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Duterte meets Sung Kim

UNITED STATES Ambassador to the Philippines Sung Y. Kim met with President Rodrigo R. Duterte on Wednesday, Sept. 12, to discuss defense and economic cooperation with the Philippines.
In a press briefing on Thursday, Sept. 13, Presidential Spokesperson Harry L. Roque, Jr. confirmed that Messrs. Duterte and Kim met at Malacañang on Wednesday night. “No details were released. It was classified as a private meeting,” Mr. Roque said.
Mr. Kim also confirmed the meeting in a Twitter post, saying: “Excellent meeting with President Duterte to discuss shared goals including defense priorities and economic partnership. Our alliance remains strong and ironclad.”
Sought for comment, Mr. Roque said: “Well, we’ve always had (a) good relationship with the United States. And I’m sure that every meeting between the President and the US Ambassador will result in closer relations.”
Mr. Duterte has been critical of the US for some time, following the latter’s admonition against defense purchases with other countries being considered by the Philippines.
Sought for comment, international studies professor Renato C. de Castro of De La Salle University said in a phone interview: “I bet it was the Philippines, it was Malacañang that asked Ambassador Kim to come to the Palace. It was to assure him probably that: ‘You know, what I said was just basically for public consumption; but honestly, I want to maintain a peaceful and stable relation with the United States.’”
“He is calculating. He likes to play this game of left and right jabs. Probably, he conveyed his position that we are still simply considering buying submarines from Russia. We haven’t made a decision yet. In fact, based on what [Defense Secretary Delfin N.] Lorenzana said after his visit to Moscow [last month], we cannot afford to maintain those submarines,” Mr. de Castro also said. — A. L. Balinbin

Second Makati court defers Trillanes’s arrest

MAKATI CITY Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 148 has deferred the issuance of a Hold-Departure Order (HDO) and arrest warrant against Sen. Antonio F. Trillanes IV.
Judge Andres B. Soriano of Branch 148 ordered the camp of Mr. Trillanes to file a rejoinder to the prosecution’s reply to his comment on their motion for the senator’s arrest and travel ban.
The court’s move to defer the prosecution’s motion follows after a similar order earlier this week by Branch 150 of the Makati Regional Trial Court, where Trillanes is facing rebellion charges.
Branch 148 dismissed in 2011 the coup d’etat case against Mr. Trillanes, in connection with the 2003 Oakwood Mutiny, following then president Benigno S.C. Aquino III’s amnesty for the senator and former mutineer.
Meanwhile, Mr. Trillanes has formed a legal team, which includes University of the Philippines (UP) College of Law Dean Pacifico A. Agabin and former solicitor-general Florin T. Hilbay.
The opposition senator said the lawyers volunteered to help him before the Supreme Court and the Makati courts.
Law professor Joselito G. Chan of the Chan Robles & Company and Mr. Trillanes’s chief counsel Reynaldo B. Robles are also part of the senator’s legal team.
“While I believe that the illegal voiding of my amnesty and the cases filed before the Makati Regional Trial courts related to this are part of Duterte’s political harassment, I have talked to some of the best legal minds in the country who are willing to stand for the rule of law,” Mr. Trillanes said in a statement.
Mr. Trillanes said on Thursday said he may attempt to leave the Senate. “There is no categorical statement from AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines) that they will not arrest me. I will try later to leave the Senate. Let’s’ see… We’ll do it quietly,” he told reporters. — Vann Marlo M. Villegas and Camille A. Aguinaldo

Prosecutors in Ampatuan massacre case to update Duterte

PRESIDENTIAL Spokesperson and Presidential Adviser on Human Rights Harry L. Roque, Jr. on Thursday said he will meet anew with prosecutors tasked with the 2009 Ampatuan massacre case to update President Rodrigo R. Duterte.
In a press briefing at the Palace on Thursday, Mr. Roque, who once served as a private prosecutor for the victims’ families, said: “Obviously, I have a sort of delicadeza issue here. But nonetheless, because this is a public interest case, I’d like to inform the public that I’m arranging a meeting with the panel prosecutors in the Palace again. And again, I would like to invite the President to join us in our meeting. So that the President can be apprised by the prosecution team on what’s happening.”
Mr. Roque also noted “that apparently, there are some witnesses” against the prime suspect, former Datu Unsay mayor Andal U. Ampatuan, Jr., “who have retracted their testimonies.”
“But I have been assured by the panel of prosecutors that, so far, despite the retraction, the case against Unsay [Mr. Ampatuan, Jr.] remains strong,” he added.
Last June, Mr. Roque announced that the President had “instructed the prosecution panel to do its best to get partial judgment against some of the accused within the year.”
“That is the marching order of the President when he conferred with the prosecution panel. And we hope to do that,” Mr. Roque said.
In his meeting with the relatives of the Ampatuan massacre victims last year, the President made a promise that justice will be served “under his watch.”
Nov. 23 this year will mark the ninth anniversary of the massacre in Ampatuan town in Maguindanao, which claimed the lives of 58, including 32 identified with the media. — Arjay L. Balinbin

