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Marcos bars state cars from using sirens, blinkers

PRESIDENT FERDINAND R. MARCOS, JR. — PHILIPPINE STAR/RYAN BALDEMOR

PRESIDENT Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. has banned sirens, blinkers and other signaling devices among state vehicles, saying these are a traffic hazard.

Their use has been rampant, causing traffic disruptions and unsafe road and traffic environments, he said in Administrative Order No. 15 dated March 25.

“All government officials and personnel are hereby prohibited from utilizing sirens, blinkers and other similar gadgets that produce exceptionally loud or startling sounds,” he said.

The late President Benigno S.C. Aquino III banned sirens and traffic counterflows when he came to office in 2010, but the practice became prevalent under his successor Rodrigo R. Duterte.

Mr. Aquino was frequently late for his appointments after getting stuck in heavy traffic because he refused to use them to set a good example.

He has also traded the official black presidential limousine for a white SUV in going to his official functions.

Mr. Marcos said these gadgets may only be used “under exigent or emergency circumstances or situations or to ensure the expedient and safe passage of emergency responders.”

Exempted from the ban are vehicles of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), National Bureau of Investigation, Philippine National Police (PNP), fire trucks, hospital ambulances and other emergency vehicles.

The Transport department and other agencies will review and update policies in line with the presidential fiat. Unauthorized and improper use of signaling devices will be punished.

The order was issued as the Philippine government tries to ease traffic jams in Manila and nearby cities, as well as in other urban centers given their economic costs.

Traffic congestion in the capital region costs the Philippine economy at least P3.5 billion daily or P1.27 trillion annually, Mr. Marcos said at a traffic summit on Wednesday, citing a study by the Japan International Cooperation Agency.

He has also regulated the issuance of protocol license plates to government officials, citing increasing complaints on unauthorized use.

In Executive Order No. 56 also dated Mar. 25, Mr. Marcos cut the classes of government officials entitled to use protocol license plates to 12 from 14, amending the order issued by then President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo in 2005.

Included in the list are the President with a No. 1 plate, Vice-President (No. 2), Senate President (No. 3), Speaker (No. 4), chief justice (No. 5), Cabinet secretaries (No. 6), senators (No. 7), congressmen (No. 8) and Supreme Court justices (No. 9).

Also exempted are the presiding justice of the Court of Appeals, Court of Tax Appeals, Sandiganbayan and Solicitor General (No. 10), the chairmen of constitutional commissions and Ombudsman (No. 11) and chiefs of the Armed Forces and national police (No. 14).

Cabinet undersecretaries (No. 12) and trial court judges (No. 16) were removed from the list.

The use of protocol license plates by authorized officials will be recommended by the Land Transportation Office (LTO) and approved by the Department of Transportation, based on the list of officials with equivalent ranks.

Although the associate justices of the appellate and tax courts and anti-graft court may use protocol license plates, it should not be “construed to authorize all other officials with equivalent rank,” according to the order.

Exempted officials may be given as many as two pairs of protocol license plates, while the President, Vice-President, Senate president, Speaker and chief justice may have three pairs.

Protocol license plates may not be transferred to unauthorized people or vehicles.

The Transport department will keep a registry of protocol license plates issued to all officials or cars and enforce the rules.

Executive Secretary Lucas P. Bersamin signed the twin orders. — Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza

US to hold more patrols with allies in disputed sea

THE BRP SIERRA MADRE, a marooned transport ship which Philippine Marines live in as a military outpost, is pictured in the disputed Second Thomas Shoal, part of the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea. — REUTERS

A UNITED STATES security official on Thursday said Washington is expected to hold more patrols with allies in the South China Sea.

The Philippines, US, Japan and Australia recently held joint naval drills within Manila’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) in the waterway. China responded by holding its own naval patrols.

“This is about freedom of navigation,” White House National Security Communications Adviser John Kirby said at a briefing in Washington, based on a statement sent by the Philippine presidential palace.

“It’s about adherence to international law. It’s about proving the simple point that we and our allies will fly, sail and operate wherever international law permits us to do and it does in the South China Sea, and we did,” he added.

“You can look forward to additional opportunities for us to conduct those kinds of maritime patrols. But they are really about reconfirming a simple principle about international maritime law in international waters.”

Mr. Marcos arrived in Washington on Wednesday night for a three-day visit including his three-way summit with US President Joseph R. Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.

