Alert  system for journalists under attack

By Jlo

“In a time where it is now apparent that the defenders of truth also need defending, the conversation on fostering a safe working environment for journalists should also be making headlines on our screens as we scroll through the news and commentaries,” Commission of Human Rights (CHR) is set to formally launch a platform for journalists to report threats and attacks in a bid to ensure the safety of media workers in the country. 

In a statement, the CHR said that “Alisto! Alert Mechanism” seeks to “provide a concrete platform where it may directly respond to attacks and threats against media workers.”

According to the commission, the initiative aligns with its commitment to implement the Philippine Plan of Action for the Safety of Journalists, a roadmap to promote the protection of media workers and safeguard press freedom in the country. 

The Philippines is one of the most dangerous countries for journalists, with fatal attacks frequently targeting those outside the capital region. Since 1986, 199 journalists have been killed in the country, according to the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP).

Government agencies like the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) further endanger journalists by falsely accusing them of supporting or being involved in the communist armed struggle, exposing them to both physical and online attacks. 

NUJP chairperson Jonathan de Santos called the alert system “a good first response to threats” that may serve as a deterrent to further attacks and harassment. 

“We hope that engagement with the CHR and government agencies will lead to a safer environment for media workers, and, just as importantly, an end to the culture of impunity on attacks against journalists,” De Santos told media.

The CHR urged other government agencies to address the challenges faced by journalists and implement adequate mechanisms that guarantee a safe work environment.

Early this month, United Nations special rapporteur on freedom of expression and opinion Irene Khan said that some initiatives of the Presidential Task Force on Media Security (PTFoMS) were “not enough.”

P100 wage hike defended

By Nidz Godino

“Let us not believe in that. We have to think out of the box. That thinking came out of Western schools which blame the poor workers for the inflationary effect of more wages,” Senate minority leader Aquilino Pimentel III said

senators defended their legislated salary increase recently passed on second reading, following a comment from an Employers Confederation of the Philippines (ECOP) official who called the P100 wage hike a “catastrophe.”

The comment of ECOP president Sergio Ortiz-Luiz Jr. describing the wage hike as a “catastrophe” is expected of someone who adheres to the Western economic model, Senate minority leader Aquilino Pimentel III said.

Ortiz-Luiz had warned that a hike for minimum wage earners in the private sector will cause employers to lay off workers or pass on the additional labor costs to consumers, driving up prices and further eroding workers’ income.

He said executives should instead stop their real estate purchases and private jet trips, instead of opposing the wage increase which is meant to augment the measly salary adjustments by regional wage boards.

“I’m sure the business person can make the adjustments. They should refrain from buying private jets and helicopters and vacation houses in the US, so that they could help their fellow citizens here,” Pimentel said.

He urged business sectors to be optimistic about giving reprieve to minimum wage earners instead of making “alarmist” comments.

“Let us be optimistic. Let us not be fear mongers. Let us help our lowest income workers,” Pimentel said.

The wage hike bill sponsor, Sen. Jinggoy Estrada, stressed the need to legislate the wage hike because of the measly increases set by the regional wage boards in the metro and in the provinces.

“The P100 wage increase is actually not enough. But we have to strike a balance between the employers and the employees,” Estrada said in a separate dwIZ interview yesterday. Estrada chairs the Senate labor committee.

“I’ve talked to several businessmen and they said they would not be affected because they are giving salaries way above the minimum wage, especially here in Metro Manila,” he added.

Sen. JV Ejercito said employers should be more generous to their employees who serve as the backbone of their businesses.

“We need to share our blessings. With the high prices of goods now, we need to give our workers a way to have a quality and decent way of living,” Ejercito said in another dwIZ interview yesterday.

The proposed “P100 Daily Minimum Wage Increase Act of 2023” is set to be approved on third reading this week.

TODAY’S GOD’S MESSAGE

1 John 4:11-12

¹¹ Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. ¹² No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.

Ph arrests Islamic State terror funding ‘facilitator’

By nidz godino

“Mabanza’s arrest marks another positive note for the Philippines’ whole-of-nation campaign to address terrorism and terrorism financing,” Manila’s statement said

Philippine government arrested a woman tagged by the United States as a facilitator for “terror” who gave money and other aid to the Islamic State group.

Myrna Mabanza was arrested near the town of Indanan in the southern Sulu island group, a stronghold of an IS-linked armed militant group called Abu Sayyaf, according to a statement from Manila’s Anti-Terrorism Council.

The US treasury department in 2018 listed Philippines-based Mabanza as a “facilitator for terror”, saying she supported the Philippine branch of ISIS, an alternate name for IS.

