Facebook Instagram Linkedin Twitter Youtube
Home Blog Page 5604

MPIC stake decision on LRT-1 to hinge on election outcome

PHILIPPINE STAR/EDD GUMBAN

METRO PACIFIC Investments Corp. (MPIC) said on Wednesday that it is considering an increased stake in Light Rail Manila Corp. (LRMC), operator of Light Rail Transit Line 1 (LRT-1), though a final decision will depend on the outcome of the May 9 elections.

Its partner in LRT-1, Ayala Corp., has expressed an intention to divest.

“We are looking at it… but it will depend on the outcome of the elections actually, (as) we need to understand what the new President might expect from LRT-1 because we have pending applications for tariff adjustments,” MPIC Chairman Manuel V. Pangilinan said during a briefing. 

“We have spent quite a bit of money to rehabilitate the existing system of LRT-1. I think starting today, the generation-4 train sets will be deployed… and we have started the construction of the extension of the LRT-1,” he added.

LRMC is a joint venture whose members are MPIC’s Metro Pacific Light Rail Corp. (MPLRC), Ayala Corp.’s AC Infrastructure Holdings Corp. (AC Infra), Sumitomo Corp., and the Philippine Investment Alliance for Infrastructure’s Macquarie Investments Holdings (Philippines) PTE Ltd.

MPIC said MPLRC has “an aggregate 55% interest” in LRMC. “MPIC’s effective stake in LRMC (through MPLRC) as of Dec. 31, 2021 was 35.8%,” it said in its annual report.

On its website, AC Infra said it has a 35% stake in the joint venture.

“I think the tariff adjustments are about 36% behind of what they should be, and we have actually given applications for the last three adjustments,” LRMC President and Chief Executive Officer Juan F. Alfonso said at the briefing.

“The group has continued to build the Cavite extension despite the pandemic,” he added.

The company said the generation-4 trains will start running along the LRT line 1 beginning on Wednesday night, May 4, and thereafter, during off-peak hours and weekends to demonstrate reliability and performance including their compliance with the technical and operational requirements.

Its target for the commercial use of the first generation-4 train set is by the end of May. 

Last week, the Ayala group said in a statement: “To realize the remainder of our target, we are working on divesting our remaining thermal assets, our interest in the LRT-1, and some of our non-core businesses.”

The group aims to reconfigure its portfolio “with an increased focus on value realization to fund future investments and strengthen (its) balance sheet, targeting to raise $1 billion in proceeds by 2023.”

MPIC 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 an interest in BusinessWorld through the Philippine Star Group, which it controls. — Arjay L. Balinbin

BIR adds new devices to list of COVID goods exempted from VAT

UNSPLASH

THE Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) said the list of pandemic goods exempt from value-added tax (VAT) has been expanded to include a new set of devices used in treating coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

In Revenue Memorandum Circular (RMC) 66 issued on May 2, the BIR endorsed a proposal from the Food and Drug Administration to grant VAT exemptions to more devices, in addition to the exemptions currently enjoyed by other products deemed vital in treating persons infected with the virus.

According to an annex to the RMC, the products included in the exempt list were air purifying respirators, negative-pressure steridomes, individual biocontaminant units, airway domes, negative-pressure respiratory systems, patient isolation transport unit devices, airborne isolation hood devices, continuous positive airway pressure circuits, intermittent positive pressure breathing devices, remote or wearable patient monitoring devices, patient isolation transport units, and symptom screening tools.

Removed from the exempt list were medical gas cylinders for oxygen as well as oxygen tanks.

The annex also clarified the exempt status of all types of ventilator.

The exemptions are authorized by the Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises (CREATE) Act.

Non-exempt imported equipment and other pandemic goods are subject to 12% VAT.

According to the Department of Health’s COVID and Vaccination trackers, as of May 3, the Philippines had 5,145 active infections, while as of May 2, over 68 million individuals were completely vaccinated.

Over 13 million booster shots were also administered.

