Senegal government websites hit by cyberattack
A cyberattack purportedly claimed by the Anonymous hacking group took down dozens of government websites in Senegal, where tensions are simmering nine months before a presidential election, officials said on Saturday. The @MysteriousTeamO account, claiming to belong to the hacker group Anonymous, said on social media that it had targeted websites run by the presidency and those using the domain of the government, including the defense ministry and the health ministry. It also claimed to have affected the site of the national airline Air Senegal. Most of the affected sites were back online by mid-afternoon on Saturday, but access to some remained intermittent. Global internet monitor NetBlocks told AFP that the attack started at around midnight on Friday and had affected "dozens of government websites, networks, and online services". "There do appear to be intermittent restorations in service, however, these have not been sustained and the attack is ongoing," NetBlocks added. The @MysteriousTeamO account said the attack was in "solidarity" with Senegalese citizens and their right to freely choose their president. Government spokesman Abdou Karim Fofana acknowledged the attack, which he described as a distributed denial-of-service attack, designed to overwhelm the target with a flood of internet traffic, preventing the system from functioning normally. The relevant department said its teams were working to return to normal "as soon as possible," he said in a statement. The attack comes amid a tense political climate in the West African country. The opposition has denounced what it says is a growing crackdown by the government of President Macky Sall. Uncertainty over whether he will run for a controversial third term, as well as the rape trial of opposition leader Ousmane Sonko, has fuelled tensions in the relatively stable nation. Sonko has refused to appear in court, claiming the authorities are plotting to keep him out of the presidential race. Having previously withdrawn to the south of the country during the trial, on Friday Sonko began a high-risk return to the capital Dakar, intending to draw out supporters along the way with a so-called "caravan of freedom". Local media reported clashes between Sonko's supporters and security forces on Friday surrounding his arrival at Kolda in the south -- still a long way from Dakar. Sonko's party said on Saturday that a 37-year-old father had died in the clashes, blaming the authorities. AFP was unable to confirm that the man died during the clashes. The post Senegal government websites hit by cyberattack appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Biden says ‘hopeful’ on US debt deal within hours
President Joe Biden said Friday he is "hopeful" for a resolution within hours to the US debt ceiling standoff between Democrats and Republicans, raising hopes of an imminent end to the threat of default by the world's biggest economy. "It's very close and I'm optimistic," Biden told reporters at the White House. "I'm hopeful we'll know by tonight whether we're going to be able to have a deal." The Democratic president said he hoped for a resolution to the standoff "before the clock strikes twelve." It was by far the strongest indication that the drama in Washington might end, allowing the government to borrow and avoid a default likely to trigger a recession, mass job losses, and recession. Earlier, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said the dreaded X-date, when the government runs out of money unless it can borrow, will now be June 5, not June 1. Yellen, however, warned that the deadline extension does not change the urgency. "Waiting until the last minute to suspend or increase the debt limit can cause serious harm to business and consumer confidence, raise short-term borrowing costs for taxpayers, and negatively impact the credit rating of the United States," she said in a letter to the Republican leader of the House of Representatives, Speaker Kevin McCarthy. According to unconfirmed US media reports, the deal taking shape would include an agreement to extend the government's borrowing authority for two years, meaning no repeat of the current drama before the 2024 presidential election. Democrats, however, would have to offer concessions on Republican demands for sweeping spending limits on social safety and other domestic programs. McCarthy told reporters that negotiators had "made progress" but added: "Nothing is agreed to until it's all agreed to." IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva cited new data that she said showed the "US economy has proven resilient," but urged a "speedy resolution" to avoid the first default in US history. "We think of the US Treasury market as an anchor for the global financial system, and this anchor needs to hold," she said. With the country getting a three-day Memorial Day holiday weekend, members of Congress were leaving Washington on their own 10-day recess. Even Biden -- to the consternation of some in his own party -- headed to his Camp David retreat, then his home in Delaware. Yet Wally Adeyemo, the deputy Treasury secretary, told CNN that both Biden and McCarthy were focused on avoiding catastrophe. "The president decided, the speaker has said it, and we have to get something done before June," Adeyemo said. "The president is committed to making sure that we have good faith negotiations with the Republicans to reach a deal because the alternative is catastrophic for all Americans." The debt ceiling raise is an annual accounting maneuver that usually passes with relatively little notice. It simply allows the government to keep borrowing money to pay for bills already