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Philippines sends rescue team to help search for Myanmar quake survivors

PHILSTAR FILE PHOTO

THE PHILIPPINES on Tuesday sent a team of soldiers and government doctors to help earthquake victims in Myanmar.

The first batch of 58 members of the humanitarian aid team, composed of 91 army and air force soldiers and people from the Office of Civil Defense and Bureau of Fire Protection, left Manila’s Villamor Air Base aboard two C-130 transport planes at midnight on Tuesday, the Philippine Air Force said in a statement.

The second batch, which also consists of staff from the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority, the Health and Environment departments, and private mining and energy companies, will follow on April 2.

They brought search and rescue equipment and medical supplies.

The team will stay in Myanmar, where the death toll from a 7.7-magnitude earthquake that struck on March 28 has topped 2,000, for two weeks.

“These personnel are ready to perform life-saving operations, provide medical assistance and deliver critical aid throughout the mission,” the air force said in the statement. “This mission affirms the Philippine government’s dedication to humanitarian assistance, reinforcing our nation’s commitment to swift disaster response and regional cooperation.”

In a separate statement, Human Rights Watch said Myanmar’s military junta should let humanitarian aid flow unimpeded into Naypyidaw, the capital.

“The junta needs to… ensure that humanitarian aid quickly reaches those whose lives are at risk in earthquake-affected areas,” Bryony Lau, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch, said.

Myanmar descended into turmoil after its military overthrew the civilian government in 2021, plunging the Southeast Asian nation into a civil war. State forces, pro-democracy and ethnic armed groups have engaged in hostilities that has driven more than 3 million Burmese people out of their homes, according to United Nations data.

“All sides must urgently allow space for humanitarian relief and ensure that aid workers can operate in safety,” Julie Isabel Bishop, UN special envoy on Myanmar, said in a statement published on the UN website on Monday.

“Continuing military operations in disaster-affected areas risks further loss of life and undermines the shared imperative to respond,” she added. — Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio

Purchase of local jeepneys under modernization pushed

PHILIPPINE STAR/WALTER BOLLOZOS

THE TRANSPORTATION department should consider tapping local jeepney makers rather than importing public utility jeepneys (PUJs) under the government’s modernization plan to limit fare increases, a congressman said on Monday.

“The cheaper the PUJ units procured, the less the fare adjustments will be necessary,” Albay Rep. Jose Ma. Clemente S. Salceda told Transportation Secretary Vivencio B. Dizon in a letter, a copy of which he shared with reporters.

“There are domestic manufacturers that offer cheaper alternatives to previously procured imported PUJs,” the congressman, who heads the House of Representatives ways and means committee, said.

Mr. Salceda asked Mr. Dizon if his office could contribute to the Transportation department’s review of state efforts to modernize the country’s aging public transportation system. He said his office is conducting a financial study on the program’s viability.

Jeepney modernization began in 2017 to enhance public safety and curb air pollution by replacing it with newer and environment-friendly alternatives. Originally repurposed from surplus US military vehicles after World War II, jeepneys have evolved into a cornerstone of the Philippine transport network.

But jeepney operators have criticized the modernization program, citing expensive modern units worth more than P2 million.

“The unit price of modern PUJ units will determine whether fare increases are needed for the future,” Mr. Salceda said.

He alleged that leaders of some transport cooperatives have received kickbacks for their purchase of modern jeepney units from some manufacturers.

“In the House committee on transportation, allegations were made about rebates of as much as P400,000 per unit being given to heads of transport cooperatives in exchange for agreeing to procure certain units of modern PUJs,” he said in the letter.

Under the plan, jeepney operators must consolidate into cooperatives to create more efficient transport routes and professionalize the industry. About 86% of combined jeepney, bus and van units have applied for consolidation under the initial phase of the modernization program, according to Mr. Dizon.

Mr. Salceda said route mapping could be done optimally due to advancements in transportation planning technology. “Route rationalization can now be done through more modern optimization techniques,” he said.

The Transportation department should also ensure that persons with disabilities and senior citizens could use the transportation system, he said. “We must minimize gaps in public transportation routes.”

The government should also look at improving public transportation routes to airports to improve accessibility, he added.

Mr. Dizon earlier said his agency is open to some changes to the government’s public transport modernization program to address the concerns of transport groups, which staged a three-day strike starting on March 24. — Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio

Senate probe of ICC arrest gives Duterte allies platform to boost political clout

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By Adrian H. Halili, Reporter

THE ALLIES of former President Rodrigo R. Duterte are using the Senate investigation into his arrest as a platform to solidify their standing in the upcoming midterm elections, political analysts said.