Most areas in the Philippines will remain under Alert Level 1 on election day, May 9, after the government’s pandemic task force extended the alert until May 15. — Tobias Jared Tomas

PHL, South Korea exchange loan documents on Panay-Guimaras-Negros bridge study funding

DPWH

THE Department of Finance (DoF) said the Philippines has exchanged loan documents with the Korea-Economic Development and Cooperation Fund to finance preliminary studies on the Panay-Guimaras-Negros Island Bridges Project.

In a statement on Wednesday, the DoF said Finance Secretary Carlos G. Dominguez III represented the Philippines in the document exchange. The $56.6-million loan, the agreement for which was signed last month, will fund preliminary design, detailed engineering design, and procurement assistance activities. 

The bridges project “involves the construction of two sea-crossing, four-lane bridges spanning 32.47-kilometers (km) combined — including connecting roads and interchanges — that will connect the islands of Panay, Guimaras and Negros in Western Visayas,” the DoF said.

The project is a component of the government’s “Build, Build, Build” infrastructure program.

The 40-year loan charges zero interest, but collects a 0.1% service charge per disbursement. The lender has granted a 10-year grace period.

Construction of the bridge project, which will cost an estimated P187.54 billion, is expected to start by 2025, with engineering services to begin sometime this year.

In a separate statement, on Wednesday, the DoF said Mr. Dominguez, who is in Tokyo, raised the possibility of further loans from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) to fund the Philippines’ climate adaption and mitigation projects.

Mr. Dominguez discussed the prospects of such financing at a meeting with Outgoing JICA President Akihiko Tanaka and his successor, Shinichi Kitaoka.

“Mr. Tanaka expressed his openness to Secretary Dominguez’s proposal and said JICA would be willing to explore climate projects in the Philippines targeting specific localities and addressing climate change-related threats,” the DoF said.

A study by the Department of Energy and the World Bank indicates the potential for 21 gigawatts  of offshore wind power in the Philippines by 2040, which would account for a projected 21% of energy capacity.  — Tobias Jared Tomas

Warning issued against flouting price tag rules, including online businesses   

TIRACHARDZ -FREEPIK

RETAILERS, including online sellers, have been warned to display appropriate prices for goods on sale, with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) describing as “shady” the practice of only releasing the price of online goods via private messages (PMs).

In a statement on Wednesday, the DTI’s Consumer Protection Group said Article 81 of Republic Act No. 7394 or the Consumer Act requires the appropriate display of goods prices, more than which retailers are not allowed to charge.

It said business owners also need to comply with Section 5 of Republic Act No. 7581 or the Price Act, which regulates pricing of basic necessities or prime commodities. The law considers the absence of price tags on such goods “prima facie evidence of profiteering.”

The DTI added that it launched an online campaign against PM price inquiries, cracking down on online vendors who hide prices as a marketing strategy in violation of the Consumer Act.

“The ‘PM Sent culture’ is the shady practice of online sellers who send private messages to consumers inquiring on the price of a product,” the DTI said, adding that such violators are liable for fines of P200-P5,000 as well as imprisonment of between one and six months.

The DTI said it recently issued Joint Administrative Order (JAO) No. 22-01 which sought to consolidate all the rules for online businesses, including their obligation to display prices.

“We are firm in enforcing these laws, especially on the requirement of price tags, to ensure consumers’ right to choose quality products at reasonable prices,” Trade Undersecretary Ruth B. Castelo said.

Other signatories to the JAO were the Departments of Agriculture, Health, and Environment and Natural Resources, as well as the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines and the National Privacy Commission. — Revin Mikhael D. Ochave 

DTI’s Lopez sees job creation programs continuing in next administration

PHILIPPINE STAR FILE PHOTO

TRADE Secretary Ramon M. Lopez expects a degree of continuity with the next government in programs related to job creation and support for small businesses.

He said his evaluation of all the Presidential and legislative candidates’ platforms indicates broad support for job creation initiatives and small-business aid programs.

