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Police agreed to review drug plan, says Robredo

PHILIPPINE police have agreed to review their knock-and-plead strategy against suspected drug traffickers that is linked to illegal executions, Vice President Maria Leonor “Leni” G. Robredo said yesterday.

Ms. Robredo, the opposition leader whom President Rodrigo R. Duterte put in charge of his deadly war on drugs, said police officials would come up with an “improved version” of the strategy.

“It was properly laid out but obviously there were gaps because there were abuses in how it was implemented,” the vice president told reporters in Filipino, according to a transcript emailed by her office yesterday.

“I raised that to them and they agreed it is time to re-assess how the campaign can evoke that it’s not directed against people but it’s a campaign of the people,” she added.

Ms. Robredo briefed reporters after meeting with law enforcers on Thursday about the government’s anti-illegal drug campaign that she now heads.

Philippine police have said they have killed about 6,000 people in illegal drug raids, many of them resisting arrest. Some local nongovernmental organizations and the national Commission on Human Rights have placed the death toll at more than 27,000.

The opposition leader last week said she had agreed to head the Duterte administration’s anti-illegal drug campaign, if only to stop the killings. She accepted the post against the advice of many of her party mates, who said the appointment might be a trap.

Double Barrel is the police’s anti-illegal drug drive enforced when Mr. Duterte took office in July 2016. Under the campaign, police knocked on the doors of suspected drug pushers and pleaded with them to change and surrender. The drive targeted local and international drug traffickers.

Police suspended the strategy in October 2017 on Mr. Duterte’s order after alleged abuses. It was relaunched months after with new guidelines, such as conducting operations only at daytime.

Ms. Robredo last week vowed to enforce the state’s anti-illegal drug campaign “within the bounds of the rule of law.” She said she would treat the drug problem not only as a crime, but also as a health issue.

The vice president has repeatedly cited the need to re-assess the government strategy against illegal drugs given the rising number of drug dependents.

“I’m very optimistic,” Ms. Robredo yesterday said of the government’s anti-drug campaign. She added that once agencies’ functions are synchronized and they get the support of the National Government, “we will be able to make a lot of headway.” — NPA

Gov’t deports 312 Chinese nationals after telecom fraud

THE GOVERNMENT was set to deport yesterday 312 Chinese nationals who got arrested last month for telecommunication fraud, the Bureau of Immigration said in a statement.

The Chinese were part of 512 foreigners arrested in an Oct. 9 raid of a business process outsourcing office in Pasay City. The company was allegedly involved in scams.

Twenty-one 21 minors would also be deported along with the 312 Chinese nationals, the bureau said.

China had canceled the passports of the deported Chinese, which makes them undocumented aliens, it added.

Police last month said that of those arrested, 418 were Chinese, 44 were from Myanmar, 26 were Malaysians, 19 were Vietnamese, four were Taiwanese and one was Indonesian.

Initial investigations showed the foreigners were involved in offshore telecommunication investment fraud that lured foreigners to invest in different businesses.

The Chinese were to be deported via five chartered China Eastern flights to Shijiazhuang, Hebei Province and Changchun, Jilin province.

Police held some more foreigners in Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig City and will move them to the bureau’s warden facility pending their deportation, the agency said.

“Let this serve as a warning to aliens planning to use the country as a base for their illegal operations,” Immigration Commissioner Jaime H. Morente said in the statement. “Expect more arrests in the coming days.” — Vann Marlo M. Villegas

Pasig River rehab agency abolished

PRESIDENT Rodrigo R. Duterte has signed an executive order (EO) that will abolish the agency tasked to revive the Pasig River.

The presidential palace yesterday released EO 93 dated Nov. 8, which will axe the Pasig River Rehabilitation Commission (PRRC) created in 1999.

In September, Mr. Duterte asked Congress to abolish the body that had been marred by corruption allegations. The president later fired Executive Director Jose Antonio E. Goitia for alleged corruption.

Mr. Duterte also complained that the Pasig River had not improved and the government was wasting money paying PRRC officials.

Under the order, the agency’s power will be transferred to other agencies such as the Manila Bay Task Force, Environment department, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) and Public Works department.

The task force will be in charge of the Pasig River Rehabilitation master plan, which would “harness the Pasig River’s potential for transportation, recreation and tourism purposes while undertaking the rehabilitation and restoration of its marine life,” according to the order.

The Environment department will ensure compliance with laws on proper drainage and monitor dumping violations.

The Public Works department and MMDA will remove infrastructure and other encroachments that violate the Urban Development and Housing Act of 1992.

The newly created Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development will head the relocation of informal settlers along the edge of the polluted river. — Gillian M. Cortez

Judge summoned for ‘abuse of power’

THE OFFICE of the Court Administrator under the Supreme Court has ordered a Cabanatuan City judge accused of abusing his power, according to court spokesman Brian Keith F. Hosaka.

The judge allegedly summoned a traffic enforcer who had issued him a ticket and confiscated his license plate for illegal parking, he said in a mobile-phone message yesterday.

