Death penalty faces tough Senate hurdle

July 24, 2019 | 9:02 pm

PRESIDENT Rodrigo R. Duterte’s push to restore the death penalty for drug trafficking, plunder and other heinous crimes, might find it difficult to hurdle the Senate, according to a lawmaker who filed the bill.

Senator Christopher Lawrence T. Go, the president’s former aide, told reporters at a briefing yesterday he was “not very confident” that his measure would get enough backing. To date, only Senate President Vicente C. Sotto III has expressed support, he said.

“I call on my fellow senators to support the bill,” Mr. Go said. “If they have nothing to hide, they have nothing to fear,” he said in Filipino.

Mr. Sotto in a statement said reviving capital punishment could move faster in Congress if it is confined to high-level drug traffickers.

Covering plunder and other heinous crimes “will make committee and plenary debates longer due to expected intense debates between advocates and critics.”

Senator Juan Miguel F. Zubiri in an interview with the ABS-CBN News Channel said the numbers for and against the bill are about even now. The lawmaker, who is against the measure, said he won’t sit on the proposal as the majority leader

Mr. Duterte in his annual address to Congress on Monday said drug traffickers must be put to death, noting that the illegal drug menace persists despite his deadly war on drugs that has killed thousands.

The Philippines under then President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo suspended capital punishment in 2006 through a law. Before that, she commuted the death sentences of 1,230 inmates to life imprisonment, which Amnesty International said was the “largest ever commutation of death sentences.” — ALB

Shares decline as Jollibee plunges on CBTL deal

July 24, 2019 | 9:00 pm

By Arra B. Francia, Senior Reporter

LOCAL SHARES fell on Wednesday mainly due to the sell-off in index heavyweight Jollibee Foods Corp. (JFC) following its acquisition of California-based The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf (CBTL).

The benchmark Philippine Stock Exchange index (PSEi) plunged 1.09% or 89.97 points to close at 8,161.49. The broader all-shares index dropped 0.69% or 34.71 points to 4,956.24.

“It’s the negative sentiment in JFC today that pulled the market lower. Although the acquisition of CBTL was good news, the latter’s 2018 bottomline performance was at a loss of $21 million which is equivalent to approximately 12 or 13% of JFC’S profit,” Timson Securities, Inc. Equity Trader Jervin S. de Celis said in a mobile phone message on Wednesday.

JFC announced Wednesday it will acquire CBTL for a total of $350 million, which is seen to expand its total store network by 26%. It will also add 14% to JFC’s global systemwide sales.

Shares in JFC plunged 7.99% or P21.80 to P251 each at the stock exchange yesterday, making it the day’s most actively traded stock.

Mr. De Celis noted that it is unusual for blue-chip stocks to drop by more than five percent on a single day, causing panic selling among investors.

“But this might just be a short term reaction. JFC is backed by an excellent management team so CBTL is in good hands,” he said.

Aside from JFC’s acquisition of CBTL, Regina Capital Development Corp. Head of Sales Luis A. Limlingan said investors also factored in the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) downward revision of its growth projections.

“Shares traded in the red with news that the IMF revised downward its growth figures. The IMF cut its global growth outlook again and suggested that policy “missteps” on trade and Brexit could derail a projected rebound,” Mr. Limlingan said in a mobile phone message.

The IMF expects the world economy to expand by 3.2% and 3.5% in 2019 and 2020, respectively. The projections are both lower by 0.1% compared to expectations in April due to continuing trade tensions.

Foreign investors turned sellers after eight straight days of net buying, recording P542.01 million in net sales against the previous session’s net inflows worth P45.64 million.

All sectoral indices ended in the red except for the services counter, which climbed 0.3% or 5.09 points to 1,660.34.

Industrials lost 1.86% or 218.36 points to 11,501.78; financials plunged 1.4% or 26.19 points to 1,842.69; holding firms went down 0.89% or 71.31 points to 7,924.89; property declined 0.67% or 29.57 points to 4,359.56; while mining and oil slipped 0.53% or 43.24 points to 8,087.45.

