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Makati cries foul over Taguig’s ‘rejection’
The local government of Makati City on Sunday lamented the local government of Taguig’s alleged “unreasonable” rejection of Makati proposals which impedes the smooth transfer of city-owned health facilities and services. Makati City Administrator Claro Certeza said that the Makati local government proposed memorandums of agreement pertain to eight barangay health centers and the health data of their patients, and Ospital ng Makati. However, it was allegedly rejected by the local government of Taguig. “We have initiated a series of correspondence and memorandum of agreement proposals to the City of Taguig aimed to facilitate the smooth transfer of Makati-owned health facilities to its jurisdiction. However, these have been rejected outright, without valid reason. Unfortunately, Taguig seems adamant about taking over our hospital and health centers without acknowledging our ownership rights,” Certeza said. In a letter to Mayor Lani Cayetano, a MoA was proposed by Mayor Abby Binay for Ospital ng Makati, which contains an offer extending a substantial credit line to Taguig. The credit line is intended to ensure that affected residents can continue to access the essential health care services at the city-owned and managed hospital. Certeza said that as stated in the draft MoA, the credit line will “function as a financial safety net, enabling Taguig City to provide essential health care services to its residents without immediate upfront payments, particularly in cases where beneficiaries may not have the means to cover their medical costs themselves.” “Makati is even willing to allocate millions in funding for this credit line to Taguig to avoid any disruption in health care services. Yet, Mayor Cayetano refused to even consider the proposal, opting to put off any discussions regarding OsMak, purportedly in deference to the wishes of the Health secretary,” Certeza said. To recall, the Taguig City mayor said in her letter that Department of Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa himself would take the lead in any discussions regarding Ospital ng Makati, and that both cities must defer to his wishes. In another letter to Cayetano, Binay also offered Taguig the option to lease or to purchase the land and improvement of eight health centers, subject to the appraisal of the Commission on Audit. However, Cayetano has allegedly declined the offer, again citing a supposed directive from the Health Secretary to “exclude the issue of ownership in the transition process.” “Makati is willing to let Taguig use its properties without asking them for immediate payment. We are, in fact, deferring to CoA to determine the reasonable amount to be charged,” Certeza said. The post Makati cries foul over Taguig’s ‘rejection’ appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Solon pushes farmers’ protection
To protect the country’s farmers from usurious lenders, marked by excessive loan interest rates and unauthorized lending practices, Davao City First Congressional District Representative Paolo Duterte has filed a bill intended for the institutionalization of the accepted interest rates on the loans of farmers and providing sanctions for those who will violate the measure. “It is disheartening that regardless of the invaluable contribution of the farmers to the country’s food security, they remain to be living below the poverty line,” Duterte said. The lawmaker added that the lack of access to formal credit facilities and excessive interest rates charged by predatory and opportunistic lenders remain as one of the primordial issues faced by the agricultural sector. House Bill 9094 or the Anti-Usury Against Farmers Act of 2023 aims to safeguard farmers not to become victims of usurious lenders and to their unauthorized lending practices. Duterte stressed that several factors have forced the poor farmers to the brink of debt, which include natural calamities, worsening climate change, fluctuating economic forces and unforeseen global pandemic that resulted in the ballooning prices of farming capital and the exposure of agricultural lands to dilapidation. “As a result, the country’s farmers are faced with unabated losses and financial burden which results in their increased financial vulnerability. It left them with no other choice but to obtain more and more credit from loan sharks in order to secure short term relief with the hopes of mitigating their losses from the effects of devastating calamities, disrupted economies, and exorbitant farming capital,” said Duterte. He also cited reports from the Philippine Institute of Development Studies showing that despite the availability of government-directed credit programs and the significant amount of government funds spent for its implementation, farmers or the intended target beneficiaries still do not have access to credit and are still dependent on informal lenders who charge unreasonable interest rates due to lack of collateral to secure loans and lack of awareness or familiarity with the processes and requirements needed. Under the proposed measure, interest on loans to farmers whose landholding does not exceed seven hectares, whether with collateral or without, shall not exceed an effective interest rate of six per cent per annum. The same rate will likewise apply to forbearance of any money, good or credit, and in judgments. Any figure above this shall be considered usurious and illegal. Violators would be fined or penalized with imprisonment. The post Solon pushes farmers’ protection appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Japan boyband agency admits founder’s sexual abuse
