News Roundup 28 September 2023
Sep 28, 2023 • 5 min Read
Guardians of WPS to get VP Duterte’s secret funds – House | INQUIRER.NET – MANILA, Philippines — The House of Representatives will realign part of the P650 million in confidential funds for 2024 requested by Vice President Sara Duterte, who also heads the Department of Education, to agencies protecting the country’s interest in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).
Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Elizaldy Co, the chair of the House appropriations committee, made the announcement on Wednesday, amid mounting criticism of the allocation of large secret funds to offices with no mandate for national security.
The leaders of top political blocs in the chamber also separately called for the reallocation of the hard-to-audit funds to agencies with surveillance or intelligence-gathering requirements.
“We will realign the confidential funds of various civilian agencies. Now is the time to give our intelligence community the means to perform their duties, especially in these pressing times when we’re facing serious concerns in the West Philippine Sea,” Co said.
In an earlier message to the Inquirer, Co said his panel concurred with the call of his colleagues to have the secret funds reapportioned to address fresh tensions between Manila and Beijing in the West Philippine Sea, or waters within the country’s 370-kilometer exclusive economic zone.
Full Story at: Guardians of WPS to get VP Duterte’s secret funds – House | Inquirer News
Herbosa a no-show at Senate budget hearing for DOH | INQUIRER.NET – MANILA, Philippines — After being bypassed by the Commission on Appointments (CA) for his Health secretary post, Teodoro “Ted” Herbosa skipped the budget hearing of the Department of Health (DOH) on Thursday.
This did not escape the attention of Senator Francis Tolentino, who is also a member of the CA which bypassed Herbosa.
“Administratively, who is in charge?” Tolentino, said during the Senate committee on finance hearing on the proposed 2024 budget of the Department of Health amounting to P311.3 billion.
“Who will take the cudgels in defending the budget of this big department. You don’t have a secretary here,” he added.
“Is there an acting secretary, an officer in charge who will be responsible for this budget presentation?”
Senator Pia Cayetano, however, noted that the DOH is not “headless” during the hearing.
Full Story at: Herbosa a no-show at Senate budget hearing for DOH | Inquirer News
Palace, BARMM urged to protect Liguasan Delta’s ecosystem | PHILSTAR.COM – COTABATO CITY — Stakeholders want the Bangsamoro government and Malacañang to embark on immediate interventions to save the iconic Liguasan Delta from continuing siltation and abuse by communities relying on endemic fish species for food and commercial fishing.
The Liguasan Delta is said to have vast deposits of natural gas that, according to experts in the central office of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and foreign geologists. These can be utilized for large-scale power generation and other industrial uses.
As early as 2000, then researcher Harris Sinolinding, now vice president for academic affairs of the state-run Cotabato Foundation College of Science and Technology, already said that there is a need for a multi-sector effort to protect the fish, reptile and bird species in the marsh, many of which he found endemic in the 220,000-hectare delta via a study he had personally initiated.
The Liguasan Delta, the known icon of the ethnic Maguindanaon community, is a catch basin for a dozen rivers that spring from mountain ranges in the Bukidnon, Cotabato, Maguindanao and South Cotabato provinces.
Full Story at: Palace, BARMM urged to protect Liguasan Delta’s ecosystem | Philstar.com
Senate panel cites leader of Soccoro ‘cult’, three members in contempt | PHILSTAR.COM – MANILA, Philippines — A Senate panel has cited in contempt the figurehead of the Socorro Bayanihan Services Inc. (SBSI) and three of its members for refusing to own up to allegations from four witnesses that they ordered child marriages in their island community at Sitio Kapihan in Socorro town.
Four witnesses, including a 15-year-old girl who said she was married off and raped last year, all told senators during a joint hearing that SBSI leaders require girls 12 and older to wed adult men under the threat of “going to hell.”
This allegation was repeatedly denied by SBSI leader Jey Rence Quilario and members Mamerto Galanida, Janeth Ajoc and Karren Sanico during the hearing.
Galanida, who was a three-term Socorro Mayor, said that there is “pre-marital engagement” among children in the group but dodged questions on whether there are child marriages happening on their turf.
Quilario, meanwhile, repeatedly issued curt answers, saying there were no child marriages. Ajoc and Sanico similarly denied the allegations.
This was after Sen. Risa Hontiveros flashed on screen an official document entitled “Family Planning Certificate” which allegedly shows proof that the group made a 15-year-old girl wed an adult man and facilitated her taking of birth control implants.
“One of the key questions raised by the committee is whether there is child marriage occurring, even providing family planning methods by implanting contraceptives. So, are you still denying that child marriage exists? Is child marriage indeed happening?” Hontiveros said in Filipino.
After hearing the denials of the four key figures of the alleged Socorro cult, Hontiveros moved to cite them in contempt, which was seconded by Sen. Bato Dela Rosa. This means that the four SBSI members would be detained at the Senate until further notice.
Full Story at: Senate panel cites leader of Soccoro ‘cult’, three members in contempt | Philstar.com
