News Roundup 03 March 2023
Mar 03, 2023 • 3 min Read
Sandiganbayan convicts ex-Pagcor chair Genuino of graft | INQUIRER.NET – MANILA, Philippines — Former Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor) chairperson Efraim Genuino has been found guilty of graft by the Sandiganbayan, for unlawfully releasing P37.06 million worth of Pagcor funds to an association training Filipino swimmers.
In the Sandiganbayan’s Third Division’s decision dated March 3, Genuino along with ex-Pagcor president Rafael Francisco and former Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) chair William Ramirez were found to have violated Republic Act No. 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, for allowing the directly release of funds to the Philippine Amateur Swimming Association (Pasa) in 2019.
Pasa was training athletes who were slated to compete in the 2012 London Olympics. However, Sandiganbayan said that state prosecutors were able to prove that Genuino and the other convicted respondents acted in manifest partiality in providing Pasa with the funds — as it should have been coursed through the PSC.
According to the anti-graft court, Ramirez wrote a letter to Genuino authorizing Pagcor to deduct from the PSC’s legal monthly income share the amounts due to Pasa — which goes against Section 26 of R.A. No. 6847 which established PSC.
Full Story at: Sandiganbayan convicts ex-Pagcor chair Genuino of graft | Inquirer News
LOOK: Google Doodle features Filipino writer Paz Marquez Benitez | INQUIRER.NET – MANILA, Philippines — Google honored Filipino writer Paz Marquez Benitez on Friday in remembrance of her 129th birthday and contribution to Philippine literature.
Benitez was doodled, holding a book with a purple background surrounded by stars.
She was an editor and teacher known for her first modern Philippine short story in English, “Dead Stars.”
Dead Stars is about an old bachelor Alfredo Salazar who is about to get married to his fiancée Esperanza, but as his feelings fade, he finds himself attracted to another woman named Julia Salas.
Published in the Philippines Herald, Dead Star is also an allegory criticizing the effects of American imperialism and occupation in the society.
Aside from this, Benitez was a professor at the University of the Philippines until 1951 and helped found Philippine Women’s University. She was also an editor for the Philippine Education Magazine and the Women’s Home Journal.
Benitez was born in Lucena, Quezon, on March 3, 1894 and died on November 10, 1983
Her doodle can be viewed at google.com.
No more jackets, pockets for NAIA screeners | PHILSTAR.COM – MANILA, Philippines — Security screening officers at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport will soon no longer be allowed to wear uniforms or jackets that have pockets in them to prevent more incidents of theft at the NAIA, the country’s premier gateway.
Cesar Chiong, Manila International Airport Authority general manager, said the MIAA also prohibited the security screening personnel or SSO to interact directly with passengers or bring passenger bags into their areas of assignment.
These measures are among the MIAA service standard policies for employees of government and non-government agencies that Chiong ordered “to be implemented strictly” at the NAIA following reports that a Thai and a Chinese tourist were robbed of cash and watch, respectively.
Full Story at: No more jackets, pockets for NAIA screeners | Philstar.com
Weeklong jeepney strike to push through | PHILSTAR.COM – MANILA, Philippines — The weeklong transport strike starting on Monday will push through despite concessions from the government extending the deadline for modernization until the end of the year.
Manibela president Mar Valbuena said that the transport holiday will continue as long as the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) does not revoke its memorandum circular (MC) outlining the consolidation requirements for operators.
“The transport strike continues until our calls to stop the MC are not met,” he said in Filipino in a phone interview.
The transport leader appealed to the public to understand the sector’s woes and brace themselves for longer commutes in the coming week.
Full Story at: Weeklong jeepney strike to push through | Philstar.com
