Monday, September 12, 2016

Police officers who can’t shoot straight will lose their service firearms.


Philippine National Police chief Director General Ronald dela Rosa has ordered all PNP members to undergo marksmanship training, and those who fail will be disarmed to prevent them from causing collateral damage. Dela Rosa admitted that on a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 as the best, the average marksmanship in the PNP is 6 to 7.5. “I will disarm those who will fail. They are not qualified to hold firearms because they are not good shooters. They are not proficient,” he told reporters yesterday at the start of the three-day Chief PNP Bato Cup in Lipa, Batangas. “They might cause collateral damage in their surroundings if they will continuing possessing guns. They are not competent after all,” he added. Dela Rosa said police officers good at shooting would be tapped to share their talent with other policemen. Police officers who can’t shoot straight will lose their service firearms. Philippine National Police chief Director General Ronald dela Rosa has ordered all PNP members to undergo marksmanship training, and those who fail will be disarmed to prevent them from causing collateral damage. Dela Rosa admitted that on a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 as the best, the average marksmanship in the PNP is 6 to 7.5. “I will disarm those who will fail. They are not qualified to hold firearms because they are not good shooters. They are not proficient,” he told reporters yesterday at the start of the three-day Chief PNP Bato Cup in Lipa, Batangas. “They might cause collateral damage in their surroundings if they will continuing possessing guns. They are not competent after all,” he added. Dela Rosa said police officers good at shooting would be tapped to share their talent with other policemen. “I am directing them henceforth to train policemen in their respective units. They should share their ability, skills, knowledge in shooting to improve the level of competency in marksmanship of policemen,” he added. The PNP chief also instructed the Directorate for Human Resources and Doctrine Development (DHRDD) to revive the gun proficiency training and test for policemen. “So before the third quarter ends, we have to conduct the test so that we would know the passing average,” he said. He clarified that improving marksmanship does not mean policemen have to shoot drug pushers dead. “I have to make sure that my men are always alive after every encounter… but it doesn’t mean you have to kill all the suspects. That is not my order,” Dela Rosa said. “My order is to arrest the suspects based on police operational procedures and we have to respect the rule of law always, all the time. That’s what we are here for,” he added. The PNP chief expressed belief that previous leaders had different priorities and improving the shooting skills of policemen was not among them. For this reason, Dela Rosa said the PNP under him would prioritize the shooting skills of police officers and the budget will come from maintenance and other operating (MOOE) expenses of the PNP. “We have MOOE for bullets so what we will do is to monitor if it is really used to buy bullets for the practice of the police force,” he added. Dela Rosa noted that if policemen are good at shooting, criminals would not engage them.
The Philippines is expected to have the fastest growth for the second year in a row among the five major economies of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN-5) in 2017.


Philippine Ambassador to France Ma. Theresa Lazaro presented recently the annual Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Economic Outlook for Southeast Asia, China and India during the ASEAN Business and Investment Summit in Vientiane, Laos. Lazaro said that among the ASEAN-5 countries – Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam – the Philippines and Vietnam received the best growth forecasts for next year. “The economies of Philippines and Vietnam are expected to grow by 6.1 percent,” she said. The OECD Economic Outlook is an annual publication on Asia’s regional economic growth, development and regional integration process. It focuses on the economic conditions of the ASEAN-member countries as well as the relevant economic issues in China and India in order to reflect economic developments in the region. “Steady economic growth is expected to continue in the region in 2017,” Lazaro said. The Philippines is co-chair of the Economic Outlook until 2018, coinciding with the country’s chairmanship of the ASEAN summits in 2017.
Dictator Ferdinand Marcos Sr. declared martial law to suppress communist insurgency and secessionism in Mindanao and stepped down in 1986 to avoid bloodshed during an uprising later known as people power, the Official Gazette claimed in a post that it later took down after drawing flak from the public.


The Official Gazette, the official journal of the Philippine government, was under fire on Sunday afternoon following a Facebook post commemorating the 99th birth anniversary of Marcos. “Marcos was the first post-independence president to be re-elected in 1969. In 1972, he declared martial law to suppress a communist insurgency and secessionism in Mindanao,” the original post read. “In 1986, Marcos stepped down from the presidency to avoid bloodshed during the uprising that came to be known as ‘people power,’” it added. The post also included a photo of Marcos, with a quote from his inaugural in 1965 saying: “There are many things we do not want about our world. Let us not just mourn them. Let us change them.” The initial post immediately drew criticism from netizens, who accused the administrators of the page of historical revisionism, particularly on aspects about the declaration of martial law and his deposition from office following the people power revolution. The reaction appeared to have prompted a revision, which removed the phrase “to avoid bloodshed” in the caption. Dictator Ferdinand Marcos Sr. declared martial law to suppress communist insurgency and secessionism in Mindanao and stepped down in 1986 to avoid bloodshed during an uprising later known as people power, the Official Gazette claimed in a post that it later took down after drawing flak from the public. The Official Gazette, the official journal of the Philippine government, was under fire on Sunday afternoon following a Facebook post commemorating the 99th birth anniversary of Marcos. “Marcos was the first post-independence president to be re-elected in 1969. In 1972, he declared martial law to suppress a communist insurgency and secessionism in Mindanao,” the original post read. “In 1986, Marcos stepped down from the presidency to avoid bloodshed during the uprising that came to be known as ‘people power,’” it added. The post also included a photo of Marcos, with a quote from his inaugural in 1965 saying: “There are many things we do not want about our world. Let us not just mourn them. Let us change them.” The initial post immediately drew criticism from netizens, who accused the administrators of the page of historical revisionism, particularly on aspects about the declaration of martial law and his deposition from office following the people power revolution. The reaction appeared to have prompted a revision, which removed the phrase “to avoid bloodshed” in the caption. It was later taken down and replaced with a shorter version containing details on the political career of the late dictator. “Ferdinand Marcos started his political career in 1949 as a representative of the second district of Ilocos Norte. Ten years thereafter, Marcos was able to secure a seat as a member of the Philippine Senate in 1959 and was elected Senate president in 1963. Ferdinand Marcos became the 10th president of Philippines in 1965. He was the longest-serving president of the country for almost 21 years,” the new post read. The updated post did not quell critics, who noted the decision of the administrators of the page to remove any mention of martial law and people power. “He was the longest-serving president of the country for almost 21 years… Because he became a dictator!” one comment read. The Official Gazette again edited the post, which now includes the following phrase: “He was the longest-serving president of the country for almost 21 years, declaring martial law in 1972, then went in exile to the United States in 1986 at the height of the people power revolution. He was succeeded by Corazon Cojuangco Aquino.”
Bigger subsidies were provided to more government-owned and – controlled corporations (GOCCs) last July than in the same period a year ago, data from the Bureau of the Treasury showed.


