#tinmacnews

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Facebook post on cops hailed for helping family goes viral

By Kristine Macasiray

A photo of Officer Villar. Photo courtesy of Kelvin Pacelo

Superheroes do not always wear capes and put the safety of people before theirs. Some are uniformed men who help out in changing tires — on the road, during a rainy day. 

Kelvin Pacelo and his family were on their way to a wedding in Quezon City on a rainy Sunday when one of their tires went flat. “It’s very unfortunate for my family since it was raining hard, I had fever, and obviously we were in wedding attires,” Pacelo wrote on his Facebook post. “With God’s grace, two police officers pulled over and assisted us,” he continued. 

Villar assisting Pacelo’s father change the tire. Photo courtesy of Kelvin Pacelo

One of the policemen, who is a former vulcanizer, helped Pacelo’s father in changing the tire, while the other helped control the traffic flow. “Without them, it would [have been] impossible for us to change the flat tire since my dad’s jack was jammed (check your tools),” he wrote. 

“Yep! They lent us their hands and jack. We all got soaking wet thereafter,” Pacelo added. 

In awe of the policemen’s kind gesture, a passer-by tried handing the men P500 since he found the scene heartwarming, but they declined. 

“The guy was insisting but the police officers rejected his offer, because according to them, they’re just trying to help us,” Pacelo said.

“Of course, my family and the people caught in traffic, who noticed this unfortunate event-turned-heartwarming experience – were in deep awe, since we [have] never heard of or seen police officers fixing flat tires,” he added. 

Villar’s partner who took charge of the traffic flow. Photo courtesy of Kelvin Pacelo

A realization that there are still good policemen dawned on them after the incident since what is seen by many, more often than not, are the ugly parts of the profession, he wrote. 

“You couldn’t blame us for that realization, because most of us see only the negative sides of police officers on media: Them being fired because of sleeping when in duty, them being jailed because of being corrupt, them being ‘kotong cops,’ them being the target of Human Rights Violations, etc,” Pacelo expounded. 

He said that he shared the stories to give light to the good sides of the men in uniform, and said that the next time they encounter policemen they would not be wary of being reprimanded.

“Instead, we would smile and remember how these police officers helped us without asking anything in return,” Pacelo said. 

“From my whole family, we thank you for your simple act of kindness. Snappy salute to Officer (Michael) Villar and his partner. Sana po makaabot sa inyo ang aming pasasalamat,” he added. (I hope this gratitude will reach you.) 

Pacelo poses with the newlyweds after arriving safely to the event. Photo courtesy of Kelvin Pacelo

He explained that he failed to get the name of the other policeman because aside from the fact that it was raining heavily, he was far from the cop who took charge of the traffic. In a Facebook chat, Pacelo said he did not post the story to make  it viral, but when it did anyway, he felt delighted for the police officers.

As of Friday, the post was shared 5,700 times and gained 12,000 reactions since July 22. 

“Because as you can see on the comments section, people aren’t used to hearing good stories about them,” he said. 

It may be recalled that on Wednesday afternoon, a viral video of SPO1 Edmar Costo, who slapped a bus driver in Baclaran, Pasay City also went viral. Costo was relieved from his post on Thursday, according to the Southern Police District and the National Capital Region Police Office.

READ: NCRPO relieves cop who slapped bus driver LINK: https://technology.inquirer.net/77897/facebook-post-cops-hailed-helping-family-goes-viral#ixzz6XT7ZBs6B

Note: This article remains dear to me to this day since this was my first-ever byline. All the articles I wrote during my practicum merited me a tagline, but this one was different. This one, I can claim, is mine.

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People behind viral banners may face city ordinance violations

If identified, the people behind the unauthorized display of banners stating that the Philippines is a province of China may face charges for violating city ordinances, a Philippine National Police (PNP) official said Friday.

“There are city ordinances [in place]… you cannot just post your sentiments anywhere. Sometimes, especially if it will catch the attention of commuters,” PNP spokesperson Sr. Supt. Benigno Durana Jr. said in a press briefing at Camp Crame.

