News Roundup 02 March 2023
Mar 02, 2023 • 4 min Read
Police files anti-hazing raps vs six frat members for death of Adamson student | INQUIRER.NET – MANILA, Philippines—The Biñan Police on Thursday filed before the Department of Justice (DOJ) a case for violations of the Anti-Hazing Law against six members of the Tau Gamma Phi fraternity tagged in the death of Adamson University student John Matthew Salilig.
Biñan City Police Chief Virgilio Jopia said the complainants in the case are the victim’s brother and a hazing survivor.
Named in the complaint are the following: Earl Anthony Romero, Tung Cheng Teng, Sandro Victorino, Michael Lambert Ritalde, Jerome Balot and Mark Pedrosa.
Initially, the six were supposed to undergo an inquest proceeding, a summary procedure to determine whether an individual arrested without a warrant will be released on account of a dismissal of charges, released for further preliminary investigation proceedings, or charged in court.
But all six respondents signed a waiver of detention and asked for a preliminary investigation. Because of signing the waiver, Biñan City Police Chief Virgilio Jopia said they will remain under police custody.
Full Story at: Police files anti-hazing raps vs six frat members for death of Adamson student | Inquirer News
DA memo is cartel ‘smoking gun’ – Hontiveros | INQUIRER.NET – MANILA, Philippines — Senior Undersecretary Domingo Panganiban of the Department of Agriculture (DA) has practically admitted that certain high-ranking government officials were behind a cartel involved in sugar smuggling in the country, Sen. Risa Hontiveros claimed on Wednesday.
Hontiveros said a memorandum issued by Panganiban on Feb. 27 directing the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) to issue clearances to a shipment of sugar from Thailand was the “smoking gun” evidence that a “government-backed” cartel had been allowed to bring in the agricultural commodity without the proper import permits.
The senator had earlier exposed that a shipment of 260 freight containers filled with refined sugar aboard three vessels arrived at the Port of Batangas on Feb. 9, or six days before the SRA issued on Feb. 15 Sugar Order No. 6 authorizing the importation of 440,000 metric tons of the commodity to address the tight local supply.
“That’s the smoking gun,” Hontiveros told the Inquirer, referring to Panganiban’s letter to SRA Administrator David John Thaddeus Alba.
“By their own admission, in black and white, they were aware that shipments of sugar arrived in the country way before … the earliest date the validly imported supply … could reach our ports,” she pointed out.
Full Story at: DA memo is cartel ‘smoking gun’ – Hontiveros | Inquirer News
Transport officials open to talks to extend PUV consolidation deadline | PHILSTAR.COM – MANILA, Philippines — Transport officials said Thursday they could go back to the negotiation table with transport groups to talk about the possibility of further extending the deadline for individual operators of public utility vehicles to consolidate under a cooperative or corporation.
Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board chairperson Teofilo Guadiz III told senators during a hearing on the PUV modernization program four days before transport groups launch a week-long strike that they could talk about pushing the deadline further.
This, after Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista insisted that there must be a deadline for consolidation as senators pressed them to drop this.
“I think there must be a deadline,” Bautista said in Filipino. “It cannot be open-ended because if we don’t impose a deadline, no one will follow.”
The LTFRB announced Wednesday that it is postponing the consolidation deadline to year-end from June 30 in deference to the Senate which “strongly urged” it to do so in a resolution.
Despite moving the deadline, senators appeared unconvinced that the modernization program can be accomplished by December 31.
Full Story at: Transport officials open to talks to extend PUV consolidation deadline | Philstar.com
Responders retrieve 3 of 4 Cessna crash victims from Mayon | PHILSTAR.COM – MANILA, Philippines — After 12 days of struggling with Mayon’s rough terrain and bad weather in the area, emergency responders have retrieved the bodies of three of four victims of the Cessna plane that crashed last month.
Camalig, Albay Mayor Carlos Irwin Baldo Jr. announced early Thursday in a Facebook post that the three bodies have been retrieved and brought to the base of Mayon in Barangay Anoling.
He added that the responders are expected to drop off the last crash victim within the day.
The first body from the crash was dropped off Wednesday night, followed by a second body around an hour past Thursday midnight and another body around two hours later.
Passengers Joel Martin, Simon Chipperfield and Karthi Santhanam as well as pilot Capt. Rufino James Crisostomo Jr. were earlier confirmed dead.
During the incident, the Mayon Volcano was under Alert Level 2, when sudden phreatic explosions, rockfall and lahar could be experienced.Two Australian nationals were among the four who died. They were reported to be “technical consultants” for renewable energy company Energy Development Corp.