incurred through the budget. This year, the increasingly hard-right Republican Party has decided to turn the debt ceiling into leverage to force Biden to roll back favorite Democratic spending priorities. Republicans call this taking responsibility for the $31 trillion national debt. The White House accuses the opposition party, which controls the House of Representatives, of taking the economy hostage. Democratic minority leader Hakeem Jeffries slammed the Republicans from the House floor on Thursday, accusing them of risking "a dangerous default in a crisis that they've created." Economists have spent months raising the prospect of economic catastrophe should the government default, and top military brass added their own dire prognosis Thursday, warning that the crisis would have a "significant negative impact" on troops. "Readiness clearly would be impacted," Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters. McCarthy has pointed to a recent CNN poll showing 60 percent support for a debt ceiling hike if accompanied by cuts, although 51 percent of respondents in a new Monmouth University survey said they wanted the two issues to be separated. Although lawmakers are on recess, McCarthy has said they will get 24 hours' notice if they are required to return for a vote. The post Biden says ‘hopeful’ on US debt deal within hours appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Legal gun owners keep criminals at bay — Bato
Senator Ronald “Bato” de la Rosa said Thursday that members of his family all know how to use guns as a necessary tool or instrument for peace — only to be used to defend people against criminals. “I am ready. I am always ready,” De la Rosa said in Filipino during the opening of the 29th AFAD Defense and Sporting Arms Show running until Monday at the SMX Convention Center in Pasay City. As a lawmaker who has to blow the whistle on criminals during Senate investigations, De la Rosa said he considers himself to be constantly in the crosshairs of syndicates and other dregs of society. He cited the assassination of Negros Oriental Roel Degamo and the pilferage of portions of a P1.6 billion worth of shabu in Manila last October as examples of controversies he is investigating. De la Rosa, the first chief of the Philippine National Police under the Duterte administration, chairs the Senate Committee on Public Order. Interviewed by Daily Tribune, Alaric Topacio, president of the Association of Firearms and Ammunitions Dealers of the Philippines, said over 98 percent of firearms sold in the Philippines are for self-defense. He stressed that AFAD has been pushing responsible gun ownership and that most of those who legally purchase guns do so only to protect themselves as a last recourse, or to engage in sports shooting. Criminals, both Topacio and De la Rosa agreed, mostly use unlicensed firearms. Topacio pointed out that criminals do not leave their guns behind just because there’s a gun ban. On the other hand, licensed gun owners, as law-abiding citizens, leave their guns at home during gun bans at the risk of being at the mercy of criminals, he added. “Criminals rejoice when they’re the only ones, aside from the police, who have guns. It’s party time for them because they can always evade the cops while having easy pickings on the streets, victimizing civilians,” Joel, a gunsmith tending one of the stalls, said. For the Sangguniang Kabataan and Barangay Elections, the Commission on Elections set the gun ban period from 28 August 2023 to 29 November. Government data placed at about 1.5 million licensed gun owners in the Philippines. Estimates put the number of unlicensed firearms circulating at four times the number of licensed guns. Legal gun owners need to regularly pass drug and neuro-psychiatric exams and to be without criminal records to keep their guns. De la Rosa said the firearms and ammunition industry in the Philippines contributes to the economy in terms of jobs created and taxes paid. The post Legal gun owners keep criminals at bay — Bato appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Comelec: Tulfo ACT-CIS assumption no problem
The Commission on Elections disclosed on Friday that there would be no problem for Erwin Tulfo to assume the vacant seat of Anti-Crime and Terrorism Community Involvement and Support or ACT-CIS Partylist as their fourth nominee. This comes after the poll body’s Second Division’s junked the disqualification petition filed against Tulfo over “lack of jurisdiction” due to the petition being filed out of the prescribed time by the poll body. “The petition was in fact dismissed, and then at any time, Tulfo can, in fact, ascend to the post, take the oath of office and assume that post,” said Comelec spokesperson John Rex Laudiangco. The petition challenged Tulfo’s assumption of the third ACT-CIS seat vacated by their third nominee, Jeffrey Soriano, who resigned last February. Based on rules of succession, Tulfo, being the fourth nominee in this case, should assume the post. To recall, ACT-CIS led the party-list race in last year’s elections, gaining 2,111,091 or 5.74-percent of the votes, making them the sole party to gain three seats in the 19th Congress. However, Tolentino’s petition raised concerns over Tulfo’s citizenship and previous membership in the United States’ Army, as well as his libel conviction in 2008 on ‘Tulfo v. People of the Philippines.’ In their resolution, the Comelec Second Division argued that the petition for disqualification filed by Atty. Moises Tolentino against Tulfo was long after the proclamation of ACT-CIS and its three seats in Congress on 26 May last year. Laudiangco said that the decision will be deemed final and executory five days after the promulgation – or at 30 April, unless challenged through a motion for reconsideration by Tolentino or if the Supreme Court intervened. “After the lapse of the said period on 30 May, if the petitioner failed to file a motion for the consideration, then the decision will become final and executory, unless of course, [it will be] restrained by the Supreme Court,” said Laudiangco. The post Comelec: Tulfo ACT-CIS assumption no problem appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Groups oppose railroading of Maharlika fund
