Castro seeks Duterte case review

February 5, 2024 | 10:12 pm

PARTY-LIST Representative France L. Castro asked the Department of Justice (DoJ) on Monday to review her criminal complaint against former president Rodrigo R. Duterte for stating in a television interview last year his alleged threat to kill her.

Last week, the Quezon City Prosecutor’s Office dismissed the congresswoman’s grave threat compliant for lack of evidence.

In a 37-page petition for review she filed before the DoJ, Ms. Castro said Quezon City prosecutors “seriously erred in dismissing and trivializing” Mr. Duterte’s remarks against her “as merely sarcastic advice or suggestion or opinion” without citing any factual or legal basis in support thereof.

“A careful examination of said subject utterances reveals that Respondent-Appellee Duterte had not intended to mean the opposite of what he wanted to say,” according to a copy of the petition.

In the SMNI interview being cited, Mr. Duterte said he had told his daughter, Vice President Sara Z. Duterte-Carpio, to say that she would use her proposed intelligence funds to kill Maoists in Congress including Ms. Castro.

The interview was aired after the congresswoman had criticized the proposed P650-million confidential and intelligence funds for the offices of Ms. Duterte, which Congress later stripped.

“The sensitive subject of confidential funds amounting to hundreds of millions of pesos to fund the killing of a public official whom the Respondent-Appellee wanted to be killed first is not, by any stretch of the imagination,” Ms. Castro’s petition read. — Beatriz Marie D. Cruz

Itogon forest fires halt tourism

February 5, 2024 | 10:11 pm

BAGUIO CITY — All tourism-related activities in Itogon, Benguet have been suspended due to forest fires that have continued to rage for more than two weeks now.

By issuing Executive Order 2024-10, Benguet Governor Melchor Diclas has ordered the temporary halt to tourism activities within the mountains of villages of Tinongdan and Dalupirip, where fires have ravaged the forest cover in the midst of a dry spell since Jan. 18.

Latest reports from the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) Benguet and the Itogon Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO), cited a huge fire that razed bush areas at Sitio Palangshe, Barangay Dalupirip and Sitio Simpa in Barangay Ampucao from Jan. 28 to 31.

On Feb. 2, the fire spread to the vicinity of Ambasa and Mt. Ugo in Barangay Tinongdan.

The BFP investigation into what started the fire has yet to conclude whether or not there was an attempt at kaingin or swidden farm expansion in the area.

The Philippine Air Force (PAF) had already stepped in to help suppress the fires with water drops from its helicopters since last month as initial estimates put the extent of the fire at 20 hectares.

Meanwhile, police, firefighters and residents of Atok town are also fighting a mountain fire in Camp 30 which started Sunday afternoon. — Artemio A. Dumlao

Davao-Samal bridge work resumes

February 5, 2024 | 10:11 pm

Samal-Davao-bridge-PH.CHINA-EMBASSY.ORG — PH.CHINA-EMBASSY.ORG

DAVAO CITY — A work resumption order for the stalled Samal Island-Davao City (SIDC) Connector Project has been issued by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), a regional official of the department revealed in a media forum on Monday.

Speaking at the Kapehan sa Dabaw, DPWH Region 11 Spokesman Dean I. Ortiz said the order was issued last Feb. 1, following the approval of the Detailed Engineering Design (DED) plans for land viaduct foundation and the resolution of the inaccessibility issue, relative to the geotechnical investigation, brought about by right-of-way (ROW) acquisition for Davao City and Samal Island sides.

“For the SIDC project, it’s a go,” said Mr. Ortiz. “We’re just waiting… counting three months for us to start the civil works phase. But within those three months that we will be waiting, the contractor will start deploying the equipment and manpower.”

“If you remember, the DED phase was suspended because of the ROW issue, because there are some portions where we cannot conduct soil explorations because we have not entered the property yet,” he said partly in Visayan.

The DPWH reported that the DED plans for the substructure of the Land Viaduct sections of the bridge, were duly approved by Undersecretary Ador G. Canlas and already transmitted by the Bureau of Design (BOD) to the Unified Project Management Office-Bridges Management Cluster (UPMO-BMC) last December.

Mr. Ortiz cited a DPWH report indicating that all 10 lots on the Samal Island side and four lots on the Davao City side of the SIDC Connector Project under expropriation were already turned over to DPWH in compliance with the issued Writ of Possessions by the concerned Regional Trial Courts (RTCs).

He said the check payments for five out of 55 lots in Davao City side under negotiated sale were already released, while the remaining are already under process for release in the department. “Under negotiated sale meaning they [the parties] are okay,” he explained.