The president of Japan's biggest boyband agency admitted on Thursday that its late founder sexually abused young aspiring stars, decades after the allegations against him first emerged. Johnny Kitagawa died of a stroke aged 87 in 2019, having engineered the birth of J-pop mega-groups including SMAP, TOKIO and Arashi that amassed adoring fans across Asia. Allegations of abuse surfaced in Japanese media in 1999 but it was not until this year that they ignited full-on soul-searching, following a BBC documentary and denunciations by victims. "Both the agency itself and I myself as a person recognize that sex abuse by Johnny Kitagawa took place," said Julie Fujishima, a niece of the accused music mogul who died in 2019. "I apologize to his victims from the bottom of my heart," she told a packed news conference in Tokyo while announcing she was stepping down as head of Johnny & Associates "to take responsibility". "I take seriously what happened." Fujishima, who said she had stepped down on Tuesday, named singer and actor Noriyuki Higashiyama, a veteran member of the talent agency, as her successor. "It will take an enormous amount of time before we can regain trust," Higashiyama said. "I will stake the rest of my life on addressing this problem." Fujishima said she will remain in the agency's leadership to help "compensate" victims. - Defamation - Before his death, Kitagawa had successfully sued for defamation over the claims, although the verdict was partially overturned on appeal. He was never criminally charged. A panel of experts last month released the results of its first, in-depth probe into the allegations against Kitagawa, concluding that his abuse went as far back as the 1950s, even before the company was founded. Over the years, aspiring boyband idols collectively dubbed "Johnny's Jrs" sought his tutelage, and the panel estimated that at least "a few hundred" of them had been victimized. The report also quoted former recruits alleging in graphic detail how Kitagawa would perform oral sex on them, fondle them in their genitals or force his way into their beds at night. The panel said Fujishima, who was named Kitagawa's successor after his death, had been "remiss" in her duties because she failed to probe the allegations despite her knowledge of them. Her attitude perpetuated the leadership's tendency to look the other way, the report said. Fujishima, for her part, offered an apology in May but denied she had known about her uncle's predatory history. She chalked her ignorance up to what she framed as the extremely opaque, family-run nature of the boyband empire. "We do not believe there was no problem," she said in May, expressing her regret that she had let herself grow inured to the "abnormalness" of the agency's inner workings. Her apology came after Japanese-Brazilian singer Kauan Okamoto spoke publicly of his experience of being sexually assaulted repeatedly by Kitagawa. tmo/stu/qan © Agence France-Presse The post Japan boyband agency admits founder’s sexual abuse appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Palace says OVP P221.4-M confidential fund legal
The Office of the Executive Secretary has defended the legality of the confidential fund totaling P221.424 million that was released to the Office of the Vice President in 2022 In a statement to media on Tuesday, the OES said the fund was disbursed legally pursuant to "Special Provision No. 1 of last year’s Contingent Fund" for “maintenance operating and other expenses items.” “Under Special Provision No. 1, the President is authorized to approve releases to cover funding requirements of new or urgent activities of national government agencies, among others, that need to be implemented during the year,” it added. The OES explained that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. “saw the need to release the fund in support of Vice President Sara Duterte’s initiative, upon the recommendation of the Department of Budget and Management.” “Vice President Sara, who was newly elected then, needed funds for her new programs for the remaining period of 2022. The President supported this initiative and released the funds, with the favorable recommendation of the DBM,” the statement read. Of the amount, the OES said P125 million were confidential funds for "newly created satellite offices,” while P96.424 million was for financial assistance or subsidies. It also noted that there was legal basis to support the Office of the President's decision to release the P221-million lump sum to the OVP in 2022, which was charged against government contingent funds. Initially, the OVP did not have a budget for confidential expenses in the 2022 General Appropriations Act. However, the transparency report released by the Commission on Audit in 2023 showed it had acquired a P125-million allocation for confidential expenses for that year. In a recent Senate hearing, Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Z. Duterte said the OVP had requested confidential funds from the OP as early as August 2022. However, Duterte noted that the confidential funds were granted only in December 2022. “We requested it from the Office of the President and it was granted through the Department of Budget and Management. I think the Department of Budget and Management can better answer the question of the transfer of funds from their source to the Office of the Vice President,” she said. The OVP has incorporated some P500 million in confidential funds in its proposed P2.385 billion budget for 2024. The post Palace says OVP P221.4-M confidential fund legal appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
3 alleged QC thieves captured
Three alleged thieves were nabbed over the weekend by operatives of the Quezon City Police District. In the first incident, Erwin Albaniel Dizon, 30, was arrested by QCPD Masambong Police Station after his boss and accounting staff complained that he gambled the P45,000 he withdrew from a bank. Dizon was the liaison officer of the company and was tasked to withdraw the company money at the BDO West Avenue Branch. However, instead of depositing the money, Dizon purportedly used it for online gambling. The victim and the accounting staff filed a complaint with the police, which led to Dizon’s arrest. He was found in possession of five bet list receipts from a 7-11 convenience store, with a total amount of P45,000. In the second incident, the QCPD Kamuning Police Station arrested Rommel dela Peña, 23, and Casper Reyeg, 26, for alleged cable theft and resisting arrest. The suspects were reportedly caught cutting cable wires from an iron pole in Barangay Pinyahan. When the police approached them, the suspects fled. The police gave chase and eventually arrested them. Reyeg tried to resist arrest, but the police were able to subdue him. The suspects were found in possession of a metal steel hacksaw, a 7-inch knife, a black backpack, and five meters of cable wire. They will all be charged in court. The post 3 alleged QC thieves captured appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
SONA should focus on what’s good for the ‘common tao’