Some 2.89 billion issues valued at P6.44 billion switched hands, slightly lower than Wednesday’s P6.72 billion.

Decliners outpaced advancers, 125 to 73, while 57 names were unchanged.

VP’s satisfaction rating falls in SWS poll

July 24, 2019 | 9:00 pm

VICE-PRESIDENT Maria Leonor G. Robredo’s net satisfaction rating fell from good to moderate, down by 14 points from the previous quarter to +28, according to a Social Weather Stations (SWS) poll.

Senate President Vicente C. Sotto III’s net satisfaction rating stayed very good, down 1 point down to +60, while former Speaker Gloria Macapagal Arroyo’s final net satisfaction rating fell 3 points to a poor -20. She stepped down as House speaker this month.

Chief Justice Lucas Bersamin’s net satisfaction rating stayed moderate, 1 point down to +13, the SWS said on its website.

Meanwhile, net satisfaction ratings were up one point to +63 or “Very Good” for the Senate as an institution; up one point to +48 or “Good” for the House of Representatives; up four points to +54 or “Very Good” for the high court; and up 7 points to +51 or “Very Good” for the Cabinet.

SWS interviewed 1,200 adults nationwide on June 22 to 26. The poll had an error margin of ±3 points. — Charmaine A. Tadalan

Peso continues to drop

July 24, 2019 | 9:00 pm

THE PESO weakened further against the dollar on Wednesday ahead of likely upbeat US economic data and following comments from the local central bank’s chief.

The local unit closed yesterday’s session at P51.175 versus the greenback, four centavos weaker than its P51.135-per-dollar finish on Tuesday.

The peso opened the session weaker at P51.225 against the dollar, slipping to as low as P51.295 intraday. Meanwhile, its best showing stood at P51.17 versus the US currency.

Dollars traded reached $1.167 billion, higher than the $754.11 million that switched hands the previous day.

“The peso weakened on expectations of upbeat US manufacturing and services PMI (Purchasing Managers’ Index) reports and after the BSP (Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas) commented that inflation may go below 2% in the third quarter,” a trader said in an e-mail.

Inflation could settle below the official full-year target this quarter as food and oil prices ease, BSP Governor Benjamin E. Diokno told reporters on Tuesday, citing “base effects” due to multiyear-high rates last year.

“Third quarter na tayo, so baka below two pa nga ‘yan because of the base effects (We’re in the third quarter, so it might settle below two percent because of the base effects),” Mr. Diokno said at the sidelines of a forum, also citing a “significant” drop in oil prices as well as the cost of rice.

Another trader attributed the peso’s weakness to continued dollar strength at the start of the session.

“The dollar-peso continued to gap higher due to dollar strength at least at the start,” the second trader said in a phone interview. “I think it was due to the less aggressive rate cut from the (US Federal Reserve). The initial view was for a very aggressive rate cut, and then we’re getting some news that it may not be as aggressive. The short dollar positioning was reversing.”

The US Federal Reserve is expected to trim interest rates during its July 30-31 meeting. However, the odds for a 50-basis-point cut were trimmed after the Federal Reserve Bank of New York clarified that hawkish comments from its president John Williams were not meant to imply there would be an aggressive rate cut.

The second trader noted that the dollar reversed its gains in the afternoon session on profit-taking ahead of the policy meeting of the European Central Bank today.

For today, the first trader expects the peso to move between P51.10 and P51.40 versus the dollar, while the other gave a P51.05-P51.30 range. — Karl Angelo N. Vidal

Senators say they can’t act on China fishing deal

July 24, 2019 | 8:59 pm

THE Senate can’t review a verbal fishing agreement with China in the absence of documents proving it, Senate President Vicente C. Sotto III said yesterday.

