SC WELCOMES 'MEGA TASK FORCE' HELP, NOTES JUDICIARY HAS OWN INVESTIGATIVE
SYSTEM
MANILA The Supreme Court welcomed Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarras
offer to assist in weeding out corruption in the Judiciary, as it noted that
the tribunal has its own bodies to investigate its ranks.
President Rodrigo Duterte has tapped Guevarra to lead a mega task force to
probe the entire government of corruption. The justice secretary said in
an interview with DZBB that the focus will mostly be on national agencies
under the executive, but if the Judiciary needs help in cleansing their
ranks, the task force is ready to assist.
SC spokesperson Brian Hosaka welcomed Guevarras offer to assist the
Judiciary. The same is very much appreciated, he told reporters.
Any assistance for the good of the institution and to protect its integrity
should not be shunned, but instead welcomed, he added.
Hosaka however noted that Guevarra acknowledged first that the Judiciary has
its own system of investigating corruption within its offices.
In fact, weeding out misfits in the Judiciary is a priority of Chief
Justice Diosdado Peralta and is included in his 10-point program for the
Judiciary which he bared a year ago in his assumption as Chief Justice,
Hosaka said.
METRO MANILA MAYORS WANT GCQ UNTIL END OF 2020
MANILA - Metro Manila mayors are urging the national government to keep the
National Capital Region under general community quarantine until end of
December to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus, their
representative said Thursday.
The Metro Manila Council made the recommendation prior to the end of the
region's GCQ in October, its chair Parañaque Mayor Edwin Olivarez said.
"Ang recommendation ng MMC magkaroon ng GCQ until end of the year, hanggang
Dec. 31 po para magkaroon po tayo ng continuous strategy at di magkaroon ng
spike all over Metro Manila," he told ABS-CBN's Teleradyo.
The region, except Navotas, earlier shortened its curfew hours to 12 a.m. to
4 a.m.. It also allowed residents aged 18 to 65 to go outside their homes.
The Philippines employs a 4-level community quarantine scheme ranging from
the strictest enhanced community quarantine to the most relaxed modified
general community quarantine (MGCQ).
The quarantine level dictates the type of business activities allowed in a
certain area, as well as travel restrictions.
LAWMAKERS QUESTION EXCEPTIONS TO GOVT-WIDE CORRUPTION PROBE
MANILA Lawmakers questioned why some officials have been absolved by
President Rodrigo Duterte from any involvement in corruption even before the
anti-corruption task force he recently formed begins its investigation into
irregularities in the entire government.
Its a good move, Sen. Panfilo Ping Lacson said in Filipino an interview
on Wednesday. But in the same announcement, there are already exceptions.
Its like the message is dont include them because theyre not involved.
Right there, its like it already started on the wrong foot.
Lacson said everyone in government should be subject to the task forces
probe, but it seems that Duterte exempted Health Secretary Francisco Duque
and Public Works Secretary Mark Villar from the investigation.
Its like hes saying dont include Secretary Duque or Villar, Lacson
said. How would the effort to curb corruption succeed if at the outset
there are already people who cannot be touched?
Sacred cows
For House Deputy Minority Leader Carlos Zarate (Bayan Muna party-list), the
government-wide corruption probe would hardly amount to anything due to
Dutertes penchant for absolving his people.
If sacred cows and patronage politics remain in the Duterte administration
then no amount of corruption drive will succeed. They are all bound to
fail, Zarate said in a statement on Thursday.
DPWH CHIEF VILLAR TO FACE PROBE IF EVIDENCE WARRANTS, SAYS WIFE
MANILA - Public Works Secretary Mark Villar will be investigated if evidence
warrants as "no one is exempt" from President Rodrigo Duterte's order to rid
government of corruption, the Department of Justice said Thursday.
Duterte earlier said he had "nothing against" Villar, who he said was "one
of the hardworking" officials with "many" accomplishments.
The President, however, was only "expressing his trust and confidence" on
Villar, said his wife DOJ Undersecretary Emmeline Aglipay-Villar.
"He also said in his memo all government officials and employees are
included in the investigation which means no one is exempt," she told ANC's
Headstart.
"Yes, because thats what the President also said in his memo, that all
government officials and employees are included and if evidence warrants a
case to be filed against them we would do so," she said when asked if Villar
would be investigated.
She added that the remaining months under Duterte's term would be
"substantial time in order to create a dent in the problem of corruption,"
citing DOJ's findings in embattled state insurer PhilHealth.