Rosalie Medina, is a regular figure at a public market in Quezon City's First District. She obliged to give her observation on the coming 2nd State of the Nation Address of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., to the Daily Tribune, provided that the market where her stall is located should not be named in this article. Popularly known in that market as "Aling Osang", she said her meat stall has been her constant companion in her daily life even when she was still single. Aling Osang inherited the meat stall from her parents who were one of the 'original magbababoy' in that market in the '60s, Now that she has a family of her own, Aling Osang said nothing has changed except the prices of what she sells. "Walang nagbago, kundi yung presyo. Yung paghihirap ko, na gumising ng maaga, magtinda, umuwi at magluto para sa pamilya, then, magtinda uli sa hapon. Yun pa rin ang aking ginagawa ko. (Nothing has changed except the prices of meat. I do the same routine, woke early to vend, go home to cook for the family then vend again)," Medina said. She added, she can no longer live the life they are living before, when their mother and father were able to save money for a house to be their shelter with her six other siblings. "Di ko na magagawa ang nagawa nila. Nagpapasalamat na lang ako at naiwanan nila kami ng matitirahan. Pati itong meat stall. Natulungan ako nito na pag-aralin din ang aking mga anak, gaya nila nanay at tatay (I can't duplicate what they did for us with this small meat stall, but it helps me a lot in sending my kids to school just like my mom and dad,)" Medina said, stressing that no one help them, neither local or national leaders. "SONA, para sa mayayaman lang yan. Di naman namin alam ibig sabihin ng mga pinagsasabi ng mga Presidenteng nagdaan sa buhay natin o namin. Nagdaang lang nang walang nangyari sa amin. Kung di kami magsusumikap, mas mahirap pa ang lagay namin malamang ngayon (SONA are for the rich only. We can't understand what the other presidents' say or have said. They just passed by in our lives. If we don't persevere, we were poorer than what we are now)," she explained, adding that if ever this time, President Marcos would mentioned the lowly people like her, she expects that it must do good to her situation. "Yun may pangako na matutupad. Gaya pag-nagkasakit ako, libre ba ang aking ospital? Yun kapitbahay ko namatay nang nanghihingi ng tulong ang pamilya sa mga pulitikong ito ( I want to hear a promise that can be fulfilled. Like, if I got sicked, will the goverment take care of my hospitalization? I have a neighbor who died asking for help from these politicians)," she said. Mang Danny, an almost 80-year-old scavenger who could no longer remember his surname and age, said he will die without experiencing a good life. His family left him because of his heavy drinking, and he ended up as "nagkakalakal". He said he is now waiting the time of his death. "Inaantay ko na lang ang aking kamatayan para mapahinga na rin (I am just waiting for my death to come, to have an eternal rest)," Danny said. He said he is not interested to hear the President's plan for someone like him. "Isa lang ang gusto ko marinig, bahay sa mga walang bahay. Wala kami nun, kaya napilitan silang palayasin ako (One thing I want to hear is a house for those who do not have one. We don't have a house, that's why they were force to throw me out)," he said. This is what the other poorest of the poor also wanted, who claimed they left out in the 4PH Program. Urban poor groups criticized the administration’s social housing program, Sunday, the eve of the President's SONA, for its being “overly dependent” on private developers and “downright discriminatory” against the poorest of the poor. Declared as the administration’s flagship program, the Pambansang Pabahay Para sa Pilipino (4PH) aims to produce one million “affordable” housing each year to address the cumulative housing backlog of some 6.8 million Filipinos. But leaders of urban poor organizations, in a joint statement, stated, “The program is neither affordable nor equitable for the poorest among the homeless Filipinos. Pagkatapos ng anim na taon, maaring nagkabahay ang mga naka-aangat pero ang mahihirap ay hindi." The urban poor network explained that under this private-led housing development program, only the lower- to middle-income families can avail of the P1.1 to P1.5 million housing loan from Pag-IBIG Fund as the poorest of poor, estimated to be 1.7 million of the 6 million beneficiaries, cannot afford a monthly amortization of at least P4,000. Housing loans under 4PH is significantly higher than the current loanable amount of up to P750,000 for socialized housing under Pag-IBIG Fund, with a monthly amortization of P2,445 available for minimum wage earners and low-income families. But informal settler families (ISFs) live under vulnerable conditions of unemployment and underemployment as most of them work in the informal economy with irregular income, the groups said. The P4,000 estimated monthly amortization, the groups said, was based on the one percent interest rate which is the only cost that will be assumed by the government. Pag-IBIG Fund, meanwhile, imposes three percent interest rate for socialized housing loans; but under the 4PH, only one percent shall be paid by the applicant. The rest of the costs in building the units will be assumed by private developers which shall also be charged to household beneficiaries through Pag-IBIG. But since the proposed housing design is high-rise, urban poor leaders said additional costs for the maintenance and operations of said buildings, like elevators and other amenities, shall be borne collectively and may incur additional monthly dues of P2,000 per household. This would mean a family’s total monthly expenditure for housing is at P6,000. “Records would show, however, that even for existing NHA projects, only 22 percent of informal settlers are able to meet the monthly amortization of P300. The P6,000 monthly amortization is 20 times higher than the current NHA cost, making a 4PH's house an impossible dream house for the poorest of the poor. "Hindi pa nagsisimula ang proyekto ay disqualified na ang mahihirap,” said the group. Alternatives Citing a dire need to address the burgeoning housing crisis, urban poor leaders said they are willing to work with the government with an alternative mechanism that they would like to propose. These include a major proposal for the government to make land acquisition and site development for socialized housing a grant to drive down the cost further and make the program more affordable for the poorest of the poor. The groups also want the framework of “People’s Plan” adopted by the government through the enactment of the People’s Plan bill filed in Congress to ensure that ISFs are not merely treated as a “market” in the socialized housing industry but as a major partner and participants for realizing the social objective of eliminating homelessness in the country. It is in the People’s Plan, they said, that a flexible housing program can be formulated democratically which may include, among others, lower cost and mixed-use development of housing estates. Lastly, the groups also opposed to extending the NHA Charter because of the agency’s failure to solve the housing problem for decades and the creation lately of DHSUD. As an alternative, they propose that the housing projects under the NHA be distributed free for the beneficiaries in the same way lands were condoned for agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) in the rural areas. “Kung ang ARBs sa kanayunan ay nabigyan ng Pangulo ng condonation at emancipation sa kanilang mga utang, maari din itong gawin para sa mga ISFs ng kalunsuran,” the group concluded. The post SONA should focus on what’s good for the ‘common tao’ appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Guevarra: We never recognized Hague court