One critic said certifying the bill as urgent is an “abuse of the presidential power to circumvent the constitutional requirements" in passing a law. The post Groups oppose railroading of Maharlika fund appeared first on Bulatlat......»»
Gadon predicts Sarah vs Romualdez in 2028
The resignation of Vice President Sarah Duterte from the ruling political party Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats is the start of the breakdown of UnitTeam, the coalition of political parties that brought President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to the presidency. This was the assessment made by lawyer and former senatorial candidate Larry Gadon who also predicted that the 2028 presidential race will be headed by Duterte and House Speaker Martin Romualdez. Gadon at the weekly Partners Media Forum in Quezon City said the breakdown of Lakas-CMD will also give birth to five other political parties who would also field their own candidate for the presidency, including Duterte's Hugpong ng Pagbabago Party. "Hugpong of Sarah will register as a national political party," to rival Romualdez who is now the president of Lakas-CMD," Gadon said. He also hinted that a new political party will emerge in the Visayan region and will be led by a political clan headed by Bacolod City Mayor Albee Benitez. "Of course, LP (Liberal Party) will also field their own candidate," Gadon added. He did not divulge, however, the cabinet position he had been eyeing, as he ran with the UniTeam under Marcos' Kilusang Bagong Lipunan. Last 9 May, the one-year ban on appointing losing candidates expired, giving the president a prerogative to appoint party mates who lost in the last elections. The post Gadon predicts Sarah vs Romualdez in 2028 appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
430 ‘narco-officials’ under monitoring
Philippine National Police chief Police General Benjamin Acorda Jr. on Thursday disclosed that at least 430 barangay officials allegedly involved in illegal drugs are now monitoring by law enforcement agencies. Acorda said some of these barangay officials are included in the PNP’s list of High-Value Individuals and Street-Level Individuals in the war against drugs. “They are subject to intelligence operations. We are hoping that this will be reduced in the coming days. Hopefully, those involved would eventually stop. If not, they will be subject to police operations,” Acorda said. He added that the barangay officials have varying involvement in illegal drugs where some are pushers, some are protectors and others are financiers. “But based on our update, there are more or less 430 barangay officials (involved in the illegal drug trade), many of them are in Region VI (Western Visayas),” said Acorda, as he urged the public not to vote for candidates who are involved in illegal drugs. “I want to take this opportunity to appeal to voters not to consider candidates, who have involvement in illegal drugs, to become our next set of barangay officials,” Acorda said. For his part, Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos urged all candidates for the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections to undergo a drug test amid police intelligence reports that there were around 430 barangay officials involved in the illegal drugs activities. Abalos said illegal drugs remain one of the biggest problems in the country and barangay officials should take the lead not only in fighting them but also in leading by example by proving that they are clean. Meantime, Acorda revealed that they are monitoring 48 active and potential private armed groups that may mobilize on the days leading to the elections. The PNP said it is focusing more on Regions 3 (Central Luzon), 5 (Bicol), 6 (Western Visayas), 13 (Caraga), Cordillera Administrative Region and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. Acorda said part of the early interventions are operations to take away the instruments of crime and violence, particularly firearms. The post 430 ‘narco-officials’ under monitoring appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Voting options for Pinoys abroad still open
The Commission on Elections disclosed on Thursday that it will still retain the in-person and mail-in voting options for overseas Filipinos, even with the roll-out of internet voting which the poll body recently approved. In a television interview, Comelec chairperson George Garcia said that the push for Internet voting would rely on the voters’ acceptance of the new mechanism. “We can’t just simply remove the two existing modes of voting that we’ve been using, including in-person and mail-in voting. We have to make adjustments for our kababayans who will be using internet voting come 2025,” Garcia said. “If all Filipinos abroad have availed Internet voting, we can recommend the Congress to abolish the in-person and voting by mail. We can do this recommendation,” he added. To recall, the poll body approved the adoption of Internet voting last week, with the target implementation of the measure on the country’s midterm elections in two years’ time. The Commission En Banc explained in their decision that the measure does not need a law, as mandated in Republic Act 9189 and Republic Act 10590. However, Comelec has not yet defined any system that would be used for internet voting and, in terms of budget, Garcia said that it would depend on the studies on voting security using such technologies. “Because this is still a policy direction of the Comelec, this should be included in the preparatory budget for the 2025 elections. There should also be studies conducted, because the number one issue is the security and credibility of the results. It should be verifiable and auditable, and can secure the votes of our kababayans, as well as ensuring that those who vote are those registered with us,” Garcia said. The post Voting options for Pinoys abroad still open appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
