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Timor-Leste ASEAN bid at risk — DoJ

JESUS CRISPIN C. REMULLA — PHILIPPINE STAR/JOHN RYAN BALDEMOR

TIMOR-LESTE’S denial of the Philippines’ extradition request of a former lawmaker accused of murder may not bode well for its bid to be a member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the Department of Justice (DoJ) said on Tuesday.

“It’s not going to be pleasant for Timor-Leste because they’re applying to be in the ASEAN, and we are one of the founding fathers of the ASEAN,” Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin C. Remulla told reporters in an ambush interview in Manila.

He was referring to former Negros Oriental’s 3rd District Representative Arnolfo A. Teves, Jr., accused of killing Negros Oriental Governor Roel R. Degamo in 2023 and others.

Mr. Teves, whose Philippine passport was canceled by the Department of Foreign Affairs last year, is currently in Timor-Leste.

The Justice chief said all Timor-Leste has to do is deport him because Mr. Teves is an undocumented Filipino.

“This matter is just a very simple matter of an undocumented Filipino who’s accused of a crime to be returned to the country. For them to complicate it is a big stretch,” he added. — Chloe Mari A. Hufana

Fake goods top BoC’s smuggling list

MEMBERS of the Bureau of Customs-Customs Intelligence Investigation Service inspect various counterfeit shirts, perfumes and other luxury goods at a warehouse in Las Piñas City. — PHILIPPINE STAR/MIGUEL DE GUZMAN

COUNTERFEIT goods, assorted items, and nicotine products topped the list of seized items in 2024 based on value, the Bureau of Customs (BoC) said.

In its 2024 annual report, the BoC said it confiscated illicit goods valued at P85.167 billion in 2,116 anti-smuggling operations. This was 97% higher than the P43.4 billion worth of smuggled goods seized in 2023.

Broken down, 41% or P34.7 billion came from fake goods, followed by “multiple various items,” such as kitchenware, appliances, and apparel among others, and cigarettes, tobacco, and vape products which accounted for 39% (P33.44 billion) and 11% (P9.29 billion), respectively.

Other smuggled products on the list are vehicles, accessories, and vessels (P4.24 billion), and illegal drugs (P1.9 billion) that were mostly marijuana, methamphetamine and ecstasy.

In comparison to 2023, the top five seized goods were counterfeit goods (P25.38 billion), illegal drugs (P7.71 billion), cigarettes/tobacco (P3.82 billion), agriculture products (P3.46 billion), and general merchandise (P974.07 billion).

Preliminary data from the BoC showed that revenue collections grew by 4.5% to P931.05 billion last year from P890.45 billion in 2023.  It, however, missed the P939.7-billion target in 2024 set by the Development Budget Coordination Committee.

“Throughout 2024, the BoC disposed of a total of 358 forfeited containers, which included 146 that were auctioned, 186 that were condemned, and 26 that were donated to different government entities,” the BoC said.

Customs said the smuggled frozen mackerel worth P178.5 million was donated on December 14, after confirming their safety for consumption with the Department of Agriculture.

“The donation benefited 150,000 families, particularly those in marginalized communities and care facilities,” it added. — Aubrey Rose A. Inosante

LRMC to extend LRT-1 operations

Passengers get off at a Light Rail Transit Line 1 (LRT-1) station. — PHILIPPINE STAR/RYAN BALDEMOR

LIGHT RAIL Manila Corp. (LRMC) is set to extend the night operations of the Light Rail Transit Line 1 (LRT-1) by 30 minutes starting Wednesday, the rail line’s private operator said.

“LRMC supports the call of the Department of Transportation (DoTr) to provide extended service for the benefit of the riding public,” LRMC President and Chief Executive Officer Enrico R. Benipayo said in a media release on Tuesday.

Starting March 26, LRMC will extend its operating hours on weekdays, it said, noting that the last train would leave Dr. Santos station at 10:30 p.m., a 30-minute extension from the previous 10 p.m. schedule. Fernando Poe Jr. station would also see a 30-minute extension with the last train leaving at 10:45 p.m. from the previous 10:15 p.m., LRMC said.

Meanwhile, there will be no change in schedule for the first train leaving both Dr. Santos and Fernando Poe Jr. stations at 4:30 a.m. on weekdays.

The LRT-1 operator said it had considered the impact of the extension period to the rail line’s maintenance window, Mr. Benipayo said, adding that the LRMC will ensure continuous availability, reliability, and safety of its service.

