SANDIGAN ORDERS BANK TO PAY P373M IN MARCOS ILL-GOTTEN WEALTH

MANILA — Sandiganbayan has ordered Royal Traders Holding Co. Inc. to pay the government at least P373.49 million that the anti-graft court found to be part of the ill-gotten wealth of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos and his family.

In a 52-page decision, Sandiganbyan also ordered the RTHI, formerly the Traders Royal Bank, to pay 12% interest each year "reckoned from February 1993, until all the amounts are fully paid."

The court based these amounts — P65.98 million, P30.5 million and $5.44 million ($1:P50.92) — on bank certificates recovered from the Marcoses when they landed in Hawaii in 1986 after fleeing the Philippines.

When the dictator died, his wife Imelda agreed to give the Marcoses' stake in seized items to the Philippine government. In return, the government agreed to drop cases against the family.

But the TRB refused to pay the Presidential Commission on Good Government — the agency tasked with recovering Marcos' ill-gotten wealth — when it tried to collect these amounts in 1993. PCGG then filed a case against TRB in 1997.

Why does this matter?

The ruling in favor of PCGG, representing the Filipino people, is the latest legal recognition of the Marcos family's ill-gotten wealth amid continued attempts to downplay their massive looting of public funds.

In a hearing on the Department of Justice's 2022 budget, the PCGG, an attached agency, told lawmakers at the House of Representatives that it still has to recover P125 billion in ill-gotten wealth.

As of September 2021, PCGG Commissioner John Agbayani said, the agency has recovered a total of P174 billion.

"This amount of money has been distributed to our Agrarian Reform Program in the amount of P79 billion," Agbayani told lawmakers. Another P76 billion, he added, was given to the Coco Levy Trust Fund.

He also said the PCGG has "set aside more or less P11 billion to implement the provisions of the [Human Rights Victims Reparation and Recognition Act of 2013] in order to compensate our human rights victims."

DUTERTE FEARS ARMS RACE IN AUKUS

MANILA — President Duterte has expressed concern about a “regional nuclear arms race” days after the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia signed a security partnership allowing Canberra to acquire a nuclear-powered submarine technology, Malacañang said yesterday.

Early this month, the three countries forged the AUKUS, an enhanced trilateral security partnership that they said would strengthen their ability to support their security and defense interests and promote “deeper information and technology sharing.”

The first initiative under the AUKUS is to support Australia in acquiring nuclear-powered submarines for the Royal Australian Navy.

The three countries also vowed to seek an “optimal pathway” to deliver at least eight nuclear-powered submarines for Australia.

Southeast Asian countries Malaysia and Indonesia expressed concern that the partnership might pave the way to an arms race.

Foreign affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. is supportive of the AUKUS, saying “the enhancement of a near abroad ally’s ability to project power should restore and keep the balance rather than destabilize it.”

“He said this will be discussed in a full Cabinet meeting, although he expressed concern about a regional nuclear arms race,” presidential spokesman Harry Roque said, referring to Duterte.

On Monday, Roque said the Philippines wants to make sure the AUKUS would not violate the Constitution and the Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapons Free Zone Treaty, a 1995 agreement that aims to preserve the region as a nuclear weapon-free zone.

In a recent statement, Locsin said without the actual presence of nuclear weapons, the Philippines cannot infer violation of the treaty.

AUSTRALIA DELIVERS P57-MILLION WORTH OF COVID-19 SUPPLIES TO PHILIPPINES

MANILA—Australia has turned over to the Armed Forces of the Philippines some P57 million worth of medical equipment and supplies to support its COVID19 response, the military said Wednesday.

The delivery, which is the third tranche of donation from the Australian government under the AustraliaPhilippines Enhanced Defense Cooperation Program, included the following: high flow oxygen machines, stretcher, defibrillator, disinfection kits, Automated RNA extraction kit, Viral RNA extraction kit, RTPCR reagents and detection kit, face masks, face shield, PPE level 3 and level 4 sets, eye protector, KN95 masks.

The equipment and supplies will be turned over to the AFP’s primary military hospital, Victoriano Luna Medical Center, to support its COVID19 response, testing efforts and capacity for hospitalization of minor to critical patients.

Australian Ambassador to the Philippines Steven Robinson handed over the donation to the AFP in a ceremony at Pier 15, South Harbor in Manila on Tuesday.