A total of P35.26 billion in credit were extended to six GOCCs during the first month of the Duterte administration, up more than 15 times from last year’s P2.32 billion provided to three firms. The National Government gives out credit to GOCCs and state-run financial institutions to support their operations. They, in turn, remit more than half of their annual earnings as dividends. Subsidies form part of state expenditures, while dividends are recorded under revenues. In July, dividends, which are usually reported on specific months of the year, reached only P46 million. Broken down, a huge chunk of subsidies were provided to the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) which received P33.8 billion in funding. It was followed at far second by the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) with P683 million, Philippine Crop Insurance Corp. with P646 million, and Philippine Heart Center with P113 million. At the bottom and below the P100-million mark were the Philippine National Railways with P13 million and Southern Philippines Development Authority with P4 million. For the first seven months, subsidies already reached P71.86 billion, a 55.23-percent increase from P46.29 billion last year, data showed. PhilHealth still accounted for the bulk of subsidies from January to July with P35.27 billion, followed by the National Housing Authority which was granted P10.63 billion and NIA with P8.82 billion. Bigger subsidies were recorded in July as the Duterte government recorded a wider budget deficit of P50.67 billion, the widest in four months. The budget gap – which indicates more revenues spent than earned – brought the seven-month tally to P170.98 billion, accounting for nearly 44 percent of this year’s cap, figures showed. The new government widened the cap to P388.87 billion, equivalent to 2.7 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) upon taking over. The original limit was at P283.7 billion, accounting for two percent of GDP.
Farmers are expected to diversify their crops and explore other “strategic” products that may be exported and give them better incomes once restrictions on rice imports are lifted next year.


“What we want, really, is to have a very strategic trade policy with respect to rice and be more strategic also with respect to agriculture,” said Rosemarie Edillon, deputy director-general at the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA). “There (are) still a number of farms in the Philippines that can compete with world prices given more competitive conditions. But for some of them, they really have to diversify outside of rice,” she said in a recent interview. Quantitative restrictions on grain importation will expire next year and will not be renewed by the Duterte administration which wanted market forces to dictate rice prices. The restrictions were protecting local farmers from foreign rice imports by imposing a high 35-percent tariff rate after reaching a particular shipment ceiling. Earlier, NEDA director-general Ernesto Pernia said not only will QR not be re-imposed, but that the government will exit rice import business through the National Food Authority (NFA). Under the plan still being drafted, Edillon said a specific tariff rate will be imposed on private sector importation. While there is nothing confirmed yet, she said the present 35-percent rate applicable under the free trade agreement of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations could be explored. “In the past, we have been artificially protecting our producers and there has not been much pressure to put the land into more strategic use,” she said on the sidelines of the Philippine Investment Forum last week. Anyway, NFA will continue to maintain buffer stock in order to ensure enough rice supply to support prices, especially during times of natural calamities. “In cases when there is a calamity, you need to provide relief goods and that would be the function of the NFA…,” she said. The NEDA official also does not see this as causing supply glut as market forces will dictate demand. “You can only stock up rice for a short period of time otherwise it rots,” she said. “Just like other commodities, it’s market forces that will dictate,” Edillon said. She added she sees increased rice supply lowering rice prices and over-all inflation, explaining that high grain prices had tamed the effect of poverty eradication measures during the previous administration. Rice inflation slightly increased to 0.5 percent in August from zero percent in the previous month, according to latest census data. “You just let the private sector (import) however they see fit. If they think the domestic supply is way too low when they import, they just have to pay the tariff,” Edillon said.
URDANETA CITY – Five suspected members of a carjacking group were killed in an encounter with police officers in Barangay Nancalobasaan in this city before dawn yesterday.


Police said Jomar delos Santos, Ronnie Chico, Arnold Bandara and Gilbert Tiomico had identification cards on their persons. The fifth suspect was described as wearing a white T-shirt and blue denim pants. The suspects, who were in a stolen Toyota Innova, ignored a police checkpoint along Mac-Arthur Highway, according to city police officer-in-charge Superintendent Marceliano Desamito Jr. Police officers pursued the suspects, who shot at them, triggering a firefight along the Bulaoen-Casantaan barangay road. Investigators recovered four .45 caliber pistols, several plastic sachets said to contain shabu and the Toyota Innova at the scene of the shootout. Reports said the group operates in Ilocos region, Central Luzon, Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon), National Capital Region and the Cordilleras. Police said the carjackers would rent a vehicle, which they would take away after killing its driver. Three of the group’s victims were identified as Joselito Santiago of Bulacan, Joel Lulu of Pampanga and Joel Obillo of Tarlac City. The victims’ bodies were found in the towns of Binalonan, Manaoag and Sison, all in Pangasinan.
Reflective of a booming local aviation industry, the Philippines was found to have the ninth cheapest airline tickets in the world, according to ranking by an online travel agency.


The country ranked ninth out of 75 countries with an average flight cost of $7.76 per 100-kilometer of travel for both local and international trips, this year’s Aviation Price Index released by kiwi.com said. “We always aim to offer travellers the best possible deals and hope this ranking informs customers on the countries from which they can expect the most effective airfare and assist them in booking the best value journey,” said Oliver Dlouhy, the company president. Rankings were produced by looking at over a million flights to find the average ticket cost per 100-km of travel. India topped the list on offering best value flight cost of $3.21, while Malaysia and Russia ranked second and third with $3.78 and $5.88, respectively. At the other end, the United Arab Emirates was found to have the most expensive airline tickets with $105.71, according to the latest rankings. Philippine domestic air passenger traffic grew 12 percent in the first quarter to 5.84 million, which the government had attributed to numerous promotional offers by different airlines. In particular, Civil Aeronautics Board data earlier showed three budget carriers namely Cebu Pacific Air, PAL Express and Philippines’ AirAsia accounting for bulk of domestic traffic from January to March.

Sunday, September 11, 2016

The recent bombing attack in Davao City is a reminder of the global nature of terror threats, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said.


Ban appealed to all countries to implement relevant recommendations from the Plan of Action to Prevent Violent Extremism he presented in citing the Davao City bombing attack. He encouraged the leaders who gathered for the 11th East Asia Summit held in Vientiane, Laos last week to strengthen cooperation in responding to the threat of terrorism and the spreading poison of violent extremism. “I urge all countries to implement relevant recommendations from the Plan of Action to Prevent Violent Extremism that I presented earlier this year to the United Nations General Assembly,” Ban told the summit. The Plan calls for a comprehensive approach on counterterrorism measures and adopt systematic preventive steps to address the underlying conditions that drive individuals to radicalize and join violent extremist groups. It provides more than 70 recommendations to member states and the UN system. “Addressing extremism is at its core about building peaceful, resilient societies,” Ban said.
Former senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago continues to undergo treatment for lung cancer at the St. Luke’s Medical Center in Taguig City, her daughter-in-law said yesterday.


In her Facebook post, Mechel Santiago clarified that the 70-year-old was not confined in the intensive care unit, but in a private room. “She is being treated for her cancer and the family is hoping she will fully recover. Thank you for respecting our privacy and continuously praying for her,” Mechel said. “She loves all of you. She is a fighter and will continuously fight this battle,” she added. On May 31, Santiago was rushed to the Makati Medical Center due to complications. She was discharged a week later. She announced in July 2014 that she had lung cancer. Last year, she said she was cured after participating in a global clinical trial for a new anti-cancer drug. She ran and lost in the May presidential elections. Her illness prevented her from waging a full campaign. In December 2011, Santiago was elected to the International Criminal Court. She was the first Asian and Filipino to be voted to the body. She resigned in June 2014 due to chronic fatigue syndrome.
The Bangladesh government may get this month $15 million of the $81-million funds stolen by hackers from its central bank and laundered in the country.


