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Palace: Information on narco-list from foreign states

By Arjay L. Balinbin Reporter
and Vince Angelo C. Ferreras
PRESIDENTIAL Spokesperson Salvador S. Panelo on Tuesday admitted that foreign countries are providing the Philippine government with “wiretapped” information on politicians in the Philippine government’s “narco-list” and on other criminal activities they may be involved in.
Meanwhile, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) said on Tuesday that 64 of 82 narco-politicians on the list are seeking reelection in this year’s midterm elections.
In a press briefing on Tuesday, Mr. Panelo said the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) will release the narco-list next week.
The government, he also said, will be “filing administrative and criminal charges against those [individuals] in the list.”
Mr. Panelo was also asked if law enforcement agencies are wiretapping drug suspects. He replied that the Philippine government has no capability to wiretap suspected criminals.
“Kahit nga si Presidente sinabi niya, ‘Oo alam ko, kaya ko nalaman iyan dahil may nag-provide’ — not necessarily sila ha, not necessarily law enforcement agencies natin, kasi I don’t think we have the capability. Wala tayo ‘nun eh,” he said. (Even President Rodrigo R. Duterte himself said he knows of such activities because he was provided with information, not necessarily by our law enforcement agencies because I do not think we have the capability. We do not have that).
He added: “Ang mga nag-po-provide sa atin mga… sa ibang bansa eh. Ang magagaling diyan Israel, magaling diyan America, Russia, China.” (Those who are providing us with information are other countries that are good at it like Israel, America, Russia, and China).
“In other words, they provide us with the information. Kung tayo lang, eh wala, kopong-kopong pa yata iyong mga instrumento natin eh.” (Nothing will happen if we do it on our own, because maybe our instruments are outdated).
Sought for comment, lawyer and Ateneo School of Government senior research fellow Michael Henry Ll. Yusingco said via e-mail: “The duty of government is to protect its citizens. After knowing that foreign governments have spied on Filipinos, the administration’s only acceptable response is a loud and forceful protest. Anything short of this is a betrayal of their constitutional obligation to protect all citizens of this country.”
“Furthermore, any information gathered from an illegal wiretap, whether by our government or a foreign entity, is inadmissible evidence. If such information is the basis of the purported narco-list, then the criminal cases to be filed against those on the list have very weak legs to stand on,” he explained.
With Mr. Panelo’s disclosure, Mr. Yusingco also said, “releasing the narco-list could open the administration to lawsuits.”
For his part, PDEA chief Director General Aaron N. Aquino told reporters that the 82 politicians on its list are in the local level.
“I think it’s 64 [of the 82]. They filed their CoCs [Certificates of Candidacy] and the remaining 18 decided not to file,” Mr. Aquino told reporters at the PDEA headquarters in Quezon City on Tuesday.
He added, “Sabi ko 82 lang ‘yan (I said it’s only 82), but I personally know na (that) there are more, marami pa kaming politicians na nasa drug information system namin (there are many more politicians in our drug information system), but (the initial list) serves just as a watchlist, it still needs to be validated.”
Malacañang on Monday maintained that releasing the so-called narco-list will guide voters in the upcoming midterm elections, amid admonitions by the Commission on Elections that such a list is tantamount to negative campaigning.
Mr. Aquino, for his part, said, “I don’t want the list to be revealed or to be disclosed. Ayan ‘yung statement ko mula pa noong umpisa, hindi pa nagkakaroon ng filing of COC (That’s my statement since the very beginning, even before the filing of CoC started).”
“But again, if ordered by the President that the list be revealed then I should abide (by) it. I think hindi binigay sa PDEA ‘yung authority to disclose the list but it’s with the SILG [Secretary of Interior and Local Government] yata,” Mr. Aquino said. (I think’s it’s not given to PDEA’s authority to disclose the list but perhaps it’s with the SILG).