“Throughout this unpredictable COVID19 pandemic, I am very pleased that Australia is able to provide flexible and responsive support to the Philippines," Robinson said.

COMELEC EXTENDS VOTER REGISTRATION, OPEN FROM OCT. 9 TO 31

MANILA— The Commission on Elections (Comelec) will extend for nearly a month the voter registration period after its Sept. 30 deadline, a poll official said Wednesday.

Filipinos will still have time to register for the 2022 national and local elections from Oct. 9 to 31, following public clamor and pressure from both houses of Congress.

Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez said the Comelec en banc approved the extension Wednesday. Registration is suspended on the first week of October (October 1-8) to give way for the filing of certificates of candidacy by 2022 hopefuls.

LP PICKS INITIAL SENATORIAL BETS FOR 2022 POLLS

MANILA — The once-ruling Liberal Party formally nominated on Tuesday its initial set of senatorial candidates for the 2022 elections, most of whom are senators gunning for reelection.

The LP’s National Executive Council passed a resolution nominating Sens. Kiko Pangilinan and Leila de Lima, and former Sen. Bam Aquino as the party’s initial senatorial candidates.

Sen. Risa Hontiveros from the Akbayan party and human rights lawyer Chel Diokno were also endorsed as part of the LP’s initial list of guest senatorial candidates.

Pangilinan, De Lima and Hontiveros are all eyeing a re-election in the Senate. Diokno is trying for the Senate again after a failed bid for a seat in the chamber in 2019. Meanwhile, Aquino has yet to announce his political plans for 2022.

LP president Pangilinan, whose political career began as a student activist during the regime of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos, had been a senator from 2001 to 2013.

Senators from the Liberal Party and their ally Akbayan have been in the Senate minority bloc since 2017, when they were ousted from key positions following the arrest of De Lima.

SENATE PASSES BILL TO RAISE SEXUAL CONSENT AGE FROM 12 TO 16

MANILA — A bill to raise the minimum age of sexual consent in the Philippines from 12 to 16 has moved closer towards becoming law, after senators approved it its final reading.

The bill aims to protect children from rape and other forms of sexual abuse and was backed by 22 senators on Monday, with one abstention. A counterpart measure was approved by the lower chamber in December last year.

A bicameral committee must now consolidate the two drafts and pass it to the president for approval.

The Philippines currently has the lowest minimum age of sexual consent in Southeast Asia, and one of the lowest in the world.

Seven of 10 victims of rape in the Philippines are children, data from the Center for Women’s Resources show.

Under the bill, any adult, both men and women, engaging in sexual contact with anyone 16 years old or lower would be committing statutory rape. For more than a century, the minimum age has been 12.

“Today, the Senate has finally and clearly said no to child rape. Today, the senate has sounded the clarion call for change,” Senator Risa Hontiveros, a principal author of the bill, said in a statement.

DUTERTE ALLOWS LIMITED FACE-TO-FACE CLASSES FOR MORE COLLEGE PROGRAMS

MANILA — The resumption of face-to-face classes for more college programs has been allowed by government, the Commission on Higher Education said Tuesday.

CHED Chairman Prospero de Vera, in a statement, said President Rodrigo Duterte gave the go-ahead for limited face-to-face classes to other degree programs that require hands-on experience in higher education institutions (HEIs) in areas under modified general community quarantine.

Programs allowed for in-person classes include engineering and technology, hotel and restaurant management, tourism and travel management, and maritime courses.

Prior to the development, only students in medicine and the allied health sciences were allowed to hold in-person classes. De Vera earlier said the programs were selected because students were required to have "hands-on experience."

Of the first batch of students allowed to hold in-person instruction, less than 1 percent tested positive for COVID-19, prompting De Vera to call for the expansion of on-site classes for other programs.

The CHED chair is in talks with vaccine czar Sec. Carlito Galvez Jr. to push for vaccination of all faculty members, students and school staff to provide "another layer of protection to our face-to-face classes."

“Some of our HEIs have completed the vaccination of their employees and students. We aim to do it for other HEIs as more vaccines arrive,” De Vera said.

"We assure our students, parents and faculty that holding in-person classes is safe. Our guidelines are strict."

HEIs can now apply with CHED regional offices for authority to hold limited face-to-face classes, said De Vera.

BSP WARNS PUBLIC VS 'PASALO-BENTA' AUTO LOAN SCAMS

MANILA - Vulnerable car buyers and sellers should be wary of auto loan "pasalo-benta" or assume balance scams, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas said Wednesday.