“May mga batas, local ordinances na ipinapatupad ng ating local government units (LGUs) para to maintain order in our communities,” he added.

(There are laws, local ordinances that the LGU implements to maintain order in our communities.)

“Welcome to the Philippines, Province of China” banners were seen hanging in different parts of Metro Manila on Thursday, the same day that marked the second anniversary of The Hague ruling, favoring the Philippines’ claim to parts of the South China Sea.

READ: ‘Welcome to the Philippines, Province of China’ banners hung on footbridges

Photos of the banners quickly went viral online, drawing speculations that the act was satirical.

Durana on Thursday said the PNP Intelligence Group has already launched an investigation on people suspected to behind the hanging of the banners.Kristine Macasiray/Inquirer.net intern /muf

Published July 13, 2018 on INQUIRER.net

LINK: https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1010045/people-behind-viral-banners-may-face-city-ordinance-violations#ixzz6XT1GJbG7

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Congress says yes to Mindanao martial law extension

Lawmakers allowed President Rodrigo Duterte’s request to further the implementation of martial law in Mindanao until December 31, 2018 due to the onset of rebellion in the area.

Senate President Aquulino Pimentel III alongside House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez. Photo from Philippine Star.

During a joint session, the House of Representatives and the Senate, voting 226-23 and 14-4 respectively, agreed to continue the imposition of martial law and the suspension of the writ of habeas corpus that will enable the government to arrest an individual without a warrant.

According to the president’s letter, the suggestion to lengthen its implementation came from National Defense Secretary Delfin N. Lorenzana. The extension was requested to “ensure total eradication of DAESH-inspired Da’awatul Islyamiyah Waliyatul Masriq (DIWM), other like-minded Local/Foreign Terrorist Groups (L/FTGs) and Armed Lawless Groups (ALGs), and the communist terrorists (CTs) and their coddlers, supporters, and financiers.”

Additionally, the New People’s Army (NPA), known to be the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), was included in the list of reasons behind the president’s request.

The NPA “took advantage” of the government forces’ distraction due to the Marawi siege to intensify “their decades-long rebellion against the government and stepped up terrorist acts against innocent civilians and private entities, as well as guerilla warfare against the security sector and public and government infrastructure,” disclosed in the president’s letter.

The motive behind it was “to seize political power through violent means and supplant the country’s democratic form of government with communist rule.”

The request for the extension did not only aim for security and public order, it also eyed the rehabilitation and stabilization of the socio-economic growth and development of the government and the Mindanaoan people.

Past extensions and encounter

This has been the second extension grant for the Mindanao martial law. The first was on July 22 when the president asked for a five-month extension that would have supposedly ended on December 31.

The first imposition of martial law in the whole Mindanao land was due to the alleged Islamic State (IS) linked-Maute group terror attacks in Marawi from the past year and then again on May 23.

It may be remembered that on November 2016, the rebel group placed Lanao del Sur under siege where they were seen carrying black flags with printed Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) logos. It ended with a firefight between the government troops and the rebels in the town hall of Butig.

Proclamation 216 which placed Mindanao under martial law was signed by President Duterte on May 23 and was declared in the land the following day.

Under the 1987 Constitution, the maximum time that the president could implement the martial law is 60 days. Any more extensions should be decided by the Congress.

Published Dec 15, 2017 on THE FOURTH

LINK: https://thefourth3jrn2.wixsite.com/thefourth/single-post/2017/12/15/Congress-says-yes-to-Mindanao-martial-law-extension

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UP drops five spots in recent QS Asian rankings

The University of the Philippines (UP) maintained its title as the highest ranking university in the country despite dropping five places in the Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) Asia Rankings for 2018.

After claiming the 70th spot for the past two annual rankings, UP placed 75th among 350 other Asian universities that were included in the recent ranking.

UP Diliman was tagged by the QS website as “the flagship university of the UP System,” adding that it is the “administrative seat of the system as well as an autonomous university in its own right.”

“UP Diliman is not only the home of diverse colleges, offering 94 graduate and undergraduate courses, it also runs several centers of research, many of which have been declared by the Commission on Higher Education as National Centers of Excellence,” stated in QS website.

Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU) rose four places, ranking 95th, and still making it to the top 100 cut together with UP.

De La Salle University (DLSU) and the University of Santo Tomas (UST) both improved as they climbed nine spots and 12 spots higher, garnering 134th and 145th places, respectively.

UST is the only Philippine university that received a 4-star QS rating.

According also to the QS website, QS stars act as a rating system which helps provide a “detailed look at an institution” which enables one to identify which universities tops specific topics that one cares about, such as “program strength, facilities, graduate employability, social responsibility, inclusiveness, and more.”

Another Philippine university included in the ranking was the University of San Carlos in Cebu which stayed in the 301-305th bracket.

Silliman University, Dumaguete failed to make it to the rankings after being placed in the 351-400th bracket when it formerly stood in the 251-300th bracket.

Ateneo de Davao University and Xavier University were cut from the recent QS Asian ranking after each garnering a spot in the 251-300th and 301-350th brackets last time.

The criteria for attaining ranks are as follows: academic performance (40%), employer reputation (10%), student-to-faculty ratio (20%), citations per faculty (20%), international faculty ratio (5%), and international student ratio (5%).

Published Oct 31, 2017 on THE FOURTH

LINK: https://thefourth3jrn2.wixsite.com/thefourth/single-post/2017/10/31/UP-drops-five-spots-in-recent-QS-Asian-rankings-maintains-premier-univ-status

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UST vies for another world record

This year, the University of Santo Tomas (UST) set off on its third attempt on achieving the world record for “largest human sentence.”

Photo grabbed from TomasinoWeb

In 2011, UST held the world record for the “largest human cross.” In 2016, it also attempted to carry out this very same exercise, but the inclement weather hindered it from pushing through.

A total of 17,011 students took part in the event that celebrated educators with the theme “My Teacher, My Hero,” that is in line with the National Teachers’ Month. R.G. Manabat & Co. representatives were in charge of monitoring and verifying the final headcount of the participants.

“Aside from attempting to make a Guinness World Record, the very rationale is to give tribute to teachers,” said Alvin Ringo Reyes, chair of the teacher education department and overall in charge of the event.

The record was previously held by India with 16,550 student participants from the Rotary International District 3000, Rotary Club of Perambalur New Gen, and Roever Group of Educational Institutions. They formed “YOU CAN YOU WILL!” in the spirit of the International Youth Day in 2016.

According to Reyes, the sentence formed became “MY TEACHER IS MY HERO!” instead of the original theme because the organizers tried to “come up with a complete sentence with [proper] grammatical structure.”

A medical team from the UST Health Service, together with student volunteers from the UST Red Cross Youth Council, patrolled the area around university’s grandstand to attend to participants who had emergency medical situations.

“Usually kasi ang [expected] natin na pwedeng maraming mangyari [ay] yung mga ma-sprain, sugat, blisters. ‘Yung mga usual lang kapag mayroong mga activities. Pero siyempre, nakaready tayo for any kind of [situation],” noted Al Joseph Paraventido, a staff nurse from the Health Service who was tasked to lead the team for the day.

(Usually, we expect that most cases we will receive are of sprain injuries, wounds and blisters; those that commonly happen when there are activities [like this]. But of course, we are ready for any kind of situation.)

Guinness has yet to confirm if UST has successfully gained the world record for the “largest human sentence.”

Published Sept 29, 2017 on THE FOURTH

LINK: https://thefourth3jrn2.wixsite.com/thefourth/single-post/2017/09/29/UST-vies-for-another-world-record

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Martial Law activist urges youth to continue their ‘fire’

The fire of the youth burns more ardently than their forebearers, a martial law activist and survivor said during the rally at Luneta.

UST students place themselves at the forefront of rally participants.Photo by Dexter Tilo/THE FOURTH

Alias Francisco d’Anconia said,  “Tingin ko compared sa mga mas matanda, mas may fire […] ‘yung youth. Yung mga matatanda medyo magdadahan-dahan pa to do things. Pero ‘yung youth ‘pag may sinabing may rally, andun sila. Yung youth laging na sa forefront.”

