Category: General

MANILA: Senators explained on Wednesday that the Balikatan exercises between the Philippines and the US aim to enhance interoperability and strengthen partnerships and not to challenge the military capabilities of other nations.

Senator Jinggoy Estrada, chair of the Senate Committee on National Defense, said while some Balikatan exercises were conducted in the disputed areas, these were not meant to challenge other nations’ actions, including China’s continued bullying.

“These exercises are not designed for combat operations against other nations. Responding to or utilizing it to impede China’s coercive actions against Philippine vessels is outside the scope of these joint military drills,” Estrada explained, adding that the country should continue lawful activities within its jurisdiction while promoting peace and stability in the region.

Senator Francis Tolentino echoed Estrada’s statement that the exercises’ purpose is not to stop China’s harassment.

“We should trust the effectiveness of our alliances
not the unruly behavior of those who intend to distract us,” Tolentino said.

China’s aggression toward civilian vessels, he said, highlights the need to uphold international law.

Meanwhile, Senate Majority Leader Joel Villanueva asserted that China’s bullying tactics and scare propaganda would not affect the Philippines’ sovereign rights over its exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

“Whatever they do, it will never take away our sovereign rights over the WPS, especially the Scarborough Shoal, which is clearly within our exclusive economic zone,” he said in a statement.

Source: Philippines News Agency

LEGAZPI: More than 16,000 local and overseas job vacancies were offered to applicants in the ongoing Labor Day Job Fair of the Department of Labor and Employment-Bicol (DOLE-5) here and in other provinces in the region on Wednesday.

The one-day event was simultaneously conducted at the Ayala Malls in Legazpi City, Albay province; SM Daet in Camarines Norte; Robinsons Place in Naga City, Camarines Sur; Virac Town Center in Virac, Catanduanes; Masbate Social Center in Masbate City, Masbate province; and Sorsogon Provincial Capitol gymnasium in Sorsogon City.

In her message, Ching Banania, DOLE-Albay provincial head, thanked different government agencies for their support, time and collaboration in celebrating Labor Day.

“Muli tayong naging mahalagang instrumento na makapagbigay daan para sa magandang hinahanarap ng ating minamahal na mga naghahanap ng trabaho. Ang amin pong tanggapan ay patuloy na magbibigay ng serbisyo publiko at magsisilbing kaagapay para sa ating pangkalahatang pag-unlad sa abot ng aming
makakaya (Once again, we have become an important instrument that paves the way for the good future of our beloved job seekers. Our office will continue to provide public service and serve as support for our overall development as much as we can),” Banania said.

DOLE-5 recorded a total of 5,257 job seekers who have registered online, with Albay leading the registration count at 1,401; followed by Masbate with 1,148; and Sorsogon with 1,303 registrations.

At least 135 employers are participating in the simultaneous events.

Meanwhile, as part of the Labor Day observance, 179 Government Internship Program (GIP) beneficiaries received their stipend amounting to PHP776,965.

DOLE-5 also awarded livelihood assistance worth PHP13 million to 488 beneficiaries, along with Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD) wages amounting to PHP426.2 million for 92,674 individuals.

Various services were also available such as labor advisory, career vocational and employment counseling, Departmen
t of Trade and Industry (DTI) entrepreneurship seminar, and Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) skills training orientation.

Kadiwa ng Pangulo stalls also featured 326 sellers, promoting local products and entrepreneurship.

In a statement, DOLE officer-in-charge Regional Director Imelda Romanillos said the agency stands in solidarity with the Filipinos in observing the 122nd Labor Day with the theme, ‘Sa Bagong Pilipinas, Manggagawang Pilipino, Kabalikat at Kasama sa Pag-Asenso’.

She encouraged active participation in the events, emphasizing the opportunities presented for both job seekers and employers.

Source: Philippines News Agency

MANILA: The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has canceled the certificate of candidacy (COC) of former Surigao del Sur Rep. Prospero Pichay Jr. for the May 2022 national and local elections (NLE).

In a resolution dated April 30, the seven-man panel granted the Motion for Reconsideration filed by petitioner Romeo Momo for false misrepresentation in the respondent’s COC.

The petitioner noted that Pichay Jr. has stated in his COC that he is eligible to run for public office even after being found guilty of grave misconduct by the Ombudsman in the decision of Tutol et al. vs. Pichay Jr. dated July 4, 2011, which carried an accessory penalty of disqualification to hold public office.