‘Witness’ in the alleged 2016 polls fraud to appear in the Senate

THE witness of Senate President Vicente C. Sotto III on his alleged elections fraud claims may appear in the next Senate hearing on the issue, Senator Aquilino L. Pimentel III said on Thursday.
“In the next hearing, we will just have to produce the witness of the Senate President so that we can confront allegations under oath with the answers of Comelec (Commission on Elections). So we will not be debating this issue to death,” he said during the hearing of the joint congressional oversight on the automated elections system.
Mr. Pimentel made the statement after Mr. Sotto remained unsatisfied with the Comelec’s response on the senator’s allegations that suspicious “queuing servers” were installed by Smartmatic during the transmission of votes in the 2016 polls.
At the hearing, Comelec Executive Director Jose M. Tolentino, Jr. dismissed the claims, saying the queuing servers were not used by Comelec.
“Just like what we’re saying, we have no queuing server. That is just probably a conclusion made by some IT experts,” he said.
The Comelec has also said in a written statement to congressional panel that the concept of the queue server may have been confused as well with the complex technical infrastructure of the telecommunications systems used in the elections.
However, Mr. Sotto stood his ground on the credibility of the source who he said was an employee of Smartmatic.
“An employee from Smartmatic gave me… This is why I cannot accept what you’re saying that the issue was just a suspicion of someone else. Someone from the inside has told me,” he said.
Mr. Sotto in his privileged speech last March said the issue with the queuing servers was the “one that really tainted the outcome of the elections.” He has said his allegations could be backed by a “concerned and impeccably reliable source.” — Camille A. Aguinaldo

Nationwide round-up

Comelec mulls extension of voter registration

THE COMMISSION on Elections (Comelec) is reviewing a possible extension of the voter registration period the postponement of the filing of candidates’ certificate of candidacy (COC) for the mid-term elections next year.
In a social media post on Thursday, Comelec Spokesperson James B. Jimenez said, “Subsequent activities are currently being reviewed for possible schedule adjustments as needed, as a result of moving the COC filing period to 11-17 Oct 2018.”
Comelec moved the COC filing period for the national and local polls after Congress issued House Concurrent Resolution No. 20 earlier this week.
The resolution requested Comelec to reschedule the COC filing to give Congress time to finalize next year’s national budget and discuss priority bills.
Opposition lawmakers also filed a resolution asking Comelec to reschedule the deadline of voter registration from Sept. 29 this year to Jan. 2019.
Comelec reported last June that it expects almost two million people to register this year for the 2019 elections. — Gillian M. Cortez