According to the Department of Justice (DOJ), it is now in the process of securing the approval of a Manila regional trial court (RTC) to release the $15 million surrendered by casino junket operator Kim Wong. Wong returned the amount to the government in two tranches – one totaling $4.63 million and the other P488.28 million – after testifying before the Senate inquiry on the money laundering controversy. DOJ chief state counsel Ricardo Paras III said they filed a forfeiture case before the Manila RTC last Aug. 26 in favor of the Bangladeshi government. “The court immediately gave due course to the petition and ruled that it (was) sufficient in form and substance,” Paras said in an interview. Paras said the RTC’s order last Aug. 30 also required the Office of the Solicitor General to comment on the petition. After the OSG files its comment within 15 days as required by the rules, Paras said “we can then expect the court to issue the judgment on the forfeiture” case. The DOJ filed the petition as part of government’s assistance to Bangladesh to recover the stolen funds and after a meeting between Bangladeshi officials led by Ambassador John Gomes and Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II in August. Gomes said the Philippine government officials gave assurance that the $15 million would be returned after around a month. Apart from the $15 million surrendered by Wong, another $2.7 million was recovered and frozen by the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp., leaving $63 million more from the stolen money missing. Gomes earlier asked the Senate to reopen its investigation on the money laundering case to determine where the rest of the money went. The Senate, however, was cool to the idea, saying the DOJ and other concerned agencies could deal with the recovery of the laundered funds. Also recently, the DOJ concluded its preliminary investigation (PI) on the money laundering charges by the Anti-Money Laundering Council against Wong, former Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. branch manager Maia Santos-Deguito and executives of remittance firm Philrem Service Corp. All respondents have denied money-laundering charges in their respective counter-affidavits during the PI hearings, which lasted four months. Deguito denied facilitating the laundering of the stolen money, insisting that it was former RCBC president Lorenzo Tan who ordered her to open the four fictitious accounts where the $80,884,641.63 stolen by hackers from the Bangladesh Bank went. The former manager of the bank’s Jupiter street branch in Makati City stressed all the transactions in her branch had the approval of Tan, claiming that she was only being used as scapegoat by the bank officials to avoid criminal liabilities. The AMLC, however, spared Tan from the charges filed before the DOJ despite Deguito’s statement.
Unpaid holiday pay was among the most common complaints of workers received by the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) through its hotline.


According to Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III, a majority of the calls they received through the hotline were from workers who complained they were not paid for the work they rendered during declared holidays. “The non-payment of holiday pay is one of the most common concerns brought by workers to the department,” he said. DOLE had launched last week its 24/7 hotline service 1349 to enable workers to file complaints and queries concerning their employment. Bello said DOLE entertains any questions raised through the hotline, including on workers’ rights and benefits, labor relations and local and overseas employment opportunities. Ten hotline assistance officers are manning the hotline at any given time to make sure that DOLE can attend to the workers’ needs. DOLE is expecting to get more complaints about non-payment of holiday pay as the country celebrates today the Islamic holiday Eid’l Adha. Under the law for regular holiday, employees who did not report for work would be paid 100 percent of their salaries for that day. Employees who reported for work shall be paid 200 percent of their regular wages for that day for the first eight hours; and an additional 30 percent of their hourly rates for overtime work. Bello underscored the declaration of Sept. 12, 2016 as a regular holiday was meant to “foster goodwill between the Filipino Muslims and the Filipino Christians, as the feast is a celebration of Muslims in honoring the willingness of Ibrahim to obey Allah and in commemorating the end of Hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca).” “Voluntary compliance with labor laws, including correct wage payment during holidays, denotes workplace excellence and redounds to the competitiveness of business and the country’s industries,” he added.
The Philippines has one of the highest minimum wages in the world and implementing a uniform rate nationwide will only drive investments away and kill jobs, a group of former policymakers said.


In a statement yesterday, the Foundation for Economic Freedom (FEF) said “a minimum wage policy will further deepen poverty and unemployment in the countryside, contrary to the administration’s policy to rebalance growth.” Last month, the Department of Labor and Employment said it was studying the possibility of imposing one minimum wage rate nationwide in a bid to encourage more people to work in rural areas. Currently, the National Capital Region (NCR) has the highest minimum wage of P454 to P491 daily for non-agriculture jobs. The lowest minimum wage is in Region IV-B (Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon and Palawan provinces) at between P225 and 285. Regional tripartite boards are granted powers to adjust wages based on petitions and hearing, although traditionally, a hike in NCR wages is followed by similar petitions elsewhere. Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III did not respond to a request for comment on the FEF position yesterday. The Philippines has one of the highest minimum wages in the world and implementing a uniform rate nationwide will only drive investments away and kill jobs, a group of former policymakers said. In a statement yesterday, the Foundation for Economic Freedom (FEF) said “a minimum wage policy will further deepen poverty and unemployment in the countryside, contrary to the administration’s policy to rebalance growth.” Last month, the Department of Labor and Employment said it was studying the possibility of imposing one minimum wage rate nationwide in a bid to encourage more people to work in rural areas. Currently, the National Capital Region (NCR) has the highest minimum wage of P454 to P491 daily for non-agriculture jobs. The lowest minimum wage is in Region IV-B (Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon and Palawan provinces) at between P225 and 285. Regional tripartite boards are granted powers to adjust wages based on petitions and hearing, although traditionally, a hike in NCR wages is followed by similar petitions elsewhere. Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III did not respond to a request for comment on the FEF position yesterday. Citing a World Bank study, FEF said the country has been at a disadvantage attracting investments because of its high minimum wage. It encouraged the Duterte administration to amend the country’s Labor Code to remove “short and strict” labor security provisions and to allow worker-company wage negotiations. “We also urge the administration to consider the creation of special economic zones where labor-intensive industries can be set up, exempted from mandatory implementation of legal minimum wages,” FEF said. Industries such as garments and light manufacturing may be included under the special economic zones, with FEF saying investments of such kind had been “avoiding” the Philippines and moving to Vietnam and Indonesia. “Seeking to impose high minimum wages in the entire country irrespective of local conditions of unemployment and cost of living will only drive investments and jobs away,” FEF said. In July, the country’s unemployment rate edged lower to 5.4 percent from last year’s 6.5 percent, according to latest census data.
Millions of Filipino children barely have something to eat despite the country’s remarkable economic growth in the past five years, Vice President Leni Robredo said yesterday.


Robredo warned that child malnutrition could become a huge economic problem if not addressed immediately. “At present, there are 1.5 million Filipino children who go through a day without eating. And all these happened while we were experiencing economic growth that at some point in the past five years was the highest in the world,” the Vice President said at an education summit at the Philippine International Convention Center where she was the keynote speaker. Citing recent data from Save the Children, Robredo said the Philippines is one of the countries in the world with the highest cases of malnutrition. “We have 3.6 million stunted children, causing us to rank 9th among countries with the highest number of stunting, and 10th among countries with the highest burden of wasting. This represents an increase in child malnutrition cases to 33.4 percent in 2015 from 30.3 percent in 2013,” she said. Since children who are stunted have poor physical and mental development, Robredo said they are likely to become repeaters or school dropouts. “Malnutrition can result in P166.5 billion worth of lost income and P160 billion in lost productivity. Overall, we lose three percent of gross domestic product or P328 billion a year due to stunting and wasting,” she said. “The malnutrition problem is a multifaceted one that affects many other aspects of our people’s well-being. If it is not solved now, it will become a huge economic problem later,” she added. Robredo said this year the country has entered into a demographic sweet spot, which means that majority of the population would reach working age. She said this kind of demographic structure – which is expected for the next 40 years – has transformed South Korea and other Asian tigers into economic superpowers. “In other words, the Philippines is right at the cusp of a huge growth spurt that can galvanize our economy,” Robredo said. “But remember that growth from our demographic sweet spot assumes that the majority of our population that will reach working age will be productive. Not stunted. Not physically limited. But healthy, smart, productive and competitive,” she said.
While smiling can be good for the health, it is not mandatory for government health workers to smile all the time.


