13 If I speak in the tongues[a] of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast,[b] but do not have love, I gain nothing.
“It is not impossible for the PNP to arrest president Duterte and whoever will be included in the warrant if they will be ordered by the government, the head of the Philippines, which is also the head of PNP,” International Criminal Court (ICC) assistant to counsel of the victims of the war on drugs Kristina Conti said President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.could order the Philippine National Police (PNP) to implement the arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) against former president Rodrigo Duterte.
Conti maintained that as commander-in-chief, Marcos has jurisdiction over the PNP.
Conti was reacting to the statement of PNP public information officer Col. Jean Fajardo that the police will not implement any warrant of arrest coming from the ICC.
“The member-states of the ICC, the 123 states, will implement the arrest warrant. Even the PNP is not absolutely compelled (but) the Philippines has standing agreement with other countries, with Interpol where the arrest warrant will be coursed. It is called an international warrant of arrest,” she explained.
Duterte’s former spokesman Harry Roque said the ex-president has information that he could be ordered arrested by the ICC at any time.
“The PNP can be directed to enforce the warrant. Of course, we could understand that the PNP was part of the war on drugs, why would they do that. So, you never know, the earth is round,” Conti said, adding that it is important for Marcos to show that he acknowledges international rulings.
“I think in the international front, (Marcos) needs to show that the Philippines complies with international rulings just like when we filed a case before the arbitration court involving the West Philippine Sea. We won and our position is for China to respect the decision. Now that there is an ICC (ruling), we were part of it… We cannot only choose decisions that are favorable to us,” Conti also said.
She noted that countries joined the ICC to ensure international order. “If the Philippines will not comply, they would think that it is not worth transacting with ICC.” ?
Fajardo said the PNP has not received any information about a warrant of arrest issued by the ICC, adding that the foreign affairs and justice departments have not coordinated with the PNP about it.
Meanwhile, Caritas Philippines, the Catholic Church’s social arm, urged the Marcos administration to fully cooperate with the ICC probe into the drug war of the previous administration.
In a statement, CBCP president Kidapawan Bishop Jose Colin Bagaforo said government officials, including the military, should help in upholding the rule of law.
“We urge the government, the Senate, the House of Representatives and the Philippine military to welcome the ICC and extend their full cooperation. This is not a sign of weakness, but a demonstration of our commitment to the rule of law and the Filipino people’s right to the truth,” Bagaforo said.
Caritas Philippines said it remains steadfast in supporting the ICC’s investigation, believing it to be a critical step toward healing the wounds of the past and building a future where human rights are respected and protected.
The organization also encouraged all Filipinos to stand with them in demanding justice and accountability.
“We stand with the victims and their families. The ICC investigation is not a witch hunt, but a crucial step towards ensuring justice and accountability for those responsible,” the prelate said.
Fr. Antonio Labiao Jr., Caritas Philippines executive director, said cooperating with the ICC is not about the past.
“It is about shaping a future where justice prevails and human dignity is valued,” he said.
He also challenged former president Rodrigo Duterte and his family, if they believe they are innocent of the accusations, to not stop the probe.
“If the Dutertes are truly confident in their innocence, they should have nothing to fear from the ICC. Why obstruct an investigation that seeks the truth? Why deny justice to the countless victims?” Labiao said.
The Church-based organization also agreed with human rights lawyer Tony La Viña, a speaker in the recent seminar held at Caritas Philippines Academy, who said, “If they say justice is primary in their administration, welcoming and cooperating with the ICC is the right and most patriotic thing to do.”
Local rights group Karapatan also urged the government to make Duterte accountable for the human rights violations committed during the implementation of controversial anti-drug campaign.
Karapatan secretary general Cristina Palabay said the Marcos government could start giving justice to the victims of the campaign by cooperating with the ICC.
Palabay said steps to make Duterte and?his co-conspirators accountable for grave human rights violations, through?international or domestic mechanisms, are long overdue and that any effort?toward redress should be done immediately.?
“At any rate, the clock has started ticking for Rodrigo Duterte. We reiterate our call on the Philippine government to cooperate with the ICC by assisting the institution in conducting its investigation, in enforcing arrest warrants and in prosecuting Duterte and his cohorts,” Palabay said in a statement.
Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey showed more Filipinos are now supporting ongoing investigation of the International Criminal Court (ICC) into the previous administration’s campaign against illegal drugs.