At the weekend, Washington, Tokyo, Canberra and Manila held joint military drills within the Philippine EEZ in the South China Sea.

China conducted surprise combat patrols on the same day, with the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Southern Theater Command saying “all military activities that mess up the situation in the South China Sea and create hotspots are under control.”

Mr. Kirby said there’s no reason for China to “overreact” to these joint drills.

Tensions between the Philippines and China have worsened in the past year as Beijing’s coast guard continues to block resupply missions to Second Thomas Shoal, where Manila grounded a World War II-era ship in 1999 to assert its sovereignty.

The shoal is 240 kilometers off the coast of the Philippine province of Palawan and is about 900 kilometers from Hainan, the nearest major Chinese landmass.

Second Thomas Shoal, Luconia Shoals, Scarborough Shoal, Vanguard Bank, and Thitu Island were the five features most frequented by patrols of the Chinese Coast Guard last year, according to the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative.

In March, China had warned Manila to “be prepared to bear all potential consequences” if it “insists on going its own way.”

Mr. Kirby said the US has been “watching those tensions with great concern.” “We again urge the People’s Republic of China to abide by the 2016 ruling.”

He was referring to the decision of a United Nations-backed tribunal in the Hague that voided China’s claim to more than 80% of the South China Sea.

He said Mr. Biden had “made our concerns known about Chinese activities in the South China Sea” during his recent telephone call with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Mr. Marcos and Mr. Biden were set to hold a separate meeting after the trilateral summit.

“We denounce the trilateral summit as a US-led move to bring the region closer to war in order to maintain US hegemony and thwart China’s ambitions as a rival power,” P1NAS spokesman Antonio Tinio said in a Facebook Messenger chat.

Japan under Mr. Kishida is undergoing a military buildup unseen since World War II, while the Philippines under Mr. Marcos has enabled the expansion of US military presence in the region, he added.

“We call for a truly independent foreign policy that will uphold our sovereign rights against the illegal and violent encroachments of China and repudiate the war-mongering of the US.”

Before flying to Washington, Mr. Marcos said in his departure speech that one of the main goals of the summit is “to keep the peace in the South China Sea and the freedom of navigation (there).”

He said he would reiterate “the importance of upholding the rule of law and preserving the rules-based international order in the Indo-Pacific region.” — Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza

Jeepneys to go on strike starting April 15 vs modernization

PHILIPPINE STAR/WALTER BOLLOZOS

By Chloe Mari A. Hufana and John Victor D. Ordoñez, Reporter

PHILIPPINE jeepney drivers and operators on Thursday declared a transport strike across the country starting Monday to again oppose the government’s transport modernization program that will eventually phase out decrepit jeepneys.

“The series of hearings on the public utility vehicle modernization program in Congress has not yet concluded, and our petition against it is still pending in the Supreme Court,” PISTON Deputy Secretary-General Ruben Baylon said in a statement. “However, the regime is already rushing the takeover of livelihoods of drivers and small operators.”

President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. On Wednesday said there would be no further extension of the April 30 deadline for jeepneys to consolidate into cooperatives and corporations.

The consolidation deadline lapsed on Dec. 31, 2023, but public utility vehicles (PUV) had been allowed to keep operating until Jan. 31 this year. The President extended the deadline to April 30.

Last year, Mr. Marcos had said the government would not extend its Dec. 31 deadline for consolidation. More than 1,900 unconsolidated jeepney and UV Express routes were at risk of being wiped out.

PISTON said its members would continue to ply their routes in Metro Manila despite the ban. It said their demand extends beyond another deadline extension and calls for the scrapping of the franchise consolidation requirement and the entire modernization program.

“Putting the cart before the horse, the route plan for jeepneys should precede consolidation,” transportation expert Rene S. Santiago told BusinessWorld in a Viber message. “The administration should certify as urgent the pending bill on jeepney modernization if it is serious in achieving public transportation modernization without killing livelihood.”

Mr. Santiago said the government should invest in fixed public transport infrastructure such as simple passenger waiting sheds, mode interchange and layover areas for public transport and digitalization. “Virtual consolidation is much better than corporatization or collectivization.”

Federation of Free Workers (FFW) President Jose Sonny G. Matula in a Viber message said the strike would inconvenience workers who rely on public transportation but “understands the position of the drivers at risk of losing their source of income.”

The labor group also urged the Supreme Court to consolidate petitions questioning the legality of the modernization plan.

