Index slips anew on rising COVID cases
The stock market plunged anew yesterday, slipping into the 6,100 level on renewed concerns over the rising cases of coronavirus disease 2019 or COVID-19......»»
Kids advised to wear masks
People, especially children, have been advised to wear face masks as a form of protection after the Department of Health (DOH) sounded the alarm over the rising cases of pertussis or whooping cough in the country......»»
Teen centers in Cebu City pushed amid rising teen pregnancy cases
CEBU CITY, Philippines — In response to the alarming rise in teenage pregnancy cases across Cebu, a local legislator penned a resolution urging the establishment of local adolescents and teen centers in Cebu. City Councilor Rey Gealon stipulated in the resolution the importance of providing essential support and education to empower young individuals in making.....»»
QC barangay chair suspended anew
Two 30-day suspension was again slapped against Quezon City Barangay Pasong Tamo chairperson Mae Tagle by the City Council’s Special Investigation Committee Friday. Tagle who was supposed to be back next month as barangay chairperson (village chief) from a 90-day suspension over abuse of power charges was meted another two months’ suspension over three cases filed against her by concerned citizen and the Sangguniang Kabataan officials at City Council’s SIC. The SIC Administrative Order 449-23 was issued for violation of Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act and Grave Misconduct, when Tagle allowed the space used as the Barangay Pharmacy to be rented by a private individual. The Botika ng Barangay located at Barangay Pasong Tamo Annex along Luzon Avenue has been turned into a fish and meat store. Such act, the SIC noted, required the concurrence of the Barangay Council documented by a resolution. The second charges for Acts Prejudicial to the Best Interest of Service was due to Tagle’s appointment of Diosdado Velasco as the Barangay Administrator. Velasco ran and lost during the May 2022 polls but Tagle after the polls appointed him, violating the one-year prohibition ban for those who ran and lost in the last national and local elections. The case of nepotism for appointing her daughter as Barangay clerk was dismissed, leaving the two cases to impose a 30-day suspension each, thereby prohibiting Tagle to assume as the Barangay Pasong Tamo Chairman. The SIC resolution order was concurred by the City Council to be implemented for the month of September and October where the next barangay election slated on the 30th. The Special Investigation Committee was an offshoot of a Memorandum of Agreement between the Office of the Ombudsman and the Quezon City Council’s 38 members, led by Quezon City Vice Mayor Gian Sotto as the presiding officer, granting the council authority to hear cases against barangay officials to lessen the Ombudsman office of loads of this kind of cases. The post QC barangay chair suspended anew appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
SC junks celebrity doctor’s appeal
The Supreme Court on Tuesday disclosed that it has dismissed the appeal of celebrity doctor Joel Mendez to set aside the decision of the Court of Appeals affirming the seven-year jail term slapped against him by the Regional Trial Court of Quezon City for violating the provisions of Republic Act 8282 or the Social Security Act of 1997. In a six-page resolution dated 31 July 2023, the High Court’s First Division did not give merit to Mendez’s claim that the CA’s Former Special Eight Division — through Associate Justices Edwin Sorongon, Sesinando E. Villon and Marie Christine Azcarraga-Jacob — committed grave abuse of discretion when they outright dismissed his petition. This stemmed from the petition of Mendez before the SC invoking anew “extrinsic fraud” on the part of his lawyer in seeking reconsideration of the CA’s ruling. The doctor claimed that the failure of his former counsel to attend scheduled hearings for his presentation of evidence and his counsel’s failure to inform him of the hearings and that his presence was required during the proceedings were tantamount to “extrinsic fraud.” Extrinsic fraud refers to “fraudulent act of the prevailing party in litigation committed outside of the trial of the case, whereby the defeated party is prevented from fully exhibiting his side of the case by fraud or deception practiced on him by his opponent, such as by keeping him away from court; by giving him a false promise of a compromise; or where the defendant never had the knowledge of the suit, being kept in ignorance by the acts of plaintiff; or where an attorney fraudulently or without authority connives at his defeat.” The SC, though, held that Mendez’s contention that the failure to present his side due to his former counsel’s negligence constitutes extrinsic fraud, “is untenable.” “As a ground for the annulment of a judgment, extrinsic fraud must