(The way I see it, compared to the elders, the youth has more fire. The elders think twice before doing things, but the youth, when a rally is set to happen, they are always at the forefront.)

d’Anconia was part of the first confetti movement, also known as the “yellow confetti rallies” in Makati during the regime of the late strongman Ferdinand Marcos.

d’Anconia, who was once a national council member of the Nationalist Alliance of Justice, Freedom and Democracy during the post-Aquino administration, shared the inside joke he and his friend has about the irony of what happened more than three decades ago and what is happening now.

“Hindi namin inisip na after 30 years, babalik kami sa lansangan [at] sisigaw ulit ng ‘Marcos, Hitler, diktador, tuta. After [31] years, pinabagsak na natin si Marcos noon, tapos babalik kami sa lansangan magsisigaw ulit ng ‘Marcos, Hitler.”

(We did not think that come 30 years, we would go back to the streets and chant ‘Marcos, Hitler, diktador, tuta’ again. [31] years ago, we ousted Marcos from his position, but here we are still and here we are again,” he narrated.

d’Anconia was part of the first confetti movement, also known as the “yellow confetti rallies”, the business’ sector’s response to the assassination of Marcos’ staunchest opponent, Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino. Shredded papers, preferably yellow, were thrown from the high-rise buildings in Makati.

d’Anconia’s view about the youth today was that they shaped not only this moment, but more importantly, the future. They were the ones who would reap the gains of what their predecessors fought for in the past. They had years ahead of them. They would be “involved not only in the government, but also in the everyday social and cultural life.”

He also warned about vigilance and readiness during this time because “bad news comes every day and unexpected things happen one after another.”

“Inaasahan naming yung youth talaga na ipagpatuloy niyo lang yung fire tapos andiyan naman kami sa tabi.

(We really expect the youth to continue the fire because we are always by their side),” d’Anconia noted.

Francisco d’Anconia is pseudonym adopted from the fictional character from the Atlas Shrugged movies. The character was an activist behind the playboy look who recruited great thinkers for the strike in the industrial world.

Published Sept 21, 2017 on THE FOURTH

LINK: https://thefourth3jrn2.wixsite.com/thefourth/single-post/2017/09/24/Martial-Law-activist-urges-youth-to-continue-their-%E2%80%98fire%E2%80%99

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UP Pride 2017 celebrates love and equality

A huge rainbow arch is displayed behind the famous Oblation sculpture. Photo by Kristine Macasiray/THE FOURTH

UP Diliman held its 10th Pride March with the theme “We love equality!”

The pride march welcomed everyone who wanted to take part in the movement. Rainbow flags, rainbow banners, and a huge rainbow arch greeted attendees as they entered the campus.

Its goal was to assert that there should be safe spaces for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) community and  to campaign for love and acceptance, and inclusion and diversity for everyone.

“Ganon naman yung idea ng LGBT [community], especially since we promote the idea of diversity based on sexual orientation, gender identity and expression (This is the idea of LGBT [community], especially since we promote the idea of diversity based on sexual orientation, gender identity and expression),” Punong Babaylan Vince Liban said in an exclusive interview with The Fourth.

UP Babaylan is an advocacy student organization that supports the LGBT community. Its members are responsible for the annual event. This year marked the group’s silver anniversary.

Nicholas Sia, External Public Relations Officer of UST Hiraya, the first Intersectional Feminist Organization in the University of Santo Tomas, persuaded the LGBT community that they should be always proud of who they are: “’Wag kayong mahiya kasi hindi kayo nagiisa. Marami tayong nandidito [na handang] samahan kay,” (Fret not for you are not alone. There are a lot of us who are willing to come with you.)

UP Babaylan calls for ADB passage

“We want the ADB to be passed. For 18 years it [has] been pending in [the] Congress, and I think it’s time that we campaign for it outright,” Liban said.

The Anti-Discrimination Bill (ADB) which seeks to protect  the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and intersex (LGBTQI) against discrimination and hate assaults was filed by  Dinagat Islands Representative Kaka Bag-ao. It was passed by the Congress on its second reading on September 14. And was later on passed on its third and final House reading on September 20.