BTA PASSES BANGSAMORO ADMINISTRATIVE CODE
COTABATO CITY The 80-member Bangsamoro interim parliament has approved the
proposed Regional Administrative Code essential to the setting up of an
efficient autonomous government covering the five provinces of the region.
The approved Bill 60 of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority shall define the
procedural principles of governance in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in
Muslim Mindanao, which covers Maguindanao, Lanao del Sur, Basilan, Sulu and
Tawi-Tawi.
The Regional Administrative Code (RAC) encompasses all Bangsamoro ministries
and all other non-portfolio entities under the office of BARMMs chief
minister, Ahod 'Al Haj Murad' Ebrahim.
"In one of its basic principles and policies, the Bangsamoro Administrative
Code provides that the Bangsamoro Government, in pursuit of moral
governance, shall maintain honesty, integrity, transparency, and
accountability in governance and take positive and effective measures
against graft and corruption," Ebrahim said in a post on the Bangsamoro
government's website.
"This salient point speaks of our earnest desire to leave a system that
adheres to the concept of amanah, where leadership and responsibilities are
not just titles or positions, but more importantly a trust given by the
Almighty," he added.
CYNTHIA VILLAR IS PH'S RICHEST SENATOR WITH P3.8-B WEALTH; DE LIMA POOREST
MANILA - The Senate has released the 2019 summary of the Statements of
Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth of senators with Sen. Cynthia Villar
topping the list with a P3.81-billion net worth.
Villar is the wife of the Philippines' richest man Manny Villar, who has
stakes in real estate, land development, retail, utilities, among other
businesses in the country.
Mr. Villar's net worth is estimated at around P282.9 billion, skyrocketing
past the wealth of ports magnate Enrique Razon and heirs of the late mall
tycoon Henry Sy, among others, according to a Forbes survey released in the
second quarter of 2020.
Boxing champion Sen. Manny Pacquiao is the second wealthiest senator with a
net worth of P3.17-billion.
Detained Sen. Leila de Lima, who was accused of profiting from the sale of
illegal narcotics in the national penitentiary, is the poorest senator in
2019 with a P8.32 million net worth.
Below is the complete ranking of the senators based on their latest declared
net worth"
1) Sen. Cynthia Villar: P3,814,091,438
2) Sen. Manny Pacquiao: P3,172,524,957
3) Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto: P567,438,429
4) Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri: P203,667,746
5) Sen. Ramon "Bong" Revilla Jr.: P176,363,262
6) Sen. Sonny Angara: P142,212,659
7) Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon: P102,259,501
8) Sen. Grace Poe: P97,631,508
9) Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian: P95,404,344
10) Sen. Pia Cayetano: P82,774,150
11) Senate President Vicente Sotto III: 77,772,861
12) Sen. Richard Gordon: P71,207,733
13) Sen. Lito Lapid: P70,948,600
14) Sen. Francis Tolentino: P61,172,000
15) Sen. Nancy Binay: P60,318,928
16) Sen. Panfilo Lacson: P48,959,138
17) Sen. Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III: P36,308,400
18) Sen. Imee Marcos: P34,020,467
19) Sen. Ronald Dela Rosa: P33,025,241
20) Sen. Joel Villanueva: P30,249,305
21) Sen. Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan: P19,975,821
22) Sen. Christopher "Bong" Go: P18,391,012
23) Sen. Risa Hontiveros: P16,050,112
24) Sen. Leila De Lima: P8,323,470
FILIPINOS APPLYING FOR SCHENGEN VISAS SURGED BY 43% IN LAST FIVE YEARS
DATA
MANILA Philippine passport holders applying for a Schengen visa has spiked
by 43% since 2015, according to data from a visa information site.
A Schengen visa lets passport holders travel to 26 Schengen Area Member
States with the majority of them in the European Union.
The visa covers Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland,
France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein,
Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherland, Norway, Poland, Portugal,
Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.
Data published by SchengenVisaInfo.com showed that from 132,611 visa
applications from the Philippines filed in 2015, this went up in 2019 to
189,541.
Applications had been rising yearly with the highest year on year increase
recorded in 2017. A total of 146,517 Schengen visa applications were filed
in 2016, which jumped to 170,605 applications in 2017, meaning Schengen
embassies received 24,178 more applications.
More Filipinos applied the following year with 175,703 visa applications
recorded.
Global movement restrictions due to the pandemic have halted most travel in
2020.
THE REST
========
BAGUIO TO INSTALL INTEGRATED COMMUNICATION PLATFORM, OTHER DIGITAL ASSETS TO
FULFILL SMART CITY VISION
MANILA Baguio City is set to push forward with its goal of making the
tourist destination the first Smart City in the country with its line up of
technological investments.
