News Roundup 17 August 2024
Aug 17, 2024 • 5 min Read
Gov’t obliged to accept, review Interpol notices – DOJ | INQUIRER.NET – MANILA, Philippines — Justice Undersecretary Raul Vasquez on Saturday explained that while the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) does not issue international warrants of arrest, the government is obliged to accept and assess notices issued by the police body.
Vasquez was referring to Interpol’s issuance of notices such as red notice, blue notice, and yellow notice depending on what a member state needs from its fellow member state.
“Kung tayo ay makakatanggap ng isang notisiya, properly issued by the Interpol, we are obliged to accept them and study. Doon papasok din iyong pangalawang aspeto ng sinabi ng ating Kalihim Boying Remulla na aralin at suriing mainam kung iyon bang hinihingi na pag-aresto o anuman tungkol sa warrant sa labas,” said Vasquez in the Saturday News Forum.
(If we receive a properly issued notice by the Interpol, we are obliged to accept and study them. This is related to the second aspect mentioned by Secretary Remulla to study and thoroughly assess if the request is an arrest or anything related to an outside warrant.)
“Remember na iyong warrant of arrest kasi is territorial in character, ibig sabihin lamang niyan, puwede mong iimplementa iyan doon sa limits ng iyong territory, nothing outside of that. And you can also extend it constructively by way of treaties at doon po papasok iyong Interpol,” Vasquez added.
(Remember that the warrant of arrest is territorial in character, it means that it can only be implemented within the limits of a territory, nothing outside of that. And you can also extend it constructively by way of treaties and that’s where Interpol intervenes.)
Full Story at: Gov’t obliged to accept and study notices from Interpol – DOJ (inquirer.net)
No politics behind probe: Barbers says quad-comm only wants truth | INQUIRER.NET – BACOLOR, Pampanga — Even if personalities close to former president Rodrigo Duterte have been mentioned during the House of Representatives quad-committee’s first hearing, Surigao del Norte 2nd District Rep. Robert Ace Barbers still maintains that the discussions had no political goal.
After the hearing on Friday, Barbers explained that the quad-committee’s goal is only to ferret out the truth, stressing that they need to listen to all testimonies that would be given.
Barbers, head of the House committee on dangerous drugs which forms part of the quad-committee, said that former Bureau of Customs (BOC) intelligence officer Jimmy Guban still has to substantiate his claims.
“Our objective here in the quad-comm is to release the truth, right? This, apparently, as he (Guban) stated earlier, is the truth behind what happened to the magnetic lifters (that contained) shabu which eluded authorities in 2018,” Barbers told reporters in an ambush interview.
“There is no politics here, as if ever he (Guban) fails to substantiate these allegations and if it is laden with politics, we would not pay attention to that. But we only gave him a chance to explain, for him to be asked by Congress members as to what he is trying to say,” he added.
Guban during the quad-committee hearing said that former Environment undersecretary Benny Antiporda sent emissaries in 2018 to warn the then Customs intel officer that he will die if he names Duterte’s son Davao City 1st District Rep. Paolo Duterte, his son-in-law Atty. Manases Carpio, and former economic adviser Michael Yang, as those involved in the illegal drugs shipment last 2018.
Full Story at: No politics: Barbers says quad-comm only wants truth (inquirer.net)
‘All falsehoods’: Paolo Duterte, Paul Gutierrez respond to ex-Customs exec’s drug smuggling claim | PHILSTAR.COM – MANILA, Philippines — Rep. Paolo Duterte (Davao City) has denied having transacted with former Customs intelligence officer Jimmy Guban, who recently namedropped him and two others as being the true owners of the multi-billion peso shabu smuggled into the country through magnetic lifters in 2018.
Media task force security chief Paul Gutierrez has also denied being the emissary that hurled death threats against Guban in 2018 to warn him not to reveal that Paolo Duterte, Duterte’s brother-in-law Mans Carpio and businessman Michael Yang had ties to illegal drugs smuggling.
In a statement on Friday, Duterte insisted that he has never met Guban and that he sees no reason for him to mention his name during the House multi-committee’s probe into the illegal drug trade, the first hearing of which was conducted on Friday.
During this hearing, Guban, who is serving a life sentence for charges related to importng dangerous drugs, took back his testimony six years ago and tagged the three individuals as the owner of the shipment with illegal drugs worth up to P11 billion.
“Hindi ko po kilala si Jimmy Guban at sigurado ako na hindi rin niya ako kilala. Wala kaming anumang transaction o ugnayan kaya walang rason na siya ay pagbantaan kung babanggitin man niya ang pangalan ko,” Duterte said.
(I do not know Jimmy Guban, and I am certain that he does not know me either. We have had no transaction or connection, so there is no reason for him to be warned against mentioning my name.)
Full Story at: ‘All falsehoods’: Paolo Duterte, Paul Gutierrez respond to ex-Customs exec’s drug smuggling claim | Philstar.com
Filipinos in Lebanon urged: Leave country immediately as tensions escalate | PHILSTAR.COM – MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Embassy in Lebanon has urged all Filipino citizens to evacuate the country immediately while the Beirut airport remains operational amid fears of all-out war between Iran-backed group Hezbollah and Israel.
“The Philippine Embassy in Lebanon strongly urges all Filipino citizens to leave Lebanon immediately while the airport remains operational,” the agency’s advisory released on late Friday night (Manila time) read.
“We advise all Filipino nationals to prioritize their safety and depart the country as soon as possible,” it added.
For Filipinos who cannot evacuate Lebanon, they were advised to transfer to safer locations outside of Beirut, South Lebanon and the Bekaa Valley, where the security situation is particularly volatile.
“If you are unable to leave Lebanon, we strongly recommend that you evacuate to safer areas,” the embassy said.
The agency announced that they are facilitating the repatriation for Filipinos wishing to return to the Philippines.
The following contact numbers were provided for assistance:
- Documented and undocumented overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs): +961 79110729
- OFWs with permanent resident status: +961 70858086.
Full Story at: Filipinos in Lebanon urged: Leave country immediately as tensions escalate | Philstar.com