“Sila ay pro-job creation… Naririnig din natin ang micro, small, and medium (MSME) development. Lahat sila sumusuporta sa ganitong programa at polisiya (They are all pro-job creation. We also hear interest in developing MSMEs. They all support programs and policies like these),” Mr. Lopez said at a Laging Handa briefing on Wednesday.

“Kaya nakikita natin ’yung continuity ng itong priority agenda na ito kahit sino ang manalo (Whoever wins, we see continuity of these priority agenda items),” he added.

Some of the economic reforms passed recently were amendments to the Public Service Act, Retail Trade Liberalization Act, and Foreign Investment Act, which aim to encourage more foreign investment, whose impact will start reflecting in the economy’s performance after Mr. Duterte steps down.

“We will reap the benefits of these reforms in the next administration,” Mr. Lopez said.

Mr. Lopez said he supports a second booster shot for priority individuals classified in the A1, A2, and A3 categories.

“We are pushing in the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) for the giving of second COVID-19 booster shots at least in the next level after the immunocompromised. This means the A1, A2, and A3 so that we can widen the use and protection of Filipinos and prevent a surge,” Mr. Lopez said.

“We are just waiting for the review of the Health Technology Assessment Council (HTAC). They are reviewing this request. I think they are still waiting for the approval of the World Health Organization (WHO) so that there is basis in the decision,” he added.

The only individuals allowed to have the second COVID-19 booster shot are immunocompromised individuals, starting on April 25. The A1 category consists of frontline health workers, while A2 includes senior citizens. The A3 category is for persons with comorbidities. — Revin Mikhael D. Ochave

Sugar planters threaten to sue Dar over import policy

UNSPLASH

SUGAR PLANTERS said they plan to file charges against Agriculture Secretary William D. Dar and Sugar Regulatory Administrator Hermenegildo R. Serafica for authorizing sugar imports via Sugar Order (SO) No. 3.

In a statement, United Sugar Producers Federation President Manuel R. Lamata said the group will ask the courts to issue immediate warrants of arrest against the two officials for “disrespecting the powers of the courts and bypassing the rights of sugar stakeholders, (who) sought status quo on SO No. 3.”

SO No. 3 authorizes imports of 200,000 metric tons of refined sugar to add to the supply buffers between sugar seasons, according to the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA).

In February, the Sagay City and Himamaylan City Regional Trial Courts issued separate preliminary injunctions against SO No. 3.

In a memorandum dated May 2, the SRA said it is processing applications from sugar traders except those in Region VI, or the Western Visayas.

“The exception of Region VI stems from the fact that we successfully filed a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) against SO No. 3 and got a writ of preliminary injunction which in effect puts everything in status quo until resolved by the courts,” Mr. Lamata said.

“This sheer defiance of the courts’ orders from Mr. Dar and Mr. Serafica in order to cater to industrial users, particularly the beverages companies, must be stopped, investigated and if warranted, be prosecuted,” he added.

The planters said they will also “file corresponding charges (against) all traders who will participate in this import program, for making a mockery of the law.”

“It is very clear that someone is out to make money in this exercise knowing that they are on their way out, at the expense of the sugar industry. Now they are at it again but we will not take this sitting down. We will haul them back to the courts and we hope this time, they will serve their last few weeks in office inside the jail,” Mr. Lamata added.

In a statement, Mr. Serafica said that the SRA will stand by its decision to import, as it is in possession of data confirming low sugar supplies.

“We stand by our data which is based on our weekly monitoring of sugar production, sugar stock balances and sugar prices,” he said.

“Everyone is aware that sugar prices have been high and continue to go up weekly.  It is clear from these data that we need to augment our sugar supply at the soonest possible time to ensure food security in sugar and food products using sugar as well as arrest the continuing increase in sugar prices, which affects inflation,” he added.

Meanwhile, Mr. Dar said during a televised briefing on Tuesday that the department will be proceeding with the sugar order in areas outside the TRO’s coverage.

“We are making our due diligence and have consulted with various instrumentalities of the government…we can proceed with SO No. 3 to move forward outside the areas where the TRO was filed,” he said. — Luisa Maria Jacinta C. Jocson

Tax incentives for educational institutions: Are they finally right?

