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Philippines insists on probing its own drug war

PHILIPPINE STAR/ GABRIEL BONJOC

By John Victor D. Ordoñez, Reporter

THE PHILIPPINES will pursue all legal remedies to block an investigation by the International Criminal Court (ICC) of the government’s deadly war on drugs, and ensure any suspects are tried by the local courts, the country’s chief lawyer said on Wednesday.

Philippine Solicitor General Menardo I. Guevarra on Wednesday said his office was considering the response to ICC Prosecutor Karim Ahmad A. Khan, who rejected the government’s plea to deny his request to reopen the ICC probe.

The state “vigorously pursues its own investigation and prosecution of crimes committed in relation to the government’s so-called war on drugs, all within the framework of our own legal and judicial system,” the Philippine Solicitor General told reporters in a Viber message.

In a 21-page letter to the international tribunal’s pre-trial chamber dated Sept. 22, Mr. Khan said the ICC has jurisdiction to probe the Philippines, contrary to the state’s claim.

“The prosecution respectfully reiterates its request that the chamber order the resumption of the investigation into the situation in the Republic of the Philippines,” he said, citing the ICC charter.

Mr. Guevarra, ex-President Rodrigo R. Duterte’s Justice secretary, earlier told the tribunal the alleged murders of drug suspects in police raids were not crimes against humanity because these were not “attacks against the civilian population.”

The ICC prosecutor disagreed, saying the Philippines had not submitted concrete evidence to disprove the pre-trial chamber’s conclusion that extralegal killings during the drug war were part of a “widespread and systematic attack against a civilian population.”

“The Office of the Solicitor General is presently considering whether there is a need to reply to the prosecutor’s response,” Mr. Guevarra said.

He noted that the ICC had yet to rule on the government’s request to deny the reopening of the court’s drug war probe.

In June, Mr. Khan asked the international tribunal’s pre-trial chamber to reopen the probe since the Philippines had allegedly failed to show it had probed crimes related to the campaign.

The Hague-based tribunal, which tries people charged with genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and aggression, suspended its probe of Mr. Duterte’s deadly war on drugs last year upon the Philippine government’s request.

The court was also set to probe vigilante-style killings in Davao City when Mr. Duterte was still its vice mayor and mayor.

The former president canceled Philippine membership in the ICC in 2018. President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. has said the Philippines would not rejoin the international court.

Mr. Duterte would try to block the ICC probe of his deadly drug war and would not allow foreign interference, his lawyer said last month.

Also on Wednesday, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin C. Remulla said the government is still looking at cases connected to the drug war.

“We have to treat each case individually and we have to do these in accordance with the evidence gathered,” he said in a Facebook video. “We cannot speculate.”

“Here comes a foreigner who thinks he knows the Philippines more than we do, who thinks it is so easy to run the government from our side of the fence,” he added, referring to the international court’s prosecutor.

The Department of Justice (DoJ) has brought five of the 52 cases involving 150 police officers to court since it started its own probe last year.

Mr. Remulla has said he wanted to extend the Witness Protection Program to officers who are willing to testify on extralegal killings under the Duterte administration’s anti-illegal drug campaign.

Under the Witness Protection Security and Benefit Act, law enforcers are barred from acting as state witnesses.

“If they have nothing to hide, the government should be more than willing to show the records and prove that the arrests, killings, etc. were all done according to the law,” Arjan P. Aguirre, who teaches political science at the Ateneo de Manila University, said in a Facebook Messenger chat.

He added that the government should focus on investigating its own ranks, especially those who were part of Mr. Duterte’s Cabinet.

Neri J. Colmenares, a former congressman and chairman of the National Union of People’s Lawyers, said the ICC probe should continue.

“The arguments submitted by the solicitor general merely rehashed its previous arguments that the Philippines is already investigating and prosecuting police officers,” he said in a statement.

He also called on the president to rejoin the ICC to assure Filipinos that “widespread and systematic attacks against civilians” would not continue under his presidency.

“We do not need to debate the ICC,” Antonio M. La Viña, a human rights lawyer and former dean of the Ateneo de Manila University School of Government, said in a Facebook Messenger chat. “Clearly, the domestic justice system is not working with respect to these killings.”