The magistrate summoned a Baguio City traffic enforcer in October, asking him to explain why he should not be cited in contempt.

The judge had claimed his right to due process was violated when his license plate was confiscated after he was seen parked near a jeepney terminal, according to the Philippine Daily Inquirer.

He also claimed his apprehension had caused delays at his scheduled hearings and in the “administration of justice.” — Vann Marlo M. Villegas

Slow-moving typhoon Ramon to stay in PHL area until Tuesday

TROPICAL STORM Ramon, moving slowly at 15 kilometers per hour (kph) in a north-northwest direction, has maintained its strength with maximum sustained winds of 65 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 80 kph. Weather bureau PAGASA’s Raymond Ordinario reported that a “landfall scenario” is still likely over the weekend, although at a higher elevation. There is no specified area yet on the landfall as of Thursday’s weather update. On Friday, light to moderate with occasional heavy rains are expected over the eastern portion of Cagayan and Isabela provinces, while northern Aurora, Camarines Norte, and Polillo Island will have light to moderate with intermittent heavy rains. On Saturday, light to moderate to occasionally heavy rains may be experienced over Cagayan, northern Aurora, and the eastern portion of Isabela. Light to moderate with intermittent heavy rains are seen over Apayao and the rest of Isabela and Aurora. The typhoon will traverse northern Luzon until Sunday and is forecasted to be out of the land area by Monday. It is expected to be out of the Philippine area by Wednesday.

Valenzuela levels up business permit processing, other online services

APPLYING FOR A business permit in Valenzuela City can now be as fast as 10 seconds with the launching of the local government’s 3S Plus Valenzuela City Online Services. The system also handles other processes such as building and construction permit application, real property tax payments, and requests for various documents. The hard copy of the business permit and other documents can be delivered within three to five working days through Wide Wide World Express (formerly DHL Philippines) or Grab Express. “(T)he new platform demonstrates the local government’s commitment to make services more efficient and innovative, which in turn can attract more investors and spur further development,” Mayor Rexlon T. Gatchalian said in a statement following the Nov. 13 launch. “At this point, the adoption of digital technology has become essential to fostering growth. The launch of 3S Plus Valenzuela City Online Services shows how we are leveraging on the innovative use of new technologies for better, faster services to our constituents,” he added.

San Juan taps Smart for free Wi-Fi service

SMART COMMUNICATIONS Inc. (Smart) on Thursday signed a deal with the San Juan City government to provide “fast, free and open fiber-powered Wi-Fi” to its residents. A separate deal with PLDT-backed software and IT solutions provider Multisys Technologies was also signed to develop the San Juan City app, mobile kiosk and e-wallet services, intended to make the city government’s services more accessible. The free Wi-Fi service will be available at the Agora Market, San Juan Medical Center, Pinaglabanan Shrine, and Polytechnic University of the Philippines-San Juan campus, among others. “We are happy to work with the San Juan City government in realizing their smart city vision. We look forward to helping Mayor Francis Zamora further enhance his government’s ability to respond even more efficiently to the needs of his constituents and elevate San Juan to be at par with other modern cities in Asia and the world,” PLDT chair Manuel V. Pangilinan said in his speech during the signing ceremony. For his part, Mr. Zamora said, “Through this memorandum of agreement with Smart and Multisys for free Wi-Fi in key areas in our different barangays, for the development of our San Juan City App and for the deployment of Electronic Kiosks in all our barangay halls and our City Hall, we are now bringing our San Juaneños closer to the city government by digitalizing local government services. This is in line with our vision to make San Juan a Smart City.” — Arjay L. Balinbin

MORE Power to join Iloilo City auction for PECO’s assets

MORE Electric and Power Corp. (MORE Power) has expressed interest to join the Iloilo City government’s planned auction of the assets of its rival firm, Panay Electric Co. (PECO) on Dec. 12. “The reason why we are participating is because of the city. Kawawa naman ang (We take pity on the) city na for years hindi binabayaran kaya (hasn’t been paid, so) we will participate and pay more than the floor price so the city can use the funds already for their social services,” MORE Power President Roel Z. Castro said in a statement. Mayor Jerry P. Treñas earlier said the city government decided to proceed with the auction due to unpaid real estate taxes and penalties amounting to P106 million. Mr. Treñas said the city government gave PECO time to make a settlement offer but the amount presented was not acceptable. PECO, in a statement issued on Monday, said it is currently in talks with the city’s Business Permit and Licensing Office regarding the issue. The company also has a pending case before the Local Board of Assessment Appeals, filed in 2017, questioning the real property tax assessment value for 2016. — Emme Rose S. Santiagudo

Cagayan province reports over P1.8B damage from typhoon Quiel, braces for typhoon Ramon

THE CAGAYAN provincial government reported over P1.8 billion in damage from last week’s typhoon Quiel, mainly on infrastructure and the rest in crops and livestock. In a statement on Thursday, the local government said P1.6 billion worth of infrastructure, including houses and public facilities, were fully or partially destroyed. In agriculture, damage was assessed at 207.7 million for farms and P2.7 million in livestock. Citing data gathered by the Provincial Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council, Cagayan said 16 of its 28 towns were flooded, affecting almost 39,000 families. Most of them have already gone back home, but relief operations are continuing and the province is again bracing this week for the onslaught of tropical storm Ramos, which is expected to affect Cagayan and other northern Luzon areas until the weekend. Among the preemptive measures undertaken was the release of water from the Magat Dam, a major tributary to the Cagayan River, on Thursday morning to bring down the “dam elevation before the arrival of typhoon Ramon and while the level of water at Tuguegarao is low to avoid damages to lives and property.”

