Ex-DFA chief hits back at Palace man
Former Foreign Affairs secretary Albert del Rosario on Friday urged President Rodrigo Duterte to seek the support of other countries to pressure China into complying with the 2016 ruling of a UN tribunal that invalidated Beijing’s excessive claims in the South China Sea in favor of the Philippines......»»
HVI balik-hoyo sa P.3-M shabu
BACK to kulungan ang isang tulak ng ilegal na droga na itinuturing bilang high value individual (HVI) matapos makuhanan ng mahigit P.3 milyong halaga ng shabu sa isinagawang buy -bust operation ng pulisya sa Valenzuela City, kahapon ng madaling araw. Kinilala ni Valenzuela City police chief P/Col. Salvador Destura Jr. ang naarestong suspek na si ….....»»
More mayors back ‘no registration, no travel policy’
More mayors have signified support for the “no registration, no travel” policy of the Land Transportation Authority, which seeks to register all motor vehicles across the country, LTO chief Vigor Mendoza II said yesterday......»»
BI chief: International travel has bounced back
INTERNATIONAL travel and tourism has bounced back after the pandemic. Thus said Bureau of Immigration chief Norman Tansingco, as he cited that the agency has recorded 12.6 million arrivals from January to December 2023. The number is more than double the 6.1 million arrivals recorded in 2022, even as he projects the numbers to even […].....»»
Ex-DA chief, farmers’ groups back replacing Sebastian
Former Department of Agriculture secretary Leonardo Montemayor and other farmers’ groups yesterday backed the move of Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. to implement a major revamp at the agency, after he replaced Undersecretary Leocardio Sebastian as undersecretary for rice industry development, the flagship program of the agency......»»
Gealon back as traffic management chief
CEBU CITY, Philippines – Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama announced the reinstatement of Cebu City Councilor Rey Gealon as the head of the Traffic Management Committee (TMC). In his ‘Ingna’ng Mayor’ radio program on Sugboanon Channel, Rama mentioned that he persuaded him to stay in his position during a meeting on Wednesday, January 3. The.....»»
Amparo will bounce back, become champion one day, says PMI chief
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Boxing promoter and lawyer Floriezyl Echavez Podot gave nothing but praises to his ward, Jake “El Bambino” Amparo who came up short in his first world title eliminator bout against ex-world champion Pedro “Kid Pedro Heneral” Taduran. This happened in the main event of “Kumong Bol-Anon XIII” on December 28, 2023,.....»»
BI warns Pinoys vs trafficking amid conflict in Myanmar as four victims arrive in PH
THE Bureau of Immigration (BI) is calling on Filipinos to exercise extreme caution in the face of the ongoing conflict in Myanmar, as four individuals who fell victim to illegal recruitment sought repatriation back to the Philippines. BI chief Norman Tansingco said the victims, whose names are withheld for their protection, arrived in Manila from […].....»»
CEB, UFG vow OFWs support
Cebu Pacific on Saturday, 28 October 2023 announced that it has entered into a partnership with United Filipino Global, a non-government organisation that helps Filipino migrant workers, to collaborate on projects aimed at improving the welfare of overseas filipino workers. CEB and UFG on 27 October 2023 signed a memorandum of understanding indicating the provision of free flights for chosen OFW beneficiaries and support for OFW kids’ scholarships. In the event of natural disasters, emergencies, or life-threatening circumstances, the airline will also organise special flights to deliver humanitarian aid and transport to affected OFWs. In addition, CEB will organize informational campaigns to update OFWs on safe and responsible air travel procedures. Internship programs The airline will also provide financial assistance to OFW families so they may be able to send their kids to internship programs for to become future flight attendants and crew members. CEB chief marketing and customer experience officer Candice Iyog said that Cebu Pacific looks forward to this partnership with UFG with the objective of assisting OFWs. The partnership of CEB with UFG is a testament to the airline’s commitment to uplifting the lives of OFWs by connecting them to a wide international network and offering the quickest way back to the Philippines. UFG president Gemma Sotto said that with this collaboration, they are “praying” that their upcoming programs will be felt and received. CEB has already mounted several flights in recent years to provide free transport to distressed OFWs back to the Philippines. In 2021 alone, CEB repatriated over 11,000 Filipinos from Dubai and the Middle East affected by Covid-19 lockdowns through a series of Bayanihan flights. The airline currently flies to 35 domestic and 25 international destinations spanning across Asia, Australia and the Middle East. The post CEB, UFG vow OFWs support appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
National security chief to back TikTok ban if proven for cyber espionage use
National Security Adviser and concurrent National Security Council Director General Eduardo Año will not hesitate to recommend the banning of video-sharing app TikTok in the Philippines if proven that it is being used by China for cyber espionage......»»