The Philippine Human Rights Commission has said the Duterte government had encouraged a culture of impunity by hindering independent inquiries and failing to prosecute erring cops.

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

Meanwhile, Senator Ronald M. dela Rosa, Mr. Duterte’s former police chief, said the request to open the probe was an insult to the country’s justice system.

“If they come here to investigate, it is like a slap in the face of our judges and a kick in the head of the DoJ,” he told a press briefing in Filipino, based on a transcript sent to reporters.

Mr. dela Rosa told the ABS-CBN News Channel in July he would rather be tried by local courts.

Data from the Philippine government released in June 2021 showed at least 6,117 suspected drug dealers had been killed in police operations. Human rights groups estimate that as many as 30,000 suspects died.

The United Nations Office of the Commissioner for Human Rights earlier said the government’s probe of human rights violations in connection with its deadly drug war lacks transparency.

Also on Wednesday, former Deputy Executive Secretary Richard P. Palpal-latoc has been appointed chairman of the Commission on Human Rights (CHR), the agency said in a statement. He will serve a full seven-year term until 2029.

He used to be an assistant city prosecutor and a lawyer of the Social Welfare department.

Mr. Marcos also appointed this month Beda A. Epres as commissioner. He needs to name three more commissioners to complete the five-member en banc.

Ditch president’s P4.5-B intel funds, congressmen told

OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE PHILIPPINES - MALACANANG FACEBOOK PAGE

By Kyanna Angela Bulan

A CONGRESSMAN on Wednesday asked his peers to cut the Philippine president’s P4.5-billion intelligence and confidential budgets and channel these to agencies that need more funds.

During a House of Representatives plenary debate on the 2023 budget, Albay Rep. Edcel C. Lagman said they should be very frugal in allotting such funds.

The Office of the President is asking for P2.25 billion in confidential and P2.25 billion in intelligence funds.

Mr. Lagman said the amount should instead be given to programs on education, rural electrification, free rides, cancer prevention and treatment and family planning, among other things.

He said the president’s intelligence and confidential funds are bigger than any of the budgets of the Civil Service Commission (P1.9 billion), Commission of Human Rights (P833.7 million), Human Settlements department (P1.4 billion), Tourism department (P3.5 billion) and Office of the Press Secretary (P1.5 billion).

It is as big as the budget of the Commission of Elections (P4.9 billion) and Office of the Ombudsman (P4.7 billion), he added.

Mr. Lagman noted that on top of the confidential and intelligence funds, the president has direct control of similar funds embedded in various government agencies.

“For the proposed 2023 General Appropriations Bill, there is a total of P9.2 billion in confidential and intelligence funds in the budget of various agencies including the Office of the President,” he added.

Among the agencies also with intelligence funds are the general headquarters of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (P1.2 billion), police (P806 million), Army (P444 million), Office of the Vice President (P500 million) and Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (P500 million), the congressman said.

Party-list Rep. Raoul Danniel A. Manuel said the P4.5 billion is half of the P8.97-billion budget of the Office of the President.

The intel fund is equivalent to the salary increase for 460,000 teachers, one of the campaign promises of President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr., he added.

The money is better used to increase the salary of 368,000 nonteaching staff, repair 6,800 classrooms, build 31,200 school chairs, hire 9,300 nurses for schools, help 1.6 million people who depend on state aid and 440,000 poor students, Mr. Manuel said.

“There is a good reason to reconsider the allocation of the confidential and intelligence funds of the Office of the President,” policy analyst Michael Henry Ll. Yusingco said in a Facebook Messenger chat. “It is only prudent to question why the Office of the President needs a separate allocation.”

“This is exactly the time when our lawmakers should be more stringent in allocating taxpayers’ money,” he added.

The Marcos government appears to be continuing the practice of its predecessor of allotting bloated confidential and intelligence funds, IBON Foundation Executive Director Sonny A. Africa said in a Messenger chat.

“These are huge funds that should technically still be subjected to audit and oversight but are not, given our deeply flawed political system, especially as far as the president is concerned,” he added.

“There was no reason for such bloated funds before and even less so now with more and more Filipino families facing worsening social distress,” Mr. Africa said.

“Most of the Congress is part of the Marcos Jr.-Duterte tandem’s supermajority and is clearly under the whims of the administration,” he said.