SWS survey conducted from Dec. 8 to 11 found that 53 percent of the respondents support the statement: “The ICC should investigate drug-related killings during the Duterte administration.”
It was composed of 25 percent who “strongly approve” and 28 percent who “somewhat approve” of the ICC investigation.
Support for the ICC probe increased from the 45 percent (20 percent “strongly approve” and 25 percent “somewhat approve”) obtained in a similar survey conducted by SWS in March 2023.
Meanwhile, those who disapprove of the ICC investigation decreased from 24 percent to 21 percent. Those who were undecided decreased from 31 percent to 26 percent.
The survey results were presented by SWS vice president Gerardo Sandoval during the 2024 SWS Survey Review held at the Asian Institute of Management on Thursday.
The latest survey also found that 57 percent of the respondents agree that the government should allow the ICC investigation regarding the drug-related killings during the Duterte administration.
It was up nine points from just 48 percent in the March survey.
Nineteen percent said the government should not allow the ICC investigation, down from 20 percent, while 25 percent were undecided, down from 31 percent.
Asked about their knowledge regarding the ICC investigation, 14 percent said it was “extensive,” while 30 percent said it was “partial but sufficient.”
It was up from 10 percent and 24 percent who said they had “extensive” and “partial but sufficient” knowledge, respectively, of the ICC investigation.
Those who had little or almost nothing to no knowledge about the ICC investigation dropped from 67 percent to 57 percent.
Some 29 percent of the respondents said they had “much trust” that the ICC will be able to conduct an impartial investigation into the drug-related killings during the Duterte administration.
It was up from 22 percent obtained in the March 2023 survey.
Based on the survey, a majority or 55 percent were still unsure whether the ICC would be able to conduct an impartial investigation (almost similar to 56 percent in the previous survey), while those who had little trust decreased from 22 percent to 16 percent.
The SWS fourth quarter survey had 1,200 adult respondents and a margin of error of plus/minus 2.8 percent.
ICC prosecutor wants to try ‘environmental crimes’
By Nidz Godino
“That leads to whole ecosystems being disrupted, degraded and indeed destroyed. Rivers vibrant, full of wildlife, plants and fish, become wastelands of death and despair,” International Criminal Court’s chief prosecutor Karim Khan wants the tribunal to start trying suspects for “environmental crimes” without having to modify its founding statutes.
Khan said chemical attacks or assaults on nuclear plants could come under the existing terms of offenses the court is authorized to prosecute: genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity or crimes of aggression.
Major environmental destruction or pollution could therefore lead to prosecutions for war crimes or crimes against humanity, alongside rape or the deportation of children.
The latter allegation was made against Russian President Vladimir Putin, against whom the Hague-based ICC issued an arrest warrant last year.
The ICC’s Rome Statute mainly focuses on crimes against individuals or protected objects like churches, mosques, synagogues or UNESCO heritage sites, but during conflicts “we have to see a horizon which is more wide,” Khan said.
Struggles for resources often drive conflicts, which themselves frequently target the environment, he said when asked if large-scale bombardment in Ukraine or Gaza might come under the definition of environmental crimes.
Khan recently visited war-torn Sudan’s Darfur, a province exposed to growing desertification for more than 50 years, where he said droughts and water shortages between different communities “triggered animosity.”
The environment is also a victim when gold, wood, timber and rare earth metals are coveted during conflicts, while harmful substances such as cyanide and mercury are used to extract valuable ores, the British prosecutor added.
Khan intends to issue a general policy paper in December that would set the legal framework for environmental crimes without having to add a fifth offence to the four listed in the Rome Statute.
“This is the first time in the history of the International Criminal Court that we would have a considered policy paper on the forms that environmental crimes can take,” he said.
In 2016, former ICC chief prosecutor Fatou Bensouda said the court would focus on ecological damage, the illicit exploitation of natural resources or the illegal expropriation of land, a warning that had little visible impact.
But Khan insisted his initiative was a step further as it was a thought-out policy rather than a promise or hope.
Khan was speaking in Paris on the sidelines of a gathering of around 100 prosecutors and senior judges who were discussing behind closed doors the role of young people in environmental justice.
Jpn bank probes environmental concerns over LNG terminal in Batangas
By Nidz Godino
“Protect VIP demands compensation for the damage caused by the project and for JBIC to retract its investments,” Verde Island Passage (VIP)
coalition said Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) will investigate potential violations of its own environmental guidelines linked to its support for Atlantic Gulf & Pacific Company’s (AG&P) liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal in VIP.
