Category: General

MANILA: The Department of Justice (DOJ) believes embattled pastor Apollo Quiboloy is still in the Philippines.

Speaking at a Palace press briefing Thursday, DOJ Assistant Secretary and spokesperson Mico Clavano said they have received information indicating that Quiboloy is still in the country.

‘We do have information that he is still within the country unless there’re new developments from the police ‘no. But, as far as our information is concerned at the DOJ, he is currently still in the country,’ Clavano said.

Two local courts, in Davao City and Pasig City, have ordered the arrest of Quiboloy, founder and leader of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC).

Quiboloy is facing sexual and child abuse charges in Davao City, while a non-bailable qualified human trafficking case was lodged against him in Pasig CIty.

Aside from these cases, the KOJC leader was also indicted in the United States in November 2021 for conspiracy to engage in sex trafficking by force, fraud and coercion, and sex trafficking of childr
en, and is currently on the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s wanted list.

The DOJ official also said the prosecutors have already requested the court for a hold departure order (HDO) against Quiboloy.

‘That [HDO] has been brought up and I believe the prosecutors have already filed their motion to issue a hold departure order -these are normal legal processes that the prosecutors are very used to,’ he said.

Currently, Quiboloy is the subject of an immigration lookout bulletin order or ILBO.

An ILBO is different from a court-issued HDO, as the former only directs the Bureau of Immigration to be on the lookout for the subject and to verify the status of a case against the subject person and not to restrict an individual from leaving the country.

Davao cases to be transferred to Quezon City

Meanwhile, Clavano said the DOJ is eyeing the transfer of Quiboloy’s Davao cases to a court in Quezon City, instead of Pasig as earlier reported.

“I just got word that our request to (have the cases transferred to) Pas
ig may be moved to QC (Quezon City) instead due to the heavy case load in Pasig,” Clavano told reporters, noting the transfer of venue will require permission from the Supreme Court.

He said the DOJ requested the transfer of the Davao cases to Metro Manila ‘so that the same team of prosecutors may be able to prosecute both cases together.’

Source: Philippines News Agency

BAGUIO CITY: Some 1,021 farmers from Apayao province received on Wednesday their Intervention Monitoring Card (IMC), which will be where future cash assistance will be sent, while farmers in Kalinga province will receive theirs on Friday.

Department of Agriculture-CAR assistant director for operations Danilo Daguio, in a phone interview on Thursday, said the region was selected as among the areas nationwide to pilot test the digital distribution of assistance, which also taps third party as source of the agricultural inputs such as seeds and fertilizers.

Last December, DA pilot-tested in Kalinga and Abra province the tapping of third party distributors of the agricultural inputs using stubs, which the farmers used to claim the assistance.

With the use of the IMC, the 1,021 farmer-beneficiaries from Apayao, who were listed in the Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture (RSBSA), need to present to the accredited merchant the card whenever they receive any agri-related assistance.

‘Through digitaliz
ation, the complaint of inappropriate items or brands will be avoided as farmers are given the freedom to choose from those sold by the accredited merchant,’ he said.

The IMC digitalization program is an initiative of the DA central office that aims to make it easier for farmers to receive government assistance.

It is part of the nine-point agenda of the department on digital agriculture, which is science and information-driven to digitalize the process of aid distribution.

Daguio said the system also benefits the DA since ‘it saves the Department from doing the procurement process, cuts the cost of transporting the goods from the regional office to the destination province and also removes the expense on food and event organizing during the distribution.’

‘Both ways, to the government and the farmer-beneficiaries, the IMC is advantageous,’ he said.

Alfonso Artikulo, a farmer from Baluyan in the municipality of Flora, Apayao said in Ilocano: ‘I am thankful for the good programs of the DA. I have been rec
eiving assistance since 2018 and I, with the other farmers, are thankful.’

Source: Philippines News Agency

PUTRAJAYA, The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) is tracking down individuals involved in the misuse of artificial intelligence (AI) technology to edit photographs to humiliate social media users, said Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil.

Fahmi said the move is to enable strict action to be taken and ensure the safety of online users, especially children.

‘MCMC is tracking down the individuals, and to MCMC’s knowledge, some of them were involved in prostitution activities before and punished but were found to be involved in vice again but in a different form and using other services.

‘This is one of the reasons why we are deeply concerned and are taking several strict measures regarding online safety, among others, we insist that children, aged 13 and below, are banned from using any social media application,’ he told reporters after attending his ministry’s monthly assembly here today.

