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Palace denies Duterte arranged for Misuari’s foreign trip

By Arjay L. Balinbin, Reporter
MALACANANG ON Monday denied that President Rodrigo R. Duterte made any “arrangement” with the Sandiganbayan for the overseas trip of rebel leader Nur Misuari.
Mr. Duterte on Sunday said he “talked” to the court and other concerned authorities to allow the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) leader to leave the country.
“Now, Misuari came to me sa opisina ko (at my office) the other night because he wanted to go out, he was not allowed, tapos may kaso siya (there are cases filed against him). Kinausap ko ang police pati military pati ang korte na palabasin muna siya (I talked to the police, the military, and the court to allow him to leave). Ako ang nag-guarantee (I guaranteed) that he will come back,” Mr. Duterte said in his remarks at a campaign rally by the PDP-Laban in Zamboanga City last Sunday, March 3.
In a separate event in Isabela City the same day, Mr. Duterte said he personally phoned authorities to allow Mr. Misuari to leave.
“Tinawagan ko ‘yung mga (I phoned the) — well, of course, the authorities, at sinabi ko payagan mo na lang, hindi ‘yan sisibat (and I told them to let him go, he will not escape). Nur Misuari will never abandon his country and I’m sure that he would only prepare to die in this native land,” Mr. Duterte said.
But Presidential Spokesperson Salvador S. Panelo on Monday denied the President made such an arrangement with the Sandiganbayan.
It was on Feb. 25 when Messrs. Duterte and Misuari met at the Palace. The Sandiganbayan released a resolution the next day allowing the MNLF leader to leave the country for his overseas engagements.
Mr. Panelo said, “He did not arrange. Again, the courts will not allow themselves to be intimidated, coerced, commanded, or directed by any branch of this government.”
“Iyong to call the courts parang (was just like) to call the attention of the courts of his position on the matter so that it can be evaluated by the courts. Kasi (Because) if it means the survival of this country, then the President should do everything in his persuasive power to convince other branches na ito ang mas magandang lakad diyan (that this is the better approach). But still, ultimately, it’s the other branches that will decide for themselves,” the spokesman said.
He also said the President “will not interfere because that is not his style.”
Mr. Misuari is facing rebellion and crimes against humanity charges in connection with the 2013 Zamboanga siege. He also faces charges before the Sandiganbayan over the alleged ghost purchases of educational materials when he was governor of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).