The Department of Health is not requiring doctors, nurses and other staff in public hospitals to smile to avoid misunderstanding, DOH Assistant Secretary Eric Tayag said yesterday. “The DOH has no order for public hospital staff to smile every time because doing so can also have negative effects,” Tayag explained. “Smiling is a sensitive matter, some patients may misinterpret it and think the hospital staff are making fun of them,” he added. Tayag made the statement in reaction to a complaint from a lawmaker that government doctors and other health workers are unfriendly to their patients. During a hearing on the DOH budget, one congressman questioned why nurses in public hospitals were unfriendly. Health Secretary Paulyn Ubial assured the lawmaker that she would look into such report. Tayag said those attending to outpatients should welcome and greet patients with a smile. But he said health workers could not be expected to be smiling all the time because it also requires effort and may be inappropriate in certain situations. “Smiling should be done at the right time and situation, a doctor or any other hospital staff can not do it when telling a patient he has cancer,” Tayag explained. “What is more important is to ensure that patients are given the immediate services they need,” he added. Tayag also assured the public the DOH would take appropriate action against any staff of government hospitals found to be disrespectful and violating the rights of patients.
Congressmen urged the Duterte administration yesterday to prioritize the modernization of the Port of Subic to ease traffic congestion in Metro Manila.


Senate Minority Leader Ralph Recto, for his part, urged the Department of Transportation (DOT) not to leave out practical solutions to traffic such as the provision for road safety items like ambulances and tow trucks in its proposed grant of emergency powers to President Duterte. The DOT submitted a list of programs and projects amounting to P1.15 trillion to the Senate to justify its request for the President to have emergency powers to solve the country’s traffic problems. Isabela Rep. Rodolfo Albano II said a study made by the Japan International Cooperation Agency showed that Subic, given its strategic assets, was equipped to acquire a higher share of the country’s growing container cargo volume and ease traffic in the metropolis caused partly by trucks moving cargo out of the Port of Manila. He said goods and commodities intended for Central and Northern Luzon should no longer pass through Metro Manila if Subic’s operations were optimized. “It is indeed a great idea. It is about time we discuss the Subic port modernization project. Subic’s location will also ensure a shorter point of entry for cargoes arriving from or going to Singapore,” he said. Eastern Samar Rep. Ben Evardone supported the proposal. “It will also spur economic growth across Central and North Luzon,” he said. Evardone noted the government built the Subic-Tarlac Expressway and improved the North Luzon Expressway partly to encourage importers to use the Subic port. “The government should encourage it. It can even offer incentives for those who will use the Subic port,” he added. Deputy Speaker and Batangas Rep. Raneo Abu proposed that traffic management and control of national roads in the provinces be given to governors. “Despite government effort to provide safe, convenient and faster travel to the motoring public, still the national roads in highly populated cities, municipalities and provinces are confronted with serious traffic problems brought about by the increasing volume of vehicles, aggravated by various obstructions caused by the reckless and unauthorized parking of vehicles along the sides of the national roads,“ he said. Abu said under the Local Government Code, provinces were the appropriate local government units that could effectively implement regulations for the efficient traffic management and control over the seriously congested national roads. Abu has filed Resolution 119, which calls for empowering provinces, through their legislative assemblies and governors, to manage traffic in their areas. Meanwhile, Recto emphasized the need to purchase ambulances and tow trucks as part of the solution to the traffic crisis because this would allow emergency teams to rush to accident sites to help victims and clear traffic jam-causing road obstructions. Unlike “long-gestating“ subways and airports that will take years to complete, Recto said the acquisition of ready-to-roll ambulances for emergency medical teams, or EMTs, and tow trucks for road clearing operations could be done in a matter of months. When it comes to traffic management, road safety, especially for pedestrians, plays a key role alongside infrastructure, Recto said. Recto said the hundreds of tow trucks and mobile EMTs were needed to constantly go around the roads of Metro Manila in order to ensure that there were no unnecessary obstructions to the flow of traffic, including illegally parked cars. He said the rising human toll from accidents was also a compelling reason to have these. Citing data from the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), Recto noted that a total of 95,615 traffic accidents were reported last year. “That’s an alarming 262 incidents a day, or one every five and a half minutes,” Recto said. According to the MMDA, these accidents resulted in the deaths of 519 persons, injury of 17,103 and 77,993 cases of damage to property. Recto said non-urgent projects in the DOT list, like the construction of training rooms in one DOT agency and the purchase of non-essential computers, could be put on the back burner and replaced by ambulances and tow trucks. – With Marvin Sy
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) is seeking a higher budget of P28.67 billion for 2017 to bankroll programs designed to protect the environment and improve the living conditions of marginalized communities.


DENR Secretary Gina Lopez at a recent budget hearing in the House of Representatives said a bigger budget would help the department fulfill its commitment to social justice through the implementation of environmental protection programs anchored on convergence and area-development approach. “Our main challenge is to raise the quality of life in communities that are the primary stakeholders and pursue measures that will optimize their growth potentials,” Lopez told House members when she presented to them last Monday the DENR’s budget proposal for next year. The department’s proposed budget for 2017 is about 31 percent higher than its P21.8-billion allocation for this year. She said the DENR would be working closely with civil society groups, scientists and social entrepreneurs to turn its programs and projects into income-generating enterprises for local communities. One of these is the National Greening Program (NGP), the government’s flagship reforestation program, which Lopez is eyeing to turn into a tool to improve the lives of the poor. NGP is a six-year massive forest rehabilitation program that aims to cover 1.5 million hectares of degraded forestland with trees by the end of 2016. But it was extended until 2028 through an executive order issued in November 2015 in a bid to rehabilitate 7.1 million hectares more. As of the end of 2015, the NGP had created at least 2.2 million “green jobs,” benefiting more than 320,000 individuals hired as workers in planting sites and tree seedling nurseries. For 2017, the DENR is asking Congress to allocate P9.4 billion for the NGP. DENR undersecretary for policy and planning Marlo Mendoza said the DENR’s focus next year will be on the NGP, responsible mining, forest protection and biodiversity conservation. DENR programs such as the forest protection program was allocated P674 million, biodiversity conservation program, P763 million; coastal and marine ecosystem program, P633 million; land administration and management, P568 million; research and development, P90 million and Manila Bay Clean Up Program, P80 million. The proposed budget likewise covers two major foreign-assisted projects being implemented by the DENR, totaling around P2 billion as government share for the Forest Management Project and the Integrated Natural Resources and Environment Management Project. A total of P3.4 billion was earmarked for DENR’s line bureaus and attached agencies. A big chunk of the allocation or P1.6 billion goes to the Environmental Management Bureau, which implements projects on solid waste management, clean air and clean water. The Mines and Geosciences Bureau is allocated P688 million for its mining regulation services and geohazard assessment and mapping. The Mines and Geosciences Bureau is allocated P688 million for its mining regulation services and geohazard assessment and mapping.
The Development Budget and Coordination Committee (DBCC) lowered the Bureau of Customs (BOC)’s revenue collection target for 2016 from P498.67 billion to P409 billion due to the decline in oil prices.