Confidential and intel funds started increasing during the term of ex-President Rodrigo R. Duterte, Terry L. Ridon, convenor of think tank InfraWatch PH, said in a Messenger chat.

“This level of confidential and intelligence funds puts transparency and accountability to the back seat, as it severely deprives social and infrastructure agencies of funding, and harkens back to the excesses of the first Marcos administration,” he added.

Lawmakers confirm appointment of country’s top envoy

DFA.GOV.PH

THE PHILIPPINES’ top envoy on Wednesday said he would seek updates to the Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT) with the United States to keep up with the times, as the Commission on Appointments approved his nomination.

The treaty, which binds both countries to help each other in case of external attacks, is “being reviewed continuously at various levels to take into account the changing geopolitical conditions as well as changes in technology and approaches,” Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique A. Manalo told lawmakers at a hearing.

Senator Ana Theresia “Risa” N. Hontiveros-Baraquel asked Mr. Manalo about his view on territorial disputes, citing President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr.’s vow not to “abandon even one square inch of territory of the Republic of the Philippines to any foreign power.”

Mr. Manalo promised to challenge any foreign power claiming Philippine territory.

He also said that there is more interest in boosting humanitarian assistance and disaster response. “That’s going to be an important part and we’re talking about that, as well as the new ‘gray zone’ tactics in the West Philippine Sea,” Mr. Manalo said, referring to areas of the South China Sea within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone. 

He also cited the changing global environment and ways to deal with other countries. “We always have to adapt. That also applies to our treaties and our other arrangements.”

When asked what he thought of China’s reported opposition to the Mutual Defense Treaty review, Mr. Manalo said the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) would “just note whatever statements they may make.”

Former Defense Secretary Delfin N. Lorenzana last year said China did not welcome the idea of revisiting the treaty. “When I first brought up the idea of revisiting the Mutual Defense Treaty, the former Chinese ambassador came to me and said: ‘Please do not touch the MDT. Leave it as it is.’”

“It feels good to tell China, ‘noted.’ Thank you, secretary,” Ms. Hontiveros said. “I really look forward to your next six years at the department.”

Senator Francis N. Tolentino said the government should form a group that will handle international and commercial arbitrations especially on the Philippines’ claim to Sabah.

“The DFA should now seize the opportunity. We won, whether that was initiated by a private group is irrelevant, the implication is, we own Sabah,” he told the hearing, referring to a French arbitral court’s order for Malaysia to pay the Sulu Sultanate over the Sabah lease deal.

He noted that about 750,000 Filipinos live there, “stateless, without social security and health benefits, and not allowed to vote.”

Sabah has abundant natural resources and its primary exports include oil, gas, timber and palm oil . Its other major industries are agriculture and ecotourism.

Mr. Manalo said he there is a need to convene a Cabinet cluster committee that would study the legal implications of the French tribunal’s order.

The oil-rich state of Sabah, a territory that is part of Malaysia’s northern Borneo, has been a thorny issue between the two countries for decades.

The Sulu Sultanate claims to have leased Sabah to the British North Borneo Co. in 1878, a deal that Kuala Lumpur sees as an act of abandonment.

The sultans of Sulu once ruled over Sabah and the Sulu islands. Sabah fell under British control after World War II and joined Malaysia in 1963, shortly after the sultanate ceded sovereignty to the Philippines. — Alyssa Nicole O. Tan

Bangsamoro gov’t submits P85.3-B proposed budget for 2023 

OPAPRU

THE BANGSAMORO government has submitted an P85.3 billion proposed budget for 2023, up 6.8% from this year’s P79.86 billion expenditure fund for the autonomous region in southern Philippines. 

“This plan will hopefully transform the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region to become a better environment for our people who shall enjoy the benefits of a better economy,” Bangsamoro Chief Minister Ahod B. Ebrahim told the region’s Parliament when he presented the budget on Monday.   

In a statement from its information office late Tuesday, the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) said social services will continue to have the biggest allocation at 43% or 36.9 billion.   

This covers programs on education, health, manpower development, subsidy to local government units, welfare and employment, and culture.   

BARMM receives an annual block grant from the national government as provided under Bangsamoro Organic Law passed in 2018.   