Comelec: Senatorial debate unlikely

A DEBATE among the senatorial candidates on the watch of the Commission on Elections is unlikely, officials of the poll body said Monday.
“Meron formal proposals na kailangan i-dispose of formally. Also, at pag-uusapan ‘yan sa Commission en banc ‘pag nagkaroon ng en banc meeting this week,” Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez said when sought for comment. (There are proposals that need to be disposed of formally. Also, this will be tackled by the full commission in a meeting this week).
He added: “Ang concern lang diyan is time. Dalawang buwan ang natitira bago mag halalan at hindi ko alam kung may [na]titirang panahon pa para mag-organize ng isang full-blown debate.” (Our concern is time. We have two months left before the elections and I don’t know if there’s enough time to organize a…debate).
In an interview with CNN Philippines on Monday, Comelec chair Sheriff Abas also said in part, “(A)ng problema natin oras. Wala na kaming oras for an official debate.” (Our problem is time. We have no more time for an official debate).
OPPOSITION: CRITICISM PART OF DEMOCRACY
Criticizing the government is part of democracy, senatorial candidates under the opposition Otso Diretso slate on Monday reminded President Rodrigo R. Duterte following his tirades against them.
In a Sunday speech during a PDP-Laban rally in Zamboanga City, Mr. Duterte questioned the capabilities and track record of the senatorial candidates under the Otso Diretso slate. He also complained that all the opposition has done was to criticize his policies.
“Sinong ipalit mo diyan sa ‘yang ‘Otso Diretso’ papuntang impiyerno? Totoo lang, hindi ako na-ano. Walang ginawa ‘yang mga tao na ‘yan puro criticize, hindi pa maniwala (Who will you vote instead of the ‘Otso Diretso’ who will go to hell? These people did nothing but criticize and they don’t believe you),” the President said.
In separate statements issued on Monday, former solicitor-general Florin T. Hilbay, human-rights lawyer Jose Manuel “Chel” I. Diokno, and former Quezon representative Lorenzo R. Tañada III said it was the job of the opposition to question the policies of the current administration.
“We are still under a democracy, not a dictatorship, isn’t it? Nothing personal, it’s part of the job,” Mr. Hilbay said in a statement.
“Let us remember what my father (the late senator Jose W. Diokno) has said, ‘Yes-men are not compatible with democracy. We can strengthen our leaders by pointing out what they are doing that is wrong.’ It is the responsibility of the opposition to question, criticize, and provide alternatives in managing government. The President should not be onion-skinned- this is the spirit of democracy,” Mr. Diokno said in a statement.
For his part, Magdalo Partylist Rep. Gary C. Alejano said he offered solutions and alternatives to the administration policies he has opposed. He also deplored Mr. Duterte’s criticisms against the Magdalo, saying that their coup d’etat was based on corruption in the government and the lack of support for military troops in the frontlines.
“When I criticize your administration, I offer solutions and alternatives to policies which are detrimental to the country and the Filipinos. That is my role as a member of the opposition. My words have basis and they are matched with actions,” Mr. Alejano said in a statement.
Mr. Tañada said the slate’s proposal for a public debate must be organized immediately to give candidates time to explain their track record.
“Let us do the Comelec (Commission on Elections)-sponsored debate so the President would no longer speak on behalf of the candidates,” he said in a statement.
Aside from Messrs. Hilbay, Diokno, Alejano and Tañada, the Otso Diretso slate is composed of former senator and interior secretary Manuel A. Roxas II, reelectionist Senator Paolo Benigno A. Aquino IV, Marawi civic leader Samira A. Gutoc, and election lawyer Romulo B. Macalintal.
For his part, Senator Francis N. Pangilinan, the opposition slate’s campaign manager, said a public debate among senatorial candidates would guide voters in choosing their leaders.
“It is important to look at the past or history of candidates who offer their selves to serve the people… Who have served for a long time honestly? Without abusing the power given them by the people? Without the obvious abuse in the flood of expensive tarpaulins and TV ads?” said Mr. Pangilinan in a statement.
“A serious debate on issues of gut, life, and livelihood — not cursing, threatening, or joking — would help voters in choosing the leaders who will lead them,” he added. — Camille A. Aguinaldo, with G.M.Cortez

Enrile seeks evidence on pork-barrel case

FORMER SENATE president Juan F. Ponce Enrile has filed in the Sandiganbayan a motion requesting the prosecution for copies of evidence on the alleged P172.83 million pork-barrel kickbacks.
Mr. Enrile, through his counsel, filed before the Sandiganbayan 3rd division a Motion for the Production of Material Evidence in the Possession of the Prosecution on Feb. 27.
The motion refers to a “Bill of Particulars” filed by the Ombudsman Special Prosecutors on May 16, 2016, which provided a “breakdown of the amounts of the ‘kickbacks or commissions’ received, stating how the amount of P172,834,500.00 was arrived at.”
It also contained information on the corresponding projects from where commissions were received from 2004 to 2010, and on the non-government organizations linked to convicted plunderer Janet Lim-Napoles.
The NGOs were said to be recipients of Mr. Enrile’s Priority Development Assistance Fund projects. The breakdown also included the implementing agencies to which Mr. Enrile allegedly endorsed the NGOs.
“For a fuller and more accurate understanding of the above, the accused by his Motion asks the prosecution to produce any and all documents upon which the items in the Table are based as well as any written statement of any witness/ess in regard the same,” the Motion read.
The projects were implemented through the National Livelihood Development Corporation, in partnership with NGOs Agricultura Para sa Magbubukid Foundation, Inc. (APMFI) and Countrywide Agri and Rural Economic Development, Inc. (CARED).
The anti-graft court on Monday moved to hold trial on the plunder case of Mr. Enrile on March 11. The case stemmed from his alleged involvement with the PDAF scam, orchestrated by Ms. Napoles. — Charmaine A. Tadalan