Solicitor General Menardo Guevarra on Wednesday stressed that the Philippines, notwithstanding his office’s motions and appeals before the International Criminal Court, never recognized the tribunal’s jurisdiction. Guevarra, who was blamed by some lawyers for supposedly undermining the government’s non-recognition of the ICC with his office’s pleadings, said the same did not amount to the country recognizing the ICC, “whether expressly or impliedly, as we were very much aware that our withdrawal from the ICC had taken effect in 2019.” Guevarra said in the 3-2 vote (see related story) that greenlighted the probe into the alleged drug-related killings in the Philippines from 2011 to 2019, the ICC failed to rule on the issue of jurisdiction. “This unresolved issue of jurisdiction will be a powerful argument for any person who may be investigated or charged by the ICC,” he said. He added: “The majority did not tackle it, and the minority took a strong position that the ICC had already lost jurisdiction over the Philippines when the ICC prosecutor sought to commence his investigation.” The country, he said, made it pretty clear that its continued engagement with the ICC was borne only out of comity and a shared commitment to end impunity. The ICC prosecutor opened its preliminary investigation into the alleged extrajudicial killings in the Philippines in February 2018. It was based on a referral from the country’s Commission on Human Rights, which alleged that the killings constituted crimes against humanity. The investigation was deferred in November 2021 after the Philippine government requested the ICC prosecutor to do so. The government argued that it was conducting its own investigations into the killings and that the ICC’s investigation was unnecessary. In June 2022, the ICC prosecutor asked for a resumption of the probe, claiming the government failed to make sufficient progress in its own probe. The post Guevarra: We never recognized Hague court appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Tulfo lambasts ‘moro-moro’, ‘hao-siao’ raid of POGO hub
Senator Raffy Tulfo on Monday criticized the lack of coordination between law enforcement, immigration officers, the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation and labor agencies in addressing issues related to Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators. In a press briefing, Tulfo raised concerns about the raid recently conducted by authorities on a POGO hub named Xinchuang Network Technology Inc. or Hong Tai in Las Piñas City on 27 June, where about 2,714 workers were rescued. Of the total number of workers rescued, around 1,284 are foreign nationals, while 1,430 were Filipinos. Tulfo said an “undetermined” amount of cash and several firearms were seized by the raiding teams on the premises of the Hong Tai compound during the raid. Computers and phones were also seized for forensic examination to check if they were being used for illegal activities, such as crypto scams, love scams and other investment scams. However, 13 days after the raid, the police investigation on the POGO case remained “unclear”, said Tulfo, particularly the criminal liability of the people behind Xinchuang. Seven fugitives -- 4 Chinese nationals and 3 Taiwanese -- working for Xinchuang were caught and turned over to the Bureau of Immigration for deportation. But Tulfo said an investigation should first find out if these fugitives are guilty of human trafficking before they should be deported. “Cops are using the foreign nationals as milking cows by asking money from them in exchange for their freedom,” he said. The senator also blasted the move by authorities to immediately clear all 1,528 Filipino POGO workers and allow them to leave the premises in Las Piñas City “without undergoing the proper process of investigation” to determine whether they “are really victims or complicit to the crime.” Tulfo asked authorities if a "background check" has been conducted against the Filipino directors of Xinchuang, identified as Dianica Mensah, Oliver Ong, Divina Vidal, Dinalyn Vidal and Daisy Vidal Cidro. He said they “could all be guilty of crimes.” “Ginagawang gatasan lang ng mga awtoridad ang mga raid ng POGO hub kung saan napakaraming lapses at mishandling na nangyayari” (the raids on POGO hubs only serve as milking cows by the authorities with all the lapses and mishandling that happen), the senator stressed. “Nagkakatawaran pa bago matubos ang foreign nationals mula sa kustodiya ng mga pulis. Yung mga Pilipinong kasabwat naman sa kabulastugang ito, imbes na masampahan ng kaso sa korte, ay nabibigyan pa ng ayuda dahil pinalalabas na biktima! Kaya nagpasa ako ng Resolusyon sa Senado para mapatigil na itong moro-moro at hao-siao na raid na ito!" (Trade-offs happen before foreign nationals are released from police custody. The Filipinos in cahoots, meanwhile, instead of being charged in court, end up as victims! That's why I passed a Senate resolution to look into and stop these sham raids), he added. Tulfo underscored the need to assess the effectiveness of the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation in fulfilling its regulatory mandate, as well as ensuring proper coordination with other concerned agencies and protecting the rights and welfare of POGO workers. The post Tulfo lambasts ‘moro-moro’, ‘hao-siao’ raid of POGO hub appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Suspected Thai cyanide serial killer charged with 14 counts of murder