Palace downplays ‘wiretapping’ issue

MALACAÑANG ON Thursday downplayed allegations that President Rodrigo R. Duterte’s use of wiretapped information against his critics could be an impeachable offense.
In a televised press conference last Wednesday, opposition lawmaker Gary C. Alejano said, “It seems that the President is allowing a foreign country to intervene with the communication of the Filipino people.”
“That is a breach of security already in our country. And if it is the President allowing this by publicly announcing that there is intercepted communication within the country, [that’s] problematic ‘yun assuming it’s true…We have Anti-Wiretapping Law. And if he is allowing it, he is violating the law,” he added.
The Magdalo Party-list representative also said that this could be a ground for the President’s “impeachment.”
Sought for comment during a Palace briefing, Presidential Spokesperson Harry L. Roque, Jr. said, “Let him file another impeachment complaint, wala rin namang mangyayari diyan kasi wala naman talagang saysay (It will not prosper anyway because it’s pointless).”
In an interview with Radyo Singko, he explained in Filipino that the President did not order the wiretapping, that it is a given that all foreign embassies gather intelligence as part of their work, and that the information was voluntarily given to Mr. Duterte.
“Well, sa panahon na ito talaga, dahil sa teknolohiya, talagang maraming pagsubok pagdating doon sa karapatan natin na magkaroon ng privacy sa ating komunikasyon. Pero importante rito, unang-una, hindi si Presidente ang nag-order ng wiretapping. Pangalawa, dapat maintindihan ng lahat na lahat ng delegasyon, lahat ng mga dayuhan na may embahada rito ay talagang isa na sa tanggap na trabaho nila ay kumuha ng Intel ‘no. At pangatlo, boluntaryong ibinigay iyan kay Presidente. At siya naman, nais nga niyang i-share iyan sa ating taumbayan kaya nga po mayroon ng proseso na pinapa-declassify iyang impormasyon na iyan,” he said.
As for reports that he was one of the individuals who signed the petition urging former president Benigno S.C. Aquino III to grant an amnesty to Antonio F. Trillanes IV, Mr. Roque said, “I do not deny that. In fact, I have openly admitted that at some point in time, I supported Trillanes and I considered him as a friend. We parted ways noong tuluyan siyang naging dilaw (when he became a ‘Yellow’ (Aquino) follower).” — Arjay L. Balinbin

As typhoon Ompong sweeps through the Philippines…

Food and communication readied

A team from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) set up a Broadband Global Area Network system for telephone calls and internet connection while police officers assist in hauling rice supply in the capital town of Basco as as part of the preparations for typhoon Ompong (international name: Mangkhut), which is expected to bring heavy rains and strong winds in the Batanes islands.

Local gov’t orders: Be alert, don’t get drunk

FOLLOWING THE suspension of work and classes, the Ilocos provincial government has also declared a liquor ban until typhoon Ompong has left the country. Based on the executive order, the prohibition covers sale, giving, offering, purchase, and consumption of alcoholic drinks “to mitigate the effects of the typhoon by preventing diminished mobility and other possible effects of liquor intoxication.” Section 2 of the order states that “any person caught under the influence of liquor may be held in custody until he or she regains sobriety,” and later possibly face legal charges.

Class suspensions, blue alert status raised

CLASSES IN all levels has been suspended in parts of the Visayas, including Tacloban City and Leyte in the eastern side, while a blue alert has been raised in Iloilo City in the west. A blue alert is the second-level status and activates all preparedness measures for possible disaster-response activities. Iloilo Mayor Jose S. Espinosa III, who also chairs the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, ordered the activation of the Barangay Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Operations Center for monitoring and response coordination. Engr. Ronaldo Naragdao of weather bureau PAGASA said the Western Visayas Region can expect cloudy skies with light to moderate and occasional heavy rainshowers and thunderstorms on Friday and Saturday. — Louine Hope U. Conserva

Davao City delegation to skip Batang Pinoy games in Baguio

THE DAVAO City delegation for the Batang Pinoy sports championship set in Baguio City on Sept. 15-21 has been ordered to forego the games to avoid possibly getting stranded in Luzon due to typhoon Ompong. “It is with a heavy heart that we cancel the trip… We cannot compromise on the safety of the children, coaches, and support staff,” Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio said. The delegation is composed of 301 athletes, coaches and support staff. The city government said athletes and coaches who will pursue their travel to attend the games shall do so at their own risk. — Carmencita A. Carillo

Zamboanga tourism office suspends pink beach trips, other boat services

THE ZAMBOANGA City Tourism Office has suspended all scheduled trips for local and foreign visitors to the pink beach of Sta. Cruz islands, including the newly-opened 11 islands (Onse Islas) tour. “Since the Philippine Coast Guard has already suspended all light water vessels to travel due to the high waves, we also suspended the transport of tourists to the said islands,” said City Tourism Officer Sarita Sebastian-Hernandez. The local government, through the City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (CDRRMO), has also called off classes in all levels, both in public and private schools. “The Barangay Disaster Risk Reduction Management Councils (BDRRMCs) are directed to continuously monitor situation in their areas particularly those susceptible to floods, landslides and storm surge,” the statement from the CDRRMO said. — Albert F. Arcilla