“This is more just performing to the base and solidifying their ranks to vote for Duterte-backed candidates,” Hansley A. Juliano, a political science lecturer at the Ateneo de Manila University said in a Facebook Messenger chat.

The Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, chaired by Senator and presidential sister Maria Imelda “Imee” R. Marcos, on March 20 launched an inquiry into the arrest of the Mr. Duterte citing questions on the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court (ICC) over the Philippines.

Local police arrested Mr. Duterte after the ICC ordered his arrest and sought the help of the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol). The tough-talking leader was arrested shortly after arriving from Hong Kong and was put on a chartered plane to the Netherlands on March 11.

The ICC has been investigating Mr. Duterte and his cohorts for crimes against humanity that he allegedly committed when he was still the mayor of Davao City and for the first three years of his presidency, when the Philippines was still a member of the international tribunal.

Arjan P. Aguirre, who teaches political science at the Ateneo de Manila University, said that the committee hearing is meant to allow Ms. Marcos to improve her support for re-election and “court the political base of the Dutertes.”

The office of Senator Marcos did not immediately reply to a Viber message seeking comment.

Ms. Marcos recently withdrew from administration-backed Alyansa Para sa Bagong Pilipinas, citing differences in the administration’s actions regarding the arrest of the ex-President.

“She is giving platform to Duterte allies to spread and mainstream their claims that basically aim to undermine the legitimacy of the ICC arrest and continue to mobilize their supporters,” Mr. Aguirre said in a Facebook Messenger chat.

Ms. Marcos ranked outside of the “Magic 12” in the Social Weather Stations’ (SWS) latest survey, placing 16th in March, two places down from her ranking in January and February.

Mr. Duterte’s former aide, re-electionist Senator Christopher Lawrence T. Go, topped the list with Party-list Rep. Erwin Tulfo; while his former police chief, Senator Ronald M. dela Rosa placed 9th.

The same survey reported that nine out of 12 senatorial bets backed by President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. made it to the top 13 preferred candidates of Filipino voters.

The Philippine midterm elections on May 12, 2025, will determine 12 of the 24 seats in the Senate, along with positions in the House of Representatives and local government units.

Mr. Aguirre added that Ms. Marcos is only trying to save her senatorial bid and “to allow the Duterte camp to intensify its effort to influence its support base by creating contents for their social media operations.”

Several Duterte allies have questioned the validity of his arrest, citing the country’s withdrawal from the Rome Statute.

“There is nothing that the hearing can accomplish in terms of the illegality of arrest because that is a given. The world which watched the arrest already knew that it was illegal,” Former presidential legal counsel Salvador S. Panelo said in a Viber message.

In 2018, the ex-President withdrew the Philippines from the international tribunal’s founding treaty when it started looking into allegations of systematic extrajudicial killings. It took effect in 2019.

“Expecting a structure of global governance to bow to a domestic body, not even one that speaks it’s language, is definitely wishful thinking,” Mr. Juliano added.

He said that no legal institutions and bodies from both the government and the civil society are willing to sanction anything against the ICC.

NOT NECESSARY
Meanwhile, officials from the executive branch have notified the committee that they will not be attending the hearing on Thursday, according to a letter sent by Executive Secretary Lucas P. Bersamin to Ms. Marcos and the Senate President on Tuesday.

“We believe that further participation may no longer be necessary at this time, especially considering the Honorable Chairperson has publicly relayed her comprehensive finding,” Mr. Bersamin said in his letter, sent to reporters.

He added that the four petitions filed in the Supreme Court involving the arrest and surrender of Mr. Duterte are intertwined with the agenda of the committee hearing.

“Further discussions on the matters in the agenda of the hearing may constitute violation of the sub judice rule, which could unduly influence the ongoing proceedings,” he added.

The Presidential Palace said earlier that it will not prevent officials from attending the second committee hearing, scheduled on Thursday (April 3), based on the Senate committee calendar.

According to her preliminary report, Ms. Marcos said the Philippines had no obligation to arrest and surrender Mr. Duterte to the ICC, and the government had not only helped the ICC in the arrest but have planned it before a warrant was issued.

Gov’t tightens building regulations

BUREAU OF FIRE PROTECTION FACEBOOK PAGE

THE Office of Civil Defense (OCD) on Tuesday said it would work with the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) to ensure local government units enforce stricter building permit regulations to brace for deadly quakes.

“We have the opportunity to engage in dialogue with them, possibly urging them to issue reminders to our local government units, especially the local building officials, to ensure proper implementation of occupancy permits, as well as the issuance of construction and building permits that are in strict compliance with our Building Code,” OCD spokesperson Chris Noel Bendijo told a televised briefing in Filipino.

