Meralco rates go up in December

December 10, 2021 | 7:51 pm

Meralco_MANDALUYONG_05_VARCAS_020621 — Manila Electric Co. on Friday said overall power rates will rise this month. -- Photo by Michael Varcas, The Philippine Star

Residential customers of Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) will see higher electricity bills in December as generation charges increased.

In a statement on Friday, Meralco said the overall rate for a typical household went up by P0.3143 per kilowatt-hour (/kWh) to P9.7773 per kWh, from last month’s P9.4630 per kWh.

Residential households consuming 200 kWh will see a P63 increase in their monthly power bills, while households consuming 300kWh, 400kWh, and 500kWh, will see an increase of P94, P126, and P157 in their bills, respectively.

Meralco said the generation charge for December jumped by P0.1997 per kWh to P5.5343 per kWh.

“This month’s charge already includes first of the four monthly installments covering the deferred costs from the November bill,” it said.

The Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) ordered Meralco to defer the collection of part of the suppliers’ generation costs. These costs will be collected from customers on a staggered basis from December 2021 to March 2022.

Meralco Head of Regulatory Management Office Atty. Jose Ronald V. Valles said the power rate adjustments would have been higher if not for the ERC directive and cooperation of its suppliers.

Charges from power supply agreements (PSA) also went up by P0.2142/kWh due to the rise in international coal prices and lower dispatch of some PSAs.

In contrast, charges from the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM) dropped by P.0669/kWh, as the power supply situation eased in Luzon alongside a decline in demand.

Charges from Independent Power Producers (IPPs) also slipped by P0.1541/kWh as the gas supply from Malampaya resumed and Sta. Rita and San Lorenzo plants improved dispatch.

In November, PSAs, IPPs, and WESM accounted for 45.7%, 38.2%, and 16.1%, respectively, of Meralco’s energy requirement, the company said.

Meralco said the transmission charges for residential customers jumped by P0.0460/kWh due to higher Ancillary Service charge. It noted that taxes, system loss and other charges also added P0.0686/kWh.

“This month’s residential rate includes a -P0.0053 rate for the Power Act Reduction (PAR) provision of Meralco’s current PSA with Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management (PSALM), as provided for by the Republic Act 9136 covering supply from the National Power Corporation (NPC),” the power giant said.

Meralco is still not collecting the universal charge-environmental charge of P0.0025/kWh, as it remains suspended by the ERC.

ERC ACTION SOUGHT

Meanwhile, consumer advocacy group Laban Konsyumer Inc. urged the ERC to stop the utility giant from collecting the deferred generation costs.

“We had written this second letter to the commission requesting for moto propio hearings on the Meralco added costs and pending said hearings, to immediately issue a provisional authority to stop the collection of the deferred generation costs to ensure consumers are no longer made to incur these costs arising from the persistent gas restrictions and shutdowns of the Malampaya Deepwater Gas-to-Power Projects,” Laban Konsyumer President Victorio Mario A. Dimagiba said in a letter dated Dec. 7.

Mr. Dimagiba said the group submitted the first letter to the Department of Energy on November 14 and was referred to the regulatory commission.

ADDITIONAL SUPPLY

At the same time, Meralco said it was preparing to secure additional supply to ensure there will be no power interruptions during the national elections in May.

“We are closely coordinating with the DoE and National Grid Corporation of the Philippines so we rely on their outlook forecast, but on our part, we are preparing for this by proposing to undertake a competitive selection process (CSP) for a 170MW of supply,” Meralco Vice President and Head of Utility Economics Larry S. Fernandez said on Friday during a virtual press conference.

Meralco said they are just waiting for the DoE’s response to this proposal and will proceed accordingly once awarded.

Meralco’s controlling stakeholder, Beacon Electric Asset Holdings, Inc., is partly owned by PLDT, Inc. Hastings Holdings, Inc., a unit of PLDT Beneficial Trust Fund subsidiary MediaQuest Holdings, Inc., has an interest in BusinessWorld through the Philippine Star Group, which it controls. — Marielle C. Lucenio

September wholesale price growth of general goods nears 7-year high

December 10, 2021 | 7:48 pm

forgoods_MARKET_03_VARCAS_091120 — The country’s general wholesale price index (GWPI) increased by 2.8% from a year earlier in March. -- Photo by Michael Varcas, The Philippine Star

Nationwide bulk prices of general goods rose to its highest level in nearly seven years in September due to higher fuel prices and the low base effect.

