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DoJ trains fiscals and police to boost cases

DOJ.GOV.PH

THE PHILIPPINE Department of Justice (DoJ) on Monday vowed to help bolster the capabilities of local law enforcement agencies to gather evidence and investigate crimes to increase convictions.

“What we’re trying to do is to increase our capacity-building programs for our law enforcement in order for us to perform our prosecutorial and investigative functions under a human rights lens,” Justice Undersecretary Hermogenes T. Andres told a symposium on criminal investigation training.

“We are duty bound to abide by international human rights protocols.”

DoJ earlier raised the standards for filing criminal cases, requiring state prosecutors to ensure cases lead to a “reasonable certainty of conviction” to ease jail congestion. The agency also halved the bail amount for poor Filipinos.

DoJ and police records showed that 80% of criminal cases are dismissed for lack of probable cause, DoJ spokesman Jose Dominic F. Clavano IV told reporters on the sidelines of the event.

“A lot of our countrymen have the attitude of thinking it is OK for them to commit crimes because of the gap between prosecutors and our law enforcers,” he added.

Mr. Andres cited a DoJ circular dated March 31 that ordered government prosecutors to take a more active role in the build-up of criminal cases by providing legal guidance to law enforcers investigating crimes.

The circular also required prosecutors to drop criminal complaints not supported by credible and sufficient evidence to help clear court dockets.

“While the roles of the police and prosecutors may differ, their purpose remains the same: to ensure a thorough investigation, proper case build-up and the gathering of correct evidence,” according to the speech of Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin C. Remulla read by Undersecretary Raul T. Vasquez.

“Our united efforts lead us towards a fairer and more equitable society, one where justice is served with precision and integrity.”

The International Criminal Court in January reopened its probe of the Duterte government’s anti-illegal drug campaign, saying it was not satisfied with state efforts to probe human rights abuses.

The government estimates that at least 6,117 suspected drug dealers were killed in police operations. Human rights groups say as many as 30,000 suspects died. — John Victor D. Ordoñez

DepEd needs more than P1 trillion next year to comply with UN standard

BW FILE PHOTO

THE PHILIPPINES’ Department of Education (DepEd) needs more than a trillion pesos ($17.9 billion) next year to pay for teachers’ salaries, benefits and supplies, according to a congresswoman.

This would allow the country to adhere to a United Nations (UN) standard for education to account for at least 6% of economic output, Party-list Rep. France L. Castro told a news briefing on Monday.

“Following this standard, [the sector] would need a budget of at least P1.14 trillion to fill in the 6% gross domestic product requirement,” she added.

The Education department’s budget for 2023 was P710.6 billion, or 3.% of economic output, the lawmaker said.

The government of President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. had failed to enforce its 10-point agenda for “education recovery,” including the safe reopening of classes after a coronavirus pandemic, Ruby Bernardo, president of the Alliance of Concerned Teachers NCR-Union (National Capital Region-Union) told the same briefing.

“We did not see any decent preparation or support from the government,” she said, noting that some public school teachers had to handle a class of 100 students.

The group said the government had failed to provide enough teaching and learning resources, an evidence-based education recovery program and in restoring history and Filipino classes in high school and college.

In Congress, measures seeking a salary increase for teachers have not made progress, Alliance Chairman Vladimer Quetua told the briefing. “We have not heard from the Department of Budget and Management, from the president and from the Education secretary.”

He said there was no significant hiring of nonteaching personnel, forcing teachers to also take up librarian, security guard and guidance counselor duties.

Mr. Marcos Jr. had also vetoed a bill granting tax cuts to teachers who served as watchers during the 2022 elections, Mr. Quetua said.

The Education department’s attempt to profile ACT members is a form of “union busting,” ACT Secretary-General Raymond Basilio told the briefing, adding that they plan to file a complaint before the International Labour Organization

The memo ordered the submission of a list of teachers affiliated with the teachers’ union who were availing themselves of the agency’s automatic payroll deduction system. — Beatriz Marie D. Cruz

Marcos names anti-poverty adviser 

PRESIDENTIAL COMMUNICATIONS OFFICE

PRESIDENT Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. has appointed lawyer Lorenzo “Larry” G. Gadon as his adviser for poverty alleviation, according to the presidential palace. 

Mr. Gadon will work closely with agencies and nongovernment groups in coming up and implementing anti-poverty programs, it said in a statement. 

“His wealth of experience as a corporate executive and legal counsel in diverse sectors, including manufacturing, information technology, realty development, healthcare, resorts and hotels, construction and trading will contribute to the formulation of innovative and sustainable poverty alleviation strategies,” the palace said.  