The government has been trying to get jeepney operators to consolidate into either a cooperative or corporation since June 2023. They will eventually be required to buy expensive modern jeepneys.

Meanwhile, Senator Mary Grace N. Poe-Llamanzares urged the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) to release the list of public transportation routes with consolidated PUVs before April 30, saying delays would burden commuters.

“We can’t just leave our commuters scampering for rides, especially under this extreme heat,” she said in a statement. “Were there substantial efforts to reach out to the drivers and operators to help them get into the program?”

Ms. Poe-Llamanzares said the LTFRB should be transparent on whether the dialogues with transport groups had eased concerns about loans and other financial aspects of their consolidation.

More than 300 public utility jeepney routes and 76 UV Express routes in Metro Manila alone have not been consolidated, according to the LTFRB website. About 76% of jeepneys nationwide have consolidated.

In a video message sent to reporters via Viber, Senator Maria Imelda “Imee” R. Marcos called for more consultations between the LTFRB and transport stakeholders to iron out funding issues.

“We all want new transportation vehicles, but the problem is we need to know where to get funds for these,” she said in Filipino. “There are a lot of issues, and we really need to discuss these.”

Last month, the Supreme Court dismissed a petition filed by jeepney drivers and an operators’ group against the jeepney modernization program, saying it should have filed the plea before a trial court.

LTFRB Chairman Teofilo E. Guadiz III told congressmen in January about 38,000 jeepney drivers could lose their jobs once the modernization program takes effect.

Think tank IBON Foundation said PUV fares could increase by as much as P50 in the next five years if the modernization takes effect.

Speaker sees economic, security gains in boosting PHL-US-Japan cooperation

House Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez — PHILIPPINE STAR/KRIZ JOHN ROSALES

THE TRILATERAL summit would result in deeper collaboration between the Philippines, the United States, and Japan, paving the way for regional stability and economic development, House Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez said on Thursday.

“The historic meeting… marks a significant milestone in regional diplomacy as it reaffirms the Philippines’ role as an essential ally in promoting stability, security, and economic development across the Indo-Pacific,” Mr. Romualdez said in a statement.

Leaders of the three nations are expected to discuss how they can boost their economic ties as well as their maritime cooperation amid increasing tensions in the South China Sea, over which China has made an encompassing claim.

“The main intent of this trilateral agreement is for us to be able to continue to flourish, to be able to help one another, and of course to keep the peace in the South China Sea and the freedom of navigation,” President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. said in his speech before departing for Washington. D.C.

The Philippines is a key player in the Indo-Pacific region given its strategic significance, Mr. Romualdez said.

The South China Sea is a conduit for global commerce as more than $3 trillion worth of trade passes through the waterbody annually.

Beijing has grown more assertive in its claim, deploying its vessels by the scores even within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone, despite a 2016 arbitral ruling that China’s claim to almost the entirety of the South China Sea has no legal basis.

“The ability of nations to navigate freely is essential for trade, communication, and regional security,” Mr. Romualdez said.

Commenting on the trilateral meeting, Ateneo de Manila University Political Science Lecturer Hansley A. Juliano said the summit is rooted in the need to ensure that Manila will remain closely tied to the United States, representing their interests in the Indo-Pacific region.

“The big challenge here is that the US and Japan are still mostly relying on Official Development Assistance and military presence to keep the Philippines onside, especially now that there is once again a genuine external threat to their borders and interests within the Asia-Pacific,” he told BusinessWorld in a Facebook Messenger chat.

There is a possibility for the Philippines to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership due to the trilateral talks, a move seen as enhancing the “market access of Philippine goods beyond ASEAN and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership,” John Paolo R. Rivera, president and chief economist at Oikonomia Advisory & Research, Inc., said.

The potential economic and strategic benefits from the summit are most welcome, Filomeno S. Sta. Ana III, Action for Economic Reform coordinator, said. “But at the same time, I hope that these talks are not meant to exacerbate geopolitical tensions in the region.” — Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio

Vaping alarms health experts

ARTHURHIDDEN-FREEPIK

THE ONSET of lung injury among the Filipino youth is cause for alarm, health experts said, as vape and e-cigarettes become more freely available in the market.

The Philippines is at risk of developing a lung injury epidemic in the near future due to the increase of young Filipinos starting to develop a vaping habit, Maricar B. Limpin, a pulmonologist and tobacco cessation expert, said Thursday.