The lawmaker rejected Supreme Court Justice Antonio T. Carpio’s call for the Senate to act on President Rodrigo R. Duterte’s verbal deal with Chinese President Xi Jinping, allowing China to fish within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone.

The magistrate has said the fishing deal should be considered an international agreement that needs Senate approval.

“How can we act on something we don’t have?” Mr. Sotto said in a mobile phone message.

Senator Francis N. Tolentino who is vice chairman of the foreign relations committee said the fishing deal should be treated as an executive agreement rather than a treaty. — Charmaine A. Tadalan

House chooses committee chairmen

July 24, 2019 | 8:57 pm

THE House of Representatives on Wednesday elected the heads of some of its committees.

Albay Rep. Joey S. Salceda will head the ways and means committee, while Marinduque Rep. Lord Allan Jay Q. Velasco got the energy committee.

Romblon Rep. Eleandro Madronas will lead the committee on public works, while Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus B. Rodriguez was given the constitutional amendments committee.

Palawan Rep. Franz Alvarez retained his post as head of the committee of legislative franchises.

On Monday, it was announced that Davao City Rep. Isidro T. Ungab will manage the appropriations committee while Tagaytay City Rep. Abraham N. Tolentino will head the committee on accounts. — Vince Angelo C. Ferreras

BFP holds response exercises for bio-chem-nuclear attack

July 24, 2019 | 8:57 pm

OFFICERS OF the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) are undergoing Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN) response exercises from July 24 to 27 with assistance from the United States Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA). Aside from BFP, the mandated CBRN response agency, the activity also involves representatives from over 20 agencies that are involved in disaster response. The exercise started with a simulated CBRN incident within Metro Manila, followed by the establishment of an Incident Command Post. BFP responders attended to mock casualties on site and prepared them for initial treatment and transfer to the government-owned Philippine General Hospital. Medical staff then practiced treating the casualties and identifying the chemical agents involved by using the mass casualty decontamination equipment provided by DTRA. The exercise will also be held in Cebu on July 25 and in Davao on July 26. The Incident Command Post, located in Manila, will continue coordinating with government agencies and responders to ensure a quick and unified action.

Rural health centers tasked to serve as hydration units in dengue outbreak response

July 24, 2019 | 8:55 pm

RURAL HEALTH Units (RHUs) in Western Visayas have been directed to serve as hydration centers for possible dengue-afflicted patients but do not exhibit such warning signs as abdominal pain and persistent vomiting. “With this, we can lessen the number of those admitted in the crowded hospitals, especially in Iloilo and hospitals can now focus on those that exhibit warning signs,” said Regional Director Marlyn W. Convocar of the Department of Health-Center for Health Development. Ms. Convocar said various agencies and institutions are also stepping in to help with the dengue outbreak response. These include the Department of Social Welfare and Development, Philippine National Police, Armed Forces of the Philippines, and the Philippine Coast Guard. “We are set to meet again this Friday because we will localize the measures of the central office in their recent cluster meeting,” Ms. Convocar said. From January to July 13, Western Visayas recorded the highest number of dengue cases in the country at 18,834 with 94 deaths. — Emme Rose S. Santiagudo

In Marawi: A step closer to going home

July 24, 2019 | 8:54 pm

HOMEOWNERS representing some 700 displaced families from two barangays in Marawi City’s most affected area were allowed to visit their homes earlier this week to assess themselves whether these can still be repaired or be included in the demolition that authorities will undertake as part of the rehabilitation program. “Soldiers provided support, manpower, and security assistance to displaced families who were allowed to enter affected areas and inspect their homes,” Brig. Gen. Romeo Brawner, Jr., 103^rd Infantry Brigade commander, said in a statement released by the Western Mindanao Command. The Kambisita (visit/inspection) is in preparation for the eventual Kambalingan (return) of residents who have been displaced since May 2017, when local terror groups laid siege on the city, which led to five months of intense battle with government forces that left parts of the city in ruins.