JBIC is an investor of AG&P, whose local unit Linseed Field Power Corp. is building an LNG import terminal in Brgy. Ilijan, Batangas City.
Local fishers and environmental groups oppose the LNG project, fearing oil spills like the MT Princess Empress disaster and damage to the rich Verde Island Passage ecosystem.
In a January 30 notice bank’s examiner for environmental guidelines said it will “investigate the facts of JBIC’s compliance or non-compliance” with its own rules.
JBIC’s guidelines provide the guiding principles and procedures for confirming that borrowers or project proponents have addressed environmental and social considerations.
The investigation will last three months and also “encourage dialogues between the parties.”
The investigation, demanded by coalition Protect VIP and local stakeholders, focuses on JBIC’s failures to monitor Linseed’s compliance with national laws and regulations such as the Coconut Preservation Act, Water Code, Revised Forestry Code, Department of Agrarian Reform’s Comprehensive Rules on Land Use Conversion, and presidential decree establishing an environmental impact statement system.
They also accused JBIC of improper classification of the project’s high environmental sensitivity and inaction as demanded by its own guidelines.
Verde Island Passage, dubbed by scientists as the “center of the center” of the world’s marine biodiversity, is under threat from pollution originating from gas plants and LNG terminals in its vicinity.
Clean energy advocates called on the Philippine government to halt plans for continued expansion of gas power following United States President Joe Biden’s move to pause LNG export approvals. The US was the world’s biggest exporter of LNG in 2023.
The Philippines is ramping up its construction of infrastructure for LNG imports in anticipation of the depletion of the Malampaya deepwater gas-to-power project. The government is also aiming to transform the country into a leading LNG hub in Asia.
“The Philippine government would do right by Filipinos if it does the same and halts plans to expand importation and use of costly, destructive gas power,” said Bishop Gerry Alminaza, lead convenor of clean energy group Wag Gas and chairperson of the National Laudato Si Program of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines.
While LNG is often presented as a “bridge fuel” for cleaner energy, climate and energy advocates criticize it for emitting potent methane, hindering the transition to renewable energy sources, and locking countries into long-term fossil fuel dependence.
Center for Energy, Ecology, and Development executive director Gerry Arances said that Biden’s move should be a “clear signal to end the fossil fuel era and phase in a full renewable energy transition in the Philippines.”
Fewer cyclones forecast for Ph,drought in 24 provinces due to ‘strong’ El Niño — PAGASA By J.Lo
“From the first quarter to the second quarter of 2024, around two to five cyclones are expected. From July to December, we are anticipating around 11 to 14 cyclones,” Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) climate monitoring division chief Ana Liza Solis said
Philippines is likely to experience fewer storms in 2024 than the average of 20, as it did last year, due to El Niño.
Solis said the country may see only 13 to 19 tropical cyclones this year. The Philippines is usually affected by 19 to 20 storms a year on average.
In 2023, only 11 made landfall or came close to the Philippines.
PAGASA said in a release last week that a strong El Niño, which brings drier conditions to some parts of the country, is ongoing and may continue until February. Majority of global climate models suggest the phenomenon will likely persist until the March-April-May 2024 season.
It added that way below normal to way below rainfall conditions are likely over most parts of Luzon and Visayas, Northern Mindanao, Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, and Zamboanga Peninsula in January.
By the end of the month, the provinces of Benguet, Kalinga, Apayao, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union, Pangasinan, Cagayan, Bataan, Nueva Ecija, Tarlac, Zambales, Cavite, and Palawan may experience drought.
Solis also warned that 2024 may be “one of the warmest years on record” due to El Niño, with temperatures in some areas in the Philippines reaching more than 40 degrees Celsius.
Early this month, World Meteorological Organization chief Celeste Saulo said that 2024 “may be even hotter and more extreme” than 2023 once the full impact of El Niño plays out.
Twenty-four provinces in the Philippines are likely to face the threat of drought by the end of February due to the El Niño phenomenon, the country’s weather bureau said.
In its latest advisory, PAGASA said that the likelihood of below-normal rainfall conditions due to a “strong and mature” El Niño remains high.
Most of the country has a 45 to 50% chance of experiencing below normal rainfall in February, except Bukidnon, Davao region, and Caraga seeing near normal rainfall conditions.