The general public services sector will get P28.2 billion, which will be spent for: public order and safety, including law enforcement; political administration; and general administration involving fiscal affairs, civil service, and legislative functions.  

For the economic services sector, P19.9 billion is proposed for communications, infrastructure and transportation, agriculture, natural resources, trade and industry development, tourism, and energy.  

The peace and stability sector will get P250 million.   

“As enablers of socioeconomic development, the peace and stability sector focus its efforts on promoting peaceful and inclusive Bangsamoro society for sustainable development with access to justice and build effective and accountable institutions,” Mr. Ebrahim said.  

DECOMMISSIONING
Meanwhile, the third phase of the decommissioning of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front’s (MILF) armed members, covering around 14,000 combatants, was formally launched Tuesday. 

Mr. Ebrahim said the ceremony serves as “a testament to the mutual confidence, trust, and commitment of the Government of the Philippines and Moro Islamic Liberation Front to the Bangsamoro Peace Process.” 

The MILF signed the peace deal with the government in 2014, which paved the way for the passage of the organic law and establishment of the new BARMM.  

The decommissioning process is complemented by socio-economic programs for those who lay down their arms.   

Former MILF combatants are also given the opportunity to be integrated into state peace and security forces.    

Turkish Ambassador Ahmet Idem Akay, chair of the Independent Decommissioning Body that oversees the process, commended both the government and the MILF for their continued commitment to the peace efforts. — MSJ 

Mindanao agencies appeal significant slash in proposed budgets

GOVERNMENT AGENCIES involved in the development of Mindanao, the southern islands in the Philippines, on Wednesday asked the Senate for more funding as their proposed budgets for 2023 were slashed by more than 50%. 

The Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA), which formulates and coordinates development plans, has been allocated P158.958 million under the 2023 National Expenditure Program.

This is lower than its P197.27 million budget this year and just about a third of its proposed P510 million funding for 2023. 

“As a result of the reduced budget, this now leaves us with a lot of other important programs and expense items that are unbudgeted or unallocated. These projects are very necessary in the administration, operation and strategic coordination for the overall development of Mindanao,” Secretary Maria Belen S. Acosta, chair of MinDA, told the Senate Finance Committee hearing.

“And other than Mindanao, we are also mandated to handle coordination for the BIMP-EAGA (Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines — East ASEAN Growth Area),” she added. 

Among the unfunded proposals include the Expanded Mindanao Economic Program (P20.98 million), Mindanao Digital Innovations Program (P18.98 million), Mindanao River Basins: Food-Energy-Water Nexus Program (P12.38 million), and the Mindanao Indigenous People Heritage Preservation and Development Support Program (P10 million). 

The Southern Philippines Development Authority (SPDA), a government-owned and controlled corporation intended to promote balanced growth in Mindanao through economic initiatives, has been allocated P143.82 million out of its P838.89 million proposed budget.

“We have been doing well, so we should be rewarded for the job well done,” SPDA Administrator Abdulghani “Gerry” Ajul Salapuddin said, noting their accomplishments and ongoing projects.

Meanwhile, Secretary Carlito G. Galvez, Jr. of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity (OPAPRU) said their proposed budget for several Mindanao-related programs have also been cut.

“It can be noted that the funding for our major programs were reduced in 2023,” Mr. Galvez said, citing several projects in the Bangsamoro region in Mindanao.

Senators Robinhood Ferdinand “Robin” C. Padilla  and Ronald M. Dela Rosa, who both have ties to Mindanao, vowed to push for a restoration of some of the budget cuts of the agencies. — Alyssa Nicole O. Tan 

Agricultural damage from Karding reaches almost P2B, infrastructure at P135M 

PHILIPPINE STAR/KRIZ JOHN ROSALES/PPA POOL

AGRICULTURAL damage from Typhoon Noru, locally named Karding, has risen to P1.97 billion as of Wednesday, according to the Department of Agriculture (DA).  

In its latest bulletin, the DA reported that the storm hit 148,091 hectares of farm lands, affecting some 88,520 farmers and fisherfolk, with a combined volume of production loss at 114,446 metric tons (MT).  

Damage and losses were mainly in the Cordillera Administrative Region, Ilocos, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, and Bicol.  

