New DENR team to fight crimes against the environment

June 20, 2021 | 7:52 pm

THE ENVIRONMENT chief has ordered the creation of a transitional team that will focus on enforcing environment protection laws while the proposed legislation creating a new agency for that purpose is pending.

“Our department has many laws to implement, but we are lacking when it comes to enforcement,” Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Undersecretary for Policy, Planning, and International Affairs Jonas R. Leones said in a statement on Sunday.

DENR Secretary Roy A. Cimatu recently signed an administrative order creating the Environmental Law Enforcement and Protection Service (ELEPS), which will serve as an interim body while Congress deliberated on the proposed Environmental Protection and Enforcement Bureau (EPEB) bill.

“While we are waiting for the passage of EPEB, our secretary has allowed to craft this order to install an enforcement service for the effective protection of our forests and other natural resources,” Mr. Leones said.

The ELEPS will handle matters related to the Supreme Court’s Rules of Procedure for Environmental Cases involving enforcement or violations of environmental and natural resource laws.

This includes terrestrial, coastal, marine, aquatic resources, and aerial systems, among others.

The ELEPS is also in charge of developing “highly competent manpower” for existing enforcement units, including the Environmental Protection and Enforcement Task Force, Philippine Operations Group on Ivory and Illegal Wildlife, and other enforcement task groups.

“Through ELEPS, enforcement officers will be able to conduct intelligence operations, issue notices of appearance for investigation, as well as implement Cease and Desist Orders, Closure Orders, and Notices of Violation, and DENR Enforcement Orders for in flagrante violations, among others,” the DENR said.

The new DENR team will coordinate with the Justice department, police, military, National Bureau of Investigation, and other government-owned entities to combat environmental crimes. — Angelica Y. Yang

Solons seek House probe on alleged gov’t-funded troll farms

June 20, 2021 | 7:52 pm

SEVERAL party-list representatives filed a resolution seeking to investigate the troll farms allegedly organized by a government official to attack potential opposition bets in the 2022 elections and other candidates not aligned with the current administration.

Under House Resolution No. 1900 filed on Friday, Bayan Muna Party-list Representatives Eufemia C. Cullamat, Carlos Isagani T. Zarate, and Ferdinand R. Gaite urged the House Committee on Public Information to conduct an investigation into the alleged “building of internet troll farms with the use of public funds by an undersecretary of the executive department.”

Senator Panfilo M. Lacson earlier disclosed that an undersecretary tapped his former staff to assist in the creation of at least two troll farms in every province in the country.

A troll farm or troll factory is an institutionalized group of paid internet users tasked to interfere in political opinions and decision-making, the lawmakers said in the resolution.

“Government officials involved in this sinister act that aims to undermine and subvert our democratic processes should be revealed, exposed and be subject to a prompt and impartial investigation,” said the lawmakers from the progressive House bloc Makabayan.

Citing an investigative report by the Washington Post, the lawmakers said firms organizing trolls are paid as much as $38,000 to $57,000 per month.

“Millions of the people’s money is possibly being used to finance such nefarious activities on the Internet,” they said.

“The Philippines has become a haven for Internet trolls,” the lawmakers said.

“The young, educated, English-speaking workforce that made the Philippines a global call center hub has become a go-to center for influencing political campaigns.”

Citing a report by Nathaniel Gleicher, head of social media platform Facebook’s cybersecurity policy, the lawmakers said the social media giant attributed a “coordinated inauthentic behavior” to a network organized by Nic Gabunada, the person behind President Rodrigo R. Duterte’s social media campaign in the 2016 campaign.

“These troll farms that deliberately peddle lies and disinformation clearly undermine and subvert our democratic processes and institutions, which Congress should not only denounce but should stop,” the lawmakers said.

The Makabayan bloc last year filed a resolution asking government agencies to launch independent investigations into the alleged involvement of the country’s police and military in the creation of over 100 fake social media accounts, which were taken down by Facebook.

Facebook had shut down 155 accounts, 11 pages, nine groups, and six Instagram accounts that originated in China with posts expressing strong support for the leadership of Mr. Duterte and his daughter, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio, who is supposedly being urged to run for president next year.

