News Roundup 01 April 2024
Apr 01, 2024 • 6 min Read
Quiboloy still obliged to attend Senate probe — Carpio | PHILSTAR.COM – MANILA, Philippines — Former Supreme Court (SC) senior associate ustice Antonio Carpio said that doomsday preacher Apollo Quiboloy is required to attend the investigations in both houses of Congress against him.
Citing a ruling of the SC, the former magistrate said that every citizen of the Philippines must respond and testify to the subpoena issued by Congress and its committees.
“Kapag sinubpoena ka ng Senado o Congress (House of Representatives), o committee na nila. You have to appear, hindi pwedeng sabihin mo na ‘that will violate my constitutional rights.’ That’s premature,” Carpio said in an interview with Teleradyo on Monday morning.
(When you are subpoenaed by the Senate or Congress, or their committees, you have to appear. You cannot say, ‘that will violate my constitutional rights.’ That’s premature.)
On March 15, Quiboloy’s camp sent a letter to Senator Risa Hontiveros, chair of the Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations, and Gender Equality, in response to the show-cause order issued on March 12 regarding the probe into the alleged abuses involving him and his organization, the Kingdom of Jesus Christ.
In the letter, the preacher’s camp argued that appearing in a Senate probe would violate Quiboloy’s constitutional rights, one of which is the preacher’s right against self-incrimination.
This prompted Hontiveros to ask the Senate to issue an arrest warrant against the preacher, which was signed by Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri on March 19.
Meanwhile, Carpio also explained that Quiboloy can only invoke his right against self-incrimination if an incriminating question has been asked during the investigation.
Full Story at: Quiboloy still obliged to attend Senate probe — Carpio | Philstar.com
Fishers call creation of maritime security council ‘redundant, insignificant’ | PHILSTAR.COM – MANILA, Philippines — A group of small-scale fisherfolk criticized the government’s countermeasures against China’s aggression in the West Philippine Sea, including the reorganization of a maritime council, as “redundant and insignificant” to their needs.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ordered the government to strengthen the country’s maritime security following the recent escalation of aggressive actions by the China Coast Guard (CCG) against Philippine vessels.
Executive Order 57, signed last week, renamed and reorganized the National Coast Watch Council (NCWC) into the National Maritime Council (NMC). The council will act as the central body in charge of formulating policies and strategies to ensure a coordinated and effective framework for the nation’s maritime security.
The council will be chaired by the Executive Secretary. Its members include representatives from the Department of National Defense, National Security Council, Department of Foreign Affairs, Office of the Solicitor General and National Intelligence Coordinating Agency, among others.
In a statement on Monday, the Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (PAMALAKAYA) said the creation of the maritime council is an “added bureaucracy.”
“The government agencies belonging to the newly-created National Maritime Council are already constitutionally mandated to uphold and protect our national territory and natural resources,” said Fernando Hicap, national chairperson of PAMALAKAYA.
“Why the need to consolidate these agencies into a council with the sole purpose of maritime security, and despite an existing task force with the very same functions?” he asked.
The National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea (NTF-WPS) will be attached to the NMC, and will be responsible for synchronizing and operationalizing the capabilities to different government agencies to achieve a “unified action” in the WPS.
“Walang kabuluhan para sa mga mangingisdang patuloy na bumabagsak ang kita at nawalan ng kabuhayan ang hakbangin ng administrasyong Marcos Jr., hangga’t hindi tuwirang napapaalis ang mga barkong pangisda at pandigma ng China at iba pang dayong bansa sa ating karagatan,” Hicap said.
(The initiative of the Marcos Jr. administration is futile for fishermen whose income continues to decline and whose livelihood is lost until the fishing vessels and war ships of China and other countries are expelled from our waters.)
PAMALAKAYA said any efforts to reclaim control of the Philippines’ territorial waters should be “peaceful and diplomatic” in accordance with the 2016 arbitral award.
Full Story at: Fishers call creation of maritime security council ‘redundant, insignificant’ | Philstar.com
Hot weather prompts some schools to suspend classes on April 1 | INQUIRER.NET – MANILA, Philippines — Some municipalities nationwide have suspended face-to-face classes due to the anticipated hot weather.
Classes are suspended in the following areas on Monday, April 1, as of 11 a.m.:
- Iloilo City: Face-to-face classes in pre-school to senior high school, public and private, until April 2
- E.B. Magalona, Negros Occidental: Face-to-face classes in all levels, public and private, until April 2
- Kabangakalan, Negros Occidental: All levels, public and private, until April 2
- Hinoba-an, Negros Occidental: Face-to-face classes at all levels, public and private
- Bacolod City: Face-to-face classes in pre-school to senior high school, public and private
- Roxas, Capiz: Face-to-face classes in preschool to senior high school, public and private
- Tantangan, South Cotabato: Half-day classes from April 1 until April 15 on all levels, public and private
- Isabela, Negros Occidental: All levels, until April 2
- Cauayan, Negros Occidental: All levels, public and private until April 2
- Silay City, Negros Occidental: Face-to-face classes, all levels, public and private
- Bago City, Negros Occidental: Face-to-face classes, all levels, public and private, until April 2
State meteorologists forecast areas in Western Visayas, including Iloilo City and Roxas City, to experience heat index levels of 41 degrees Celsius on Monday, just a point below what is categorized as within the “danger” level of 42 to 51 degrees Celsius.
Meanwhile, Negros Occidental in Central Visayas and South Cotabato in Soccsksargen are both expected to feel temperatures of up to 38ºC, within the “extreme caution” level of the heat index.
Full Story at: Hot weather prompts some schools to suspend classes on April 1 (inquirer.net)
Makati files graft raps vs Taguig execs for delayed release of clearance | INQUIRER.NET – MANILA, Philippines — The local government of Makati City has filed a complaint before the Office of the Ombudsman against three Taguig City government employees, including its City Treasurer, for violating the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.
In a statement on Monday, Makati said it filed a 10-page complaint against Taguig City Treasurer Voltaire Enriquez and employees Jessie Garcia and Erika Macaligtas for violating the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, grave misconduct, gross neglect of duty, and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service.
The complaint arose from an 11-month delay in the Taguig City Treasurer’s Office releasing tax clearance documents for three parcels of land purchased by Makati City from the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) for P146,503,273.
“Despite having certified true copies of the tax declarations, we have yet to obtain the tax clearance documents or a tax assessment of possible taxes due to the City of Taguig. We have repeatedly followed up and sent a letter request on May 05, 2023, but the respondents intentionally delayed the procedure,” the statement read, citing the complaint.
Makati LGU added that under Taguig City’s Citizen’s Charter, the City Treasurer’s Office should only take three working days to release tax clearance documents for individuals and five working days for corporations.
Full Story at: Makati files graft raps vs Taguig execs (inquirer.net)