Duterte approves order on transition for MILF armed units

MALACAÑANG ON Tuesday said President Rodrigo R. Duterte has approved the proposed executive order for the implementation of the next plan for the newly-established Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), which includes the disarming of private armies and former rebels in the area.
“The Chief Executive during the…Cabinet Meeting [last Monday] approved the proposed Executive Order on the Implementation of the Annex on the Normalization under the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro between the Government of the Philippines (GPH) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), which was led by Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unification Secretary Carlito Galvez, Jr.,” Presidential Spokesperson Salvador S. Panelo said in a statement.
The Annex on Normalization is the last of the four annexes to the Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro (FAB). “Normalization” means the beginning of an end of conflict or war between the state and an armed group.
The Annex states that the police force for the Bangsamoro “shall be professional, civilian in character, effective and efficient in law enforcement, fair and impartial, and accountable under the law for its actions.”
The police force, it also says, “shall be responsible both to the Central Government and the Bangsamoro Government, and to the communities it serves.”
The Annex states that there shall be an Independent Decommissioning Body (IDB) that will oversee the process of decommissioning of the MILF forces and weapons.
The national government, for its part, “shall redeploy Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) units and troops from or within the Bangsamoro, consistent with a normal and peaceful life and the progress in the other aspects of normalization.”
“There shall be coordination between the Central Government and the Bangsamoro Government in the movement of the AFP in the Bangsamoro region. In the exercise of this coordination, protocols shall be established by the Central Government and the Bangsamoro Government.”
As for the disbandment of private armed groups, the document states that “appropriate approaches or methodologies” should be applied by both the GPH and the MILF through the Joint Normalization Committee (JNC).
To facilitate the healing of the wounds of conflict and the return to normal life, the Annex says that the Central Government “shall take immediate steps through amnesty, pardon and other available processes towards the resolution of cases of persons charged with or convicted of crimes and offenses connected to the armed conflict in Mindanao.” — Arjay L. Balinbin

Lorenzana: Ambiguity in MDT will cause ‘confusion’

By Vince Angelo C. Ferreras
DEFENSE SECRETARY Delfin N. Lorenzana reiterated his call for a review of the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT) between the Philippines and the United States as the treaty has ambiguities that may cause “confusion and chaos.”
“I do not believe that ambiguity or vagueness of the Philippine-US Mutual Defense Treaty [MDT] will serve as a deterrent. In fact, it will cause confusion and chaos during a crisis,” Mr. Lorenzana said in a statement on Tuesday, March 5.
Last week, Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro L. Locsin, Jr. said in a joint briefing with his visiting US counterpart, Michael R. Pompeo: “Some seek the review of the MDT. This requires further thought. In vagueness lies uncertainty, a deterrent. Specificity invites evasion and actions outside the MDT framework. But too much vagueness lends itself to doubt the firmness of commitment. For the time being, helping the Philippines build up our self-defense capacity should do it.”
For his part, Mr. Lorenzana said, “The fact that the security environment now is so vastly different and much more complex than the bipolar security construct of the era when the MDT was written necessitates a review of the Treaty.”
Mr. Lorenzana also said regarding Mr. Pompeo’s assurance of US support in an attack on the Philippines in the South China Sea: “It is not the lack of reassurance that worries me. It is being involved in a war that we do not seek and do not want.”
He added, “The Philippines is not in a conflict with anyone and will not be at war with anyone in the future. But the United States, with the increased and frequent passage of its naval vessels in the West Philippine Sea, is more likely to be involved in a shooting war. In such a case and on the basis of the MDT, the Philippines will be automatically involved.”

SC asked to stop LEB-led law school admission test

LAWYERS and aspiring law students have petitioned the Supreme Court (SC) to abolish the Legal Education Board (LEB) and its conduct of the nationwide law school admission exam, asserting that it should be the SC that should be holding it.
During the oral argument Tuesday, Karla Marie T. Tumulak, legal counsel for a second group of petitioners, said administering national law school admission tests should be under the SC as it is “within the powers of the SC to promulgate rules concerning to the admission to the practice of law.”
“We understand that there might be other matters the SC is busy with. We submit, Your Honor, the SC currently has a committee on legal education and bar matters, Your Honor, and the problem that we see here is precisely the fact that the LEB under Republic Act 7662 is an entity which is not answerable to this court,” she said.
However, Associate Justice Jose C. Reyes, Jr. said the examination might be done twice a year on top of the bar examinations. “Are you not making it difficult (for) the Supreme Court which is principally engaged in adjudication and then we have bar exams once a year.”
“Maybe this honorable court perhaps creates a body that will possibly conduct the administration of the exam, Your Honor,” Ms. Tumulak said.
Baldomero C. Estanzo, also legal counsel for the petitioners, said it should only be the SC or thr law schools themselves that should conduct the admissions test.
However, Associate Justice Francis H. Jardaleza challenged him on the point that the SC may impose the same payment and limited testing centers.
“I’m sure, your honor, that the court will not do that because the Supreme Court is fair, just, and equitable,” Mr. Estanzo said in response.
“It seems to me…there is a disconnect, distrust (in) the way the LEB did this. But as they say, be careful what you pray for. If you ask the court to be the one to exercise the power, you also don’t know among these 15 magistrates, they may have standards, for example, higher than the LEB. So I have a problem with that,” Mr. Jardaleza said.
The case stemmed from the petitions filed by retired Makati regional trial court Judge Oscar B. Pimentel, along with several others including lawyers and aspiring law students, on April 7, 2017. That petition was later consolidated with a subsequent petition filed in November 2018 by students. — Vann Marlo M. Villegas