Economists: 25-bps rate hike likely if inflation rises anew
Economists believe the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas might further raise its policy rate by 25 basis points to 6.75 percent next month if food supply issues and high global oil prices persist. Dan Roces, chief economist of Security Bank, said the BSP might make this decision at its meeting on 16 November to help temper inflation faster. “The higher policy interest rate is driven by mounting local inflation risks, attributed to supply chain disruptions and increasing global commodity prices, including the threat of crude price spikes brought about by tensions in the Middle East,” he told the Daily Tribune in a Viber message. Last Thursday, the central bank hiked its rate by 25 bps to 6.25 percent on an off-cycle period to arrest further inflation uptrend due to the aforementioned factors. Risks might linger Jun Neri, chief economist of Bank of the Philippine Islands, said these inflationary risks might linger until the government finds solutions to increase supply of rice, the main driver of re-accelerated inflation at 6.1 percent last month. While Neri said managing food supply is not the BSP’s responsibility, he agreed with the central bank that rate hikes can help slow inflation by restraining consumer spending. “The rate hike is a statement from the BSP that it is determined to bring inflation back to its target. Inflation expectations may shoot up further if the market doesn’t see any action from the BSP,” the economist said. Exacerbated by Israel-Hamas war “The risk of El Niño, as well as higher global crude oil prices recently among 11-month highs led to higher local fuel pump prices especially since July 2023. This could be exacerbated by the Israel-Hamas war that is still uncertain” Michael Ricafort, chief economist of Rizal Commercial Banking Corp., added. The post Economists: 25-bps rate hike likely if inflation rises anew appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Ombudsman ordersDA Asec dismissed
The Office of the Ombudsman has ordered the dismissal from the service of Department of Agriculture Assistant Secretary Kristine Evangelista in connection with a dubious deal with an onion supplier that led to a spike in the price of the commodity last year. The Ombudsman found Evangelista and John Gabriel Benedict Trinidad III, vice president for operations of Food Terminal Inc., guilty of conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service. They were dismissed for grave misconduct and negligence of duty, respectively. Moreover, the Ombudsman found probable cause to indict Evangelista, Trinidad, and several others for breach of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act (RA 3019) and for “falsification by private individuals and use of falsified documents (Article 172 of the Revised Penal Code).” The criminal and administrative charges against DA Senior Undersecretary Domingo Panganiban, chief accountant officer-in-charge Lolita Jamela, administrative officer V Eunice Biblanias, and budget division head Juanita Lualhati were dropped due to lack of probable cause and insufficiency of evidence. Likewise, the Ombudsman ordered the dismissal of both criminal and administrative charges against FTI president Robert Tan, who will stand as a witness for the prosecution. Back in August, the Ombudsman placed Evangelista, Trinidad, and several others, except for Panganiban and Tan, under preventive suspension in connection with the onion supply shortage in the country’s markets, price manipulation, and the dubious procurement of onions by FTI from Bonena Multi-Purpose Cooperative. Ombudsman records showed the DA entered into a memorandum of agreement with FTI for the Food Mobilization or Kadiwa Food Hub project. FTI, on the other hand, entered into a letter of agreement with Bonena for the delivery of 8,845 bags (approximately 28 kilograms/bag) of onions as part of the Kadiwa Food Hub. They were accused of violating RA 3019 and the Government Procurement Reform Act (RA 9184) due to the lack of parameters in the selection of a cooperative that would supply and deliver the onions; the questionable advance payment of 50 percent of the contract price; non-compliance of the MoA; partial implementation of the contract; and doubtful deliveries by Bonena.” The country experienced an agricultural shortage, primarily in onions, which soared to as high as P500 to P700 per kilo during the last quarter of 2022. The post Ombudsman ordersDA Asec dismissed appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Agri officials dismissed by Ombudsman for graft, misconduct
