Rody appeals for calm amid shooting probe
President Rodrigo Duterte has appealed to both the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) to “stay calm” to defuse tension between the military and police following the shooting incident in Jolo, Sulu, which left four soldiers dead......»»
Rody appeals for calm amid shooting probe
President Rodrigo Duterte has appealed to both the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) to “stay calm” to defuse tension between the military and police following the shooting incident in Jolo, Sulu, which left four soldiers dead......»»
UAAP volleyball enters break amid wide-open semis race
It’s the calm before the storm as teams embark on a much-needed pause ahead of an expected all-out race to the UAAP Season 86 volleyball tournaments Final Four......»»
Bangkal Elementary School appeals for help amid power outage crisis
Bangkal Elementary School appeals for help amid power outage crisis.....»»
Calm Weather
Downtown Iligan City enjoys calm weather, with occasional light rain amid an overcast sky, as of noon Monday (18 December 2023) as Tropical Storm “Kabayan” earlier made landfall in Davao Oriental. The weather bureau (PAGASA) reported that the rivers considered as “areas of concern” in Iligan and Lanao provinces—Mandulog, Agus, and Iligan (and tributaries Malindawag, Pugaan, Tubod)—were “below alert level” as of 9 a.m. MindaNews photo by BOBBY TIMONERA.....»»
Pope rallies Frenchmen amid debate on meddling
In Marseille, a French Mediterranean city, where Pope Francis has entered an acrimonious European debate on allowing refugees, tens of thousands of people are anticipated to witness the pontiff celebrate mass and process through the streets. Nearly 60,000 people are expected to fill the Velodrome stadium in France’s second-largest city, and up to 100,000 people may line the Avenue du Prado for his “popemobile” tour prior to the Mass. The chairman of an undocumented immigrant group in Marseille, Francky Domingo, expressed his hope that the pope’s visit would “give us back a little hope” and “calm the political tensions.” A “cosmopolitan, multicultural, multireligious” hub, the Mediterranean port “faces enormous difficulties, drug trafficking that claims human lives every day, and the problem of housing,” Domingo continued. In an effort to reverse the deteriorating trend, President Emmanuel Macron has pledged billions of dollars to rebuild the city’s infrastructure after over 40 people were killed in shootings there this year. However, not everybody has praised the Pope’s visit. Left-leaning MPs have criticized Macron’s attendance at Mass on Saturday as a violation of official secularism. Francis has come under fire from right-wingers for “interfering” in domestic politics. Upon his arrival on Friday, the pope fervently urged Europe to accept migrants rather than give in to “fanaticism of indifference” and “paralysis of fear.” The recent wave of large arrivals on the Italian island of Lampedusa has heated up the conversation on immigration. Gerald Darmanin, the French Interior Minister who welcomed the pope upon his arrival, has sworn not to accept a single one. The iconic Notre Dame de la Garde church in Marseille, where sailors have historically prayed for protection and model ships offered in gratitude hang from the roof, was Francis’ first stop when visiting the city. The pontiff urged that “people who are at risk of drowning when abandoned on the waves must be rescued” at a monument that looked out over city rooftops and the glistening Mediterranean. The pope hailed humanitarian organizations for saving migrants in peril at sea and denounced attempts to stop their behavior as “gestures of hate” in unprepared words he added at the conclusion of his speech. With AFP The post Pope rallies Frenchmen amid debate on meddling appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
US federal judge, 96, suspended over ‘mental fitness’
The oldest US federal judge, at age 96, was suspended from her duties Wednesday over questions about her mental competency, in a case evoking the debate over elderly politicians like Joe Biden and Donald Trump. Pauline Newman, an appellate court judge since 1984, was accused by colleagues of working too slowly and of frequently appearing confused, agitated, and belligerent, which raised concerns of "disability," according to the ruling by the Judicial Council of the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. Interviews with staff "provided overwhelming evidence that Judge Newman may be experiencing significant mental problems including memory loss, lack of comprehension, confusion, and an inability to perform basic tasks," it said. Despite being given a reduced workload, Newman takes four times as long as other judges to issue opinions in cases before the court, it said. The council said that because Newman refused to accept being examined by a council-chosen neurologist and psychiatrist to judge her mental acuity, it was suspending her for one year, which could be extended if she still refused to cooperate. But Newman, who has been deprived of reviewing cases since April, has said the proceedings against her were conducted illegally and suggested they were the product of personal animosity from other judges. She backed her argument with the results of examinations by specialists she herself chose. "Judge Newman demonstrated no substantial emotional, medical, or psychiatric disability that would interfere with continuation of her longstanding duties as a judge," psychiatrist Regina Carney said. The case comes amid questions about the capabilities of an increasing number of elderly politicians -- President Joe Biden, 80, and rival Donald Trump, 77, among them -- to perform their duties. Born in 1927, Newman earned a PhD in chemistry from Yale and then became a patent law expert. In 1984 she was named to the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, a special court dealing with patent laws and government contracts. The ruling against her noted she had been called "the heroine of the patent system." Her attorney, Gregory Dolin of the New Civil Liberties Alliance, said the review of her case was stacked against her. "The bottom line is that Judge Newman did not get due process," he told AFP. He said personal animosities as well as ageism factored into the case. "It's easy to say she's 96, she's past her prime, even if it's not true," Dolin said. "Whatever you might say about some politicians in Washington, Judge Newman is not in that group," he added. The post US federal judge, 96, suspended over ‘mental fitness’ appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