Preliminary data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) on Friday showed the country’s general wholesale price index (GWPI), which monitors the wholesale trade sector and serves as a basis for price adjustments in business contracts and projects, picked up to 3.3% in September from 3.2% in August and 2.2% in September 2020.

It was the highest reading in 82 months or almost seven years since the 3.7% growth recorded in November 2014, the PSA data showed.

The statistics agency attributed the surge that month to the following commodities: mineral fuels, lubricants and related materials (22.8% from 19.4% in August); beverages and tobacco (5.3% from 4.7%); food (1.3% from 1%); manufactured goods classified chiefly by materials (5.8% from 5.6%); miscellaneous manufactured articles (0.5% from 0.3%; and machinery and transport equipment (1.2% from 1%).

Slower growth rates were recorded in chemicals including animal and vegetable oils and fats (4.3% in September from 5.3% in August) and crude materials, inedible except fuels (21.6% from 29.6%).

By island group, Luzon reflected the national level’s pace as its GWPI climbed by 3.4% in September, higher than the 3.2% in August and 2.3% in September last year.

The GWPI of the Visayas and Mindanao, meanwhile, eased to 0.4% (from 1.1% in August) and 4.9% (from 5.2%), respectively.

The oil price increases in September triggered the higher GWPI print, Cid L. Terosa, senior economist at the University of Asia and the Pacific School of Economics, said in an e-mail interview.

“Base effects were at play aside from higher prices of production inputs such as mineral fuels due to supply chain disruptions, bottlenecks, and rigidities,” Mr. Terosa said.

Price adjustments for gasoline, diesel, and kerosene increased by P15.10, P12.95, and P10.65 per liter, respectively, data from the Energy department as of end-September showed.

The rise in wholesale prices can trigger an increase in retail prices, which can pull back the economic growth momentum, he added.

“Towards the end of the year, the annual GWPI will rise faster than last year as demand continues to pick up due to the easing of pandemic-related restrictions. Also, supply bottlenecks can add upward pressure on wholesale prices,” Mr. Terosa said. — Bernadette Therese M. Gadon

Figaro pushes back IPO to January

December 10, 2021 | 7:44 pm

By Keren Concepcion G. Valmonte, Reporter

Figaro Coffee Group, Inc. is pushing back its initial public offering (IPO) to January next year.

In a listing notice on Friday, the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE) said it received a letter from the Figaro IPO’s joint issue managers, joint lead underwriters, and joint bookrunners to revise the timetable.

Figaro will now make its stock market debut on Jan. 24, 2022, instead of its planned New Year’s Eve debut.

The offer period will now run from Jan. 10 to 14, instead of the original schedule or Dec. 16 to 22.

The Figaro IPO price will be set on Dec. 22, instead of Dec. 10.

Abacus Capital & Investment Corp., China Bank Capital Corp., and PNB Capital and Investment Corp. said the IPO has been delayed “in deference to the upcoming holiday season, specifically to ensure the timely completion of the documentary requirements of the investing public for the offer.”

In an interview with the ABS-CBN News Channel’s Market Edge on Friday morning, Figaro chairman and director Justin T. Liu was asked if he was worried that Medilines Distributors, Inc.’s 30% plunge on its market debut would cloud Figaro’s own IPO.

“It is a bit concerning but we see that we’re different companies,” Mr. Liu said.

“We feel that each company has their own intricacies and we cannot really say that whatever happens to other shares that list will also happen to us.”

Figaro is the company behind brands such as Figaro Coffee, Angel’s Pizza, Tien Ma’s Taiwanese Cuisine, TFG Express, and Café Portofino. The company has an optimistic outlook for the food-and-beverage (F&B) industry.

