News Roundup 01 August 2022
Aug 01, 2022 • 5 min Read
Fidel V. Ramos, 94: Stabilizer in chief | INQUIRER.NET – The nation on Sunday mourned the passing of an esteemed military officer and public servant, Fidel V. Ramos, the country’s 12th President often commended as the best economic manager the Philippines ever had. He was 94. “The Ramos family is profoundly saddened to announce the passing of former President Fidel Valdez Ramos,” read a brief official statement issued by the family. “We thank you all for respecting our privacy, as the family takes some time to grieve together.” The family said wake and funeral arrangements would be announced in the near future. Ramos was a celebrated military official, politician, and an Edsa hero who played a crucial role in restoring democracy in the Philippines during the 1986 People Power Revolution. It was also during his presidency that the government and the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) signed a peace agreement in 1997. Together with MNLF chair Nur Misuari, Ramos was awarded the coveted 1997 Unesco Peace Prize—the first for Asians. He was married to Amelita Ramos and they had five daughters together. Ramos has often been credited for resuscitating the economy back to a desirable growth path and allowing the country to rid itself of the shameful reputation as “the sick man of Asia.’’ When the financial crisis of 1997 led many emerging economies in the region to the brink of collapse, foreign lenders and investment analysts predicted that the Philippines was likely to turn the corner earlier than its peers. Much of the credit for such optimism went to President Ramos, who stood out for successfully reviving the economy that was severely weakened by several coup attempts and political instability during the final years of the Aquino presidency. Topping the myriad of problems he faced was an energy shortage, which he quickly resolved during his first year in office in 1992. In the succeeding years, Ramos focused on strengthening the economic structure such that by 1996, when the Philippines hosted the 18-nation Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) summit, the country’s economic recovery was the center of admiration and praise. Among his major accomplishments included the dismantling of monopolies and cartels in telecommunications, shipping and banking, and opening up the economy to foreign investors; deregulating water services and airlines and privatizing the Manila Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) and Philippine Airlines, and steering the economy to an annual growth of 5 percent until 1997 to allow the country to finally exit supervision by the International Monetary Fund after 35 years.
Bongbong Marcos’ former election lawyer named interim Comelec chair | INQUIRER.NET – President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has appointed his former election lawyer George Garcia as interim chairman of the Commission of Elections (Comelec). In a letter addressed to the Commission on Appointments dated July 22, Marcos declared his decision to appoint Garcia as the next Comelec chair. Palace shared the copy of the letter with the media on Monday, August 1. “Pursuant to the provisions of Section 16, Article VII of the 1987 Constitution and existing laws, I hereby submit, for confirmation of the Commission on Appointments, the ad interim appointment of Mr. George Erwin M. Garcia to the position of chairman, Commission on Elections, for a term expiring on 02 February 2029, vice Saidamen B. Pangarungan,” Marcos said. Pangarungan was the former designated chairman of the Comelec, whose appointment was bypassed by the Commission on Appointments. Marcos said the early confirmation of Garcia’s appointment “will be highly appreciated.”
CA orders rape case vs Vhong Navarro filed | PHILSTAR.COM – The Court of Appeals (CA) has ordered the Taguig prosecutor’s office to file charges of rape and acts of lasciviousness against actor and television host Ferdinand “Vhong” Navarro for allegedly sexually abusing model Deniece Milinette Cornejo in 2014. In a 26-page decision, the CA’s 14th Division granted the petition for review filed by Cornejo and reversed and set aside the resolutions promulgated by the Department of Justice (DOJ) on April 30, 2018 and July 14, 2020. The ruling was penned by CA Associate Justice Florencio Mamauag Jr. with Associate Justices Victoria Isabel Paredes and Mary Charlene Hernandez-Azura concurring. “It was erroneous for the DOJ to deny Cornejo’s petition for review on the ground that her statements in the complaint-affidavits are inconsistent and incredible. In this regard, it bears to stress that the determination of probable cause does not depend on the validity or merits of a party’s accusation or defense or on the admissibility or veracity of testimonies presented,” the CA said. The appellate court said that the matter of determining who is telling the truth would be revealed during the trial proper. “Issues of credibility should be adjudged during the trial proper. It goes without saying that it is the trial court that has the unique power and position to observe the witnesses’ deportment, manner of testifying, emphasis, gesture, and inflection of the voice, all of which are potent aids in ascertaining the witnesses’ credibility,” it added. “However artful a corrupt witness may be, there is generally, under the pressure of a skillful cross-examination, something in his manner or bearing on the stand that betrays him, and thereby destroys the force of his testimony.” The CA justices also pointed out the “on-the-ground” reality that an affidavit is often incomplete. There are even instances when during the taking of the affidavit, words may have been put in the affiant’s mouth, thus leading to discrepancies between the affidavit and the statement given when the person is placed on the witness stand, they said.
