PRESIDENTIAL BETS PUSH FOR REFORMS TO CURB CORRUPTION

MANILA — All 9 presidential candidates present in the second Comelec-sponsored “PiliPinas Debates 2022” on Sunday agreed that there must be reforms to address the problem of corruption in the country.

The candidates—labor leader Leody De Guzman, Manila Mayor Isko Moreno Domagoso, former Defense Secretary Norberto Gonzales, Senator Panfilo Lacson, Faisal Mangondato, Jose Montemayor Jr., Senator Manny Pacquiao, and Vice President Leni Robredo, former presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella—presented different solutions to curb corruption in government.

During the first segment of Sunday’s debates, the candidates were asked: “Sa inyong palagay, ang korapsyon ba ay dulot ng kahinaan ng tao o kahinaan ng sistema? Alinman ang inyong sagot, ano ang solusyon na dapat ipatupad?”

Leody De Guzman proposed to reform the election process, prohibiting “trapos” (traditional politicians) and those belonging to political families involved in corruption from seeking elective posts.

“’Yong trapo at mga dinastiya, huwag na nating payagang sumali sa eleksyon. Magnanakaw lang 'yan. Walang intensyon 'yan na paunlarin ang bayan,” the standard bearer of Partido Lakas ng Masa said.

Mayor Isko Moreno Domagoso, on the other hand, presented a solution that his administration has been doing in Manila: using technology to lessen human discretion in government transactions.

Through digitized transactions, fixers can also be eliminated, Moreno said.

Norberto Gonzales pushed for constitutional reform, saying that corruption has become normalized in the current government system. The former defense secretary also suggested to change the form of government from presidential to parliamentary, as the latter encourages more competent leaders to serve.

Citing his experiences in the Philippine National Police and the Philippine Military Academy, Sen. Panfilo Lacson said that a “leadership by example” is key to address corruption.

He pointed out that there is nothing wrong with the current government system, and the problem lies with public officials involved in corrupt practices.

Faisal Mangondato, meanwhile, said that a new, corruption-free system will be implemented if he is elected president.

Jose Montemayor Jr. said that while the system and anti-corruption policies are “watertight,” corruption cannot be stopped as people are inherently corrupt.

Sen. Manny Pacquiao vowed that under his administration, a “mega-prison” will be filled with corrupt officials.

Vice President Leni Robredo agreed with Pacquiao that corrupt officials must be held accountable. But apart from accountability, she said, transparency and people empowerment must also be normalized in government.

Robredo added that a system must be set up to compel “public officials to be good.”

Ernesto Abella advocated for civic participation and activation of ordinary citizens, so that the public is also involved in government processes and undertakings.

Sunday’s debate was the second of three presidential debates organized by the Commission on Elections (Comelec), the non-partisan group Vote Pilipinas, and the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas (KBP).

It was held at the Sofitel Philippine Plaza Manila in Pasay City.

BONGBONG MARCOS NO-SHOW AGAIN IN 2ND COMELEC DEBATE

MANILA — Presidential candidate Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, the frontrunner in the pre-election surveys, again snubbed the Commission on Elections' (Comelec) presidential debate on Sunday.

"Nakakalungkot… Dapat nandito siya para 'yung plataporma niya marinig ng tao," presidential candidate Leody de Guzman told reporters upon his arrival at Sofitel, the debate venue.

Marcos also skipped the first Comelec-sponsored debate last March 19, where some of his rivals raised issues against him and his family.

Instead of attending the debate, Marcos Jr. stayed in his campaign headquarters in Mandaluyong. His communications staff sent photos that Bongbong met with ten governors for a "consultation" while the debate was ongoing in Pasay City.

Marcos Jr.'s communication staff also claimed they were not monitoring the debate.

Comelec is holding a series of debates dubbed "PiliPinas 2022: Turning Point" for presidential and vice presidential candidates.

Marcos' continued absence in several debates has prompted his opponents to seek heavier sanctions for debate skippers.

SHOULD WAR ON DRUGS CONTINUE? PRESIDENTIAL BETS SAY PROBLEM CAN'T BE SOLVED BY KILLING

MANILA - All nine presidential candidates agree that using violence will not solve the country's illegal drug problem.

The issue of human rights violations and alleged extrajudicial killings in relation to the Duterte administration's war on drugs were among the issues discussed during the second presidential debates organized by the Commission on Elections (Comelec).

