News Roundup 21 January 2024
Jan 21, 2024 • 4 min Read
China tells Pinoy fishers: Return West Philippine Sea shell catch | PHILSTAR.COM – China Coast Guard accosts Pinoys in Scarborough
MANILA, Philippines — The China Coast Guard (CCG) harassed Filipino fishermen gathering taktakun shells earlier this month at Scarborough Shoal, ordering them to throw their catch back into the sea and preventing one boat from departing until the fishermen had complied, reports said.
Philippine Coast Guard-West Philippine Sea (PCG-WPS) spokesperson Commodore Jay Tarriela confirmed late yesterday afternoon that Filipino fishermen were harassed by the CCG on Jan. 12, and were allegedly ordered to return the shells that they had gathered from Scarborough Shoal.
In a statement, Tarriela said they were able to identify the origin of the videos circulating on social media, which reportedly showed CCG personnel harassing Filipino fishermen at Scarborough Shoal, also called Panatag Shoal or Bajo de Masinloc.
Tarriela said according to a witness, Filipino fisherman Jack Tabat, at 8:43 a.m. of Jan. 12 while aboard the FB Legendary Jo, he saw five members of the CCG on board a rubber boat with registration number 3104.
The CCG’s rubber boat sounded its siren and went after one of the Filipino fishing vessels and prevented other Filipino fishermen from taking shells – taktakun, a local delicacy similar to snails or susu – that they had gathered from the south side of the shoal.
Full Story at: China tells Pinoy fishers: Return West Philippine Sea shell catch | Philstar.com
Piston gears for another transport strike | PHILSTAR.COM – MANILA, Philippines — The transport groups Pagkakaisa ng mga Samahan ng Tsuper at Opereytor Nationwide (Piston) and Manibela are planning another transport strike 11 days before the threat of a crackdown on unconsolidated public utility jeepneys (PUJs).
Mody Floranda, Piston president, noted in an interview with The STAR over the weekend that a lot of possibilities can still happen between now and Jan. 31, the deadline to consolidate the vehicles under the public utility vehicle modernization program or PUVMP.
“On Jan. 24, the House committee on transportation will again conduct another investigation and we will attend it and, of course, we are still awaiting the decision of the Supreme Court,” Floranda said.
Piston asked the high tribunal last Dec. 21 to stop the implementation and ultimately void the government orders related to the PUVMP.
Full Story at: Piston gears for another transport strike | Philstar.com
Altercation ensues as MMDA catches airport police using bus lane | INQUIRER.NET – MANILA, Philippines —An altercation broke out between a Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) traffic enforcer and a member of the airport police on Sunday, due to the former’s use of the Edsa bus lane.
A video captured by the MMDA enforcer shows the airport police member becoming angry after being cited for a violation and attempting to snatch the enforcer’s cellphone.
According to the Department of Transportation’s (DOTr) Special Action and Intelligence Committee for Transportation (SAICT), which uploaded the video on social media, they have received an incident report claiming that the MMDA enforcer called out the airport police member after catching the latter using the northbound Edsa bus lane.
The airport police member, however, refused to give his driver’s license, which resulted in the commotion.
The SAICT noted that the airport police member, who introduced himself as an employee of the DOTr, has committed a violation.
Full Story at: Altercation ensues as MMDA catches airport police using bus lane (inquirer.net)
PCSO viral photo: Barbers says exec who lost public trust should resign | INQUIRER.NET – MANILA, Philippines — A government official who lost public trust should at least have “delicadeza” to resign, a lawmaker said on Sunday, referring to Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) General Manager Melquiades Robles amid allegations of “highly improbable and doubtful winnings” in the state lottery.
“Public office is a public trust. When people have lost their trust in you, delicadeza at the very least should drive you to resign,” Surigao del Norte 2nd District Rep. Robert Ace Barbers said in a statement.
“Was there a need to publish the pictures of the winning bettors? While there was none, PCSO GM Robles probably wanted to allay alleged rumors that some draws were not actually won and that the published winners were fictitious or staged, that he had to enlist the help of AI technology,” he added.
Full Story at: Barbers says PCSO exec who lost public trust should resign (inquirer.net)