“We’re looking at [a] longer point-of-view, we see the F&B industry, the Philippine industry growing very well and we feel that whatever happens to the IPO, the future is very bright,” Mr. Liu said.

Figaro is planning to offer 1.26 billion common shares for as much as P1.28 per share, with an overallotment option of 126 million shares.

The company received the go signal from the PSE for its P1.77-billion IPO on Monday.

It plans to use net proceeds from the offer to fund future store launches and renovation of existing stores, commissary expansion, debt repayment, IT (information technology) infrastructure developments, and potential acquisitions.

Jollibee set to open in Scotland, Kuala Lumpur

December 10, 2021 | 7:41 pm

Jollibee Foods Corp. (JFC) is planning to open its first Jollibee stores in Scotland and in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia next year, the company said on Friday.

“We look forward to bringing the joy of eating to more and more people in different parts of the world, sustaining our growth momentum as we enter 2022,” JFC Chief Executive Officer Ernesto Tanmantiong said in a statement.

The company did not provide details on the exact location of its upcoming store in Scotland, which is part of the United Kingdom (UK).

In the UK, Jollibee currently has seven stores as of end-September, mostly in England. It opened a Jollibee store in Wales in July.

Meanwhile, Jollibee Kuala Lumpur will be located at a popular shopping mall — Sunway Pyramid.

Earlier this year, JFC unit Golden Plate Pte. Ltd. and Beeworks Investment Pte. Ltd. have created a joint venture to launch 120 stores in Malaysia in the next decade.

Jollibee will also set up its 150th store in Vietnam by early next year “in a popular location,” without disclosing further details. Vietnam is said to have the largest Jollibee store network outside of the Philippines.

“Despite the challenges of the pandemic, we continue to open more Jollibee stores and are glad to see the community’s support wherever we open,” Mr. Tanmantiong said.

The company is counting on its international businesses to drive growth. JFC operates in 34 countries through over 5,800 stores of its eight wholly-owned brands, six franchised brands, as well as through its majority-ownership in Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf and in the SuperFoods Group.

JFC shares at the exchange declined 2.59% or P6.20 on Friday, closing at P233.20 apiece. — Keren Concepcion G. Valmonte

SEC approves fundraising plans of AREIT, Cityland

December 10, 2021 | 7:39 pm

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on Friday said it “considered favorably” the bond offering of AREIT, Inc. and the commercial papers of Cityland, Inc.

In a statement, the regulator said the Commission En Banc approved the registration statements of AREIT for the shelf-registration of its P15-billion debt securities program and Cityland’s P500-million commercial papers in its Dec. 9 meeting.

However, this is still subject to both firms’ compliance with other requirements, the SEC said.

AREIT may issue the shelf-registered bonds within three years. Its initial tranche will consist of up to P3-billion fixed-rate bonds due 2023.

AREIT may net up to P2.9 billion from the first tranche, which will be used to refinance debt and to partially finance its acquisition of mixed-use commercial development The 30th in Pasig City.

According to the latest timetable AREIT submitted to the SEC, the Ayala-led company plans to conduct the offer from Dec. 13 to 16. The bond listing at the Philippine Dealing & Exchange Corp. (PDEx) is slated on Dec. 23.

AREIT tapped BPI Capital Corp. and BDO Capital & Investment Corp. as joint lead underwriters and bookrunners for the offer.

Meanwhile, Cityland is planning to offer P500-million worth of commercial papers to the public.

Cityland may net up to P496 million for the offer, which will be used to pay project-related costs, maturing loans or notes, and interest expense.

Proceeds may also be used to partially fund the construction of its 27-story commercial and residential condominium project in Las Piñas City, One Premiere. — Keren Concepcion G. Valmonte

AirAsia Philippines restores 30% of pre-pandemic capacity

December 10, 2021 | 7:37 pm

Philippines AirAsia, Inc. said it has restored 30% of its pre-pandemic capacity, as it increased local flights to meet the stronger demand amid the holiday season.

In a statement on Friday, the low-cost carrier said it doubled and tripled frequencies for most of its domestic destinations, and resumed flights to Hong Kong and Singapore.

