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China can’t force Manila to ban POGO — envoy

CHINA has no authority to force the Philippines to ban online gambling involving Chinese nationals as part of its effort to crack down on a practice that supposedly causes illegal outflow of money, according to Philippine Ambassador to China Jose Santiago L. Sta. Romana.

“They can’t dictate on us,” the Philippine envoy said at a televised press briefing from Beijing on Thursday. “That’s a sovereign decision. That is where we stand.”

Presidential spokesman Salvador S. Panelo earlier said Chinese President Xi Jinping might raise the issue of Philippine offshore gaming operations (POGO) during his meeting with President Rodrigo R. Duterte in Beijing on Thursday.

Last week, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang took note of the Philippine government’s move to suspend the acceptance of new applications for offshore gaming licenses pending a review of the sector.

“We hope the Philippines will go further and ban all online gambling,” Mr. Geng said, according to a transcript of his briefing on Aug. 20 posted on the Chinese Embassy website.

Mr. Sta. Romana said Mr. Duterte was prepared to explain the Philippines’ position on the matter.

“It will have an economic impact on us,” the envoy said. “So if we are to do it, we want a soft landing. We don’t want a drastic impact that will adversely affect our economy.”

Mr. Sta. Romana said the Philippines has been trying to regulate the online gambling industry.

The Bureau of Internal Revenue has said that as of early August, it had collected P200 million in taxes from offshore gaming companies. The bureau started collecting taxes from foreign workers employed by POGO in early July and ordered the companies to remit withholding taxes from the workers starting Aug. 10.

The government foregoes P2 billion in monthly revenue for every 100,000 unregistered POGO workers that fail to pay withholding tax on their earnings, according to Finance Secretary Carlos G. Dominguez III.

The Chinese embassy in Manila has expressed “grave concerns” about the plan of the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. to relocate the industry to “self-contained hubs.” It raised concerns that the move could violate the rights of Chinese workers in the Philippines.

China is mounting pressure on Southeast Asian nations as it tries to stamp out online gambling that supposedly causes hundreds of millions of yuan to illegally flow out of its economy. Online and phone betting has exploded in countries such as the Philippines in the past few years due to demand from gamblers in mainland China.

The Philippine gaming regulator has said it won’t halt existing online casinos but will stop accepting applications for new licenses at least until the end of the year to review concerns about the burgeoning sector.

More than 50 Philippine offshore gaming operators have received licenses since 2016, and the industry employs about 138,000 workers, most of them from China. Revenue from the offshore gaming industry is projected to reach P9 billion this year, according to the Philippine gaming regulator. — Arjay L. Balinbin

Robredo denies sedition charge at DoJ

VICE-PRESIDENT Maria Leonor G. Robredo yesterday denied the sedition charge against her, saying she wasn’t part of an alleged plot to destabilize the government of President Rodrigo R. Duterte.

In a counter-affidavit, the vice-president denied meeting Peter Joemel Advincula, the self-confessed drug dealer who linked the Duterte family to the illegal drug trade, to discuss a strategy to unseat the president.

“I have never met Mr. Advincula. The first time I saw Mr. Advincula was in the news coverage of the press conference held at the office of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines,” she said in her filing.

Ms. Robredo also said there were no other allegations against her aside from her presence at the March 4 meeting.

Police last month filed a complaint for inciting to sedition, cyberlibel, libel, estafa, harboring a criminal and obstruction of justice against Ms. Robredo and several others including opposition senators, lawyers and church leaders. Mr. Advincula, was also sued but was named a police witness.

Mr. Advincula in May had sought legal assistance in filing charges against members of the drug syndicate he formerly belonged to. Later that month, he surrendered to police over estafa charges, and tagged the Liberal Party as behind the propaganda.