According to PAGASA, Abra, Apayao, Aurora, Bataan, Benguet, Cagayan, Cavite, Ifugao, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, Isabela, Kalinga, La Union, Metro Manila, Mountain Province, Nueva Ecija, Nueva Vizcaya, Occidental Mindoro, Palawan, Pangasinan, Quirino, Rizal, Zambales, and Negros Occidental could be grappling with meteorological drought by the end of the month.
Drought occurs when there is significantly below normal rainfall conditions for three straight months.
Meanwhile, Batangas, Laguna, Masbate, Oriental Mindoro, Antique, Biliran, Capiz, Cebu, Eastern Visayas, Guimaras, Iloilo, Leyte, Negros Oriental, Samar, Lanao del Norte, Sulu, and Tawi-Tawi may experience dry spell, or three consecutive months of below normal condition.
Dry conditions, or two consecutive months of below normal rainfall condition, may affect Bulacan, Bohol, Siquijor, Southern Leyte, Camiguin, Misamis Occidental, Misamis Oriental, Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga del Sur, Zamboanga Sibugay.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has directed government agencies to fast-track the completion of water-related projects to mitigate potential water shortages.
PAGASA noted that near average to warmer than average air temperatures are forecast over the country, except in Batanes, Camarines Norte, Romblon, Masbate, Bohol, Southern Leyte, and South Cotabato, where cooler temperatures are expected.
“Moreover, surges of cold temperatures may still occur during the month due to the northeast monsoon,” it said.
The weather systems that will likely affect the country this month include the northeast monsoon, localized thunderstorms, shear line, easterlies, and low pressure areas.
Up to one tropical cyclone may enter or develop in the Philippine Area of Responsibility. The country may see fewer storms in 2024 than the average of 20, as it did last year, due to El Niño.
El Niño may persist until the March-April-May season, the weather agency said.
3 We ought always to thank God for you, brothers and sisters,[a] and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love all of you have for one another is increasing.
Footnotes
2 Thessalonians 1:3 The Greek word for brothers and sisters (adelphoi) refers here to believers, both men and women, as part of God’s family; also in 2:1, 13, 15; 3:1, 6, 13.
Graft rap vs DOTr execs, OSG over PUV modernization
By Nidz Godino
“Maraming viniolate ang programa nitong mga opisyal ng DOTr, LTFRB, OTC at kasama po dito ang solicitor general,” Manibela Chairman Mar Valbuena said in an interview with reporters transport group Manibela filed a complaint against officials of the Department of Transportation (DOTr) and the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG).
In a five-page complaint filed by the transport group before the Office of the Ombudsman, Manibela said that the officials violated the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act by not observing “due process” as they pushed for the Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program (PUVMP).
Among the respondents in Manibela’s complaint are Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista, Office of Transport Cooperatives (OTC) Chairman Ferdinand Ortega, Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) Chairman Teofilo Guadiz III and Solicitor General Menardo Guevarra.
“Inabuso tayo, nilabag ang ating mga karapatan, dineprive ang ating mga kabuhayan,” he added.
Valbuena said that the respondents violated human rights by depriving them of their livelihood due to DOTr-issued Memorandum Circular No. 2023-051.
Under the memorandum, PUV drivers and operators are required to consolidate into cooperatives or corporations until Dec. 31, 2023. If they fail to do so, the circular stipulates that their transport franchises will be revoked.
The deadline, however, has been extended by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. until April 30, 2024, which the transport groups described as a “minor victory.”
Bautista, meanwhile, said that they have yet to receive a copy of Manibela’s complaint.
He also said that the DOTr would study the charges and “respond at the appropriate time or forum.”
“We assure the general public that in implementing the PUV Modernization Program, DOTr and its attached agencies endeavor to strictly comply with pertinent provisions of the 1987 Constitution, as well as relevant laws and jurisprudence,” Bautista said.
“As legal counsel of the government, the OSG acted in accordance with its lawful mandate,” Guevarra said in a Viber message.
The PISTON-led petition in December 2023 asked the high court to halt the implementation of the PUV consolidation program and declare the PUVMP unconstitutional.
The high court, however, did not issue a temporary restraining order (TRO) to stop the PUV consolidation. This prompted the transport groups to file another petition and TRO.
As of January 5, the LTFRB said that 73% of jeepneys in the country have consolidated for the PUVMP.