“We are banking on ‘revenge travel’ for a very strong 2022 recovery. People now have the confidence to plan for their future trips as reflected in the forward bookings from 31-120 days,” Philippines AirAsia Spokesperson Steve F. Dailisan said.

All of its flying crew is vaccinated against the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), while its company-wide vaccination rate stands at 99.34%. The company also said employees who are eligible for a booster shot have signed up for one at their respective local government units.

AirAsia has flights from Manila to Puerto Princesa, Cagayan, Iloilo, Caticlan, Tacloban, Tagbilaran, Cebu, Davao, Zamboanga, and General Santos.

It also offers flights from Manila to Singapore once a week and to Hong Kong once every two weeks.

To commemorate AirAsia’s 20th anniversary, the company is holding a P20 base fare promo for those booking flights between Dec. 6 to 20. The travel period is up to Sept. 30, 2022.

The promo covers flights from Manila to Cebu, Puerto Princesa, Iloilo, Cagayan de Oro, Davao, Kalibo, General Santos, Zamboanga, and Bacolod.

Philippines AirAsia said it also has a 20% off promo for hotel stays that runs until Dec. 20. — Keren Concepcion G. Valmonte

Over 6 million COVID-19 jabs administered in SM malls

December 10, 2021 | 7:35 pm

SM-Vaccine — SM Supermalls partnered with local government units to host vaccination sites in its 71 malls. -- Courtesy of SM Supermalls

Over six million coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine doses have been administered through the SM Supermalls network around the country.

SM Supermalls partnered with local government units to host vaccination sites in its 71 malls.

“We continue to show strong support to the national recovery agenda in boosting vaccination rates nationwide. Our malls are accessible and offer a safe venue to make these collective health goals a reality,” SM Supermalls President Steven T. Tan said in an e-mailed statement on Friday.

The company said its malls are have also become pediatric vaccination sites to accommodate eligible minors.

It said 66 SM Supermalls joined the government’s three-day vaccination drive last Nov. 29 to Dec. 1.

SM Investments Corp. (SMIC) procured over 500,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines to cover for its employees and “in support of national needs.” The group has inoculated 130,000 of its employees to date, representing 96% of those eligible for a COVID-19 jab.

SM Supermalls also assisted the vaccination of its micro, small, and medium enterprises partners through their respective local government units.

“Vaccination efforts overall help shield our people and support the revival of the economy. With the reopening of the economy, we strive to move forward, stronger, and healthier together,” SMIC President and Chief Executive Officer Frederic C. DyBuncio said. — Keren Concepcion G. Valmonte

DoH locates 5 OFWs from S. Africa as PHL records just 379 COVID infections

December 10, 2021 | 7:29 pm

The health department said it has located five of the seven returning Filipinos from South Africa, as it continues to monitor arrivals that may carry the new Omicron variant of the coronavirus disease 2019 or COVID-19.

This as the country reported just 379 coronavirus infections on Friday — the third-lowest daily tally in 17 months — bringing the total number of infections since the pandemic started in 2020 to 2.84 million.

The Philippines is trying to test more inbound travelers to prevent an outbreak of the Omicron variant — first identified in South Africa — which experts said has a large number of mutations and could pose a greater threat than the Delta strain.

“We have already located another five, so we are just trying to locate two of these travelers,” Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario S. Vergeire told reporters in a Viber message.

The agency has yet to give further details about the travelers who arrived in the country between Nov. 15 and 29.

Health Secretary Francisco T. Duque III said separately in an interview with CNN Philippines that he wanted the names of the still missing arrivals from South Africa published so that their neighbors will know that authorities are searching for them.

He said he was planning to suggest his idea to the Interior and Local department and an inter-agency pandemic task force. “But we have to clear this because there are legal implications in having their names printed or published.”

LOW DAILY TALLY

Meanwhile, the country reported 379 coronavirus infections on Friday, which is the third-lowest daily tally in 17 months.

The pandemic’s total death toll hit 49,961 after 25 more patients died, while recoveries increased by 631 to 2.77 million, the Department of Health said in a bulletin.