Duterte signs law mandating PhilHealth coverage for all PWDs

BW FILE PHOTO

By Arjay L. Balinbin, Reporter
PRESIDENT Rodrigo R. Duterte has signed into law a measure that requires the government to automatically enroll all persons with disabilities (PWDs) into the National Health Insurance Program.
Republic Act No. 11228, which Mr. Duterte signed on Feb. 22, provides for mandatory PhilHealth coverage for all PWDs. This is an amendment to R.A. No. 7277 or the “Magna Carta for Persons with Disability.”
The new law is a consolidation of Senate Bill No. 1391 and House Bill No. 8014. Both bills were passed on Dec. 10 last year.
The law states that premium contributions for all PWDs will be paid by the national government, “provided that the premium contributions of PWD members in the formal economy will be shared equally by their employers and the government.”
The funds needed to implement this law will be “sourced from the National Health Insurance Fund of PhilHealth earmarked from the proceeds of R.A. No. 10351, otherwise known as ‘An Act Restructuring the Excise Tax on Tobacco Products.’”
The law also directs PhilHealth to develop exclusive packages for PWDs that will address their specific health and development needs.
A periodic monitoring and evaluation of the implementation of this law will be carried out by the Department of Health (DoH) in coordination with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DPWH), the Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE), the National Council on Disability Affairs (NCDA), the local government units (LGUs), and other relevant government agencies.
The said agencies are also tasked to promulgate the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) within three months upon the effectivity of this law.
The new law takes effect after 15 days from its publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.
In a statement on Feb. 10, Senator Risa N. Hontiveros, who shepherded the passage of the bill in the Senate, was quoted as saying: “PWDs are one of the most vulnerable segments of the population. It is doubly difficult when you have a disability and you become sick.”
She added that the approval of the bill “will provide much-needed aid to sustain PWDs’ medical needs, including treatments and medicines which they are compelled to take and undergo because of their disabilities and sickness.”
Mr. Duterte also signed last month the Universal Health Care Act which requires “all Filipinos to be guaranteed equitable access to quality and affordable health goods and services and to be protected against financial risk.”

Gasoline up, diesel and kerosene down

OIL COMPANIES will be raising the prices of gasoline products by P0.10 per liter (/L) this week while cutting diesel prices by the same amount.
The price of kerosene will also be reduced by P0.35/L, the oil firms that sent their advisories as of Monday afternoon said.
They will be implementing the price adjustment at 6:00 on Tuesday, March 5.
“Medyo humina ang demand from China and Japan (Demand from China and Japan slightly eased),” said Energy Undersecretary William Felix B. Fuentebella in a press conference on Monday.
He said the lower demand, primarily from the slowing down of activities in Chinese factories, was coupled by a similar slowdown in India, a country that previously reported strong economic growth rates.
The slowdown comes as fuel supply from the US sharply increased, he added.
COCONUT CONTENT
Meanwhile, Mr. Fuentebella also said the Energy department has to sit down with the Department of Agriculture on the latter’s proposal to increase the required percentage of coconut content in producing blended diesel or biodiesel.
He was reacting to a statement made by Senator Sherwin T. Gatchalian urging the DoE and the National Biofuels Board (NBB) to thoroughly study the proposal.
The chair of the Senate committee on energy and co-chair of the joint Congressional biofuels oversight committee made the call after Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel F. Piñol announced that he would be lobbying for the increase of biofuel content in diesel from B2 to B5 to absorb the oversupply in the copra industry.
B2 biodiesel is a blend of 2% agricultural products and 98% clean diesel, while B5 biodiesel is a blend of 5% agricultural products and 95% clean diesel. — Victor V. Saulon