“The use of paid commenters and bots to spread anti-democratic propaganda and suppress dissent is dangerous to our democracy and people,” the lawmakers said. — Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza

Appeals court upholds restraining order vs DBP on mortgaged land in Santiago City

June 20, 2021 | 7:51 pm

THE COURT of Appeals has upheld the temporary restraining order (TRO) issued by a regional court against state-owned Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) on the foreclosure of properties used as collateral by a private company for a P28-million loan.

The DBP foreclosed the properties on Aug. 28, 2012 and obtained new titles under its name on Nov. 23, 2012.

The borrower, New Wishing Star Trading Corp., asked the Santiago City Regional Trial Court (RTC) to nullify the foreclosure order and the new titles, and to issue a TRO against the bank, claiming that it was not yet in default of its loan obligation and it did not receive any notice of the foreclosure.

The RTC granted the company’s petition on May 28, 2020.

The DBP elevated the case before the Court of Appeals, seeking to reverse the TRO. It claimed that the lower court committed “grave abuse of discretion” in the issuance of the TRO.

DBP cited that under Presidential Decree 385, courts cannot prohibit government financial institutions from the conduct of foreclosures.

However, the Court of Appeals said in its decision dated June 14 that RTC did not commit grave abuse of discretion because PD 385 “does not prohibit courts from issuing a restraining order against these government financial institutions” but clearly states “the necessity of conducting a hearing before any restraining order is issued.”

The CA said the RTC duly conducted such hearings.

It further claimed that PD 385 seeks only to prevent the foreclosure of property mortgaged to a government financial institution.

In this case, the foreclosure proceedings have already been completed. — Bianca Angelica D. Añago

Davao readying hotels as quarantine facilities for returning Filipinos through chartered flights

June 20, 2021 | 7:50 pm

DavaoAirport-BWFILE-LSDavalJr — BW FILE PHOTO

THE DAVAO City government, in coordination with health and tourism authorities, is preparing about 600 rooms in 16 hotels as quarantine facilities for inbound international passengers.

“We are ready because we have all the process in place sa (at the) airport and even with our hotels, this is a welcome development because at least it will boost economic activity,” City Tourism Operations Officer Generose D. Tecson said in a virtual briefing last week.

She said the local government, together with regional representatives of the Department of Tourism and the Health department’s Bureau of Quarantine, have been checking hotel facilities in the past two weeks.

Last week, 99 Filipino seamen arrived at the Davao International Airport via a chartered flight of Garuda Airlines from Fiji. The overseas workers are currently billeted in accredited quarantine hotels for the required 10-day isolation period under the national policy.

The Davao airport was reopened to all flights, both scheduled and chartered, on May 5. — Maya M. Padillo

Bill filed to create irrigation coordinating agency in Bangsamoro to address gaps, boost production

June 20, 2021 | 7:49 pm

BARMM-farmer-BANGSAMOROGovph — BANGSAMORO.GOV.PH

A PROPOSED law has been filed in the Bangsamoro Parliament for the establishment of an agency that will coordinate the irrigation program in the autonomous area in Mindanao, where the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) does not have a regional office.

“With the establishment of the irrigation coordinating office in the BARMM (Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao), the Bangsamoro Government would be able to address the irrigation gaps and it would be able to work directly on irrigation system development in the autonomous region,” said the authors of Bill No. 107.

The authors are Minority Floor Leader Laisa M. Alamia, Deputy Minority Floor Leader Baintain A. Ampatuan, and Member of Parliament Amil S. Mawallil.

The bill, one of the measures filed last week as the region’s parliament reopened for its 3rd regular session, is up for first reading.

Based on the Bangsamoro Development Plan 2020-2022, BARMM’s irrigated farmlands covered 50,096 hectares, which is only about 31% of the potential irrigable areas of 160,150 hectares as of 2018.

“This implies that the Bangsamoro region still has vast irrigation potentials that, if properly developed, will address food security and rice sufficiency in the region,” the authors noted.