The countrys Summer Capital has partnered with tech company Cisco to
create Integrated Command and Control Center.
I envision Baguio as a Smart City where various types of electronic methods
are used to manage the Summer Capital's assets, resources and to provide
even more efficient and effective services to the public, Baguio City Mayor
Benjamin Magalong.
Magalong, also the countrys contact tracing czar, said the participation of
the tech firm will help the city realize its goal of digital governance
where residents can engage in contact-less transactions with the
government and much more. He said less contacts will also help to decrease
the spread of the COVID-19 infection.
Cisco will specifically install a holistic and integrated Smart City
platform, which includes the command and control center, an Integrated
Communication Platform (ICP), a Video Management System (VMS) with Video
Analytics, Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD), and Geographical Information
System (GIS) and big data analytics for the city of Baguio.
The integrated command and control center will serve as the citys
monitoring center and coordination office all-in-one. It will be operated by
a combined force from the City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office,
Police, Fire Services, Health and Emergency Medical Services Departments.
With this innovation, the city will manage to closely monitor and respond to
incidents in the community, improving peace, order and safety for its
citizens. It will also be able to better manage and respond to citizen
complaints and feedback with the integration of its Smart City app launched
earlier this year.
#KAPITLANGDOLOMITE: MANILA BAY DOLOMITE SAND STILL INTACT - DENR
MANILA The pulverized dolomite laid over a portion of Manila Bay for an
artificial beach project remains intact, the Department of Environment and
Natural Resources (DENR) said Thursday, amid allegations the overlay was
washed out following a spate of heavy rains.
"Based on our inspection last Monday, we observed that the placed dolomite
in the beach nourishment are still intact, Environment Undersecretary Jonas
Leones told ANCs Matters of Fact.
And that we observed that our geo-interventions in the beach nourishment
are still there and serving the purpose of protecting the placed sand from
heavy rains and strong waves.
Leones clarified that the artificial sand was not swept to the sea, but
instead the shore was covered by black sand.
Engineering interventions put in place in the area such as geo tubes will
allow the project to withstand any weather disturbances, he added.
Despite a slew of criticism of the P28-million beautification project, the
DENR has ordered the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to
fast-track its completion.
We are committing to the public that by yearend we can finish all
activities in the bay walk, Leones said.
NEW LPA SPOTTED OFF MINDANAO AS TROPICAL DEPRESSION NEARS PAR
MANILA - A brewing storm was spotted east of Mindanao as the tropical
depression off Central Luzon approached the Philippine area of
responsibility, the state weather bureau said early Thursday.
The tropical depression with international name Goni will be called "Rolly"
when it enters PAR, said PAGASA weather forecaster Ezra Bulquerin.
It was last spotted 1,705 km east of Central Luzon as of 3 a.m., moving west
at 10 km per hour with maximum winds of 65 kph near the center and gusts of
up to 80 kph.
The low pressure area, meantime, was last spotted east of Mindanao,
Bulquerin said.
"Posibleng pumasok ito ng PAR at magdala ng epekto kaya umantabay po tayo sa
updates na ilalabas ng PAGASA," he said in PAGASA's daily briefing.
Meantime, the intertropical convergence zone will bring scattered rains over
Caraga ang Davao region while the northeasterly surface windflow will dampen
Ilocos Norte, Apayao, Batanes, Cagayan, and Babuyan Islands.
Metro Manila and the rest of the country will generally experience fair
weather with isolated rains due to localized thunderstorms.
ENTERTAINMENT & LIFESTYLE
TEA TIME: SANDRA LEMONON MENTIONS RABIYA MATEO, REUNITES WITH MISS UNIVERSE
PHILIPPINES SISTERS
MANILA Miss Universe Philippines 2020 candidate Sandra Lemonon from Taguig
City exposed a social media user "trolling" her friend and another
candidate, Patricia de Santos of Pampanga, through a direct message on
Instagram.
In her Instagram account, Sandra posted a screenshot of the meesage Patricia
received from a social media user.
"Isa ka ding bitter!!! Mga talunan!!! Rabiya deserved the crown!!! Please
accept defeat!!! MOVE ON GURL!!! ITIGIL NA ANG CHISMIZZ!!!" the Instagram
user messaged Patricia.
The message was received after Miss Universe Philippines candidates reunited
in a restaurant in Manila.
