News Roundup 27 January 2024
Jan 27, 2024 • 4 min Read
UN rapporteur visits 3 red-tagged political prisoners in Tacloban | PHILSTAR.COM – MANILA, Philippines — Human rights group Karapatan lauded the United Nations (UN) expert on freedom of expression for visiting a progressive journalist and two activists currently behind bars at the Tacloban City Jail on Saturday.
According to Karapatan secretary general Cristina Palabay, among those who were visited by UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Opinion and Expression Irene Khan were journalist Frenchie Mae Cumpio, KARAPATAN human rights worker Alexander Philip Abinguna, and Rural Missionaries of the Philippines staff Marielle Domequil.
It could be remembered that Cumpio, Abinguna and Domequil were arrested on Feb. 7, 2020 after the signing of the much assailed Executive Order 70, a directive which led to the formation of the National Task Fore National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC).
“Their unjust arrest and detention, since February 2020, is one of most glaring cases of how far the policy and practice of red-tagging, filing of trumped up charges, and political imprisonment and persecution is used against frontliners for freedom of expression and opinion in the country,” said Palabay.
Full Story at: UN rapporteur visits 3 red-tagged political prisoners in Tacloban | Philstar.com
9 terrorists killed in Lanao de Sur Dawlah-Army encounter | PHILSTAR.COM – COTABATO CITY, Philippines – Nine Dawlah Islamiya terrorists were killed while six others were wounded in a series of clashes with soldiers that started on Thursday afternoon and went on until early Friday in Barangay Tapurog in Piagapo, Lanao del Sur.
Local officials and members of the Lanao del Sur Provincial Peace and Order Council were quoted in radio reports here on Saturday as saying that the gunfight that resulted in the death of nine local terrorists involved members of the Dawlah Islamiya, operating in the fashion of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, and personnel of units under the Army’s 103rd Infantry Brigade.
Officials of the Police Regional Office-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region here said initial reports from their units in Lanao del Sur indicated that the hostilities in a secluded area in Barangay Tapurog erupted when Dawlah Islamiya terrorists opened fire at soldiers dispatched to check their presence in the area, forcibly collecting money and rice from hapless villagers.
Army Brig. Gen. Yegor Rey Baroquillo Jr., commander of the Army’s 103rd Infantry Brigade, had told reporters that the group that figured in the encounter with pursuing soldiers were earlier reported as coddling at least three suspects in the bombing on December 3 of Catholic worshipers attending mass inside the Dimaporo Gymnasium at the Mindanao State University campus in Marawi City.
Full Story at: 9 terrorists killed in Lanao de Sur Dawlah-Army encounter | Philstar.com
Cha-cha discord can turn off investors — Neda chief | INQUIRER.NET – One of President Marcos’ economic managers called on lawmakers to agree on a common position on Charter change (Cha-cha) as its uncertainty may dampen local and foreign investments here.
Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan made the appeal on Friday at a press briefing in Malacañang amid the widening conflict between the two chambers of Congress over Cha-cha.
“I hope they can agree very soon. Because we don’t want that uncertainty. One of the factors that inhibit investments, whether domestic or foreign, is a state of uncertainty,” Balisacan said.
He was asked to comment on the disagreement between senators and district representatives on the mode of changing the 1987 Constitution.
“We hope that our leaders will come to a common position quickly so that we can move on,” Balisacan said.
He supports “eliminating unnecessary restrictions” in the Constitution” to make the country more competitive in attracting foreign capital.
“Apart from eliminating those restrictions, we need to also do a lot of other things. That’s not the only problem that we face as a nation when it comes to economic development. We need to address the ease of business issues that are always mentioned, the high cost of certain inputs like energy and the predictability of our policies, regulatory or otherwise,” Balisacan said.
Full Story at: Cha-cha discord can turn off investors — Neda chief | Inquirer News
DSWD refutes allegations on people’s initiative utilizing AICS program | INQUIRER.NET – MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) denied claims on Friday that its Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) program was used to incentivize those who signed the people’s initiative to amend the Constitution.
According to DSWD Assistant Secretary Romel Lopez, the AICS had rules and regulations in place to protect it from misuse.
“Since its establishment, the DSWD and its social welfare programs, including AICS, have been protected against this kind of misuse with all agency personnel strictly adhering to existing rules and regulations in the conduct of payouts to our beneficiaries,” Lopez said.
Full Story at: DSWD refutes allegations on people’s initiative utilizing AICS program (inquirer.net)