Under the bill, the Bangsamoro Irrigation Coordinating Office will serve as the coordinating agency for the comprehensive development of all types of irrigation, in close cooperation with the NIA. — MSJ

Caloocan is first stop of DENR’s mobile free seedlings program

June 20, 2021 | 7:48 pm

THE DEPARTMENT of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) is bringing its community “PanTree” project, which gives out free vegetable and fruit seedlings, to Barangay 163 in Caloocan City on June 21.

Residents can visit the roving PanTree project, which will distribute seedlings of guyabano, mango, jackfruit, among other fruits and vegetables.

“We are taking this initiative both as a concrete response of climate change adaptation and mitigation and as part of our cleanup efforts for the Tullahan- Tinajeros River System,” DENR Undersecretary for Finance, Information Systems and Climate Change Analiza Rebuelta-Teh said in a statement issued over the weekend.

Barangay 163 is one of the participating villages in the rehabilitation of the Tullahan-Tinajeros river system.

The mobile PanTree’s launch comes a few days before Philippine Arbor Day on June 25. On that day, government agencies and the public are mandated to participate in tree planting activities.

Previously, DENR-NCR Regional Executive Director Jacqueline A. Caancan said they were planning to unveil a mobile seedling bank in the National Capital Region starting June, which is also celebrated as environment month.”

In April, the DENR-NCR started a community PanTree at its headquarters in Quezon City, which drew thousands of visitors who received free seedlings of fruit-bearing trees and vegetables.

“It aimed to promote urban and backyard gardening and to help the public cope with quarantine fatigue and other mental health issues associated with the pandemic,” the DENR said. — Angelica Y. Yang

SC employee dismissed for faking Civil Service Exam

June 20, 2021 | 7:48 pm

THE SUPREME Court (SC) has dismissed one of its employees who was found to have asked someone else to take his Civil Service Exam.

In the court’s decision dated April 27 and made public on June 11, it said the employee was found “guilty of dishonesty” and was “dismissed from service effective immediately with forfeiture of all his retirement benefits.”

The dismissed worker has also been barred from reinstatement or appointment to any public office.

The country’s Highest Court also said the employee was given a chance to explain but “simply denied the charge… without any supporting proof which should be considered as a weak defense.”

The exam was taken in Malolos, Bulacan on Dec. 17, 1995.

The Civil Service Commission referred the case to the Supreme Court through a letter dated Dec. 26, 2013 when it found that the employee’s photo on his personal data sheet was different from the person in the photo with his Civil Service Exam.

Discrepancies in signatures were also found. — Bianca Angelica D. Añago

On to the 5^th priority group for vaccination

June 20, 2021 | 7:44 pm

VALENZUELA City in the capital region on June 20 started vaccinating those under the 5^th priority group, which covers beneficiaries of the government’s conditional cash transfer program. The city government said 1,200 individuals were expected to be given the Pfizer jab on Sunday.

Gilas spotless as FIBA ACQ ends

June 20, 2021 | 7:33 pm

1 of 2

THE Philippine national men’s basketball team finished its International Basketball Federation (FIBA) Asia Cup Qualifiers (ACQ) campaign unblemished after beating Korea, 82-77, on the final day of competition on Sunday at the Angeles University Foundation gym in Pampanga.

Banking once again on a balanced and resilient attack, Gilas Pilipinas, with the win, swept all its assignments in the pandemic-disrupted tournament, topping Group A with a 6-0 record and earning a spot in the FIBA Asia Cup happening in August.

The opening quarter saw Gilas and Korea making runs and counterruns.

Korea raced to an early 9-0 lead in the first two and a half minutes of the contest on the lead of naturalized player RA Guna, Lee Seounghyun and Lee Hyunjung.

The Philippines then charged back, towed by Justine Baltzar and Dwight Ramos, as it went on an 8-0 run in the next two minutes to narrow the gap, 9-8.

The teams went back-and-forth after, fighting to a 20-18 count, with the Koreans on top, after the first 12 minutes.

In the second quarter, the nip-and tuck affair was sustained.

The teams were knotted at 27-all midway into the frame before Gilas outscored its opponent, 11-6, the rest of the way to lead, 38-34, at the break.

In the third quarter, the Koreans came out aggressive, managing to claim the lead, 54-53, with 37 seconds left.

But the Philippines had the last laugh as guard RJ Abarrientos drained a triple with six seconds to go to hand the advantage to his team, 56-54, heading into the final frame.

