News Roundup 04 July 2023
Jul 04, 2023 • 4 min Read
OVP tight-lipped on COA report; tells Castro to hold off ‘speculations’ | INQUIRER.NET – MANILA, Philippines — The Office of the Vice President (OVP) on Tuesday continued to decline comment on the Commission on Audit (COA) findings, instead focusing on responding to ACT Teachers Rep. France Castro’s criticism.
Castro brought attention to the OVP’s purported shortcuts in the procurement procedure, as highlighted by COA. Since Monday, reporters have persistently sought the OVP’s reaction to the COA report.
Responding to Castro’s critique on Tuesday, the OVP promptly issued a statement on the very same day.
“For the information of the public and the education of Castro and ACT Teachers Party-list, OVP has maintained an unqualified opinion on its financial statements, and COA did not issue any notice of suspension or disallowance against OVP,” the OVP said in a statement to the media.
After she said there would be a probe into the Office’s procurements, the OVP focused on responding to Castro.
Full Story at: OVP tight-lipped on COA report; tells Castro to hold off ‘speculations’ | Inquirer News
DBM looking forward to passage of FOI, Budget Modernization bills | INQUIRER.NET – MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) is anticipating that Congress will soon pass the controversial Freedom of Information (FOI) and Budget Modernization bills.
“We’re looking forward to having the FOI law passed. With this administration, with the push from the executive, we are looking forward, we’ll have the Freedom of Information law,” said DBM Assistant Secretary Rolando Toledo in a media forum on Tuesday.
“As far as FOI in local governments is concerned, there are already gains. Around 61 local budget issuances as far as Freedom of Information has been signed. It has been a law at the local government units already,” Toledo claimed.
FOI seeks to mandate the disclosure of public documents, while the Budget Modernization bill is a priority measure aiming to clarify processes and regulations for budget preparation, management, and reporting.
Full Story at: DBM looking forward to passage of FOI, Budget Modernization bills | Inquirer News
In acquittal ruling, SC scolds law enforcers and prosecutors for fumbling drug law rules | PHILSTAR.COM – MANILA, Philippines — In acquitting two accused in a P1-billion shabu case, the Supreme Court reprimanded law enforcers and the prosecution for failing to handle evidence and trial against five Chinese nationals and one Filipino who had been tagged as members an alleged drug syndicate.
The SC en banc, in a decision penned February 21 but made public only recently, acquitted Filipino Robert Uy and Willie Gan — a Chinese national — on drug charges over prosecutors’ failure to prove their guilt beyond reasonable doubt.
This was after the SC found that law enforcers and the prosecution disregarded the strict requirements of Section 21 of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act, which holds that three insulating witnesses are required in the inventory of drug cases. The high court has also laid down guidelines on the custody of drugs seized.
The SC said that acquitting Uy and Gan is “truly regrettable” as it stressed that law enforcers and the prosecution “must exercise more prudence and care in their compliance with the requirements of Section 21 of RA No. 9165.”
“The instant case reveals the law enforcement agents’ complete ignorance of the requirements of Section 21 of R.A. No. 9165,” it said, adding that: “The utter disregard for the law demonstrated by these actors is reprehensible,” the court also said, while referring to police officers and the prosecution.
Full Story at: In acquittal ruling, SC scolds law enforcers and prosecutors for fumbling drug law rules | Philstar.com
DOT urged to consult the public for ‘genuine rebrand’ of tourism sector | PHILSTAR.COM – MANILA, Philippines — Amid mixed reactions to the tourism department’s launch of the new country slogan, a House lawmaker has joined calls for the government to craft a fresh tourism campaign in consultation with the public.
Rep. Joey Salceda (Albay, 2nd District), chair of the House ways and means panel, said on Monday that the tourism department should revive the Duterte-era “Sulong” consultations to gather insights from the public for a “genuine rebrand and restart” of the tourism sector.
“Sulong Pilipinas” was an annual consultative conference under the Duterte administration that gathered input from citizens and business groups on various issues, many of which were socio-economic in nature.
“Let’s do Sulong Turismo. Let’s consult the stakeholders nationwide on the six As of tourism: Attractions, Accessibility, Amenities, Available Packages, Activities, and Ancillary Services. If I may add two particular points: Airport and Airlines. All our fiercest competitors have beautiful airports and top-tier airlines,” Salceda said.
Full Story at: DOT urged to consult the public for ‘genuine rebrand’ of tourism sector | Philstar.com