DepEd will get 25% of 2024 budget
The Department of Education will receive 24.93 percent of the P38.75 billion in the proposed 2024 budget for digitalization funds to boost public service, the Department of Budget and Management said on Wednesday. In a statement, DBM said DepEd is set to receive P9.43 billion in digitalization funds amid the controversial P150 million confidential and intelligence funds for the said agency next year. Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman underscored the need to embrace digitalization as the allocation for said initiative marks a 60.6-percent increase from its P24.93 billion funding in 2023. "Technological advancement has given rise to a growing digital economy which continues to create new forms of work, transforming the employment landscape," Pangandaman said. "Hence, investing in the digitalization of the bureaucracy is crucial not only in enhancing its efficiency but also in generating quality jobs for Filipinos," she added. Pangandaman added that keeping updated on technology and maximizing its uses are in line with the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s whole-of-government approach to connect the entire bureaucracy digitally — not only to cut red tape but likewise to generate employment in the expanding digital economy. Aside from DepEd, several other government agencies will receive the ICT and digitalization budget. These agencies include the Department of Justice (P5.55 billion), the Department of Information and Communications Technology (P5.34 billion for ICT program-related expenditures), the Department of Finance (P3.15 billion), the Department of Interior and Local Government (P2.60 billion); and National Economic and Development Authority (P2.08 billion). The Judiciary (Supreme Court, Presidential Electoral Tribunal, Sandiganbayan, Court of Appeals, Court of Tax Appeals) will also receive P1.44 billion for its digitalization budget. The Department of National Defense (P1.12 billion), the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (P913 million), and Other Executive Offices (P890 million) will also receive its share. Meanwhile, a total of P990.631 million will be allocated to the ICT Systems and Infostructure Development, Management, and Advisory Program of the DICT. Further, the National Government Data Center Infrastructure Program, which will get P1.67 billion, aims to reduce government spending by providing resources to government agencies either through colocation or cloud services. In addition, the DICT's National Government Portal, which will have an allocation of P302.86 million, is intended to further streamline public service by connecting all government departments to a single website. Another DICT program, the National Broadband Plan, will receive a budget of P1.50 billion to improve internet speed and allow affordability across the country. A separate P2.5 billion will fund the Free Wi-Fi Connectivity in Public Places and SUCs program, with a target of 50 broadband sites in 82 provinces. The post DepEd will get 25% of 2024 budget appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Transport group appeals subsidy
A transport group on Sunday appealed to the national government that all transport workers will receive the fuel subsidies announced by the government amid the consecutive oil price hikes. Alliance of Transport Operators and Drivers Association of the Philippines president Boy Vargas said that in the past, many drivers and operators were not able to receive fuel subsidies. “We hope that this time, everyone will be able to receive the fuel subsidy. We don’t want anyone to be left behind,” he said in a radio interview. To recall, the Department of Budget and Management on Friday approved the release of P3 billion for the Fuel Subsidy Program that would support approximately 1.36 million public utility vehicle drivers and operators. The subsidy will be given in the form of call cards that could be used in select gasoline stations in exchange for fuel. Vargas also called on the operators to give the PUV drivers the fuel subsidy. “We hope that the operators will be able to give the fuel subsidy to their drivers. This will help them a lot, especially with the rising oil prices,” he said. The post Transport group appeals subsidy appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Trudeau to be star witness in election meddling probe
The Canadian prime minister could be the star witness in his government’s investigation of alleged national election meddling by China, Russia and other countries. Justin Trudeau was asked by reporters in Singapore Friday on the possibility of him testifying in the case, he replied, “Willingly and with very much enthusiasm.” The prime minister, who was coming from the ASEAN Summit in Indonesia, added, “I think it’s important for Canadians to know exactly everything this government has been doing in regards to foreign interference, and to talk frankly about the challenges that we continue to face in our democracies around the world.” His statement came a day after Ottawa named an appeals court judge to lead the inquiry into the allegations surrounding federal elections in 2019 and 2021. Quebec Court of Appeal Justice Marie-Josee Hogue replaces the investigator who resigned in June. Trudeau faced pressure to explain how it first responded to the claims that Beijing sought to subvert Canada’s democratic process. Relations between Ottawa and Beijing hit a new low this year amid accusations of Chinese meddling in those elections and the attempted intimidation of Canadian lawmakers that led to the expulsion of a Chinese diplomat in May. Beijing has called the accusations “groundless” and responded by sending home a Canadian diplomat from the country’s consulate in Shanghai. The reported accusations included secret campaign donations and that Chinese operatives were working for Canadian candidates and lawmakers in an attempt to influence policy. WITH AFP The post Trudeau to be star witness in election meddling probe appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Vietnam, Philippines to sign rice trade agreement
