News Roundup 01 September 2023
Sep 01, 2023 • 4 min Read
CBCP public affairs commission joins NTF-ELCAC; dialogue on ‘red-tagging’ sought | PHILSTAR.COM – MANILA, Philippines — An office of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines has joined the government’s anti-communist task force with the aim of engaging its officials on the practice of state-sponsored red-tagging.
The CBCP’s Episcopal Commission on Public Affairs joined as one of the new members of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) to “address some Church issues vis-a-vis government, including the issue about the red-tagging of some cause-oriented groups and Church organizations by the said body,” the CBCP said in a statement on Friday.
NTF-ELCAC executive director Ernesto Torre also announced in a press conference that the CBCP will be one of the two private sector representatives joining the task force, which also recently expanded its membership to include nearly all department secretaries.
Since its creation in 2018, the task force has consistently deployed dubious narratives against human rights defenders, members of Church organizations, and Church leaders, among others. A spate of red-tagging of Church leaders in 2021 prompted CBCP President Virgilio David to underscore how red-tagging is used by politicians to stifle dissent.
Torre said that “at this point in our campaign,” the NTF-ELCAC deemed it “necessary” to invite two private sector representatives to join its roster as allowed by the executive order creating the task force.
“The Executive Committee agreed to have one from the religious sector — the CBCP, represented by the Episcopal Commission on Public Affairs, particularly Bishop Reynaldo Evangelista and his alternate, Father Jerome Secillano, who was physically present during the meeting,” the NTF-ELCAC official said.
The task force is also “working on a business sector representative” to fill in the other slot for a private sector representative.
After citing gains in anti-insurgency operations since the task force’s creation, Torre said that it is “very necessary that as the informational operational environment change, we need to recalibrate the way we do things.”
‘Church-government dialogue’
The CBCP clarified in the same statement that it is not CBCP as a conference that joined the NTF-ELCAC, but its public affairs office.
“As such, this Commission has access to the NTF-ELCAC ExeCom and more opportunity to express the Church’s specific concerns, since its mandate is to act as a liaison of the CBCP to the public and private sectors and to advance some of the social concerns and issues of the Church. The said Commissin also has the intention of providing moral-ethical approaches to dealing with the problem of insurgency,” CBCP President Virgilio David said.
Full Story at: CBCP public affairs commission joins NTF-ELCAC; dialogue on ‘red-tagging’ sought | Philstar.com
Sara had 433 security escorts in 2022 – COA | PHILSTAR.COM – MANILA, Philippines — A total of 433 people served as part of Vice President Sara Duterte’s security and protection group in 2022, an increase of 455 percent from the 78 detailed military personnel under the Office of the Vice President (OVP) in 2021 during the last full term of then vice president Leni Robredo, the Commission on Audit (COA)’s latest audit report showed.
Based on the COA’s 2022 annual audit report on the OVP, of the 683 personnel under its manpower roster for the year, 63 percent or 433 individuals were part of the Vice Presidential Security and Protection Group (VPSPG). This translates to six out of every 10 OVP personnel.
The OVP’s total personnel for 2022 comprised 174 individuals occupying plantilla positions and 509 individuals in non-plantilla and/or detailed positions.
Full Story at: Sara had 433 security escorts in 2022 – COA | Philstar.com
PNP appoints PIO head Maranan as new QCPD chief | INQUIRER.NET – MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine National Police (PNP) confirmed Friday that its public information office chief Brig. Gen. Redrico Maranan has been appointed acting director of the Quezon City Police District (QCPD).
Maranan will be replacing former QCPD chief Brig. Gen. Nicolas Torre III, resigned last August 30 amid the backlash he faced for holding a press conference with Wilfredo Gonzales, a dismissed cop caught on video threatening and pointing a gun at a cyclist.
Full Story at: PNP appoints PIO head Maranan as new QCPD chief | Inquirer News
Confirmatory drug test of sacked Mandaluyong police chief shows positive result | INQUIRER.NET – MANILA, Philippines — The confirmatory drug examination conducted on the urine sample of relieved Mandaluyong City Police chief Col. Cesar Gerente yielded positive results again, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said on Friday.
According to PNP spokesperson Col. Jean Fajardo, the same urine specimen submitted by Gerente was subjected to a confirmatory test last week.
“As a matter of procedure po, kasi ‘yung initial test po na random, automatic po ‘yon na sinusubmit sa forensic roof for confirmatory test,” Fajardo told INQUIRER.net in a phone interview.
(As a matter of procedure, we also submit the sample used for the initial random test to the forensic roof for a confirmatory test.)
“The random drug test conducted last August 24 was subjected to a confirmatory test last August 26, and said the test also turned out positive,” she added.
Full Story at: Confirmatory drug test of sacked Mandaluyong police chief shows positive result | Inquirer News
