UN RAPPORTEUR ON EJK ARRIVES IN PHILIPPINES TO TRAIN DOCTORS

MANILA — Forensic expert and United Nations (UN) special rapporteur Morris Tidball-Binz has arrived in the Philippines to lead a "capacity-building" activity with doctors, officials, and other experts from the Department of Justice (DOJ).

Tidball-Binz, who is the UN's special rapporteur on extra-judicial summary or arbitrary executions, arrived at the DOJ headquarters in Padre Faura, Manila on Tuesday morning for the training.

Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla had said that he invited Tidball-Binz in his capacity as a forensic expert and not as a special rapporteur.

The forensic expert's visit has nothing to do with the International Criminal Court (ICC) reopening its investigation into the Duterte administration's drug war and the alleged Davao Death Squad killings, Remulla added.

"I invited Dr. Tidball-Binz because his work speaks for itself. His missions and projects had an immeasurable impact on the countries he has helped. He has provided closure for families and victims of extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances. We are hoping for the same when he visits the Philippines," Remulla said in a statement on Sunday.

"He is coming in his capacity as an expert in the field to help capacitate our current doctors. We need more capable doctors in our country to assist our law enforcement agencies in their work. This is an enormous step towards that goal," the official added.

EARTHQUAKE KILLS MORE THAN 4,300 IN TURKEY, SYRIA

HATAY, Turkey — Rescuers in Turkey and Syria dug with their bare hands through the freezing night Tuesday hunting for survivors among the rubble of thousands of buildings felled in a series of violent earthquakes.

The confirmed death toll across the 2 countries has soared above 4,300 after a swarm of strong tremors near the Turkey-Syria border -- the largest of which measured at a massive 7.8-magnitude.

Turkish and Syrian disaster response teams report more than 5,600 buildings have been flattened across several cities, including many multi-story apartment blocks that were filled with sleeping residents when the first quake struck.

Turkey's relief agency AFAD on Tuesday said there were now 2,921 deaths in that country alone, bringing the confirmed tally to 4,365.

There are fears that toll will rise inexorably, with World Health Organization officials estimating up to 20,000 may have died.

In Gaziantep, a Turkish city home to countless refugees from Syria's decade-old civil war, rescuers picking through the rubble screamed, cried and clamored for safety as another building collapsed nearby without warning.

The initial earthquake was so large it was felt as far away as Greenland, and the impact is big enough to have sparked a global response.

Dozens of nations from Ukraine to New Zealand have vowed to send help, although freezing rain and sub-zero temperatures have slowed the response.

Despite freezing temperatures outside, terrified residents spent the night on the streets, huddling around fires for warmth.

Monday's first earthquake struck at 4:17 a.m. (9:17 a.m. in Manila) at a depth of about 18 kilometers near the Turkish city of Gaziantep, which is home to around 2 million people, the US Geological Survey said.

More than 14,000 people have so far been reported injured in Turkey, the disaster management agency said, while Syria said at least 3,411 people were injured.

Officials said 3 major airports have been rendered inoperable, complicating deliveries of vital aid.

A winter blizzard has covered major roads into the area in ice and snow.

The UN cultural agency UNESCO expressed fears over heavy damage in 2 cities on its heritage list -- Aleppo in Syria and Diyarbakir in Turkey.

The United States, the European Union and Russia all immediately sent condolences and offers of help.

Turkey is in one of the world's most active earthquake zones.

The country's last 7.8-magnitude tremor was in 1939, when 33,000 died in the eastern Erzincan province.

The Turkish region of Duzce suffered a 7.4-magnitude earthquake in 1999, when more than 17,000 people died.

Experts have long warned a large quake could devastate Istanbul, a megalopolis of 16 million people filled with rickety homes.

FILIPINO QUAKE VICTIMS IN TURKEY SEEK HELP

A Filipina in Turkey is calling for help after a magnitude 7.8 quake killed hundreds of people in their sleep on Monday.

Caroline Cengiz, who has been living in Turkey for five years now, said Philippine officials have yet to reach out to their family to see if they need help.

“Nag-message ako sa mga Pinay na sa ibang part ng Turkey na kung pwede, humingi sila ng tulong sa Philippine Embassy. Na, kailangan namin ng ano dito, unan, kumot, importante yung blanket, tubig, pagkain, saka emergency light,” she said.