Mr. Gadon had faced disbarment cases and was preventively suspended by the Supreme Court in January after an outburst against a local journalist. — Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza 

DoJ chief to take ‘wellness’ leave 

JUSTICE SECRETARY JESUS CRISPIN REMULLA — PHILIPPINE STAR/KRIZ JOHN ROSALES

JUSTICE Secretary Jesus Crispin C. Remulla will take a 10-day “wellness” leave for undisclosed reasons, the Department of Justice (DoJ) said on Monday. 

His leave is effective immediately, it said in a statement, without providing more details. 

Justice Undersecretary Raul T. Vasquez will take charge in his absence, Mr. Remulla told reporters in a Viber message.  

Mr. Remulla underwent a medical checkup last week and was supposed to return to work on Thursday, but he took the rest of the week off.  

He was supposed to deliver a speech at a DoJ event on Monday. Mr. Vasquez read his speech instead and announced his leave there. — John Victor D. Ordoñez 

Bigger budget for health sought 

PHILIPPINE Health Secretary Teodoro J. Herbosa on Monday vowed to push for a gradual increase in his agency’s annual budget, while calling for cuts in the government’s allocation for health infrastructure projects, which he said are not immediately felt by Filipinos. 

The budget for health should be increased to at least 15% of the country’s gross domestic product from 5.28%, he told a news briefing. 

The US spends 17% of economic output for health, while Japan and Singapore allot 15%, he said. 

He also said the Health department, like other agencies, faces budget absorptive capacity issues. “So I need to do this slowly.” 

Meanwhile, the Health department is set to issue an administrative order creating a National Nursing Advisory Council composed of experts from both the public and private sectors.  

The council will help address issues faced by Filipino nurses, Mr. Herbosa said. — Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza 

Probe activist abductions, gov’t told  

A HUMAN rights group has urged the government to investigate the abduction of activists who have been missing for more than 17 years, citing the need for the state to protect human rights defenders. 

“We demand that the Philippine government take immediate action to bring those responsible to justice and provide closure to the families of the victims,” Pamilya ng Desaparacidos para sa Katarungan, which represents victims of enforced disappearances, said in statement on Monday. 

The group cited the case of 11 activists who have been missing since 2006, saying the government had not done enough to uphold human rights and international law. 

“The lack of progress in the investigation and the absence of accountability for these disappearances perpetuate a culture of impunity, undermining the rule of law and eroding public trust,” Desaparecidos said. — John Victor D. Ordoñez 

Philippine births, deaths decline 

PHILIPPINE STAR/MICHAEL VARCAS

PHILIPPINE registered births and deaths dropped by 2.8% and 25.6% year on year, the local statistics agency said on Monday. 

Births last year reached 1.33 million, down from 1.36 million in 2021, while registered deaths dropped to 654,013 from 879,429. 

Meanwhile, marriages rose by 18.2% to 421,875 from a year earlier. 

In a separate report, the Philippine Statistics Authority said ischemic heart disease remained the leading cause of death in the Philippines at 119,966 last year from 155,775 in 2021. It accounted for 18.3% of total deaths. — Bernadette Therese M. Gadon 

ILO chief talks to local labor groups 

INTERNATIONAL Labour Organization (ILO) Director-General Gilbert F. Houngbo had a dialogue with Philippine labor groups on Monday, discussing human rights violations against workers, according to the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP).  

In a statement, TUCP said representatives from workers’ organizations had brought up the culture of impunity in the country and other hurdles to the right to organize.  

The dialogue was held ahead of Mr. Houngbo’s scheduled meetings with President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. and other heads of government agencies.  

The ILO chief reiterated the call he made last year for a new “social contract” between employers and workers worldwide to ensure a decent standard of living and safe working environments, TUCP said.  

In November, he said the ILO planned to start the Global Coalition for Social Justice with international stakeholders from the labor sector, which aims to address labor issues and inequalities. — John Victor D. Ordoñez 

Marcos cites benefits of forests 

PHILIPPINE President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. on Monday cited the economic benefits of the country’s remaining forest cover, as he called for multisectoral cooperation in protecting the environment.  

“We are able to determine that this can be in exchange for carbon emissions in another place,” he said in a speech, referring to the country’s remaining forest cover.   

Mr. Marcos Jr. said people who take care of the forests are doing the right thing and should feel the economic benefits. 

Appreciating the economic benefits and having a sense of ownership in preserving the country’s forest cover would ensure sustainable environmental programs, he added. — KATA 

Cost of Vietnam ASF vaccine estimated at about P600/dose

REUTERS

THE vaccine for African Swine Fever (ASF) developed in Vietnam may cost nearly P600 per dose, according to the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI), leading the hog industry to call for subsidies to head off higher pork prices at retail.

“What I know is (the ASF vaccine) might cost more or less, around P600,” BAI Assistant Director Arlene V. Vytiaco told reporters on the sidelines of the Livestock Philippines 2023 conference on Monday.

