Facebook Instagram Linkedin X Youtube
Home Blog Page 4220

VP told: Education chief must be a teacher, not a soldier

A VETERAN congressman on Thursday put Vice-President Sara Duterte-Carpio to task for calling critics of her multimillion-peso confidential funds enemies of the state, saying these have no place in schools.

“Schools are temples of knowledge not arenas of surveillance,” Albay Rep. Edcel C. Lagman said in a statement. “The secretary of Education must be a teacher, not a centurion.”

Ms. Carpio on Wednesday said people who oppose confidential funds for the Office of the Vice President and Education department, which she heads, are “naturally assumed to have insidious motivations.”

“Whether it is combating terrorism, tackling organized crime or safeguarding the integrity of our nation, these funds enable our law enforcement agencies and intelligence bodies to protect our citizens effectively,” she told policemen in Butuan City in southern Philippines.

She also tied peace and order with education. “They are the cornerstones upon which a prosperous society is built.”

“Remember — anyone who opposes confidential funds opposes peace,” she said in Filipino. “Whoever opposes peace is an enemy of the nation.”

“This is a very unfortunate statement,” University of the Philippines political science professor Maria Ela L. Atienza said in a Viber message. “By saying this, it appears that she does not honor her job as a public servant who is accountable to the people.”

The Vice President also should avoid “simplistic statements” about peace and order, she said. “She is both VP and DepEd secretary. Her mandate is not directly related to peace and order.”

Meanwhile, youth group Samahan ng Progresibong Kabataan urged Congress to transfer confidential and intelligence funds to public services such as education and wages from military and security agencies.

Group coordinator John Samuel B. Lazaro in a statement said the P2.95 billion in confidential and intelligence funds should be diverted to “crises that matter to Filipinos in their everyday lives.”

“Even a portion of the billions in confidential and intelligence funds that our legislators want to send the military’s way would do wonders for the derelict, crumbling education system, which continues to make the youth and students suffer to this day,” he added.

“We neither need nor want a national budget where billions are kept hidden from the public,” the group separately said in a letter to lawmakers. “Congress must exercise its power of the purse to ensure that the wealth of the Filipino people is fully utilized to secure their well-being and not to satisfy the whims of any incumbent administration.”

Congressmen earlier committed to realign the combined P650-million confidential and intelligence funds of Ms. Carpio and the Department of Education to intelligence and security offices amid worsening tensions with China.

Also on Thursday, senators said the Department of Agriculture’s (DA) proposed P50 million in confidential funds should be transferred to the Philippine Coast Guard or use it to develop its rice programs.

“The DA won’t need these confidential funds if we’re talking about the government’s anti-smuggling programs since we have the Bureau of Customs and law enforcement agencies,” Senator Rafael “Raffy” T. Tulfo told a hearing on the agency’s 2024 budget. — Beatriz Marie D. Cruz, Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza and John Victor D. Ordoñez

Bill eyes shelters for Filipino fishermen in disputed waterway

PHILIPPINE STAR /EDD GUMBAN

A PHILIPPINE congressman has filed a bill that seeks to set up fishing shelters in the South China Sea amid worsening tensions with China.

The shelters will protect Filipino fishermen from foreign military harassment and during emergencies, according to House Bill 9011 filed by Party-list Rep. Wilbert T. Lee. These will also be areas where they can rest, access gear, supplies and communication lines.

“The presence of Chinese vessels has made it difficult for Filipino fishermen to access their traditional fishing grounds, which greatly affected their livelihoods and our country’s food security,” he said in the bill’s explanatory note.

Under the proposed law, fishing shelters or ports will be built at nine maritime spots within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone including Lawak Island (Nanshan Island), Kota Island, West York Island, Thitu Island and Lankiam Cay.

Fishing ports will also be built at the Northeast Cay, Flat Island, Commodore Reef and Second Thomas Shoal.

Under the House bill, a fishing port will also be built at Benham Rise, which is east of northern Philippines and is said to be rich in marine species and untapped mineral resources and gas deposits.

The Defense department, Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources and other agencies will set up fishing shelters.