A Thai woman accused of a spate of poisonings has been charged with 14 counts of murder, police said Wednesday, in one of the kingdom's worst suspected serial killing cases. Sararat Rangsiwuthaporn is alleged to have swindled thousands of dollars out of her victims before poisoning them with cyanide. She was arrested last week over nine suspicious deaths that took place over several years, but the police swiftly widened their probe. Her husband, a high-ranking policeman, is also facing fraud and embezzlement charges related to the murders, deputy national police chief Surachate Hakparn said Wednesday. Surachate said Sararat lured 15 people -- one of whom survived -- to take poisoned "herb capsules". "She asked people she knows for money because she has a lot of credit card debt... and if they asked her for their money back she started killing them," Surachate told reporters. "We are investigating the amount of money that she got from victims." Last week, he indicated the sums involved in each case ran into hundreds of thousands of baht -- the equivalent of thousands of US dollars. Both Sararat and her husband deny the allegations against them. Sararat -- who is four months pregnant -- is facing 14 charges of premeditated murder and one of attempted murder, but police are investigating up to three other potentially linked cases. Last week, officers expanded the geographic area they were investigating to five provinces, most to the west of Bangkok. Police initially suspected the woman of murdering a friend in Ratchaburi province, west of Bangkok, in mid-April. Local media said the victim collapsed on the bank of the Mae Klong River after releasing fish as part of a Buddhist ritual. After questioning the suspect, investigators linked her to other cyanide poisoning cases. The post Suspected Thai cyanide serial killer charged with 14 counts of murder appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Hostage
That recent report on how a budget airline earned spectacular revenues from rebookings, cancellation fees, and refunds was insane! Seriously, how could an airline get away with that? How can the owners live down this unconscionable business practice? I myself was a victim of this opportunistic policy by the very same airline — and the revelations and mountain of complaints in the recent Senate hearing all validated this usurious practice. In my case, I tried to rebook a confirmed flight to Dubai days before the scheduled flight because something important came up. The Dubai trip was more for leisure so it could be rescheduled to a later date. So I tried to rebook to around the fourth quarter of the year and even thought of canceling or changing the itinerary to another destination. Alas, my only choice with this airline was to rebook to a later date, but not for the other two options I had in mind. Their app wouldn’t allow it. But when I processed the rebooking via their app, lo and behold, the airline was charging me a “change fee” equivalent to the base fare of the one-way trip to Dubai! Now why should I be penalized when my rebooking would not disrupt their operations since it was being done with enough time to spare? I paid the regular fare, not a promo one, and in rebooking I chose the flight schedule with the same base fare as the original one. Now let’s stipulate that there is a rebooking fee that is charged per industry practice. But the question is, why that exorbitant amount when it was like I was buying a new ticket? I would understand if the change fee was minimal but to charge me double? That is highway robbery! Going back to the question of how this airline can get away with murder — well, this is what happens when oligarchy rules, when we really do not have a choice as consumers. This is the byproduct of a flawed Constitution, which is so damn restrictive about business ownership and investment policies that we the consumer are held hostage, most especially in the basics, such as electricity, water, telephone, Internet, and, yes, transportation. We are held hostage to unfair and onerous concessions in the management of the aforementioned utilities, and it is no wonder that because of such anomalies, we are lagging so far behind our ASEAN neighbors. In a matter of time, Vietnam and Cambodia will completely overtake us in terms of real economic growth and infrastructure development, and if nothing game-changing is done in our socio-economic sphere that would spur real growth and opportunities, then we might as well prepare to fight it out with Timor-Leste for the investment pittance or afterthought. It’s really frustrating, especially when we already managed to climb out of the sinkhole, only to have this deja vu feeling of being dragged down by incompetence and apathy. Insofar as the abusive business practice of the budget airline in question, I do hope something definitive is done for its management to make amends and for consumers to be really protected. What this budget airline is doing is bordering on criminals and, seriously, it should not be allowed to get away with it. Otherwise, we will continue to be hostaged to greed. Mark my word. The post Hostage appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Ex-LTFRB exec’s bid to junk bribery rap rejected
The Sandiganbayan has junked the motion of an ex-Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board executive director to suspend the bribery charges against him. In a resolution signed on Tuesday but only released Thursday, the Sandiganbayan Sixth Division junked Samuel Jardin's motion for lack of merit. Jardin was indicted for violation of Republic Act 6713 or the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees for allegedly receiving P4.5 million from Michelle Sapangila in exchange for a franchise or Certificate of Public Convenience in 2019. The complainant, Sapangila, claimed in a 2019 sworn statement that a certain "Madam Lolit" allegedly demanded payment for the issuance of a route measured capacity in the amount of P300,000 for Jardin and P4.5 million to be split between Jardin (P3 million) and Martin Delgra III (P1.5 million). The disclosure of the alleged bribe prompted the suspension of Jardin in 2019. In his plea, Jardin argued that the proceedings must be suspended on the ground of prejudicial question. "The accused contends that the resolution of the issues in the case before the Supreme Court will necessarily determine his guilt or innocence. This Court disagrees," the Sandiganbayan said. The graft court added that the resolution of the issue in the case before the Supreme Court would not necessarily determine whether the present criminal cases may proceed. In October last year, the Court of Appeals upheld the 2020 ruling of the Ombudsman that ordered the dismissal of Jardin for grave misconduct, conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service, and violations of the Rules on Administrative Cases in the Civil Service and RA 6713. The Ombudsman found Jardin on 22 December 2020 guilty as charged and ordered his dismissal as LTFRB executive director. He elevated the issue before the CA on 22 June 2021, after the Ombudsman denied his motion for reconsideration. The post Ex-LTFRB exec’s bid to junk bribery rap rejected appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Antonino cleared of pork charges
