News Roundup 18 October 2020
Oct 18, 2020 • 3 min Read
Watchdog says ‘no real liberation’ in Marawi 3 years after Duterte’s declaration | PHILSTAR.COM – A watchdog monitoring the rebuilding of the war-torn Marawi has lamented the slow progress in the city’s reconstruction as well as lack of funds for the effort, three years since government declared its liberation. The siege, led by Islamic State-influenced Maute group, began in late May 2017 and stretched on for months until October of the same year that left Marawi in rubble. The Marawi Reconstruction Conflict Watch, however, said that while most of the displaced were allowed to return to their homes, there had been no compensation for damage to properties and thousands still remain in evacuation shelters in poor conditions. “It has been three years since the government declared our city liberated, but there is no real liberation to speak of,” the group said in a statement provided by International Alert Philippines. “The sad fact remains that progress is slow, funds are lacking, and implementation could be improved.” They added that within the three years since the end of the siege, only P22.2 billion had been released by government for reconstruction funds out of the P60.5 billion requirement.
Experts, scientists get Robredo’s support after Antiporda’s ‘bayaran’ remark | INQUIRER.NET – Vice President Leni Robredo rallied behind the country’s scientists and experts after government officials asked them to refrain from publishing their quarantine recommendations and after being tagged as “bayaran” (paid people) over their supposed multi-million consultation fees. “‘Di ba iyong research nga, dapat nalalaman ng tao? Dapat nalalaman ng tao, kasi public data naman iyong research,” Robredo said during her weekly radio show. (Isn’t it that research should be known by the people? The public should know because research is public data.) “Ang nakikita ko lang na dahilan kung bakit ililihim, hindi susundin iyong datos, iyong pagdedesisyon hindi nakasunod sa datos,” she added. (The only reason I see for keeping it a secret is when the decision made did not follow the data.) “Totally uncalled for…Hindi dini-deserve noong grupo iyong pambabastos na ginawa sa kanila,” Robredo said. (Totally uncalled for…The group does not deserve the rude treatment they got.) “Kahit nag-apologize na, tingin ko hindi talaga maganda. Hindi magandang example, hindi magandang pag-uugali, iyong kapag napipikon ka nakakapagsabi ka ng mga bagay na dapat hindi mo sinasabi,” she added. (Even if he apologized, I don’t think it set a good example. It is bad manners to say things you should have not just because you were upset.)
BIR loses P21-M as court rules in favor of taxpayer | Manila Bulletin – Belated serving of a Letter of Authority (LA) to investigate has caused the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) to lose more than P21 million in income, value-added and expanded withholding taxes. The Court of Tax Appeals (CTA) said Joselito Ramada Laroya from Pila, Laguna was not liable to pay the tax allegedly incurred in 2009 because the LA served on him had already expired. The 22-page resolution issued by the court’s Third Division stated that an LA has a lifespan of only 30 days upon issuance by a responsible revenue official. It explained the duration of the investigation could be extended beyond the 30-day period if the LA has been revalidated as prescribed under revenue rules and regulations. But Associate Justice Ma. Belen Ringpis-Liban who penned the decision said there was no evidence that the LA in this particular case had been revalidated.
Velasco offers olive branch to Cayetano | The Manila Times – Speaker Lord Allan Velasco is considering offering the deputy speakership to his rival and predecessor, Taguig-Pateros First District Rep. Alan Peter Cayetano. “He’s (Cayetano) the former speaker, and I truly believe that he deserves the position,” Velasco told reporters after the passage of the P4.5-trillion 2021 national budget late Friday. “He can choose either a committee chairmanship or a deputy speaker position,” he added. The House has 22 deputy speakers, the second highest-ranking officials of the lower chamber that can perform duties of the speaker in his absence. In extending a “healing hand” to Cayetano, Velasco said he would personally communicate the offer during the congressional recess.