“Seven years have passed since the unanimous ruling in The Hague over the West Philippine Sea [but] fishermen are still on guard to avoid being harassed by Chinese militia,” Mr. Lee said. “Fishermen are still anxious about their safety despite the government’s increased presence in the area.”

China claims more than 80% of the South China Sea, which is believed to contain massive oil and gas deposits and through which billions of dollars in trade passes each year.

It has ignored the 2016 ruling by the United Nations-backed arbitration court that voided its claim based on a 1940s map.

The Philippines has been unable to enforce the ruling and has since filed hundreds of protests over what it calls encroachment and harassment by China’s coast guard and its vast fishing fleet.

The Philippine Coast Guard on Wednesday evening completed a resupply mission to deliver food and other supplies to Filipino troops stationed at Second Thomas Shoal, which the Philippines calls Ayungin, despite attempts by Chinese vessels to block the boats.

On Oct. 1, three Filipino fishermen died after a foreign oil tanker rammed into their fishing boat near the Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea.

The National Mapping and Resource Information Authority (NAMRIA) told senators on Wednesday it would finish mapping Philippine territories in the South China Sea by 2028.

The Philippines’ exclusive economic zone covers 1.657 million square kilometers, NAMRIA administrator Peter N. Tiangco told a hearing. — Beatriz Marie D. Cruz

Trial court asked to stop Taguig from ‘seizing’ Makati properties

Makati City Mayor Abigail Binay

By John Victor D. Ordoñez Reporter

MAKATI CITY Mayor Marlen Abigail Binay-Campos has asked a Taguig regional trial court (RTC) to temporarily bar the Taguig City government from taking possession of disputed properties to allow the Makati City government to resume its delivery of basic services to these areas.

In a statement, the Makati City government said Ms. Binay sought on Monday a status quo ante order, which would prevent a party — in this case, the Taguig City government — from taking further action, requiring it to seek a writ of execution first before taking possession of a property.

A writ of execution puts in force a judgement on the transfer of possession of certain properties. In this case, the writ should come from the Supreme Court (SC), which ruled with finality last April Taguig City’s ownership of the 729-hectare Bonifacio Global City Complex and 10 “EMBO” (enlisted men’s barrio) villages.

“Makati only wants an orderly administration of the Supreme Court decision with the least disruption to the residents and the uninterrupted delivery of basic services in the affected areas,” Ms. Binay said.

Last July, Ms. Binay said that the Makati City government respects the SC decision. However, she insisted that buildings and facilities constructed by the Makati City government in these areas remain owned and controlled by Makati, unless Taguig pays for them.

“The present case involves a territorial dispute. It does not involve ownership of properties located within the disputed territory,” Thursday’s statement of Ms. Binay reiterated.

She said the legal action stemmed from incidents of the Taguig City government seeking to take possession of school buildings and health centers recently on account that they stand on the property awarded in its favor by the High Court.

The Taguig City government did not immediately reply to an email seeking comment on the matter of the status quo ante order being sought by Makati City.

But in previous statements, the Taguig City government asserted the management and supervision of the 14 schools in question based a memorandum order (MO) from the DepEd transferring such jurisdiction from the DepEd Schools Division of Makati to the Schools Division of Taguig and Pateros.

Ms. Binay has blamed this assertion by Taguig City for preventing the Makati City government from providing assistance and services, such as school supplies, to the 30,000 students affected in the 14 schools.

Again, Taguig has denied this claim and insisted that the Makati City government’s statements were “misleading and patently false” so as to discredit Taguig’s efforts to prepare the schools for the opening of classes.

Still, Ms. Binay argued that the High Court’s decision was never meant to be immediately executory, adding that Taguig must secure a writ of execution before taking possession of the subject villages.

A trial court in 1994 stopped the Makati City government from exercising jurisdiction over parcels of land that made up Fort Bonifacio, including the so-called Inner Fort that comprises the villages of Pembo, Comembo, Cembo, South Cembo, West Rembo, East Rembo and Pitogo.

The Philippine Army headquarters, Navy installation, Marines’ headquarters, Consular area, Joint US Military Assistance Group area, Heritage Park, Libingan ng mga Bayani, AFP Officers Village and six villages are in these areas.

Basilan: 14 bolted Abu Sayyaf

COTABATO CITY — Fourteen more members of the Abu Sayyaf terrorist group in Basilan surrendered on Wednesday and pledged allegiance to the government, Governor Jim H. Salliman confirmed on Thursday.

Mr. Salliman, who chairs the Basilan Provincial Peace and Order Council, said the 14 men decided to return to the fold of the law through the intercession of the Army’s 101st Infantry Brigade, led by Brig. Gen. Alvin V. Luzon, and the new Task Force Orion headed by Major Gen. Ignatius N. Patrimonio.

The group also surrendered eight assault rifles, an M-1 Garand rifle, two M-79 grenade launchers and two 9 mm KG9 machine pistols to Mr. Patrimonio’s anti-terror task force that covers Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi.

“Credit for their surrender has to go to the Muslim religious community, the local government units in Basilan and the office of the provincial governor,” said Mr. Luzon, who witnessed their surrender in Barangay Tabiawan in Isabela City. — John Felix M. Unson

Marcos orders coconut planting

PRESIDENT Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos Jr. — PHILIPPINE STAR/KRIZ JOHN ROSALES

THE PRESIDENT has ordered the crafting of a comprehensive development and rehabilitation plan for the coconut industry, calling on the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) to spearhead a massive coconut replanting program in the country.

“There’s a big opportunity, so let’s have a look at that,” Mr. Marcos told PCA officials in a meeting in Malacañang on Wednesday. “We need to have a plan.”

Under the proposed Coconut Planting and Replanting Project, the PCA seeks to plant as many as 25 million trees annually from 2023 to 2028, the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) said in a statement released Thursday.

However, Mr. Marcos seemed unimpressed, saying: “Why will we stop in 2028?” The President emphasized the need for a “clear plan” and suggested that it be crafted by the PCA with inputs from coconut industry leaders.

“How many years do we need to take to rehabilitate the coconut industry?” he asked during the meeting as he noted that PCA officials should not be limited in its efforts by “political terms (of office).”

For the coconut planting and replanting project to gain traction, the PCA is recommending the issuance of a memorandum circular that will direct all concerned national government agencies and instrumentalities and urge local government units to support the project, the PCO said.

It said the agency has only managed to plant or replant about 1 to 3 million coconut trees, which is far from the estimated 34 million trees that it needs to replant, “due to budgetary constraints.”

The PCA said a whole-of-nation approach is needed to achieve its goal of planting 100 million trees in the next five years.

“The Philippines has a total area of 3.60 million hectares planted with coconut trees, or about 27 percent of total agricultural land,” the PCO noted. “It has 340.60 million coconut-bearing trees capable of producing 14 to 15 billion nuts annually.” Coconut production in the country fell to 13.83 MMT in 2016 before rising to 14.73 MMT in 2018, and 14.93 MMT in 2022 — from 15.86 million metric tons (MMT) of coconut in 2012. The Philippines remains the biggest exporter of coconut products, with export value amounting to $3.22 billion in 2022. Among the challenges confronting the sector are increasing tree senility, bearing tree losses due to pests and diseases, natural disasters, and climate change impact, according to the PCA. — Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza

Typhoon Jenny leaves Philippines

TYPHOON JENNY (international name: “Koinu”) has slightly weakened as it left the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) on Thursday, according to the state-run Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA).

Despite this development, typhoon Signal No. 2 remained hoisted in the northern part of Batanes as of 5 p.m. Thursday. Signal No. 1 was also raised for the rest of Batanes, Babuyan Islands, northern portion of Apayao, northwestern portion of Cagayan, and the northern portion of Ilocos Norte.

PAGASA said that Jenny was last spotted 275 kilometers west northwest of Itbayat, Batanes while moving westward at 15 km per hour (kph). It packed maximum sustained winds slightly weakened to 140 kph with gustiness of up to 170 kph.

It will continue to enhance the southern monsoon, bringing moderate rains over the western portions of Luzon. — Adrian H. Halili

Gov’t told to boost cybersecurity

FREEPIK

THE PHILIPPINES is in dire need of bigger budget allocations for cybersecurity in order to boost protection of various government agencies against ransomware attacks, the advocacy group Digital Pinoys said on Thursday.

Digital Pinoys national campaigner Ronald B. Gustilo said Philippine digital sites are vulnerable to ransomware attacks, citing cybersecurity firm Palo Alto networks that cyberattacks in the country increased by 57% in 2022.

The report also puts the Philippines and Malaysia on top of the list of countries that experienced the most disruptive attacks in Southeast Asia this year.

Reacting to the Sept. 22 cyberattack on Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth), Mr. Gustilo said “PhilHealth executives should also be held accountable for this incident as the ultimate responsibility to ensure the safety of the information they are holding falls into their hands.”

Since the Medusa ransomware attack hit state-run insurance firm, the hackers have started publishing personal data including employee records, pictures, payroll and hospital bills.

The hackers then demanded $300,000 (P17 million) from the government in exchange for decryption keys and deleting the data they obtained.

“Now that the hacked information has been posted, Philhealth should immediately indemnify affected members and employees and take corrective actions as soon as possible,” Mr. Gustilo said.

“The public, including government employees and officials, needs to be educated about this issue in particular and cyber security and digital literacy as a whole so that we will be better equipped,” he added.

Separately, public policy think tank Infrawatch PH has expressed concern over the government’s lack of action and transparency that could lead to future digital attacks.

“We need to act now to prevent future breaches. A comprehensive digital security audit is not just advisable; it’s imperative for the safety and security of all Filipinos,” Terry L. Ridon, a public investment analyst and convenor of InfraWatch PH, said in a statement.

Mr. Ridon said that PhilHealth should outline the full extent of the data leaked, including its plan to address the issue.

“This critical issue demands immediate and transparent action from all parties involved. No urgent public notices can replace comprehensive action. The notice from PhilHealth is insufficient. It leaves the public in the dark about the full extent of the breach and fails to outline a clear action plan for resolving the issue,” he said. — Ashley Erika O. Jose

Justice for labor leader sought

FREEPIK

THE BIGGEST labor coalition in the Philippines urged the government on Thursday to conduct a no-nonsense investigation into the Sept. 29 killing of 67-yead-old labor leader, Jude Thaddeus Fernandez, at the hands of police.

In a statement, Nagkaisa said the fatal shooting of the Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) member makes it the 72nd case of labor-related killings in the country since 2016 and the fourth since the International Labor Organization (ILO) sent its High Level-Tripartite mission last January.

“An attack on one unionist is an attack on all who strive for the principles of justice, freedom of association, and workers’ rights,” the Nagkaisa statement said as it called on the government to come up with concrete measures to address threats against labor activists.

The group noted that on the same day of the killing, trade union leaders were in a dialogue with Executive Secretary Lucas P. Bersamin and Labor Secretary Bienvenido E. Laguesma.

A team of ILO representatives met with trade unions and government officials in January to discuss human rights violations against workers and union organizers.

Later in June, ILO Director-General Gilbert F. Houngbo visited the country and told Philippine labor groups that he was aware of reports of violence against workers and has been monitoring the situation for more than a decade.

Last April, President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. signed an executive order creating an inter-agency body that would investigate labor rights violations targeting trade unionists.

However, labor groups called for an amendment to the order creating the task force, citing the lack of participation from workers in crafting the measure.

Nagkaisa said Mr. Fernandez’s killing serves as “a stark reminder that we seem to be repeating history” and that it “strikes at the core of our shared humanity.” — John Victor D. Ordoñez

Real-time, targeted cyber intelligence seen crucial for PHL organizations

PHILIPPINE STAR/MIGUEL DE GUZMAN

THE PHILIPPINES urgently needs to address its expanding cyber threat landscape by implementing preemptive security measures, instead of relying on emergency responses, according to experts.

“This harsh reality calls for Philippine organizations to adopt real-time, targeted intelligence that preemptively secures companies instead of waiting and hoping defenses hold,” Yochai Corem, chief executive officer of Israel-based threat intelligence firm Cyberint, said in an e-mailed press statement on Wednesday.

According to a study by Cyberint, the Philippines is ninth in the Asia Pacific region in terms of the frequency of ransomware attacks, with government agencies among the primary targets.

“The ransomware industry is on the rise once again,” the company said on ransomware growing as a persistent global threat to cybersecurity in its report.

Cyberint also pointed out the Medusa group as a standout among the 167 new ransomware families identified in the first quarter, primarily because of its focus on corporate entities worldwide and its substantial ransom demands.

The report further noted that Medusa started its operations in June 2021 and ramped up its activities this year. This uptick followed the debut of its blog and a declaration of its intention to release encrypted data if ransoms were not paid.

MEDUSA VS. PHILHEALTH
As of the second quarter, the group had compromised 20 victims, with its new target being the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth). A data breach was detected on Sept. 22, pointing to Medusa as the culprit.

In an urgent notice on Oct. 2, PhilHealth clarified that its primary database was “intact and not infected.” However, it noted that personal records had been compromised.

It advised the public to take precautionary measures moving forward, such as monitoring and placing fraud alerts on credit reports, changing passwords for all online accounts, and being wary of phishing scams.

The cybercriminal group has already posted PhilHealth employee data on the dark web after failing to receive the $300,000 ransom it demanded, according to Undersecretary Jeffrey Ian C. Dy of the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT).

“Compared to the Comelec data breach in 2016, the potential impact of this incident is even greater, as all working Filipinos are mandatorily enrolled and must pay monthly contributions,” Sam Jacoba, president of the National Association of Data Protection Officers of the Philippines (NADPOP), said in a press statement.

“We urgently request that the DICT and National Privacy Commission guide consumers and institutions using PhilHealth information on what to do if their personal information was compromised by the breach, even if only a fraction of the extent of the breach has been revealed by the threat actors,” he added.

Angel “Lito” S. Averia, Jr., president of the Philippine Computer Emergency Response Team, said that regulators should anticipate the worst-case scenario, as it is better to warn Filipino consumers as soon as possible.

While remedial measures continue indefinitely, there’s an elevated demand for preemptive cybersecurity defenses across all organizations and government agencies, noted Mr. Corem, Cyberint CEO.— Miguel Hanz L. Antivola

Brownlee’s last 2 shots: People will remember them forever

JUSTIN Brownlee made the baskets that mattered, including two three-pointers that swished through the net and erased a 76-71 Chinese lead in the final 90 seconds.

HANGZHOU, China — Coach Tim Cone wanted something special from Justin Brownlee for the heavyweight showdown against host China last Wednesday at the Hangzhou Olympic Sports Centre Gymnasium.

What Brownlee gave his coach was something extra special.

Hitting three-point shots in the face of his taller Chinese defenders, Mr. Brownlee delivered the greatest performance so far at the 19th Asian Games here, towing Gilas Pilipinas to a “miraculous” 77-76 come-from-behind win and into the final against Jordan.

Mr. Brownlee netted a game-high 33 points spiced by seven three-pointers on a cold Hangzhou evening that will be remembered and talked about for a very long time — especially among the Chinese.

Mr. Brownlee was like an arrow that ripped through their hearts.

“It just feels surreal, feels good to be alive, in contention for the gold medal,” said Mr. Brownlee, who also delivered the biggest baskets in Gilas’ 84-83 escape act against Iran in the quarterfinals last Tuesday.

The 6-foot-5 Mr. Brownlee was all over the court while his Chinese defenders were all over him the entire match.

“They were doubling him, bumping him,” said Mr. Cone of the prolific 35-year-old naturalized player.

Yet, Mr. Brownlee made the baskets that mattered, including two three-pointers that swished through the net and erased a 76-71 Chinese lead in the final 90 seconds.

The host team was held scoreless in that lonely stretch. In the end, they never knew what hit them.

It was the fighting spirit displayed by Mr. Brownlee that carried Gilas through.

With China up by 20 at 52-32 midway in the third period, Scottie Thompson issued an errant pass to Mr. Brownlee, who chased the ball and crashed into the baseline, against a row of press photographers.

It took a while for Mr. Brownlee to pick himself up. No one assisted him.

That was perhaps what Mr. Cone meant as special.

“I don’t know, just keep fighting, keep battling. Coach Tim told us before the game we need to do something special. It was special, special win for us, special game, special effort, special team,” he said.

“Purely heart, purely Filipino heart, puso, that was the main thing that got us back in this game,” he added.

That was special. — Abac Cordero

Lyceum eyes fifth win in row against lowly Arellano

GAMES FRIDAY
(Filoil EcoOil Arena)
2 p.m. — LPU vs AU
4 p.m. — Letran vs San Beda

LYCEUM of the Philippines University (LPU) aims to sustain its unstoppable rampage as it clashes with a lowly Arellano University (AU) today (Oct. 6) in the 99th NCAA basketball tournament at the Filoil EcoOil Arena.

The Pirates, who sustained their immaculate run after posting their fourth win in row at the expense of the San Sebastian Stags, 83-72, Tuesday, will go for win No. 5 against the Chiefs, who are winless in three starts, at 2 p.m.

Shawn Umali, chosen as the collegiate press corps’ first Player of the Week awardee this season, has been on a juggernaut after dropping a masterful 14-point, eight-rebound, four-assist, four-block and three-steal effort in their most recent win.

It was a strong start for an LPU that craves for its first championship in the league where it joined 12 years ago.

This early, the impressive streak is now being likened to the school’s magnificent 18-game elimination round sweep six years ago.

Interestingly, the Pirates ended up getting swept by the San Beda Lions in the finals that still rankles up to this day.

“It’s too early to celebrate, there is more to be done,” said LPU coach Gilbert Malabanan, whose other wins came at the expense of reigning three-peat titlist Collegio San Juan de Letran and last year’s runner-up College of St. Benilde.

Letran and San Beda University, meanwhile, renew their bitter rivalry as the two collide at 4 p.m.

But unlike in the seasons past, the Knights will come in as the surprising underdogs after dropping their first three assignments while the Lions have been playing solid after snaring two wins in their first three outings. — Joey Villar

PHL Azkals set up 10-day training camp in Bahrain

PHILIPPINE AZKALS —.FACEBOOK.COM/THEAZKALSPH

THE PHILIPPINE Azkals are booked for an away friendly with Bahrain in this month’s FIFA international window as they ramp up their buildup for the coming World Cup Qualifiers (WCQ).

The 132nd-ranked Azkals play the No. 86 Bahrainis on Oct. 17 as part of the 10-day training camp set up by coach Michael Weiss in Manama for the second round of the WCQ that begins Nov. 16.

Mr. Weiss called up 25 players for the Bahrain buildup and test led by Patrick Reichelt, the national team’s most capped active player with 77 appearances, and skipper Neil Etheridge, holder of 75 caps.

Joining the duo are 15 other returnees from the side that scored a 2-1 comeback victory over Afghanistan last Sept. 12 in Manila, including Daisuke Sato, OJ Porteria, Manny and Mike Ott, Simone Rota and Bienve Maranon.

Veterans Kevin Ingreso, Kenshiro Daniels and Dennis Villanueva, youngsters Santiago Rublico, Sandro Reyes and Pocholo Bugas, Japan-based Jefferson Tabinas and Kaya Iloilo’s Jarvey Gayoso, among others, are also summoned by Mr. Weiss.

Filipinos expect to get a solid pre-WCQ test against Bahrain, which is fresh from reaching the Round-of-16 of the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China.

The Philippines-Bahrain tuneup will mark the two squads’ seventh meeting since 2012. The Filipinos managed only one win against two draws and three losses with their lone victory coming in the form of a 2-1 verdict eight years ago in the qualifiers for the 2018 World Cup and their last duel ending in 1-1 in a 2018 friendly.

The Azkals are gearing up for battles with Vietnam, Iraq and the winner of the playoff between Indonesia and Brunei in Group F of the Asian section of the WCQ. — Olmin Leyba

1...4,2194,2204,221...14,238Page 4,220 of 14,238
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
© 2024 BusinessWorld Publishing.
All rights reserved.
Read our privacy guidelines
Facebook Instagram Linkedin X Youtube