Human Rights Watch has said authorities should drop the “preposterous complaint,” saying it was a “transparent attempt to harass and silence critics” of Mr. Duterte’s bloody drug war. — Vann Marlo M. Villegas

Lawmaker files bill on presidential succession

A SENATOR has filed a “designated survivor” bill to ensure government continuity in case of a terror attack, a major disaster and other “exceptional circumstances.”

Senator Panfilo M. Lacson’s Senate Bill 982 addresses instances when the president and his successors specified by the 1987 Constitution are killed.

The lawmaker said the measure seeks give an “exhaustive order of presidential succession” to ensure that the office of the president is never vacated.

Under the law, the line of presidential succession includes the vice-president, Senate president and House speaker.

In case of death or permanent disability of successors specified in the Constitution, the Lacson bill provides the most senior senator, based on the length of service, will be next in line. After him will be the most senior congressman and the Cabinet member designated by the president.

Before any public or private event attended by the president, vice-president and ranking officials, the president must appoint Cabinet member to be sequestered in a secret and secure location.

“In the event of an extraordinary circumstance resulting in the death or permanent disability of the president, vice-president and the officials mentioned, the designated member of the Cabinet shall act as president,” according to a copy of the bill.

The acting president’s official actions will remain effective unless revoked by the elected president within 90 days. — Vann Marlo M. Villegas

Joint body to review rules on early release

THE DEPARTMENT of Justice (DoJ) and Department of the Interior and Local Government have created a committee that will review the rules on parole.

The body will submit a report and draft the revised rules within 10 days, according to a joint department order issues on Thursday.

The processing of inmates for parole have been suspended pending the review, according to the order.

Philippine authorities earlier said they would suspend the parole program pending a review of the guidelines.

This comes amid an uproar over a plan to free former Calauan Mayor Antonio L. Sanchez, a convicted rapist and murderer, for what prison officials earlier described as good conduct.

The Justice department has created a task force that will review the rules and will inform the Supreme Court about the suspension, Mr. Guevarra said in a text message.

Several senators, including Senator Franklin M. Drilon opposed the plan and said they would investigate it. Mr. Drilon was the Justice secretary who prosecuted Mr. Sanchez, who was sentenced in 1995 to seven life terms for the rape and murder of two University of the Philippines students in 1993.

Presidential spokesman Salvador S. Panelo on Friday said the ex-mayor was ineligible for an early release because he committed a heinous crime. The spokesman, who lawyered for the ex-mayor in the 1993 rape-slay case, earlier denied that he had anything to do with his planned release.

Mr. Guevarra on Thursday said the Bureau of Corrections would evaluate the qualifications of Mr. Sanchez. Last week, he said the convict along with thousands of other inmates would be released for good conduct. Their release, he added, could not be appealed.

The Supreme Court in June ruled that the law should be applied retroactively because it favors the accused.

Data from the Bureau of Corrections released yesterday showed that since 2013, 1,914 out of the 22,049 inmates released for good conduct were convicted of heinous crimes.

“We have to study and discuss that issue very carefully and thoroughly” Mr. Guevarra said in a text message yesterday.

He said a 2015 department order had affirmed BuCor’s authority to approve the release of inmates with expired sentences but still required the approval of the Justice chief for convicts sentenced to life in jail. — Vann Marlo M. Villegas

House bill raises statutory rape age

A LAWMAKER has filed a bill increasing the age of statutory rape to 16 years from 12 years.

Tingog Party-list Rep. Yedda Marie Romualdez’s House Bill 4160 will impose a life sentence for the crime of statutory rape against minors who are under 16 years old.

“If this measure is passed into law, any adult who has sexual intercourse with a minor below 16 years old is guilty of rape,” Ms. Romualdez said in a statement yesterday. “Even if the minor has given his or her consent to the sexual act, it is still rape.”

Ms. Romualdez said minors below 16 years old have no “power to resist to give their genuine and fully informed consent to any sexual activity.”

“Under the bill, the subsequent valid marriage between the offended party and the offender shall not automatically extinguish the criminal action or the penalty imposed,” according to the lawmaker.