Avoid posting ‘unnecessary’ photos of children due to AI misuse
By J.Lo
“They have the finances to buy softwares and hardwares to create AI-generated CSAEM. These might be people who don’t have the stomach to touch children, to take nude pictures of children, but out of greed, they have the technical knowledge to create these materials,” Council for the Welfare of Children executive director Angelo Tapales warned parents and guardians of the increased use of artificial intelligence to produce child-abusive material, cautioning them not to post unnecessary photos of minors online.
During the Safe r Internet Day conference Tapales, said that the organization is working closely with other government agencies and the private sector to curb the violence and sexual abuse against children, including new forms of abuse.
Children in the Philippines are highly vulnerable to being used to produce sexually abusive material, and the large number of incidents in recent years made UNICEF describe the country in 2016 as the “center of child sex abuse materials production.”
While there have been no reported cases of AI-generated child sexual abuse or exploitation materials (CSAEM) or child sexual abuse material (CSAM) in the Philippines as of Jan. 31, 2024, Tapales stressed the need for a more proactive approach.
The CWC official said that persons creating and proliferating inappropriate materials of children have become adept at using technology, calling them the “new species of violators who are very intelligent and techy.”
Tapales noted that AI-generated materials targeting children have already been detected in other countries.
ChildFund Alliance Secretary General Meg Gardinier said that new forms of abuse, such as AI-generated imagery and financial sexual extortion, have become increasingly used “with dreadful consequences.”
Tapales said that the CWC is working on increasing awareness and responsible internet usage among parents and guardians to prevent children from being exploited.
“We must teach our parents, even those in the schools, the guidance counselors, the teachers, and school administrators, to be responsible Internet citizens, so that they can, in turn, teach students, teach their kids how to identify dubious sites, how to classify if a particular content is harmful, not age-appropriate, and not to chat with strangers,” Tapales said.
Among other practices, the CWC executive director said that parents must avoid the unnecessary sharing of children’s pictures online.
According to a report by the International Justice Mission (IJM), half a million Filipino children were trafficked online via live streaming in 2022.
These activities often involved individuals known by the children who contribute to the production of sexual exploitation materials.
In 2023, the Philippine National Police recorded at least 17,600 cases of children suffering violence and abuse.
“No judge can choose to prolong, on his own, the period for deciding cases beyond the period authorized by law,”
Supreme Court (SC) has ordered the suspension of a trial court judge in General Santos City for sitting on a rape complaint for over 10 years before resolving the case.
In full session, SC magistrates imposed a two-year suspension on General Santos City Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 35 Judge Oscar Noel Jr. for gross neglect of duty, in his capacity as assisting judge for the town of Alabel in Sarangani province.
The Office of the Court Administrator had asked Noel to comment on an administrative complaint filed against him over a rape case that has been pending in his sala since 2010.
According to Noel, it was another judge who was presiding over the rape case that was filed on Oct. 30, 2007 against Jimmy dela Torre.
Noel said he took over the case only on Feb. 11, 2010. He also reasoned that at the time he was presiding over three different courts – General Santos City RTC Branch 35; Justice on Wheels Polomolok in South Cotabato and JOW Sarangani.
Dela Torre’s case was being heard in Maasim town in Sarangani, where the JOW bus traveled to and from General Santos City only once a month.
Noel also said that given the volume of cases and time constraints, the complaint could not be heard frequently and the resetting of hearings also takes two to three months.
Noel has been found guilty of gross neglect of duty and fined P250,000, based on the recommendation of the Judicial Integrity Board.
The high tribunal adopted the recommendations of the JIB, but modified the penalty imposed on Noel to a two-year suspension.
Citing Article VIII, Section 15 (1) of the Constitution, the SC said lower courts must resolve cases within three months.
Rule 3.05, Canon 3 of the Code of Judicial Conduct likewise mandates judges to dispose of the court’s business promptly and decide cases within the required periods.
This is also reiterated in the New Code of Judicial Conduct for the Philippine judiciary, which requires judges to perform all duties, including the “delivery of reserved decisions, efficiently, fairly and with reasonable promptness,” the SC said.
The SC said Noel was proven guilty of gross neglect of duty for failing to resolve the rape case within the reglementary period.
The SC noted that the testimony of the witnesses for the defense started on Dec. 1, 2014. Six years after, when the authority of Noel to hear the mobile court was revoked on Aug. 12, 2020, the prosecutor’s cross examination of the defense witnesses had not been finished.
The SC also noted that Noel’s justification of heavy workload was not an excuse since a request for more time to resolve the case could have been made.
The high court said Noel failed to request for an extension of time to rule on the rape case.
ISKUP! 