The country’s National Capital Region sits on the West Valley Fault line which could potentially experience a major earthquake. The fault line traverses the cities of Taguig, Muntinlupa, Parañaque, Quezon City, Pasig, Makati, and Marikina, as well as the provinces of Rizal, Laguna, Cavite and Bulacan.

A potential 7.2 magnitude earthquake on the West Valley Fault, or “The Big One,” could result in an estimated 48,000 fatalities and $48 billion in economic losses, according to the World Bank.

“Compliance with the National Building Code must be prioritized and verified to ensure that it is being followed,” Mr. Bendijo said.

“This is an area we need to catch up on and there are still many basic issues we need to address.”

A 7.7-magnitude quake struck Myanmar and parts of Thailand last Friday, crippling major infrastructures like airports, bridges and highways. The recent quake is considered to be one of the biggest in the last century.

Reuters reported on Tuesday that according to China Central Television, Myanmar leader Min Aung Hlaing said the earthquake death toll has reached 2,719, with around 4,521 injured, and over 400 still missing.

Mr. Bendijo said a 90-person contingent consisting of personnel from the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the Bureau of Fire Protection and the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority, Department of Health and the OCD are in Myanmar to aid emergency response efforts in the Southeast Asian nation.

Myanmar had requested emergency search and rescue teams (with K9 or SAR dogs), medical assistance teams, medicines, medical equipment, emergency first aid kits, mobile generators, water sanitation kits, solar-powered lights, among other supplies, the OCD said in a statement on March 30. — John Victor D. Ordoñez

Release of Filipinos in Qatar pushed

DFA FB PAGE

SENATE PRESIDENT Francis G. Escudero on Tuesday called on the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to work with authorities in Qatar to expedite the release of Filipinos who participated in a political demonstration in support of former President Rodrigo R. Duterte.

In a statement, the senate chief said that Philippine authorities should “work for the release of the rest of the Filipinos held in detention in connection with the political demonstration and extend all help and legal assistance as necessary.”

Last week, 20 Filipinos were nabbed by Qatari authorities for participating in an unauthorized political demonstration, in support of Mr. Duterte who is facing trial at the International Criminal Court for alleged crimes against humanity.

The DFA and the Department of Migrant Workers said that four, including three minors, have been released.

According to the DFA, any type of political rally in Qatar is prohibited and any individual found guilty of violating the law could face imprisonment of up to three years.

“We remind our compatriots to always obey the laws and regulations of the countries they are in. However, what is important is that they be released as soon as possible. For me, what they have experienced is enough as a lesson in this matter,” Mr. Escudero said in Filipino. — Adrian H. Halili

Over 17,000 register to vote abroad

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THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Tuesday said over 17,000 Filipinos had enrolled for overseas voting ahead of the May 12 midterm elections.

The Commission also noted that of the 93 diplomatic posts, 77 will adopt internet voting, while 16 posts will use the Automated Counting Machine voting system, based on a document Chairman George Erwin M. Garcia shared to reporters in a Viber group.

The majority of overseas Filipinos will cast their votes through internet-based platforms across 77 posts globally. This method will cover a wide range of countries across various regions, including:

Asia Pacific: Thailand, Brunei, Australia, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Japan, Singapore, and Taiwan, among others.

Europe: Spain, Germany, the United Kingdom, France, Italy, and Switzerland.

Middle East and Africa: the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, South Africa, and Israel.

North and Latin America: the United States, Canada, Brazil, Mexico, and Argentina.

Meanwhile, 16 posts have been designated for ACM voting, primarily covering countries and territories with larger Filipino populations or where internet voting infrastructure may be limited.

These include: Asia Pacific: China (Beijing, Guangzhou, Shanghai, and others), Timor-Leste, and Papua New Guinea.

Europe: Türkiye (Ankara and Istanbul) and Russia.

Middle East and Africa: Nigeria, Lebanon, Syria, Iran, and Libya.

The 2025 Philippine Midterm Elections will take place on May 12, giving voters the opportunity to elect new members of the Senate, House of Representatives, and local government units. — Chloe Mari A. Hufana

Enhanced price monitoring urged

A general view of the rush-hour traffic at a market in Manila, Philippines, Dec. 20, 2024. — REUTERS

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez on Tuesday urged government agencies to enhance their price monitoring system to better reflect prevailing market prices.

The Agriculture and Trade departments should coordinate in monitoring market prices to ensure it’s consistent and aligns with current food rates, he said.