Also, the DPWH 11 official said 104 out of 106 boreholes in total for the Davao City side, offshore, and Samal Island side for the design of the bridge structures have already been completed. — Maya M. Padillo

Police reform bill OK’d on third reading

February 5, 2024 | 10:10 pm

THE SENATE passed on third and final reading on Monday a Philippine National Police (PNP) reform bill that, among others, gives the national police chief the authority to designate chiefs of police throughout the country and order the immediate detention of erring cops.

In a 23-0-0 vote, senators approved Senate Bill No. 2449 which also seeks to set the compulsory age of retirement for police officers to 57 years old from 56.

Once the bill filed by former PNP chief turned Senator Ronald M. dela Rosa becomes law, uniformed personnel who have less than a year of service will be allowed to choose to retire at 56.

Under the measure, the PNP chief would be allowed to confine erring police officers within police barracks or quarters for 90 days at most. This provision, the senator said earlier, would improve discipline among the ranks of the police.

Seeking to amend Republic Act (RA) 6975 (Department of the Interior and Local Government Act of 1990) and RA 8551 (PNP Reform and Reorganization Act of 1998), SB 2449 also transfers the authority to appoint chiefs of police from local government executives like mayors and governors to the PNP chief.

“For a quarter of a century, the Philippine National Police has waited patiently for the much-needed reforms and reorganization they justly deserve. The time has arrived for decisive action, for bold change,” Mr. Dela Rosa said.

The bill also sets a PNP chief’s term to a maximum of two years. Upon reaching the term limit, the PNP chief shall be required to retire or be revived of his duty.

Moreover, the bill will institutionalize the PNP Directorial Staff, Area Police Command, and Special Offices created by the National Police Commission.

The House of Representatives passed a counterpart bill on third and final reading in August last year.

“Consistent with the principles of innovation and enhanced accountability of the PNP, this bill is to ensure that our police force is better equipped to address contemporary challenges, uphold the rule of law, protect the rights of our dear citizens, and maintain public trust,” Mr. Dela Rosa said. — John Victor D. Ordoñez

SC dismisses ca workers for drug use

February 5, 2024 | 10:09 pm

THE SUPREME Court (SC) has ordered the dismissal of three employees of the Court of Appeals (CA) after being found using crystal meth, locally known as shabu.

In a statement on Monday, the SC said that it had agreed with the Judicial Integrity Board’s recommendation of dismissing the three employees after they all tested positive for the methamphetamine hydrochloride in a random drug test.

“Employees found positive for dangerous drug use shall be dealt with administratively, and such finding shall be a ground for suspension or termination, subject to the provisions of the Civil Service Law,” it said.

The ruling has yet to be uploaded to the High Court’s website.

Since one of the workers had already opted for early retirement, the High Court imposed a penalty of forfeiture of all retirement benefits, except his accrued leave credits. He is also disqualified from being reappointed to public office.

Last year, the SC released guidelines on implementing a Drug-Free Policy in the Philippine Judiciary, making drug testing a pre-employment requirement to work in the Judiciary.

The guidelines apply to all personnel of the Judiciary regardless of status as well as all offices under the supervision of the country’s highest court. — John Victor D. Ordoñez

P2.7-M smuggled cigarettes seized in Maguindanao del Norte

February 5, 2024 | 10:08 pm

Smuggled-cigarette-truck — The Sultan Kudarat Police Station now has custody of this truck carrying 150 boxes of smuggled cigarettes after being intercepted in Maguindanao del Norte on Sunday. -- PHILIPPINE STAR/JOHN FELIX M. UNSON

COTABATO CITY — Vigilant merchants and policemen worked together last weekend to intercept a truck loaded with P2.7 million worth of imported cigarettes believed to be smuggled and consigned to buyers in Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao del Norte.

Brig. Gen. Allan C. Nobleza, director of the Police Regional Office-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region, said on Monday that the contraband was intercepted by police last Sunday afternoon with the help of businessmen selling Philippine-made cigarettes in this city.

Lt. Col. Esmail A. Madin said members of the business community, here, had tipped off the Sultan Kudarat Municipal Police Station about the delivery of the Berlin brand cigarettes from Zamboanga. He said Filipino seafarers brought them in from Indonesia.

In an interview, entrepreneur and lawyer Ronald Hallid D. Torres, who chairs the Bangsamoro Business Council, told BusinessWorld that legitimate traders of cigarettes in the autonomous region are losing a lot from competitors selling cheaper cigarettes from abroad clandestinely.