“We shall continue to monitor the situation and adjust accordingly, and rest assured that we will continue to implement initiatives that will allow us to better serve our passengers,” Mr. Benipayo said.

LRMC said it is also working to enhance its services and studying the deployment of an expanded fleet and possible addition of trains if necessary.

To recall, the Transportation department has also ordered to extend the night operations of Metro Rail Transit Line 3 by at least an hour starting on Monday to serve more passengers.

LRMC is the joint venture of Ayala Corp., Metro Pacific Light Rail Corp., and Macquarie Infrastructure Holdings (Philippines) Pte Ltd. Metro Pacific Light Rail is a unit of Metro Pacific Investments Corp., which is one of three Philippine subsidiaries of Hong Kong’s First Pacific Co. Ltd., the others being PLDT Inc. and Philex Mining Corp.

Hastings Holdings, Inc., a unit of PLDT Beneficial Trust Fund subsidiary MediaQuest Holdings, Inc., maintains interest in BusinessWorld through the Philippine Star Group, which it controls. — Ashley Erika O. Jose

Food prices to go down once CALAX operates — Palace

CAVITE-LAGUNA Expressway (Laguna section - Mamplasan entry) — LMP 2001

FOOD PRICES are expected to go down once the 44-kilometer Cavite-Laguna Expressway (CALAX) is fully operational by the third quarter of 2025, the Palace said on Tuesday.

In a news briefing, Palace Press Officer and Presidential Communications Undersecretary Clarissa A. Castro said the reduction of travel time could also lessen fuel consumption, leading to reduced food prices.

“If we can reduce the travel time, it will definitely also reduce the fuel consumption, and it will benefit all travelers and also those that will transport the food and other necessities,” she said. “[Food] prices will also go down.”

This comes after President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr., visited the ongoing construction of CALAX Subsection 3, or the Governor’s Drive Interchange in Cavite province.

CALAX is expected to reduce travel time between the Manila-Cavite Toll Expressway (CAVITEX) and the South Luzon Expressway (SLEX) by 45 minutes.

Ms. Castro said this will benefit about 95,000 motorists every day.

The interchange is currently 44% complete.

The other subsections of the Cavite segment include the Cavitex Connection and the Open Canal Interchange, while the fully operational Laguna segment consists of the Sta. Rosa, Tagaytay, Laguna Boulevard, Laguna Technopark, and Mamplasan Toll Barrier interchanges.

It will also establish a seamless connection between Metro Manila and Region IV-A (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, and Quezon), enhancing the region’s competitiveness as a prime investment destination, the Palace said in a separate statement on March 21. — Chloe Mari A. Hufana

30 trafficking victims return to PHL

DMW FACEBOOK PAGE

THIRTY FILIPINO victims of illegal recruitment and human trafficking in Myanmar have safely returned to the Philippines, the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) confirmed on Tuesday.

The victims arrived at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 1 in Pasay City on Tuesday, via Philippine Airlines flight PR 0733.

Upon arrival, the victims were immediately provided with assistance, including psychosocial support, financial aid, and legal assistance from a multi-agency team composed of the Department of Foreign Affairs, the Bureau of Immigration, the Department of Social Welfare and Development, the National Bureau of Investigation, the Department of Justice, and the NAIA Task Force Against Trafficking.

Each of the repatriated victims received P50,000 in financial assistance from the DMW’s AKSYON Fund and an additional P10,000 from the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration.

“Aside from financial assistance, one of the most important things we can provide is legal assistance to help them seek justice,” DMW Undersecretary Bernard P. Olalia said in a statement.

The victims will also be referred to DMW’s reintegration programs, including upskilling and livelihood training through the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, to help them rebuild their lives and reintegrate into society.

DMW officials also said that an additional 176 Filipino victims of human trafficking are expected to arrive on a chartered flight on March 26.

The DMW reiterated its warning to overseas Filipino workers and job seekers to remain vigilant against fraudulent job offers circulating on social media, particularly cryptocurrency and love scams, known as “pig-butchering scams.” — Chloe Mari A. Hufana

DoLE OKs Zamboanga wage hike

DROBOTDEAN-FREEPIK

THE National Wages and Productivity Commission (NWPC) approved a P900 increase to the monthly minimum wage of domestic workers in the Zamboanga Peninsula, the Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) said on Tuesday.

The Labor department said that under Wage Order No. RIX-DW-05, the new monthly minimum wage for domestic workers is set at P5,500 in chartered cities and first-class municipalities and P5,000 in other municipalities.

The order is set to take effect on April 3.