“Our agencies have price monitoring mechanisms, but we must ensure that the prices stated in the monitoring are what we see in markets,” he said in a statement in Filipino. “It seems that the estimates in price monitoring do not align with the actual prices in the markets.”

“These agencies must work together to obtain an accurate picture of market price,” he added.

Both the Trade and Agriculture departments have an online price monitoring system available on their respective websites, providing Filipinos with a price guide on the basic goods and necessities. — Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio

DoE to issue guide for EV stations

EREN GOLDMAN-UNSPLASH

THE Department of Energy (DoE) is planning to release a set of guidelines this month that will set installation requirements for electric vehicle (EV) charging stations in a bid to improve infrastructure and accelerate local EV adoption.

In a statement on Tuesday, the DoE said it will release the implementing guidelines on obligation of EV charging station providers, as well as the requirements, specifications and interconnectivity.

The guideline will provide clear installation requirements for charging stations, particularly for Mode 4 chargers, which use direct current to deliver energy rapidly to EV batteries.

“The issuance will also include comprehensive safety standards designed to streamline the deployment process and encourage investment in charging infrastructure,” the DoE said.

As of March 31, there are 912 publicly accessible charging stations operational nationwide, according to the DoE. Under the Comprehensive Roadmap for the Electric Vehicle Industry, the Philippines targets to deploy over 7,000 EV charging stations by 2028.

In a separate development, the DoE said that it is evaluating potential sites for nuclear energy development in the Philippines, including Bataan, Bulacan, Batangas, and Palawan.

“Many of them qualify because we have specific metrics, such as how many kilometers away they are from fault lines or volcanoes,” Energy Undersecretary Sharon S. Garin told reporters in a recent interview.

Under the Philippine nuclear energy roadmap, the country is targeting to have at least 1,200 megawatts (MW) of nuclear energy capacity by 2032, and scale this up to 2,400 MW by 2040 and 4,800 MW by 2050. — Sheldeen Joy Talavera

Tetra Pak Philippines gets P9-M refund

CTA.JUDICIARY.GOV.PH

THE Court of Tax Appeals (CTA) partially granted Tetra Pak Philippines, Inc.’s petition for a refund, ordering the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) to return over P9 million in unutilized input value-added tax (VAT) for the fourth quarter of 2018.

In a ruling publicized on March 25, the court’s Second Division denied the BIR’s motion for partial reconsideration, finding it to be a mere rehash of arguments previously raised in their answer.

It cited Supreme Court rulings, stating that motions for reconsideration should present substantially plausible or compellingly persuasive new matters to warrant a reversal of the original decision.

Since the BIR’s motion did not raise any new or substantive legitimate grounds, the tax court denied the prayer.

“This Court is constrained to deny respondent’s motion as it is a mere rehash of arguments that have already been previously pleaded, submitted, and resolved by this Court, and the arguments therein are too unsubstantial to warrant reconsideration of the assailed decision,” the 16-page ruling penned by Justice Ma. Belen M. Ringpis-Liban read. “Accordingly, nothing is left for this Court but to deny respondent’s Motion for Partial Reconsideration.”

The original decision, promulgated on Aug. 20, 2024, had already partially granted Tetra Pak’s claim, ordering the BIR to refund P9.171 million. The March 25, 2025, ruling increased the refund to P9.174 million.

In the original decision, the input VAT on purchases of services from SGS Philippines, Inc., amounting to P19,238.99, was disallowed because the nature of the service was not indicated in the VAT Official Receipts (ORs).

However, in the amended decision, the court found that these ORs had invoice references, and the corresponding service invoices indicated the services being paid for.

Therefore, this input VAT was allowed and included in the adjusted valid input VAT on domestic purchases of services. This adjustment increased the pool of input VAT available for refund.

The original decision also disallowed the input VAT related to sales to Cardinal Agri Products, Inc. (CAPI), amounting to P61,048.78, due to discrepancies in the details between importation invoices and related zero-rated sales invoices.

Upon reconsideration, the court found that one item did match in both invoices, leading to the allowance of P125.25 as directly attributable to valid zero-rated sales. This also contributed to a slight increase in the refundable amount. — Chloe Mari A. Hufana

P1-M reward offered for capture of 5 Basilan jail escapees

COTABATO CITY — The governor of Basilan has offered a P1-million incentive in exchange for any information leading to the capture of five prisoners who escaped from a jail in the province on Sunday with the help of two armed intruders.

Gov. Hadjiman H. Salliman told reporters on Tuesday that his office has allocated P1 million as a reward for the capture of the five escapees, who are being prosecuted separately for murder, and possession of powerful explosives.

They are still undergoing judicial proceedings for the offenses that led to their detention in the Basilan Provincial Jail.