Former Nueva Ecija Rep. Rodolfo Antonino was acquitted by the Sandiganbayan of graft and malversation charges related to the misuse of P14.55 million in the Priority Development Assistance Fund or PDAF in 2007. The anti-graft court cleared Antonino of two counts of graft and two counts of malversation of public funds after the prosecution failed to prove his guilt beyond reasonable doubt. The cases against the erstwhile lawmaker stemmed from allegations of irregularities in the use of the congressional pork barrel that allegedly funded ghost livelihood projects amounting to P14.55 million in 2007. He was charged after the Buhay Mo Mahal Ko Foundation Inc. or BMMKFI, the non-government organization he endorsed to the Department of Agriculture as implementor of his livelihood training kits project, procured exclusively from C.C. Barredo 7,275 sets of training kits worth P2,000 each for a total of P14.55 million. Prosecutors found that these were ghost projects as several local officials of Nueva Ecija denied receiving any of the kits. Investigation showed the procurement did not go through the appropriate public bidding process. The program was also not supported by any project proposal, physical and audited financial records, monitoring reports, or due diligence done throughout the supplier and non-government organization selection process, according to the Ombudsman. Manifest partiality rapped In acquitting Antonino, the Sandiganbayan Sixth Division said in a 94-page decision that while state prosecutors were able to prove Antonino acted with “manifest partiality” when he requested the transfer of his PDAF allocation to the National Agribusiness Corp., a now-defunct state corporation, this was “different” from what was alleged in the criminal information. The court added that the prosecution failed to prove that he chose and backed the nongovernmental organization on his own as his “project partner.” “The prosecution failed to prove beyond reasonable doubt accused Antonino’s participation in the utilization of his PDAF after he made the said request. As previously discussed, there was no proof, aside from the ‘whereas clause’ in the Nabcor-BMMKFI memorandum of agreement, that accused Antonino chose and endorsed BMMKFI as ‘project partner’ to implement the subject livelihood project,” the Sandiganbayan ruling read. While the anti-graft court ruled in Antonino’s favor, his co-accused, Encarnita Cristina Munsod, the ex-human resource supervisor of the state-run Nabcor, was meted out a 14-year prison sentence on two counts of graft and another 27 years on two counts of malversation of public funds with perpetual disqualification from holding public office. The court also ordered Munsod to pay a P14.5-million fine, the amount misappropriated, and to repay the government the same sum. Meanwhile, the anti-graft court ordered the lifting of the hold-departure order on Antonino and the release of his monetary bond, subject to accounting processes. The post Antonino cleared of pork charges appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Priest arraignment postponed
A Quezon City court on Thursday moved the supposed arraignment of exorcist priest Fr. Winston Cabading to 1 August due to a pending appeal at the Department of Justice. Cabading was charged with offending religious feelings, as the case against him stemmed from the 2022 complaint filed by former Commissions Chief Harriet Demetriou after his statements on the authenticity of the 1948 Lipa Apparitions were quoted in a digital Catholic show. Demetriou, in her complaint, accused the priest of being a “rabid critic” of Mary and lambasted his comment that there exists a 1951 Lipa Diocesan Verdict that “negated the authenticity of the 1948 apparition of Our Lady, Mary, Mediatrix of All Grace.” He was supposed to undergo arraignment Thursday morning but the Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 81 rescheduled the arraignment of Cabading to 1 August at 8:30 a.m. The Court also allowed Cabading to travel abroad to visit his family but was required to post a travel bond twice the amount of his bail bond. On the other hand, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines, also issued a certificate of good standing for the priest last Wednesday. The certificate stated that Cabading “is a Dominican priest of good standing and is not under any censure or investigation by the CBCP.” The CBCP, for its part, has shouldered the blame over Cabading’s case, saying it may be due to the “shortcomings” of Church leaders. The post Priest arraignment postponed appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
QC court postpones arraignment of exorcist priest
A Quezon City court on Thursday moved the arraignment of exorcist priest Fr. Winston Cabading to 1 August due to a pending appeal at the Department of Justice. Cabading was charged with offending religious feelings, stemming from a 2022 complaint filed by former Commission on Elections chief Harriet Demetriou following Cabading's statements that discounted the authenticity of the 1948 Lipa apparitions. Demetriou, in her complaint, accused the priest of being a “rabid critic” of the Virgin Mary and lambasted his comment that a 1951 Lipa diocesan verdict “negated the authenticity of the 1948 apparition of Our Lady, Mary, Mediatrix of All Grace.” Cabading was scheduled to undergo arraignment Thursday morning but the Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 81 rescheduled the arraignment to 1 August at 8:30 a.m. The Court also allowed Cabading to travel abroad to visit his family, but the priest was required to post a travel bond twice the amount of his bail bond. The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines also issued a certificate of good standing for the priest last Wednesday. The certificate stated that Cabading “is a Dominican priest of good standing and is not under any censure or investigation by the CBCP." The CBCP has shouldered the blame for Cabading’s case, saying it may be due to the “shortcomings” of Church leaders. The post QC court postpones arraignment of exorcist priest appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
$10-M reward for ransomware attacker