Previously, it went viral on the X, about the humiliating photo editing activities which receiv
ed negative reactions from netizens and requested that the government ban the use of that technology in this country.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

KUALA LUMPUR, The Human Resources Ministry (KESUMA) is extending over 3,000 job opportunities in the green sector through the KESUMA Green Skills Fair 2024 at the Avenue K mall here this week.

Its minister Steven Sim Chee Keong said the fair, to run from today until Saturday and jointly organised by Talent Corporation Malaysia Berhad (TalentCorp) and the Social Security Organisation (PERKESO), offers employment prospects with salaries ranging from RM3,000 to RM16,000.

‘This is part of KESUMA’s commitment to preparing our nation’s workforce for the challenges of the 21st-century economy, including artificial intelligence (AI), digitalisation and the green economy,’ he told a press conference after the launch of the fair here today.

The fair will feature exhibitors highlighting job types and green skills pivotal in sustaining the National Green Economy, including POS Malaysia, Modenas, Green Technology Corporation and Malaysian Green Technology and Climate Change Corporation (MGTC), among others.

At the sam
e time, the MYFutureJobs Green Job Fair 2024, with the participation of nearly 60 employers including AEON Co (M) Bhd, RHB Bank Bhd, United Solar Energy Malaysia Sdn Bhd and FGV Holdings Bhd, is also being held at the same venue.

Sim also said that TalentCorp is currently conducting an impact study on the ramifications of AI, digitalisation, and the green economy on Malaysia’s job market, with an interim report slated for completion within six months.

He said the report aims to provide a framework not only for the government and policymakers to formulate more tailored policies but also for companies and Malaysian workers to better equip themselves for the 21st-century economy.

‘This study will shed light on the effects of the green economy and AI on existing jobs, identify roles that will persist in this new economy, and pinpoint those that may undergo transformation,’ he said.

‘So, the insights gained will enable us to make informed decisions regarding the type of training needed for our workforce and th
e incentives required for SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises) and Malaysians,’ he concluded.

PERKESO will also be organising the MYFutureJobs Kesuma Madani Job Fair in conjunction with Labour Day 2024 at the Putrajaya International Convention Centre (PICC) on April 30 and May 1.

The job fair will offer over 10,000 vacancies and will be held across several states, including Kelantan from May 4-5, Johor on May 5 and Sarawak from May 18-19.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

WASHINGTON D.C.: The Philippines and the United States have agreed to strengthen engagement against false foreign narratives, encompassing ‘all kinds of disinformation’.

The commitment was made during the 11th US-Philippine Bilateral Strategic Dialogue (BSD) among senior Filipino and American government officials from April 22 to 23 in Washington D.C.

Under the category of expanding the breadth of Philippines-US partnership, the two sides ‘committed in 2024’ to deepen collaboration on ‘countering foreign information manipulation’.

In an interview on Wednesday night (Washington D.C. time), Philippine Ambassador to the US Jose Manuel Romualdez said this partnership will particularly help combat the narrative that Manila is the one provoking tensions whenever it asserts its rights in the South China Sea.

‘Obviously, the false narratives, every time something happens in the West Philippine Sea, China would say we’re putting up an aggressive behavior,’ he said.

The State Department’s Global Engagement Center,
which tackles propaganda and disinformation, has defined foreign information manipulation as efforts of a foreign state to promote ‘biased information’.

In a 2023 report, it linked the term to China, saying the country do so by suppressing ‘critical information that contradicts its desired narratives’ on issues such as the South China Sea.

Romualdez said the collaboration would also counter claims that the US is instigating a ‘proxy war’ between Manila and Beijing.

‘Collaboration doesn’t necessarily mean it needs any funding — it’s just really working together to try to counter all of those false narratives,’ he said.

This future cooperation is expected to involve capacity building, information sharing, and exchange of best practices, among others.

The BSD, first held in 2011, serves as the main annual platform for the US and the Philippines to discuss a full range of political, security, and economic cooperation, including views on current challenges and strategic priorities.

During the meeting, both
sides also recalled several milestones over the past year such as the meetings between President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and US President Joe Biden; the joint 2+2 State and Defense Ministerial Dialogue; a US Presidential Trade and Investment Mission to the Philippines; and the historic trilateral leaders’ summit with Japan, among others.