Election day is fast approaching. On Monday, registered voters will be choosing executive and legislative officials who will be serving for the next three to six years. Taking heed of the old election slogan “Vote wisely,” my list includes candidates with education reform as part of their advocacy. As stated in this column by my colleague last year, education is unarguably one of the greatest pillars of a strong and stable nation. It’s of some relevance, then, to examine how our policymakers dealt with tax regulations on proprietary educational institutions (PEIs) when they issued Revenue Regulations (RR) No. 3-2022.

As a brief refresher: Congress recently passed massive tax reforms like the Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises (CREATE) Act. Among the changes introduced was the grant of a 1% preferential corporate income tax (PCIT) rate for PEIs and nonprofit hospitals, effective from July 1, 2020 to June 30, 2023. When the tax man released the implementing rules and regulations (RR No. 5-2021), PEIs were left distraught because the promised tax relief, in the form of the 1% PCIT, proved elusive. RR No. 5-2021 defined PEIs as nonprofit private schools, which is seemingly a contradiction — being proprietary logically means that such private schools operate for profit. As long as this ruling stood, PEIs were unable to avail of the 1% PCIT.

The controversy stemmed from the incorrect interpretation of Section 27(B) of the Tax Code, such that nonprofit was made applicable to both hospitals and PEIs. Thankfully, the tax man issued immediate corrective measures by suspending the implementation of the RR No. 5-2021 provisions relating to “nonprofit” PEIs.

To prevent further confusion, Congress passed Republic Act (RA) No. 11635 in December 2021 to further amend Section 27(B). Now worded, Section 27(B) applies to “hospitals which are nonprofit and proprietary educational institutions.” To this end, RR No. 3-2022 was issued as the implementing regulation for the amended Section 27(B).

Under the recent RR, PEIs refer to “any private school(s) maintained and administered by private individuals or groups, with an issued permit to operate from the Department of Education (DepEd) or the Commission of Higher Education (CHED) or the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), as the case may be, in accordance with existing laws and regulations.” The definition of PEIs now excludes the word nonprofit, rightfully so, if I may add. It also reiterated that PEIs and nonprofit hospitals are subject to PCIT of 10% on their taxable income, or a lower rate of 1% beginning 1 July 2020 to 30 June 2023. The 10% (or 1%) PCIT is on the condition that the PEIs’ and nonprofit hospitals’ gross income from unrelated trade, business, or other activities does not exceed 50% of their total gross income from all sources. Otherwise, if the threshold is breached, the regular corporate income tax (RCIT) of 25% will apply to their entire taxable income.

While the conundrum over PEIs’ entitlement to PCIT has been finally and completely resolved under RR No. 3-2022, it is worth noting that other pronouncements of the RR created new areas of concern.

First, the coverage of the 10% (and 1%) PCIT was expanded to include nonstock nonprofit (NSNP) educational institutions whose net income or assets accrue/inure to or benefit any member or specific person (or with “income inurement” benefit). For several reasons, it is undue legislation of the Tax Code and RA No. 11635.

Section 27(B) specifically mentioned PEIs and nonprofit hospitals only. The expansion in coverage thus constitutes an undue delegation of legislative power, altering Congressional intentions of the law. Further, under Article XIV Section 4(3) of the 1987 Constitution, all revenue and assets of NSNP educational institutions in so far as they are used actually, directly, and exclusively for educational purposes shall be exempt from taxes and duties. The entitlement to tax exemption depends on how the revenue is used. If the actual, direct, and exclusive use criteria are not met, the RCIT should apply to such revenue absent any other legislation providing tax exemptions or other tax incentives. Then, there is no authority or basis for the RR to extend the PCIT to NSNP educational institutions, even if such incentive is limited to those with income inurement benefit only. It also bears mentioning that nonstock nonprofit is inconsistent with income inurement. Under the Revised Corporation Code, to be a “nonstock” corporation, no part of its income must be distributed as dividends to its members, trustees, or officers. Following this, an NSNP educational institution cannot have an “income inurement” benefit, as the former negates the latter.

