FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried back to prison after prosecutors argued he had violated the conditions of his bail and tampered with witnesses, less than two months before his trial. Bankman-Fried, 31, has pleaded not guilty to charges of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering, as well as election finance violations, in connection with the spectacular collapse of his cryptocurrency firm. US District Judge Lewis Kaplan directed Bankman-Fried back into federal custody citing "probable cause... that the defendant has committed the federal crime of attempted witness tampering," the ruling said. Prosecutors argued that Bankman-Fried's activities as a source for The New York Times amounted to witness intimidation, citing an article containing private writings of Caroline Ellison, who formerly worked at Alameda Research. Ellison, who was romantically involved with Bankman-Fried, is a cooperating witness in the government's case. Bankman-Fried is due to go on trial in early October. FTX and its sister trading house Alameda Research went bankrupt in November, dissolving a virtual trading business that at one point had been valued by the market at $32 billion. Prosecutors allege Bankman-Fried -- who had been released on $250 million bail and confined to his parents' California home before Friday's ruling -- cheated investors and misused funds that belonged to FTX and Alameda Research clients. The former FTX chief had appeared on the covers of finance and tech magazines, with Fortune likening him to Warren Buffett, and drew in huge investments from prominent fund managers and venture capitalists. But it all imploded dramatically in when a media report said Alameda's balance sheet was heavily built on a token created by FTX with no independent value -- and exposed Bankman-Fried's companies as being dangerously interlinked. Bankman-Fried was arrested at his apartment in the Bahamas on 12 December at the request of federal prosecutors in New York. A Bahamas permanent resident, he spent nine days in prison, weighing his choices before deciding not to fight extradition to the United States. The post FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried jailed after bail revoked appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
DoJ seeks telcos’ help in SIM cases
Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla yesterday said they would ask telecommunication companies to help in the pilot cases filed against violators of Republic Act 11934, or the Subscriber Identity Module Registration Act. The DoJ chief said more than 100 Filipinos and foreign nationals were arrested last week and eventually charged following a raid on the so-called “scam hub” in Pasay City. Authorities held 600 workers during the raid, but only 91 Filipinos and 20 foreigners were subjected to inquest proceedings before the Pasay City Prosecutor’s Office for alleged cybercrimes. They are facing charges for violation of the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012, Revised Securities Regulation Code, and spoofing under the SIM Registration Act. Spoofing refers “to the act of transmitting misleading or inaccurate information about the source of the phone call or text message, with the intent to defraud, cause harm, or wrongfully obtain anything of value.” During the raid, lawmen seized 28,000 SIM cards, hundreds of phones and other devices allegedly being used for fraudulent activities. The post DoJ seeks telcos’ help in SIM cases appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
After 4Ps, gov’t offers power subsidy
Malacañang said on Sunday that the government will start a program to help eligible low-income households pay their energy bills in full. In a statement, the Presidential Communications Office said that qualified low-income households that cannot pay their electricity bills will be able to get a subsidy rate starting in September under the “Lifeline Rate” program. The PCO said that some families already benefiting from the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program or who live below the poverty line set by the Philippine Statistics Program may qualify for electricity aid. The rebate amount will depend on the rates set by power companies like Meralco or the Manila Electric Company, which holds the electricity distribution franchise in Metro Manila and some nearby areas. “In the Meralco franchise area, lifeline end-users with zero to 20 kilowatt-hours of monthly consumption will be granted a 100-percent discount on the generation charges, including system loss, transmission, and distribution components of their bill, except for the fixed metering charge of P5, which means more or less only P20 from their electric bills will be paid,” PCO said. “If they do not avail themselves of the Lifeline Rate through Meralco, they will have to shell out more or less P250,” it explained. The PCO said a qualified household, including those benefiting from the 4Ps, can only get a lifeline rate for one service from a distribution utility or electric cooperative. The 4Ps program, also known as Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program, is a conditional cash transfer program that provides cash grants to poor families, a program derided for allegedly encouraging mendicancy. Eligible families could apply until the launch date. To do so, they have to fill out a Lifeline Rate Application Form and bring it, along with their most recent electric bill and a legal government-issued ID with their name and address, to the DU or EC. At the time of their application, customers living below the poverty line must have received certification from the local Social Welfare and Development Office within the last six months. Customers who secured lifeline rates and used between 21 and 50 kWh will pay P300, against P550 without subsidy. Customers who use between 51 and 70 kWh will pay about P522.90 versus the full rate of P763.37. Those who use between 71 and 100 kWh will pay the subsidized P904.21 as against the normal rate of P1,099.10. The post After 4Ps, gov’t offers power subsidy appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Crackdown vs evaders nets 341 execs, firms