Liban also added that this year had the most number of attendees compared  to the previous years that UP Babaylan has organized for Pride.

The first UP Pride was held in 2008 with around 25 members who marched inside the campus. It was only last year when it has become an official event of UP.

Written with Giselle Ombay

Published Sept 20, 2017 on THE FOURTH

LINK: https://thefourth3jrn2.wixsite.com/thefourth/single-post/2017/09/24/UP-Pride-2017-celebrates-love-and-equality

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Passengers involved in a fistfight inside MRT-3 could face charges

Two passengers involved in a brawl inside Metro Rail Transit 3 (MRT-3) are facing possible charges.

The passengers — identified as Joselito Nilo and Ronel Valdez — got into a fistfight while inside a Southbound train of MRT around 6:35 pm on Thursday.

The two were immediately brought a station police post in Ayala station where they agreed for a settlement.

“However, the MRT-3 management is further investigating the incident and looking into the possibility of filing charges against the said passengers for disturbing peace and order during train operations,” the Department of Transportation (DOTr) said in a statement on Friday.

The agency also apologized to the public for the incident.

“The Department of Transportation – Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (DOTr MRT-3) would like to apologize for any inconvenience the incident may have caused to the passengers of the train,” it said.

According to the report of the MRT-3 Safety and Security Unit, the altercation started when Nilo allegedly touched the private part of Valdez. The confrontation led to a brawl which caused a ruckus inside the running train.

This incident prompted the MRT3 management to appeal to the riding public to adhere to rules and regulations and to report to the authority “any malicious or inappropriate behavior” within MRT-3 premises.

“The DOTr, on the other hand, expresses full support to MRT-3 in its continued efforts to ensure that the railway is being operated safely while providing service to hundreds of thousands of passengers daily,” it further said.  —Kristine Macasiray/INQUIRER.net Intern /vvp

Published July 27, 2018 on INQUIRER.net

LINK: https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1014996/passengers-involved-in-a-fistfight-inside-mrt-3-could-face-charges#ixzz6XT5aVRc5

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NFA chief: Purchase limit of 5 kg per person for cheap NFA rice stays

The purchase limit of five kilograms of rice per person that the National Food Authority (NFA) has imposed will stay for now, NFA director Rex Estoperez said on Wednesday.

The NFA chief explained that this is because unloading the stocks of the cheap imported rice was hampered in some parts of the country by weather conditions.

“Sa Mindanao area, walang problema dahil walang bagyo dun. Dito sa Luzon areas, nagkaproblema tayo sa pagbaba (We don’t have problems in Mindanao because there was no typhoon there. But here in Luzon, we have flood problems),” he said in an interview on Radyo Inquirer 990.

Estoperez cited a ship that arrived in Luzon on June 4, but unloading the rice stock has not been completed to date.

An estimated 1 million bags have yet to be unloaded and distributed in Metro Manila, according to the NFA chief.

“So dapat [ipagpatuloy] ngayon kung maganda ang panahon po, patuloy tayo magbababa ng bigas (We need to continue unloading the stocks if the weather improves),” he noted, adding that the volume is also a factor in the slow pace of distribution since almost 250,000 metric tons of rice, estimated to be worth P5 million, has arrived in the country.

Another 250,000 metric tons of rice, which will serve as buffer stock, will be arriving by the end of July or by August, he added.

“Titignan po nating ‘yang volume na ‘yan kung makakapasok sa ating mga pamilihang bayan,” (Let’s check how soon the stock can be distributed to our public markets,” he said. — Kristine Anne Macasiray/INQUIRER.net Intern

READ: Duterte to DA: Increase NFA rice buffer stock, buy local grains

Published July 25, 2018 on INQUIRER.net

LINK: https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1014258/nfa-chief-purchase-limit-of-5-kg-per-person-for-cheap-nfa-rice-stays#ixzz6XT5CYnKM

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DFA to speed up passport production to 30,000 a day

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) aims to produce 30,000 passports a day by the end of the year without compromising the security of the document.