Cebu City incurs P1-B losses in SRP loan

AFTER 22 years, the Cebu City government has incurred P1 billion net foreign exchange loss in paying for the South Road Properties (SRP) loan. The outstanding balance is owed to the Overseas Economic Cooperation Fund (OECF) and Land Bank of the Philippines. “In 1996, the city has incurred the Y12.315 billion loan or about P3.1 billion for the reclamation of the SRP,” City Councilor Jocelyn G. Pesquera told members of the council. With this, Ms. Pesquera said the city government should pre-terminate the loan or pay off the outstanding balance to “lessen the burden” of hefty interests and other charges. — The Freeman
>> See full story on https://goo.gl/exrQHK

NFA monitoring

NFA

National Food Authority (NFA) personnel are deployed to the retail shops in parts of Sultan Kudarat to ensure that government-subsidized rice is available and sold at P27 per kilo. Government officials have repeatedly assured that there is enough rice stock to meet demand amid shortages in markets nationwide and soaring prices of commercial supply.

Nation at a Glance — (09/14/18)

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

Trade dep’t touts list of 41 firms agreeing to suspend price hike

THE Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) said 41 manufacturing and retail firms have agreed to delay price increases as an inflation-control measure.
“The DTI was able to gain their support and cooperation, with some even expressing willingness to hold off from increases for the next six to nine months,” Trade Undersecretary for Consumer Protection Group Ruth B. Castelo said in a statement Thursday.
“We express our sincere gratitude to the manufacturers for their cooperation and support, especially at this time when it matters most to help alleviate the lives of our Filipino consumers,” Ms. Castelo, a lawyer, added.
The 41 include makers of canned goods including sardines, corned beef and other meats, whose prices are heavily weighted in inflation calculations. These products are among the basic necessities and prime commodities covered by a three-month price freeze.
They also include makers of bottled water, detergent, instant noodles, coffee, processed milk, candles, bread, soap, condiments, batteries and candy.
Among the list of 41 are Coca-Cola Co., Colgate-Palmolive Philippines, Inc., Energizer Philippines, Inc., Monde Nissin, Corp., Nestle Philippines Inc., Nutri-Asia, Procter & Gamble Philippines, Inc., and Unilever, Inc., Century Pacific Food, Inc., San Miguel Food and Beverage, Inc., Alaska Milk Corp., Asia Brewery, Inc., the Filipino-Chinese Bakery Association Inc., Green Cross, Inc. and Zest-O Corp.
Robinsons Retail Holdings, Inc. and SM Investments Corp. also committed not to increase prices on products sold under their private label brands Supersavers and SM Bonus, respectively.
Manufacturers have been requesting permission to increase prices on controlled items to offset rising raw materials costs and a weaker peso.
However, the DTI appealed to them to defer price hikes for at least three months.
Inflation in August hit 6.4%, the highest level since March 2009. — Janina C. Lim

Electronics exports rise 5.38% in first 7 months, SEIPI says

ELECTRONICS EXPORTS in the first seven months grew 5.38% year-on-year to $21.61 billion, the Semiconductor and Electronics Industries in the Philippines Foundation, Inc. (SEIPI) said.
Of nine product categories, six posted gains during the period, led by consumer electronics where exports rose 82.64% to $335.36 million.
Electronics accounted for 56% of the $5.86 billion total Philippine exports in July.
In July, electronics exports rose 5.21% to $3.28 billion, with five of nine product lines posting gains — consumer electronics, office equipment, control and instrumentation, electronic data processing and components/devices or semiconductors.
Posting declines were medical/industrial instruments, automotive electronics, telecommunication and communication equipment and radar.
Compare to June, electronics exports fell 2.76%.
Hong Kong was the biggest export market in July, accounting for 21.85% of the total, followed by the United States and China with 14.11% and 13.74% respectively.
Export revenue growth in July was behind the pace of SEIPI’s growth target for 2018 of 6%, though the organization said it remains confident it will achieve its goal despite heightened trade tensions between China and the United States.
According to the Philippine Statistics Authority electronic products in 2017 made up slightly more than half of total merchandise export sales, rising 11% to $32.7 billion.
SEIPI hopes to boost electronics exports to $40 billion by 2025 and $50 billion by 2030. — Janina C. Lim