The Office of the Ombudsman has ordered the dismissal from service of Department of Agriculture assistant secretary Kristine Evangelista in relation to a dubious deal with an onion supplier that led to a spike in the commodity last year. The Ombudsman found Evangelista and John Gabriel Benedict Trinidad III, vice president for operations of Food Terminal Incorporated, guilty of conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service and dismissed for grave misconduct and negligence of duty, respectively. Moreover, the Ombudsman found probable cause to indict Evangelista, Trinidad and several others for breaching the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act (RA 3019), and for "falsification by private individuals and use of falsified documents (Article 172 of the Revised Penal Code)." The criminal and administrative charges against DA senior undersecretary Domingo Panganiban, chief accountant officer-in-charge Lolita Jamela, administrative officer V Eunice Biblanias and budget division head Juanita Lualhati, however, were dropped due to lack of probable cause and insufficiency of evidence. Likewise, the Ombudsman ordered the dismissal of both criminal and administrative charges against FTI president Robert Tan to stand as a witness of the prosecution. Back in August, the Ombudsman placed Evangelista, Trinidad and several others, except for Panganiban and Tan, under preventive suspension in connection with the onion supply shortage in the Philippine markets, price manipulation and the dubious procurement of onions by FTI from Bonena Multi-Purpose Cooperative. The Ombudsman’s records showed that the DA entered into a memorandum of agreement with FTI for the Food Mobilization or Kadiwa Food Hub project. FTI, on the other hand, entered into a letter of agreement with Bonena for the delivery of 8,845 bags (approximately 28 kilograms/bag) of onions as part of the said Kadiwa Food Hub. They were accused of violating RA 3019 and the Government Procurement Reform Act (RA 9184) due to the lack of parameters in the selection of a cooperative that will supply and deliver the onions; questionable advance payment of 50 percent of the contract price; non-compliance of the MoA; partial implementation of the contract; and doubtful deliveries by Bonena. During the last quarter of 2022, the country experienced an agricultural shortage, primarily in onions, the prices of which soared to as high as P500 to P700 per kilo. Citing the evidence, Ombudsman Samuel Martires said “it seems like the prices of onions were manipulated.” “It seems like there was no bidding. We obtained CCTV footage from FTI showing what looks like a single person bringing three envelopes to the senior vice president,” he said. The post Agri officials dismissed by Ombudsman for graft, misconduct appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Meta quarterly profit jumps but it sees volatility in ad market
Meta on Wednesday reported that its quarterly profit more than doubled from last year's figure as it looks ahead at a volatile ad market and lawsuits accusing it of profiting from "children's pain." "Meta earnings looked pretty good," said independent tech analyst Rob Enderle. "They have clearly cut back on the bleeding surrounding their metaverse efforts and the company appears to be on a more even keel right now." The tech giant said it made a profit of $11.6 billion as ad revenue climbed 23 percent to $34 billion when compared to the same period a year earlier. "We had a good quarter for our community and business," said Meta chief executive Mark Zuckerberg. The number of people using Facebook monthly rose slightly to 3.05 billion in a year-over-year comparison while monthly active users of Meta's "family" of apps was 3.96 billion a 7 percent increase from the same quarter in 2022, the company reported. Meta said it had trimmed costs, with layoffs and other belt-tightening measures started last year providing "greater efficiency." Meta had suffered a rough 2022 amid a souring economic climate and Apple's data privacy changes, which allowed users to block ad targeting, the pillar of Meta's business. Meta's vow of austerity on spending brought an unprecedented round of cost-cutting that saw the company lay off tens of thousands of workers since last November. Meta shares, which closed the formal trading day down, fell more than three percent further in after-hours trades to $289.50. Chief financial officer Susan Li said during an earnings call that Meta is seeing "volatility" in an ad market that started to soften when the conflict between Israel and Hamas began. "It's hard for us to attribute demand softness directly to any specific geopolitical event," Li said. "We have seen broader demand softness follow other regional conflicts in the past, such as in the Ukraine war, so this is something that