emanate from an act of the adverse party, and the fraud must be of such nature as to have deprived petitioner of their day in court,” said the SC. “The fraud is not extrinsic if the act was committed by petitioner’s own counsel. In this light, we have ruled in several cases that a lawyer’s mistake or gross negligence does not amount to the extrinsic fraud that would grant a petition for annulment of judgment,” it added. Also, the SC stressed that Mendez failed to comply with the 60-day period under Rule 65 of the Rules of Court within which to file the present petition questioning the CA decision, adding that Atty. Marc Anthony B. Antonio, one of Mendez’s former counsels, received a copy of the CA resolution dated 16 April 2019 on 2 May 2019. Mendez alleged that Antonio informed him about the resolution only on 19 June 2019. The court added that Mendez — instead of filing the present petition for certiorari within 60 days from 2 May 2019 — secured the services of a new lawyer and filed the petition only on 8 August 2019, or 98 days after Antonio received the CA Resolution dated 16 April 2019. “As keenly observed by the OSG (Office of the Solicitor General, Mendez blames yet again one of his former lawyers who allegedly belatedly informed him of the receipt of the CA Resolution dated 16 April 2019,” the SC said. “This is a self-serving allegation not supported by any evidence and, thus, deserves scant consideration. A party alleging a critical fact must support their allegation with substantial evidence, for any decision based on unsubstantiated allegation cannot stand without offending due process,” it added. To recall, the CA — in its August 2018 decision — denied the petition filed by Mendez seeking to annul the 18 July 2016 decision of QC RTC Branch 88 Presiding Judge Rossana Fe Romero which found her guilty of violating Republic Act 8282. It did not give weight to Mendez’s contentions, stressing that the SC has previously ruled that a lawyer’s neglect in keeping track of the case and his failure to apprise his client of the development of the case do not constitute extrinsic fraud. Mendez, who owns a chain of dermatology clinics in the country, was sentenced to a jail term ranging from six years and one day as minimum to seven years as maximum by the QC RTC. He was also ordered to pay SSS a total of P1,865,657.50 representing unpaid contributions from October 2011 to January 2013 with an interest of three percent per month from July 2015 until full payment. The post SC junks celebrity doctor’s appeal appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Remulla urges Bantag anew to surrender
Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin “Boying” C. Remulla yesterday renewed his call for former Bureau of Corrections Director General Gerald Bantag to surrender to face his cases in court. Murder charges have been filed against Bantag before the regional trial courts of Las Pinas City and Muntinlupa City for the slaying of radio commentator Percival “Percy Lapid” Mabasa and Cristito Villamor Palana, a person deprived of liberty and the alleged “middleman’ in the killing of the broadcaster. Despite the warrants of arrest issued by the two RTCs, Bantag has not surrendered or has been arrested. “He (Bantag) will have a fair trial, just surrender,” Remulla said, adding that he has received reports that Bantag has been spotted in Luzon. “But there were also reports that he went down to Manila for a while. I think he is back in the north now,” he said. A P2 million bounty has been offered by the DOJ to anyone who would be able to provide information leading to the arrest of Bantag, though Remulla said he prefers the surrender of Bantag. “I hope he changes his mind about being a fugitive from justice, because it will not do him any good and it is not doing our society any good. We do not want to romanticize people who want to defy the law. We want people to follow the rule of law because it is the hallmark of a stable society,” Remulla said. Remulla issued the assurance that “We will not be inventing out of the blue. We will present the evidence that we have, the legal theory that we have developed and then, if the justice system finds him innocent, then he can have his liberty. But if he is found guilty, then he has to suffer for it. It’s just that he has to undergo through the process of trial.” The post Remulla urges Bantag anew to surrender appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Belmonte lauds QCJ Male Dormitory
Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte over the weekend lauded the Quezon City Jail Male Dormitory for bagging the best jail institution in the entire metropolis. The QCJMD under the leadership of Supt. Michelle Ng-Bonto bagged anew the ‘Top 1 - Best City Jail’ award given by the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology - National Capital Region (BJMP-NCR). "Quezon City is very happy that our QCJ Male Dormitory won as the best jail institution that received the recognition for the second time. This is proof that they have effectively implemented their duty to be a temporary home for our countrymen who are bouncing back from the cases they are facing,” Belmonte said. The all-male QCJMD is led by a female warden. Bonto said she could not carry out her job as jail warden effectively without the support of the BJMP higher-ups and the city government led by Mayor Belmonte and City Administrator Mike Alimurung. She also lauded the detainees who have been cooperative in respecting the policies as well as rules and regulations being enforced at the detention facility. “Gone are the days that there were riots and violent confrontations among detainees who belong to different groups or what they call gangs, they have been cooperative to the jail authorities,” Bonto said. BJMP-NCR Director Chief Supt. Efren Nemeno handed the recognition on Bonto during the bureau’s 8th Regional Management Meeting and Awarding Ceremony as the former hailed her for keeping the QCJMD drug-free. The BJMP said QCJMD’s achievement could be attributed to the "winning hearts and minds approach” being advocated by the female jail warden toward the persons deprived of liberty (PDL) and jail personnel. “She has been effective in espousing positive engagement of jail personnel in the implementation of welfare and development programs for PDL,” the BJMP said. Meanwhile, the QCJMD remains to be a "drug-free jail" following the latest greyhound operation that yielded no illegal drugs but improvised bladed weapons and other nuisance contrabands. The latest operation was carried out by Bonto's team and members from the nearby Kamuning Police Station (PS-10) as well as Explosive Ordnance Disposal/K9 Units from the police district headquarters, the jail warden said. Bonto added that greyhound operations are being conducted almost daily in order to ensure that no illegal contrabands particularly illegal drugs will be kept inside the detention facility. “Our campaign inside QCJMD is also in support to the ‘Buhay, Ingatan, Ayawan’ (BIDA) program of the Department of the Interior and Local Government which calls for the support of local government units, partner government agencies, local stakeholders, and organizations in order to effectively advocate drug demand reduction to all sectors of the community,” the jail warden said. The post Belmonte lauds QCJ Male Dormitory appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Remove redundant ICC
The noise from the International Criminal Court has been turned up anew to counter the pronouncement of the government that it will stop cooperating with the prejudiced body. According to the ICC, families of drug war victims are pursuing the probe despite the primary complainant, the late lawyer Jude Sabio, having withdrawn his complaint. Sabio had revealed during his withdrawal of the ICC complaint that the effort to prosecute then President Rodrigo Duterte and his officials was the handiwork of the opposition, primarily former Senator Antonio Trillanes IV as part of a destabilization campaign. The ICC said it received representations echoing the views and concerns of 350 individual victims and 165 families regarding the ongoing appeals proceedings. The consultation process among the families, which was conducted by the Victims Participation and Reparations Section, found that they “unanimously and strongly urge” the ICC to pursue its 26 January decision authorizing the court’s prosecutorial office to resume its investigation. The Philippine justice system, the victims said, continued to show “no actual investigation,” even seven years after the filing of cases. The ICC is a court of last resort that has the mandate to investigate and prosecute individuals for genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and the crime of aggression. While the ICC does not have a specific mandate to address drug-related crimes, there have been discussions about whether the ICC’s authority should be expanded to include such crimes. Since the ICC is a war crimes tribunal, including the war on drugs may need adjustments to its mandate. Some argue that the ICC’s jurisdiction should be extended to cover drug-related crimes, as these crimes often involve serious human rights violations, such as extrajudicial killings, torture and arbitrary detention. Additionally, drug trafficking can fuel conflicts and contribute to instability, making it a matter of international concern. However, others argue that the ICC’s mandate should not be expanded to cover drug-related crimes, as this could be seen as an overreach and could undermine the court’s legitimacy and effectiveness. They argue that drug-related crimes are primarily a matter for national law enforcement authorities and that the ICC should focus on its core mandate of prosecuting the most serious international crimes. The ICC, according to legal experts, merely duplicates the authority of the local courts when it comes to reviewing complaints on the war on drugs. A parallel investigation is an insult to the nation’s judiciary, which has the unfortunate characteristic of being slow, yet most of the cases are eventually resolved. The role of the ICC should be to help the judiciary to be more efficient and quick in the prosecution of cases, instead of undertaking a destabilizing probe that would employ all the critics and foes of the administration disguised as victims of human rights violations. ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan had indicated that he is set on ramming through an investigation into the war on drugs and former president Duterte. Solicitor General Menardo Guevarra has said: “All questionable incidents where deaths of drug suspects occurred have been investigated or are currently being investigated.” He added: “The process takes time to yield results.” This was the same stand of Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla who took exception to Khan’s points, saying that the country’s judiciary is fully functioning but at “its own pace.” Rushing the judicial proceedings just to follow the ICC imposition is a violation of the independence of the country’s judiciary, which indeed moves slowly but moves nonetheless. The post Remove redundant ICC appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Tagle suspended anew
Barangay Pasong Tamo chairperson Mae Tagle was suspended for another 30 days without pay on Thursday by the Quezon City local government’s legal office. This after the Quezon City Council confirmed the resolution of the Special Investigation Committee in the case of Jalandoni vs. Tagle, docketed as Administrative Case 424-23. The SIC found Tagle guilty of simple negligence for allowing a perya or carnival to operate in the barangay for several days, even though it was causing traffic congestion. It was the second administrative case for misconduct that Tagle was found guilty of in the past year. In July 2022, she was suspended for 30 days for firing the entire fire brigade of the village. Tagle has refused to comment on the charges against her. In addition to the two administrative cases, Tagle is also facing seven other cases of abuse of power. The cases have led to calls for her resignation from the barangay chairmanship. The post Tagle suspended anew appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Kuya Bong wants ‘iron hand’ vs druggie cops
Senator Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go emphasized Wednesday the need to establish an “iron-hand” mechanism against cops found involved in illegal drug trade activities. In an interview with reporters, Go lamented the need to impose stricter management of law enforcement operations so that the gains of the war on drugs campaign by the past administration of President Rodrigo Duterte “will not be put to waste.” “We really need to apply iron-hand to these policemen. They really need to be scared,” Go said, adding that once the illegal drug activities will proliferate anew, corruption and criminalities will follow. “The fear like before has gone. I am in awe of what President Duterte started when he fight illegal drugs in the country,” he added. The lawmaker also stressed that he is saddened that those cops that are involved in illegal activities are just putting a stain on to “clean reputation” built by the forefathers of the Philippine National Police. Go was referring to the initial results of the Senate Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs’ ongoing probe on the arrest of Police Master Sgt. Rodolfo Mayo Jr. for sneaking portion of P6.7 billion of “shabu” that was hauled in October last year — incriminating massive PNP cover-up of the case. He then urged the National Police Commission to immediately file criminal cases against those cops that have links to illegal drug syndicates as he expressed full support to the eagerness of committee chairman Senator Ronald de la Rosa “to really determine the source of this big-time shabu.” While he commends the current administration’s fight against illegal drugs, Go said there is a need to put extra effort to sow fear against criminals, particularly those cops that are part of syndicates. Meantime, the senator also pushed for the institutionalization of the Shared Service Facilities project under the Department of Trade and Industry as the Senate approved on the third and final reading Senate Bill 2021 seeking to amend Republic Act 6977 or the Magna Carta for Small Enterprises as amended by RA 9501, otherwise known as the Magna Carta for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises. “As a nation, we must recognize the immense potential and significance of these enterprises in driving our economy forward, creating jobs, and uplifting the lives of our people,” Go said. “MSMEs form the backbone of our economy, comprising a significant portion of our business landscape. They are the engines of innovation, providing employment opportunities, and contributing to the overall socio-economic progress of our communities,” he added. The post Kuya Bong wants ‘iron hand’ vs druggie cops appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Bong Go wants ‘iron hand’ vs. cops linked to illegal drug trade