Even the Turkish government has yet to provide aid to some of its citizens in the town of Antakya in Hatay province, she said.

“Nag-aantay po kami ng tulong…wala pa po kasi. Sabi nila after 1 week pa daw po,” she lamented.

Cengiz she and her husband were about to sleep when the quake struck.

Cengiz said she and her husband are now staying in their car after the earthquake damaged their apartment.

“Nasa loob po kami ng sasakyan, yung iba po, nag-stay na sa open area. Gumawa sila ng tent na maliit. Eh winter pa naman ngayon, sobrang lamig,” she said.

“Sobrang lamig po eh. Saka umuulan pa. Eh may mga bata, nagkakasakit.”

She appealed to the Philippine government to send them help as soon as possible.

“Kailangan po namin ng tulong niyo kasi may mga Pilipina po tayo na affected. Lalo na yung isang kaibigan ko na isang Pinay dito sa amin na galing lang siya ng sakit, eh kailangan niya ng blanket, patubig.”

Meanwhile, in the Turkish capital of Ankara, Filipinos remain safe, said Diyosa Ruby Degracia, a Pinay who works there as a nanny.

"As of now, dito po sa Ankara, okay naman po kami dito, lahat po ng mga Pilipino dito is safe po. "

PH TO GET P150 BILLION IN INVESTMENT PLEDGES IN MARCOS' JAPAN VISIT - ENVOY

MANILA — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s official visit to Japan this week is expected to yield P150 billion in investment pledges, Manila's top envoy to Tokyo said Tuesday.

According to Philippine Ambassador to Japan Mylene Garcia-Albano, Marcos is set to meet "hundreds of top Japanese businessmen" at a business opportunities seminar.

"In the President's visit to Japan, we are expecting that substantial returns in terms of new projects, the value of which we currently estimate at P150 billion and we estimate too these will generate employment for 8,000 Filipinos," she told ANC's "Rundown".

Marcos will meet with chairmen and top executives of electronics, semiconductors, printers and wiring harness manufacturing companies at a roundtable meeting, Albano said.

"These sectors comprise the bulk of our industrial relations with Japan," she added.

"They will discuss how the private sector, the Japanese investor companies, the government and other stakeholders can work more closely together to ensure the success of these businesses in the Philippines."

Marcos will depart Manila on Feb. 8.

During his 5-day trip, Marcos and his wife are also expected to meet with Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako.

SRP FOR ONIONS SET AT P125/K

The Department of Agriculture has set the suggested retail price of P125 per kilo for imported red onions, which will take effect on Feb. 8, Assistant Secretary Kristine Evangelista said Monday.

Evangelista said this SRP was reached after a meeting attended by importers, traders, and retailers.

This developed as President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. approved several initiatives proposed by the Department of Trade and Industry to help regulate the soaring prices of onions in the country, including limiting the number of traders involved in the supply chain of imported and locally produced onions.

Also on Monday, House Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez met with officials from the DA and DTI and called for an all-out war against hoarders and unscrupulous traders of onion and other agricultural products.

Among the action plans firmed up during the meeting is for the DA to tap the P276-million Kadiwa Food Mobilization Fund under the 2023 budget to buy the harvest of farmers at prices higher than the production cost, then sell it through Kadiwa at farm gate prices to force hoarders to unload their stocks.

In a televised interview, DTI Usec. Ruth Castelo said that while the agency has yet to make an announcement on these initiatives, the President has already green-lit some proposals from Trade Secretary Alfredo Pascual.

JAPANESE 'LUFFY' CRIMINAL RINGLEADERS DEPORTED FROM PHILIPPINES

MANILA — Two of the 4 suspects believed to be behind a spate of robberies and telephone fraud cases across Japan were deported from the Philippines on Tuesday.

Japanese news outlets and social media have been captivated by the crimes that allegedly involved ringleaders based in the Southeast Asian country.

Low-level criminals arrested in Japan told police they received instructions from a person or several people who used the name "Luffy" via the Telegram messenger app.

Monkey D. Luffy is the lead character of the hugely popular "One Piece" manga, a straw hat-wearing pirate hunting for a coveted treasure.