we're continuing to monitor." Lawsuit peril Analyst Enderle maintained that Meta is at risk from lawsuits poised to damage its image and its wallet. Dozens of US states this week accused Meta of profiting "from children's pain," damaging their mental health and misleading people about the safety of its platforms. "In seeking to maximize its financial gains, Meta has repeatedly misled the public about the substantial dangers of its Social Media Platforms," argued a joint lawsuit filed in federal court in California. The states accused Meta of exploiting young users by creating a business model designed to maximize time they spend on the platform despite harm to their health. In total more than 40 states are suing Meta, though some opted to file in local courts rather than join in the federal case. Meta said the states were singling it out unfairly instead of working with social media companies to develop universal standards for the whole industry. "This landmark lawsuit could herald a seismic shift in how social media platforms approach product features and user engagement," said Insider Intelligence principal analyst Jeremy Goldman. "That said, even as tech stocks face uncertainty, Meta's consistent performance cements its leadership in the digital realm." Meanwhile, the European Union is seeking details on measures Meta has taken to stop the spread of "illegal content and disinformation" in light of the conflict between Israel and Hamas. The AI race The tech giant is putting artificial intelligence into digital assistants and smart glasses as it seeks to gain lost ground in the AI race. "I'm proud of the work our teams have done to advance AI and mixed reality with the launch of Quest 3, Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses, and our AI studio," Zuckerberg said in the earnings release. The second-generation Meta Ray-Ban smart glasses made in a partnership with EssilorLuxottica have a starting price of $299. "Smart glasses are the ideal form factor for you to let AI assistants see what you're seeing and hear what you're hearing," Zuckerberg said. Meta has taken a more cautious approach than its rivals Microsoft, OpenAI, and Google to push out AI products, prioritizing small steps and making its in-house models available to developers and researchers. "The majority of the world's population will have their first experience of generative artificial intelligence with us," Meta chief technology officer Andrew "Boz" Bosworth told AFP in a recent interview. Meta recently unveiled AI-infused chatbots with personalities, along with tools for creating images or written content using spoken prompts. The post Meta quarterly profit jumps but it sees volatility in ad market appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Lacuna introduces new MPD chief
Manila Mayor Honey Lacuna formally introduced to City Hall officials and employees yesterday the new acting director of the Manila Police District (MPD) in the person of Col. Arnold Thomas Ibay, who she believes will ably intensify the maintenance of peace and order in the city. In presenting the new MPD chief, Lacuna said Ibay is an old hand in the premier police district who has held various positions. He left the district for about a year and has come back to hold the top police post in Manila. “Under his leadership, he is expected to intensify peace and order in the city,” Lacuna said. The mayor also cited the forthcoming huge events in the city, namely the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections and the observance of All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day or Undas. She said she and Ibay already met regarding measures that have to be putin place to ensure the peaceful and orderly conduct of the said occasions. Ibay was made to host the regular flag-raising last Monday wherein he introduced the lady mayor. Lacuna, for her part, asked Ibay to momentarily stay with her as she formally introduced him to officials and employees of Manila City Hall, jesting that being a man of few words, he forgot to introduce himself. Meanwhile, Lacuna called on city government workers to use the week as another chance to render the best possible public service, saying the qualityof the work they do is a reflection of their love not only for their jobs, but also for their fellowmen and the city in general. The post Lacuna introduces new MPD chief appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Aspiring village chief gunned down