House resolution seeks to block national franchise for solar firm

A RESOLUTION seeking to block a bill granting a franchise to Solar Para sa Bayan Corp. has been filed at the House of Representatives, with the resolution’s backers claiming that the franchise conflicts with the Electric Power Industry Reform Act (EPIRA).
“The unconstitutional nature of this Bill grants Solar a Master Franchise to operate all throughout the Philippine archipelago,” PACMAN Rep. Michael L. Romero said in a briefing, Thursday.
“This is a blanket authority that would allow it to infringe and encroach on all existing franchises of main transmission grids,” he added.
House Bill 8179 will grant the Solar Para sa Bayan a franchise to construct, install, establish, operate and maintain distributable power technologies and minigrid systems.
According to House Resolution 2182, the franchise violates Section 59 of the EPIRA Law, which provided that “only those which are in remote and unviable villages that the franchise utility is unable to service for any reason shall be opened to other qualified parties.”
The bill, the resolution’s backers said, will also duplicate the functions of the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines.
JUST ADDRESSING UNMET NEEDS
Solar Para sa Bayan was founded by Solar Philippines President Leandro L. Leviste, who said in a mobile phone message on Friday evening that the company was just meeting communities’ needs.
“First, whoever made these claims must not have read the bill. The text explicitly states it is non-exclusive, gives no incentives, incurs zero cost to government, and obligates us to charge the least cost for power and be subject to ERC regulation. What the bill does is give us the right to offer the Filipino people an alternative to their current providers — which is unsurprisingly why these providers must be so alarmed,” Mr. Leviste said in response to a request for comment.
“Second, the status quo has failed to address the needs of 20 million Filipinos without 24/7 electricity, and many more who endure the highest power rates in Asia; which is why a Pulse Asia survey indicates that 82% of Filipinos favor new options for electric providers; and over 30 members of the House committee overwhelmingly approved the bill after extensive deliberations. Yet power companies want to preserve their existing monopolies and deprive Filipinos of non-exclusive alternatives like us,” he added.
“Lastly, Solar Para Sa Bayan already has minigrids in 12 towns to benefit 200,000 Filipinos, the first time a company has invested in such areas without any government subsidy. We would be glad if others would emulate instead of block these projects, so we can all bring affordable, reliable electricity to every Filipino as fast as possible. The people in Mindoro, Palawan, Masbate, Cagayan, and Aurora, who are receiving 24/7 power for the first time from us, could care less of the opinions of a few people in Manila.”
DISADVANTAGE
The resolution was filed by Buhay Rep. Jose L. Atienza and PACMAN Reps. Romero and Enrico A. Pineda among others.
The legislators also noted that the bill was passed after only two committee hearings.
The bill was also opposed by associations of solar power developers, who cited its hasty approval without the necessary consultation.
“We all agreed that we are going to sign a common statement to register our opposition against House Bill 8179… We want to articulate our position and convey why we are against this particular bill,” according to Ma. Theresa C. Capellan, president of the Philippine Solar and Storage Energy Alliance (PSSEA), in a news conference on Thursday in Makati City.
Aside from PSSEA, the other groups that oppose the franchise are the Confederation of Solar Developers of the Philippines, Inc. (CSDP); Renewable Energy Association of the Philippines (REAP); Organization of Socialized and Economic Housing Developers of the Philippines, Inc.; and Philippine Rural Electric Cooperatives Association, Inc., she said.
Ms. Capellan noted that such a franchise also disadvantages developers like REAP, a group of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) that install solar rooftops.
“It will practically destroy the SMEs in solar,” she said.
Don Mario Y. Dia, president of CSDP, said there is no need for the issuance of the franchise for Solar Para sa Bayan.
“There is no legal necessity to grant the proposed franchise to a specific entity,” he said, pointing out that the solar energy sector is vibrant and competitive. “What is so special about this franchise given to this specific entity?”
In their joint statement, the associations called on Congress to “junk” HB 8179.
“Instead, our policy makers and legislators should craft another bill that promotes fair and healthy competition, fosters reforms and innovations, for qualified third parties (QTPs) in un-served and missionary areas, enabling the continuing expansion of clean energy projects, broader and more efficient services, and lower electricity rates, especially for unserved and underserved areas,” they said.
Republic Act No. 9136 or the Electric Power Industry Reform Act of 2001 (EPIRA) lays down the legal requirements for any entity to participate in the generation and supply sectors, they said.
“All generators and suppliers of electricity in contestable markets do not need any national franchise. The supply rules already in place provide that the prices to be charged by suppliers are not subject to the regulation of the ERC (Energy Regulatory Commission),” they said.
They said EPIRA covers un-served and missionary areas by allowing QTPs to supply and distribute electricity to un-energized communities. — Victor V. Saulon and Charmaine A. Tadalan

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