Malacañang asserts release of narco-list fair for voters

MALACAÑANG ON Monday maintained that releasing the so-called narco-list, which names politicians allegedly involved in the illegal drug trade, will guide voters in the upcoming midterm elections. This was in response to the statement by Commission on Elections Commissioner Rowena V. Guanzon that releasing the list may violate election laws as it can be taken as a form of negative campaigning. “From the point of view of the voters, it will also be unfair if you do not tell them exactly your investigation relative to those involved in the drug industry. And if they are elected and then suddenly their place is contaminated with drugs, they will blame the government, ‘why didn’t you tell us this, you have known this pala all the time.’ So, ibalanse natin (we have to balance it),” Presidential Spokesperson Salvador S. Panelo said in a press briefing on Monday. He said the individuals in the list “can file a case, if they feel they have been ‘libeled,’” adding that the government will also file charges against the alleged narco-politicians. — Arjay L. Balinbin

Oral arguments set for petitions vs law school admission test

THE SUPREME Court (SC) is set to hold oral arguments today, March 5, on the petitions questioning the validity of the nationwide exams for those who aspire to enter law school. In an advisory, the SC said an oral argument is also scheduled on March 12. The main issues that will be tackled include the validity of the Legal Education Board’s Memorandum Order (LEBMO) No. 7, series of 2016, which requires the nationwide uniform law school admission test tagged as the Philippine Law School Admission Test (PHILSAT). It will also discuss whether Republic Act (RA) No. 7662, which creates the LEB as an attached agency to the executive branch, “encroaches upon the function of the Supreme Court in violation of separation of powers. Invited as Amici Curiae (friends of the court), or those who are not parties to the case are former Ateneo law dean Sedfrey M. Candelaria and former University of the Philippines law dean Merlin M. Magallona. The case stems from the petition filed by retired Makati regional trial court Judge Oscar B. Pimentel, along with several others, including lawyers and aspiring law students in 2017. Mr. Pimentel’s petition was consolidated with a similar petition filed on November 2018 for the oral arguments. — Vann Marlo M. Villegas

Teachers’ group asks CA to reconsider decision on police profiling

THE ALLIANCE of Concerned Teachers (ACT) asked the Court of Appeals (CA) on Monday to reconsider the dismissal of its petition against the alleged profiling by the Philippine National Police (PNP) of its members on the grounds of technicalities. In its motion for reconsideration, ACT said that while procedural rules should not be disregarded, “their strict and rigid application must be avoided” if technicalities result in frustration “rather than promote substantial justice.” The CA 11th division on Feb. 4 dismissed the January petition of ACT, saying it failed to provide the true copy of the assailed PNP memoranda and the date they received such, among others. Meanwhile, PNP head Oscar D. Albayalde yesterday said they will not hesitate to seek the revocation of the license of ACT’s member teachers if evidence shows their participation in rebellion. “If we will be able to get… physical evidence on their participation sa (in) rebellion, we will not hesitate to file a case against them and we will not hesitate to file ‘pag (to) revoke ng (their) licenses,” he said. — Vann Marlo M. Villegas and Vince Angelo C. Ferreras

Muntinlupa City Jail bans cellphones during visits

CELLULAR PHONES and other electronic communication devices are now prohibited inside the Muntinlupa City Jail, based on an ordinance enacted last Jan. 21 and published on March 4. City Ordinance 19-237 states that any device capable of receiving and sending messages, taking photographs, recording videos, and have internet access are prohibited inside the city jail as it noted the continued use of such gadgets during visitations despite a national prohibition. Violators will be fined P3,000 and their cellphone and other communication devices will be confiscated. — Vince Angelo C. Ferreras