PNP: Trust the process
Philippine National Police Chief Police General Benjamin Acorda Jr. appealed to the public to trust the PNP’s built-in mechanisms in disciplining its erring personnel following the recent involvement of certain police officers in criminal activities that have put the institution’s integrity in a bad light. “The PNP, as an organization founded on professionalism, is more than equipped to undertake administrative investigation and, if the circumstances warrant, render punitive actions against its personnel involved in criminal activities,” Acorda said. He added that the mechanisms are designed to ferret out the truth and the same process would also allow PNP officers under probe a venue to defend themselves against charges. Acorda assured the public that the PNP would be transparent and impartial in all its internal personnel investigations. “Regardless of rank or position, all PNP personnel who are formally charged administratively will have to subject themselves voluntarily to these processes,” Acorda said. “Formal hearings and deliberations will be done in all cases before a final verdict is rendered,” he added. Acorda stressed that the PNP’s Internal Affairs Services and the Integrity Monitoring and Enforcement Group are part of the built-in mechanisms within the organization designed to deal with erring personnel involved in criminal activities. At the same time, Acorda said all disciplinary measures against erring cops should start from the level of all ground commanders. Meantime, the PNP is intensifying efforts in intelligence monitoring against barangay officials who may have or have involvement in illegal drugs. PNP public information office chief Brig. Gen. Redrico Maranan disclosed that it is part of the police’s efforts to ensure the conduct of safe and peaceful Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections. He added that strengthening the operations against barangay officials involved in the illegal drugs is vital in raising public awareness of people seeking government posts involved in these illegal acts. Maranan said this will also help the PNP reduce incidents of violence ahead of the polls as drug syndicates are known to use their money in supporting candidates sympathetic to their business. The post PNP: Trust the process appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Only 11 measures up for House okay
True to its word to expedite its passage, the House of Representatives announced Thursday that only 11 measures are up for approval out of the 42 priority legislations of the Marcos administration. “We are proud of our collective accomplishment — 31 out of 42 and counting. As of today, we have achieved a significant part of our goal in less than a year of session,” Speaker Martin Romualdez bared. The long-stalled National Land Use Act, pending in Congress for almost two decades, and the 30-year National Infrastructure Program Bill, which would run from 2023 to 2052, were among those that received the final nod from the lower chamber last week. The NLUA law was among President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s identified as part of his legislative agenda in his inaugural State of the Nation Address in July last year, aiming to succeed where his predecessor failed. Mr. Marcos had already signed three of the 42 Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council bills into law, namely the SIM Registration Act, a bill postponing barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections to October this year, and a bill amending the law on the fixed term of the Armed Forces of the Philippines chief of staff and other high-ranking officers. Next in the line is the contentious Maharlika Investment Fund, which is now one step away from his blessing, as Senate President Migz Zubiri vowed to fast-track its approval following his marching order to pass it as “urgent.” The controversial bill is now at the Senate plenary and is being scrutinized by senators. The LEDAC measures are believed to address critical concerns relating to public health, job creation and further promote economic growth and support Mr. Marcos’ Agenda for Prosperity and his eight-point socio-economic roadmap. It was the “hard work” and backing of his fellow House members, Romualdez said, that turned the vision into fruition. The proposed Bureau of Immigration Modernization Act and Philippine Salt Industry Act, both in accordance with the President’s economic strategy, is now awaiting final approval from the House plenary next week. The post Only 11 measures up for House okay appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
‘Internet voting may end in-person vote overseas’
Should Filipinos abroad embrace the concept of internet voting in the 2025 midterm polls, the Commission on Elections said it might discontinue the use of mail-in and in-person casting of ballots for overseas absentee voting......»»