Second, RR No. 3-2022 states that if the ratio of gross income from unrelated trade, business, or other activity to total gross income exceeds 50%, the 25% RCIT applies to the entire taxable income. Whereas Section 27(B) of the Tax Code provides that, in such a case, the tax prescribed under Section 27(A) will apply. Under subsection (A), a lower RCIT rate of 20% is available to corporations with net taxable income not exceeding P5 million and with total assets not exceeding P100 million, excluding land on which the office, plant, and equipment are situated. By explicitly mentioning the “25% regular corporate income tax rate prescribed under Section 27(A)”, it thus appears that the lower 20% RCIT is not made available to PEIs and nonprofit hospitals, exceeding the allowable gross income ratio.

Respectfully, I urge our tax authorities to revisit the above provisions of RR No. 3-2022, having modified or expanded the laws for their implementation.

On a positive note, with the release of RR No. 3-2022, PEIs may breathe easy and find solace that the PCIT, which they’re entitled to by legislative intent and declaration, can now be availed of without apprehensions. Nonetheless, it is with the hope that the tax man will likewise revisit the regulation to issue the necessary clarifications on the PCIT of NSNP educational institutions and the lower 20% RCIT for PEIs and nonprofit hospitals.

The views or opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of Isla Lipana & Co. The content is for general information purposes only, and should not be used as a substitute for specific advice.

 

Dorothy Jane Puguon is an assistant manager at the Tax Services Department of Isla Lipana & Co., the Philippine member firm of PricewaterhouseCoopers global network

dorothy.jane.puguon@pwc.com

Human Rights Watch urges gov’t to drop drug charges vs De Lima

PHILIPPINE STAR/ MICHAEL VARCAS

HUMAN Rights Watch on Wednesday urged the Philippine government to free an opposition senator on trial for drug trafficking after two key witnesses claimed to have been coerced by authorities into implicating her.

“Senator Leila de Lima has suffered five years in detention for an alleged crime that key witnesses now dispute,” Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch, said in a statement. 

“The authorities should immediately drop the politically motivated charges and release her, and impartially investigate the witnesses’ claims that they were coerced to give false testimony,” he added.

Ms. De Lima, one of President Rodrigo R. Duterte’s most outspoken critics, has been in jail since Feb. 2017 for allegedly receiving money from drug lords while serving as Justice secretary in 2012. She has denied the charges.

In a four-page affidavit dated April 30, former Bureau of Corrections Director General and ex-National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Deputy Director Rafael Z. Ragos took back his allegations that Ms. De Lima received P5 million in drug money from him — care of convicted drug lord Peter Co — when she was still Justice secretary in 2012. She allegedly used the fund to finance her senatorial bid in 2016. 

Ms. De Lima said the Justice department’s decision to keep her in jail is dubious. “Once they lose the moral certainty to have me convicted beyond reasonable doubt, it is their duty to withdraw the cases,” she said in a statement on Tuesday.

“There are many things questionable about the cases against me. The recantation of witnesses is not one of them. If anything, this is the only thing that makes sense: It’s proof that the truth will always come out,” she added.

Presidential spokesman Jose Martin M. Andanar said the courts should decide Ms. De Lima’s fate. “It is in the courts right now, let us simply let the law run its course,” he told a news briefing.

Self-confessed drug lord Kerwin Espinosa has also retracted his testimonies implicating Ms. De Lima, saying the police had coerced him to testify against the senator during Senate hearings investigating the country’s illegal drug trade.

One of the three drug charges against Ms. De Lima has been dismissed. Two are pending in court.

“Senator De Lima should be included among the casualties of President Duterte’s catastrophic ‘drug war,’” Mr. Robertson said. “The senator’s imprisonment is among the low points of Duterte’s presidency, and the thousands of families still suffering from his punitive policies would doubtlessly welcome her release.”