Rice was the most affected commodity with reported damage amounting to P1.61 billion and a volume loss of 105,154 MT.  

This was followed by high-value crops at P271.6 million; corn at P43.1 million; fisheries at P41.8 million; and livestock and poultry at P7.3 million. 

In infrastructure, the Department of Public Works and Highways reported on Wednesday that damage estimates stood at P135.09 million, covering national roads, bridges, and flood-control structures.   

“The reported cost will be subject to field validation,” it said.  

The Central Luzon Region suffered the biggest damage at P91.38 million, followed by Cordillera at 19.6 million. Cagayan Valley had P9.11 million and Mimaropa, P3 million. Damage were also reported in Western Visayas with an estimated cost of ₱12 million. 

DEPARTMENT
Meanwhile, Albay Rep. Jose Ma. Clemente S. Salceda on Wednesday renewed his push for the creation of a department on disaster resilience with a Cabinet-level head.   

“The NDRRMC (National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council) is a council, they only meet when (disasters) happen, so if nothing is going on they don’t convene,” Mr. Salceda said during the Kapihan sa Manila Bay forum.   

House Bill 48, or the Disaster Resilience Act, seeks to establish an agency that will implement a permanent, institutionalized, cohesive and comprehensive framework for disaster preparedness.    

“We will empower the NDRRMC so that it is no longer just a collegial or coordinating body, but an implementing agency, with cabinet rank for the head, and under the (Office of the President),” Mr. Salceda told BusinessWorld in a Viber message.   

He said the establishment of the department would need “little to no incremental budget.”  

During the 18th Congress, a similar measure was approved by the House on third reading but its counterpart bill did not hurdle the Senate as several legislators questioned its practicality and the funding required to set up a new department.   

Mr. Salceda also said the proposed Department of Disaster Resilience can handle the training of rescue workers and the procurement of equipment throughout the year.   

“The difference with the NDRRMC is that it will have the capacity for continuous training and development, the mandate to implement disaster risk reduction, mobilize resources more readily, bring decisions to the highest level of governance immediately, and summon or call on exogenous resources towards disaster-affected areas,” he said.   

He added it was important to build capacities to protect the general public as well as emergency responders.   

Eight people have been reported to have died at the height of Karding’s onslaught, including five rescue workers in Bulacan who were trying to reach residents trapped by flooding, according to the NDRRMC’s latest update. Five people are still missing. — Luisa Maria Jacinta C. Jocson and Matthew Carl L. Montecillo 

Lawmaker files resolution to fund continued free ride program in 2023

PHILIPPINE STAR/ MIGUEL DE GUZMAN

A LAWMAKER on Wednesday filed a resolution directing the House Committee on Appropriations to restore the P12 billion proposed fund for the government’s free ride program under the Land Transportation Office’s (LTO) budget. 

“The Libreng Sakay program extensively helps millions of our fellow Filipinos,” AGRI Party-list Rep. Wilbert T. Lee, who filed House Resolution 418, said in a press statement. 

“I am aware that this is not a sustainable program for our riding public, but rising oil prices have continued to exacerbate our existing transport crisis since the pandemic occurred,” he said, adding that the continued weakening of the peso leads to inflation. 

“It will be in the wrong timing if we stop the free ride program in the middle of this crisis,” he said. 

The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board in June reported that the free ride program has benefited 203.6 million passengers.

The free ride program, which involves service contracting by the government, was launched in late 2020 as a coronavirus pandemic response measure to aid the public transport sector and commuters. — Kyanna Angela Bulan 

Senator vows to consider inclusion of anti-drone tech in PHL defense program 

US EMBASSY PHOTO HANDOUT

A SENATOR on Wednesday vowed to ensure that funding for anti-drone technologies would be considered in the Defense department’s program.  

Senator Jose “Jinggoy” P. Ejercito, Jr., who chairs a Senate panel handling defense issues, said he’ll consider drone threats in reviewing the Department of National Defense’s budget for next year.  

“The government should seriously consider the adoption of anti-drone technologies as countermeasures in the event of a drone attack or reconnaissance,” he told BusinessWorld via Viber. “Drone and counter-drone capabilities should form part of the research and development program of the government.”  