“We owe the public a[n] efficient, fast, and safe passporting system,” Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano said Wednesday in an interview on DZMM Teleradyo.

“By the end of the year, we expect mas madali nang kumuha ng appointment (for passport application or renewal),” he said.

The Foreign Affairs Chief said the DFA can process 19,000 passports per day today, which is already an improvement of the 9,000 to 9,500 output per day when he assumed office in 2016.

To speed up passport production, he said eight vans with five printing machines each were added to DFA’s “passport on wheels” project. Each machine can print 100 passports each.

The DFA also extended their office hours, reduced the number of allotments for travel agencies, and set up express lanes for persons with disabilities (PWDs), single parents, and overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).

On top of these, the ePayment system of the DFA launched in June, is already being used by 94 percent of applicants.

READ: DFA launches ePayment system for passport processing

Cayetano said that with ePayment, passport applicants can now pay the fees in Bayad Centers and other venues.

“Dinadagdagan na namin ‘to, sa 7-Eleven at iba pang mga stores, so ngayon 94 percent na ang pumupunta (We are adding more payment centers such as 7-Eleven and other stores, so now 94 percent of our applicants avail of the ePayment scheme),” he added.

Eight consular offices were also set to open this year. Four are already in the works, while two are already operational — the consular offices in Santiago City, Isabela and in San Nicolas, Ilocos Norte.

READ: DFA opens Isabela consular office

Cayetano is also pushing for passport printing machines to be set up in the United States, and probably in the Middle East or Europe so the finished passports will not be mailed anymore to these regions. — Kristine Anne Macasiray / INQUIRER.net/Intern /ee

Published July 25, 2018 on INQUIRER.net

LINK: https://globalnation.inquirer.net/168646/dfa-speed-passport-production-30000-day#ixzz6XT4qAYpF

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Suspected party drug supplier nabbed in San Juan

The San Juan Police on Monday arrested a suspected party drug supplier in a buy-bust operation.

The suspect, identified as Ireneo “Neo” Faraon III, 40, was nabbed by operatives of the Station Drugs Enforcement Unit (SDEU).

Based on the police report, the operation started with information that Faraon was selling illegal drugs in his area. The police immediately set up a buy-bust operation. After Faraon handed one sachet of suspected shabu (methamphetamine hydrochloride) in exchange for the P500 marked money, he was immediately arrested by the police.

After doing a mandatory search, the police also found three plastic sachets containing suspected party drugs or ecstasy tablets.

Faraon, based on the report, was about to deliver the party drugs to customers at a club in Quezon City after his drug transaction in San Juan City. He refrained from naming the supplier of the party drug.

Faraon is currently detained at the San Juan Police detention facility and will be charged for violating Republic Act (RA) 9165 or The Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002. — Kristine Anne Macasiray/INQUIRER.net intern /ee

Published July 24, 2018 on INQUIRER.net

LINK: https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1013975/suspected-party-drug-supplier-nabbed-in-san-juan#ixzz6XT4JMqu2

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JV Ejercito: House power struggle not good for Duterte admin’s image

Senator JV Ejercito on Tuesday is worried about the effect of the power struggle at the House of Representatives to the image of the current administration.

“There are ongoing cases right now against the Arroyo administration, against former president GMA (Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo), ‘yun lang ang magiging parang hindi magandang tingnan siguro (that’s the only one that is not good to see),” Ejercito said in an interview.

“Kasi binanggit pa naman ng Pangulo sa kanyang Sona kahapon na (Because the President mentioned in his Sona yesterday that) aside from the war against drugs, he would be relentless on the war against drugs and corruption,” he added.

President Rodrigo Duterte’s third State of the Nation Address (Sona) emphasized the government’s continuous war not only against illegal drugs but also against corruption.

“Time and again, I have stressed that corruption must stop. Corruption is like a leech that it bleeds the government of funds programmed for its infrastructure and other social development projects,” Duterte said Monday.

Arroyo was charged with plunder for the misuse of the P366 million Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) fund from 2008 to 2010. The case was junked by the Supreme Court in 2016.