There were 11,905 active cases, the health department said, 757 of whom did not show symptoms, 4,860 were mild, 3,797 were moderate, 2,060 were severe, and 431 were critical.

The agency said 20% of the 25 reported deaths occurred in December, 24% in November, 28% in October, 20% in September, 4% in August, and 4% in July.

It said 25% of the beds in intensive care units in the Philippines were occupied, while the rate for Metro Manila was 28%.

The Health department said six duplicates were removed from the tally, five of which were reclassified as recoveries, while 19 recoveries were relisted as deaths.

It added that 169 patients had tested negative and were removed from the tally. Of these, 164 were recoveries. Four laboratories did not operate on Dec. 8.

RED LIST

Also on Friday, the government said that Portugal would be added to its so-called red list for travel starting Dec. 12 at 12:01 a.m.

Fully vaccinated passengers who have been to Portugal 14 days prior to arrival in the Philippines should undergo facility-based quarantine and take an RT-PCR test on the 7th day, acting presidential spokesman Carlo Alexei B. Nograles said in his regular news briefing. They may be discharged upon the release of negative test results, but they must quarantine at home until the 14th day after their arrival.

Unvaccinated and partially vaccinated travelers and those whose vaccination status cannot be confirmed are required to quarantine for 10 days in a government-approved facility and take a swab test on the 7th day. “Plus they shall observe home quarantine until the 14th day with the day of arrival being the first day.”

All inbound passengers, regardless of vaccination status, are required to present a negative swab test result taken within 72 hours before their departure from Portugal.

Mr. Nograles said only Filipinos covered by government-initiated repatriation programs and so-called Bayanihan flights would be allowed to enter the country beginning Dec. 15.

MOCK ELECTIONS

Meanwhile, the Palace official said the Philippines’ coronavirus task force has approved the Commission on Elections’ request to hold nationwide mock elections on Dec. 29.

This will “ensure the safe and effective conduct” of the 2022 elections, he said.

The mock elections “will test on how accurate, true, and secure the election process,” Comelec Deputy Executive Director for Operations Teofisto Elnas, Jr. said earlier. — Kyle Aristophere Atienza

Philippines raises deployment cap for health workers

December 10, 2021 | 7:27 pm

health-worker-nurses-PHILSTAR-MICHAELVARCAS — PHILIPPINE STAR/ MICHAEL VARCAS

After suspending the processing and deployment of healthcare workers abroad after the annual deployment cap of 6,500 had been reached, the Philippines has now raised the annual deployment cap to 7,000.

The country had suspended the processing and deployment on Nov. 4.

“The 2021 annual deployment ceiling of new hire healthcare workers for occupations identified by the Department of Labor and Employment as Mission Critical Skills shall be further increased to 7,000,” Cabinet Secretary Karlo Alexei B. Nograles said at a regular news conference.

The policy was approved by an inter-agency pandemic task force, Mr. Nograles said.

Nurses whose visas shall expire by Dec. 31 this year shall be prioritized, he said.

The Philippines temporarily banned the deployment of healthcare workers when the pandemic started hitting the country in March last year.

The ban was lifted in November 2020 and the government set a deployment ceiling of 5,000 health workers.

In June this year, the task force raised the cap to 6,500 after the government was pressured to allow more new-hire healthcare workers with mission critical skills to be deployed overseas.

The group Filipino Nurses United earlier told BusinessWorld that the country had been facing a chronic nursing shortage even before the COVID-19 pandemic, which it said was ironic in one of the world’s top sources of health workers.

Local governments only have 5,656 public nurses, while the National Government has 18,994, said Maristela Presto-Abenojar, the group’s president. Ideally, there should be at least one nurse in each of the country’s 42,046 villages, she added.

“For the last two years, nurses, doctors and other health workers were referred to as heroes on the frontline, taking care of more than 2 million COVID-19 patients nationwide,” Ms. Abenojar said. “But they have become sacrificial lambs in this pandemic battle.” — Kyle Aristophere Atienza

PAL plane veers off Mactan Airport runway

December 10, 2021 | 7:25 pm

Philippine Airlines, Inc. (PAL) said one of its flights experienced a “runway excursion” when it arrived at the Mactan Cebu International Airport (MCIA) on Friday.