MALASIQUI, Pangasinan — Authorities here reported that a barangay chairperson candidate for the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections was shot dead in Barangay Bayaoas, Aguilar town. Aguilar police investigator Master Sgt. Reynante Abril said that the victim — identified as Arnel Flormata and a contender for the barangay captain post — was employed as an administrative supervisor at Aboitiz Solar Services. More police operatives have been deployed to identify and arrest the suspect behind the shooting. “The incident happened at around 11:35 p.m. Sunday. The victim had just finished his miting de avance and was walking back to his parked car when the unidentified suspect, who allegedly pretended to be asking for alcoholic beverage from the victim, walked alongside him,” Abril said. The post Aspiring village chief gunned down appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
US rejects Mideast ceasefire calls, says would benefit Hamas
The United States warned Monday that any Gaza ceasefire by Israel would benefit Hamas, as the European Union considers a call for a humanitarian pause. A ceasefire would "give Hamas the ability to rest, to refit and to get ready to continue launching terrorist attacks against Israel," State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told reporters. "You can understand perfectly clearly why that's an intolerable situation for Israel, as it would be an intolerable situation for any country that has suffered such a brutal terrorist attack and continues to see the terrorist threat right on its border," he said. Miller said that the United States was separately working to ensure a flow of humanitarian relief into Gaza, with a US envoy, David Satterfield, on the ground working "intensively" on aid. EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said earlier Monday that he expected the bloc's leaders to back a call for a pause in fighting to let in aid. "I believe that the idea of a humanitarian pause to facilitate the arrival of humanitarian aid, which would allow displaced persons to find shelter, is something that the leaders will support," Borrell said after talks with EU foreign ministers in Luxembourg. The post US rejects Mideast ceasefire calls, says would benefit Hamas appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Manila says Chinese vessels ‘intentionally’ hit Philippine boats
Manila said Monday that Chinese vessels "intentionally hit" Philippine boats at the weekend, escalating a diplomatic row over two collisions in the South China Sea. The countries have traded blame over Sunday's incidents near Second Thomas Shoal in the Spratly Islands, with both sides filing diplomatic protests and releasing videos to support their accusations. The two collisions happened during a Philippine resupply mission to troops stationed on a navy vessel that was grounded on the shoal in 1999 to assert Manila's territorial claims. Philippine officials accused a Chinese coastguard ship and a "militia" vessel of "dangerous maneuvering" that resulted in collisions with a Philippine resupply boat and a Philippine Coast Guard vessel. Philippine Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro took it one step further Monday, labelling the Chinese actions near Second Thomas Shoal deliberate. "Chinese coast guard and maritime militia vessels, in blatant violation of international law, harassed and intentionally hit Unaiza May 2 and Philippine Coast Guard vessel BRP Cabra," Teodoro said. "We are here to really decry in the strongest possible terms this egregious violation and illegal act within the (Philippines') 200 nautical mile exclusive economic zone and the obfuscation of the truth by China's distorting the story to fit its own ends." His comments came hours after Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos met with security officials and ordered the coastguard to investigate the incident, which was "being taken seriously at the highest level of government", his communications team said. Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Mao Ning on Monday accused the Philippines of "continuing to spread false information and hype things up". Earlier Monday, the Philippine foreign ministry summoned China's ambassador to Manila and lodged a diplomatic protest over the incident. Spokeswoman Teresita Daza said the ambassador was unavailable and was represented by his deputy chief of mission. "Ayungin Shoal is part of our exclusive economic zone and continental shelf and we have sovereign rights and jurisdiction over it," Daza said, using the Philippine name for the shoal. The Chinese foreign ministry and embassy in Manila also issued "stern representations to the Philippines" over its "infringements" at Ren'ai Reef, Mao said, using China's name for Second Thomas Shoal. China has said a "slight collision" happened after the Philippine resupply boat ignored "multiple warnings and deliberately passed through law enforcement in an unprofessional and dangerous