Cebu starting to attract tourists from Turkey, Israel

THE MACTAN Cebu International Airport. — BW FILE PHOTO

CEBU IS starting to gain interest from the Middle East tourist market, particularly from Turkey and Israel. Tour operators in Cebu have noted the increasing number of specialty tours from these countries, among others, including for wedding ceremonies, experiential and leisure tours, as well as for meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibits (MICE), according to Tour Operations Specialists (CATOS) President Alice Queblatin. “In fact, Israeli travel agents have already made its initial ocular visits in Cebu and touching base with local tour operators here to respond to the strong interest of Israeli nationals to explore Cebu,” she said. Cebu has been a popular destination for luxurious Indian weddings for some time, said Ms. Queblatin, and this niche is expanding to other non-Christian countries like Israel. Ms. Queblatin noted that while Cebu is ready to accommodate such specialty tours, direct access is seen to be the hindrance to further growing this emerging market. “Direct access from Cebu to Israel is very important. While a lot of us are doing pilgrimage tours to Israel, people from Israel are also looking at Cebu as their destination. We need direct flights,” she said. Meanwhile, Turkish travel agents have also made initial tours to Cebu in the last few months, to see interesting activities and destinations to lure tourists from Turkey. — The Freeman

San Pablo City gives lot to SC for Laguna office

THE SUPREME Court and the government of San Pablo City signed a Deed of Donation for a 1.5-hectare lot which will be the site of the Hall of Justice (HoJ) in Laguna province. The HoJ will house local courts, a mediation center, server rooms, a data center, holding rooms for detainees, a lawyers’ lounge, and seminar rooms, the SC said in a press release. Court Administrator Jose Midas P. Marquez and San Pablo City Mayor Loreto S. Amante signed the deed of donation. This is the second property secured recently by the SC from a local government following the donation by Cebu City of a 1.5-hectare lot at the South Road Properties area.— Vann Marlo M. Villegas

Civil society leader says BTA would do better in Marawi rehab

MARAWI CITY-based civil society organization leader Drieza A. Lininding has called on the national government to let the newly-established Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) take over the rehabilitation program in Marawi City.
Mr. Lininding of the Moro Consensus Group, in a post on Facebook, criticized the slow recovery process in the war-torn city and said that Task Force Bangon Marawi Chairman Eduardo Del D. Rosario’s recent statement that the city is “alive and booming” is like “pouring salt to our injury.”
He noted that more than 100,000 people are still displaced after almost two years since the siege.
In an interview with BusinessWorld, Mr. Lininding said, “Kung sa (In the) rehabilitation sa (in the) MAA (most affected area), kahit yung (even their) interventions nila like temporary shelters, less than 10 percent lang ang na-serve nila (have been served) out of the more than 25,000 families or more than 100,000 persons.”
When asked if there have been families allowed to return to Marawi City, he said, “zero.”
Mr. Lininding said people from Marawi believe that the BTA should take the lead in the rehabilitation because its members “understand our culture and dynamics.”
“Our identity is tied with our land ownership. We also cannot just stay with our non-relatives,” he said. “For us, every household houses extended families,” he added.
In an interview in January, then Moro Islamic Liberation Front Chairman and now BTA Chief Minister Al Haj Murad Ebrahim said, “Among our priorities is the rehabilitation of Marawi City. I visited the ground zero myself, and I see the gravity of the urgency of its rehabilitation.”
“Although we know that its rehabilitation will involve big amounts because it is totally destroyed, we have been calling the national government as well as the international donors,” he added.
During a press conference held in Cotabato City on March 1, Mr. Murad emphasized that Marawi City’s rehabilitation is one of the 10 priorities of his administration in the new Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.
“Marawi City is one of the 10 priorities we have identified in the BTA. Although we still need to have negotiations with the central government. Right now, with the issue of Marawi, there is a task force that is mandated by the government so we cannot just intervene unless there is an agreement with the national government,” he said. — Tajallih S. Basman

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