In an e-mailed statement, PAL said Philippine Airlines flight PR2369 — a De Havilland Dash 8 turboprop with registry number RP-C5911 — “veered off into the grass at the side edge of the runway” when it landed at 11:39 a.m. in rainy weather.

“All 29 passengers and four crew members (two pilots and two cabin crew members) are safe and were able to disembark from the airplane using the aircraft’s airstairs,” PAL said. No one was injured.

According to a separate statement from the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP), one of the passengers was an infant.

“Our operations teams are assisting the passengers and will provide assistance and support as needed,” PAL said.

The CAAP said it implemented post-incident protocols and the MCIA runway was reopened at 2:38 p.m. Two flights were rerouted to the nearby Iloilo International Airport.

“Coordination among the concerned authorities [is] ongoing. We have dispatched our accident investigators to the scene as well and we expect to get more information on the situation,” CAAP Director General Jim C. Sydiongco said in a statement.

Thirty-four flights were affected by the runway excursion.

PALAWAN CRASH

Meanwhile, the CAAP reported that an Aerohub Cessna 206 aircraft, with registry number RP-C979, crash-landed in the waters off Barangay Tinaguiban in El Nido, Palawan.

The airplane departed Palawan’s San Vicente Airport at 1:06 p.m., heading to Sangley Airport in Cavite City, but never made it due to engine failure. The crash in Palawan was recorded at 2:18 p.m.

“The first responders were fishermen around the area. But due to big waves, the fishermen were unable to rescue the persons on board,” the CAAP said in a separate statement.

Two people were on board, one male pilot and a female mechanic, along with a cargo of 25 boxes of live fish.

As of the CAAP’s update at 4:40 p.m., the CAAP rescued the two persons on the flight and was still trying to salvage the aircraft. — Keren Concepcion G. Valmonte

Philippine rights groups protest on last international rights day under Duterte gov’t

December 10, 2021 | 7:23 pm

Progressive groups from across the Philippine political spectrum joined forces on Thursday to mark international Human Rights Day, the last under Rodrigo R. Duterte’s presidency.

The groups, which include Bagong Alyansa Makabayan, Karapatan, Anakbayan, and Laban ng Masa, among others, urged the public to reject the leadership of Mr. Duterte, who has been criticized by both domestic and international groups for initiating a drug war that has killed thousands of people and enforcing a counterinsurgency program that has seen the arrest of hundreds of activists.

The Duterte administration plunged the country into a human rights crisis and facilitated massive democratic backsliding, said Cristina E. Palabay, Karapatan Secretary General, and one of the hundreds of protesters at the University of the Philippines’ main campus, located in a city near the capital Manila.

The country “cannot let another six years of the same deadly campaigns to continue,” Ms. Palabay said in a statement. “The Filipino people have suffered six years of state terror, violence, and repression.”

The groups, which also include party lists under the House Makabayan bloc, said that Mr. Duterte has been reviving the alleged crimes committed under the two-decade rule of the late dictator Ferdinand E. Marcos, whose son is now gunning for the country’s top post.

Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos, Jr., who is currently facing several petitions seeking to block his candidacy for president, is running with Mr. Duterte’s daughter, vice-presidential hopeful Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio.

“Today, we are called not only to vote for candidates and leaders that would uphold our rights,” Ms. Palabay said, “we are called as a people to stand for our hard-won rights and freedom, and to resist tyranny and dictatorship.”

Rights group In Defense of Human Rights and Dignity (I-Defend), in a statement, said the country will continue to “stand at the precipice of a total collapse of our democratic system” unless a government that respects human rights and social justice is elected.

Human rights must be included in the electoral agenda, it added.

PROMISES FULFILLED

Meanwhile, the Presidential Palace said that Mr. Duterte has fulfilled his promises to pursue social justice and advance human rights in the country.