Mr. Ejercito cited how the Maute clan, a group of extremists who pledged loyalty to the Islamic State, used drones to observe and evade military offensives during a month-long clash in the southern region of Mindanao in 2017.  

“The Armed Forces of the Philippines’ defense posture will greatly benefit from technologies capable of detecting the presence of drones in the country’s airspace,” he said.   

Mr. Ejercito echoed the sentiments of military experts that the conventional use of drones will likely be the trend of future warfare. “It is in fact being utilized by the Armed Forces of Russia and Ukraine in their ongoing armed conflict as well as China and Taiwan which are likewise embroiled in military tension.”   

Earlier this month, Taiwan shot down an unidentified civilian drone that entered its airspace near Lion islet, which is just a few kilometers away from mainland China.   

Chinese military exercises have been held around the area since August after a top US lawmaker visited Taiwan, which is being claimed by China. Taiwan is just 1,200 kilometers away from the northern part of the Philippines.   

Chester B. Cabalza, who studied national security and policymaking at the University of Delaware, earlier told BusinessWorld that in case the Philippines defies Beijing and sides with Washington in the South China Sea, “China will heavily use drones for the fortification of its militarized islands in the disputed waterway, aside from using its armada.”  

Mr. Ejercito said that given the “precarious and volatile” situation in the region, “it is paramount that the country is well-prepared against external aggression and hostilities to protect our territorial integrity and national sovereignty.”  

The anti-drone market is valued at $900 billion and is expected to increase to $3.8 billion by 2027, according to a report by Markets and Markets. Rising security breaches are among the factors that fuel the market.   

The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines has guidelines on how individuals should operate their drones, but policies are not enough to deter drone threats, Kiefer Zachary Hipe, a military historian, told BusinessWorld earlier this month. “They can only go so far as to regulate their use by the general public.” — Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza 

Solon questions fuzzy disbursement reports of anti-communist task force

A CONGRESSMAN on Wednesday questioned the transparency of how the anti-communist task force spends its billion in funds, adding that the Office of the President has a responsibility to monitor both transfers and disbursements.   

“Supposedly, the NTF-ELCAC must record everything that it receives,” Kabataan Party-list Rep. Raoul Danniel A. Manuel said at the plenary hearing of the President’s budget, referring to the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict.  

Navotas Rep. Toby M. Tiangco, sponsor for the Office of the President budget, acknowledged that there are no detailed records of the task force’s cash flow.   

“We do not have exact records on how the funds of the NTF-ELCAC are spent,” Mr. Tiangco said.  

The task force had a P19.33 billion allocation in 2021, and P17.23 billion this year.     

“For 2023, aside from the P10 billion Barangay Development Program, NTF-ELCAC will have P1.40 billion spread out across agencies,” Mr. Manuel said.   

The additional funds will come from the budgets of the Department of Social Welfare and Development, Department of Agriculture, Department of Agrarian Reform, Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, and the National Anti-Poverty Commission.  

Mr. Tiangco reassured Congress that the issue will be addressed.   

“The Office of the President will act on that concern to make sure that the funds being sourced and disbursed by the NTF-ELCAC are properly monitored,” he said. — Kyanna Angela Bulan 

Culinary school in Davao City gets halal certification, to offer cloud kitchen services 

BW FILE PHOTO/ MMPADILLO

DAVAO City-based Institute of International Culinary and Hospitality Entrepreneurship (ICHEf) has received a halal certification from Prime Group of Companies LLC, a quality and compliance solutions provider based in Dubai.   

“I am very happy that ICHEf will be the first halal-certified culinary school (in the Philippines),” Mary Jane Alvero-Almahdi, group chief executive of the Prime Group of Companies, which has an office in the country as well as in Japan and India.    

The hazard analysis and critical control point (HACCP) compliance and halal certification were formally given to ICHEf on Monday.   

“Once you say halal-certified, meaning all the processes including the storage of the raw materials, the purchasing of the raw materials or ingredients, the utensils, the facilities, the management system, the documentation system, training, and others have complied with the requirements of the standards,” she explained.  

Nicole Niña Bian-Ledesma, chief operating officer and vice president of the Academic Affairs Institute of the Joji Ilagan International Schools that owns ICHEf, said they plan to open the facility as a kind of cloud kitchen — also referred to as a virtual kitchen that provides only delivery service — to local entrepreneurs who want to put up a halal business.  