There has been an "increasingly prevalent modus" called the Pasalo-Benta or the Balance/Pasalo Scheme where perpetrators target car buyers who want to save on costs and sellers who need to transfer liabilities, the BSP said in a statement.

Under the scheme, a syndicate member will buy a vehicle from a seller who wants to transfer liability and will sign an agreement to assume payments for the auto loan.

However, the bogus buyer, which has no intention to pay the remaining amortization, will sell the vehicle to the end-buyer (victim) using falsified documents, the central bank said.

The victim will have no rights over the vehicle which will eventually get repossessed "leaving the end-buyer with nothing," the BSP said.

A memo has been released to the BSP-Supervised Financial Institutions (BSFIs) on organized crimes through auto loans, the central bank said.

GRENADE THROWN AT HOUSE LEADER’S RESIDENCE

MANILA — A grenade was thrown past Wednesday midnight at the residence of House Deputy Speaker Rufus Rodriguez in Barangay Nazareth, Cagayan de Oro City.

Rodriguez told Philstar.com that the grenade was lobbed in front of his house at 1:12 a.m. by two people onboard a motorcycle.

In a separate statement, the Rodriguez family said they are safe and no one was harmed from the attack.

“Lives were put at risk in the grenade attack at the ancestral residence of the Rodriguez family in Barangay Nazareth in Cagayan de Oro City earlier today,” the Rodriguez family said. “We condemn in the strongest terms this act of violence perpetrated by unknown men.”

They said that authorities are currently investigating the incident.

The family added that Rodriguez and Councilor Bebot Rodriguez will continue offering services from their respective offices despite the attack.

The incident occurred just two days before the filing of candidacies before the Commission on Elections.

SENATORS DISMISS DUTERTE’S MARTIAL LAW TAG ON PROBE

MANILA — Senators dismissed yesterday President Duterte’s latest tirades against the Senate and vowed not to be intimidated or distracted from continuing its probe on alleged anomalies in the administration’s procurement of COVID-19 supplies.

Senate President Vicente Sotto III described Duterte’s claim that the inquiry was like “martial law” and was “obviously a mislay.”

“He should instead explain the Lamborghinis, the Porsches of Pharmally executives, the wasted half a billion pesos worth of substandard, expired Pharmally test kits and the grossly overpriced masks and face shields,” Sen. Francis Pangilinan said.

Sen. Panfilo Lacson also described Duterte’s description as erroneous and “grossly misinformed” on the issue of the construction of the new Senate building, “hence he barked up the wrong tree.”

“The President should know better. He used to be a congressman. He knows the powers of Congress under the Constitution,” Lacson told ANC.\

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PH POSTS 13,846 MORE COVID-19 CASES AMID 'LOW' LABORATORY OUTPUT

MANILA — The Philippines on Tuesday reported 13,846 new COVID-19 cases, pushing the country's total to over 2.52 million, data from the health department showed.

According to the Department of Health (DOH), the day's relatively fewer COVID-19 cases was due to the low output of laboratories on Sunday.

Only 47,430 individuals were screened for COVID-19 on Sunday, of which 24.1 percent tested positive for the virus.

With the disclaimer considered, the ABS-CBN Investigative and Research Group said this is the lowest in nearly a month or since Aug. 31, when the DOH logged 13,827 cases.

The country now has 2,522,965 total recorded coronavirus infections, of which 132,129 are active, based on the latest bulletin.

The DOH also reported 91 new fatalities, raising the total to 37,686.

LABOR LEADER LEODY DE GUZMAN TO RUN FOR PRESIDENT

MANILA — Labor leader Leody de Guzman will be running for president in the 2022 elections, upon the prodding of labor groups and to push for "system change" in the country.

De Guzman, who serves as chairperson of Bukluran ng Manggagawang Pilipino, accepted Tuesday the nomination of Partido Lakas ng Masa for him to be the party’s standard-bearer in next year’s polls.

“Tinatanggap ko ang hamon niyo,” De Guzman said during PLM’s virtual national convention. “Laban talaga tayo, laban talaga.”

The labor leader, who vied for a Senate seat in the 2019 elections but lost and placed 38th, said he and his party would be pushing for a “system change” instead of just plainly changing the leader at the helm of the country.