Ms. Vytiaco said approval by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) may mean the vaccine could be rolled out this year, though only to commercial hog farms.

“Siguro dapat for commercial farms muna (The vaccine is probably best suited for commercial farms initially)” she said. “Dahil nag-aagawan nga, ang naibigay lang muna ng Vietnam is 300,000 doses (Because there is great demand, Vietnam can only allocate us 300,000 doses at first) by the last quarter of the year.”

Ms. Vytiaco announced early this month that the safety and efficacy trial has been completed, with the vaccine awaiting the issuance of an FDA certificate of product registration.

The manufacturer is ready to eventually supply 600,000 doses, she added.

Ms. Vytiaco expects the vaccine to come in three types of packaging: five doses and 10 doses for backyard hog raisers and 50 doses for commercial farms.

“So buong 300,000 na maibibigay, walang packaging for backyard raisers kasi lahat ata 50-60 doses (The initial allocation of 300,000 is not suitable for backyard raisers because the first batches will be 50-60 doses)” she added.

Pork Producers Federation of the Philippines, Inc. National Chairman Nicanor M. Briones said that without vaccine subsidies, the farmgate price of pork may increase P6 per kilogram, liveweight.

“The price of pork may rise by around P9 per kilogram at retail,” he told reporters.

Mr. Briones said that the government should declare a state of calamity to facilitate the funding for a vaccine subsidy, particularly for backyard hog raisers.

Agriculture Assistant Secretary Arnel V. de Mesa said: “If the conditions are met to declare a state of calamity, then it can be done.”

Mr. De Mesa also said that the department is still conducting surveillance to gauge the extent of the outbreak.

As of June 8, seven regions, 13 provinces, 46 municipalities, and 113 barangays had active ASF cases, according to the BAI. — Sheldeen Joy Talavera

El Niño also expected to affect PHL rice suppliers Vietnam, Thailand

RICE inventories will be under pressure next year because the El Niño dry spell will also hit the Philippines’ major rice suppliers, Thailand and Vietnam, a farming industry association said.

“Next year, we will have low stocks going into the lean months… because Thailand and Vietnam will also be hit by (El Niño). The international price may also increase,” according to Raul Q. Montemayor, national manager of the Federation of Free Farmers.

Speaking at a virtual forum, Mr. Montemayor said El Niño’s impact will be felt by the dry season crop in the first half of 2024, when Philippine rice can count on limited irrigation water.

“Also, the carryover stock from 2023 may be lower than normal,” he said.

As of January 1, the Philippine rice inventory was 1.77 million metric tons, down 5.1% from a year earlier, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority.

Mr. Montemayor said the “most intense” El Niño episode took place between 1997 and 1998, which caused a 24% drop in the production of palay (unmilled rice).

He said PAGASA (Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration), the government weather service, is reviewing previous occurrences to gauge the potential impact of El Niño this year.

PAGASA Assistant Weather Services Chief Ana Liza S. Solis said that some areas in the country may experience a 22-50% reduction in rainfall starting October.

“There are 36 provinces with the potential for a dry spell by the end of December, while two provinces have the potential for drought by end of December,” she said, citing the agency’s initial assessment. — Sheldeen Joy Talavera

Emergency power procurement pricing allowed to vary from approved tariff

PHILIPPINE STAR/MICHAEL VARCAS

THE pricing of emergency power supply agreements (EPSAs) will be allowed to vary from tariff levels approved by power regulators, subject to certain conditions, the National Electrification Administration (NEA) said.

The NEA issued the statement following consultations with the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) and the Department of Energy.

“ECs (electric cooperatives) can also negotiate a higher or lower tariffs than the ERC-approved tariffs for each technology available in the area against the EPSA rate, provided that the ERC is satisfied the rate will benefit consumers,” the NEA said, citing an advisory released earlier by the ERC. 

Earlier this month, the ERC issued show-cause orders against some DUs for entering EPSAs priced higher than the tariffs approved by the ERC. 

In its advisory, the ERC said that EPSAs must be immediately filed with the Commission upon signing of the agreement, and that ECs can only enter into EPSAs after a declaration of force majeure.

“The latest lowest approved generation tariff for the same technology in comparable areas as posted in the ERC website will be the applicable rate which can be passed through to consumers while the EPSA is still pending approval,” the NEA said.

ERC Chairperson and Chief Executive Officer Monalisa C. Dimalanta said that if no similar technology is available, the ECs must refer to surrounding regions with the same specific technology.

NEA Administrator Antonio Mariano C. Almeda said that the ERC must also look into the possible cases of over-contracting and must “intervene as the Regulator may possibly act within its authority for the possible reduction of power supply through amendment or cancellation of the subject agreement with the concerned power supplier.” — Ashley Erika O. Jose

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