Vietnam and the Philippines agreed to sign an agreement on rice imports to guarantee food security, Hanoi said Thursday, after prices of the world staple soared to decade highs last month. The announcement came after a meeting between Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr on the sidelines of an Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit in Indonesia this week. "The two sides agreed to soon discuss and sign an inter-governmental agreement on rice trade cooperation to together ensure objectives on food security amidst complicated developments in the recent global food supply chain," a statement on Vietnam's official government website said Thursday. The agreement would be for five years and would see Vietnam export rice to the Philippines, according to a statement from the Philippine presidential palace. Marcos said the agreement "would stabilize the rice supply and pricing in the Philippines amid the current volatility", the statement added. Rice is a basic staple in the country of 110 million people. But the Philippines cannot produce enough for itself and has been one of the world's top importers of the grain. In July, India, the world's biggest rice exporter, banned some overseas rice sales to calm rising prices at home. Global prices soared to their highest levels in nearly 15 years last month. In the first eight months of the year, Vietnam exported nearly 5.9 million tons of rice, earning $3.2 billion, up 37 percent year-on-year, according to Vietnam's general statistics office. The post Vietnam, Philippines to sign rice trade agreement appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Sky-high irony
Gokongwei-owned Cebu Pacific, a budget airline that always manages to raise eyebrows, has once again blessed us with a seat sale. Oh, how lucky can we be? The airline has hyped up anew its marketing mantra that “Every Juan flies,” only weeks after being forced during a congressional hearing to confront 3,000 complaints of irate customers over its endearing practice of overbooking flights and offloading passengers. To be obstinately hooked on the jingle of cash registers while ignoring the suffering of your paying customers takes a unique kind of expertise, of being able to remain deadpan and sleep at night through the turmoil of your aggravated passengers. For many of those who attended the hearings, Cebu Pacific only cares about the cold ca-ching of its cash registers. No doubt, the seat sale it resurrected last week would result in more passengers being kicked off flights. Overbooking and the accompanying forced passenger dumping, in Cebu Pacific’s vision of reality, well, there’s just a “slight chance” of that. That’s a joke, right? But no one’s laughing, as the joke is on us, the public. Let the sentence hang there for a while. “Slight chance,” they say in an entry on airlineratings.com, as though they’re talking about the prospect of seeing a rare unicorn galloping around the departure gate. But no, this is not about fantastical creatures; rather, it is about reservations piling up on a shaky table like a house of cards. It involves accepting the idea of reserved seating as merely a suggestion, a fun idea to play around with. That is if your idea of fun is being forced to reprise the role of Tom Hanks in the movie, The Terminal. Speaking of whimsical, have you ever heard of their brilliant response to situations in which appeals to “volunteers not to travel on their booked flights” fall on deaf ears? Cebu Pacific has your inconvenience covered, so do not be alarmed. They’ve cleverly reserved the power to refuse boarding to travelers “involuntarily,” or against their will, if involuntarily is not clear enough. This translates to passengers gnashing their teeth, pulling their hair, and tearing up their shirts all they want at CebuPac’s check-in counters, without any chance of boarding a flight for which they’d been sold “reserved” seats. However, let’s not limit our discussion to Cebu Pacific’s poetic handling of passenger interactions. Let’s explore the drama that occurred during the probe of the Senate Committee on Tourism. Senators turned their attention to the airline’s fervent devotion to overbooking as the cause of this comedy of errors, becoming unimpressed by the inventive justifications offered by the company for canceled flights and interminable delays. One senator related tales of suffering and annoyance from her own staff as well as from other passengers. Inevitably, as the hours passed, the hearing evolved into a “grief-sharing session.” People stepped up, spilling stories of delayed flights and canceled hopes. If you will, picture a traveler hoping to leave Tokyo but being compelled to crash on the chilly, hard floor of Narita International Airport. Her offense? Having faith in Cebu Pacific to deliver even the most basic amenities. Then there was the dentistry board exam that was almost missed. How about the flight to Cebu from Manila that was diverted to Busuanga and the haggling that followed to force Cebu Pacific to honor its “Passenger Rights” guarantee of free hotel accommodations? The cherry on top? While those who had been put through the wringer were left wondering how the airline’s priorities seemed to be joyously dancing in the skies, the examinee’s lucky aunt, all the way from Australia, managed to score a ticket for a lovely fee. The spokespersons of Cebu Pacific did, however, exhibit some artistic talent. Lightning strikes, bird crashes, and even runway debris were included in the gallery of “freak incidents” they presented as the causes of their errors. During the sleeper hearing, the way Cebu Pacific’s flight operations unfolded resembled an elaborate opera, complete with loud fights and dramatic exits, as if the cosmos had conspired to make it happen. But what was the highlight of Cebu Pacific’s ludicrous theater? Respect for the “Air Passenger Bill of Rights.” To pledge loyalty to rights that seem to exist only in the world of press releases is a truly great gesture. Amid this flying fiasco, passengers may wonder if they are only pawns in a much bigger game when the airline offers its earnest apologies, makes a few promises, and reveals plans for standby aircraft as if they were doing magic. So here we are, seeing the re-erection of Cebu Pacific’s circus tent of antics. Seat sale? Rubbish. The post Sky-high irony appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Reforms hijacked