The United States announced Tuesday a $10 million reward for information leading to the arrest of a Russian hacker who allegedly carried out ransomware attacks on US law enforcement agencies and health care providers. Mikhail Pavlovich Matveev is accused of deploying ransomware variants known as LockBit, Babuk, and Hive in a bid to extort milllions of dollars in payments, the Justice Department said. “Total ransom demands allegedly made by the members of these three global ransomware campaigns to their victims amount to as much as $400 million, while total victim ransom payments amount to as much as $200 million,” the department said in a statement. “From Russia and hiding behind multiple aliases, Matveev is alleged to have used these ransomware strains to encrypt and hold hostage for ransom the data of numerous victims, including hospitals, schools, nonprofits, and law enforcement agencies, like the Metropolitan Police Department in Washington DC,” US attorney Philip Sellinger of the District of New Jersey said. Matveev has been operating since early 2020 using various aliases including “Wazawaka,” “m1x,” and “Boriselcin,” the Justice Department said. It said that LockBit ransomware has been used in more than 1,400 attacks on targets in the US and around the world. The Justice Department said the ransomware actors would access vulnerable computer systems and encrypt or steal data. They would then send a ransom note demanding payment in exchange for decrypting the data or not releasing it publicly. Matveev is charged with conspiring to transmit ransom demands, conspiring to damage protected computers and intentionally damaging protected computers. If convicted, he faces more than 20 years in prison. The post $10-M reward for ransomware attacker appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Red, yellow debacles (2)
In search of energy sources that would provide the country with a stable supply of energy, particularly during the peak dry season when yellow and red alerts are prevalent, a sustainable source may just lie around the corner. Thus, turning waste into energy has become in vogue because it will hit two birds with one stone as it contributes to the production of power while also helping clean up the environment. Industry experts, however, consider the current laws do not support the development of a waste-to-energy industry. The Clean Air Act, for instance, sets rigid standards for incineration, the primary waste-to-energy technology. The House of Representatives already passed a bill allowing the use of waste-to-energy and redefining the incineration ban in the Clean Air Act. The next step, however, is stuck in the Senate which, as with other bills transmitted from the House, has not even started public hearings. Opportunities in the use of waste By 2025, the Philippines would have generated up to 92 million tons of waste, the equivalent of 500,000 blue whales, the largest animals to ever live on Earth. Then the country need not worry about a garbage crisis since it becomes the feedstock to generate power. The amount of waste that could end up in landfills, street corners, empty lots, or bodies of water will grow in direct proportion to population and urban centers. Landfills have limited capacities. A large volume of plastics that now clog the world’s oceans come from the Philippines, which is ranked one of the biggest contributors to plastic pollution in the seas. A law that could stop the waste-to-energy thrust dead on its track is the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act or ESWMA which mandated the use of landfills for waste disposal. ESWMA clashes head-on with the Renewable Energy Act, which mandated the government to prescribe policies and programs promoting and enhancing the development of biomass waste-to-energy facilities. The push for waste-to-energy as alternative fossil fuels lacks clarity in policies. First, the government through the DoE would have to list waste-to-energy as a priority power source as it did other renewable energy technologies—solar, wind, etc. To bring waste-to-energy production into the energy mix, there should be guaranteed and long-term power purchase agreements which would allow private companies to at least recoup their investments. The technology, nonetheless, is not cheap. Facilities that would turn heat from burning waste into energy would require substantial capital and technical expertise. Public-private partnerships would be ideal for such projects. Waste-to-energy facilities would require higher fees that would be charged against waste generators, including local governments. But who would end up bearing the added costs? Not the local governments with their commonly inadequate revenues. Consumers will have to bear the additional costs of waste-to-energy facilities if the government fails to provide support in the form of funding and incentives which are done in successful waste-to-energy systems like Singapore and Japan. Filtering facilities are part of state-of-the-art technologies to prevent waste-to-energy facilities from contributing to the toxic mix in the air. Environmental advocates have been campaigning against burning trash which they said is dirtier than burning coal. Incinerators release unimaginable volumes of minute pollutants into the air that could eventually affect the health of nearby residents. Waste-to-energy facilities need waste, they would need more and more trash to ramp up the production of energy, encouraging a steady and growing stream of waste. In some areas where local governments are starting to embrace waste-to-energy technology, unrest becomes prevalent among local folks. In the search for sustainable and clean sources of energy, the government should have an active part since proper use of technology will help mitigate the periodic lack of power while ending the trash problem that has defied solutions for ages. The post Red, yellow debacles (2) appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
It’s no laughing matter, nitrous oxide could be outlawed – PNP