“To the best of my knowledge it will be the first in Mindanao to be a halal cloud kitchen wherein those entrepreneurs who want to proceed with a halal business but don’t have an infrastructure or halal kitchen, they can come here to us,” she said during the certificate awarding ceremony.   

“The purpose is providing an opportunity for entrepreneurs to have a chance, and if their ideas work later on, they can put up their own kitchen or restaurant,” she said.  

ICHEf will also be offering a three-month halal culinary program.   

Universal Islamic Center President Marilou W. Ampuan, an entrepreneur and halal advocate, lauded ICHEf’s certification as a means of joining the global halal economy.   

“This is a remarkable milestone for halal in the academe sector in Davao City,” she said.  

Davao City in southern Philippines is home to people with diverse ethnicities, including Muslims. Its tourism sector has been positioning itself as a halal-friendly destination for both local and foreign travelers. — Maya M. Padillo 

BoC seizes P7.9M worth of meth concealed in toys

BUREAU OF CUSTOMS
BUREAU OF CUSTOMS

THE BUREAU of Customs (BoC) said it confiscated 1.14 kilograms of methamphetamine hydrochloride, an illegal substance locally known as shabu, worth P7.87 million in Bacoor City, Cavite on Monday.  

The seizure of the contraband by the BoC-Port of Clark, along with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), also resulted in the arrest of two suspects the following day who were at the controlled delivery operation conducted by the two agencies. 

The illegal drugs, declared as “unsolicited gift-baby soft toys for personal use,” arrived on Sept. 26 from Victoria, London. It was caught during physical examination by an X-Ray inspector.   

“Physical examination was immediately conducted which resulted in the discovery of two pieces of headdress (hat with design), one piece of letter and one yellow-green plastic bag containing two pieces of Star Wars Mandalorian Plush Toy,” the BoC said, noting that each item held three blue plastics containing the illegal drugs.  

The flagged shipment also underwent K9 sweeping and field testing. Samples were then turned over to the PDEA for chemical laboratory analysis, confirming that it was methamphetamine hydrochloride — Diego Gabriel C. Robles 

Senators support legalization of medical marijuana use

REUTERS

THREE SENATORS on Wednesday expressed support to the proposed legalization of medical marijuana use in the Philippines, citing therapeutic benefits and potential economic gains for growers and the government.  

During the Finance hearing on the budget of the Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB), Senator Robinhood Ferdinand “Robin” C. Padilla, who earlier filed a bill seeking to legalize medical cannabis, questioned the stance of said agencies to his proposal.  

He cited that the United Nations Commission has voted to remove cannabis from a list that categorized it as one of the most dangerous drugs, recognizing the plant as having medicinal value.  

DDB Secretary Catalino S. Cuy, in response, said the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crimes, which the Philippines is part of, found that although it could be used for medical purposes, risks remain.   

For this reason, their position is to defer to the recommendations of the Department of Health and the Philippine Medical Association. 

“But at present, medical use, experiment and procedure are allowed, especially what we call compassionate use,” Mr. Cuy said, “but we support further medical research for possible medical use of marijuana.”  

Mr. Padilla said while there are government procedures currently allowing for compassionate use, it was too costly. 

“Let us not be selfish towards the poor when there are benefits that can be given by medical cannabis,” the senator said in Filipino. “This is medical, this is not about recreation, we are not encouraging that.”  

Senator Ronald M. Dela Rosa, who chaired the subcommittee, said a recent conversation with the head of the police regional office in the Cordillera Administrative Region was an “eye-opener” for him on the extent of marijuana production in the mountain area.  

“If we are able to exploit this economically, if for example the medical marijuana becomes legal in the country, this will become a big source of income for the people in Cordillera as it naturally grows in their mountains,” Mr. Dela Rosa said.   

The government will also be able to collect taxes from marijuana sales.    

Senator Christopher Lawrence “Bong” T. Go, who chairs the Senate Health and Demography Committee, also supported the proposal but cautioned that strong regulatory measures should be in place to avoid abuse and criminal activities.    

The committee endorsed the agency’s P447.41 million proposed budget for 2023 to the Senate plenary. — Alyssa Nicole O. Tan 

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