Qatar looking into funding P200M Peace Villages in Zamboanga town

THE QATAR Fund for Development is looking into the possible funding of a P200 million project that will help develop Bangsamoro communities in the town of Tulungan. The project, called the People Economic Advancement and Community (Peace) Villages, was among the proposals presented by the Southern Philippines Development Authority (SPDA) to a Qatari delegation of business, private, and government representatives that visited the country last week. The Peace Villages “is a viable and self- sustaining socio-economic development program intended for the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) elements outside of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) and which can be replicated in the areas controlled by the elements of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF),” SPDA Administrator Abdulghani A. Salapuddin said in a statement. Tulungan is located in the province of Zamboanga Sibugay, which is not part of BARMM. Mr. Salapuddin, a former top MNLF commander, said the “project speaks for itself and for what it means and stands for. This is what SPDA exactly wants to achieve in this pilot project.” The Peace Villages will provide beneficiaries with homes and livelihood programs such as commercial agriculture and aquaculture. — Carmelito Q. Francisco

Cotabato starts rehabilitation planning for earthquake victims

THE COTABATO provincial government held a planning workshop on Wednesday as a first step to drafting the recovery and rehabilitation program for residents displaced by the series of earthquakes in October.

The meeting — led by the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (PDRRMC) and the Provincial Planning and Development Office — was attended by the regional heads and representatives of various national agencies and local government units (LGUs).

“Makakaya natin ang kalamidad dahil sa suporta ng (We can deal with the calamity given the support of the) national government, local governments and individuals and private organizations as well as local and international NGOs (non-government organizations) and other sectors… together we help rebuild our heavily affected LGUs,” Acting Governor Emmylou Taliño-Mendoza said in a text message.

The rehabilitation plan will use the report of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology’s (Phivolcs) Quick Response Team, which was presented to Ms. Mendoza earlier this week.

The report includes maps, extent of damage, and other documents showing areas that have been “assessed as safe for permanent relocation sites,” the Cotabato provincial government said in a statement.

Phivolcs also reported the installation of six temporary seismic stations around the earthquake areas for continued monitoring and assessment.

RELIEF OPERATIONS
Out of the almost 260,000 people affected by the three major tremors last month, more than 162,000 are in Cotabato.

Over 30,000 of them are still staying in the 36 evacuation centers, while more than 6,000 are staying with relatives or friends.

Relief operations are continuing for all those affected in the province as well as those in Davao del Sur while unexpected challenges hit some evacuation areas.

Some soldiers from the Eastern Mindanao Command (EastMinCom) were pulled out from relief operations and deployed to assist people in four evacuation centers in the town of Makilala after their temporary shelters were was struck down by a strong wind, heavy rain, and hailstorm.

EastMinCom said engineers from the 534th Engineer Construction Battalion are currently building a prototype of a quick-to-construct temporary shelter for the earthquake victims.

In Davao del Sur, nine barangays will be recommended for permanent relocation due to dangers that have emerged following the series of earthquakes.

The Davao Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (DRRMO) said field assessments by the Mines and Geosciences Bureau show big cracks in these areas, which put residents in surrounding communities at risk, especially if another strong earthquake occurs.

“The big tension cracks may cause landslides due to further shaking or heavy downpour. These barangays need to be relocated,” Franz N. Irag, manager of the DRRMO’s Emergency Operations Center, said.

The nine barangays are within the four towns of Bansalan, Magsaysay, Kiblawan and Hagonoy.

The two villages in Hagonoy, said Mr. Irag, also showed soil liquefaction.

Meanwhile, the National Nutrition Council (NNC) reminded donors not to send milk, including powdered, evaporated, condensed, or infant formula, to avoid health risks at the evacuation areas.

NNC Davao Regional Coordinator Maria Teresa L. Ungson said a Department of Health implementing rule indicates that milk should not be distributed as part of emergency relief goods.

“We would like to stress that we are still pushing for breastfeeding even in emergency situation,” Ms. Ungson, a doctor, said. — with reports from Maya M. Padillo and Carmelito Q. Francisco

Nation at a Glance — (11/15/19)

News stories from across the nation. Visit www.bworldonline.com (section: The Nation) to read more national and regional news from the Philippines.

Nation at a Glance — (11/15/19)

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