manner". In the other incident, China accused the Philippine Coast Guard of reversing in a "premeditated manner" into a Chinese fishing vessel. No Filipino crew member was injured, but the supply boat was damaged and forced to turn back, Philippine officials said. A second supply boat reached the tiny garrison on the grounded BRP Sierra Madre and unloaded its cargo. Manila's longtime ally Washington has led a chorus of international criticism of China's alleged interference in the resupply mission. The US State Department on Sunday reiterated its mutual defence pact with the Philippines "extends to armed attacks on Philippine armed forces, public vessels, and aircraft –- including those of its Coast Guard –- anywhere in the South China Sea". 'Arbitral ruling is binding' China claims almost the entire South China Sea, through which trillions of dollars in trade passes annually, and has ignored a 2016 international ruling that its assertion has no legal basis. Second Thomas Shoal is about 200 kilometers (124 miles) from the western Philippine island of Palawan, and more than 1,000 kilometers from China's nearest major landmass, Hainan island. Previously warm ties between Manila and Beijing have cooled since Marcos took power in June 2022, as he seeks stronger relations with the United States. The Marcos administration has publicly criticized Chinese actions in the South China Sea, publishing photos and videos to support its claims of Chinese harassment and the blocking of its vessels. Beijing has released its own images of the incidents. Despite the challenges, the Philippines would "continue to do what is necessary" to supply its troops on the BRP Sierra Madre with provisions, said Jonathan Malaya, assistant director general of the National Security Council. Manila and Beijing have a long history of maritime disputes in the South China Sea. Tensions flared in August when China Coast Guard vessels used water cannon against a Philippine resupply mission to Second Thomas Shoal, preventing one of the boats from delivering its cargo. The post Manila says Chinese vessels ‘intentionally’ hit Philippine boats appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Poorlittlerichboy
Pepe was a 10-year-old boy, the son of a sugar worker, who lived in dire poverty. He would walk five kilometers to school every day, carrying a small bolo. When it rained, he would cut a long banana leaf to make an umbrella and continue walking. He also carried a “towel whip” for protection. It was a small towel with a pebble or marble tied to one end. Once, an aggressive dog attacked him. He snapped the towel like a whip. The pebble hit the dog in the nose, and it ran away. He was hungry to learn about geography and history. He lingered after school in the humid, smelly library. Geography taught him that he was on the island of Negros, where the huge sugar farms were located. History taught him that there were poor farmers who rebelled against the rich sugar barons. He also learned about the longest peasant revolt (85 years) on Bohol Island, led by Francisco Dagohoy, who was his idol, against the Spanish rulers. Eventually, his sugar worker dad was “promoted” and his family of three — Pepe, his mom Rebecca, his dad Diego — moved to a huge 1,000-hectare banana plantation in Agusan del Sur in Mindanao that had 600 farm hands. At the crack of dawn, Fortun, the plantation owner, would make the rounds on horseback for two hours, talking to the workers and getting updates on the farm situation. He was accompanied by his arrogant 12-year-old son Francis with his pet German Shepherd. Fortun allowed Francis to whip the people and animals. He had a special attraction to Pepe, whipping him every day. Pepe would simply dodge the whip but he would get welts on his arms at times. One morning, losing his patience, in the presence of Fortun, Pepe caught Francis’ whip and pulled him down from his horse. He took a hard fall. Francis stared at his dad for help, but he did not react, wanting Francis to handle the situation on his own. Francis used the whip again but Pepe wrestled it out of his grip. The German Shepherd came to the rescue, but Pepe used his towel whip on its nose, which made it run away. Francis and his dad left without getting back at Pepe. The next day, Fortun and Francis came again, but without his whip and his dog. Fortun told Francis to apologize to Pepe. They were left alone together and Fortun came back for his son an hour later. In that one hour, Pepe and Francis became instant friends. Francis was curious about Pepe’s towel whip. Pepe taught Francis how to use it. Eventually, Francis made his own towel whip, and they would target small pebbles on top of a table. The pebble would ricochet wildly when they