News Roundup 07 March 2022
Mar 07, 2022 • 5 min Read
Red-tagging bets and supporters could be poll offense, Guanzon warns | PHILSTAR.COM – Red-tagging — or accusing a person or groups of involvement in the communist armed struggle — could be an election offense if used to intimidate and harass canddiates’ campaigners and supporters, retired Commission on Elections commissioner Rowena Guanzon warned Sunday. Over the weekend, Rep. Jesus “Boying” Remulla of Cavite claimed that attendees of Vice President Leni Robredo’s campaign rallies in the province had been paid to come to the events and also claimed that students in attendance “looked like activists.” He jumped to the conclusion that they had been trained by the National Democratic Front, the group that represents the Communist Party of the Philippines and the New People’s Army at peace talks with the government. On Sunday, Sen. Panfilio “Ping” Lacson — also a candidate for president — responded that this was “worrying”. In a tweet, he said that Robredo might form a coalition government with the CPP-NPA-NDF is elected president. Although he did not explicitly name her, he shared an Inquirer.net news report about Rep. Remulla’s claims. “Red tagging again? That’s [an] old [tactic]. And if you push it harder that is an election offense: intimidating, harassing campaigners or supporters,” Guanzon said in a tweet on Sunday. Threats, intimidation or putting others at a disadvantage in participating in a campaign are election offenses under the Omnibus Election Code. the Comelec has the exclusive power to conduct preliminary investigations of all election offenses. Robredo has the backing of the Makabayan bloc of party-lists, which the government has repeatedly accused of being “communist fronts”, a claim which the group has constantly rejected.
More retired PNP, AFP officials back Robredo for president | INQUIRER.NET – A number of retired high-ranking officers of both the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) are seeing the next commander-in-chief in Vice President Leni Robredo and expressed their support for her presidential bid. In a short briefing on Monday, after Robredo met with the former PNP and AFP officials, two former spokespersons of the uniformed service — retired PNP Maj. Gen. Generoso Cerbo Jr. and retired AFP Maj. Gen. Domingo Tutaan — gave some details of the meeting, and why they chose to support the Vice President. Tutaan said that Robredo’s programs for national security encapsulate their aspirations for the country’s defense policies, like her stand on the West Philippine Sea issue. “Yes, as individuals, in our own personal capacities, as individuals and as former colleagues in the AFP and the PNP, yes,” Tutaan said when asked if they are categorically supporting Robredo’s run for president. “We believe kasi the Vice President has the program of action that would address the various things regarding national defense and security.” “Nakikita naman, if I may just read it aloud, ang kanyang programa sa seguridad […] is ‘isulong ang kampanya or karapatan natin sa West Philippine Sea, tutukan ang pangangailangan ng mga komunidad laban sa insurgency, this is to address the root causes of insurgency,” he added. Cerbo, on the other hand, said that he and other former PNP officials see their aspirations on how the national police should function under Robredo’s platform, “In a nutshell, ito po ay consultative meeting, ginagawa po namin ang lahat para makapag-share kung ano ang maitutulong natin sa kampanya ng ating Vice President, dahil nakikita po namin sa kanya ang katuparan ng mga gusto naming mangyari sa Philippine National Police noon,” Cerbo said. “Isa na nga po doon sa napag-usapan ay kung papaano natin mapapalakas ‘yong mga institusyon na nagpapaganap ng kaayusan, which I believe ay isang importanteng aspeto ng ipinaglalaban po ng ating Vice President, ‘Angat Buhay Para sa Lahat’,” he added.
‘Lutang na lutang’: Fuel crisis panel frustrated over NEDA’s lack of recommendations | Manila Bulletin – The House Fuel Crisis Ad Hoc committee on Monday, March 7, voiced its frustrations over the National Economic and Development Authority’s (NEDA) apparent lack of an official stance in response to the fuel price surge. The panel discussed during its five-hour meeting Monday the proposed suspension of excise tax on petroleum products, the distribution of fuel subsidies, and the possible review of the 1998 Downstream Oil Industry Deregulation Act. Marikina 2nd district Rep. Stella Quimbo pressed resource person, National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) Director Reynaldo Cancio for NEDA’s reaction to the policy options tackled by the panel regarding the fuel crisis. Cancio, however, opted to remain mum on the NEDA’s recommendations. “We’re looking at both problems, both the short term implications of the crisis and the long term. The recommendations will happen later with the meeting with the President,” Cancio said. “All options are on the table as of now,” he added. Quimbo called out NEDA for its slow response in issuing their recommendation. “I share po in your frustration with NEDA na hanggang ngayon wala pang pag-aaral, bukas pa sila mag-rerecommend (who until now has not studied the subject, and will submit their recommendation tomorrow) on a very important issue which is fare hike,“ said Quimbo. “Ang dami-dami natin pinag-uusapan na policy option…Pero sa ngayon, hindi maliwanag which is superior hindi naman pwede patas lahat yan. Para sa akin, dapat ang nagbabalangkas niyan is NEDA (We are discussing so many policy options … Now, it is not clear which is superior, and they can’t all be equal but for me, NEDA should be the one to plan it),” Quimbo explained.
