News Roundup 21 February 2023
Feb 21, 2023 • 4 min Read
Hontiveros seeks probe into ‘government-sponsored’ sugar smuggling | PHILSTAR.COM – MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Risa Hontiveros urged the Senate Blue Ribbon panel on Tuesday to investigate what she called a “government-sponsored” smuggling of 260 containers of sugar which she said arrived at the Batangas port around two weeks ago.
In a media briefing, Hontiveros said sugar producers and independent sources told her that on February 9, a shipment of sugar in 260 20-foot containers arrived at the port. Its importer is said to be All Asian Countertrade Inc, she said.
The 260 containers allegedly had in them smuggled sugar that were also supposedly brought in via the super green lane system of the Bureau of Customs, when agricultural imports cannot pass through these lanes.
The senator showed a letter from Agriculture Assistant Secretary James Layug addressed to newly-appointed customs chief Bienvenido Rubio flagging shipments of sugar by All Asian Countertrade as proof of this accusation.
In Layug’s February 13 letter, he raised to Rubio the sugar shipments aboard three vessels which he said were “allegedly non-compliant with importation requirements of agri-fishery commodities, particularly sugar, under the Anti-Agricultural Smuggling Act of 2016.”
All Asian Countertrade, Sucden Philippines Inc. and Edison Lee Marketing Corp. were identified to be given allocations in an undated memorandum order from Sugar Board chairperson Domingo Panganiban, as shown by Hontiveros.
Full Story at: Hontiveros seeks probe into ‘government-sponsored’ sugar smuggling | Philstar.com
‘Sana all’: Senate workers say increase in inflationary aid is just, a must for all workers | PHILSTAR.COM – MANILA, Philippines — The increase in inflation assistance for Senate employees is fruit of their decades-long call to the government body, their union said, as they also called for higher benefits and aid for all workers nationwide amid rapidly rising living costs.
The Sandigan ng mga Empleyadong Nagkakaisa sa Adhikain ng Demokratikong Organisasyon o SENADO on Tuesday explained that the increased inflation assistance to P50,000 from the previous P12,000 was due to their call for higher benefits because their wages barely sustain a living.
They pointed out that there is a huge gap between minimum wage of workers — including rank and file government employees — and the set family living wage of P1,161 daily.
“Even if the last tranche of the Salary Standardization Law has been implemented for government staff, the true worth of our salary is not enough for a family of five to six to subsist daily,” SENADO said in Filipino.
Full Story at: ‘Sana all’: Senate workers say increase in inflationary aid is just, a must for all workers | Philstar.com
‘Bullying should never be condoned’ — CHR | INQUIRER.NET – MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) on Tuesday urged government officials to be more careful with their statements, especially sensitive topics such bullying.
CHR, while not directly referring to anyone, made the statement days after Sen. Robinhood Padilla said that slight physical bullying helped him deal with life.
“CHR expresses concern over statements that tolerate any form of bullying. Whether physical or mental, regardless of perceived effect or lack thereof, bullying should never be condoned,” the commission said in a statement.
“We urge government officials and those in position to influence to be circumspect in their statements and its possible implications to upholding the human rights of the vulnerable, including children,” it further said.
Full Story at: ‘Bullying should never be condoned’ — CHR | Inquirer News
‘Independent’ dog who returns to owner’s place after getting groomed goes viral | INQUIRER.NET – A pet dog, who showed how independent he could get, delighted social media users as he safely returned to his owner’s place after getting groomed at a nearby pet salon in Mandaluyong City on Monday, Feb. 20.
Earlier, Mitzi Pauline Fabian took Fuffy, her 5-year-old male corgi-aspin (asong Pinoy) mix to a pet salon located a few blocks away from her family’s tailor shop.
Fabian shared photos of her conversation with her dog’s groomer, which began when she asked how her dog was doing.
When the staff told her they were almost done grooming Fuffy, Fabian instructed them to just let her dog out after the session, saying her dog already knew how to return alone.
At 1:24 p.m., the staff sent Fabian a photo of Fuffy as the dog was about to leave the salon. Shortly after, Fabian replied with a snapshot of her dog safely arriving at their shop.
Full Story at: ‘Independent’ dog returns to owner’s place after getting groomed | Inquirer News