The Bureau of Internal Revenue charged 214 corporate officers and 127 companies for P6.1 billion in tax evasion before the prosecutors’ offices. The filing of the charges was led by BIR Commissioner Romeo Lumagui Jr. before the Department of Justice yesterday. Lumagui said those charged were involved in the manufacturing, retail, importations, and construction businesses. The names of the corporate officers and their companies were not immediately available. Missed tax payments Lumagui said the complaints were against companies that did not file tax returns that resulted in the accruing of total tax liabilities amounting to P6.1 billion. “Various companies face complaints and their corporate officers face the possibility of imprisonment. This is apart from the civil liabilities, the tax liabilities that they failed to pay. All of those charged underwent due process,” Lumagui indicated. He added the companies were given the opportunity to answer and present documents on how much taxes they should pay and BIR appealed to businesses to make sure to pay the right taxes and for them to avoid ghost receipts. Lumagui said that firms that ignore the BIR warning may face auditing and assessment that could lead to the filing of cases. “We will give you the opportunity to explain what are the taxes you are supposed to pay.” Yesterday’s filing of cases was the second done by the BIR under its Run After Tax Evaders program as the first batch of RATE cases was filed last February with 74 criminal cases involving P3.58 billion. The post Crackdown vs evaders nets 341 execs, firms appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
BIR files P6.1-B worth of tax evasion charges vs 214 corporate officers
The Bureau of Internal Revenue filed P6.1 billion tax evasion charges simultaneously before the prosecutors’ offices nationwide against 214 corporate officers and 127 companies. The filing of the charges was led by BIR Commissioner Romeo D. Lumagui Jr. before the Department of Justice (DOJ) yesterday. Lumagui said those corporate officers and firms charged are involved in manufacturing, retail, importations, and construction. The names of the corporate officers and their companies were not immediately available. Lumagui said they filed cases against 127 companies that did not file taxes, and have accrued total tax liabilities amounting to P6.1 billion. “Various companies face complaints and their corporate officers face the possibility of imprisonment. This is apart from the civil liabilities, the tax liabilities that they failed to pay. All of those charged underwent due process,” Lumaugi assured. He also said the companies were given the opportunity to answer and present documents on how much taxes they should pay, and BIR appealed to businesses to make sure to pay the right taxes and avoid ghost receipts. Lumagui said that if companies and corporations will ignore their call, the bureau may proceed to audit and assessment, which might immediately lead to the filing of cases. “We will give you the opportunity to explain what are the taxes you are supposed to pay.” Yesterday’s filing of cases was the second done by the BIR under its Run After Tax Evaders (RATE) program as the first batch of RATE cases was filed last February with 74 criminal cases involving P3.58 billion. The post BIR files P6.1-B worth of tax evasion charges vs 214 corporate officers appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Graft buster clears Cusi
Citing the presumption of regularity, the Office of the Ombudsman threw out the graft complaint of a New York-based billionaire against former Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi, other Department of Energy officials, Davao City-based executive Dennis Uy, and several others over the sale of 90 percent of the shares of the Malampaya natural gas consortium. On 18 October 2021, US-based geologist Balgamel Domingo and Filipino-American anti-Duterte leaders Rodel Rodis and Loida Nicolas-Lewis filed charges against Cusi, Uy, and the others involved in the sale of the Malampaya stake to the Udenna group of Uy. In a copy of the ruling obtained by the Daily Tribune, the Ombudsman said it could not delve into the complaint on the legality of the transaction since “the authority to make such a determination belongs to the court.” “Seemingly, this complaint is in actuality a collateral attack on the validity of the Share Sale and Purchase Agreement,” it said. The decision declared that “matters of such tenor are not determinable in a preliminary investigation before the Ombudsman’s Office.” “Without any judicial determination decreeing the illegality of the Share Sale and Purchase Agreement, this Office is left with nothing but to acknowledge its validity,” the ruling said. The Ombudsman cited a precedent in the case of Teresita Buenaventura vs