Out of the P409 billion, the BOC has to collect P402.5 billion in cash and P6.5 billion in the form of Tax Expenditure Fund (TEF). The TEF revenues were earlier described to be non-cash and are merely collections on paper. It is a subsidy released by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) to government-owned and controlled corporations (GOCC) and state-run companies mainly to settle customs duties and other taxes arising from the importation of goods. In a statement issued by the BOC yesterday, the lower collection target this year was attributed to the continuous decline in oil prices and level of imports during the recent months. Revised collection targets have been set for each of the 17 district ports for this year. Port of San Fernando was tasked to collect P2.1 billion; Port of Manila (POM) P66.9 billion; Manila International Container Port (MICP) P121.3 billion; Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) P36.1 billion; Port of Batangas P92.3 billion; Port of Legaspi P201 million; Port of Iloilo P2.1 billion; Port of Cebu P17.2 billion; Port of Tacloban P164.3 million; Port of Surigao P10.4 billion; Port of Cagayan de Oro P9.8 billion; Port of Zamboanga P186 million; Port of Davao P11.3 billion; Port of Subic P15.1 billion; Port of Clark P1.4 billion; Port of Aparri P242.8 million; and Port of Limay P26.2 billion. With BOC’s actual January to June collection reaching P190.6 billion, the remaining amount to be collected for this year to reach the new target is P218.4 billion.
The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) is mounting a massive information drive to clarify issues on the government’s campaign against contractualization.


“I ordered all regional directors to go all out in informing the public, particularly the employers and workers, that we are serious in our target of reducing ‘endo’ (end of contract) practice by 50 percent by 2016 and abolishing it by 2017,” DOLE Secretary Silvestre Bello III said in a statement. Bello said regional directors were also directed to double efforts in undertaking consultations and dialogues with workers and employers, including priority industries where illegitimate contractualization and “endo” practices were most prevalent. Among the priority industries are hotels and restaurants, manufacturing, health and wellness, malls, food chains, agricultural plantation and corporate farms. Through the conduct of orientations, Bello said DOLE would be also able to clarify and address issues being raised by employers and workers on the government’s efforts to end illegitimate contractualization. Bello said DOLE was developing a frequently asked question (FAQ) pamphlet that would be disseminated nationwide. The said FAQ would also be posted on the websites of DOLE offices and agencies. “There is a need to clarify and clearly define the concept of labor only-contacting engagements, status of employment and the instances which might lead to the circumvention of the law,” Bello explained. Some employers are claiming the campaign against contractualization is disastrous to the economy and violative of their rights. Workers, on the other hand, insist that all forms of contractualization are illegal and violates the workers’ right to security of tenure. Under the law, labor-only contracting or arrangement where the contractor or subcontractor merely recruits, supplies or places workers to perform a job, work or service for a principal is prohibited. DOLE recognizes that illegitimate contractualization or “endo” practices exist in both bilateral and trilateral employment relationships, Bello said.
Victim is actress Maritoni Fernandez’s sister


A woman who allegedly supplied illegal drugs to celebrities was shot dead in Quezon City before dawn yesterday. Ma. Aurora Moynihan, 45, of Ecology Village in Makati City, was found dead shortly after she was dumped at the corner of Temple Drive and Giraffe street in Barangay Ugong Norte, said Police Officer 3 Anthony Tejerero, case investigator. Moynihan is a sister of actress Maritoni Fernandez, said Quezon City Police District (QCPD) director Senior Superintendent Guillermo Eleazar. Witnesses told police they heard five gunshots from a sport utility vehicle – with Moynihan inside – a few minutes before she was dumped, Tejerero said. The witnesses said the vehicle sped away, heading toward White Plains Avenue, leaving the victim behind. Moynihan was found with a placard that read “pusher ng mga celebrities kasunod na kayo (pusher to the celebrities you are next).” Recovered from the victim’s bag were sachets said to contain shabu, four pieces of aluminum foil, two improvised glass tooters, three improvised lamps and some personal belongings. Eleazar said he will call for an investigation of Moynihan’s killing, considering it as a “death under investigation.” He did not set aside the possibility that Moynihan was delivering illegal drugs in Quezon City. Eleazar said the QCPD is currently monitoring celebrities in Quezon City who are allegedly linked to the illegal drug trade
I’m not mad at you. President Duterte yesterday told media to criticize him over his mistakes.


“Do not hesitate to attack or criticize me if I do wrong in my job. It is your duty,” Duterte told the media during a briefing upon his arrival at the Davao International Airport from a five-day trip abroad. Duterte said he is not mad at the media for reporting the incident between him and US President Barack Obama during the recent ASEAN Leaders’ Summit in Vientiane, Laos. Obama scrapped their bilateral talks following Duterte’s controversial remarks. “I am not at liberty to be angry with anybody. It is your sworn duty to ask questions. I am not mad at you,” he said. Duterte said he perfectly understands the job of a journalist, stressing the important role of media in society. “The media has an important role in recording the history of the country,” he said. Duterte also cited the case of broadcaster Ed Lingao, who earlier mistakenly read a news item that the President called Obama a ‘son of a whore’ during a pre-departure press conference last Monday before he left for Vientiane The President also made mention of Lingao’s case during the gathering of the Filipino community in Jakarta last Friday. Duterte said he had already accepted Lingao’s apology, especially since the broadcaster had already apologized to him in public. He said he believes Lingao committed the error without malice. But Duterte pointed out how certain sectors, including the media, had the tendency to twist stories, particularly quoting him out of context. He said that most of the time, the opposite of what he said or a completely different story comes out in the media. Duterte had a falling out with media earlier in his administration after international media groups called for a boycott of his press conferences. Duterte initially clammed up but eventually toned down and gradually began to give media interviews and press conferences earlier last month.
NEW DELHI – Eleven countries in South and East Asia on Friday agreed to establish an emergency fund to strengthen their health services to better respond to outbreaks of diseases, including emerging viruses such as Zika, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).


Made up of India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, South Korea, Indonesia, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Timor-Leste, the South East Asia region is highly susceptible to disasters such as floods which can result in disease outbreaks. The region is also threatened by a range of emerging diseases such as SARS, MERS CoV, pandemic influenza and Zika, say experts, adding that countries remain ill-prepared to effectively contain an outbreak should it occur. The WHO said while nations already contributed to a fund to tackle health emergencies such as outbreaks of cholera or diarrhea in the aftermath of disasters, it was crucial to have finance available to help countries prepare beforehand. “To date, post-disaster funding through South-East Asia Regional Health Emergency Fund has done an excellent job of helping countries respond to health emergencies once they’ve occurred, as we saw most recently in Nepal and Sri Lanka,” said Poonam Khetrapal Singh, WHO’s South East Asia director. “The new funding stream will allow countries to invest in infrastructure and human resources that will enhance preparedness,” she added in a statement. In a resolution passed by the 11 countries at a WHO meeting in the Sri Lankan capital Colombo, governments also agreed to increase the number of health workers, provide them with training and better conditions in order to retain them. The ratio of health care providers in the region currently stands at 12.5 workers for every 10,000 people, just a quarter of the WHO recommended minimum of 44.5.