The monthly wage increase will benefit nearly 2,500 domestic workers in the region, representing 13% of all domestic workers on live-in arrangements.

Federation of Free Workers (FFW) President Jose Sonny G. Matula said that while the wage hike would help workers, they highlight wage discrimination against workers in the province.

He noted that while this development is welcome, the group is still pushing for the passage of a P200 legislated minimum wage increase, currently pending in the Senate after the House of Representatives passed the bill last January.

Minimum wages in the Southeast Asian nation are set by regional wage boards. However, slow and meager increases amid rising prices have prompted lawmakers to push for the legislated wage increase. — Chloe Mari A. Hufana

‘Comprehensive’ infra integrity audit sought

THE COLLAPSED Cabagan-Santa Maria Bridge. — MUNICIPAL DISASTER RISK REDUCTION AND MANAGEMENT OFFICE - CABAGAN FACEBOOK PAGE

A RESOLUTION urging the government to conduct a comprehensive review of the structural integrity of all bridges and flyovers, among other infrastructure, was filed at the House of Representatives on Monday.

Under House Resolution No. 2257, Manila Rep. Rolando M. Valeriano urged the Public Works and Transportation departments, Metro Manila Development Authority and local government units to review the structural soundness of overpasses, viaducts, aqueducts and other similar structures nationwide.

“This can be a daunting task for the DPWH (Department of Public Works and Highways), but for the safety of the public, it must be done,” Mr. Valeriano, chairman of the House Metro Manila committee, said in a statement.

A P1.2-billion bridge in Isabela province buckled in February a month after it opened, which prompted Mr. Valeriano to push for a congressional hearing on the collapse.

The House resolution seeks to instruct the DPWH to conduct an audit of all bridge infrastructure within 90 days, which would be scrutinized by the House panels on public works, good government, and Metro Manila development so they could craft possible laws addressing infrastructure weaknesses.

“Such collapse and structural integrity issues of public infrastructures are not merely an ominous hazard to the safety of the public, but are a gross wastage of scarce government funds and resources,” the resolution read. — Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio

4 Chinese men nabbed for smuggling

COTABATO CITY — Law-enforcement agents clamped down on four Chinese nationals, selling imported insect repellants and pesticides, in an operation in Barangay Nueva Vida in M’lang, Cotabato on Monday.

The operation by combined personnel of the Bureau of Immigration (BI) and the National Bureau of Investigation-12 (NBI-12) that led to the arrest of the four Chinese nationals, was assisted by units of the Cotabato Provincial Police Office and the Army’s 6th Infantry Division.

Officials of the 602nd Infantry Brigade and the commander of the Army’s 6th Infantry Division, Major Gen. Donald M. Gumiran, separately told reporters on Tuesday that the four Chinese men yielded peacefully when BI and NBI agents, soldiers and policemen arrived at their storehouse in Barangay Nueva Vida in M’lang to arrest them.

They had Chinese passports and working visas and permits to operate their establishment in M’lang, which sells smuggled insect repellents and pesticides to local buyers.

The four Chinese men are now in the joint custody of the BI and the NBI-12, according to local executives and barangay leaders in the municipality. — John Felix M. Unson

Vietnam is now the fastest growing tourism destination in Southeast Asian region

VISITORS walk near a harbor at Hon Tam island in Nha Trang, Vietnam. — MAIKA ELAN/BLOOMBERG

THAILAND may be fully in the spotlight, where Southeast Asian tourism is concerned. Its starring role in Season 3 of The White Lotus has supercharged vacationers’ (already high) interest.

But there’s a neighboring destination that’s one-upping it in terms of growth: Vietnam now ranks as the third-most-visited country in Southeast Asia, with 17.5 million international arrivals in 2024, edging ahead of Singapore. It follows Malaysia, which claims 25 million visitors, and Thailand, at the top spot with 35 million.

Those figures make Vietnam the regional leader in terms of its tourism recovery pace, a metric that continues to track — five years after the COVID-19 pandemic shut down the world — how much tourism business each nation has recouped from its 2019 baseline.

Vietnam has regained 98% of that business, outpacing all of its neighbors, including Thailand (87.5%) and Singapore (86%). And by all accounts, Vietnam’s popularity is continuing to soar: Nearly four million international tourists visited in January and February, representing an increase of 30.2% year over year, according to recently published figures from the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism.

Several factors explain Vietnam’s growing appeal to tourists. Foremost is access: The first-ever nonstop flight between the US and Vietnam launched on Vietnam Airlines in 2021, from San Francisco to Ho Chi Minh City.