PCSO admits jueteng operations still on

THE PHILIPPINE Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) admitted on Tuesday the continued operation of illegal numbers games, popularly referred to as jueteng, during the joint hearing of the House Committees on Games and Amusement and Public Accounts. “There’s still jueteng,” PCSO Chairman Anselmo Simeon P. Pinili said on Tuesday, when asked by Antipolo City-2nd district Rep. Romeo M. Acop. Mr. Acop deemed this as the reason for the decline in the collection of PCSO from small town lotteries (STL). “I think jueteng is coming up with a vengeance. And that’s the reason why the amounts being given to the PCSO from the collections of the ASAs (Authorized STL Agents) have gone down,” Mr. Acop said. The PCSO said ASAs that do not reach their collection target are terminated, a policy that the panel said may further proliferate illegal gambling. In response, Mr. Pinili said, “We are now coordinating with the Bureau of Internal Revenue that we have to have an official written receipt in all transactions, and after that we will also push our reinforcement agencies to go after those in the illegal numbers game. We are trying to solve our problem, but it’s a work in progress.” — Charmaine A. Tadalan

DoH calls for pet vaccination as it aims for a rabies-free Philippines

THE DEPARTMENT of Health (DoH) is aiming for a rabies-free Philippines over the next decade and has called on all owners to have their pets vaccinated. In a statement on Tuesday, DoH Secretary Francisco H. Duque III said, “Prevention is key in eliminating the rabies disease. 99% of all rabies transmissions to humans are from dogs. Be a responsible pet owner and vaccinate your pets. This is the most cost-effective strategy to prevent rabies.” DoH noted that 59,000 deaths are attributed to rabies globally, with the Philippines having at least 200 a year. The DoH just launched its anti-rabies campaign in line with March being Rabies Awareness month. The program will be assisted by the Department of Agriculture, Department of Interior and Local Government, local government units, and the private sector. Mr. Duque said, “We have made great strides in eliminating rabies particularly in the Visayas region where a number of provinces were declared rabies-free. Let us continue this positive trend and work together towards completely eradicating this deadly disease. It is my hope to declare Philippines a rabies-free country by 2030.” — Gillian M. Cortez

BI gets new gadgets for faster OFWs e-card validation at NAIA

THE BUREAU of Immigration (BI) has received new gadgets from the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) that would expedite the processing of departing overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA). In a press statement, BI Port Operations Division Chief Grifton SP. Medina said the six tablets and six bar code readers from OWWA will be used by BI personnel at NAIA to check the authenticity and validity of OWWA e-cards presented by departing OFWs. The OWWA e-card serves as an exit clearance for OFWs, and also allows faster availment of OWWA services. Mr. Medina said the gadgets will be used to conduct pre-screening of departing OFWs. “This means that we will be able to detect immediately if an e-card is not valid, even before they reach the immigration counter,” he said. Mr. Medina noted that there were instances that OFWs were victimized by syndicates and were caught with fake or invalid overseas employment certificates. — Vann Marlo M. Villegas