Enhance e-Gov system, Marcos orders DICT
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has instructed the Department of Information and Communications Technology to regularly enhance the e-Gov system in order to ensure its successful implementation at the local level, Malacañang said on Wednesday. The Presidential Communications Office said Marcos tasked DICT Secretary Ivan John Uy during a sectoral meeting at Malacañang Palace in Manila on Tuesday, where they discussed the DICT’s ongoing projects and address cybersecurity issues. “So again, it all boils down to that. That’s really the essence of digitalization. Let’s be sure that we are able to upgrade this system. Set it up to get them (LGUs) ready, so they know how to operate it,” Marcos said. “Let’s capacitate our LGUs so they can adapt to the system,” Marcos added. During the sectoral meeting, Uy said the e-Gov system would enable LGUs to save a lot of money and boost income generation. “Downloading would be easier. They would be able to save a lot of money, and their income generation capacity will increase tremendously because there will be efficiencies in the collection,” Uy said. Communications Secretary Cheloy Garafil said the launch of the eGov Super App is scheduled next month. The main projects in focus, she said, are the consolidation of government cloud services through e-Cloud, the collection of feedback and complaints from citizens through e-Report, and the integration of all government services into a single platform via the e-Gov app. The “super app,” which was introduced as part of the e-Gov PH system in December last year, provides a convenient means for the public to access government services and information online, catering to both local and national levels, through a dedicated application. The post Enhance e-Gov system, Marcos orders DICT appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
AFP monitoring 300 villages amid upcoming barangay, SK polls
The Armed Forces of the Philippines said it is monitoring more or less 300 villages nationwide amid the upcoming barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections in October. In an interview with reporters on Wednesday, AFP spokesperson Col. Medel Aguilar clarified that these areas under monitoring were previously cleared of the influence of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army. “They are not election hotspots for the BSK Election. They are barangays that we want to clear or to remain clear from the presence of armed insurgents, which will be helpful in the conduct of a secure and free election,” he said. Aguilar said the CPP-NPA rebels are trying to recover their strength in those areas "where they have a presence." “We are also looking at areas where there are still active guerilla fronts like the Samar area,” he added. The AFP said there are 22 remaining CPP-NPA guerrilla fronts nationwide, but only two are still actively operating. No groups of former military personnel tapped for illegal activities in connection with elections have so far been monitored, said Aguilar. “We are strengthening our counterintelligence capabilities to make sure that we can still monitor those who have special skills so they don’t get hired for illegal activities,” he added. Aguilar also stressed that the process of determining the "Election Areas of Concern" shall be done by the Committee on the Ban on Firearms and Security Concerns. The post AFP monitoring 300 villages amid upcoming barangay, SK polls appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
DeSantis set to enter 2024 race, teeing up bitter face-off with Trump
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is set to launch his 2024 presidential campaign Wednesday, signaling 18 months of acrimony ahead as he and Donald Trump lock horns in what is expected to be an attritional contest for the Republican nomination. DeSantis was considered a rising Republican star, but has been caught flat-footed by months of relentless attacks from the former president, who has surged into a commanding lead despite being engulfed in a firestorm of criminal investigations. The 44-year-old governor will make his announcement in a livestreamed chat with billionaire Twitter owner Elon Musk on the network's