Metrobank, in a ruling that stated: “The burden of showing that a contract is simulated rests on the party impugning the contract.” “This is because of the presumed validity of the contract that has been duly executed,” the Ombudsman ruling read. “Wherefore, the criminal charges for violation of Section 3(e) and of Republic Act 3019 against the respondents are dismissed for lack of probable cause.” The ruling was signed by members of a Special Panel of Investigators composed of Ronald Allan Ramos, Josephine Mae Rosapapan, Francisco Alan Molina and Bonifacio Mandrilla. Prime takes control The operation of the Malampaya project was recently assumed by the Razon group’s Prime Energy which bought a 45-percent stake from Malampaya Energy XP, or MEXP, of the Udenna group. MEXP had bought the shares of Shell Philippines Exploration B.V., or SPEX, in the consortium. The Department of Energy had branded the complaint a political move since the two Fil-Am lawyers in the suit were prominent in the “Oust Duterte” movement in the United States. The complaint alleged that Cusi and other energy officials had granted “unwarranted benefits and advantage” to Uy’s UC Malampaya in the buyout of Chevron’s share in the consortium. Udenna, through spokesperson Raymond Zorilla, said there is “no law requiring approval of the transfer of shares of companies that have an interest in Malampaya.” Zorilla said the transfer of Chevron and Shell shares underwent strict bidding processes and due diligence by both multinational oil and gas players. “The share sales were above board and legal and had to pass scrutiny by Philippine regulators, international lenders, and the said private multinationals involved,” Zorilla added. Cusi, in an interview with Daily Tribune, had said the DoE was not involved in choosing the buyer of the shares of Shell and Chevron in the Malampaya project. “The DoE did not get involved in the sale (of shares). We don’t know that they are selling. Our question was what their standards are for choosing Udenna. Why didn’t you choose the big companies, and why Udenna?” he said. Industry experts said the sale of shares was a private transaction that the accusers, who are US lawyers, should have been very familiar with. Cusi said the DoE, during his watch, went beyond its mandate by reviewing the technical, legal, and financial aspects of the transactions, the results of which were provided to the public. Political agenda The complaint, he said, had an underlying political agenda connected to his being the head of President Rodrigo Duterte’s Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan or PDP Laban. “It is not only political propaganda against me, but it also has a destabilization background… because I’m the president of the PDP.” The complaints, in turn, stemmed from the unending Senate inquiries on the Malampaya deals. The DoE said the Senate probes and the controversies that resulted from them had caused costly delays in the review process that would ultimately affect the country’s energy security. To refute a recent remark by Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, the DoE, in a statement said: “The inquiries of Senator Gatchalian are causing undue delay to the timeline of the consortium corporations, and this may eventually take its toll and put our energy security at risk.” The DoE’s approval of the sale of shares of stock of Chevron Malampaya LLC, one of the three corporations in the Malampaya Gas Field Project Consortium, had been dubbed by Gatchalian, chairman of the Senate Committee on Energy, as “lutong Macau.” It also backed the Udenna assessment that the deals were above-board. “When the sales were made, both Chevron Philippines, which owned Chevron Malampaya, and Shell Petroleum NV, owner of SPEX, followed rigorous global standards,” the DoE said. Nicolas-Lewis was part of a 25-person delegation from the US-Philippines Society, a private group comprising business executives and diplomats, who met with Duterte a week before his inauguration as president in 2016. Nicolas-Lewis was then accompanied by former Philippine Ambassador to the US Jose Cuisia, PLDT chair Manuel V. Pangilinan, retired American diplomats, and executives of Coca-Cola, SGV, JP Morgan, and other top corporations. Nicolas-Lewis is the sister of former National Anti-Poverty Commission chairperson Imelda Nicolas, who was one of the “Hyatt 10” Cabinet members who turned against then-President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in 2005. Imelda and most of the Hyatt 10 members ended up getting key posts in the administration of President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III. Imelda was made head of the Commission on Filipinos Overseas. Nicolas-Lewis plot bared In February 2018, former President Duterte bared intercepted conversations that indicated Nicolas-Lewis was behind efforts to push the International Criminal Court, or ICC, to probe his war on drugs. Duterte revealed a recorded conversation between Lewis and another political opponent whom he did not name. “I was listening to the tapes of their conversation. It was provided to me by another country, but the conversation was somewhere in the Philippines and New York,” Duterte said. He said that among the recordings was one in which Lewis allegedly told another person: “See you in the headquarters when the case is filed.” Duterte then said in a public address that he was aware of developments on the ICC case and that lawyer Jude Sabio, the main complainant in the case, was a paid hack of Magdalo Senator Antonio Trillanes IV and Rep. Gary Alejano, both failed putschists. Sabio withdrew his complaint before the ICC and revealed that the case was the handiwork of the dirty tricks factory of Trillanes. In 2016, Duterte pointed to Lewis as the financier of an alleged destabilization plot against his administration. Nicolas-Lewis invested heavily in the failed presidential campaigns of Liberal Party bets Mar Roxas in 2016 and Vice President Leni Robredo in 2022. The post Graft buster clears Cusi appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