It accused her of “assisting in, sponsoring, or providing financial, material, or technological support for, or financial or other services to or in support of” ISIS-Philippines.

The US and Philippine governments both alleged the 32-year-old was involved in two 2016 fund transfers — one of up to $107,000 — to the then leader of the Abu Sayyaf militant group and ISIS-Philippines, Isnilon Hapilon.

Mabanza was also alleged to have served as intermediary between Hapilon and IS elements in Syria.

In April that year, Mabanza “helped facilitate” a trip by a representative of the IS-linked group Jamaah Ansharut Daulah from Indonesia to the Philippines, where she took the person to Basilan island to meet Hapilon, the two governments said.

The unnamed representative came to the Philippines to purchase arms for IS-aligned forces in Indonesia and set up training courses for Indonesian recruits on firearms use and bomb-making, they added.

Hapilon, who was on the US “Most Wanted Terrorists” list, was killed in October 2017 near the end of a five-month siege by Philippine troops against hundreds of IS-linked gunmen who had seized the southern Muslim city of Marawi.

Mabanza, described by official sources as Philippine national, is being held without bail and will be tried on terror financing charges, it added.

Cash  than bags of rice

By j.lo

“will ease the price pressures of the market in terms of buying high-priced rice,”

Department of Social Welfare and Development stands by its position that it is “more practical and efficient” to give the P600/month rice subsidy to beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) in cash rather than actual bags of rice.

This was affirmed by Social Welfare Assistant Secretary for strategic communications Romel Lopez, in reaction to the proposal of the Department of Agriculture (DA) for the agency to distribute bags of rice to 4Ps beneficiaries.

The DA, at a recent press briefing in Malacañang, had suggested to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.to convert the P600 monthly rice subsidy into actual rice to be supplied by the National Food Authority as this According to Lopez, they already met with DA and “we made it clear to them that this is not feasible because of the logistical requirements” which may not be convenient for the beneficiaries.

He also noted there is “no legal cover” for the DSWD to heed the DA proposal.

Contempt  raps vs PIRMA head By nidz godino

“If the donors to the TV ad are worried about their privacy or security, then the list could be submitted and examined in an executive session, as mentioned by committee chair Sen. Imee Marcos,” Senate Deputy Minority Leader Risa Hontiveros said

 People’s Initiative for Reform, Modernization and Action or PIRMA must divulge to the Senate the names of donors who funded the television ad bashing EDSA people power or face criminal charges, Senate Deputy Minority Leader Risa Hontiveros warned yesterday.

In pushing for a people’s initiative to amend the 1987 Constitution, PIRMA has funded a television ad that blamed the post-Edsa Charter for the country’s slow progress.

The ad coined the term “EDSA-pwera” – a reference to “etsapwera” or ignored – to send the message that the masses did not benefit from the gains of the 1986 uprising, which restored democracy in the country after the two-decade dictatorship of the late president Ferdinand Marcos Sr.

Hontiveros bristled at PIRMA lead convenor Noel Oñate’s claim during the previous Senate electoral reforms hearing that donors wanted to keep their identities confidential.

Oñate claimed that he funded half of the P55-million ad out of his own pocket, while the other half came from contributors.

 “Oñate should respect the Senate subpoena compelling him to provide the documents, lest he wants to be liable for disobedience to summons punishable under Article 150 of the Revised Penal Code,” she asserted.

“Oñate should be reminded that to belittle and disobey the Senate is a violation of the law,” Hontiveros added.

For her part, Senator Marcos yesterday warned Oñate that he could be cited for contempt anytime if he continues defying the Senate probe on the signature buying that hounded the people’s initiative campaign.

“We are letting him be so that we can find out more about the events. The more he talks, the more he exposes himself. But the truth is, we are gritting our teeth at the things he is saying, for which he can be cited for contempt soon,” she added.

The President’s sister expressed frustration at Oñate’s refusal to provide the list of donors. “He is annoying. He is showing arrogance,” Marcos said in a phone interview with reporters.

The senator said she was considerate during the previous hearings despite Oñate’s obvious attempts to commit perjury in his defense of Speaker Martin Romualdez, whom Marcos accused of bankrolling the people’s initiative.

Marcos also noted that she had no choice but to pursue the Senate probe, as more names keep coming up.

“Honestly, it’s tiring. Isn’t it? Because five, six to seven hours of straight proceedings. It’s tiring. It’s hard to listen to them over and over again, it’s giving me a headache,” said Marcos.

PIRMA is not bothered by the Commission on Elections’ release of a withdrawal form for signatures collected for the people’s initiative petition pushing for Charter change.