Saturday, September 10, 2016

Martial law will never happen under the Duterte administration, Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez told a news conference yesterday.


Asked why he was so confident in making such a statement, Alvarez said, “I know him, he will not do it.” The President has declared a state of lawlessness following the market bombing in Davao City two weeks ago. Many people feared a martial law declaration would follow such a pronouncement.As for the proposal of Sen. Richard Gordon for Congress to suspend the writ of habeas corpus to strengthen the administration’s fight against illegal drugs, Alvarez said he would study it. Other congressmen said Gordon’s proposal is unnecessary. Opposition Rep. Edcel Lagman of Albay said Duterte has the authority to suspend the writ of habeas corpus without prior authorization from Congress “in case of invasion or rebellion, when the public safety requires it.” However, he said the suspension would “apply only to persons judicially charged for rebellion or offenses inherent in or directly connected with invasion, not to drug related cases.” “Gordon’s proposal falls into the perceived calibrated scheme of the President increasingly exercising emergency powers, from a declaration of a state of national emergency on account of lawless violence to possibly culminating in a declaration of martial law,” he said. Rep. Harry Roque of party-list group Akbayan said Gordon’s proposal is “patently unconstitutional.” “Section 18, Article VII of the 1987 Constitution states that the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus can only be suspended by the President by reason of invasion or rebellion, and subject to legal and judicial challenge on legal and factual basis,” he said. “The writ of habeas corpus has been, and still remains, the best guarantee for the right to liberty. Suspending the writ of habeas corpus and revoking civil liberties is a slippery and dangerous path to martial law. And as no such invasion or rebellion has occurred, there is no legal standing for the President to suspend the writ,” he said. For his part, Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Isagani Zarate said the Gordon proposal “is unwarranted as it may even lead to more human rights violations.” “As it is, some concerns on the guidelines of Presidential Proclamation 55 on warrantless arrests are already being raised and should be clarified by MalacaƱang. The fight against drugs and terrorism should go full steam ahead but not at the expense of human rights and civil liberties that our countrymen have fought for so hard to attain,” he said.
MalacaƱang is urging Filipinos to continue putting their trust in President Duterte amid criticisms against his bloody anti-drug campaign and his profanity-laced attacks against some world leaders, particularly during the weeklong working visits in Laos and Indonesia.


“To our countrymen, don’t be worried, let’s help him, let’s trust our President for all that he wants for our country because he only wants the best,” Presidential Communications Assistant Secretary Ana Marie Banaag said over the state-run Radyo ng Bayan. Duterte returns to the country today after attending the Sept. 6 to 8 ASEAN summit in Laos, and a two-day working visit in Jakarta. “He is so loved in Davao. And I’m sure in time – for those who still doubt his sincerity – I’m sure you would realize that somehow he knows he is trying to direct us to where he wants us to go,” Banaag said as she also defended the President from criticism that he had blown his chance for a one-on-one meeting with US President Barack Obama because of his gutter language. Banaag also assured the public that the President is on top of the situation amid concerns over his declaration of a state of national emergency on the account of lawless violence. She also gave some words of encouragement to police and soldiers, many of whom were being scored for abuses in the conduct of anti-drug operations. “Stay strong,” she said. Banaag also welcomed reports that the Indonesian police have shown interest in taking some pointers from the Duterte administration’s anti-drug strategy. She said every Filipino household would want to live in a safer environment, hence Duterte’s determination to stamp out criminality. In an earlier statement, the Palace said Indonesia’s anti-narcotics chief Budi Waseso had expressed interest in copying Duterte’s tack in fighting illegal drugs. The Palace quoted Waseso as saying in a press conference that the drug problem in Indonesia is no different from the Philippines. “The life of a dealer is meaningless because (he) carries out mass murder. How can we respect that?” Waseso said. Meanwhile, Vice President Leni Robredo said she hopes President Duterte’s reported insult of US President Barack Obama would not affect the relations between the US and the Philippines. “I was reading the interviews and statement of President Obama. He seems to have set aside those things (and said) that it will not affect the long-term relations of the Philippines and the US,” Robredo said in Naga City yesterday. – Cristina Mendez, with Janvic Mateo
JAKARTA – Foreign Affairs Secretary Perfecto Yasay Jr. said yesterday the country’s engagement in the recent Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit held in Vientiane, Laos was a success.


“We were very successful as we were able to express and articulate the concerns that we wanted to raise, particularly our efforts in the fight against illegal and illicit drugs,” Yasay said upon arrival here late Thursday night. President Duterte proceeded to Jakarta for a two-day working visit after the ASEAN summit. The President accepted the chairmanship of the ASEAN for 2017 and the country is expected to host over 40 ASEAN-related meetings. “We were clear in the steps we have taken consistent with the Constitution, the rule of law, upholding human rights and the recognition of due process, in so far as the suppression, prosecution and rehabilitation of those concerned,” Yasay said. He cited in particular the country’s efforts to push for a drug-free ASEAN in the years to come. “It’s a very holistic approach that we explained to them as the foundation of our efforts to fight illegal drugs,” he said. Yasay said the process in the ASEAN was “there was really no discussion the way we know it as one speaks and one interpolates, and the discussions there are done through interventions or we just make statements.” “And on the statement, it was received, it would be part of the records or part of the resulting documentations of the ASEAN summit,” he further said. Yasay said that as soon as the protocol on ASEAN documents would be done with, the controversial presentation of President Duterte would be made public. “The procedure here is the press is allowed during the initial five minutes for photo opportunities but when it comes to the making of the statements, these are all confidential. I am not at liberty to discuss with you what transpired in the room. But rest assured that once the part of the record would be public document, it can be made public,” he added. Yasay also denied reports of Obama and Duterte being in a “tense” situation during the latter’s presentation in the East Asia meeting. “I do not know what is the basis of the ‘shocked statement.’ I have no basis to affirm that or to confirm that because as far as I am concerned, the situation was never tense. As I said, the statements that he made were part of the record and for now I am not at liberty to mention them because I will be breaching the protocol in the summit,” he said. But the foreign affairs chief said that Duterte’s statements and comments were received well by many. He confirmed that Obama was present in the East Asia meeting Thursday morning. “I will affirm to you that President Obama was there and he just sat there and listened to President Duterte. Obama did not react. He did not say anything,” he said. – Edith Regalado
A security aide assigned to the Office of the Vice President was relieved after his live-in partner was included in the list of drug personalities of the Quezon City Police District (QCPD).