READ: SC junks remaining Arroyo plunder case, sets her free

“Legitimacy was always in question,” Ejercito said of the Arroyo administration. “Maraming ring scams, marami ring scandals (There were many scams, scandals).”

Arroyo was involved in the infamous “Hello Garci” scandal, an alleged electoral fraud and sabotage during the 2004 elections, which revealed phone conversations between her and  Commission on Elections (Comelec) commissioner Virgilio Garcillano discussing the rigging of poll results.

READ: What Went Before: Saga of the ‘Hello Garci’ tapes

In 2007, her administration has signed a deal with China’s ZTE Corp. for the $329-million National Broadband Network (NBN), which would have facilitated the installation of a telecommunications network linking government offices throughout the country.

However, the deal was later found to be overpriced by about $130 million to cover kickbacks for government officials. — Kristine Anne Macasiray/INQUIRER.net intern /ee

Published July 24, 2018 on INQUIRER.net

LINK: https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1013896/jv-ejercito-house-power-struggle-not-good-for-duterte-admins-image#ixzz6XT3FvtI4

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Ombudsman approves filing of another complaint vs Janet Napoles

The Office of the Ombudsman has approved the filing of another criminal complaint against Janet Lim-Napoles and officials of the Department of Agriculture Regional Field Unit XIII (DA RFU)  in Butuan City for the questionable procurement of fertilizers worth P5 million.

In a statement issued by the Ombudsman on Monday, it said Napoles, DA Assistant Regional Director Edgardo Dahino, Chief Administrative Officer Jessica Da-an, Administrative Officer Merylinda Santos, and Accountant III Gerry Leop; as well as private respondents Evelyn De Leon and Rodel Pontillas, both from the Philippine Social Development Foundation Inc. (PSDFI) will face charges for violation of the Anti-Graft Law and Malversation of Public Funds.

The Ombudsman said that based on an investigation, the DA RFU Caraga entered into a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with the municipality and the PSDFI for the procurement of fertilizers in May 2004.

The project, however, had no appropriation as the cited source of funding, Republic Act (RA) No. 9162 or the General Appropriations Act of 2002, was effective only until December 2003. The agreement was signed in 2004.

DA officials released the entire fund to PSDFI as the project implementer without complying with a Commission on Audit (COA) circular requiring funds to be released in three tranches.

Records also show that no fertilizers were distributed in the municipality based on certifications issued by the municipal agriculturist.

A resolution dated July 11 indicted Napoles “for conspiring with public respondents for ordering the reactivation of the PSDFI and entering into the transaction with the DA RFU Caraga and the municipality using PSDFI as conduit for the project.”

Napoles allegedly “allowed the issuance of fake official receipts to make it appear that the PSDFI received the public funds; by issuing a report of disbursement using her employee, respondent de Leon, to make it appear that the PSDFI used the P5 million in the acquisition of fertilizers, and by purchasing fake liquid fertilizers for P100 per 300ml/bottle and selling them to DA RFU Caraga at P800 per 300ml/bottle.” — Kristine Anne Macasiray/INQUIRER.net intern /ee

Published July 23, 2018 on INQUIRER.net

LINK: https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1013205/ombudsman-approves-filing-of-another-complaint-vs-janet-napoles#ixzz6XT2RtJUM

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Palace disputes AI’s critique on Duterte

Malacañang belied on Friday the allegations of human rights group Amnesty International (AI) that President Rodrigo Duterte has made the country an even “more dangerous place” for setting aside human rights values.

“There is no truth to the statement of Amnesty International that President Rodrigo Roa Duterte has made the Philippines ‘a far more dangerous place,’” Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said in a statement.

Jose Noel Olano, AI Philippines Section Director, said Duterte “has actively created a climate where anyone can kill or be killed, the poor were the obvious prey but more recently even government officials.”

READ: Amnesty International slams gov’t’s human rights policies

Duterte has received global criticisms for his administration’s brutal war on drugs, which some said violated human rights.

“We reiterate the administration’s campaign against illegal drugs is conducted through legitimate police enforcement operations” and pinned the deaths to “the drug personalities’ violent resistance to lawful apprehensions,” Roque said.