“We are not even sure if these were produced according to high quality standards the way cigarettes are produced in the country, with health warnings on each individual pack,” Mr. Torres said.

Mr. Madin said the confiscated cigarettes will be turned over to the Bureau of Customs, while the driver of the truck and his two helpers are now detained at the police station, pending the filing of appropriate charges. — John Felix M. Unson

Peso weakens vs dollar following comments from Fed chair

February 5, 2024 | 9:00 pm

The peso depreciated against the dollar on Monday as the US Federal Reserve chief said they will be “prudent” in assessing when to ease their policy stance, reiterating that they will not cut interest rates next month.

The local unit closed at P56.29 per dollar on Monday, weakening by 37 centavos from its P55.92 finish on Friday, Bankers Association of the Philippines data showed.

The peso opened Monday’s session weaker at P56.10 against the dollar, which was already its intraday best. Meanwhile, its worst showing was at P56.315 versus the greenback.

Dollars exchanged went down to $1.08 billion on Monday from the $1.6 billion recorded on Friday.

The peso was dragged lower by comments from the Fed chief, Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. Chief Economist Michael L. Ricafort said in a Viber message.

The US Federal Reserve can be “prudent” in deciding when to cut its benchmark interest rate, with a strong economy allowing central bankers time to build confidence inflation will continue falling, Fed Chair Jerome H. Powell told the CBS news show 60 Minutes in an interview that aired Sunday night, Reuters reported.

The interview took place on Thursday, before a blowout January jobs report on Friday showed firms added 353,000 new positions, with continued strong wage growth and 3.7% unemployment that has barely budged in two years.

“The peso weakened following the stronger-than-expected US employment reports,” a trader added.

For Tuesday, the local unit may rebound against the dollar on expectations of slower Philippine headline inflation last month, the trader said.

A BusinessWorld poll of 16 analysts last week yielded a median estimate of 3.1% for January headline inflation, settling within the 2.8-3.6% forecast of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP).

If realized, this would be the second consecutive month that inflation will be within the BSP’s 2-4% target band and be below the 3.9% print in December and 8.7% in the same month a year ago.

January inflation would also be the slowest since the 3% print in February 2022.

Mr. Ricafort expects the peso to move between P56.15 and P56.35 per dollar on Tuesday, while the trader sees the local unit ranging from P56.15 to P56.40 against the greenback. — Keisha B. Ta-asan with Reuters

PSEi rises as inflation likely eased further in Jan.

February 5, 2024 | 9:00 pm

STOCKS climbed for a second straight session on Monday on expectations that Philippine headline inflation slowed further in January.

The Philippine Stock Exchange index (PSEi) went up by 20.97 points or 0.31% to finish at 6,728.22 on Monday, while the broader all shares index rose by 8.32 points or 0.23% to 3,525.14.

“The local bourse sustained its rally, gaining by 20.97 points to 6,728.22 ahead of the release of January inflation rate. Investors expect that the January inflation rate would slow down compared to the prior month as well as to the same month in 2023, which boosted the sentiment,” Philstocks Financial, Inc. Research Analyst Claire T. Alviar said in a Viber message.

The Philippine Statistics Authority will release January consumer price index (CPI) data on Tuesday.

A BusinessWorld poll of 16 analysts conducted last week yielded a median estimate of 3.1% for January CPI, settling within the 2.8-3.6% forecast of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP).

If realized, this would mark the second straight month that inflation was within the BSP’s 2-4% annual target. It will also be below the 3.9% print in December.

At 3.1%, January inflation would be the slowest since the 3% pace in February 2022.

“The PSEi also gained after the continued gains in the US stock markets… after stronger-than-expected US jobs data that reduced the odds of Federal Reserve rate cuts for 2024,” Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. Chief Economist Michael L. Ricafort said in a Viber message.

US stocks ended sharply higher on Friday and the S&P 500 registered an all-time closing high as strong earnings and a blowout January employment report boosted confidence in the economy, even while lowering the likelihood that the US Federal Reserve will cut interest rates any time soon, Reuters reported.

The S&P 500 climbed 1.07% to end the session at 4,958.61 points. The Nasdaq gained 1.74% to 15,628.95 points, while Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.35% to 38,654.42 points.

The US added 353,000 jobs in January, blasting past analysts’ estimates, while wage growth unexpectedly heated up, the Labor department reported.

At home, sectoral indices were split. Services rose by 22.01 points or 1.34% to 1,656.91; industrials went up by 69.25 points or 0.76% to 9,112.03; and property climbed by 15.49 points or 0.53% to 2,895.31.