"These are the messages my lovely sisters get after our Manila gathering,"
Sandra wrote.
"And this is how my gorgeous MUPH sister @patriciapinedesantos replied to
this troll," she added.
Sandra clarified that all of the candidates are in one group chat, including
the winner Rabiya Mateo of Iloilo City, although Rabiya was not tagged in
the reunion photo shared on Sandra and Patricia's Instagram stories.
"We just wanted to bond together since we are all in Manila & everyone was
invited in the MUPH group chat. Including the winner," Sandra said.
Sandra also answered the netizen's message, saying that she has no
"chismizz," only "facts."
"Also I don't have chismizz. I have facts," she stressed.
ARCI MUÑOZ IS NOW A SERGEANT
MANILA Kapamilya actress Arci Munoz is now a sergeant of the Philippine
Air Force Reserve (PAFR) Command.
In its official Facebook page on Monday, the PAFR said Munoz completed the
Basic Citizen Military Training on Sunda, October 25, at Gaerlan Auditorium,
HAFRC, Clark Air Base in Pampanga.
The post added that under the supervision of 1st Air Reserve Center, Munoz
learned the basic knowledge and skills of soldiery.
For 30 training days, she underwent HADR training, marksmanship training,
obstacle course, field training exercise (FTX) and other activities that
prepared her for her future roles as a reservist of the Philippine Air
Force, it said.
The post was accompanied by a photo of Munoz wearing a fatigue uniform while
holding what appears to be her certificate.
Munoz first revealed that she enlisted to be a reservist for the Philippine
Air Force in an Instagram post last June.
"Maligayang Araw ng Kasarinlan, mahal kong Pilipinas! Ngayon araw din ang
aking unang pisikal na pagsasanay bilang kaunaunahang babae sa aking
henerasyon at propesyon na sumasailalim sa [Philippine Air Force] reservist
BCMT - Basic Citizen Military Training, she captioned her post at that
time.
"Hinihikayat ko po ang aking mga kapwa kababaihan na mag-enlist. Marami pong
salamat sa aking Philippine air force family. Asahan nyo po ang aking buong
pusong dedikasyon at serbisyo," she added.
Munoz went through her basic citizen military training along with her
Pamilya Ko leading man and good friend, JM de Guzman.
SPORTS
BEERMEN SHOW BIG HEART
SMART CLARK GIGA CITY, Pampanga Dont count out the heart of a champion.
Shoved to a 13-point hole in the third quarter, holder San Miguel Beer
furiously clawed back and got the job done via an 89-82 victory over Meralco
last night in the PBA Philippine Cup bubble.
Mo Tautuaa and Alex Cabagnot presided over a searing run in the fourth that
turned things around for an SMB team that found ways to survive the Bolts
tough challenge en route to their third straight win at the AUF Sports Arena
Powered by Smart 5G.
The streaking Beermen grabbed a share of third at 4-2 while the Bolts saw
their two-game roll snapped and dropped to 3-3.
They came out of the beginning of the half strong but coach told us to keep
fighting, keep grinding, keep pushing no matter what, until we get to the
end, said Tautuaa, who punched in 23 points plus five rebounds for coach
Leo Austria.
They had us in the beginning but we just kept going (and were rewarded with
a win), he added.
The Bolts threatened to rip the game apart with a huge 13-0 run in the
penultimate stanza to seize a 65-52 tear. Any other team would have panicked
but not the seasoned Beermen.
Down by nine at the start of the fourth, SMB launched a punishing 21-4 blast
anchored on Tautuaa and Cabagnot to reverse the tide and wrest an 81-73
tear.
The Bolts got to within four but San Miguel refused to yield control and
iced it with cold-blooded treys from Cabagnot and Chris Ross.
Meanwhile, pacesetting TNT Tropang Giga zero in on a quarterfinal berth when
they tangle with embattled NLEX at 6:30 tonight, shooting for a sixth
straight win.
Phoenix Super LPG (4-2) unleashes newly reinstated Calvin Abueva for the
second time in the bubble in their 4 p.m. duel with Alaska Milk (4-3).
Abueva returned with a bang after a 16-month suspension, dishing out a
comprehensive 21-point, 13-rebound, seven-assist performance as he
contributed greatly to the Fuel Masters 114-110 verdict over NLEX last
Monday.
NOTE: PBA postponed Blackwater-Magnolia game
INDICATORS
FOREX $1 = P 48.37
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
When you know a thing, to hold that you know it; and when you do not know a
thing, to allow that you do not know it this is knowledge - Confucius
Comments (0)