Vice President Leni Robredo, Senators Panfilo Lacson and Manny Pacquiao, Manila Mayor Isko Moreno Domagoso, former defense chief Norberto Gonzales, former presidential spokesperson Ernesto Abella, labor leader Leody de Guzman, businessman Faisal Mangondato and doctor-lawyer Jose Montemayor all agreed that human rights is important and that violence won't solve the country's drug problem.

For Abella, the drug problem should be looked at in terms of supply and demand, which should both be reduced.

"It can be addressed two ways. Number one, reduce demand and of course, the other one is reduce supply. 'Yung reduce demand po, unang una, kung pwede talaga, for example, tugunan natin ang mga pangangailangan ng out-of-school youth, bigyan ng more opportunities for jobs, and businesses 'yung mga tao na nasa vulnerable areas, at dapat matugunan din po 'yung mga supply. For example, 'yung pagpasok, even through legal means, the Customs should be made aware of that, maantabayanan ang pagpasok ng illegal na mga droga," he said.

De Guzman, for his part, said the root cause of the country's drug problem is poverty, and this should be addressed through economic development.

For Robredo, aside from ensuring the human rights of all citizens, the government should also focus on prevention and cure by implementing different projects, including community and institutional rehabilitation for drug users, and punishment for drug pushers.

Pacquiao said he will continue the war on drugs, but he will be targeting the suppliers of illegal drugs instead of the drug users.

Both Montemayor and Mangondato agree that those involved in drug-related crimes should be punished according to their crimes instead of getting killed.

UPTICK IN INDEX CRIME SEEN UNDER COVID-19 ALERT LEVEL 1

MANILA -- The number of crimes in the Philippines, including murder, has increased after government eased coronavirus restrictions, the Department of the Interior and Local Government said Monday.

DILG Secretary Eduardo Año said the uptick in index crime seems to coincide with the placing of Metro Manila and other areas in the country under COVID-19 Alert Level 1.

“Ang ating total crime incident ng February ay 28,214. Kung titingnan natin sa Marso ay 29,798, so merong 5.61 percent na pagtaas,” he said.

“Kung titingnan natin yung index crime volume, from 2,726 ay naging 2,841 or nadagdag na 115,” he added.

Año said 995 cases of theft were recorded in March, up from 921 in February. There were 328 reported murder cases in March, compared with 292 from the month before.

There were also 386 cases of physical injury in March, an increase from the 336 such cases in February.

“Pati yung mga vehicular incidents resulting to homicide at physical injury and damage to property, medyo tumaas din,” Año added.

The official reminded the public to be careful when heading outside their homes.

ROBREDO, KIKO TOP UNIVERSITY MOCK POLLS

MANILA — Vice President Leni Robredo and Sen. Francis Pangilinan emerged as the most preferred candidates for president and vice president, respectively, in mock polls conducted in various universities in the country.

The opposition tandem received the most votes in the recent mock polls conducted at the Ateneo de Manila University, Far Eastern University (FEU), National University (NU), University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman and University of Santo Tomas (UST).

In Ateneo, Robredo and Pangilinan received 3,197 and 2,909 votes, respectively, out of the total 3,343 votes cast by students, while they received 6,618 and 5,916 votes, respectively, out of the 7,345 total votes cast in the mock polls conducted by the FEU Central Organization.

The two candidates also received 1,972 and 1,840 votes, respectively, out of 2,194 votes in the mock polls conducted by the NU Student Government.

A majority of UP Diliman students who participated in the mock polls also showed preference for Robredo and Pangilinan, who are both alumni of the university. The Vice President obtained 4,870 of 5,106 votes, while Pangilinan got 4,328 student votes.

Nine in every 10 UST students who participated in the mock polls also prefer Robredo, who obtained 3,973 of the total 4,401 votes. Pangilinan was the choice of 3,630 Thomasian students.

During a press briefing on Saturday, the student councils of Ateneo, FEU, UP Diliman, UST and Adamson University formally endorsed Robredo and Pangilinan for president and vice president.

CRYPTOCURRENCY IS BECOMING THE NEXT BIG THING IN THE PHILIPPINES. IT COULD BE FOR YOU TOO.

MANILA — Depending on who you ask, either excitement or skepticism surrounds the topic of cryptocurrency. But as time has proven, necessity is still the mother of technological innovation and adaptation. Cryptocurrency, once previously dismissed as a fad, is now earning more credibility and trust.

Just recently, the nation of El Salvador became the first country to adopt bitcoin as legal tender officially. Countries like Japan, US and the European Union have also recognized cryptocurrencies as legal, financial assets with value.