Officials escorted Kiyoto Imamura and Toshiya Fujita, who were both handcuffed, into a Japan Airlines jet at Manila airport.

The 2 suspects would be accompanied by Japanese police to Tokyo, Philippines Justice Secretary Crispin Remulla told reporters.

Criminals were reportedly given orders to carry out break-ins or fraud. Japanese national broadcaster NHK said more than 70 people have been apprehended.

The group was thought to be behind 2,300 cases of fraud worth 3.5 billion yen (around P1.4 billion), NHK said.

It has also been connected to a series of break-ins in Tokyo, including one that ended with the murder of 90-year-old Kinuyo Oshio, who was found dead at her home on Jan. 19.

As Japan and the Philippines do not have an extradition treaty, local cases already filed against the suspects had to be cleared before they could leave.

The other 2 suspects could be deported as early as Wednesday, the same day Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos is due to depart on a state visit to Tokyo.

KIDNEY INSTITUTE TO CUT MORE DISEASE DEATHS: MARCOS

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Monday assured the National Kidney and Transplant Institute (NKTI) that the government would continue to support the hospital to reduce the number of deaths from renal and kidney diseases.

Mr. Marcos gave the remark during the 40th founding anniversary of NKTI where he was invited as the keynote speaker.

“We are committed to supporting NKTI in all these noble endeavors and together I am confident that we can rise to the challenge of fighting kidney and renal disease so that our people can leave better, live longer lives,” the President said in his speech.

“With many deaths attributed to kidney disease in our country, it is imperative that we ensure that dialysis treatment will be readily available, accessible, and cost-effective for our fellow Filipinos,” he said.

“The ultimate goal is to lower the death and disabilities associated with kidney disease and kidney failure, especially for those who are not able to access dialysis treatment due to the high cost,” Mr. Marcos said.

The President also lauded the NKTI’s personnel for transforming the hospital from a “two-ward, 50-bed facility… into a 50-building complex with 383 beds, providing round-the-clock emergency services and state-of-the-art medical care.”

“Since its inception in 1983, almost 400,000 patients have been given quality renal care, including transplants, dialysis, and treatment sessions. Thanks to the men and women of NKTI,” Mr. Marcos said, noting that the facility was built during the administration of his late Father, former President Ferdinand Edralin Marcos Sr.

PPA BOARD DEFERS IMPLEMENTATION OF NEW CONTAINER MONITORING SYSTEM

MANILA — The board of the Philippine Ports Authority has "indefinitely" deferred the implementation of its new container monitoring system, which business groups claimed would jack up importation costs.

According to PPA general manager Jay Daniel Santiago, there is supposedly a presidential directive to further study the Trusted Operator Program-Container Registry and Monitoring System program.

"I will confirm that the PPA board has actually, at least majority of the PPA board, has decided to indefinitely defer -- not shelved -- the implementation of TOP-CRMS program precisely to study the program further, to make sure that it complies with the directive of the President, to ensure that the program will address the ease of doing business," he told ANC's "Headstart".

The PPA has yet to obtain a copy of the presidential directive.

"It was never shown to us. But out of deference to a member of the board who said that there is, majority of the board decided to defer until such time we know or we find out what the actual contents of the directive is," Santiago said.

The PPA and other government agencies will meet on Tuesday afternoon to continue discussions on TOP-CRMS, he added.

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GROUPS SLAM UP PROF’S ARREST

MANILA — Progressive group Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) condemned yesterday the arrest of University of the Philippines (UP) professor Melania Flores in Quezon City for supposedly violating the law on remittance of Social Security System contributions.

Flores, 58, former president of All UP Academic Employees Union, was apprehended by operatives of the Quezon City Police District (QCPD)’s Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) at her house in Barangay UP Campus at around 11:45 a.m.

Five police officers served a warrant for the arrest of Flores for allegedly violating Republic Act 8282 or the Social Security Act.

The arrest warrant was issued by Judge Maria Gilda Loja-Pangilinan of the Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 230. The court recommended bail of P72,000 for the professor’s temporary liberty.

Flores was brought to the QCPD headquarters at Camp Karingal for documentation.

ACT said the CIDG violated the 1992 accord between UP and the Department of the Interior and Local Government, which prohibits the police from arresting a person on the campus without prior advisory and coordination with the university.