Senator Bong Go emphasized on Wednesday the need to establish an “iron-hand” mechanism against cops found involved in illegal drug trade activities. In an interview with reporters, Go lamented the need to impose stricter management of law enforcement operations so that the gains of the war on drugs campaign by the past administration of President Rodrigo Duterte “will not be put to waste.” “Kailangan talaga, itong mga kapulisan, medyo kamay na bakal ang kailangang pairalin para sa kanila. Kailangang takutin talaga ang mga ‘to,” he said. Once the illegal drug activities will proliferate anew, Go said corruption and criminalities will follow. “Wala na po young takot gaya noon. Ako po’y nasasayangan sa inumpisahan ni Pangulong Duterte, noong nilabanan niya ang droga sa bansa,” he added. Go is saddened that those cops that are involved in illegal activities are just putting a stain on to ‘clean reputation’ built by the forefathers of the Philippine National Police. He was referring to the initial results of the Senate Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs’ ongoing probe on the arrest of Police Master Sgt. Rodolfo Mayo Jr. for sneaking portion of P6.7-billion of ‘shabu’ that was hauled in October last year—incriminating massive PNP cover-up of the case. Go then urged the National Police Commission to immediately file criminal cases against those cops that have links to illegal drug syndicates. The senator expressed full support to the eagerness of committee chairman Senator Ronald Dela Rosa “to really determine the source of this big-time shabu.” While he commends the current administration's fight against illegal drugs, Go said there is a need to put extra effort to sow fear against criminals, particularly those cops that are part of syndicates. "Medyo tapangan lang natin ng konti," he said. The post Bong Go wants ‘iron hand’ vs. cops linked to illegal drug trade appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Bong Go wants ‘iron hand’ vs cops linked to illegal drug trade
Senator Bong Go emphasized on Wednesday the need to establish an “iron-hand” mechanism against cops found involved in illegal drug trade activities. In an interview with reporters, Go lamented the need to impose stricter management of law enforcement operations so that the gains of the war on drugs campaign by the past administration of President Rodrigo Duterte “will not be put to waste.” “Kailangan talaga, itong mga kapulisan, medyo kamay na bakal ang kailangang pairalin para sa kanila. Kailangang takutin talaga ang mga ‘to,” he said. Once the illegal drug activities will proliferate anew, Go said corruption and criminalities will follow. “Wala na po young takot gaya noon. Ako po’y nasasayangan sa inumpisahan ni Pangulong Duterte, noong nilabanan niya ang droga sa bansa,” he added. Go is saddened that those cops that are involved in illegal activities are just putting a stain on to ‘clean reputation’ built by the forefathers of the Philippine National Police. He was referring to the initial results of the Senate Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs’ ongoing probe on the arrest of Police Master Sgt. Rodolfo Mayo Jr. for sneaking portion of P6.7-billion of ‘shabu’ that was hauled in October last year—incriminating massive PNP cover-up of the case. Go then urged the National Police Commission to immediately file criminal cases against those cops that have links to illegal drug syndicates. The senator expressed full support to the eagerness of committee chairman Senator Ronald Dela Rosa “to really determine the source of this big-time shabu.” While he commends the current administration's fight against illegal drugs, Go said there is a need to put extra effort to sow fear against criminals, particularly those cops that are part of syndicates. "Medyo tapangan lang natin ng konti," he said. The post Bong Go wants ‘iron hand’ vs cops linked to illegal drug trade appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Hotel industry will follow mask policy if needed