Source: Philippines News Agency

KUALA LUMPUR, While his peers chose to pursue higher education or work in air-conditioned offices, 20-year-old Aiman Hakim Baharudin is more content with continuing his father’s legacy in making ‘kepok kubur’ (tombstone).

Aiman, affectionately known as Dikman, said his interest in making tombstones started in his early days in primary school when he often watched and helped his father in their family workshop in Paya Jaras near Sungai Buloh here.

‘At first, I only helped my father out of pity seeing him struggle to lift heavy tombstones, but over time, I developed an interest. When I was 10, I started learning to make them and after finishing school, I’ve been assisting my father on a full-time basis and now I manage this tombstone production,” he said when met by Bernama recently.

Often called ‘Man Kubur’ by his friends, he said he never regretted his career choice; instead, he was grateful to continue his father’s legacy and help ease the family’s burden.

‘At first, I was a bit embarrassed, especially w
hen friends gave me all kinds of nicknames but it never bothered me. I’m happy with this job as long as it provides halal sustenance and, at the very least, it makes me mindful and often think about death.”

‘Customers are often taken aback when they learn my age and ask why I didn’t continue studying or seek other jobs. The income I get from this business is quite worth it, even though it requires me to often be at cemeteries,’ said Aiman who is able to produce as many as five tombstones a day besides helping his brother instal them in cemeteries throughout the Peninsula.

The youngest of four siblings said that despite experiencing some spooky incidents at the cemeteries, it had never dampened his spirit to continue his passion.

‘Talking about eerie experiences, I once received a tombstone order from someone already dead. It may sound unreal but that incident really gave me the chills,’ he said.

Aiman also advised today’s youth not to be too selective in choosing jobs but to embrace opportunities that com
e their way.

Meanwhile, Aiman’s older brother, Irwan Shah, 33, said that seeing their father’s dedication, who is a visually impaired Person with Disabilities (PwD) working while assisting the needy, fueled his interest in the field even more.

‘After several years of earning a monthly income, in 2019, I chose to assist my father’s business. I was already accustomed to hard work so diving into this field was a piece of cake for me. I’m happy with this choice.

‘My intention is to fulfil the obligation of fardu kifayah (communal responsibility). My dad’s business focuses a lot on helping others for free. It’s all about lending a hand to those who need it most,’ said Irwan Shah who aspires to open a free funeral management centre run by young people.

The father who is instrumental in this successful family venture, Baharudin Hassan, 56, gives freedom and never forces his children to follow in his footsteps but always supports their interests.

Baharudin believes that a strong spirit and right intentions are t
he main sources of his success in the field, inspiring all his children to succeed in the business together.

‘Besides Aiman and Irwan Shah, my other two children also help in this business. I am grateful that the efforts I have made all this time have borne fruit and become a reason for happiness in our family,’ said Baharuddin who used to work as a garbage collector before venturing into the tombstone business.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

HCM City: A centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution (C4IR) in Ho Chi Minh City is scheduled to be officially launched in September, with a mission to be Vietnam’s top facility in advising national industrial policies, piloting their implementation in the southern metropolis, and promoting economic transformation in the revolution.

The information was unveiled at a workshop on the C4IR held in the city on April 25. The facility, the second of its kind in Southeast Asia and the 19th worldwide, is expected to be located in the Saigon Hi-Tech Park. It is established as part of cooperation between the Vietnamese Government and the World Economic Forum (WEF) for 2023-2026 and under a deal signed between the chairman of the municipal People’s Committee and WEF leader earlier this year.

Vice Chairman of the HCM City People’s Committee Vo Van Hoan expressed his hope that the centre will become a platform not only for the city but also for the entire country to shape the development of Fourth Industrial Revolutio
n strategies in line with the overall national development strategy, contributing to the global trajectory of technological advancement.

Manju George, heading the strategic impact and integration platform at WEF, noted that the C4IR in the city will benefit from the synergy of leading Vietnamese technology enterprises and leverage the knowledge and experience of the global C4IR network to provide support, advice, proposals, and recommendations for solutions, policies, and initiatives in line with Vietnam’s directions and international technology trends.

Kim Byoungho, Chairman of the Board of Directors of HDBank – a founding member of the C4IR in HCM City, said that its establishment is a significant step forward, contributing to creating breakthrough momentum towards the goal of developing HCM City into a modern industrial service city, as well as a hub for economy, finance, commerce, science-technology, and culture in the region./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency