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12 police officers charged for murder in drug war — Justice chief

PHILIPPINE STAR/KRIZ JOHN ROSALES

GOVERNMENT prosecutors have charged 12 police officers for murder in cases relating to what could be wrongful deaths in the previous administration’s war on drugs, the Justice chief said on Wednesday.

In a live-streamed forum, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin C. Remulla said this was the latest number of indictments against erring cops as many of the cases still lack witnesses.

“Some families don’t complain anymore because the people they lost were not well-behaved, and this is a sad aspect of the drug war,” he said.

“We are looking for witnesses for these extra-judicial killings, and we will use the witness protection program to protect those who give us leads.”

The Department of Justice (DoJ) earlier said government lawyers dismissed for lack of witnesses six out of 52 cases against rogue cops in former President Rodrigo R. Duterte’s anti-illegal drug campaign.

Justice Undersecretary Jesse Hermogenes T. Andres earlier said the agency is confident with the evidence in seven ongoing cases.

The DoJ had only brought five of the 52 cases involving 150 police officers to court since it started its own probe last year.   

Only 21% or 62,000 of 291,000 drug cases filed have led to convictions, Interior Secretary Benjamin C. Abalossaid in July, citing police data from 2016 to 2022.

Mr. Remulla noted that he would be willing to join President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. in New York for the United Nations General Assembly in September to discuss the country’s human rights situation.

The President earlier said the Philippines would not rejoin the International Criminal Court (ICC) as it may resume its probe into Mr. Duterte’s deadly drug war.

In June, ICC Prosecutor Karim Ahmad A. Khan asked the international tribunal’s pre-trial chamber to reopen the probe since the Philippines had failed to show it investigated crimes related to the campaign.

The ICC gave the Philippines up to Sept. 8 to submit comments and observations on the request to resume the international court’s drug war probe.

Mr. Remulla said the government is “not submitting anything as a matter of compliance, and we are not members of the ICC anymore. We have withdrawn from the Rome Statute.”

“We are doing this as a matter of comity to inform them that we are doing something on the problems we are supposed to solve on our own.” — John Victor D. Ordoñez and Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza

DPWH preparing contract guidelines for Iloilo-Capiz-Aklan expressway project 

ILOILO PROVINCIAL INFORMATION OFFICE 

THE DEPARTMENT of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is now finalizing the contract guidelines for the proposed Iloilo-Capiz-Aklan toll road project that will be implemented through public-private partnership, according to the Iloilo provincial government.  

In a project presentation to provincial officials on Wednesday, DPWH-PPP Service Director Alex G. Bote said they are working to complete the terms of reference as well as the estimated budget for the expressway.   

“Based on the timeline, it will take two years before the project could begin granting that an investor or concessionaire takes the project,” the Iloilo provincial government said in a statement.   

Mr. Bote said the Iloilo-Capiz-Aklan Expressway Project (ICAEx) is included in the administration’s PPP priority list.  

ICAEx will traverse Panay Island, located in the west-central part of the Philippines. It will be a 210-kilometer, four-lane toll road composed of elevated roadways, viaducts, a tunnel, and a long-span bridge.   

“Based on the initial information, the ICAEx will start at Barangay M.V. Hechanova in Leganes which is strategically located near the approach of the proposed Panay-Guimaras Bridge, a component of the Panay-Guimaras-Negros Bridge Project,” the provincial government said.  

The northern end of the expressway is in Malay, the jump-off point to popular tourist island Boracay.   

Mr. Bote said the ICAEx will reduce travel time across Panay, boosting tourism, cargo logistics as well as emergency response operations.    

Iloilo Gov. Arthur R. Defensor, Jr. expressed full support to the project’s implementation, which he said will enhance the economy of Iloilo as well as the entire Panay Island. — MSJ 

Online registration system to be launched for student cash aid program 

INTERIOR and Local Government Secretary Benjamin C. Abalos, Jr. (left) in a huddle with Social Welfare Secretary Erwin T. Tulfo during a press briefing at the presidential palace on Aug. 24. — PHILIPPINE STAR/KRIZ JOHN ROSALES

AN ONLINE registration system for the release of student cash aid will be set up by the government to prevent a repeat of the chaos at distribution sites nationwide last Saturday.   

The digital platform will be jointly organized by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) as distribution will be undertaken in coordination with local governments.   

“This time, we will bring the aid distribution down per city to prevent overcrowding,” Social Welfare Secretary Erwin T. Tulfo said during a live-streamed memorandum signing ceremony between the two agencies.  

He noted that walk-in applicants will not be accommodated at the distribution sites.  

Interior Secretary Benjamin C. Abalos said during the same event that he is coordinating with provincial governors and other local officials to assist the DSWD in providing the monetary assistance.  

“Mayors and governors should provide the site for the distribution and should provide additional manpower,” he said.  

Mr. Tulfo said social workers will screen and interview applicants for student aid. 

He added that his agency will share the list of registered applicants with the Interior department. 

“We have a list already prepared of those who weren’t served last Saturday. Our selection process is ongoing,” he said.   

Tens of thousands of students and parents waited outside DSWD offices and other designated venues at the weekend to apply for and claim the cash aid. Many went home empty-handed, while at least one stampede was reported in Zamboanga in the country’s south.  

Mr. Tulfo has since apologized for the fiasco, admitting a failure to coordinate with local governments for a more organized distribution system.  

He told a news briefing that he wanted the Social Welfare department to directly give the money and avoid selective aid.  

Last week, the DSWD said it would provide P500 million in student cash aid, P1,000 each to elementary students from poor families, P2,000 to high school students, P3,000 to senior high school students and P4,000 to college students. — John Victor D. Ordoñez 

DoJ seeks P2.5B to build maximum security facility in Occidental Mindoro 

PHILSTAR

THE DEPARTMENT of Justice (DoJ) is eyeing to propose a budget of P2.5 billion next year for the construction of a new maximum security facility in the town of Sablayan in Occidental Mindoro.  

Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin C. Remulla told a live-streamed forum that the agency also aims to relocate the national penitentiary’s minimum security facility to Nueva Ecija.  

Mr. Remulla noted that the existing Sablayan Prison and Penal Farm would be a suitable site for a new maximum security prison given its land area of 16,190 hectares.   

Last week, Senator Aquilino Martin D. Pimentel III told a Senate hearing that the country should have a “world-class” maximum-security prison with modern security capabilities.  

Mr. Remulla earlier said there are 17,000 inmates in the national penitentiary in Muntinlupa City, which was designed to house 6,000 inmates. He also said he plans to coordinate with the Interior department to streamline the digitalization of jail records to address congestion.  

The Philippine Human Rights Commission has repeatedly flagged the worsening congestion in the country’s jails, more recently because of the increase of arrested suspects in connection with former President Rodrigo R. Duterte’s anti-illegal drug campaign. — John Victor D. Ordoñez 

Agri dep’t to expand farm-to-consumer market chain 

DA.GOV.PH

THE DEPARTMENT of Agriculture (DA) announced on Wednesday that it is planning to expand its farm-to-consumer program known as Kadiwa to provide more affordable and accessible agri-fishery goods to the public as well as increase producers’ income.   

“The Kadiwa program is a marketing initiative that eliminates as many marketing layers, allowing producers to earn bigger from directly selling their produce instead of using trader-intermediaries,” the DA said.  

“It reduces marketing expenses, thus making the fresh and quality products more affordable for consumers.”  

More Kadiwa outlets will be launched to sell various farm products, including sugar at P70 per kilo and eggs at P170 per 30-piece tray.  

“Kadiwa, which was enhanced during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, helped stabilize prices and supply of staple foods that were impacted by the enforcement of community lockdowns,” the DA said.  

As of July 31, the program had benefitted 151 farmer cooperatives and associations.  

As part of the program, the DA coordinates for the provision of space to suppliers where they can directly sell their commodities to consumers.   

“Under this scheme, government offices and the private sector may request the DA to conduct the retail selling activity in their own areas,” it said.  

The department is also launching a mobile market, an online marketing platform, and financial grant assistance program. — Luisa Maria Jacinta C. Jocson 

P173-M worth of illegal drugs seized in buy-bust operation 

PHILSTAR FILE PHOTO

AUTHORITIES seized P173.40-million worth of crystal methamphetamine, popularly known in the Philippines as shabu, in a buy-bust operation near the capital Manila on Wednesday morning, according to the presidential palace.  

The illegal drugs seized in an operation in Roosevelt Avenue in Quezon City weighed almost 25.5 kilograms, Interior and Local Government Secretary Benjamin C. Abalos, Jr. said at a televised news briefing.    

The anti-drug operation happened amid a supposed spate of crime incidents involving killings and kidnappings in the capital region and nearby provinces.  

Mr. Abalos said the public should expect more police visibility due to the alleged crimes, which have already triggered public anxiety.   

He has asked the country’s police chief to provide a report on the incidents.  

There have been numerous social media posts of supposed personal encounters with such crimes, which include warnings against criminals, particularly kidnappers onboard white vans.  

“It is important to get the real figures,” Mr. Abalos said. “It is hard to rely on hearsay.” — Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza

EJ Obiena beats Chris Nielsen to rule Jockgrim event in Germany

EJ OBIENA — REUTERS

IN THE absence of the world’s top pole-vaulter Armand Duplantis, World Championship bronze medalist EJ Obiena was given the chance to best his next best rival — World No. 2 Chris Nilsen of the United States.

EJ Obiena, the World No. 3 and Asian record-holder did that with flying colors as he blew away the field that included Mr. Nilsen in the Stabhochsprung Meeting in Jockgrim, Germany yesterday.

The Southeast Asian Games gold winner vaulted to 5.81 meters to capture the mint ahead of Mr. Nilsen, the World and Olympic silver medalist who settled for the silver, and Australian Kurist Marschall and German Bo Kanda Luta Baehre, who shared the bronze — all winding up with identical 5.71m.

Mr. Obiena went for a new record of 5.95m but he failed in three attempts.

While the clearance was far from his career best 5.94m that he set in the world tilt in Eugene, Oregon last month, it was enough to secure Mr. Obiena a spot in next year’s World Championships in Hungary.

It was also a nice way to jumpstart Mr. Obiena’s campaign in the second part of the European circuit.

“Great start for the second part of the season. We got the gold and then hot the standard for next year’s World Champs in Hungary,” said Mr. Obiena.

Mr. Obiena will have six more competitions after Jockgrim including the Athletissima slated tomorrow in Lausanne, Switzerland and the True Athletics Classic set in Leverkusen, Germany Saturday.

His other events are St. Wendel City Jump in Germany on Aug. 31, the Memorial van Damme in Brussels, Belgium on Sept. 2, the ISTAF 2022 in Berlin, Germany on Sept. 4, and the Golden Fly in Schaan, Liechtenstein on Sept. 11. — Joey Villar

National U vs Adamson, FEU vs La Salle in all-UAAP semifinals in Preseason Cup

LA SALLE against FEU in Preseason Cup semifinals — PBA MEDIA

Games today
(Filoil EcoOil Centre)
3 p.m. — NU vs Adamson
5 p.m. — FEU vs La Salle

NATIONAL U faces Adamson while fellow La Salle duels with Far Eastern U in an all-UAAP semifinals of the 2022 Filoil EcoOil Preseason Cup today at the Filoil EcoOil Centre in San Juan.

NU and La Salle sport perfect slates so far since the elimination round, making them the heavy favorites over their separate opponents at 3 p.m. and 5 p.m., respectively.

The Bulldogs extended that unblemished campaign in the playoffs with a 75-64 win over San Sebastian College-Recoletos as the Green Archers followed suit by besting College of St. Benilde, 83-74, to advance in the Final Four.

Up against gritty and equally formidable UAAP foes this time however, both squads brace for heavy resistances.

NU coach Jeff Napa said ace guard Steve Nash Enriquez has been ruled out of the rest of the Filoil tilt due to a hamstring injury.

“We can’t be complacent even though we’re undefeated. We have to be prepared at all times,” noted La Salle’s Derrick Pumaren, whose wards are thriving so far despite a juggling act in the PBA D-League finals.

Adamson and Far Eastern U, for their parts, are keen on springing upsets to arrange a final battle of their own instead as part of their UAAP preparations. — John Bryan Ulanday

Vietnam routs young South Korean in three sets

VIETNAM less team captain Tran Thi Thanh Thuy defeats South Korea in straight sets. — ASIAN VOLLEYBALL CONFEDERATION

Games Today
(PhilSports Arena)
1 p.m. — Japan vs Australia
4 p.m. — China vs Iran
7 p.m. — South Korea vs Philippines

VIETNAM rested team captain Tran Thi Thanh Thuy but still routed a young and inexperienced South Korea, 25-13, 25-13, 25-16, yesterday to seize the momentary Pool A lead in the Asian Volleyball Confederation Cup at the PhilSports Arena.

Minus Tran, nicknamed 4T but popularly called T4 by Filipino fans, the Vietnamese went to Nguyen Thi Uyen, who paced all hitters with 13 points including a couple of kill blocks that sealed the win.

The Hanoi Southeast Asian Games silver medalist finished with a 3-1 record but had 10 points, a point ahead of mighty China, which is unbeaten in three starts but has only eight points.

The Great Wall of China though could retake the top seeding with a win over Iran today.

The Vietnamese have been playing impressively despite entering the 11-day tournament as wild cards following straight set victories over the host Filipinas and the Iranians.

Vietnam also came close to shocking China before ending up dropping a five-set defeat.

The Vietnamese enter the quarterfinals oozing with confidence, knowing they have a legitimate chance of surpassing, if not replicating, their fourth-place performance in Almaty, Kazakhstan exactly a decade ago.

The Koreans, composed of high school players of mostly 15 to 16 years old, sputtered to their third straight defeat.

But they have a chance to fight for a spot to the quarters in a do-or-die duel with the Philippines at 7 p.m. tonight.

“Our goal for tomorrow (today) is to at least to win against the Philippine team,” said South Korea skipper Hwang Jimin through an interpreter. — Joey Villar

La Salle forces a winner-take-all Game 3 in D-League Aspirants’ Cup

Games On Wednesday
(Smart-Araneta Coliseum)
12 p.m. — Marinerong Pilipino
vs EcoOil-La Salle

EcoOil-La Salle hung on to a 70-63 win over Marinerong Pilipino and forced a winner-take-all Game 3 in the PBA D-League Aspirants’ Cup finals yesterday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Michael Phillips imposed his will on both ends of the floor while Evan Nelle and Kevin Quiambao provided the dagger baskets as the Green Archers recovered just in time to avoid a sweep and salvage a must-win Game 2.

Mr. Phillips, the UAAP Season 84 Mythical Five member, hauled down 18 points, 14 rebounds and four blocks, to pace La Salle that avenged its narrow 72-67 loss in Game 1 of the short race-to-two title showdown.

Schonny Winston (15) and CJ Austria (11) backstopped him for the Green Archers, who still needed the late-game heroics of Evan Nelle (8) and Kevin Quiambao (6) after nearly wasting a 10-point lead in the fourth quarter.

With the game hanging in the balance at 63-62 in the last minute, Mr. Nelle fished a foul from Kemark Cariño and converted all his three charities before Kevin Quiambao sealed it with a tough turnaround jumper in the next possession at 68-62.

“I’m proud of the way the boys kept their poise under pressure. We were playing not to lose after a big lead but we’re able to correct that and make big plays,” said coach Derrick Pumaren as La Salle takes the series to the do-or-die Game 3 next Wednesday at the same venue.

“We just came out with a strong start. We played our game unlike in the first game where we played tentative,” he added.

Motivated after falling short in the opener, La Salle started strong and took command until a 51-41 lead early in the payoff period only to allow a Marinero uprising highlighted by MVP winner Juan Gomez de Liaño’s triple in the 1:21 mark.