‘Queen Bee’ tagged top smuggler
Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin “Boying” Remulla yesterday said officials of the Department of Agriculture and the Bureau of Customs have a lot of explaining to do concerning the rampant smuggling of onions and garlic into the country. “We demand an explanation from the BoC and the DA regarding these developments,” Remulla said, alluding to what he described as the apparent total control onion and garlic smugglers have over the commodities’ supply chain. In his second State of the Nation Address last Monday, Marcos vowed to stop hoarders and smugglers dead in their tracks, saying “their days are numbered.” Remulla said smugglers have been buying up the harvest of local farmers to influence supply and demand and, consequently, command higher prices for onions and garlic when they release them into the market. Smugglers, he added, have been hoarding the commodities and keeping them in cold storage to create artificial shortages. If true, the activities cited by Remulla would be a violation of Republic Act 10845, which classifies large-scale agricultural smuggling as economic sabotage punishable by life imprisonment. “Smugglers have essentially taken over the industry, orchestrating its operations using significant capital resources and even private storage facilities,” he said. He stressed that “it is inconceivable” that the BoC and the DA are not aware of the smugglers’ activities, including their having set up an intricate control and distribution system. “They (smugglers) possess substantial financial resources, enabling them to purchase entire harvests, and they maintain dominance over all imports. This has severely compromised the existing system,” Remulla said. From planting to harvesting to storage and distribution, smugglers have applied a stranglehold on the system to control the pricing of onions and garlic, Remulla said. He described the setup as highly sophisticated, with the smugglers demonstrating a mastery of the field. He said DA and BoC officials must also explain why agricultural products from other countries are flooding the Philippines. In May, the Philippine National Police reported that from 2019 to April 2023, onions were the third most smuggled commodity into the country, after counterfeit products and tobacco products. However, the P137.6-million worth of onions that Brig. Gen. Romeo Caramat Jr. said illegally entered the country during that period, was too paltry compared to the estimates cited in congressional investigations. Key players Remulla said there were over 20 key players in the onion and garlic cartel in the country, including a certain “Queen Bee,” against whom the DoJ will file charges soon. “We have successfully identified the key players. The cases will be filed at the appropriate time. Currently, we are meticulously verifying the specifics of their modus operandi,” he said. As for the “Queen Bee,” Remulla said, “That’s what they call her, the Queen Bee. But we are also looking at other individuals. When it comes to the different regions, the main person in control holds around 55 to 60 percent of the operations.” The DoJ is set to also summon officials of the Bureau of Plant Industry, an agency under the DA, to present onion importation documents covering the past decade. Remulla said the President himself ordered the DoJ to form an Anti-Agricultural Smuggling Task Force which will have as members seasoned prosecutors. After nine hearings, the Agriculture and Food Committee of the House of Representatives concluded that a cartel has been conspiring with the Philippine Vegetable Importers, Exporters and Vendors Association or PhilVIEVA to raise onion prices. The trading, import, cold storage, and trucking companies allegedly involved in the smuggling were all linked to PhilVIEVA. According to a House subcommittee, a cartel is to blame for the price increases. Rep. Stella Quimbo said PhilVIEVA is a fully-equipped group that can control the supply of onions throughout the country, as farmers have to contend with the lack of space in cold storage facilities. During the House hearings, operators said the facilities were filled with onions. Quimbo said that if there was more than enough supply, onion prices should not have surged. Quimbo went on to accuse Lilia “Leah” Cruz, the organizer of PhilVIEVA, of being the leader of the onion cartel. “If at the first hearing Leah Cruz was the denial queen, by hearing number nine, to us she was the undisputed onion queen,” Quimbo said. “That’s why we are calling on the NBI, PCC, and the DA’s enforcement section, let’s all help each other, the ball is in your court, peel away the onion cartel,” she said. Cruz is also reportedly a major shareholder in Golden Shine International Freight Forwarders Corporation, a trucking company affiliated with PhilVIEVA. The post ‘Queen Bee’ tagged top smuggler appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»