He cited 2017 the Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey that showed that common crimes are a “record-low” of 6.1 percent while the annual average for property crimes was likewise at record-low at 5.6 percent in 2017, the lowest in 28 years.

He also cited public support for Duterte’s war on drugs, which was at 88 percent, according to a recent Pulse Asia survey.

READ: Palace pleased with latest poll result

“As a member of the bar, the President has prosecuted murder as a capital offense.  He, therefore, does not and will never condone extralegal killings, as he maintains zero tolerance for erring policemen who digress from standard protocols and abuse their power,” Roque said.  Kristine Macasiray, INQUIRER.net intern

Published July 20, 2018 on INQUIRER.net

LINK: https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1012381/palace-disputes-ais-critique-on-duterte#ixzz6XT276bW0

[tin-mac]

Duterte on 2019 ‘no-el’: I will not have any hand in that

President Rodrigo Duterte has distanced himself from moves to cancel the 2019 mid-term polls to give way to Charter change even after a top ally said it would be a “practical” move by the government.

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said he had asked the President for his position on the no-election scenario in 2019 as floated by House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez.

READ: Palace: 2019 polls to proceed unless new Charter is ratified

“I will quote the President, ‘I will not have any hand in that.’ Talagang hindi po siya payag sa no-el para lamang sa Charter change,” Roque said in a Palace briefing.

“Naniniwala po siya sa demokrasya, naniniwala siya sa eleksiyon,” he added.

Alvarez on Wednesday said suspending the 2019 mid-term elections would be practical to facilitate the country’s shift to federalism.

READ: Alvarez: ‘No-el’ in 2019 practical to speed up federal shift

He also said that a people’s initiative could be done if the Senate would not agree to the suspension of next year’s elections.

READ: Alvarez floats people’s initiative for poll postponement

“Pero kung people’s initiative kasi iyan, siguro iyan yung sagot din ng liderato ng Kamara doon sa posisyon ni Presidente na he will not have any hand in it.  Eh kapag people’s initiative na iyan, ano pa ang magagawa mo kung nanggaling na iyan sa taumbayan, di ba?” Roque said.

Under the 1987 Consitution, an amendment to the Charter may be proposed by the people through a petition without resorting to Congress. /Kristine Macasiray, INQUIRER.net intern / muf

Published July 19, 2018 on INQUIRER.net

LINK: https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1012038/duterte-on-2019-no-el-i-will-not-have-any-hand-in-that#ixzz6XT1hlq8T

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NCRPO: 16,442 people broke smoking ban from June 13 to July 13

The smoking ban ordinance saw the most number of violators from June 13 to July 13, the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) has reported.

The nationwide smoking ban was signed by President Rodrigo Duterte in May last year, while its implementation started in July the same year.

READ: Nationwide smoking ban enforced; Malacañang urges public support

From June 13 to July 13, a total of 16,442 people violated the smoking ban, the NCRPO said. This is equal to 33.95 per cent of the total recorded violations of ordinances against smoking, drinking in public places, being half-naked in public places, violating curfew hours for minors, and others.

Police also arrested 11,655 for violating various unspecified ordinances. This is followed by minors violating curfew hours with 7,450 recorded cases; then by men arrested for being half naked in public at  7,176 cases. Police also arrested 5,761 persons for drinking in public.

The Eastern Police District (EPD) meanwhile reported the most number of ordinance violators at 22,440 out of the total 48,435 cases recorded for the entire NCRPO. Aside from the EPD, the NCRPO also includes the Northern Police District (NPD), Manila Police District (MPD), Southern Police District (SPD), and the Quezon City Police District (QCPD).

According to the NCRPO of those arrested, 29,170 were given warnings, while 13,745 were made to pay fines and 5,521 faced charges.   Kristine Macasiray/ INQUIRER.net intern  /muf

Published July 13, 2018 on INQUIRER.net

LINK:https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1009995/ncrpo-16442-people-broke-smoking-ban-from-june-13-to-july-13#ixzz6XT0eCPk5