On the other hand, mining and oil fell by 115.92 points or 1.25% to 9,111.58; holding firms retreated by 24.56 points or 0.38% to 6,340.21; and financials dropped by 1.24 points or 0.06% to 1,937.30.

Value turnover dropped to P5.26 billion on Monday with 425.46 million issues changing hands from the P5.98 billion with 448.43 million shares traded the previous day.

Decliners outnumbered advancers, 101 versus 81, while 52 names ended unchanged.

Net foreign buying rose to P127.83 million on Monday from P35.78 million on Friday. — R.M.D. Ochave with Reuters

BoI backs engineer training to support chip industry dev’t

February 5, 2024 | 8:38 pm

electronics-semiconductor — A worker operates the die attach machine at a semiconductor manufacturing plant in Manila, Dec. 10, 2008. — REUTERS

THE Board of Investments (BoI) said it will support programs to train 128,000 engineers and technicians over four years in support of chipmakers in the Philippines.

In a statement, the BoI said it will invest in semiconductor design training and is currently looking to invite investors to establish a lab-scale wafer fabrication plant.

“Utilizing a more generic technology for commercial and educational purposes, the wafer fab lab aims to train and upskill the workforce, while enabling the local industry to do prototyping and some tape outs of semiconductor chip designs in the country instead of bringing them all the way to Taiwan,” the BoI said.

It added that it is already “finalizing” plans to train 128,000 engineers and technicians by 2028.

The BoI recently met with State Department Undersecretary for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment Jose Fernandez, who committed to facilitate Philippine access to the Minerals Security Partnership (MSP).

The MSP is a transnational association that aims to encourage investment in critical minerals supply chains globally. It is a collaboration of 13 countries and the European Union.

According to the BoI, the Philippines will be among the six countries the US will be supporting under the CHIPS Act as the US recognizes the potential of its semiconductor industry.

“The assistance will be focused mainly on assembly, testing, and packaging. In a proactive move, the US also announced that its International Development Finance Corp. will establish a more permanent presence in the Philippines by February,” it added.

Aside from the Philippines, the US will be targeting participation in its CHIPS Act programs for Vietnam, Panama, Puerto Rico, and Mexico.

Under the CHIPS Act, a $500-million International Technology, Security, and Innovation Fund was earmarked to be spent over the next five years in the partner countries and territories.

“We welcome this strategic collaboration with the US in semiconductors and critical minerals. This partnership not only reinforces the Philippines’ position as a key player in the global economy but also opens avenues for mutual growth and innovation,” BoI Managing Head and Trade Undersecretary Ceferino S. Rodolfo said.

In terms of commodity groups, electronic products, which include semiconductors, remained the top Philippine export in 2023, accounting for $41.9 billion.

Specifically, semiconductors accounted for $33.67 billion of Philippine exports last year. — Justine Irish D. Tabile

US mineral tie-ups seen reducing PHL reliance on exporting to China

February 5, 2024 | 8:38 pm

By John Victor D. Ordoñez, Reporter

COLLABORATION with the US in mineral processing and energy security projects will likely reduce the Philippines’ dependence on exporting various ores to China, analysts said.

“There are political considerations for this new move by the US,” Minimal Government Thinkers founder Bienvenido S. Oplas, Jr. said in a Viber message.

“It would reduce Philippine dependence on China ore exports and in the process pivot the Philippines away from China.”

Washington is interested in partnering to set up projects to boost the Philippines’ processing of nickel, cobalt and copper, State Department Undersecretary for Economic Growth, Energy, and Environment Jose W. Fernandez said at a briefing during his visit to Manila last week.

According to research group Observatory of Economic Complexity, the Philippines exported about $1.4 billion (P78.63 billion) in nickel ore to China in 2021, making it the top export destination for the mineral that year.

Mr. Fernandez has said that high energy costs are keeping miners and semiconductor companies from investing in the Philippines. He added that the Philippines must incentivize potential operators of wind and solar energy projects to attract more foreign investment in critical minerals.

The Philippines has potential offshore wind resources of 178 gigawatts, with large parts of the coast windy enough to power turbines, the Board of Investments has said.

Manila and Washington on Nov. 17 signed a deal that would allow Washington to export nuclear technology to Manila to help it develop civilian nuclear energy infrastructure.

That same month, the State Department said it will collaborate with the Philippines in exploring the expansion of the semiconductor industry in the context of the CHIPS Act of 2022, a US law that seeks to build US capability in developing and manufacturing semiconductors after years of offshoring these functions.

“The Philippines can reduce its energy costs via the early adoption of nuclear energy including the expansion of coal brownfield investment now that coal greenfield is banned,” Mr. Oplas said.