Tens of thousands of drug suspects have died in police anti-drug operations, many of them allegedly killed after resisting arrest, according to the United Nations. At least 122 children were killed in the government’s deadly drug war between July 2016 and Dec. 2019, according to the World Organization Against Torture. 

In 2018, Mr. Duterte said extrajudicial murders happened under his administration’s drug war. The Philippine Commission on Human Rights has said the state was violating human rights for failing to stop police abuse. 

The International Criminal Court (ICC) has ordered an investigation of Mr. Duterte’s crackdown on illegal drugs, as it found “reasonable basis” that crimes against humanity might have been committed.

Meanwhile, former Justice Secretary Vitaliano N. Aguirre II denied Mr. Ragos’s claim that he had coerced him to testify against Ms. De Lima.

“I was genuinely surprised at the statement of Mr. Rafael R. Ragos that I coerced him to execute affidavits involving Senator Leila de Lima in the drug trade in the Bilibid prisons,” he said in a statement. “I was never involved in any efforts to coerce him.”

Mr. Ragos earlier said Mr. Aguirre had forced him to testify against Ms. De Lima or risk imprisonment.

Mr. Aguirre said he had left the Justice department in 2018, a year before Mr. Ragos testified in court.

Mr. Espinosa separately affirmed that police had forced him to implicate the senator during Senate hearings investigating the illegal drug trade inside the national jail when she was still Justice secretary.

Ms. De Lima in a statement on Monday noted that despite being five years too late, the retractions have affirmed her innocence.

Political and human rights experts have said that the retractions of the two witnesses showed how the country’s justice system could be easily abused.

The European Commission in October said it was closely monitoring political developments in the Philippines after flagging “serious concerns” about the country’s human rights situation.

The body is engaging with the Philippines through political and technical dialogue backed by “rigorous analysis” of the situation on the ground, said a spokesman for the commission who asked not to be named.

The European Parliament in 2020 asked the commission to start the process of withdrawing trade incentives from the Philippines after the government failed to improve the country’s human rights situation.  — Alyssa Nicole O. Tan and John Victor D. Ordoñez

Filipinos told not to wear campaign shirts on May 9

PHILIPPINE STAR/ MIGUEL ANTONIO DE GUZMAN

By Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza, Reporter

THE COMMISSION on Elections on Wednesday reminded Filipinos that wearing campaign shirts on election day is illegal.

       “We won’t dictate upon voters and prohibit them from wearing the campaign color of a candidate,” Election Commissioner George Erwin M. Garcia told an online news briefing in Filipino. “Remember, campaigning on May 9 is banned.”

He said election watchers might flag voters who wear campaign materials inside voting precincts.

“If you wear a face mask or clothes with the face of a candidate, I am sure the watcher inside the voting precinct will object,” he added.

Former Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos, Jr., the frontrunner in opinion polls who snubbed presidential debates, on Tuesday night focused on his unity message.

“Turn our back on misunderstanding and divisiveness,” he said in a video message posted on his Facebook page. “Support a unifying leader who will bring us to a prosperous tomorrow.”

He also asked people to guard their votes. “Let us protect our decision and let us not allow it to be stolen from us again.”

Vice-President Maria Leonor “Leni” G. Robredo, No. 2 in presidential opinion polls, defeated him in the 2016 vice-presidential race by a hair.

Mr. Marcos filed an election protested that the Supreme Court dismissed last year.

Ms. Robredo in a video also posted on her Facebook page on Tuesday night reiterated her economic recovery plan.

“Marcos’s campaign is centered on refurbishing his family’s image instead of presenting a much-needed economic recovery plan for the country,” said Cielo D. Magno, a professor at the University of the Philippines’ (UP) School of Economics.

He “continues to stick with his motherhood statements about unity, hoping that it is sufficient to convince Filipinos to vote for him,” she said in a Facebook Messenger chat.

On the other hand, Ms. Robredo’s latest video showed “her seriousness and commitment in finding solutions to the problems that beset our country,” she added.

Her participation in presidential debates, where she “presented her priorities and share her point of views about the structural problems of the country,” allowed ordinary Filipinos and businessmen to gauge her economic plan, Ms. Magno said.