audio platform as he bids to co-opt some of the tech mogul's star power to upstage Trump. "I'm endorsing governor DeSantis -- he doesn't hold back and he's trying to make changes," one backer said in a video compilation of messages of support posted on Twitter by the Never Back Down political organization. Musk teased the 6:00 pm (2200 GMT) Twitter Spaces event in remarks to a conference hosted by the Wall Street Journal, promising it would be live and unscripted, with "real time questions and answers." The announcement will come with a campaign launch video and the start of a three-day retreat in Miami for some of DeSantis's wealthiest donors, who will be briefed on the campaign before the governor hits several early voting states next week. National profile Long viewed as the most viable challenger to twice-impeached Trump, DeSantis is better known than most of the hopefuls in the chasing pack for the Republican nomination -- but still lacks the frontrunner's national profile. The launch format offers him a dual advantage -- giving him precious access to Musk's 140 million followers, many of whom are in Trump's base, and, if he wins the nomination, the attention of a chunk of younger, less conservative voters he will likely need for a shot at the White House. DeSantis has used his platform as Florida's chief executive to burnish his conservative credentials, signing off on some 80 new state laws this spring, many targeting "woke indoctrination" in schools and other public institutions. They include a ban on the discussion of gender identity and sexual orientation in schools, a block on funding for efforts to promote diversity at public universities and one of the most restrictive abortion laws in the country. Never Back Down, which has been acting as the governor's de facto campaign arm, has a ground operation in most of the early nominating states and is making plans to expand. But the launch comes with DeSantis's ratings in decline as a number of policy missteps have prompted disquiet about his readiness to take on Trump. He faces the daunting task of closing an enormous polling gap, with Trump posting leads of close to 40 percentage points, despite being indicted on felony financial charges and being found liable for sexual abuse in a New York civil trial. Jockeying for endorsements Behind the scenes, the Trump and DeSantis camps have been jostling to secure political endorsements from state lawmakers while, at the national level, Florida's congressional delegation has broken heavily for Trump. Musk is a well-known DeSantis admirer, although he was clear that Twitter would remain neutral on the nomination and that his hosting of the campaign launch should not be taken as an endorsement. "I've said publicly that my preference, and I think the preference of most Americans, is... to have someone fairly normal in office," he said, without making any explicit criticism of Trump. The former reality TV star was banned from Twitter after the 2021 assault on the US Capitol by his supporters and has not posted since being reinstated in November. He has been attacking DeSantis almost daily on his record, character and fitness for office, but responded to Wednesday's announcement with relative restraint -- simply posting favorable polling on his own online platform, Truth Social. "Announcing on Twitter is perfect for Ron DeSantis. This way he doesn't have to interact with people and the media can't ask him any questions," a Trump aide said. The post DeSantis set to enter 2024 race, teeing up bitter face-off with Trump appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Mabini up close
Apolinario Mabini died in his brother’s home in Nagtahan in 1903. The wooden house with a nipa roof, now a national shrine, has been moved a number of times. First, from one bank of the Pasig to the other to give way to the expansion of Nagtahan bridge; second, from the Presidential Security Group compound […] The post Mabini up close appeared first on Cebu Daily News......»»
PNP monitoring barangay officials with suspected drug links
Police are keeping tabs on barangay officials with suspected links to illegal drugs who might run for another term in the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections in October......»»