Officials of the Army’s 101st Infantry Brigade and the Basilan Provincial Police Office are cooperating in locating the five escapees and the two armed men who arrived at the jail on Sunday, pretending as visitors, disarmed the jail guards on duty at gunpoint and set them free. They hurriedly left the jail premises and disappeared.

“Everything is being done to locate them, return them to the Basilan Provincial Jail,” Mr. Salliman said.

Brig. Gen. Romeo J. Macapaz, director of the Police Regional Office-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region, told reporters on Tuesday that personnel of all municipal and city police stations in Basilan are helping the provincial jail management determine the exact location now of the five men and their two accomplices. — John Felix M. Unson

Obiena takes gold at foggy Taiwan meet

EJ OBIENA — REUTERS

WORLD NO. 4 EJ Obiena flew to Nantou City for one thing only — to rule the Taiwan International Pole Vault competition.

And that the Asian champion and record-holder from Tondo did with aplomb after he ruled the meet held at the Sun Moon Lake in foggy conditions.

Mr. Obiena took the gold with a 5.5-meter (m) clearance, ahead of American Matt Ludwig, who snared the silver with a 5.3 m.

The 25-man field also included another Filipino, a young Hokket delos Santos, tipped as Mr. Obiena’s successor to the throne, who cleared a personal-best 5.15 m, good for 10th place.

“I had a new experience (on Monday). I had my first fog warning in the midst of a pole vault competition, in Taiwan. With roughly 10 meters visibility, you just disappear. Talk about a leap of faith, he said.

“I am thankful to have won the competition under such murky conditions! We can’t always have sunny skies and perfect weather.”

Mr. Obiena said he learned a lot in Taiwan.

“We have to persevere through all kinds of adversity. This was a new kind of adversity and I learned from it,” he said. — Joey Villar

La Salle seeks 16th straight women’s volley win vs Ateneo

DE LA SALLE LADY SPIKERS — UAAP/NEO GARCIA

Games on Wednesday
(Smart Araneta Coliseum)
9 a.m. – DLSU vs ADMU (men)
11 a.m. – UST vs AdU (men)
1 p.m. – DLSU vs ADMU (women)
3 p.m. – UST vs AdU (women)

A SWEET 16th straight win over its archrival and a stronger grip of second spot are up for grabs for La Salle when it dukes it out against Ateneo in the UAAP Season 87 women’s volleyball on Wednesday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

The Lady Spikers own the solo No. 2 seed at 6-3 after a 15-25, 25-17, 24-26, 25-20, 16-14 revenge win over Santo Tomas last weekend, making it a perfect opportunity to shoot two birds with one stone at 1 p.m. against the Blue Eagles.

Both squads will come to battle fresh from wins but La Salle remains as the heavy favorite to prevail given its eight-year mastery of Ateneo.

While Ateneo sports a three-game winning run to close in on the Final Four chase, La Salle has won five of its last six games behind the lethal duo of Angel Canino and Shevana Laput, including a 25-15, 25-14, 20-25, 25-19 conquest in the first round for its 15th straight win over the former.

The last time La Salle bowed to Ateneo was in the elims of the UAAP Season 79 that it eventually won via finals sweep as part of its three straight championships.

“Kami naman kung sino ‘yung darating na game simula nang matalo kami sa NU, sabi lang namin girls, kalimutan niyo na ‘yan at mag-focus tayo sa one game at a time. Isa-isahin natin kung sino darating,” said La Salle deputy mentor Noel Orcullo.

“Paghahandaan namin at ganun din ang gagawin namin sa Ateneo. Wala kaming babalewalain.”

La Salle may have made short work of Ateneo in their first meeting this season but the Blue Eagles, now more than ever, are ready to change the script riding on a three-game winning momentum.

Ateneo beat the University of the East, University of the Philippines and Adamson, in an unbeaten second-round campaign so far to stalk closer to Santo Tomas (5-4) and UP (5-5) for the No. 4 spot.

And they’re not going to let the opportunity slip away, even with a crippled crew that is now led by Lyann de Guzman and AC Miner.

“The most important thing is we’re fighting. Our players never give up. Our team never stops so if we have a one percent chance, we’ll fight for it,” declared Blue Eagles coach Sergio Veloso.

Meanwhile at 3 p.m., skidding Santo Tomas (5-4) seeks to snap a three-game skid to revive its Top-Two hopes against Adamson (3-6) while the men’s play features La Salle (5-4) and Ateneo (6-3) at 9 a.m. as well as UST (5-4) and Adamson (2-7) at 3 p.m. — John Bryan Ulanday

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