scored a hit. Eventually, they became the best of friends. When the communist rebels attacked the plantation, Francis saved Pepe’s life by towel-whipping the hand of a rebel who was aiming his gun at Pepe. When the rebel turned his gun on Francis, Pepe embraced him. Seeing how the dirty peasant boy loved the rich son of the plantation owner, the rebel walked away. Francis and Pepe saved each other’s lives. When Pepe’s dad died, his mom said they would go back to Negros. Pepe refused. His mom left without him, and he was adopted by Fortun. He eventually became the “chief of staff” of Francis when he took over the farm. Francis never lost his cruelty toward farm workers. Once, he tried to towel-whip a sick farm worker for not doing his job. Pepe pushed him to the ground. Francis never took that against Pepe. They were still the best of friends. Pepe regretted teaching Francis how to use a towel whip. After 10 years, Pepe went back to Negros and worked in the sugar plantations, a protector of oppressed farm workers. He was still poor as ever, but he was rich in friends and admirers. He was a hero, this poorlittlerichboy. As a sacada (migrant sugar plantation worker), he was sometimes assigned to the plantation of Francis and they would drink together until dawn. Eventually, over a bottle of gin, Pepe made Francis promise he would never towel-whip his workers again. And he never did. Gentleness, like cruelty, is contagious. eastwindreplyctr@gmail.com The post Poorlittlerichboy appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
QC court grants TRO on LTO’s plastic license card procurement
A preliminary injunction has been handed down by the Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 215 following the lapses of the temporary restraining order it issued over the Land Transportation Office's procurement of plastic cards for driver's licenses. QC-RTC Branch 215 Judge Rafael Hipolito granted the petition filed by AllCard Inc. that questioned the procurement contract awarded to Banner Plastic Card Inc., which submitted a bid of P219 million inclusive of taxes for procuring the license cards, higher than the P177 million bid of AllCard Inc. A post-qualification evaluation disqualified AllCard due to "delays" in another project involving the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) and other government agencies. LTO chief Asst. Sec. Vigor Mendoza immediately expressed that it would be a big setback to the project which would stop the deliveries of the plastic cards which may add another two-month delay. "Once effective, mahihinto ang supplier natin. Hindi na siya pwedeng magdeliver... Dati goodbye papel, eto welcome back although the injunction is not yet effective," he said in a radio interview. "Ang maaapektuhan 'yung current usage, 'yung dapat kasi nung Oktubre if you filed a license in October you would get it automatically. Ngayon mapapahinto natin 'yan dahil magkukulang tayo ng card," he added. The post QC court grants TRO on LTO’s plastic license card procurement appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Scores killed in Gaza strikes as new aid convoy arrives
Scores of Palestinians were killed in central Gaza on Sunday after Israel stepped up its strikes on the war-torn enclave and another convoy of 17 aid trucks arrived as the Hamas-run territory faces "catastrophic" shortages. With the violence raging unchecked, Iran said the region could spiral "out of control". Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a stark warning to Lebanon's Hezbollah, saying getting involved would be "the mistake of its life". Washington warned any actors looking to inflame the conflict that it would not hesitate to act in the event of any "escalation". Hamas militants in Gaza stormed across the border into Israel on 7 October, launching a raid that killed at least 1,400 people, mostly civilians who were shot, mutilated, or burnt to death on the first day, according to Israeli officials. They also seized more than 200 hostages in the worst-ever attack in Israel's history. Israel has hit back with a relentless bombing campaign that has so far killed more than 4,600 Palestinians, mainly civilians, according to Gaza's health ministry. Officials said the central town of Deir al-Balah had been particularly badly hit overnight from Saturday to Sunday. The ministry said at least 80 people had been killed in the overnight raids on central Gaza, which destroyed more than 30 homes. At the hospital morgue, an AFP journalist saw the bodies of many children on the bloodied floor, where distraught families wept as they identified the victims. Among them was a man clutching his dead toddler and a young boy who pulled back a blanket over his little sister's body. "My