The Philippines has also exhibited increasing optimism about crypto. Banko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) data shows that the volume of cryptocurrency transactions grew 362% year on year to nearly 20 million in the first half of 2021.

These transactions, according to a report, were worth P105.93 billion. The local demand for crypto is rising, so much so, that a recent study reported that the Philippines ranks fifth worldwide in terms of ownership, with 28% of adults saying they own cryptocurrency.

Nichel Gaba, founder and CEO of Philippine Digital Asset Exchange (PDAX), one of the leading virtual asset providers in the country, cites several factors that contribute to the growing popularity of digital assets.

First is the growing digital awareness and tech-savviness of Filipinos. He also mentions the crypto adoption of remittance companies, the popularity of play-to-earn games, and lastly, the increase in trust and regulatory certainty as the Philippines adopts a regulatory framework for crypto.

In the Philippines, investors already hold up to 2% of their assets in cryptocurrency. Experts anticipate this to grow up to 5% in the next five years, given crypto's positive outlook.

As economic situations continue to push people to be more strategic in finances and investments, adoption of crypto will significantly rise in the coming years. Still, there's a lot of groundwork that needs to be done to help crypto-curious Filipinos.

One of the biggest enablers in this is PDAX, which is a homegrown crypto-trading platform officially licensed by the BSP which helps Filipinos buy, sell and trade crypto.

"We believe crypto investors in the country deserve to maximize their crypto investments and discover more opportunities to build their wealth. With PDAX Prime, they can do just that," Gaba said.

"Our current users can upgrade their accounts to enjoy the perks of PDAX Prime. We see this as an improvement to what we offer today and a benchmark for other, more innovative solutions we may come up with in the future," he added.

With over 4.3 million Filipinos currently holding cryptocurrency and becoming a fast-emerging investment option, chances are high that crypto could, indeed, be the next big thing in the Philippines, especially for Filipino investors.

THE REST

========

DENR INKS DEAL FOR MARIKINA RIVER REHAB

MANILA — The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has signed a five-year agreement with the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) and three private firms for the rehabilitation of the Upper Marikina River Basin Protected Landscape (UMRBPL).

The project will be undertaken under the government’s Expanded National Greening Program (ENGP).

Under the memorandum of agreement signed on March 28, the GSIS, D.M. Consunji Inc. (DMCI), Toyota-Oben Group of Dealers (TOGD) and Meralco Industrial Engineering Services Corp. (MIESCOR)will be partners of the DENR Calabarzon office in rehabilitating 70 hectares of the UMRBPL.

Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Officer for Rizal Ramil Limpiada said the ENGP-graduated areas “need assistance from government institutions and private sector partners.”

“These areas were turned over to the DENR by the people’s organizations and local government units after fulfilling their three-year site development contracts to raise tree plantations,” Limpiada said.

BACOLOD INCLUDED IN NEGROS OCCIDENTAL’S POLL HOT SPOTS

BACOLOD CITY — The number of election areas of concern or the so-called hot spots in Negros Occidental has climbed to 19 after the Commission on Elections (Comelec) added the province’s capital city of Bacolod in the list.

Comelec officials cited a recommendation of provincial election board supervisor Roberto Salazar, who classified Bacolod under the yellow category due to intense political rivalries in the area.

Eighteen other towns and cities in Negros were earlier identified as areas of concern for the May 9 elections.

The city of Himamaylan remains under the orange category as encounters occurred between government security forces and New People’s Army (NPA) guerrillas on March 25 and 26, and on April 1.

Placed under the red category are the towns of Calatrava, Moises Padilla and Candoni as well as  Escalante City due to serious armed threats and previous election-related cases of violence.

Aside from Himamaylan, the cities of Kabankalan Silay, Sipalay and Victorias as well as the municipalities of Binalbagan, Cauayan, Manapla, Hinobaan, Ilog, Isabela, La Castellana and Toboso are under the orange category due to threats posed by the NPA.

SOLDIERS FOIL ABU SAYYAF ATTEMPT TO HARASS BASILAN VILLAGERS

COTABATO CITY —  Soldiers on Saturday foiled an attempt by followers of the slain top Basilan Abu Sayyaf leader Radjmil Jannatul to harass villagers to project strength following his death at the hands of soldiers two weeks ago.

Personnel of the Army's 64th Infantry Battalion managed to drive the nine Abu Sayyaf gunmen away following a series of brief clashes early Saturday in Barangay Sucaten in Sumisip, Basilan.

