Duterte in Moscow for 5-day visit
PRESIDENT Rodrigo R. Duterte arrived in Moscow on Wednesday for a five-day official visit, Malacañang said.
He and his official delegation arrived safely in the early morning at the Vnukovo International Airport in Moscow, his spokesman Salvador S. Panelo said in a statement.
Mr. Duterte views his latest trip as “an auspicious opportunity to deepen our ties with the Russian Federation,” he said.
The visit is also an opportunity to broaden Philippines-Russia cooperation in a wide range of areas including trade and economics, defense and military, health, and science and technology Mr. Panelo said.
Mr. Duterte is slated to have a bilateral meeting in Sochi with Russian President Vladimir Putin and they will both witness the signing of bilateral agreements, he said. — Arjay L. Balinbin
House OKs deferment of village polls
THE House of Representatives on Wednesday approved on second reading a bill postponing village and youth elections to December 5, 2022 from May next year.
House Bill 4933 will allow the Commission on Elections to hold the elections in the same year as the presidential election.
The Senate recently approved on third and final reading a similar bill. Lawmakers from both houses will have to agree on a reconciled version of the bill at a bicameral conference committee once the House approves the bill on final reading.
During his State of the Nation Address, President Rodrigo R. Duterte certified the postponement of the village and youth elections as a priority measure. — Vince Angelo C. Ferreras
Magistrate bats for top justice post
JUSTICE Diosdado M. Peralta yesterday said he deserves to become the next chief justice even if he didn’t top the Bar exam.
Speaking before the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC), Mr. Peralta said his track record in the Judiciary shows he deserved to replace Chief Justice Lucas P. Bersamin, who is retiring on Oct. 18.
“I think I deserve to be the chief justice because I worked very hard all these years,” he said in a televised interview with the council, teary-eyed.
Mr. Peralta was appointed to the Supreme Court on Jan. 13, 2009. He has been serving in the Judiciary since 1987.
Mr. Peralta is vying for the post along with Justices Estela M. Perlas-Bernabe, Andres B. Reyes, Jr. and Jose C. Reyes, Jr. — Vann Marlo M. Villegas
Pasay amusement park razed
THE Star City amusement park caught fire early Wednesday morning, prompting it to close until Oct. 2020, according to reports from the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) and the park’s management.
ABS-CBN News Channel reported authorities were looking at the possibility that the fire, which started in the stock room, might have been a case or arson.
Reports from the news channel also said the fire started at 12:22 am in a room containing plushies and assortments of prizes.
The fire was brought under control four hours later.
BFP Pasay Superintendent Paul Pili told CNN Philippines there were no reported casualties, but the blaze damaged 80% of the building.
Manila Broadcasting Company where DZRH and other FM stations are based, was also affected by the fire, the fire bureau said. — Marc Wyxzel C. Dela Paz
PCC to expand to other regions
THE Philippine Competition Commission (PCC) said it would start expanding to other regions by 2021.
The agency would start plans to build regional headquarters in 2020, in collaboration with the Department of Budget and Management, PCC Chairman Arsenio M. Balisacan told a Senate budget hearing yesterday.
The anti-trust’s proposed budget for next year is P453.5 million,1.49% higher than this year.
The agency will prioritize monitoring the telecommunication, retail, energy, transportation, construction, pharmaceutical, and food sectors next year, he said. — Gillian M. Cortez
US cancels alleged drug queen’s visa
THE United States has canceled the visa of a suspected drug queen who allegedly worked with rogue cops in recycling illegal drugs seized in legitimate police operations, the Justice department said yesterday.
“The Bureau of Immigration is now working with US immigration authorities to effect her deportation to the Philippines,” Justice Undersecretary Markk L. Perete said.
The bureau earlier issued a lookout bulletin order on the alleged drug queen so authorities can monitor her whereabouts overseas.
Immigration spokesperson Krizia Dana M. Sandoval said that the suspect’s travel records showed she left the country “with no derogatory records.” — Vann Marlo M. Villegas
37 more convicts to be freed
THE BUREAU of Corrections (BuCor) is set to release 37 more convicts who surrendered after President Rodrigo R. Duterte ordered them to yield, Justice Undersecretary Markk L. Perete said in a mobile-phone message yesterday.
An oversight committee approved the release of the prisoners belonging to the fourth batch, bringing the total of those released to 124.
The inmates were freed again because they were released other than for good conduct.
Mr. Duterte early last month ordered about 2,000 convicts of heinous crimes released through good conduct time allowance to surrender by Sept. 19 because they had been illegally freed.
The president earlier suspended his prison chief for allowing their release even if they were ineligible because they were convicted of heinous crimes. — Vann Marlo M. Villegas
Senate body seeks single traffic agency
THE SENATE public services committee asked the Transportation department and Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) to draft a proposal that will establish a single traffic authority.
Senator Grace S. Poe-Llamanzares, committee chairman, ordered the agencies to harmonize traffic rules within the 17 Metro Manila cities.
At present, the Inter-Agency Council on Traffic plans policies to address traffic congestion in Metro Manila. But it has no enforcement capability, Ms. Llamanzares said during a hearing yesterday.
The senator gave the agencies until November to draft the proposal. — Charmaine A. Tadalan