“Approximately one out of every seven Filipino youths aged 13 to 15 are now using vapes,” she said in a statement.

The vape industry is aggressively targeting Filipino youth, enticing them to use tobacco and e-cigarette products at a young age.

“This alarming trend is not a coincidence but a result of the tobacco industry’s calculated marketing tactics targeting the youth,” Ms. Limpin said. 

A 16-year-old was the Philippines’ first recorded medical case of e-cigarette or vape-associated lung injury (EVALI), a medical condition caused by the inhalation of vape products, she said in a roundtable forum discussing the effects of vaping in the country.

“With how accessible vapes are, tobacco is now an issue for children… and the growing EVALI cases are proof,” Riz Gonzales, Tobacco Control Advocacy Group of the Philippine Pediatric Society chairperson, said in a statement.

The country has recorded seven Filipinos sick with EVALI so far, with young Filipinos consisting most of the cases, she added.

“The primary problem with EVALI is that it causes people to have difficulty breathing, chronic coughs, and be easily exhausted,” Ms. Limpin said.

Repeated use of e-cigarettes and vaping products could lead to irreversible lung damage, Ms. Gonzales said.

“When you heat the e-liquid, they don’t produce just gas, rather they produce a compound of aerosol containing dangerous byproducts,” she said.

She added that vaping is not safer than smoking, contrary to how the vape products are being marketed. “Vaping is equally harmful as smoking,” she said. — Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio

Pasig court denies Quiboloy plea

PHILSTAR FILE PHOTO

A PASIG City regional trial court has ordered the arrest of wanted televangelist Apollo C. Quiboloy and his alleged accomplices for qualified human trafficking, denying his legal team’s motion to suspend legal proceedings against him.

In a three-page order dated April 11 and sent to reporters via Viber by the office of Senator Ana Theresia N. Hontiveros-Baraquel, the tribunal said there was no basis to suspend issuing an arrest warrant against them.

“This court, after personally examining the information and its supporting documents, finds probable cause for the arrest of all the accused. Let warrants of arrest be issued against them,” Rainelda H. Estacio-Montesa, acting presiding-judge of the trial court, said in the order.

A Davao City trial court issued an arrest order against Mr. Quiboloy earlier this month as it found probable cause to do so.

“These arrest warrants herald the efficiency of our criminal justice system, echoing the strong resolve of the State and our society to hold accountable individuals who transgress the Rule of Law, regardless of their social status or wealth,” Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin C. Remulla said in a statement.

He noted that the charges against Mr. Quiboloy are non-bailable under the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2003. His co-accused last week surrendered while some had posted bail.

The evangelist earlier claimed that the United States government plans on having him assassinated instead of seeking his extradition.

Mr. Quiboloy, who was former president Rodrigo R. Duterte’s spiritual adviser, had been indicted in a California district court on Nov. 10, 2021, and a federal warrant had been issued for his arrest.

The Philippine Senate earlier issued an arrest order against him for failing to attend its probe on human trafficking and sexual abuse. — John Victor D. Ordoñez

Privatizing casinos poses dilemma

KAYSHA-UNSPLASH

PRIVATIZING the operations of state-owned casinos will reduce the government’s income sourced from the gambling industry and can be seen as “counterproductive” for the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR), according to a congressman who has been pushing for a separate regulatory gaming commission.

Selling off state-run casino franchises owned by PAGCOR would be counterproductive as it contributes more than 50% of its revenues to government’s coffers, Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus B. Rodriguez told BusinessWorld in a Viber message.

However, PAGCOR is hard-pressed to sell off its casino franchises because of stiff competition with privately-owned casinos.

“Casino Filipino branches can’t compete head-on with casinos in integrated resorts,” PAGCOR Assistant Vice President for External Communications Catalino B. Alano, Jr. told BusinessWorld through Viber.

PAGCOR is seeking to transition to become a gambling regulatory body should it successfully privatize its casinos. “PAGCOR wants to become a pure regulator,” Mr. Alano said.

The state’s gambling and gaming regulatory agency is looking to completely privatize its state-run casinos by 2028 as its role as operator and regulator of the gaming industry conflicts with its mandate.

“The fact that PAGCOR is an operator and at the same time regulator of casinos… and other betting activities is irregular and considered by some as anomalous,” Mr. Rodriguez said.