"The remaining members of the terror group who refuse to return to the fold of the law are doing desperate moves to gain popular support after they've lost it due to the neutralization of their top leader Radzmil Jannatul, a.k.a. Khubayb, who was killed during an encounter with Army troops last March 26," Lt. Gen. Alfredo Rosario Jr., chief of the military's Western Mindanao Command, said.

Brig. Gen. Domingo Gobway, commander of the Joint Task Force Basilan (JTFB) and the 101st Infantry Brigade, said the troops under his command came into contact with at lease nine Abu Sayyaf followers under sub-leader Pasil Bayali early Saturday morning.

He said the Abu Sayyaf members fled the scene of the clash, "[h]owever, the troops on pursuit caught up the terrorists while fleeing which led to another armed confrontation."

Gobway confirmed at least four soldiers were also wounded during the firefight and were immediately evacuated for treatment at the military hospital.

ENTERTAINMENT & LIFESTYLE

OLIVIA RODRIGO WINS BEST NEW ARTIST, SILK SONIC TAKES SONG HONOR AT GRAMMYS

Filipino-American singer-songwriter Olivia Rodrigo, the teenage singer of heartbreak ballad “drivers license,” was crowned best new artist on Sunday at a Grammy awards ceremony that featured a surprise appeal for support from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.

The 19-year-old Rodrigo, who performed her signature hit while seated on the hood of a white Mercedes on the Grammys stage, triumphed over Saweetie, Glass Animals and others to win the new artist accolade at the televised ceremony in Las Vegas.

“This is my biggest dream come true. Thank you so much!” she said as she held her trophy.

Midway through the ceremony, Zelenskiy appeared via video and discussed the impact of Russia’s invasion of his country.

“What is more opposite to music? The silence of ruined cities and killed people,” Zelenskiy, wearing a green t-shirt, said in a hoarse voice.

“Fill the silence with your music,” he added. “Support us in any way you can. Any, but not silence.”

Rodrigo was nominated for the top four Grammys: best new artist and song, record and album of the year.

But she lost out on at least one of those categories when song of the year went to Silk Sonic’s 1970s-inspired R&B song “Leave the Door Open.” The group, the duo of Bruno Mars and Anderson.Paak, performed the hit on stage to open awards show and returned minutes later to accept their trophy.

“Because of you guys, me and Andy are going to be singing this song forever,” Mars said.

The highest honors in music were postponed from January during a spike in COVID-19 cases and moved from Los Angeles to the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

Thousands of spectators packed the venue, a contrast to last year’s scaled-down outdoor event.

Jon Batiste, a multi-genre artist who went into the day with a leading 11 nominations, landed four early awards. They included best music video for “Freedom,” a vibrantly colored tribute to New Orleans, and best American roots performance for “Cry.”

Winners were chosen by some 11,000 voting members of the Recording Academy.

SPORTS

NBA SCORES APR 2

FINAL

1          2          3          4          T

Hornets40-38    26        27        27        34        114

76ers47-30       29        29        45        41        144

WELLS FARGO CENTER, PHILADELPHIA, PA

SCORING LEADERS

M. Bridges CHA

20 PTS 5 REB 3 AST

J. Embiid PHI

29 PTS 14 REB 6 AST

FINAL

1          2          3          4          T

Cavaliers43-35  39        29        34        17        119

Knicks34-44      30        30        25        16        101

MADISON SQUARE GARDEN, NEW YORK, NY

SCORING LEADERS

D. Garland CLE

24 PTS 13 AST

O. Toppin NY

20 PTS 4 REB 4 AST

FINAL

1          2          3          4          T

Nets40-38         30        20        37        28        115

Hawks41-37      28        37        29        28        122

STATE FARM ARENA, ATLANTA, GA

SCORING LEADERS

K. Durant BKN

55 PTS 7 REB 3 AST

T. Young ATL

36 PTS 6 REB 10 AST

FINAL

1          2          3          4          T

Heat50-28         31        35        32        29        127

Bulls45-33         30        27        22        30        109

UNITED CENTER, CHICAGO, IL

SCORING LEADERS

J. Butler MIA

22 PTS 7 REB 6 AST

Z. LaVine CHI

33 PTS 5 REB 2 AST

FINAL

1          2          3          4          T

Jazz46-32         30        28        29        20        107

Warriors49-29   23        22        36        30        111

CHASE CENTER, SAN FRANCISCO, CA

SCORING LEADERS

D. Mitchell UTA

26 PTS 3 REB 3 AST

K. Thompson GS

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

All human progress, even in morals, has been the work of men who have doubted the current moral values, not of men who have whooped them up and tried to enforce them. - H.L. Mencken