News Roundup 04 September 2023
Sep 04, 2023 • 5 min Read
Marcos contradicts own EO, says smugglers solely driving up rice prices | PHILSTAR.COM – MANILA, Philippines — Similar to his statements on the onion price crisis in early 2023, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. once again pointed to the problem of hoarding and smuggling as the sole reason currently driving up prices of rice.
Marcos said in a speech before leaving for Jakarta on Monday that the government has determined hoarding and smuggling to be the sole reason for inflating prices of the household staple.
“Ngayon, sa pag-aaral namin ang dahilan lamang dito ay talagang nandiyan ang mga smuggler at saka ang mga hoarder. (Now, we conducted studies showing that the only reason for this is really smugglers and hoarders,” Marcos said.
This is contrary to Marcos’ own Executive Order No. 39 wherein the order stated that several factors besides hoarding and smuggling have resulted in the recent surge in rice prices.
Specifically, the order mentioned “global events taking place beyond the Philippines’ control, such as the Russia-Ukraine conflict, India’s ban on rice exportation, and the unpredictability of oil prices in the world market.”
EO 39 was signed by Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin.
Additionally, Marcos said in his speech that with the “market … being tempered with,” the government had to step in and impose a price ceiling for rice.
Marcos’ executive order greenlighting the recommendation to impose a price ceiling on rice — P41 for regular milled and P45 for well-milled rice – will take effect tomorrow.
Full Story at: Marcos contradicts own EO, says smugglers solely driving up rice prices | Philstar.com
Kerwin Espinosa acquitted of illegal weapons possession | PHILSTAR.COM – MANILA, Philippines — A Manila court has acquitted self-confessed drug lord Kerwin Espinosa of charges related to illegal possession of firearms and explosives in connection with a 2016 police raid on his family’s residence.
The Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 16 ruled that the “prosecution miserably failed to prove the guilt of Kerwin Espinosa beyond reasonable doubt that he was in effective control and possession over the firearms or weapons and ammunition neither was he in actual nor constructive possession of the same.”
In August 2016, police recovered firearms and ammunition during a raid at the Espinosa residence in Albuera, Leyte. The raid resulted in an armed encounter that killed men linked to Kerwin’s late father, Albuera Mayor Rolando Espinosa Jr..
Full Story at: Kerwin Espinosa acquitted of illegal weapons possession | Philstar.com
Hontiveros scrutinizes OVP’s P500-M confidential fund; Duterte says they can live without it | INQUIRER.NET – MANILA, Philippines — “We can only propose, but we are not insisting,” Vice President Sara Duterte said, responding to the grilling Monday morning by members of the Senate Committee on finance regarding the P500 million confidential fund that is tucked in the proposed P2.3-billion budget of the Office of the Vice President (OVP).
“We can live without confidential funds, but of course, our work will be much easier if we have the flexibility of confidential funds in monitoring the safe, secure, and successful implementation of the programs, projects, and activities of the OVP,” said Duterte.
According to Duterte, the fund will be used for “the safe, secure, and successful implementation of programs, projects, activities, and engagements of all the satellite offices, including the central office of the OVP.”
Duterte also admitted to using 2023 confidential funds for programs unrelated to security matters, such as free bus rides, tree planting, and others.
Citing a 2015 joint circular by the Commission on Audit and the Department of Budget and Management, Senator Risa Hontiveros reminded Duterte that confidential and intelligence funds are not allowed to be used for salaries, wages, additional compensation, allowance, or other benefits of officials and employees who are employed by the government or elected officials, except when authorized by law.
“Confidential and intel funds cannot be used for representation consultancy fees, entertainment expenses, or construction or acquisition of buildings or structures,” Hontiveros added.
Full Story at: Hontiveros scrutinizes OVP’s P500-M confidential fund; Duterte says they can live without it | Inquirer News
Hontiveros hits fund transfer to OVP’s non-existent item: ‘May ghost transfer?’ | INQUIRER.NET – MANILA, Philippines — Someone should be held accountable for the reported “unauthorized” and “illegal” transfer of the P221 million budget to the Office of the Vice President, opposition Senator Risa Hontiveros said on Monday.
Included in the P221.4 million budget was the P125 million confidential fund allegedly spent by the Office of the Vice President (OVP) in just 19 days.
“Kung totoo at tama ang mga napabalitang report, dapat may managot sa unauthorized at malinaw na iligal na pagtransfer ng pondo papunta sa Office of the Vice President (OVP) noong 2022. These serious allegations and reports demand immediate investigation,” Hontiveros said in a statement.
(If the reports are true and accurate, someone should be held accountable for the unauthorized and clearly illegal transfer of funds to the Office of the Vice President (OVP) in 2022. These serious allegations and reports demand immediate investigation.)
Vice President Sara Duterte herself already confirmed at a budget hearing in the Senate that her office requested the budget from the Office President (OP) in August last year. The fund request, she said, was granted in December 2022.
Hontiveros was puzzled, however, how this confidential fund could augment a non-existent item in the General Appropriations Act (GAA).
Full Story at: Hontiveros hits fund transfer to OVP’s non-existent item: ‘May ghost transfer?’ | Inquirer News