New electronic visa policies followed in 2023, easing the arrival process for tourists and allowing for stays as long as 90 days. (That’s triple the previous limit.) Vietnam additionally authorized visa-free stays for more than a dozen countries, including France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, South Korea and Spain — and more countries are being added to that list this month.

Then there’s the influx of top-tier hospitality brands: Recent hotel openings have included the Regent Phu Quoc, Capella Hanoi and JW Marriott Hotel & Suites Saigon. Additional properties from the Luxury Collection, Ritz-Carlton Reserve and Park Hyatt are all under construction. And the expansion of the Michelin Guide in 2024 gave a global platform to the country’s rising culinary scene. All that makes Vietnam increasingly appealing to luxury travelers who’ve already been to Thailand’s Koh Samui and Phuket, or who are looking for an uncrowded, offbeat alternative to Japan and Singapore.

Mike Nguyen, founder of Ho Chi Minh-based luxury travel boutique company Ansova Travel says all these factors have driven a 25% year-over-year increase in international bookings for his firm in 2024, eclipsing his pre-pandemic business. In 2025 he’s projecting an additional 20% to 30% in bookings.

Mr. Nguyen caters primarily to travelers from the US. But elite Indian families have also turned to Vietnam—Phu Quoc and Ha Long, in particular — to host a growing number of lavish destination weddings in 2024. That, plus a simplified visa process and increased nonstop flights, drove more than half a million Indian tourist visits in 2024, a 297% jump from the pre-pandemic level.

High-spending Chinese travelers have been a key growth source, too, swayed to visit in part over concerns about security after the highly publicized Bangkok kidnapping of Chinese actor Wang Xing.

There’s no sign Vietnam’s growth will taper any time soon. By the end of 2025, the country plans to shatter its visitation record, with 23 million international arrivals.

Then, by March of next year, the new Long Thanh International Airport is expected to welcome its first flights to Ho Chi Minh City — raising Vietnam’s visitor capacity to 25 million. That speaks to Vietnam’s bigger, longer-term ambitions: By the turn of the decade, it aims to edge out Malaysia on Southeast Asia’s most-visited list, with Thailand as its only remaining competitor. — Bloomberg

Canada’s spy service warns of election interference by China and India

Miniatures of people with computers are seen in front of binary codes and words “cyber attack’ in this illustration taken July 19, 2023. — REUTERS

OTTAWA — China and India are likely to try to interfere in the Canadian general election on April 28, while Russia and Pakistan have the potential to do so, the country’s spy service said on Monday.

The Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) made its comments at a time when Ottawa’s relations with both India and China are chilly. Beijing and New Delhi have denied previous allegations of interference.

Canada was slow in responding to efforts by China and India to interfere in the 2019 and 2021 elections but their outcomes were unaffected by the meddling, an official probe said in a final report released in January.

Vanessa Lloyd, deputy director of operations at CSIS, told a press conference that hostile state actors were increasingly leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) to meddle in elections.

“The PRC (People’s Republic of China) is highly likely to use AI enabled tools to attempt to interfere with Canada’s democratic process in this current election,” she said.

Earlier this month Beijing announced tariffs on more than $2.6 billion worth of Canadian agricultural and food products, retaliating against levies Ottawa slapped on Chinese electric vehicles and steel and aluminum products last year.

Canada said last week that China had executed four Canadian citizens on drug smuggling charges, and strongly condemned Beijing’s use of the death penalty.

Canada last year expelled six Indian diplomats — including the head of mission — over allegations they were involved in a plot against Sikh separatists on Canadian soil.

“We have also seen that the government of India has the intent and capability to interfere in Canadian communities and democratic processes,” said Ms. Lloyd.

The Chinese and Indian diplomatic missions in Ottawa were not immediately available for comment.

Russia and Pakistan could potentially conduct foreign interference activities against Canada, Ms. Lloyd added.

“It’s often very difficult to establish a direct link between foreign interference activities and election results… Nevertheless, threat activities can erode public trust in the integrity of Canada’s democratic processes and institutions,” she said. — Reuters

Thailand car production falls 13.6% in February

ELECTRIC VEHICLE (EV) cars are pictured inside BYD’s first EV factory in Southeast Asia in Rayong, Thailand, July 4, 2024. — REUTERS

BANGKOK — Car production in Thailand dropped 13.62% in February from a year earlier, as a lengthy decline in domestic sales and exports squeezed output for a 19th straight month, the Federation of Thai Industries (FTI) said on Tuesday.

The fall in production to 115,487 units, however, was smaller than January’s 24.63% year-on-year slump.