Osmeña offers to restore gutted mayor’s office; city lawyers say no way with cases now filed

July 24, 2019 | 8:53 pm

AFTER ALMOST a month since the issue about the destruction of the mayor’s office broke, former Cebu City mayor Tomas R. Osmeña asked that his contractor be allowed to restore the office “to its 2016 condition.” In a letter to his successor, Mayor Edgardo C. Labella, Mr. Osmeña said his original order was to remove his personal belongings and restore the office to its condition before he renovated it in 2016, but work was disrupted when Mr. Labella’s lawyers intervened. “The work was supposed to continue the next day. However, your lawyers Rey Gealon and Floro Casas, Jr. interfered on June 28 this year. They also brought in elements of the Philippine National Police to the office. This caused the unfinished work was brought to the attention of the media, and the media frenzy immediately followed,” Mr. Osmeña said. Mr. Labella said he will let the city’s lawyers handle the matter. Messrs. Gealon and Casas said the former mayor’s request can be considered a “mere afterthought to evade criminal and administrative responsibility,” considering the cases the city filed against him for “malicious demolition” of the mayor’s office. “It must be recalled that on June 28, 2019, as soon as news erupted on your demolition of the Office of the Mayor, you gave the following statement in a DZMM interview: ‘I decided to remove everything so that he (Mr. Labella) will know what I feels (sic) like…Wala, basta nabuwisit na rin ako (Nothing, I was very annoyed). What can I do?,’” Mr. Gealon said. — The Freeman

Nationwide round-up

July 24, 2019 | 8:52 pm

DoLE recommends SSS contribution collection from OFWs after 3 months of service

LABOR SECRETARY Silvestre H. Bello III on Wednesday said he will be recommending that the collection of Social Security System (SSS) contributions from overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) be made three months after the start of their job abroad. In an interview with reporters, Mr. Bello said apart from lessening the burden on OFWs, this system is more legally sound. Under the government’s new policy, OFWs, before leaving the country, must pay their mandatory SSS contribution as part of the requirements for getting an Overseas Employment Certificate (OEC). This policy is contained under the new SSS law. Mr. Bello explained that OFWs without an OEC cannot be legally considered as OFWs. The OEC, issued by the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA), is a document that will allow the OFW to exit the Philippines for the overseas job. “I have already relayed this position to the president of SSS, where I am also one of the commissioners. I already informed them of the legal contemplation, a worker, who has not been issued an OEC is not yet an OFW, and therefore cannot be covered by the compulsory (SSS) coverage law,” he said. The Labor chief said initial discussions on this have already been undertaken. “(W)e will communicate to SSS that pursuant to our personal conversation, we will issue the OEC to the worker and collect the contribution three months after workers has rendered service and has collected his or her salary,” he said.

The implementing rules and regulations of Republic Act No. (RA) 11199, the Social Security Act of 2018, provides that SSS contribution is compulsory for OFWs. — Gillian M. Cortez

New IBP president says group will be ‘non-political’ but will be vocal

THE NEW president of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) said the organization will be vocal on political issues if the matter at hand is contrary to law. IBP President Domingo Egon Q. Cayosa said speaking out is aligned with the role of lawyers as the “sentinel of the rule of law.” “So of course, if there is a shortcut or a derogation or an attack to the rule of law, it is our duty regardless of who the president, who the chief justice is,” he told reporters after the oath taking of the 24^th Board of Governors of the IBP on Tuesday at the Supreme Court. Mr. Cayosa clarified, however, that they are not political in their statements, as the IBP’s by-laws provide that the group be “non-political.” “(W)e will not play politics, we will just stick to facts and to law,” he said. “We would rather that we stick to law rather than playing politics, mahirap (it’s difficult), we would lose our independence we would lose our credibility if IBP dabbles into politics,” he added. — Vann Marlo M. Villegas

Nation at a Glance — (07/25/19)

July 24, 2019 | 8:51 pm

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