Equipment deployed for Manila Bay desilting

A FLEET of equipment has been deployed by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) for the desilting of Manila Bay. “This event marks the full-blast dredging within this critical section of Manila Bay. Our Bureau of Equipment, Regional and District Engineering Offices in Metro Manila have deployed a total of 28 equipment, and 50 personnel to operate 16 hours a day, 6 days a week,” said Secretary Mark A. Villar during the launch of the DPWH Sagip Manila Bay project on March 5. An estimated 225,000 cubic meters of silt will be removed across the approximately 1.5-kilometer stretch of Manila Bay from the Manila Yacht Club breakwater to the US Embassy. Mr. Villar also said that aside from the dredging activities at the bay, the DPWH is also conducting cleanup and declogging of the tributaries and drainage canals in Manila City. This is being undertaken in coordination with other agencies such as the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), and the Philippine Coast Guard. “We are working harmoniously with the DENR, the MMDA, other mandamus agencies and local government units for a holistic approach in cleaning Manila Bay. These tributaries or esteros and drainage pipes need to be cleaned and unclogged, as trash from these areas will eventually make their way to Manila Bay,” he said.

Kalibo slaughterhouse project opened for Swiss challenge

THE MUNICIPAL government of Kalibo is ready to receive challenge bids for the rehabilitation of the Kalibo Meat Plant’s principal slaughterhouse, which will also involve the operation and maintenance of the facility.
In a statement on Tuesday, the Public Private Partnership (PPP) Center said the local government is inviting bidders to submit proposals to proceed to a Competitive Challenge for the joint venture (JV).
The project was submitted as an unsolicited proposal of the Philippine Slaughterhouse Management Operation Inc, which received the original proponent status (OPS) on May 15, 2018 from the municipal government.
Under the procurement process of the PPP Center for a joint venture project, a competitive challenge has to be conducted by allowing other bidders to participate in the same proposal, with the following factors as bid parameters: highest concession fee, lowest government share, lowest cost to consumer, highest/lowest lease fee, etc.
The first stage for a JV is the evaluation of its proposal, then a negotiation on terms and conditions, then the third would be the competitive challenge.
According to the PPP Center, the negotiations between the Kalibo government and the original proponent were concluded last Feb. 19.
The original proposal has an estimated cost of P30 million for a concession period of 28 years.
Interested bidders should submit an Expression of Interest to participate in the challenge, as mandated by the Kalibo government’s PPP Code.
They must also purchase the tender documents and submit the requirements on or before Apr. 9. — Reicelene Joy N. Ignacio

FPOP-Iloilo’s community center targets people at risk of HIV

THE FAMILY Planning Organization of the Philippines (FPOP)-Iloilo Chapter has set up a community center aimed at assisting those at risk of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) in Iloilo City. Roberto P. Figuracion Jr., an officer of the Raising Awareness for Junior Advocates on HIV (RAJAH) Community Center, said they want to provide a “safe space” for HIV testing and services in the city, along with counselling and other support services. “We want to target the key population who are males and transgender women having sex with males, pregnant women, and their partners and even the general public to have access to this one-stop-shop facility. We want to provide them with a place where they can go to get tested,” he said. Based on data from the Department of Health-Western Visayas Region, 765 HIV/AIDS cases have been reported in Iloilo City. In the entire region, 3, 012 cases have been recorded since 1984. Mr. Figuracion said they are now employing a more holistic approach in terms of HIV testing in Iloilo to end the stigma. “There are still many unreachable clients because they were too afraid to see a treatment facility. Here, we are providing key services for persons living with HIV that are comfortable and less stigmatizing,” he said. “As an alternative service point, the center will serve as an option to what already is in place by the local government units,” he added. — Emme Rose S. Santiagudo

4 NPA members surrender in Iligan City

FOUR MEMBERS of the New People’s Army (NPA), the armed wing of the communist movement, surrendered with their weapons to the Joint Task Force ZamPeLan in Iligan City last Feb. 28, the Western Mindanao Command (WestMinCom) reported yesterday. “The returnees decided to surrender because of the hardships they experienced on the mountains. They are also tired of hiding from the government forces who are conducting military operations in the area,” said Lieutenant Colonel Jasper Edward Obar, head of the 51st Infantry Battalion. “We warmly welcome the four returnees who realized that their lives with the communist NPA terrorist will lead nowhere. We will ensure that, through the E-CLIP (Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program), they will be provided with the necessary assistance,” said Colonel Ezra James Enriquez, the 2nd Mechanized Brigade commander.

Nation at a Glance — (03/06/19)

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 — (03/06/19)

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