Thailand is Southeast Asia’s biggest auto production center and an export base for some of the world’s top automakers, including Toyota and Honda.

“The less negative figures in February are not a sign of recovery yet because the numbers are very negative and rejection rates of autos loans are still high,” Surapong Paisitpattanapong, spokesperson for the FTI’s automotive industry division, told a press conference.

“We have to wait and see in March for a clearer picture,” he said, adding there were more working days in February than in January.

Domestic car sales dropped 6.68% in February from a year earlier to 49,313 units, after a drop of 12.26% in the previous month, weighed down by tightened auto loans, particularly for pickup trucks, due to high household debt, the federation said.

Thailand’s household debt stood at 16.34 trillion baht ($481 billion) at the end of September 2024, or equivalent to 89% of gross domestic product, among the highest ratios in Asia.

A government guarantee for pickup truck loans should help sales and the overall economy, Surapong said. Domestic sales typically account for just under half of Thailand’s output and about a third of vehicles sold at home are pickup trucks.

Exports fell 8.34% in February from a year earlier to 81,323 units after a drop of 28.13% the previous month, due mainly to increased competition from Chinese car brands and emission controls in some countries, Surapong said.

The federation will closely monitor the United States’ policy on auto tariffs, he said.

Last month, US President Donald J. Trump said levies on automobiles would come as soon as April 2.

The federation has forecast car production to rise 2% this year after declining 20% in 2024 to record the lowest output in four years. — Reuters

Pope Francis returns to Vatican, but remains out of public view

VATICAN CITY — After 38 days in hospital battling double pneumonia almost entirely out of sight. Pope Francis made his first public appearance on Sunday since Feb. 14 and returned to the Vatican.

But with his doctors prescribing the 88-year-old pontiff another two months of rest to allow his ageing body to fully heal, it is unclear how often people will get to see the leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics in the coming weeks.

The pope left Rome’s Gemelli Hospital on Sunday and returned to the Casa Santa Marta (St. Martha’s House), a small building at the Vatican which has been his home since his election as pontiff in 2013.

Constructed in 1996 as a place for cardinals to stay during a papal conclave to elect a new pope, Santa Marta is structured like a hotel, with guest rooms across five floors, a small cafeteria and a chapel.

But the facility is not generally open to the public. In the years between conclaves, it is primarily a home for many of the priests who work at the Vatican, who have special passes allowing them entry.

The pope and his closest aides occupy a series of rooms on the building’s second floor. In his private quarters, Francis has lived relatively unassisted up to now, taking care of many of his own needs, and is largely out of public view.

The Vatican has indicated that no new special arrangements have been made to the facility to care for Francis as he recovers from pneumonia.

The only change was to install a new adjustable bed, with electronic controls to make it more accessible for the pope, who has used a wheelchair in recent years, Italy’s Corriere della Sera reported on Sunday.

The vice director of the Vatican’s healthcare service, Luigi Carbone, told reporters on Saturday that Francis will have a 24-hour nurse and will continue receiving supplemental oxygen, as needed.

‘SO LONG AS GOD WISHES’
It is unknown how closely Francis, who has a reputation for working himself to exhaustion, will follow his doctors’ orders to take two months of rest.

“I think that for the moment we will only bring to him the most important issues that require a decision from him, so as not to tire him too much,” Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican’s number two official, told reporters.

The pope had continued leading the global Church even from hospital, making usual appointments of Catholic bishops around the world and also launching a new three-year reform process for the institution.

Normally, Francis has at least two public events per week — an audience at the Vatican with pilgrims each Wednesday, and a prayer in St. Peter’s Square each Sunday. During past illnesses, the pope has kept up those appointments, sometimes via video link from Santa Marta when he is particularly sick.

The Vatican has given no indication about what to expect about the pope’s planned agenda in the coming weeks, including a meeting with Britain’s King Charles on April 8 and Easter celebrations on April 20.

“I hope that at least he will be able to say hello to him,” Mr. Parolin said about Francis’ scheduled audience with the British monarch.

Francis, originally from Argentina and the first pope from the Americas, is also the first pope in more than a century to live outside the Vatican’s apostolic palace, an ornate Italian Renaissance building located next to St. Peter’s Square.

The pope has said he lives in Santa Marta, located on the Vatican’s south wall near the city-state’s small train station, because he likes being around other people.

“I’m happy at Santa Marta because I have people around me,” Francis wrote in an autobiography released earlier this year. “I’ll be there so long as God wishes.” — Reuters