The Koreans kept charging back in the fourth but Gilas still held sway at the halfway point of the quarter, up, 65-64.

The nationals held a three-point cushion, 77-74, entering the last two minutes.

RA Guna pushed his team to within two points, 77-75, by splitting his free throws with 55 seconds left.

In the ensuing play, Gilas averted turnover with Mr. Baltazar scoring with a breakaway jam with 31 ticks to go to make it a 79-75 lead for his team.

RA Guna scored underneath the basket off a time out to make it just a two-point deficit for them, 79-77, with 25 seconds remaining.

However, that was the closest they could get as Gilas held on the rest of the way to claim the victory.

Mr. Ramos top-scored for the Philippines with 19 points to go along with five assists.

Messrs. Abarrientos, Kai Sotto and Jordan Heading, meanwhile, each had 10 points for Gilas.

For Korea, it was RA Guna who led with 20 points and 13 rebounds. Lee Hyunjung added 13 markers. The team finished second in the group with a 4-1 record.

Indonesia finished third in Group A with a 2-4 card while Thailand was winless in six matches. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

Inoue stops Dasmariñas; all-Filipino unification bout between Casimero, Donaire

June 20, 2021 | 7:33 pm

By Michael Angelo S. Murillo, Senior Reporter

UNDEFEATED champion Naoya “Monster” Inoue of Japan retained his World Boxing Association (WBA) super bantamweight and International Boxing Federation (IBF) bantamweight world titles after making short work of Filipino challenger Michael “Hot and Spicy” Dasmariñas in their title fight on Sunday (Manila time) in Las Vegas.

Set for 12 rounds, the fight only reached a fourth of what was scheduled as the Japanese champion stopped his opponent in the third round with a solid left shot to the body from which Ms. Dasmariñas could not recover from.

The winning blow was the 17^th that Mr. Inoue threw in just a short span which resulted in Mr. Dasmariñas dropping once in the second and twice in the third.

“It was a great win for me against the number one contender,” said Mr. Inoue in the post-fight interview, adding, “Every fight, I try to go for a knockout with head or body shots.”

The win stretched the Monster’s unblemished record to 21 wins while Mr. Dasmariñas fell to 30-3-1.

DONAIRE VS CASIMERO
Meanwhile, a unification fight between two Filipinos is happening in August as the camps of world champions Johnriel “Quadro Alas” Casimero (30-4) and Nonito “The Filipino Flash” Donaire Jr. (41-6) have agreed to a top-class collision.

World Boxing Organization bantamweight champion Casimero and World Boxing Council champ Donaire are to do battle on Aug. 14.

The news was announced by Mr. Donaire himself on social media early on Sunday morning.

“My team does magic. Thank you to Richard Shaefer, Rachel Donaire, PBC (Premier Boxing Champions), TGB [Promotions] and Showtime. Started camp last week. Belt #2 coming soon,” wrote Mr. Donaire in his post.

Earlier, Mr. Donaire said the fight was offered to him by MP Promotions President Sean Gibbons whose group handles Mr. Casimero.

The fight incidentally replaces that of the scheduled fight between Mr. Casimero and former champion Guillermo Rigondeaux of Cuba.

Mr. Rigondeaux said he is ready to fight and is not injured but that organizers have decided to have a unification fight between Messrs. Casimero and Donaire instead. He will still fight against a different opponent in the undercard.

The winner in the August fight is being lined up for a showdown with Mr. Inoue.

Milwaukee Bucks outlast Brooklyn Nets in epic Game 7

June 20, 2021 | 7:24 pm

GIANNIS Antetokounmpo scored 40 points, including the tying basket in overtime and Khris Middleton hit the go-ahead shot with 40.7 seconds left as the Milwaukee Bucks pulled out a 115-111 victory over the host Brooklyn Nets Saturday night in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals.

The Bucks survived a 48-point performance by Kevin Durant, overcame losing the first two games, including a 39-point loss in Game 2 and advanced to the conference finals for the 10^th time in team history and second time in three seasons.