In the Electricity Power Industry Reform Act, or Epira, the guiding principle is the least cost of power for consumers which was effectively pursued through the competitive selection process which was made permanent in the industry during the previous administration. Meralco, the power distributor, introduced the straight pricing scheme in the power supply agreements or the contracts it bids out to prevent fluctuations in electricity prices due to factors beyond the control of the generating companies, or gencos, such as spikes in fuel prices as a result of geopolitical shifts. The presumption on those who will participate in the bid for the fixed price PSAs is that they will shoulder the risks and it will be up to them to hedge or undertake measures to address upswings in costs. That was the arrangement in the PSAs with San Miguel Corp.’s gencos, Sual coal and Ilijan natural gas plants. When the price of coal surged after the conflict between Russia and Ukraine erupted, and Malampaya started to restrict supply as it was being depleted, SMC complained of piling losses to the extent of P15 billion. Stakeholders, however, said much of the ordeal of SMC in their claimed accumulated debts was self-inflicted due to poor decisions. According to a representative of a consumer group, SMC never showed proof of the losses it cited, which in turn became the basis for its petitions for price adjustments with the ERC. In October last year, the ERC dismissed the petitions of SMC and instead directed the company to fulfill its commitments in the PSA. The spurned SMC went directly to the Court of Appeals, or CA, to contest the ERC ruling instead of filing a motion for reconsideration with the regulator. Promptly, the CA issued a temporary restraining order which last month was upgraded to a permanent injunction that bars ERC from enforcing its quasi-judicial authority on SMC. SMC, with the use of the court orders, unilaterally terminated its PSA with Meralco. Since it dominated the power sector anyway, it obtained new cheaper contracts through the emergency PSAs bid out by Meralco. SMC, thus, succeeded in getting what it wanted through the injunction power of the CA. Consumer groups opposed to the rate increases that would result after SMC was freed from its contracts without any consequence branded the maneuver as SMC’s way of “ultimately hijacking power purchase bidding systems that are in place to protect consumers.” The oppositor in the ERC case, Power for the People, deplored the way SMC won the deal to supply the same power requirement of Meralco for the shortage that it itself had caused. “The spirit of competitive selection and least-cost electricity goes out of the window when companies like SMC are allowed to pull tricks like this,” P4P convenor Gerry Arances said. P4P filed a motion for reconsideration of the CA’s injunction order. The consumer coalition was the only one left on the list of oppositors that had questioned SMC’s “temporary” price adjustment petitions with ERC. The others had dropped out, including the main complainant, for reasons they only knew. “We are disappointed but not surprised at how the CA yielded to the arm-twisting of SMC so that it could hike prices and turn its back on its contracts. The decision will open the floodgates to higher electricity, as SMC and other fossil fuel power generators are now emboldened to ask for more rate hikes, and to participate and win auctions through bid prices far lower than what consumers will eventually be charged, knowing they can apply for and possibly secure price adjustments during their contracts’ lifetime,” Arances said. ERC voiced the same apprehension in rejecting the SMC petitions, saying others hold the same straight-pricing PSAs but never sought a revision in the terms of their contracts. Failed business decisions such as bidding too low just to obtain the PSAs should be the lookout and the burden of the contractor and not the electricity users who should be spared from paying for the consequences of bad business decisions. Besides, SMC as the holder of the contracts should have been penalized with the proceeds from which used to ease the plight of consumers amid the high price of electricity. The post Reforms hijacked appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
CA conundrum
What gives in the recent Court of Appeals decision that effectively emasculated the Energy Regulatory Commission? The ruling, in effect, said SMC was correct in its petition to the ERC asserting a “change in circumstance” to allow it to set aside the fixed-price provision in its contract with Meralco. Moreover, the ruling favored SMC’s claim that the adjustment would result in the least electricity cost, which was the conglomerate’s contention when it filed the petition with ERC. In its plea, SMC’s power units sought a 30 to 34 centavos per kilowatt hour increase in the rate it charged Meralco. Meralco as the electricity distributor then passes on the cost to consumers in their monthly bills. The court in its decision weighed the impact of the various options and favored the one that SMC proffered as having the most benefit to consumers. The ERC in its October decision dismissing the petitions of SMC arms, South Premiere Power Corp. and San Miguel Energy Corp., cited the straight pricing scheme in the power supply agreements of both firms with Meralco. SMC, instead of petitioning ERC for a review, went straight to the Court of Appeals to seek temporary restraining orders for both SPPC and SMEC. The CA through its 13th Division promptly issued a TRO on SPPC which in effect suspended its contract with Meralco, as SMC had warned if the ERC did not go along with its wish for a price adjustment. President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. then