News Roundup 23 June 2023
Jun 23, 2023 • 4 min Read
3 Bilibid Gang leaders plead guilty as accessories in Lapid’s murder, sentenced to up to 8 years | PHILSTAR.COM – MANILA, Philippines — Three leaders of the Bilibid Gang have pleaded guilty to a lesser degree of involvement as accessories in the high-profile murder case of broadcaster Percival Mabasa, more popularly known as Percy Lapid.
The confirmation of their guilty plea came from a tweet by Lapid’s brother, Roy Mabasa, which was verified by a reliable source within the Department of Justice (DOJ).
Las Piñas City Regional Trial Court Judge Harold Hulinganga on Friday pronounced the verdict, sentencing the Bilibid Gang leaders to a maximum of eight years in prison. This ruling takes into account their admission of guilt and their willingness to cooperate with the ongoing investigation.
The three Bilibid Gang leaders identified as Aldrin Galicia, commander of the Sputnik Gang; Alvin Labra, commander of the BCJ Gang; and Alfie Peñaredonda, commander of the HappyGoLucky Gang, faced charges as accessories in the murder of Percy Lapid.
The charges were reduced from direct involvement in the crime to a lesser degree of culpability.
Law enforcement authorities revealed that Labra and Galicia had established communication with alleged middleman Jun Villamor, an inmate at the New Bilibid Prison (NBP). Villamor, who was subsequently killed after his connection to the murder was exposed, then reached out to Christopher Bacoto, an inmate of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology. Bacoto, in turn, enlisted self-confessed gunman Joel Escorial.
Full Story at: 3 Bilibid Gang leaders plead guilty as accessories in Lapid’s murder, sentenced to up to 8 years | Philstar.com
House urged to condemn DepEd’s ‘profiling’ of ACT members in payroll system | PHILSTAR.COM – MANILA, Philippines — A House resolution was filed on Friday urging lawmakers to condemn the recent move by the Department of Education to identify all public school teachers part of the Alliance of Concerned Teachers who make use of its payroll system.
House Resolution 1095, filed by Makabayan lawmakers, described DepEd’s memorandum ordering the identification of ACT-affiliated teachers as a “profiling operation” that violates the “constitutionally guaranteed rights to free expression, association and privacy of public school teachers.”
“DepEd’s profiling operations against ACT and their members are highly alarming and a clear violation of their basic rights. The disclosure and processing of their personal information and sensitive personal information without their consent is a direct attack on their privacy and security,” House Deputy Minority Leader Rep. France Castro (ACT Teachers) said.
Castro explained in a message sent to Philstar.comthat if the memorandum was issued in consideration of ACT members’ union dues, it’s the regional formations of ACT that would process these deductions, not the Central Office.
“ACT Philippines does not coordinate with the Central Office regarding the problems of the union, and then there will be a memo like this,” Castro said in Filipino.
Castro added that the purpose of the order would be to “get the names of ACT union members for their red-tagging.”
Full Story at: House urged to condemn DepEd’s ‘profiling’ of ACT members in payroll system | Philstar.com
A year into Bongbong Marcos’ rule: P20/kg rice becomes a conundrum | INQUIRER.NET – MANILA, Philippines—A year ago, a promise was made—the price of rice will be brought down to P20 a kilo. It was a vow criticized as “impossible,” but President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said he will make it a reality.
How? He said he will recommend a price cap and issue an executive order directing the Department of Agriculture (DA) and the National Food Authority (NFA) to buy rice harvests from local farmers at higher prices.
Marcos said there is a need for a consistent and thorough inventory of rice harvests all over the Philippines. Rice cartels should be prevented from controlling the supply, too, he stressed.
Looking back, Marcos, who is also the agriculture secretary, had stressed that bringing down the price of rice to P20 a kilo is possible, but it won’t be easy. “There’s a way to do it but it may take a while,” he said in an interview over ALLTV.
Full Story at: A year into Bongbong Marcos’ rule: P20/kg rice becomes a conundrum | Inquirer News
Tax on junk food, higher soft drink levy pushed | INQUIRER.NET – The Marcos administration is reviving a plan to tax junk food and increase the imposts on sweetened drinks to address health issues especially among Filipino children and at the same time generate revenues for the cash-strapped government.
Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno said in a statement on Wednesday night that his department and the Department of Health (DOH) were jointly pushing such taxes “as a proactive measure to [address] diabetes, obesity and noncommunicable diseases related to poor diet.”
They assume that consumption of salty foods would decrease by 21 percent yearly, if there were such a tax.
Diokno said that, under the proposal, a tax of P10 per 100 grams or P10 per 100 milliliters would be imposed on prepackaged food products that lack nutritional value.
The finance chief said the levy would cover products that exceed the DOH’s specified thresholds for fat, salt and sugar content—including confectioneries, snacks, desserts and frozen confectioneries.
Full Story at: Tax on junk food, higher soft drink levy pushed | Inquirer News