‘Ukraine saboteurs’ attack Russia
Russian security forces battled alleged saboteurs who crossed from the Ukraine border and attacked the southern region of Belgorod on Monday. Several drones struck houses and a government building overnight but did not result in major casualties or deaths, Vyacheslav Gladkov, Belgorod governor, wrote on Telegram. Gladkov said on Tuesday the “defense ministry and law enforcement are continuing to clear the area.” The governor said eight people had been injured in the attack and authorities were helping residents leave the scene of the fighting and drive away the infiltrators. He said two people were injured in a shelling of the village of Glotovo of the Grayvoron District, TASS news agency reported. Gladkov added that a woman was wounded from a mine explosion and taken to a hospital in serious condition. He said on Tuesday that it was too soon for residents who fled to return to their homes and said that authorities would give the all-clear when it was safe. Members of the anti-Kremlin Freedom of Russia Legion claimed responsibility for the incursion into Belgorod. In a video released by a Telegram channel claiming to represent the group, a camouflaged spokesperson, surrounded by armed men in fatigues, said: “Russia will be free!” — a slogan frequently used by Russian opposition activists. “We want our children to grow up in peace and be free,” the spokesperson added, with the channel claiming that two settlements including Graivoron had been attacked. Kyiv denied involvement. Ukrainian presidential advisor Mikhaylo Podolyak suggested that Russian “guerrilla groups” could be responsible. The Belgorod attack follows Moscow’s announcement of capturing the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut and a missile barrage on Dnipro. Both the Russian mercenary group Wagner and the regular army said over the weekend that Bakhmut had fallen, but Ukraine said Monday that its troops continued to fight for the devastated city from a small area of Bakhmut that they still control. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said the infiltration of Belgorod is intended to divert attention to the alleged defeat of Ukrainian defenders of Bakhmut. The post ‘Ukraine saboteurs’ attack Russia appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Comelec pushes Internet voting
Commission on Elections chairman George Erwin Garcia on Tuesday reiterated the needed push for Internet voting as a means to ramp up the turnout in overseas voting during a forum titled “Beyond Suffrage: A Forum on Women and Overseas Voting” led by the Department of Foreign Affairs-Office of the Overseas Voting Secretariat. In his speech, Garcia urged implementing agencies, including the DFA which primarily handles OAV activities to promote newer technologies as it is already allowed by law and that It could bring significant results to the country’s overseas voting records. “It is our conclusion that we should no longer wait for a law to be enacted before Comelec would be able to venture into Internet voting or electronic voting,” Garcia said. “We should get outside of the box or even remove the box so to speak to proceed with Internet voting despite the absence of the law because it is provided by the law itself,” he added. Comelec last week approved the adoption of internet voting for the conduct of OAV, but they are yet to define the technologies that will be used for the measure which they are aiming to implement on the 2025 midterm elections. This year also marks the 20th year since the passage of Republic Act 9189 or “The Overseas Absentee Voting Act of 2003,” which laid the guidelines for the conduct of primarily mail-in voting in the Philippines, but allowed Comelec to study modern technologies, as stated in Section 16 of the legislation. This law was eventually amended in Republic Act 10590 in 2013. According to DFA Overseas Voting Secretariat Zoilo Velasco, OAV turnout have increased through the years, with last year’s polls having a high voter turnout of 40.59 percent, translating to 688,961 voters who casted their ballots. However, as Garcia previously argued, the said number is still far from the 1.7 million registered Filipinos overseas. He also reported a significant decrease in overseas voter registration for the 2019 and the upcoming 2025 elections, having more than 174,000 and nearly 26,000 registrants respectively. Velasco said that the turnout in voting and voter registration should be a step for policymakers to consider policies that would aid in improving the system of overseas voting. “We will continue to do our best and register as many people as we can. We are requesting for more funding so that we could be able to register more. We will do everything we can. If there’s a decline in overseas registration, it is for some external reasons. This is also an important input for policymakers because they should be able to come up with out of the box solutions such as online registration,” Velasco said. In terms of election security, COMELEC Office for Overseas Voting Director Sonia Bea Wee-Lozada also argued that modern technologies such as internet voting has protective mechanisms that could prevent discrepancies and threats to the conduct of the polls. “We have evidence to show that there are existing technologies and platforms out there that allow us to exercise our right to vote in a secure and auditable way, with the transparency that our laws demand. There are technologies that would be able to fit our requirements,” Wee-Lozada explained. The DFA-OVS forum also provided a platform for representatives from Mexico, Hongkong, South Korea and Ontario, Canada to discuss their practices in overseas voting and womens’ participation in the polls and in public governance. The post Comelec pushes Internet voting appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Disunity
It’s said that the campaign for the next presidential race starts as soon as the official results of the latest one are out......»»
Comelec won’t pay 2022 poll debate organizer
The Commission on Elections will not pay Impact Hub Manila P15.3 million for organizing the Pilipinas Debates 2022 because it reportedly failed to submit the required documents......»»