It also redefined the crimes of qualified seduction, simple seduction, forcible abduction and consented abduction in relation to minors as victims.

The measure provides that qualified seduction involves a minor who is 16 years old and under 18 years, committed by a person in public authority, a priest, a guardian or teacher.

The penalty for qualified seduction was raised to two years and four months to six years imprisonment.

Simple seduction is committed by means of deceit and will be punishable by a maximum term of six months, while forcible abduction will be punishable by 12 years to 20 years in jail.

Meanwhile, those guilty of consented abduction will be sentenced to 6 months to four years in jail.

Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri earlier filed a bill that seeks to raise to 15 years the age of sexual consent. — Vince Angelo C. Ferreras

Word-of-mouth marketing boosts Northern Mindanao tourism

By Maya M. Padillo, Correspondent

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY — With travel bans from various countries hanging over Mindanao, promoting tourism in the Philippine’s southern islands is no easy task.

“It’s unfortunate that we have some advisories (against travel to Mindanao), but I suppose this came about, of course, because of reports of some isolated incidents,” Department of Tourism-Northern Mindanao (DoT-10) Regional Director Marie Elaine S. Unchuan said in an interview during the opening of the 5th Regional Travel fair in Cagayan de Oro City on August 23.

But word-of-mouth promotion, which in the Internet age comes in the form of bloggers and influencers, makes a big contribution to changing traveler perception.

“We have a lot of people to thank, especially ‘yung mga turista na nag-share ng experiences nila (the tourists who share their experiences), encouraging ‘yung iba kasi nakikita nila ‘yung magagandang tanawin ng Mindanao (others because they see the beautiful sceneries in Mindanao),” Ms. Unchuan said.

One such influencer is Kyle “Kulas” Jennermann, the Canadian behind the vlog (video log) Becoming Filipino.

“A lot of people when they hear about Mindanao, they are fearsome. But what I found is, people are very positive,” he said in an interview in Cagayan de Oro.

Mr. Jennermann, who has been touring around Mindanao in a scooter, said the connections he makes with the people he meets in his travels mean the most to him.

“It’s the connection I have here, the people, they open their lives and their homes to me. The communities here, the barangay, the people work very hard, I really appreciate that. On top of that is the diversity and experiences,” he said.

Ms. Unchuan said while foreign visitors may still be difficult to convince, local travelers are on the rise.

“I think people have been seeing the beauty of Mindanao as a whole and Northern Mindanao as a region. You can see the beauty in social media and of course the aggressive promotions of the Department of tourism,”

The 5th Regional Travel Fair last week, organized by the Tourism Promotions Board, the DoT’s marketing arm, focused on expanding domestic tourism.

Among the attractions of Northern Mindanao are white water rafting in Cagayan de Oro, halal food in Lanao del Norte, Maria Cristina Falls in Iligan City, Mt. Kitanglad, Dahilayan Forest Park in Bukidnon, and the Divine Mercy Shrine in Misamis Oriental.

Ms. Unchuan said they are also highlighting experiences that showcase the culture of Mindanao through the seven tribes of Bukidnon, the Subanens of Misamis Occidental, and the Maranaos of Lanao del Norte.

“This (travel fair) is very significant because all the tour operators from different regions are here and they have already seen what we have to offer and they have been doing the B2B (business-to-business) with our tour operators,” she said.