“This is the minimum that we should expect from our presidential candidates.”

Mr. Marcos should have focused on his socioeconomic platforms during the campaign season, said John Paolo R. Rivera, an economist at the Asian Institute of Management.

“Unity is a consequence of good socioeconomic platforms that aim to improve societal well-being,” he said in a Viber message. “You cannot dissect unity anymore.”

Emy Ruth G. Gianan, who teaches economics at the Polytechnic University of the Philippines, said only Ms. Robredo and labor leader Leodegario “Ka Leody” de Guzman had detailed their economic plans.

“Leody anchors his plan on a labor-first economic policy — ending worker contractualization, institution of a wealth tax and removing the Automatic Debt Appropriation Law,” she said in Messenger chat.

“VP Leni intends to strengthen four key industries — marine, climate, digital and manufacturing — toward gainful employment,” she added.

“She is also keen to create unemployment insurance, open to a wealth tax and amendments to economic provisions of the 1987 Constitution to allow more foreign investments in the country.”

Jeffrey A. Arapoc, an economist at the UP Los Baños, said Mr. Marcos’s focus on unity warning of possible election cheating was a “very strategic move.”

“Having the best economic platform will not win you an election,” he said in a Messenger chat.

Zyza Nadine Suzara, a public finance expert and executive director at I-Lead, said Ms. Robredo’s video message was people-centered.

“This is starkly different from Marcos Jr,’s video,” she said. “Instead of putting people at the center, he emphasized his own political and legal battle against VP Leni.”

“Worse, his statement about being cheated casts doubt on the Supreme Court,” she added. “This is a red flag. It shows that he does not respect our democratic institutions.”

Meanwhile, Senator Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson, No. 5 in presidential opinion polls, said he had managed to enlighten voters at his town hall meetings.

“We will leave a legacy for the next elections by improving our election culture from the current one where those who know how to entertain and smooth-talk are the projected winners,” he said in a statement.

Senator and boxing champion Emmanuel “Manny” D. Pacquiao, Sr. said he was confident of winning because he was supported by the masses.

The poor have grown tired of the promises of a better life from traditional politicians, he said in a statement.

His campaign manager Salvador Zamora told the ABS-CBN Channel they expect about 12 million votes from people who were promised free housing during Mr. Pacquiao’s campaign.

He also expects half of the so-called Christian community to vote for the boxing champ. “We expect the winning vote to be somewhere around 16 million to 20 million.” — with Alyssa Nicole O. Tan

BSP should order removal of online cockfighting feature in e-wallet apps 

PAGCOR.PH

THE PHILIPPINE central bank should order the removal of online cockfighting features in electronic wallet (e-wallet) applications following President Rodrigo R. Duterte’s order to stop the gaming operations, said a senator on Wednesday. 

“(Since) the President has reversed the opinion of the Department of Justice and the Solicitor General’s Office which served as bases for PAGCOR (Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation) in issuing licenses… the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) should likewise cut that cord,” Senator Francis N. Tolentino said in a statement in a mix of English and Filipino.  

He cited that the central bank’s basis for granting permits to e-wallets GCash and PayMaya in relation to electronic cockfighting, popularly known as e-sabong, were based on the Justice secretary’s opinion.   

Removing the virtual cockfighting features from those e-wallet services will avert possible illegal betting from unsanctioned cockfights, said Mr. Tolentino.   

The reason that e-sabong earned hundreds of millions in the first place is because of licenses issued allowing bets to be placed in e-wallet applications, he added.  

PAGCOR estimated revenues from online cockfighting averaged P400 million monthly last year and P640 million a month since Jan. 2022.  

Congress has been urged to pass a law regulating online cockfighting. — Alyssa Nicole O. Tan 

Comelec demonstrates protocols for voters with COVID symptoms  

PHILIPPINE STAR/ RUSSELL PALMA

VOTERS who will arrive at polling precincts on May 9 with coronavirus symptoms such as high body temperature will not be disenfranchised as health protocols have been set and will be implemented nationwide.   