“We are aware of the Comelec release of the Withdrawal of Signature forms. This does not affect us much,” Oñate said, noting that they have gathered more than enough signatures.

“Even if there is a withdrawal of 1 out of 10 (signatories), we still have about 17 percent, way above the 12 percent requirement. We have enough buffer,” he said.

Despite the indefinite suspension of the Comelec of all its PI-related processes, Oñate said their signature gathering campaign is continuous.

The Comelec earlier came out with the “Withdrawal Form of Signature in Signature Sheets/Petition for People’s Initiative” for those intending to take back their signatures.

Meanwhile, the Comelec said it will receive withdrawal forms submitted to them with or without any explanation indicated or attached.

Comelec Chairman George Erwin Garcia said accomplished withdrawal forms may be submitted to the office of the election officers.

The poll body though, pointed out that the acceptance of withdrawal forms is for recording purposes only and shall not be construed as formal action on the signature sheets or petition for the people’s initiative. 

TODAY’S GOD’S MESSAGE

Romans 8:38-39

³⁸ For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,^[a] neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, ³⁹ neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Footnotes

1. Romans 8:38 Or nor heavenly rulers

FDA shortens generic drug review to 45 days

By J.Lo

“The process will be simplified. It will be faster and shorter,” Food and Drug Administration (FDA)  Director General Samuel Zacate said will shorten the review and approval process for generic drug applications to only 45 days from 120 days. 

This move, aligned with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s directive to streamline procedures, aims to make essential medicines more accessible to the public.

“A generic drug, as long as they have been labeled as generic, wala na silang patent issue, approved na sila, and it has been in the market of their originating country and then iyong originating country has a strict regulatory agency, pagpasok sa bansa, it will be subject to only 45 days,” he added.

(A generic drug, as long as it has been labeled as generic, no longer has patent issues, is already approved, has been in the market of their originating country that has a strict regulatory agency, when we import it into the country, it will only be subject to 45 days.)

Jesusa Joyce Cirunay, director of FDA’s Central Drug Regulation and Research, clarified that the agency would not reduce the number of requirements, but rely on the evaluations of stringent regulatory bodies like the US FDA.

FDA would also lengthen the validity of licenses to operate and certificate of product registration to five to 10 years, an increase from three to five years.

Modernization considered in Quezon jeep burning

By J.Lo

Philippine National Police is monitoring progress of the investigation on the burning of modern jeepney in Quezon province, PNP chief Gen. Benjamin Acorda said.

As this developed, lawyers of the suspects described the arrest of their clients as unlawful.

One of the four detained suspects is film director Jade Castro.

Asked about the possible motive for the attack, Acorda said the transport modernization program could be a factor, although he noted that probers were eyeing several angles.

At a press briefing at Camp Crame, Acorda said the PNP has filed charges of arson against the four suspects before the Office of the Provincial Prosecutor in Catanauan.

The filing of charges was based on evidence gathered by PNP probers and the testimonies of witnesses, Acorda said.

The Office of the Prosecutor conducted a preliminary hearing on the case.

The lawyers of the suspects said no probable cause was established during the hearing. The camp of the suspects claimed it was a case of mistaken identity and expressed hope they would be released soon.

In response to allegations of unlawful arrest, Acorda said the suspects have the right to present their side on the matter.

He said the PNP’s action was based on the direction of the investigation and supported by evidence and testimonies of witnesses.

Senate leadership to approve subpoena for Quiboloy

By Reden Oro

“I don’t want to sow intrigue. It’s better if you ask him about it,” Sen. Risa Hontiveros appealed to the Senate leadership to approve her subpoena that would compel controversial pastor Apollo Quiboloy to attend her committee investigation into the alleged abuses within the Kingdom of Jesus Christ ministry.

During the Kapihan sa Senado press briefing deputy minority leader said Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri has not yet signed the subpoena order Hontiveros issued against Quiboloy during the previous Jan. 23 hearing.

In her Feb. 6 letter to Zubiri, Hontiveros sought the approval of the subpoena so that Quiboloy can be compelled to attend the next scheduled inquiry and respond to allegations from former ministry members that they were raped and forced to sell goods on the streets to fund his lifestyle.

Hontiveros said she doesn’t want to brand it “obstruction of justice,” as she clung to hope the Senate President would sign the subpoena as part of his “ministerial duty” of signing papers.

Zubiri did not respond to reporters’ questions about the matter.

Hontiveros said she would rather not think that Zubiri was doing Quiboloy a favor because both of them come from Mindanao.