New tourism destinations declared in Ilocos Sur and Nueva Ecija

FOUR SITES in Luzon — three in Ilocos Sur and one in Nueva Ecija — have been declared as new “tourist destinations” in the country and will be given priority for development. President Rodrigo R. Duterte has signed laws marking the tourism designation of the following: Mount Bulaylay in Cuyapo, Nueva Ecija (Republic Act 11406); Candon City Ecotourism Zone in Ilocos Sur (RA 11407); Santiago Cove in Santiago, Ilocos Sur (RA 11408); and Pinsal Falls in Santa Maria, Ilocos Sur (RA 11409). Copies of the laws, which Mr. Duterte signed on Aug. 22, were released to reporters on Thursday. As tourist destinations, the development of these areas “shall be prioritized by the Department of Tourism (DoT) and shall be subject to the rules and regulations governing the development of tourist destinations,” the laws said. Within 60 days from the effectivity of the laws, the DoT, in consultation with the local government unit of each tourist destination, will promulgate the necessary rules and regulations. — Arjay L. Balinbin

Court paves way for Cebu City’s use of P2.5B SRP lot payment

THE CEBU City government may now use the P2.5 billion proceeds from the sale of lots at the South Road Properties after the court granted the withdrawal of the civil case questioning the sale’s validity. Cebu City Legal Office Rey M. Gealon said his office has received a copy of the order from Regional Trial Court Branch 23. “The court’s order granting the withdrawal of this ‘midnight case’ renders justice to the people of Cebu City. Apart from the fact that the petition was patently flawed, it was also filed without merit. So it would have been dismissed, anyway,” Mr. Gealon said. — The Freeman

>> See full story on https://bit.ly/32aXjjG

Local florist calls for revival of Davao floriculture industry

FLORIST and businessman Jade Polizon said more events such as competitions and exhibits should be staged to breathe new life into Davao City’s floriculture industry. “We know that Davao City has lots of talented florists. I think it is lack of access to education and also the facility for this kind of industry. Unlike in Europe (where) there are a lot of schools and organizations catering to florists and every now and then there are big events organized for all flower enthusiasts. In Davao, we only have the Kadayawan,” he said in an interview at the Waterfront Insular Hotel’s Visual and Wearable Art Exhibition in line with this month’s Kadayawan celebration. He said while he has been in the industry for 15 years, it was the first time that he did a flower installation in the city. “I was really fortunate that Jennifer Romero of Waterfront Insular Hotel has given me the opportunity to showcase my talent,” he said. He noted that Davao City is already known for its waling-waling orchid, cutflowers and ornamental plants, but there is a need to open more venues to showcase this. — Maya M. Padillo

1st batch of former MILF fighters ready to join peace and security force

THE FIRST batch of former Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) combatants, composed of 219 men, have completed their month-long basic military training and will now be joining the Joint Peace and Security Team (JPST), together with members of the Philippine National Police and the Armed Forces of the Philippines. The JPSTs are tasked to secure MILF communities that will undergo the decommissioning process as well as help track and document private armed groups and other lawless elements. A formal ceremony for the first batch of decommissioning is set on Sept. 7, with more than 12,000 of the estimated 40,000 Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces (BIAF), the armed wing of the MILF, to turn over their weapons. The firearms will be handed over to the Independent Decommissioning Body (IDB) and stored in an agreed site. Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) Chief Minister Murad Ebrahim said each combatant will receive an “economic package” worth about P1 million. “This will be given in different forms such as cash assistance, livelihood, housing, and scholarships,” Mr. Murad said. “The overall goal is not only for the combatants to receive cash, but also to transition into civilian but productive life,” BARMM Spokesperson Naguib G. Sinarimbo said in a news conference on Aug. 27. The decommissioning is in accordance with the Normalization Track of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro signed by the government and the MILF. — Tajallih S. Basman

Nationwide round-up

BTr assures remaining P4B RCEP fund will be released within the year

THE BUREAU of Treasury (BTr) on Thursday assured that it will be able to determine the source for the remaining P4 billion Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) as early as next month, and that it will be released within the year.

National Treasurer Rosalia V. De Leon told BusinessWorld the P4 billion remaining RCEF funds might be sourced from income in investments, interest, fees and charges and other excess money remitted back to the agency.

Republic Act No. 11203, the Rice Tarrification Law, mandates a P10 billion annual funding for RCEF in the next six years from tariffs collected on rice imports, to support farm mechanization, seed and fertilizer acquisition.