‘The alleged false misrepresentation made by Prospero A. Pichay, Jr. in his COC was his act of deliberately answering “NO” to the question “(h)ave you ever been found liable for an offense which carries with it the accessory penalty of perpetual disqualification to hold public office, which has become final and executory?” the rul
ing said.

In granting the motion for reconsideration of Momo, the Comelec en banc ruled that based on Section 7, Rule III of Administrative Order 7, or Rules of Procedure of the Office of the Ombudsman, as amended by AO 17 dated March 15, 2003 and Memorandum Circular 01, series of 2006, the Ombudsman decision is immediately executory and inclusive, which meant that the decision was to be strictly enforced and properly implemented even if an appeal, motion for reconsideration, or petition for review has been filed.

‘Only a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) or a Writ of Preliminary Injunction, duly issued by a court of competent jurisdiction, stays the immediate implementation of Ombudsman decisions,’ it added.

At the same time, the resolution declared the votes garnered by Pichay as stray.

It also reversed and set aside the resolution of Comelec’s former First Division dated Feb. 15, 2022, which dismissed Momo’s petition seeking to deny due course or cancel the COC of Pichay.

The Comelec also cited the SC
case of Cobarde-Gamallo vs. Escandor, which upheld the validity of the immediately executory nature of Ombudsman decisions, which states that Section 7, Rule III of the Rules of Procedure of the Office of the Ombudsman.

The poll body said the high tribunal was categorical in providing that an appeal shall not stop the decision from being executory and that it shall be executed as a matter of course.

‘The Comelec is duty-bound to implement the Decision of the Ombudsman and the law requires the execution and implementation of the Decision as a whole. As a constitutional body, the Comelec must henceforth execute Ombudsman Decision dated July 4, 2011 as a whole,’ the poll body said.

On Nov. 11, 2021, the high court finally affirmed the perpetual disqualification ruling of the Office of the Ombudsman against Pichay Jr., which became final and executory on Aug. 17, 2022.

Meanwhile, the Comelec is set to conduct an investigation for possible filing of an election offense case against Pichay Jr. for his alleged c
ommission of material misrepresentation in his COC in the 2022 polls.

Source: Philippines News Agency

Hanoi: Hanoi welcomed 737,900 tourists during the National Reunification and May Day holidays, from April 27 to May 1, up 4% year-on-year, the municipal Department of Tourism said.

The city earned 2.5 trillion VND (98.63 million USD) in tourism revenue on the five-day holidays, representing a year-on-year rise of 10%.

Notably, the number of international holidaymakers reached 87,900, a surge of 48% from the same period last year.

Earlier, the department instructed relevant businesses, organisations and individuals to improve their product and service quality and offer new products to tourists during the holidays.

It planned to present 80,000 gifts, including water, milk and bread, to tourists to the President Ho Chi Minh Museum on the Liberation of the South and National Reunification Day (April 30), May Day, President Ho Chi Minh’s birthday (May 19), and National Day (September 2)./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

KUALA LUMPUR, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s recent visit to Saudi Arabia, which is also his fourth trip to the Arab country since being appointed as Malaysia’s prime minister not only marked the close ties between Malaysia and Saudi Arabia but also signified his close relationship with the Kingdom’s Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman.

Principal Research Fellow at the Institute of Islamic Hadhari Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Prof Dr Zaid Ahmad said Anwar’s presence in Saudi Arabia via personal invitation of the Crown Prince himself also cemented the Prime Minister’s stature as one of the main voices for developing countries.

‘While Anwar made a name for himself and gained attention for his criticism of Western countries for their hypocrisy in handling the Palestinian issue, his speech at the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) Special Meeting drew attention for its critique of major powers.

‘Anwar asserted that major economic powers cannot dictate other countries, including Malaysia, at their own
will. They must abide by the rules of the country and not impose any conditions or demands that diminish the country’s economic direction and policies,’ he said in a statement.

Anwar was in Riyadh for two days to participate in the WEF Special Meeting themed ‘Global Cooperation, Growth, and Energy for Development’, where he was invited to deliver a speech at the opening plenary session.

Zaid said international forums like the WEF Special Meeting are important because they allow Anwar to assert Malaysia’s position on regional geopolitical issues in front of world leaders, especially as his voice is increasingly seen as representing the voices of other countries.

In addition to attending the WEF Special Meeting, the Prime Minister also led the Malaysian delegation in the Joint Regional Strategy Dialogue on ASEAN – Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), where he highlighted some of ASEAN’s priorities as Malaysia prepares to assume chairmanship of the regional grouping next year.

