News Roundup 19 July 2024
Jul 19, 2024 • 5 min Read
Escudero: Pogo investigations show ‘negligence’ of gov’t agencies | INQUIRER.NET – MANILA, Philippines — Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero on Friday took a jab at several government agencies, saying that the investigations on illegal Pogos show their “negligence.”
In a press conference, Escudero mentioned government agencies that are responsible for granting working permits and assessing the identities of the Chinese citizens involved in Pogo activities.
“Itong mga imbestigasyon sa Pogo, pinapakita ang kapalpakan ng ahensya ng pamahalaan. Pangunahin na dyan, nabanggit ko no’ng nakaraan, ang Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA). Paano nga ba nakakapagproduce ng birth certificates na hindi naman pala totoo ang nakalagay doon?” Escudero said.
(These investigations on Pogo show the failure of government agencies. Primarily is the Philippine Statistics Authority. How are birth certificates produced when the information is incorrect?)
He expressed that the fake birth certificate schemes should be stopped, highlighting the document’s importance in securing government identification cards.
“Tiyakin na may second balance tayo sa PSA. Sa panahon ng AI, walang dahilan para hindi nila matunton at mapigilan ang pamemeke sa loob ng ahensya nila mismo,” he noted.
(Make sure that we have a second balance in PSA. In the age of AI, there is no reason for them not to locate and stop the fraud inside their agency.)
Senators on Tuesday called on concerned state agencies to probe the reports of 1,200 Chinese who allegedly obtained Filipino citizenships by securing fake birth certificates. Suspended Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo was believed to have allegedly acquired her Filipino citizenship illegally through late registration of her birth certificate.
Escudero also mentioned the instances of Chinese nationals who have been “illegal aliens” in the country.
Full Story at: Escudero: Pogo investigations show ‘negligence’ of gov’t agencies (inquirer.net)
Marcos on VP Duterte not rejoining Cabinet: ‘That’s her decision’ | INQUIRER.NET – MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. seems to respect Vice President Sara Duterte’s decision to no longer rejoin his Cabinet after leaving her post as education secretary.
It was on the sidelines of the turnover ceremony at the headquarters of the Department of Education on Thursday when Duterte stated that she has no interest in serving the Marcos’ Cabinet again.
“Eh, that’s her decision,” Marcos responded to reporters asking him in a chance interview in Apayao what he thought about Duterte’s remark.
Duterte resigned as education secretary last June 19, effectively leaving Marcos’ Cabinet, and was then replaced by Senator Sonny Angara.
The Vice President then recently announced that she won’t be attending Marcos’ third State of the Nation Address on July 22, appointing herself as a “designated survivor,” a term that refers to an official, in the presidential line of succession, intentionally kept away from gatherings to ensure a replacement for the President in the event of a mass casualty incident.
Full Story at: Marcos on VP Duterte not rejoining Cabinet: ‘That’s her decision’ (inquirer.net)
Manila among ‘riskiest’ cities: DOT says Philippines committed to tourists’ safety | PHILSTAR.COM – MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Tourism on Wednesday addressed a Forbes Advisor report that named Manila among the five riskiest cities for tourists, saying it is committed to ensuring the safety and security of tourists in the country.
Forbes Advisor, a global platform dedicated to helping consumers make financial choices, compared 60 international cities using key metrics such as travel safety rating (20% of score), crime risk (17% of score), personal security risk (17% of score), health security risk (17% of score), infrastructure security risk (10% of score), natural disaster risk (10% of score) and digital security risk (9% of score).
Through these, the safest and riskiest cities for tourists were ranked wherein Manila was hailed the fifth riskiest city. It garnered 91.49 score out of 100, according to the report.
In response to the report, the DOT issued a statement stressing its dedication to uphold the safety and security of all Philippine visitors. The agency said it acknowledges the report but that it could have missed the ongoing efforts to maintain peace and security in the nation’s capital.
“While we acknowledge the Forbes Advisor survey’s methodology, we understand its inherent limitations and potential oversight of the ongoing enhancements in peace and security in Manila,” the DOT said.
It added that it is working closely with the Philippine National Police and the Department of Interior and Local Government “to maintain a safe and welcoming environment for all travelers.”
Full Story at: Manila among ‘riskiest’ cities: DOT says Philippines committed to tourists’ safety | Philstar.com
‘Large-scale’ IT outage hits companies worldwide | PHILSTAR.COM – SYDNEY, Australia — A major outage wrought havoc on global computer systems on Friday, grounding flights in the United States, derailing television broadcasts in the UK and impacting telecommunications in Australia.
Major US air carriers including Delta, United and American Airlines grounded all flights on Friday over a communication issue, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.
Flights were suspended at Berlin Brandenburg airport in Germany due to a “technical problem”, a spokeswoman told AFP.
“There are delays to check-in, and flight operations had to be cancelled until 10:00 am (0800 GMT),” the spokeswoman said, adding that she could not say when they would resume.
All airports in Spain were experiencing “disruptions” from an IT outage that has hit several companies worldwide on Friday, the airport operator Aena said.
Hong Kong’s airport also said some airlines had been affected, with its authority issuing a statement in which it linked the disruption to a Microsoft outage.
The UK’s biggest rail operator meanwhile warned of possible train cancellations due to IT issues, while photos posted online showed large queues forming at Sydney Airport in Australia.
Full Story at: ‘Large-scale’ IT outage hits companies worldwide | Philstar.com