urged the court to review the TRO, fearing that it would result in higher electricity bills. The CA’s 16th Division then rejected the TRO petition of SMEC but allowed the consolidation of the cases with the 13th Division, which issued a ruling later upgrading the SPPC TRO into a writ of preliminary injunction. The latest 13th Division ruling was the provision of permanent injunctions to both SMEC and SPPC. Going by the principle of honoring contracts, ERC, as the regulator, needed to enforce the fixed-price provision in the PSAs which covered about 1 gigawatt of electricity supply to Meralco. SMC in the deliberations with the ERC said that it had been hemorrhaging money — P15 billion since 2021 from operating the Sual coal and the Ilijan natural gas power facilities amid high global coal prices and unilateral natural gas supply restrictions from Malampaya. The CA’s ruling overturned the ERC and thus allowed SMC to recover its claimed losses by passing it on to consumers. SMC can also seek new adjustments retroactively from the time that it was considered to have been affected by the high global prices and natural gas supply restrictions, based on the rulig. The CA decision would have the immediate effect of a likely price increase since the PSA would be terminated, forcing Meralco to buy electricity from the spot market. The ultimate effect of the CA decision, however, would be to weaken the regulatory function of the ERC since it will set a precedent for parties in a contract to undermine the regulator’s decision by going directly to the CA. The ERC, thus, is fighting to uphold its function under the Electricity Power Industry Reform Act or Epira with its vow to appeal the CA decision in the Supreme Court. “The decision is not yet final and we will still file a motion for reconsideration. If granted, that's another discussion. If denied, we will go all the way to the Supreme Court,” said ERC chairperson Monalisa Dimalanta. It is indeed disconcerting that businesses that can pull all the strings overstep the rules, including the sanctity of contracts, aided by the court. Solicitor General Menardo Guevarra in defending the ERC said the CA’s 13th Division “violated the separation of powers and overstepped its boundaries when it directed the parties (SMC and Meralco) to enter into good faith negotiations” on the PSA of SPPC. He said that the 25 January resolution granting the writ of preliminary injunction and issuing the directive to renegotiate the terms of the contract “impinges on the executive jurisdiction of both the Department of Energy and respondent ERC.” Guevarra said that a renegotiation “was not even prayed for in the petition.” The $64,000 question is what prompted the CA to go out of its way to favor SMC despite the business behemoth effectively breaching its contracts with Meralco. The post CA conundrum appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
AMID CA ‘OVERREACH’ ERC ready for battle
The Energy Regulatory Commission is ready to contest before the Supreme Court the decision of the Court of Appeals voiding the regulator’s rejection of the rate increase petitions of two San Miguel Corporation power generation firms. Legal pundits said the CA usurped the ERC’s authority in its ruling setting aside the regulator’s late 2022 decisions to dismiss the petitions of South Premiere Power Corp. and San Miguel Energy Corp. to increase prices. Others called the CA decision an “overreach.” The two San Miguel subsidiaries cited a “change in circumstances” for turning their backs on their fixed-priced contracts with Manila Electric Company. San Miguel disclosed on Wednesday to the Philippine Stock Exchange the favorable decision it had received from the CA’s 13th Division composed of Associate Justice Victoria Isabel Paredes, as chairperson; and Associate Justices Mary Charlene Hernandez-Azura and Florencio Mamauag Jr., as members. Speaking to reporters on Thursday, ERC chairperson lawyer Monalisa Dimalanta clarified that the CA’s decision was not yet final since, under the Electric Power Industry Reform Act, only the Supreme Court can issue a permanent injunction on rate hikes. “There is no computation yet of the rate hikes. The decision is not yet final, and we will still file a motion for reconsideration. If granted, that’s another discussion. If denied, we will go all the way to the Supreme Court. I have not yet foreseen any rate impact,” Dimalanta said. Dimalanta added that the ERC, through the Office of the Solicitor General, will need to confirm if the CA is legally allowed to issue a final decision on rate hikes. “The CA can review any factual matter related to any rate hike petition, but we still want to clarify if the CA can decide with finality because it will change everything in the (power) industry. Under the EPIRA, only the SC can issue a permanent injunction,” Dimalanta explained. Unfortunate ruling According to Dimalanta, the CA’s decision was “unfortunate and disconcerting,” but the ERC will continue to uphold the law to “protect consumers.” “The ERC hopes the CA will revisit the records of the case as well as the arguments of the parties and uphold the commission’s ruling,” the ERC chief said. Consumers will not yet feel any adverse impact from the CA’s reversal of the ERC’s rejection of the temporary rate hike petitions, Dimalanta added. However, for San Miguel Global Power or SMGP, the holding firm for SMC’s power ventures, the CA’s decision “upholds the constitutional mandate of due process that guarantees the right to be treated fairly and effectively by quasi-judicial bodies like the ERC.” “It is regrettable that the ERC’s unfair decision early on to reject our joint petition with Meralco for a temporary rate hike — despite proving to be the least cost option at the time for power consumers — resulted in consumers shouldering the burden of much higher electricity rates,” SMGP said in a separate statement on Thursday. Nonetheless, the company said it still looks to “forge even stronger partnerships with the government, consumers, and other key stakeholders to help shape a more resilient and sustainable energy landscape for all.” Meanwhile, Meralco Head of Regulatory Management Jose Ronald Valles said the company will reach out to the