The triple of Mr. De Liaño, who won the Aspirants’ Cup best player award behind averages of 18.4 points, 8.4 rebounds, 6.3 assists and 1.2 steals, was the Skippers’ last hurrah to fall short in clinching the D-League crown. — John Bryan Ulanday

The Scores:

EcoOil-La Salle 70 — M. Phillips 18, Winston 15, Austria 11, Nelle 8, Nwankwo 7, Quiambao 6, Manuel 5, B. Phillips 0, Nonoy 0.

Marinerong Pilipino 63 — Go 21, Gomez de Liaño 14, Carino 14, Pido 5, Soberano 3, Nocum 2, Manlangit 2, Agustin 2, Gamboa 0, Bonifacio 0, Hernandez 0, Bonsubre 0, Lacap 0, Garcia 0.

Quarterscores: 20-10, 34-26, 49-41, 70-63.

Brooklyn Nets, Durant agree to ‘move forward’ together

KEVIN DURANT — REUTERS

THE BROOKLYN Nets and Kevin Durant will “move forward” together.

The superstar’s repeated trade demands this offseason are officially old news, according to a statement released Tuesday by Brooklyn general manager Sean Marks.

“We have agreed to move forward with our partnership,” Mr. Marks said. “We are focusing on basketball, with one collective goal in mind: build a lasting franchise to bring a championship to Brooklyn.”

Mr. Marks said that he and head coach Steve Nash and owners Joe Tsai and Clara Wu Tsai met with Mr. Durant and agent Rich Kleiman in Los Angeles on Monday.

The statement did not specifically explain what made the 33-year-old forward have a change of heart.

Mr. Durant initially asked for a trade on June 30 and doubled down this month with a request to ownership that the Nets make a change at general manager and head coach or set him free.

It now appears that Mr. Nash and Mr. Marks will keep their jobs and that Durant will remain in Brooklyn as he enters the first season of a four-year, $198 million extension he signed in August 2021.

A two-time NBA Finals MVP and four-time scoring champion, Mr. Durant joined the Nets as a free agent in 2019 alongside Kyrie Irving. Mr. Durant averaged 29.9 points, 7.4 rebounds and 6.4 assists in 55 games this past season with the Nets, who traded fellow All-Star James Harden to the Philadelphia 76ers in a blockbuster deal involving Ben Simmons.

The Nets were swept by the Boston Celtics in the first round of the 2022 NBA Playoffs.

Mr. Durant, the 2013-14 league MVP, has career averages of 27.2 points, 7.1 rebounds and 4.3 assists in 939 games with the Seattle SuperSonics/Oklahoma City Thunder (2007-16), Warriors (2016-19) and Nets.

Mr. Irving, a seven-time All-Star, picked up his $36.5 million option, though the Nets are said to be willing to listen to trade offers. He played in just 29 games last season after electing not to get vaccinated against COVID-19. — Reuters

Los Angeles Angels owner Arte Moreno to explore selling team

LOS ANGELES Angels two-way player Shohei Ohtani (L) poses for a photo with Angels owner Arte Moreno during a pregame ceremony to honor his 2021 American League MVP award at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, California, on May 10, 2022. — REUTERS

LOS ANGELES — Los Angeles Angels owner Arte Moreno on Tuesday said he has begun exploring the possibility of selling the Anaheim-based team he has owned for 20 seasons.

“Although this difficult decision was entirely our choice and deserved a great deal of thoughtful consideration, my family and I have ultimately come to the conclusion that now is the time,” Moreno said in a statement.

“Throughout this process, we will continue to run the franchise in the best interest of our fans, employees, players, and business partners.”

Moreno bought the Angels from the Walt Disney Company for $180 million in 2003, making the billionaire businessman the first Mexican American to own a major pro sports team in the United States.

The Angels won its lone World Series in 2002, shortly before Moreno purchased it, and the team has struggled in recent years with its last postseason appearance coming in 2014.

The team currently boasts two of the best players in baseball – pitching and hitting sensation and reigning AL MVP Shohei Ohtani and 10-time All-Star and three-time AL MVP slugger Mike Trout.

The Angels Organization said it had retained Galatioto Sports Partners as financial advisors for the possible sale process. — Reuters

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