The Philippine National Police on Monday said it is considering declaring as a dangerous substance nitrous oxide otherwise known as “laughing gas.” PNP spokesperson Col. Jean Fajardo said the PNP, along with the National Bureau of Investigation and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, is looking into the effects of the substance that would cause people to abuse it. “As we speak, under Republic Act 9165, nitrous oxide is not yet included on the list of dangerous substances. But, nonetheless, the NBI, PDEA, and PNP are now studying the possibility of naming nitrous oxide as one of the dangerous drugs,” Fajardo told reporters in Filipino. Nitrous oxide, according to Alcohol and Drug Foundation, is a "colorless gas that is commonly used for sedation and pain relief, but is also used by people to feel intoxicated or high." Often a subject for comedy skits in movies and TV, it is commonly used by dentists and medical professionals to sedate patients undergoing minor medical procedures. “This is being used as a medical substance if you are brought to the hospital. It is like anesthesia. So, if you inhale this over and beyond the allowable amount, the tendency is the user will be high,” Fajardo said. Individuals who will be caught using laughing gas without doctor supervision will be charged under Presidential Decree 1619, according to the PNP spokesperson. The NBI recently arrested seven Vietnamese for allegedly selling nitrous oxide in balloons at a bar in Pasay City. The post It’s no laughing matter, nitrous oxide could be outlawed – PNP appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Patriots owner s prostitution case heads to appellate court
By TERRY SPENCER Associated Press FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — Prosecutors charging New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft with twice buying sex from massage parlor prostitutes will attempt to save their case this week by arguing to an appeals court that his rights weren't violated when police secretly video-recorded him in the act. Prosecutors will tell the Florida Fourth District Court of Appeal during an online hearing Tuesday that a county judge erred when he invalidated the January 2019 search warrant allowing police to install secret cameras at Orchids of Asia spa as part of an alleged sex trafficking investigation. The judge said the warrant didn’t sufficiently protect the privacy of innocent customers who received legal massages, and he barred the videos’ use at trial as well as testimony about what they showed. If the ruling stands, it will deal a fatal blow to the prosecution's case. “Mr. Kraft's guilt is a virtual certainty” and he has no right to benefit from any possible mistakes police made involving innocent customers, Deputy Solicitor General Jeffrey DeSousa wrote in court documents. Kraft's attorneys vehemently disagreed, arguing that if the three-justice panel allows the videos' use, “civil liberties cherished in Florida and beyond” will be endangered. “If the state wins this appeal, then everyone loses, not just the accused,” attorney Frank Shepherd wrote. “Government could run roughshod over privacy and constitutional rights while evading scrutiny.” The Jupiter police recordings led to misdemeanor charges against Kraft and two dozen other alleged Orchids of Asia customers. The spa owners and some employees are charged with prostitution-related felonies. Most cases are in limbo while the appeals are heard. If prosecutors can’t use the videos, they would almost certainly dismiss any misdemeanor charges awaiting trial. Some defendants took plea deals but Kraft refused. The felony cases could proceed, as those have other evidence besides the videos. Kraft, a 79-year-old widower and part-time Palm Beach resident, has pleaded not guilty but issued a public apology. He faces a possible one-year jail sentence if convicted, but would likely receive a fine, community service and other sanctions. Kraft, whom Forbes Magazine ranks as the 82nd richest American with a worth of almost $7 billion, is employing several high-priced attorneys to fight the charges. DeSousa submitted several arguments against Palm Beach County Judge Leonard Hanser's ruling. Among them: — The warrant is valid because police minimized any privacy invasion by having only three detectives monitor video. Any further minimization, such as recording only snippets of each massage, would have made the investigation impossible. — Kraft illegally paid for sex and is lawfully covered by the warrant, even if the justices determine police violated innocent customers' privacy rights. — If the warrant is invalid, the detectives relied on it “in good faith” and a sanction banning the video is too extreme. Shepherd submitted several counterarguments for Kraft. They include: — Detectives' privacy protection efforts were insufficient because they recorded seminude men and women receiving legal massages, making the Kraft recordings also illegal. — Police had enough evidence to charge the spa owners with felonies without recording, making the cameras “wholly gratuitous." — The evidence detectives presented to obtain the magistrate's warrant approval was “deliberately misleading,” negating any argument they acted in good faith. The justices won’t immediately rule after the hearing; decisions usually takes weeks. The losing side will likely appeal to the Florida Supreme Court, which could accept the case or let the justices’ ruling stand. Authorities say the Orchids of Asia investigation was part of a multicounty probe into possible sex trafficking by spa owners who they believe brought women from China and elsewhere to work as prostitutes. About 300 people were charged with various felonies and misdemeanors, but no trafficking charges were pursued — prosecutors say they received no cooperation from masseuses whom they suspect were trafficked. According to police, Kraft's chauffeur drove him to Orchids of Asia on the evening of Jan. 19, 2019, where detectives recorded him engaging in a sex act with two women and then paying an undetermined amount in cash. Investigators said Kraft returned the next morning and engaged in recorded sex acts with a woman before paying with a $100 bill and another bill. Hours later, Kraft was in Kansas City for the AFC Championship game, where his Patriots defeated the Chiefs. His team then won the 2019 Super Bowl in Atlanta, the Patriots’ sixth NFL championship under his ownership. Prosecutors offered to drop the charges if Kraft entered a diversion program for first-time offenders. That would include an admission he would be found guilty if the case went to trial, a $5,000 fine, 100 hours of community service and attending a class on the dangers of prostitution and its connection to human trafficking. The hearing is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. EDT Tuesday on the court's YouTube channel......»»
2 arrested; guns, explosive, drugs seized
2 arrested; guns, explosive, drugs seized.....»»
7 nanlaban drug suspects dead after Baste Duterte declares drug war
Less than a week after Davao City Mayor Sebastian Duterte declared a "war on drugs" in the city, at least seven drug suspects were killed during a buy-bust operation in the city — violence that highlights the seriousness of the mayor's recent threat of outright killing persons caught using illegal drugs......»»