CA to clarify some matters regarding the decision. “There are some matters in the decision that we feel need to be clarified. We are consulting with our lawyers on the legal remedies available to us, including an appeal to the Supreme Court,” Valles said. The 13th Division of the CA reversed the order of the ERC that rejected the temporary power rate hike petition filed by San Miguel Energy Corp. or SMEC and South Premiere Power Corp. or SPPC and Meralco. The CA decision granted the consolidated petitions for certiorari filed by SMEC and SPPC. It also favored the joint motion of SPPC and SMEC for a price adjustment with provisional authority and/or interim relief in ERC Case No. 2019-081 and ERC Case No. 2019-083. Likewise, the appellate court made permanent the preliminary injunction issued in favor of SPPC. The rate hike petition stemmed from SMGP’s report that its Sual Coal and Ilijan Natural Gas power facilities logged combined losses of P15 billion from 2021 to date due to high prices. As such, it sought temporary and partial cost recovery relief only for the losses it incurred from January to May, through a power rate increase on its contract capacity under the power supply agreement with Meralco to be amortized for six months. CA gets flak Consumer group Power for People Coalition criticized the CA magistrates for favoring the Ramon Ang-led San Miguel Corporation. “The Court of Appeals is supposed to uphold the interests of justice and the people, but it failed to do both in its decision granting SMC’s petitions in its cases before the ERC,” Gerry Arances, convener of the Power for People Coalition, said in a statement on Thursday. In its PSE disclosure, SMC said the CA annulled and set aside the ERC order dated 29 September 2022 in ERC Cases 2019-081 and 2019-083 due to a “grave abuse of discretion amounting to lack or excess of jurisdiction.” The CA’s joint decision dated 27 June 2023, received by SMC through the Poblador Bautista Reyes Law Offices, granted the consolidated petitions for certiorari filed by SMEC and SPPC. Arances said the CA effectively released SMC from any consequences of breaking a contract “simply because it is not earning enough from a commitment it has made voluntarily.” “We hope that the court will reevaluate, and we will file a motion for reconsideration to give the justices another chance to live up to their name,” Arances said. It can be recalled that the two power companies, along with Meralco, appealed for a temporary rate hike under their 2019 power supply agreement to help them recover from the unprecedented hike in coal prices. The CA denied the petition of SMEC for a temporary restraining order, but it allowed a TRO and later a writ of preliminary injunction or WPI on the ERC decision to deny an increase in SPPC’s power supply agreement or PSA with Meralco. The CA then consolidated the two rate increase cases under the division that granted the WPI. In its report to the bourse, SMC bared that the CA also favored the SPPC and SMEC’s joint motion for price adjustments without prejudice to any further requests for price adjustments. The further request for adjustments would be for June 2022 onwards for SPPC, from June 2022 to 25 January 2023 or the date of writ of preliminary injunction; and for SMEC, from June 2022 to the date of the finality of the joint decision. The post AMID CA ‘OVERREACH’ ERC ready for battle appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
$1.5 bn pledged to curb Sudan’s slide into ‘death and destruction’: UN
Donors at a UN conference on Monday pledged close to $1.5 billion to combat the humanitarian crisis in Sudan and help its neighbours host refugees fleeing the fighting. Sudan is descending into death and destruction at an unprecedented speed, UN chief Antonio Guterres said as he urged donors to step in and curb the unfolding catastrophe. The conference comes midway through a three-day ceasefire which appeared to have brought calm to the capital Khartoum, after the failure of earlier truces to ensure secure aid corridors. "Today, donors have announced close to $1.5 billion for the humanitarian response to Sudan and the region," the UN's humanitarian chief Martin Griffiths said, closing the hybrid pledging conference hosted in Geneva. "This crisis will require sustained financial support and I hope that we can all keep Sudan at the top of our priorities." UN refugees chief Filippo Grandi added: "It is very important that now these contributions be clearly allocated and disbursed as quickly as possible because we're really short of funds in this particular emergency." More than two months into the fighting, the United Nations is worried that the crisis could spill over and destabilise neighbouring African states. "The scale and speed of Sudan's descent into death and destruction is unprecedented," UN Secretary-General Guterres told the conference. "Without strong international support, Sudan could quickly become a locus of lawlessness, radiating insecurity across the region." Since April 15, the army, led by Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, has been battling the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) commanded by his former deputy Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, after the two fell out in a power struggle. The death toll has topped 2,000, the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project said. Hundreds of kilometres west of Khartoum, up to 1,100 have been killed in the West Darfur state capital El Geneina alone, according to the US State Department, blaming "primarily" the RSF. "The situation in Darfur and Khartoum is catastrophic," Guterres said. A record 25 million people -- more than half of Sudan's population -- are in need of aid, according to the UN. Roughly 2.5 million people have been uprooted across Sudan by the war, which has forced around 550,000 to seek refuge in neighbouring countries, according to UN figures. Around $3 billion needed While Griffiths highlighted donors' generosity, the amount pledged Monday was less than half of what humanitarians have said is needed this year to respond to the dire needs. The UN has two appeals for tackling the crisis -- the humanitarian response within Sudan, which needs $2.6 billion this year, and the regional refugee response, which needs $470 million. Both were less than 17 per cent funded going into Monday's conference. Qatar's prime minister told the conference there was "no military solution" to the conflict, as he pledged $50 million. Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani urged the warring parties to "put the aspirations of the Sudanese people in the forefront". Germany doubled its existing donation to 200 million euros ($218 million), while the European Union pledged 190 million euros in humanitarian and development assistance. Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said the conflict risks a humanitarian crisis that could spill over the borders. He said the security and stability of Sudan "is our own stability and security". Relative calm in Khartoum UN human rights chief Volker Turk called the Sudan crisis a "powder keg" and a "reckless, senseless conflict taking place in a context of total impunity", with "utter indifference for human life and dignity" at its heart. The temporary ceasefire was a chance to end the "sea of suffering", he told the UN Human Rights Council. Several Khartoum residents told AFP they heard no air strikes, artillery or another fighting on Monday, a rare respite for the war-weary, suffering shortages of medical care, electricity, water and other essentials. The UN, African Union and East African regional bloc IGAD, in a joint statement ahead of the donors' meeting, expressed particular concern about "the rapidly deteriorating situation in Darfur". They said the conflict had "taken on an ethnic dimension, resulting in targeted attacks based on people's identities and subsequent displacement of communities". With their 72-hour ceasefire both the RSF and army "agreed to allow the unimpeded movement and delivery of humanitarian assistance throughout the country", US and Saudi mediators said on Saturday. The post $1.5 bn pledged to curb Sudan’s slide into ‘death and destruction’: UN appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
BSP likely to extend rate hike pause
The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas may extend its pause by keeping key policy rates unchanged on Thursday amid the inflation downtrend as well as the relatively calm economic conditions, according to bank economists......»»
Risky exposure (1)
In a review of banks’ exposure in energy projects, undertaken by the environmental think-tank Center for Energy, Ecology and Development, conglomerate San Miguel Corporation’s energy arm SMC Global Power Corp., which maintains a host of power plants, including those using coal as fuel, received prominent space. In the discussion, the dilemma that banks face was brought to light amid their financial exposure to SMCGP that may be affected by the maneuvers of SMC and its subsidiaries to, ironically, turn around the unfavorable state of the group. It said that apart from issues of supply, local fossil fuel companies are also feeling the impact of volatile fuel prices. SMCGP, the report said, suffered P15 billion in losses in 2022 due to the rising prices of fossil fuel. In May 2022, two of SMCGP’s subsidiaries filed motions for price adjustment before the Energy Regulatory Commission due to the rising fuel costs that they claimed they could no longer bear and wanted to pass on to consumers. The motions, according to the report, have since been denied, and SMC has brought the matter up to the Court of Appeals. Following the ERC denial of the price adjustment petitions, a Bloomberg intelligence report was released finding that SMCGP risks a funding shortfall as high as $1 billion by next June. The same intelligence report also projected that SMCGP’s current coal exposure might make refinancing more difficult and more costly, as investors increasingly shun coal-fired power plants as a result of the international effort to remove polluting fossil fuel as an energy source. Last year also saw SMC withdrawing the ECC applications for the three proposed fossil gas projects in the Visayas, including a liquefied natural gas project in Negros Occidental that had originally targeted a 2022 commissioning date. Despite its already large fossil fuel portfolio, the report said SMCGP issued Series K Bonds due in 2025, Series L. Bonds due in 2028, and Series M. Bonds due in 2032 with a principal amount of P30 billion and an oversubscription option of up to P10 billion in July 2022. Part of the proceeds of these bonds are allocated for SMCGP subsidiary-owned fossil fuel projects, including the Mariveles Power Generation Corporation’s four 150 megawatt or MW circulating fluidized bed coal-fired power plant in Mariveles, Bataan and Excellent Energy Resources Inc.’s 1.3 gigawatt or GW combined-cycle LNG power plant in Barangays Ilijan and Dela Paz Proper, Batangas. Recently, however, Manila Electric Co. or Meralco announced the termination of its power supply agreements with two subsidiaries of SMCGP, Excellent Energy Resources Inc. and Masinloc Power Partners Co. Ltd. The same power supply agreements would have secured revenue for the two SMCGP power plants to be financed by these bonds. Since the contracts were terminated, these subsidiaries would have to go through the competitive selection process again, where it will be up against fossil fuel and renewable energy or RE generation projects. According to the CEED report, the banks that purchased bonds had essentially exposed themselves and their shareholders, to whom they have a fiduciary responsibility, to fossil fuel projects “at risk of stranding.” “Changing policy, economic, geopolitical, and energy landscapes in the country and around the world demand that banks and financial institutions pay closer attention to and take the necessary action to mitigate these risks and protect their shareholders.” The report indicated that important developments show the tide turning in renewable energy’s or RE’s favor locally. According to the DoE, the Green Energy auction program will hold its second round of bids in June this year. The country will auction off rights to build 3,600 megawatts or MW of new capacity to be installed in 2024, 3,600 MW in 2025, and 4,400 MW in 2026. In all, this will result in an additional 11,600 megawatts of RE on top of the 2,000 MW auctioned off last year, an unprecedented scale of development for renewables in the country. (To be continued) The post Risky exposure (1) appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Sudan fighters open ‘humanitarian corridor’ as toll mounts