Noting PAGCOR’s conflict of interest, Mr. Rodriguez filed House Bill (HB) No. 10171 to create a separate regulatory gaming commission, a move seen to boost the competitiveness of the country’s gaming industry.

“The gaming industry will be better off as there will be no more conflict of interest with PAGCOR,” he said. “Having an independent, administrative regulatory body… that will exercise supervision and control over all casinos… allows for more effective government… and monitoring of gaming operators.”

Commenting on HB No. 10171, Mr. Alano said:  “We need to see first how the bill intends to separate the regulatory and operations aspects.”

Making PAGCOR abide under the current terms of its nation-building initiatives would make state-run casinos unprofitable, he said.

The state gaming regulator allocates a part of its budget to nation-building programs such as funding Philhealth and the Philippine Sports Commission, reparations to Filipinos wrongly convicted of crimes, and disaster relief operations, he added.

“The mandated contributions to nation-building also hurt Casino Filipino’s bottom line,” he said. “It is not right for PAGCOR to subsidize casino operations using earnings from other segments like licenses and fees, electronic games.”

PAGCOR Chairman Alejandro H. Tengco said in a planning conference last year that it allotted P56.2 billion for nation-building initiatives in 2024. — Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio

MMDA to charge Abalos relative

THE METROPOLITAN Manila Development Authority (MMDA) is filing multiple charges against a relative of Interior and Local Government Secretary Benjamin C. Abalos, Jr. who explicitly used his name in a bid to get away with operating a “colorum” or illegal public transport vehicle.

MMDA Assistant General Manager for Operations David Angelo R. Vargas said charges of falsification of public documents with conspiracy, estafa, resistance and disobedience, and light threat will be filed against the woman and the driver of her van which was caught conveying passengers from Laguna to Cubao, Quezon City for a fare of P200 each.

Despite the van having expired registration papers and its driver yielding a fake driver’s license, the woman went to the MMDA head office, name-dropping Mr. Abalos and insisting she be freed from liability. 

“Upon verification, it turned out that the woman is a relative of the DILG chief,” Mr. Vargas said in a statement, adding that he immediately informed Mr. Abalos about the matter.

MMDA Acting Chairman Romando S. Artes said their agency is ramping up efforts to catch unregistered vehicles. “The agency will not stop its operations against colorum vehicles plying the major thoroughfares of Metro Manila,” he said. — Chloe Mari A. Hufana

Makabayan lawmaker alarmed over harassment of activists

A MEMBER of the Makabayan bloc in the House of Representatives raised the alarm on Thursday over the alleged harassment and abduction of activists ahead of this year’s Labor Day celebration on May 1.

“The spate of attacks against activists is a cause for concern,” Party-list Representative France L. Castro said in Filipino. “These incidents show that the state of human rights under the administration of Philippine President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. has not changed.”

The lawmaker said she was alarmed at the case of a labor organizer allegedly arrested by state forces in Bukidnon in Mindanao on Wednesday.

William Lariosa faced alleged harassment from the military before his disappearance, the Kilusang Mayo Uno in Southern Mindanao Region said in a statement.

Mr. Lariosa, 63, is the 14th victim of enforced disappearance under the current administration, Ms. Castro said.

She said a political organizer of Bayan Muna, a militant party-list organization, also experienced harassment from the government earlier this week.

The National Task Force to End Local Communist Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) allegedly red-tagged Bayan Muna Regional Chairperson John Ruiz and other activists in Cebu on Monday.

The congresswoman urged the government to stop harassing activists and uphold the principles of human rights. — Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio

Palanan celebrates rebel-free declaration

PALANAN, a coastal town in Isabela facing the Pacific Ocean, is now officially rebel-free.

By virtue of the Joint Resolution Number 01-series 2024, the town has been formally declared “Insurgency-Free and in a State of Stable Internal Peace and Security” during rites at the Municipal Gymnasium on Thursday.

Two of Isabela’s four coastal towns Maconacon and Divilacan will also be officially declared rebel-free on Friday with the fourth town, Dinapigue, soon follow suit.

The declaration in Palanan was made following a resolution unanimously approved by the Palanan Municipal Peace and Order Council (MPOC) and Municipal Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (MTF-ELCAC).

“It has been more than a year of no monitored work or rebel activity in the town,” Army Major Rigor Pamittan, spokesman of the Isabela-based 5th Infantry Division, said in approval of the assessment of the MTF-ELCAC and MPOC that Palanan deserved the rebel-free tag.