According to Zaid, apart from exchan
ging views with his counterparts from various countries, Anwar along with other Malaysian delegates also held several important meetings with global leaders and corporate heads in a mission to explore various economic opportunities and attract new investments to the country.

‘With Anwar’s convincing explanation of Malaysia’s progress and the existence of extensive trade and investment opportunities here, many industry and business leaders in attendance expressed interest in investing in Malaysia in various fields.

‘All of this is evidence that Anwar is Malaysia’s Top Salesman, and with his increasingly strong voice in international forums, he is now being increasingly recognized as one of the Top Spokesmen for Third World Countries,’ he added.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

PUTRAJAYA, The Supplementary Electoral Roll for March 2024 (DPT BLN3/2024), which was verified and gazetted today, is now open for review for 30 days until May 29.

Election Commission (EC) secretary Datuk Ikmalrudin Ishak said the electoral roll contained 38,729 names of citizens aged 18 and above between March 1 and 31, 2024, who were registered automatically as new voters.

‘DPT BLN3/2024 also contains the names of 6,282 registered voters who switched constituencies and 1,737 voters who changed status or category,’ he said in a statement today.

He said the EC provided five review methods, namely via the EC portal at https://www.spr.gov.my or https://mysprsemak.spr.gov.my, or the official portal of State Election Offices at http://ppn.spr.gov.my and online application at https://myspr.spr.gov.my.

Checks can also be done through the MySPR Semak mobile application or the Voter Registration Verification Hotline at 03-88927218.

Ikmalrudin also urged citizens aged 18 and above during the period from March 1
to 31 and registered voters who have applied for a change of constituencies or status to check their name in the electoral roll.

‘If they find their names not listed in DPT BLN3/2024, they can make a claim by filling out Form C through the online application at https://myspr.spr.gov.my or by visiting the relevant State Election Office.

‘Registered voters in any constituency who wish to make an objection to the entry of voters who changed to their constituencies can fill in Form D or go to the respective State Election Office,’ he said.

He added that both Form C and D can also be downloaded from the State Election Office portals at http://ppn.spr.gov.my and should be submitted to the respective State Election Director along with the objection fee during office hours throughout the review period of DPT BLN3/2024.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

MANILA: The National Food Authority (NFA) and a consumer group on Tuesday said the availability of subsidized rice in local markets shall serve as a beneficial option for consumers.

This came shortly after the House of Representatives reviewed the implementation of Republic Act (RA) 11203 or the Rice Tariffication Law (RTL), following the observation of House Speaker Martin Romualdez on the increasing gap between the farmgate and retail rice prices.

In an interview with PTV’s Punto Asintado Reload, NFA officer-in-charge administrator Larry Lacson expressed openness to bringing back the subsidized rice in local markets if the law permits.

“Kami naman po sa NFA, kung kami po ay bibigyan uli ng ganyang function ay tatanggapin po namin iyan at ipatutupad po natin nang mahusay (We, in the NFA, if we will be given that function again, we will receive and implement it well),” he said.

Under the RTL, the NFA’s role is limited to securing the national buffer stock equivalent to 300,000 metric tons (MT) of rice.

L
acson said this would ensure fair play with traders and millers.

“Anything po na magkakaroon ng kahit konting kompetisyon or ma-break iyong monopolyo o oligopoly, maganda po iyan sa consumer (to have a minimal competition or just break the monopoly or oligopoly, that’s good for the consumer),” he said.

He, however, underscored the need to ensure an “improved” quality of rice which should match the commercial quality.

Bantay Bigas spokesperson Cathy Estavillo, meanwhile, said the RTL failed to achieve its goal to provide a low retail price of rice of at least PHP25 per kilogram.

“Sa limang taon na implementasyon nito, wala tayong nakitang PHP25 per kilo, bagkus ay tumaas ng hanggang PHP60 hanggang PHP65 ang presyo ng bigas (For its five-year implementation, we didn’t see a PHP25/kg. [of rice], instead it hit PHP60 to PHP65/kg. price of rice),” she said.

“Kaya it’s high time na ibalik na iyong dating subsidized price ng NFA… Malaking bagay na sa malawak na kababayan na matagal nang naghahanap ng alternat
ibong mababang presyo (That’s why it’s high time to bring back the subsidized price of NFA. It’s a huge thing for many fellow Filipinos who are longing for an alternative low price),” she added.

She said the NFA subsidized rice before ranged from PHP27/kg. to PHP32/kg.

To date, the price range of local regular milled rice in Metro Manila is set at PHP46/kg. to PHP52/kg, according to the Department of Agriculture’s price watch.

Source: Philippines News Agency