The country’s hotel operators are willing to adhere to whatever decision the government will impose on calls to implement anew the mask policy following the spike in Covid-19 cases these past few days. This comes amid forecasts by a research group that Covid-19 cases may spike in the middle of May this year, putting the positivity rate to 19.3 percent over the weekend. “On the part of the hotel industry, it’s fairly simple, we follow the guidelines. But regardless of the guidelines, our sector as well as tourism-related establishments have been always maintaining very strict minimum health standards that are in place and making sure that we provide our guests with a safe and good experience,” said Benito Bengzon Jr., president of the Philippine Hotel Owners Association Inc. He added that his group is seeing that hotel occupancies are going back to the pre-pandemic levels. “Apart from hotel occupancy, which is seen as a major indicator, we are looking at the revenue side of it. And the good news that we have heard from our members, many or some of them have already exceeded their 2019 levels,” Bengzon told reporters during the Business Networking and Luncheon hosted by the Philippine Furniture Furnishings Market on Monday at the Conrad Hotel in Pasay. Overall, he stressed that the hotel industry in urban or city destinations “is slowly improving or much better compared to 2022.” “But the current foot traffic that we are getting now is just 25 percent of what we got in 2019. In 2019, we got 8.2 million foreign visitors, but last year, we only got 2 million. We still have a long way to go. The official target for this year in terms of foreign tourist traffic for the industry is 4.8 million,” Bengzon said. Meantime, Hotel and Restaurant Association of the Philippines president Eugene Yap said masks are now indeed part of citizen’s daily outfit, even if World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus that Covid-19 was no longer qualifies as a global emergency. “But definitely, the Covid-19 virus is still there going around, but no longer a pandemic and just an endemic. The mask will always be an important part of our attire and for some countries a form of courtesy, such as in Japan and in Taiwan. I can see that masks are still an important part, especially in food serving areas,” Yap said. “We hope there will not be much mask requirement, but I think we leave it now to the establishments for their own use,” he added. Philippine Retailers Association chairperson Paul Santos, on the other hand, echoed the sentiments of the hotel and restaurant industry on heeding the guidelines but will also leave it to the retailers what to impose on their employees and own enterprise. “We can impose that on our employees, but we cannot impose wearing masks on our customers. Generally speaking, we will follow what the government recommends,” Santos said. To recall, the Department of Health last week maintained that they have already recommended to the Office of the President, based on the agreements coming from the IATF discussions, that there is no need to return the mask mandate as they need to shift the mindset of Filipinos when it comes to the Covid-19 virus. The post Hotel industry will follow mask policy if needed appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Bulacan, Baguio COVID-19 cases rise
An increase in COVID cases has been recorded anew in Bulacan and Baguio City......»»
Davao COVID-19 cases rise anew
COVID cases in Davao region has been increasing, according to the Department of Health......»»
MisOr, CDO reactivate monitoring as Covid-19 cases rise
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY - The health office here and in the province of Misamis Oriental have intensified anew their monitoring and response to coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).In an update on Monday, Dr. Israel Peralta, head of the Misamis Oriental health office, said the province has 63 ac.....»»
CDO villages urged to heighten measures vs. dengue
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY-The City Health Office (CHO) urged on Monday barangay governments to activate anew anti-dengue protocols as cases have increased in the past seven months.Dr. Teodulfo Joselito Retuya Jr., CHO's resident epidemiologist, said local barangay units need to hold extensive cle.....»»
Legazpi City cancels 2022 Ibalong fest due to Covid-19 spike
LEGAZPI CITY - With the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) cases increasing anew, the city government has called off the Ibalong Festival that was supposed to resume in August after two years.Agapita Pacres, head of the City Tourism Office, posted the cancellation on social media near midni.....»»
Ilocos Norte readies to welcome China flights anew
LAOAG CITY -As coronavirus cases have been significantly low in this northern gateway of Luzon, Ilocos Norte Governor Matthew Joseph Manotoc is hoping to welcome once again the pack of Chinese tourists that visit the province.While joining the Chinese and Filipino business community in a tre.....»»
Daily COVID-19 cases top 10,000 anew
Daily COVID-19 cases top 10,000 anew.....»»
Index soars over 5% to breach past 6,600
The local stock market soared by over five percent yesterday one of its best performance in years to lead Asian markets for a second day, with investors snapping up bargains anew on prospects of further reopening of the economy as new virus cases dwindle......»»