“We find satisfaction that during the past six years, the President has consistently introduced and implemented programs and projects to reduce inequalities and advance human rights,” Executive Secretary Salvador C. Medialdea said in a statement read by Mr. Duterte’s acting spokesman in a regular Palace news conference.

“We all have seen those promises fulfilled even in the midst of a pandemic, which has affected us all,” he added.

Mr. Duterte was set to participate in the last day of a democracy summit hosted by US President Joseph R. Biden.

Acting presidential spokesman Carlo Alexei B. Nograles said that the invitation sent by the US to the Philippine government is a recognition that democracy still exists in the country.

The protest initiated by activist groups was held just a day after the Philippines’ Supreme Court declared unconstitutional two portions of a controversial anti-terrorism law, which critics said could be used to stifle dissent and harass them.

The petitioners who challenged the law vowed to file a motion for reconsideration on provisions covering an extended period of detention even without sufficient evidence as well as the powers of the country’s anti-terrorism council.

“They will arrest and detain you even without enough evidence. That should not be allowed,” Neri J. Colmenares, one of the petitioners, said at a virtual press conference.

“We will also file a motion for reconsideration on the powers and mandate” of the anti-terror council, which he said can freeze the bank accounts of whoever it considers terrorist.

Lawyer Howard M. Calleja, another petitioner, said they would continue to exhaust available remedies for the reconsideration of the other provisions of the law, which they said are unlawful.

“Definitely, we feel strongly about having other questionable provisions declared unconstitutional as well,” he said at the same conference. “We will continue to make our case in our motion for reconsideration. Hopefully the Supreme Court will reconsider. But for now, we take our victories and use them as inspiration moving forward.”

Voting 12-3 in a case hearing on Dec. 7, the court declared as unlawful a provision which states that a protest could be considered terrorism if it is intended to cause death or physical harm, to endanger a person’s life, or to create a serious public safety risk.

That provision is “overbroad and violative of freedom of expression,” according to the court.

Voting 9-6, the high tribunal also declared unconstitutional a designation method that would have allowed the country’s anti-terrorism council to adopt proscriptions by international authorities after a through criteria review.

The High Court said that other challenged provisions of the law — including warrantless arrest and 24-day detention — are not unconstitutional or are still enforceable.

According to rights group Karapatan, there are more than 700 political prisoners in the Philippines, 489 of whom were arrested under the Duterte government. More than 400 politically motivated killings happened under the current administration, it said.

The International Criminal Court’s Office of the Prosecutor recently assured that it would ask the Philippine government to provide proof that it is investigating its war on drugs, after the tribunal suspended an initial probe.

The government has taken an increasingly large role in targeting civilians, “no longer trying to create distance by ‘outsourcing’ the majority of violence to vigilantes,” US-based Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project said in a report published on Nov. 18.

After analyzing data and information from at least 40 sources, the group said in a report that the Philippine government had been “undercounting” civilian deaths in the drug war.

At least 1,100 fatalities in the bloody campaign have not been counted by the government, it said. “We now estimate at least 7,742 civilians have been killed in the drug war since 2016.” — Kyle Aristophere Atienza

DFA to cancel unclaimed passports scheduled for release December last year

December 10, 2021 | 7:19 pm

In early January, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) will cancel and dispose of all unclaimed passports which had been scheduled for release before December 2020.

This is in accordance with DFA Department Order No. 2021-012 on the Disposal of Unclaimed and Spoiled Passports, said its Consular Office, adding that the cancellation will take effect on Jan. 10 next year.

The DFA said that Filipinos who have not yet claimed those passports may only do so until Jan. 7 at the Consular Office at which they were processed.

Those unable to claim their passports must file a new application after securing a certificate of unclaimed passport from DFA Aseana or their Consular Offices.

“Passports scheduled for release after December 2020 are not affected and may still be claimed from the DFA Consular Office where they were processed,” the department said.

While there is no penalty imposed for passports claimed at a later date, the public is encouraged to do so within 30 days from the passport’s scheduled release, said the DFA. Another person may be authorized to claim the passport on the applicant’s behalf. — Alyssa Nicole O. Tan