But Mr. Pamittan recalled how Palanan played a vital role in the expansion of the communist movement not only in the province but in the entire country. He cited the docking of MV Karagatan on July 4, 1972 on Palanan’s shore carrying thousands of smuggled weapons and war material from China.

Had that shipment not been intercepted, the history of the country could have been altered, he said.

The MV Karagatan fiasco was one of the incidents that sparked the declaration of martial law on Sept. 21, 1972.

“Now that it is free from the meddling of the CPP-NPA, the local government and partner stakeholders believe that the declaration is a door to open innumerable opportunities to attract more investors and tourists to the town, which paves the way for more jobs and economic opportunities for the people,” said Mr. Pamittan.

Palanan Mayor Angelo Bernardo was joined by Major General Audrey Pasia, 5th Infantry Division commander; National Intelligence Coordinating Agency Region 2 Director Plormelinda Olet; Brigadier General Eugene Mata, 502nd Infantry Brigade commander, and other officials at the formal declaration rites. — Artemio A. Dumlao

Dismissed Smart employee keeps P15.89M as SC reverses CA refund order

THE PHILIPPINE Supreme Court (SC) said a dismissed employee of Smart Communications, Inc. can keep his P15.89 million in salaries and benefits, reversing a 2012 decision of the Court of Appeals (CA) ordering him to refund the amount to his former employer.

“Employees are entitled to their accrued salaries, allowances, benefits, incentives, and bonuses from the date they received the labor arbiter’s decision ordering reinstatement until the NLRC’s (National Labor Relations Commission) reversal of the labor arbiter’s order of reinstatement becomes final and executory, as shown in the entry of judgment,” the decision penned by Justice Ramon Paul L. Hernando read.

The SC First Division reversed the November 2012 decision of the CA, which ordered Jose Leni Z. Solidum to refund his wages and benefits as his claim for this was filed late.

“The re-computation of his accrued salaries and wages was essential. Therefore, the amount of PHP 15,889,871.04 claimed in the 10th Alias Writ representing his accrued earnings from before August 10, 2009, rightfully belongs to Solidum,” the ruling stated.

The High Court said Mr. Solidum’s unpaid salary and benefits were the result of Smart’s refusal to reinstate him and that the labor arbitrator’s order for Smart to do so was immediately executory even pending appeal.

“The records of the instant case reveal Smart’s blatant defiance to comply with the July 3, 2006 Decision of the arbiter mandating Solidum’s actual reinstatement,” the SC said.

“It is crucial to reiterate that Article 223, paragraph 3, of the Labor Code, mandates the employer to promptly reinstate the dismissed employee, either by actual reinstatement under the conditions prevailing before the dismissal or through his or her inclusion in the payroll,” it added.

Smart was issued with seven alias writs by the labor arbiter, but it filed several motions to quash them, resulting in eventual non-compliance.

“The delay in implementing Solidum’s reinstatement pending appeal was due to Smart’s unjustified acts,” the decision read.

Following the issuing of the eighth and ninth alias writs of execution in October 2010 and May 2011, respectively, Mr. Solidum was first paid P2.88 million reflecting his pay and benefits from Jan. 21, 2009, to Aug. 10, 2009.

He then requested a recalculation of the entire sum owed to him and was granted P15.89 million based on a 10th alias writ.

Mr. Solidum sued Smart for wrongful termination, and in July 2006, the labor arbitrator reinstated him. However, the labor arbitrator’s ruling was overturned by the NLRC in 2009. — Chloe Mari A. Hufana

2 Filipinos hurt in Hong Kong fire

AT LEAST two Filipinos were hurt in a fire that broke out in a densely populated residential building in the Kowloon district in Hong Kong, the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) said on Thursday.

In a statement, the DMW said an elderly Filipina who is a permanent resident in Hong Kong is being treated for smoke inhalation, while another Filipino is being treated for splinters he got from a glass door he broke through while escaping the burning building.

“Officers from the Migrant Workers Office in Hong Kong and the Philippine Consulate General in Hong Kong (PCG-HK) have met with both Filipinos,” it said. “They are working together to assist our nationals with their needs.”

At least five people were killed in the fire, while 35 people were reported hurt, the Kowloon city government said on Wednesday.

The blaze was classified as a three out in the city’s five-grade system as it took fire fighters an hour to extinguish it, Reuters reported. — John Victor D. Ordoñez

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