The House of Representatives had approved a bill seeking to establish an agency that would regulate the nascent nuclear industry.

The Malampaya gas field, the country’s only indigenous commercial source of natural gas, is expected to run out of easily recoverable gas using current techniques by 2027. The gas field accounts for about 20% of Luzon’s electricity requirements.

The government is aiming to raise renewable energy’s (RE) contribution to the energy mix to 35% by 2030 and to 50% by 2040. RE currently accounts for 22% of the energy mix.

As of October, the DoE has awarded at least 1,300 RE contracts with a total potential capacity of 130,880.8 megawatts.

“Broader economic relations and investments should be a pillar of the repivoting of the Philippines to the US,” Terry L. Ridon, a public investment analyst and convenor of think tank InfraWatch PH, said in a messenger chat.

“The US can explore energy and mining investments in the Philippines, given the high cost of capital in these sectors, and the limitation of domestic capital to fund these endeavors.”

NEDA: More researchers needed to meet innovation goals

February 5, 2024 | 8:37 pm

THE National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) said it will support the Philippines’ innovation goals by advocating for scholarship programs to train researchers.

“We will be pushing for a massive scholarship program to help us reach our target of 500 researchers per million population by 2028,” NEDA Undersecretary Rosemarie G. Edillon said.

Citing the Global Innovation Index, NEDA said that the Philippines had only 174 researchers per million population in 2018.

Under the National Innovation Agenda and Strategy Document, the government hopes to increase the number of researchers to 1,500 per million population by 2040.

It is also targeting to increase expenditure on research and development (R&D) to 1.8% of gross domestic product by 2040.

Ms. Edillon cited the need to increase the number of researchers and make R&D output more accessible to investors.

“We need to create a culture of innovation, where innovators are constantly looking for ways to improve products and services, and making consumers more willing to try innovative products and provide constructive feedback,” she said.

“What’s important right now is having a good knowledge management system for R&D output and having platforms that tell innovators where they can find the outputs they need to innovate,” she added.

Under the national innovation strategy, the government is targeting to strengthen basic R&D and knowledge creation; advance market-driven and customer-centered R&D, scale up technology adoption, utilization, and commercialization; and accelerate innovation and entrepreneurship.

In a separate statement, NEDA announced it is also working with the US Agency for International Development (USAID) on the US-Philippines Partnership for Skills, Innovation, and Lifelong Learning (UPSKILL) program.

“The initiative aims to strengthen the Philippine higher education system for broad-based, inclusive growth. With $30 million funding from USAID, UPSKILL will run for five years,” NEDA added. — Luisa Maria Jacinta C. Jocson

LANDBANK agri lending tops P755 billion in 2023

February 5, 2024 | 8:37 pm

LAND BANK of the Philippines (LANDBANK) said it disbursed P755.11 billion in agricultural loans in 2023.

This represented 51% of the state-run lender’s overall lending for the year, the bank said in a statement on Monday.

Loans to the agriculture and fisheries sectors by the end of the year represented a 23% rise from lending levels as of the third quarter.

“As LANDBANK’s role in nation-building continues to expand, our commitment to advancing countryside development has remained steadfast. Through accessible financing and support interventions, we are empowering communities and enriching lives, while boosting the National Government’s inclusive and sustainable development agenda,” LANDBANK President and Chief Executive Officer Lynette V. Ortiz said.

Some P255.2 billion of the loans went to supporting rural infrastructure like public markets, highways, and transport systems, LANDBANK said.

Meanwhile, P186.3 billion financed sustainable projects for climate change mitigation and to promote responsible resource management.

“In support of agriculture and fisheries production, LANDBANK provided P118.1 billion for the processing of fisheries and agri-based products, and farm inputs,” the bank added.

For projects modernizing farming practices and business processes, LANDBANK released P70 billion, while off-farm and fishery entrepreneurship programs received P61.6 billion.

The lender also disbursed P43.4 billion for projects promoting the health and wellness of agricultural workers and their beneficiaries.

“The rest of LANDBANK’s AFRD financing covers various aspects of the agri value chain, including marketing, processing, distribution, shipping and logistics, storage of agricultural and fishery commodities, construction, acquisition and repair of facilities, agri-tourism, and agricultural mechanization, among others,” LANDBANK said.

The bank forecasts agricultural loans to hit P825 billion this year amid growing demand for public rural infrastructure and sustainable green projects.

LANDBANK reported 2023 net profit growth of 34% to P40.3 billion. — Aaron Michael C. Sy