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Wednesday held a public step-by-step demonstration of the procedures at the Araullo High School in Manila, which was streamed live on the agency’s official Facebook page.   

Symptomatic voters will be asked to sign a waiver and will be promptly escorted by Comelec staff to a designated isolated polling place, which could be separate booths or classrooms.   

At the same venue, poll officials also held the final testing and sealing of vote-counting machines that will be deployed for these specialized areas. 

The isolation stations and protocols will be similar to what was implemented in last year’s Palawan plebiscite, the first electoral exercise conducted in the country during the pandemic.  

Election Commissioner Aimee S. Torrefrance-Neri, who heads the Comelec’s “new normal” committee, earlier said the election body will create its own medical advisory board to help develop more timely policies and guidelines for the public.  

She also said that Comelec would set up medical desks in polling venues to attend to voters with health-related concerns on election day.  

Comelec in March issued an order allowing persons with disabilities, senior citizens, and pregnant voters to cast their ballots in special voting areas that will have ramps, sign language interpreters, and accessible washrooms.  

Last week, Comelec Commissioner George Erwin M. Garcia told reporters in a Viber message that face shields, vaccination cards, and negative RT-PCR test results would not be required during the elections.  

Mr. Jimenez earlier noted that there are about 105,000 polling precincts this year compared to 80,000 during the 2019 elections to allow for distancing.   

A total of 37,219 public schools will be used as polling centers across the country, Education Secretary Leonor M. Briones said during the televised Laging Handa briefing on Wednesday. — John Victor D. Ordoñez 

Pilar town in Abra, Misamis Occidental province placed under Comelec control

PCADG CORDILLERA

THE COMMISSION on Elections (Comelec) has placed the province of Misamis Occidental and the town of Pilar in Abra under its control due to security concerns and election-related violence, according to its chairman. 

Comelec Chairman Saidamen B. Pangarungan said in a statement on Wednesday that the decision to place these areas under the agency’s control is based on the recommendation of the joint regional security control center in Mindanao for Misamis Occidental, and the election director of the Cordillera Administrative Region for Pilar.  

“The residents in areas under Comelec Control should have no apprehension and fear in such a status as the declaration will ensure that there will be clean, honest, peaceful, and orderly elections,” he said during the ceremonial send-off of security forces at Camp Crame in Quezon City, according to a transcript sent to reporters.   

“It is designed to facilitate the freedom of each and every voter to cast their ballots without fear for their life and limb. Our troops and civilian officials, who all of you represent today, will see to it that your sacred right is protected.”  

Mr. Pangarungan noted that the areas had numerous reports of election-related violence during the campaign period and in the run-up to voting day on May 9.  

The Mindanao joint regional security control center — which is composed of the police and military — said the aggression in Misamis Occidental, located in the Northern Mindanao region, could spill over to neighboring areas.   

Last March, a mayoral candidate in Calamba town in Misamis Occidental was shot by an unknown assailant on a motorcycle. 

In Pilar, Abra, a shooting incident in March led to the killing of a bodyguard of the incumbent vice mayor while a police officer was injured.   

Under the Constitution and Comelec resolutions, the election body can put a locality under its control if there is a history of intense rivalry among political parties, incidents of politically-motivated violence involving candidates, presence of private armed groups, or serious armed threats posed by terrorist groups.  

Comelec recently amended its gun ban rules, which included giving authority to the Comelec chief to declare election areas of concern under the agency’s control.  

“Ultimately, I urge all of you to defend the sovereign will of the people,” Mr. Pangarungan said. “Our duty is to respect the will of the people regardless of our personal feelings on the matter. Let us uphold our mandate, obey lawful orders, and perform our tasks objectively.” — John Victor D. Ordoñez 

1...5,6035,6045,605...13,373Page 5,604 of 13,373
© 2024 BusinessWorld Publishing.
All rights reserved.
Read our privacy guidelines
Facebook Instagram Linkedin Twitter Youtube