According to the teachers’ group, the arresting officers, who were in civilian clothes, posed as personnel of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) who were giving ayuda or relief assistance.

Once the arresting officers entered the house of Flores, they showed an arrest warrant without explaining to her why she was being arrested.

Human rights group Karapatan slammed the police for arresting Flores.

Women’s group Gabriela also condemned the arrest.

“We strongly condemn the illegal arrest of Flores, a unionist and UP professor, inside the university,” Gabriela party-list Rep. Arlene Brosas said in a statement.

“Her right to due process was violated. She was not aware of any complaints filed against her. She was not given any notice or subpoena before the issuance of the arrest warrant. The arresting officers also glaringly duped her by posing as personnel of the DSWD,” ACT said.

“This was a repulsive move by state security forces against a teacher and a union leader to harass and intimidate her,” the group added.

22 MANILA BARANGAY OFFICIALS ON DRUG LIST

MANILA, Philippines — Two barangay captains and at least 20 councilors are under monitoring by the Manila Police District (MPD) for their alleged involvement in the illegal drug trade.

The barangay captains and councilors are being probed on suspicion of being involved in drugs, MPD director Brig. Gen. Andre Dizon told The STAR yesterday.

Refusing to identify the suspects, Dizon said the barangay officials were named in a list of drug suspects both by police and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA).

President Marcos had signed a law resetting the December 2022 barangay elections to October 2023.

The Manila police came up with another “narco list” of barangay officials from among those elected during the May 2018 local elections.

The PDEA had released a list of 207 barangay officials nationwide suspected of drug involvement, including five captains from Manila.

BAGUIO CITY STUDYING PRIVATIZATION OF WASTE MANAGEMENT

BAGUIO CITY, Philippines — Baguio City is considering privatizing the management of its solid waste, while dreaming to reduce the cost of operations in transferring non-biodegradable waste to a private sanitary landfill outside of the city.

Based on the waste assessment and characterization study conducted by the City General Services Office, the city government will be able to save P45 million with the proposed privatization of the collection and hauling of the garbage from source to the landfill.

GSO department head Eugene Buyucan said the projected savings included lower hauling and tipping fees and fuel cost if the city disposes its solid waste in a landfill in Urdaneta, Pangasinan instead of the one in Capas, Tarlac that it is using.

The city government spent more than P186 million last year for the maintenance and other operating expenditures on solid waste management per records from the GSO.

ENTERTAINMENT & LIFESTYLE

IN RARE MOMENT, NADINE LUSTRE'S BOYFRIEND SHARES PHOTOS WITH ACTRESS

MANILA — Christophe Bariou, the non-showbiz boyfriend of screen superstar Nadine Lustre, appears to be slowly opening up about their relationship, as he shared Sunday photos of their recent getaway together.

The French-Filipino businessman posted the images on his public Instagram page, with a personal caption detailing his adventure with Lustre in the southern part of Palawan.

Among the photos Bariou posted were of him and Lustre on a cliffside with a picturesque view, and of the actress seated near a pond.

In his caption, he gave a description of the sights he showed Lustre.

"I was excited to share with @nadine one of my favorites spots. Did a roadtrip with her of the full southern loop Palawan, the most untouched and adventurous part of Palawan, stopping by waterfalls (some of em still managed by the tribes) and getting amazing cliffside views here and there," Bariou wrote.

"It's quite the beaten path as tourists tend to only focus on the north side (El Nido) but the south for me is far more interesting and raw. A place from which you can still get this rare feeling today of discovering a new spot on your own. Plus people are extra friendly and proud to show you around their unspoiled paradise."

Addressing his followers, Bariou added: "If you're looking to get lost and find yourself, this is the place."

Bariou and Lustre first met in July 2021 in Siargao, where the businessman runs a resort and where the actress has a residence. At the time, Bariou was not aware of Lustre's background as a TV and music star.

By January 2022, Lustre shared her first Instagram post showing her with Bariou. Since then, the two have gradually opened up about their relationship, with Bariou, like his girlfriend, posting glimpses of their travels as a couple.

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THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

Negative people need drama like oxygen. Stay positive, it’ll take their breath away. - Tony Gaskins