Vice presidential spokesperson Georgina Hernandez confirmed that the partner of Police Officer 3 Joey Regulacion was among those who surrendered to authorities after she was included in the Oplan Tokhang list of the city police. “The security detail has been transferred to his mother unit pending further investigation by the Philippine National Police. The Vice President is saddened to learn about the incident and supports all investigation efforts regarding the matter so that reputations and lives are not damaged,” she added. Barangay Culiat chairman Vic Bernardo earlier claimed that two of Regulacion’s siblings are also included in the watchlist of drug personalities. More gov’t agencies join campaign Also yesterday, Vice President Leni Robredo said that the Duterte administration’s anti-drug war is falling into place, with more government agencies cooperating in the campaign. While admitting that six months would not be enough to address the entire problem, particularly the rehabilitation of drug addicts who have surrendered, Robredo noted that cooperation among different agencies has strengthened the campaign. “The government now has a plan and it is evolving. If we can improve on it, we will improve on it,” the Vice President said during an interview in Naga City yesterday. Robredo earlier requested a briefing from the Department of Interior and Local Government to determine the government’s plan on rehabilitating around 700,000 people who admitted to using drugs. She balked at a report of the Department of Health, which supposedly claimed that only 10 percent of the agency’s budget would be committed for the rehabilitation of drug addicts. Robredo said President Duterte should not be left alone in the campaign, adding that she volunteered her office to be active in community rehabilitation. “We have a lot of experience here in Naga of institutions that address not just rehabilitation but also prevention. I volunteered that we assign areas that we can make as models,” she said. Robredo cited the importance of rehabilitating drug dependents as part of the campaign against illegal drugs. - Janvic Mateo
NEW YORK – New York marks the 15th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks more resilient, wealthier and more diverse than ever, yet that terrible day is forever seared into its DNA.


The al-Qaeda hijackings of Sept. 11, 2001 – the first foreign attack on the US mainland in nearly two centuries – ruptured a sense of safety and plunged the West into wars still being fought today. More than 2,750 people were killed when two passenger jets destroyed the Twin Towers, the symbol of New York’s financial wealth and confidence. The remains of only 1,640 people have been identified. Nearly 75,000 others live with mental and physical illnesses as a result of the attacks, many of them emergency workers who breathed in cancerous toxins as they valiantly tried to save lives. In the last 15 years, New York has sought to craft a balance between remembering the victims and the carnage, and doing what it does best: endless regenerating, rebuilding and looking toward the future. Downtown Manhattan is today one of the most fashionable parts of New York, packed with luxury hotels, boutiques and smart restaurants. The World Trade Center site has been totally rebuilt, home to the National September 11 Memorial and Museum, the world’s most expensive train station, a performing arts center and offices. “People come to this site from all over the world. It is something that now is a symbol to people around the world of resilience,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. The jewel in its crown is World Trade Center One, or Freedom Tower, which at 1,776 feet (the year of US independence), or 541 meters, is the tallest building in the Western hemisphere, its lights visible for miles.
An independent foreign policy anchored on “sovereign equality” will be President Duterte’s guiding principle in dealing with other nations


“We will observe and I must insist, I repeat, I must insist on the time honored principles of sovereign equality, non-interference and commitment to peaceful settlements,” Duterte said after arriving from the recently concluded Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit and a working visit to Indonesia. He reported bringing up before ASEAN leaders, with US President Barack Obama and UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon in attendance, his case against the US for human rights violations supposedly committed against Filipino Muslims at the turn of the century. Upon his arrival in Davao City, the President told the media about China’s pledge to help in the administration’s anti-drug campaign. “There will be plenty and China has committed to help us. I do not think that it has placed its limits there... And I said that we have this problem about, a serious, grave problem about drugs,” he said. “And I informed the body that as a matter of fact China has offered its help, to which we responded with gratitude. We need it,” the President said. “We are short – I said I am, I entered the presidency midterm. We have no more capital expenses, expenditure; only MOOE (maintenance and other operating expenses),” he pointed out. Duterte reiterated he was surprised to realize the drug problem in the country was worse than he had expected. “I thought all the while that I was controlling drugs in the City of Davao fairly well. But sometimes, with, you know, the drawbacks of being… you blurt some threats and intimidation. But I think it’s legal and necessary,” he said. Earlier in Indonesia, Duterte said he would do his best to improve the lives of Filipinos even if it would mean antagonizing the international community. “I am the President of the Republic of the Philippines, not the republic of the international community,” he said. “I will suppress drugs and in the fullness of God’s time, maybe two years. You can walk about in the Philippines, free of the fear of being mugged. But you have to pray, not because you love me, you have to pray because you need to,” he pointed out. He said drugs destroy families, especially of overseas workers whose children would usually end up hooked on drugs “Nobody in the horizon of the political arena was talking about the seriousness of the drug problem. Nobody was talking about the number of crimes committed against the innocent and hapless civilians, everywhere. Nobody was talking about graft and corruption,” he said. “It was the naked truth that was really very, very terrifying,” he said of the drug menace. “There were about three million already infected with drugs, with about 600,000 voluntarily surrendering and admitting their involvement to be able to avail of the government’s rehabilitative programs,” Duterte noted. Meanwhile, former information minister and senator Francisco Tatad urged President Duterte to control his mouth. Tatad, the information minister during the Marcos regime, said Duterte should focus on talking about “earthshaking” issues that would be beneficial to the people. “In my experience, the president seldom talked. I did the talking most of the time. I handled arguments, defense, and if there were really earthshaking issues, then that’s the only time he would speak as president of the republic,” he said in Filipino. Duterte had rained expletives on US President Barack Obama and UN chief Ban Ki-moon before he left for the ASEAN summit. An independent foreign policy anchored on “sovereign equality” will be President Duterte’s guiding principle in dealing with other nations. “We will observe and I must insist, I repeat, I must insist on the time honored principles of sovereign equality, non-interference and commitment to peaceful settlements,” Duterte said after arriving from the recently concluded Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit and a working visit to Indonesia. He reported bringing up before ASEAN leaders, with US President Barack Obama and UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon in attendance, his case against the US for human rights violations supposedly committed against Filipino Muslims at the turn of the century. Upon his arrival in Davao City, the President told the media about China’s pledge to help in the administration’s anti-drug campaign. “There will be plenty and China has committed to help us. I do not think that it has placed its limits there... And I said that we have this problem about, a serious, grave problem about drugs,” he said. “And I informed the body that as a matter of fact China has offered its help, to which we responded with gratitude. We need it,” the President said. “We are short – I said I am, I entered the presidency midterm. We have no more capital expenses, expenditure; only MOOE (maintenance and other operating expenses),” he pointed out. Duterte reiterated he was surprised to realize the drug problem in the country was worse than he had expected. “I thought all the while that I was controlling drugs in the City of Davao fairly well. But sometimes, with, you know, the drawbacks of being… you blurt some threats and intimidation. But I think it’s legal and necessary,” he said. Earlier in Indonesia, Duterte said he would do his best to improve the lives of Filipinos even if it would mean antagonizing the international community. “I am the President of the Republic of the Philippines, not the republic of the international community,” he said. “I will suppress drugs and in the fullness of God’s time, maybe two years. You can walk about in the Philippines, free of the fear of being mugged. But you have to pray, not because you love me, you have to pray because you need to,” he pointed out. He said drugs destroy families, especially of overseas workers whose children would usually end up hooked on drugs. “Nobody in the horizon of the political arena was talking about the seriousness of the drug problem. Nobody was talking about the number of crimes committed against the innocent and hapless civilians, everywhere. Nobody was talking about graft and corruption,” he said. “It was the naked truth that was really very, very terrifying,” he said of the drug menace. “There were about three million already infected with drugs, with about 600,000 voluntarily surrendering and admitting their involvement to be able to avail of the government’s rehabilitative programs,” Duterte noted. Meanwhile, former information minister and senator Francisco Tatad urged President Duterte to control his mouth. Tatad, the information minister during the Marcos regime, said Duterte should focus on talking about “earthshaking” issues that would be beneficial to the people. “In my experience, the president seldom talked. I did the talking most of the time. I handled arguments, defense, and if there were really earthshaking issues, then that’s the only time he would speak as president of the republic,” he said in Filipino. Duterte had rained expletives on US President Barack Obama and UN chief Ban Ki-moon before he left for the ASEAN summit. Tatad said the Palace should appoint only one person who would speak for the president. “The problem is everyone wants a piece of the action,” he said.
The Philippine National Police (PNP) filed drug trafficking charges yesterday against Talitay, Maguindanao Vice Mayor Abdul Wahab Sabal, who is also being investigated for the Davao City bombing last Sept. 2 that killed 14 people.