cousin was sleeping in his house with his daughter in his arms. He was a man with no record, nothing to do with the resistance," said Wael Wafi, gazing at the body of his cousin, his arm still wrapped around his three-year-old daughter Misk. Also Sunday, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) said that 29 of its staff had been killed since the start of the war in a statement on X, formerly Twitter, saying half of them were teachers. On Saturday it had given a toll of 17. The scale of the bombing has left basic systems unable to function. The UN said dozens of unidentified bodies had been buried in a mass grave in Gaza City because cold storage had run out. Meanwhile, an Israeli soldier was killed near the Gaza border by an anti-tank missile fired by militants inside the enclave, the army said. 'Accident' as Israel hits Egypt post Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant warned the war with Hamas could take months. "It will take one month, two months, three months, and at the end, there will be no more Hamas," Gallant said. A second convoy of 17 trucks of aid entered Gaza from Egypt on Sunday following an initial delivery of 20 trucks on Saturday after intensive negotiations and US pressure. Separately, an AFP journalist saw six trucks leaving Rafah after filling up from dwindling fuel stocks held at the crossing as the enclave faces catastrophic shortages after Israel cut off supplies of food, water, fuel, and electricity. It later resumed water supplies to the south on 15 October. Although Egyptian media said another 40 trucks would enter Gaza on Monday, the UN says the enclave needs 100 trucks per day to meet the needs of Gaza's 2.4 million residents. And so far, there have been no deliveries of fuel, with UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini warning Sunday that supplies would run out "in three days". "Without fuel, there will be no water, no functioning hospitals, and... aid will not reach many civilians in desperate need," he said. The Hamas government said 165,000 housing units -- half of those in the entire Gaza Strip -- had been destroyed in the raids. With fears growing that the conflict could spread, Israel on Sunday admitted accidentally hitting an Egyptian border post, apologizing for the incident which Cairo said had left an unspecified number of border guards with "minor injuries". Risk of regional escalation There were fresh exchanges of fire over Israel's northern border with Lebanon as fears grew that Hezbollah, a close ally of Hamas and Iran, could enter the conflict, prompting Israel's Netanyahu to warn it would be "the mistake of its life". "We will strike it with a force it cannot even imagine, and the significance for it and the state of Lebanon will be devastating," he said. Iran also warned about the conflict spreading on Sunday, with top diplomat Hossein Amir-Abdollahian cautioning that if Washington and Israel did not "immediately stop the crime against humanity and genocide in Gaza.. the region will go out of control". But Washington said it wouldn't hesitate to act in the event of any "escalation", just hours after the Pentagon moved to step up military readiness in the region. "If any group or any country is looking to widen this conflict and take advantage of this very unfortunate situation that we see, our advice is: don't," US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin said on ABC News. On Sunday, Pope Francis used his weekly Angelus prayer in Rome to plead for an end to the bloodshed. "War is always a defeat, it is a destruction of human fraternity. Brothers, stop!" he said. He later held a 20-minute conversation with US President Joe Biden about "conflict situations in the world and the need to identify paths to peace", the Vatican said. Biden later discussed with war with the leaders of Britain, Canada, France, Germany, and Italy, the White House said. The US president also held talks with Netanyahu, said the White House, adding: "The leaders affirmed that there will now be continued flow of this critical assistance into Gaza." In Paris, French President Emmanuel Macron's office announced he would be traveling to Israel on Tuesday for talks with Netanyahu. Protesters marched in several European capitals on Sunday. At least 10,000 people rallied in support of Israel in Berlin as Chancellor Olaf Scholz vowed to stamp out a resurgence of anti-Semitic incidents linked to the Israel-Hamas conflict. Thousands gathered in Paris to demand an end to Israel's operation in Gaza, the first pro-Palestinian rally in the French capital that wasn't banned on security grounds. The post Scores killed in Gaza strikes as new aid convoy arrives appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»