SUPREME COURT RESETS 2021 BAR TO EARLY 2022

MANILA — Bar hopefuls would have to wait until early next year to take their examinations after the Supreme Court-Office of the Bar Confidant (SC-OBC) announced the resetting of the Bar exams from the four Sundays of November to the Sundays in January and February.

At noon yesterday, the SC tweeted Associate Justice and 2020/2021 Bar examinations chairman Marvic Leonen’s one-page Bar Bulletin No. 28, S.2021, stating that the Bar exams had been reset to Jan. 16, 23, 30 and Feb. 6 next year.

Leonen said they decided to postpone because of the prevailing COVID-19 situation in the country.

BUSINESS GROUPS APPEAL FOR ALERT 3

MANILA — The business sector is appealing to the government to place Metro Manila under Alert Level 3 starting October to allow them to recover financial losses brought by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Presidential adviser for entrepreneurship Joey Concepcion said representatives from the private sector made the appeal during a Monday meeting of the government task force against COVID-19, which included medical groups.

“What the private sector is asking is to place (Metro Manila) under Level 3 as we enter the fourth quarter,” Concepcion said, as business owners want to take advantage of higher consumer and election-related spending in the last quarter of the year.

On Monday, DOH epidemiology bureau director Alethea de Guzman said Metro Manila may remain under Alert Level 4 – the second highest alert level – in October despite the downward trend in COVID-19 infections due to lower testing output by laboratories.

Concepcion recommended to National Task Force against COVID-19 chief implementer Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. to allow higher indoor capacity for the vaccinated individuals.

He also reiterated that his proposed “bakuna (vaccine) bubble” is not discriminatory, as it aims to encourage more Filipinos to get vaccinated against the disease.

ENTERTAINMENT & LIFESTYLE

2 FILIPINO MOVIES TO COMPETE IN TOKYO FILM FEST

MANILA — Two Philippine movies will compete and make their world premiere in the 2021 edition of the prestigious Tokyo International Film Festival (TIFF).

Both Mikhail Red’s “Arisaka” and Brillante Mendoza’s “Resbak” (Payback) are participating in the main competition, and will be up for major awards.

Produced by Ten17P, “Arisaka” stars Maja Salvador and Mon Confiado.

Its official TIFF synopsis reads: “A witness under police escort is attacked. A policewoman, the only one who survives, is sheltered by indigenous people, but assailants hunt her down... An action thriller set in Bataan.”

The Cignal-produced “Resbak,” meanwhile, stars Vince Rillon, Nash Aguas, and Jay Manalo.

The festival describes the film as follows: “Chased by police, bike thief Isaac asks his boss for help but gets the cold shoulder. He then plans vengeance against the boss... ‘Payback’ depicts a man caught in a slum's crime ring.”

TIFF 2021 will run from October 30 to November 8.

SPORTS

FIBA WOMEN’S ASIA CUP: PHILIPPINES FALLS BIG TO AUSTRALIA

The Philippines lost 120-56 to Australia in the FIBA Women’s Asia Cup 2021 on Tuesday, its second blowout loss in as many games in the tournament.

Leading 32-20 after the opening quarter at Prince Hamzah Hall in Amman, Jordan, the Australians, ranked No. 3 in the world, scored 19 points and limited Gilas Women to just a field goal in the first 6 minutes of the second quarter to go up 51-23.

The lead breached 50 points after guard Jade Melbourne hit a 3-pointer to make it 99-48 less than 8 minutes to go in the game.

Power forward Keely Jane Froling finished with 21 points and 12 rebounds playing a team-high 25 minutes, while forward Lauren Nicholson added 21 points for the Opals, who play China Wednesday to dispute first place in Group A for an automatic semis berth.

China, with a world ranking of No. 7, and Australia have similar 2-0 records.

Shooting guard Janine Pontejos tallied 13 points, and power forward Kristine Cayabyab had 10 for the Philippines, which fell to 0-2.

They take on world No. 34 Chinese-Taipei (0-2) in their last assignment on Wednesday for a spot in the knockout phase.

Gilas Women, ranked world No. 51, lost 143-52 to China in their first game on Monday.

The second and third-placed teams in Groups A and B go on a crossover playoff, with the winners advancing to face the group leaders in the semifinals.

Japan and Korea, both 2-0, fight for Group B leadership, while New Zealand and India play to stay alive.

INDICATORS

FOREX $1 = P 51.00

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

The great thing in the world is not so much where we stand, as in what direction we are moving. - Oliver Wendell Holmes