The PNP’s Anti-Illegal Drugs Group (AIDG) filed the charges against Sabal and three other suspects before the Department of Justice (DOJ). Sabal was flown to Manila from Maguindanao early yesterday morning following his arrest on Thursday at the Cotabato City airport. DOJ prosecutor Gino Santiago said the complaints were filed against Sabal, Mohanna Sabal, Nasser Maulana and Norodin Abas. Santiago said that based on the letter request of the PNP, the investigators filed complaints of violating Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 1992 and Illegal Possession of Firearms and Explosives against the four respondents. The DOJ clarified that it would be decided by next week if a case would be filed against the suspects in the proper court. Aside from the illegal drug trade, police are investigating the possible involvement of Vice Mayor Sabal in the bombing at the Davao City night market. Police released an artist’s sketch of the suspect who was wearing a mask. PNP chief Director General Roland dela Rosa said that the blast could have been perpetrated by narco-politicians in retaliation for the government’s sustained anti-drugs campaign. Santiago said that there was “no mention” that the complaint filed against the four individuals were connected to the Davao blast last Sept. 2. Earlier, President Duterte accused Sabal and his brother Talitay Mayor Montasir Sabal as narco-politicians for their involvement in the illegal drug trade. The Sabal brothers earlier surrendered to Maguindanao police director Senior Supt. Nicksdon Muksan and denied their involvement in drug trafficking. They later presented themselves to Dela Rosa in Camp Crame, Quezon City. In Manila, Sabal was initially brought to the AIDG office before he was brought to the DOJ in Manila. PNP spokesman Senior Supt. Dionardo Carlos said that he still has no information regarding Sabal’s arrest and presence at the AIDG. – Jaime Laude, Evelyn Macairan
President Duterte has vowed that “there will be a day of reckoning” for those responsible for the bombing of the Roxas night market in Davao City that killed 14 and injured over 70 last week.


Duterte cited national security as the reason why he would not give details on the developments on the Davao blast last Sept. 2. “It’s too early to be talking about it,” the President said in a press briefing at the Davao International Airport yesterday after arriving from his working visit in Indonesia. “It’s a matter of national security but I guarantee you, there will be a day of reckoning,” he added. Duterte, who declared a state of emergency due to lawless violence, did not rule out attacks “because of retaliation, reprisals” from the suspects. With the Philippines as chairmanship of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations for 2017, the President said he would still assess if Davao City would be ideal for the next summit. “That will depend on the security of Davao City. I would have to listen to the military and the police for an accurate assessment,” he said. “We do not want any bloody thing here, I’m sure. I have stated my case very clearly: We are in a state of lawlessness. I do not need any additional power... pang-takot lang iyan (it is just to scare),” he added.
He may be a toughie, but he has a soft spot, especially for his children.


Arriving from a working visit in Jakarta before dawn yesterday, President Duterte admitted crying after learning that two of the triplets his daughter, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio, is carrying, have died. Sara learned about the fate of her twins when she had a checkup with last Monday, following a visit to the victims of the Roxas night market bombing which killed 14 people and injured 71 others. “I cried. These are things in life that you cannot assuage. You just have to heal yourself,” the President said. The President said the sad news was relayed to him while he was attending one of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations meetings in Vientiane, Laos earlier this week. The President said he was with a group of people at the lobby of the venue. “I had to excuse myself and go to the bathroom and shed tears,” he said, adding that it took some time for Sara to become pregnant again. Duterte said he has advised Sara to reveal her condition to the people, especially to her constituents. “I told her they have the right to be informed. She is a public official,” he said. Sara announced her pregnancy with triplets last month when she had to excuse herself from the celebration of the Kadayawan sa Dabaw festival upon advice of her doctor because of her delicate condition. However, she had to attend to several matters following the Davao blast. Some observers said this could have affected her pregnancy.
Vietnam promises a long-term supply of rice to the Philippines, while Japan vows to uphold the rule of law in the disputed South China Sea


VIENTIANE, Laos – Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte sat down with at least 6 world leaders on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit in Vientiane, Laos, which was his first international trip. Duterte held bilateral meetings with the following leaders while the ASEAN Summit was ongoing: Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc Lao Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith New Zealand Prime Minister John Phillip Key Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev
Rappler lists localities where authorities have added police patrols, set up checkpoints, and increased security measures


MANILA, Philippines – Several cities and provinces have gone on full alert in the past few days in the aftermath of an explosion at the Davao City night market that killed at least 14 people and injured dozens on September 2. Local officials and police forces in various parts of the country have responded to Proclamation Number 55 – "Declaring a state of national emergency on account of lawless violence in Mindanao" – which President Rodrigo Duterte signed on September 4. (READ: State of nat'l emergency: More police, military in malls, train stations) Rappler lists here the localities where authorities have added police patrols, set up checkpoints, and increased security measures. Metro Manila The National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO), under director Chief Superintendent Oscar Albayalde, has intensified the 24-hour monitoring of its Special Reaction Unit (SRU), which includes the SWAT, Explosive Ordnance Disposal, and K-9 units. They have set up check points, that cops – augmented by the Armed Forces of the Philippines – are helping man. SRU teams are inspecting schools and informing teachers and students about managing bomb threats, and reminding them of the implications and consequences of spreading bomb jokes, according to an NCRPO press release. Covert operatives of the NCRPO are also deployed in transport terminals, while air and sea ports, business centers, churches, vital installations, and other places of convergence are also regularly inspected. The public may contact Metro Manila police through these hotlines: NCRPO 838-3203; text 0917-708-1135 or 0917-856-1040; Twitter: @ncrporeact; Facebook page: NCRPOReact Northern Police District 285-2396 / 285-2838; text 0917-847-5757 / 0905-454-2547 / 0916-558-2419 Eastern Police District 641-0171 / 641-0877; text 0915-888-8181 / 0999-901-8181 / 0917-728-3790 Manila Police District 523-1367 / 523-3378; text 0919-995-0976 / 0917-899-2092 Southern Police District 519-5525 / 519-8644; text 0908-377-0025 Quezon City Police District 925-8417 / 0917-840-3925; text 0995-645-1999 / 0919-496-7833

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