Sudan's army and rival paramilitaries on Sunday began an hours-long humanitarian pause on the second day of urban battles that killed at least 56 civilians and three UN staff. The raging battles between the powerful armed forces and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) sparked an international outcry and regional concern. Neighbors Egypt and Chad closed their borders with Sudan. After the killing of the three World Food Programme workers, the agency said it was suspending operations in the impoverished country. Deafening explosions and intense gunfire rattled buildings in the capital Khartoum's densely-populated northern and southern suburbs as tanks rumbled on the streets and fighter jets roared overhead, witnesses said. Violence erupted early Saturday after weeks of power struggles between army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his deputy, Mohamed Hamdan Daglo who heads the heavily-armed RSF. Each accused the other of starting the fight. The Central Committee of Sudan Doctors reported 56 civilians killed as well as "tens of deaths" among security forces, and around 600 wounded. Late Sunday afternoon the army said they had "agreed to a United Nations proposal to open a safe passage for humanitarian cases", including the evacuation of wounded, for three hours from 1400 GMT. RSF confirmed the measure, though they said it would last four hours, and both sides maintained their right to "respond in the event of transgressions" from the other side. One hour into the agreed pause, heavy gunfire could still be heard in central Khartoum near the airport, and dense black smoke billowed from the surrounding area. "The gunfire and explosions are incessant," said Ahmed Hamid, 34, from a northern Khartoum suburb. "The situation is very worrying and it doesn't seem like it will calm any time soon," said Ahmed Seif, another Khartoum resident. Daglo's RSF says they have seized the presidential palace, Khartoum airport, and other strategic locations, but the army insists they are still in control. Footage obtained by AFP showed heavy smoke billowing from a building near the army headquarters in Khartoum, with the military saying a building had "caught fire" but that it had been contained. On Sunday, the stench of gunpowder wafted through Khartoum's streets deserted except for soldiers as frightened civilians sheltered inside their homes. Medics pleaded for safe corridors for ambulances and a ceasefire to treat the victims because the streets were too dangerous for transporting casualties to the hospital. 'Appalled' Fighting also erupted in the western Darfur region and in the eastern border state of Kassala, where witness Hussein Saleh said the army had fired artillery at a paramilitary camp. The UN said its WFP employees had been killed Saturday in clashes in North Darfur and announced a "temporary halt to all operations in Sudan". UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres had warned that an escalation in the fighting would "further aggravate the already precarious humanitarian situation". The UN says one-third of Sudan's population needs humanitarian aid. UN Special Representative Volker Perthes condemned the killings and said he was also "appalled by reports of projectiles hitting UN and other humanitarian premises in several locations in Darfur". WFP said an aircraft managed by the organization "was also significantly damaged" at Khartoum airport. "We cannot do our lifesaving work if the safety and security of our teams and partners is not guaranteed," WFP head Cindy McCain said. 'No negotiations' Created in 2013, the RSF emerged from the Janjaweed militia that then-president Omar al-Bashir unleashed against non-Arab ethnic minorities in Darfur a decade earlier, drawing accusations of war crimes. The RSF's planned integration into the regular army was a key element of talks to finalize a deal that would return the country to civilian rule and end the political-economic crisis sparked by the military's 2021 coup. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the fighting "threatens the security and safety of Sudanese civilians". Similar appeals came from Britain, China, the European Union, and Russia, while Pope Francis said he was following the events "with concern" and urged dialogue. After a meeting on the situation in Sudan, the African Union said a senior official would "immediately" travel there on a ceasefire mission. But the two generals appear in no mood for talks. In an interview with Sky News Arabia, Daglo, also known as Hemeti, said, "Burhan the criminal must surrender". The army declared Daglo a "wanted criminal" and the RSF a "rebel militia". There "will be no negotiations or talks until the dissolution" of the group, it said. The October 2021 coup triggered international aid cuts and sparked near-weekly protests met by a deadly crackdown. Burhan, who rose through the ranks under the three-decade rule of now-jailed general Bashir, has said the coup was "necessary" to include more factions in politics. Daglo later called the coup a "mistake" that failed to bring about change and reinvigorated remnants of Bashir's regime ousted by the army in 2019 following mass protests. The post Sudan fighters open ‘humanitarian corridor’ as toll mounts appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Comelec appeals to public: Don’t sell your votes
The Commission on Elections has appealed to the public not to sell their votes as the idea of vote buying through electronic means looms in the 2022 national and local elections amid the COVID-19 pandemic......»»
Commuter group appeals to QC gov’t amid reports of bikers apprehended for wearing slippers
“We ask Mayor Joy Belmonte and the QC Council to consider the first phase of the implementation of Ordinance 2942 as an information drive. Instead of immediately imposing fines against our poor bikers, it is better to educate them by giving them a primer on the said ordinance,” Morillo appealed......»»