Antetokounmpo capped a 15-for-24 shooting performance by hitting a turnaround hook shot in the lane over Kevin Durant with 72 seconds left and the Bucks took the lead for good when Middleton hit a fadeaway 12-footer just over 30 seconds later.

Following Middleton’s clutch shot, Durant missed a 10-foot fadeaway with 34.7 seconds left. After Middleton missed a 12-footer with 14.9 seconds left, Durant missed a 23-foot turnaround jumper with three-tenths of a second left and Brook Lopez sealed it at the line.

The Nets had taken a 111-109 lead on a putback by Brown 22 seconds into overtime and neither team scored until Antetokounmpo’s turnaround hook shot over Durant.

The third-seeded Bucks will face Sunday’s Game 7 winner between the Philadelphia 76ers and Atlanta Hawks in the conference finals.

The Nets forced overtime in dramatic fashion after blowing a five-point lead in the final four minutes of regulation. Durant forged a 109-109 deadlock when he hit a well-contested 23-footer over P.J. Tucker with 1.6 seconds left. Officials confirmed via replay that Durant’s toe was on the 3-point line.

Middleton added 23 points, 10 rebounds and five steals. Brook Lopez chipped in 19 and Jrue Holiday contributed 13 despite five-for-23 shooting. The Bucks shot 43.9 percent, hit 15 3-pointers and survived Middleton and Holiday going a combined 14-for-49 from the field.

Durant went the distance for the second time in the series. He shot 17 of 36, knocking down four 3-pointers, from the field as the Nets shot 46.4 percent.

James Harden also went the distance in his second back from right hamstring tightness and added 22 points on five-for-17 shooting as the Nets were without Kyrie Irving (sprained right ankle). Blake Griffin added 17 points and 11 rebounds and Bruce Brown contributed 14 as the Nets lost a Game 7 in Brooklyn for the second time since the team moved there (also in 2013, first round against Chicago).

Brooklyn held a 101-96 lead when Harden banked in a 3-pointer from the left side as the shot clock wound down with four minutes left. Milwaukee tied the game at 101-all on a layup by Antetokounmpo with 2:45 left and took a 104-101 edge on a 3-pointer by Holiday 13 seconds later, but a shot-clock violation set up Durant’s dramatic shot at the end of regulation. — Reuters

Trio shares 54-hole US Open lead

June 20, 2021 | 7:24 pm

RUSSELL Henley has company atop the leaderboard through three rounds of the US Open and there are plenty of contenders with star power in pursuit.

Canada’s Mackenzie Hughes (68) and South Africa’s Louis Oosthuizen (70) used spectacular finishing stretches to move into a tie with Henley (71) on Saturday at Torrey Pines in San Diego.

They are all at 5-under-par 208 through 54 holes going into Sunday’s final round. Hughes and Oosthuizen will play in the last pairing.

Defending champion Bryson DeChambeau (68) and Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy (67) are lurking just two shots back in a tie for fourth place.

Henley needed a par-saving putt on the last hole, the par-5 18^th, to remain a co-leader. He has called the tournament difficult, but he describes it as a fair challenge. He also has held a different perspective as a leader for much of the time.

Hughes made his move with an eagle on the par-5 13^th hole — using a putt from about 60 feet — and then was steady until a birdie on his final hole of the day at 18.

Yet he might have gained another degree of confidence by sinking that eagle putt.

Oosthuizen posted an eagle on the par-5 18^th hole, making a 52-foot putt for a quick climb to the front. He was 2 over for the day through 12 holes before making a move.

Still, he needed some good fortune. On the par-3 11^th, his tee shot went into a bunker. His response was sinking the next shot for a birdie.

DeChambeau was without a bogey in the round, sinking three birdies. He seems to have bided his time throughout the week.

McIlroy was bogey-free other than the par-4 15^th hole on his way to his lowest third-round score in US Open competition.

Scottie Scheffler posted 70 to sit 2 under along with Matthew Wolff (73) and Spain’s Jon Rahm (72).

Dustin Johnson, who holds the No. 1 spot in the world golf rankings, shot 68 to move to 1 under for the tournament and shares ninth place with Collin Morikawa (70), Kevin Streelman (72), Xander Schauffele (72), and South African Christiaan Bezuidenhout (70). — Reuters