“We’re looking at if there would be excess income already that we can generate. We’ll see, next month or around October. Kasi (Because) by October, depending on our investments, usually du’n nagpapasok ng (that’s when the) coupon payments (come in), mag-ge-generate namin (we can generate our) interest income,” Ms. De Leon said in an ambush interview after the Senate hearing on the 2020 budget.

At the hearing on Wednesday, Department of Budget and Management (DBM) Assistant Secretary Rolando U. Toledo also said they will release the remaining P4 billion to complete the P10 billion RCEF funding for this year. Mr. Toledo said the release will depend on BTr, which will have to look at ”excess” government money.

Meanwhile, DBM Undersecretary Janet B. Abuel said they will continue to monitor the utilization rate of RCEF before releasing more. ”Let’s see with the agencies like PhilMech (Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization) anong (what is the) status na before we add more release,” Ms. Abuel said. She noted that sometimes the challenge is agencies get “choked” by too much funds. — Beatrice M. Laforga

KAPA founder’s wife slapped with tax evasion charge

Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) logoTHE BUREAU of Internal Revenue (BIR) has filed a tax evasion case against Kapa Community Ministry International, Inc.’s (KAPA) corporate secretary, Reyna L. Apolinario, for undeclared income sources for taxable years 2017 and 2018. In a statement, BIR said the total income tax liability of Ms. Apolinario, wife of KAPA founder Joel Apolinario, for those two years is P168.2 million. This total includes surcharges and interests, broken down into: 2017 — ₱163.9 million; and 2018 — ₱4.3 million. BIR said Ms. Apolinario did not file an income tax return (ITR) from 2012-2015, but did so in 2016, declaring an income of ₱207 million. In 2017 and 2018, Ms. Apolinario declared incomes of ₱171.10 million and ₱12.06 million, respectively. By 2018, her declared beginning capital from audited financial statements climbed to P306.9m, pointing to undeclared sources of income of P307.7 million for taxable year 2017. This includes cash amounting to P140 million, luxury vehicles worth P27.60 million, heavy equipment totalling P65.7 million, real properties worth P45.1 million, and other assets paired with P9.18 million for taxable year 2018.

REYNA
Called ‘Madam Reyna’ by followers of the supposedly religious group, Ms. Apolinario owned nine vehicles under the name of REYNA in 2017 and 2018 that were not declared in her financial statements, BIR investigators said. Moreover, information from the bureau’s Integrated Tax System (ITS) showed that REYNA owns 13 businesses under her name, including retail-construction materials/garments/metals, gasoline stations and convenience stores, computer and printing services, quarry, convention center, fishing boat, bakeshop & refreshment, media & marketing network, and hotel. Ms. Apolinario along with her husband and several other KAPA officials are facing separate complaints filed by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the National Bureau of Investigation over their alleged involvement in the investment scam operated under KAPA. SEC has revoked KAPA’s registration.

TOP BELAGIO
In another case, BIR also filed a criminal complaint against Binondo-based wholesaler Top Belagio Super Sales Corporation, along with its president, Stanley C. Kho, and treasurer, Sherrie Ann R. Dael. They are charged for attempting to evade their annual income tax and quarterly value-added tax (VAT) as well as for failure to pay improperly accumulated earnings tax for 2016, amounting to a liability of P555.4 million in total. The wholesaler is facing violation of Sections 254 and 255, in relation to Sections 253 and 256 of the National Internal Revenue Code of 1997 as investigations found that the amounts declared in their Annual Income Tax Return and Quarterly Value-Added Tax Returns are lower than actual sales. — Luz Wendy T. Noble

Nation at a Glance — (08/30/19)

News stories from across the nation. Visit www.bworldonline.com (section: The Nation) to read more national and regional news from the Philippines.

Nation at a Glance — (08/30/19)

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