News Roundup 06 June 2023
Jun 06, 2023 • 4 min Read
Corrections keep Maharlika bill from getting sent for Marcos’ approval | PHILSTAR.COM – MANILA, Philippines — Corrections are still being made to the controversial bill that seeks to create the Maharlika Investment Fund, delaying its transmittal to Malacañang for President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s approval.
Senate Majority Leader Joel Villanueva told reporters at the Senate on Tuesday that Congress has not yet transmitted the enrolled copy of the Maharlika fund bill for Marcos’ signature as “perfecting amendments” are still being applied to it.
An enrolled bill is the final version of a legislative proposal that has been certified as correct by the secretary of the Senate and the secretary general of the House of Representatives, and signed by the Senate president and the House speaker.
In this case, Villanueva said, there is no enrolled bill yet as the secretariat is still rectifying errors in the measure, including two sections that provide for different prescriptive periods for violations of the proposed law.
“It’s still with us. The ball is still with the Senate Office of the Secretariat and it’s being finalized, still in the process of cleaning up the bill and typographical errors and clerical errors and to avoid inconsistency,” he said partly in Filipino.
Full Story at: Corrections keep Maharlika bill from getting sent for Marcos’ approval | Philstar.com
Coast Guard: All buoys in West Philippine Sea still there | PHILSTAR.COM – MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Coast Guard on Tuesday said navigational buoys it had placed in waters off Balagtas (Irving) Reef and Julian Felipe (Whitsun) Reef are still there despite reports that they had been removed by Chinese vessels.
Coast Guard Commodore Jay Tarriela said the two were “still in their original positions” in a Twitter update.
The two navigational buoys are among 10 that the installed in the West Philippine Sea as a statement to demonstrate sovereignty.
“The PCG’s successful mission in Palawan is a reminder of its unwavering commitment to ensuring the safety and security of Philippine waters,” Tarriela said of efforts to verify that the buoys were still there.
Full Story at: Coast Guard: All buoys in West Philippine Sea still there | Philstar.com
Solon calls for probe into ‘inedible rice’ distributed to teachers by gov’t | INQUIRER.NET – MANILA, Philippines — ACT Teachers Rep. France Castro on Tuesday urged the House of Representatives to probe the allegedly inedible rice that the government distributed to teachers.
According to Castro, the party-list has received reports that rice giveaways in Nueva Ecija, Mindoro, Bacolod City, and Zamboanga del Norte “are inedible while the provisions for the rest of the regions have yet to be released.”
“Extremely late na nga ang pagbibigay ng rice allowance na ito ay halos bulok na at di makain yung ipinamigay na sa mga guro. Nakakainsulto naman ito sa mga kaguruan at bakit ganito ang nangyayari?,” said Castro in a statement.
(The rice allowance was given extremely late, and now it is almost rotten and inedible when given to teachers. This is insulting to educators. How did this happen?)
According to the ACT Teachers party-list, a House resolution seeking an inquiry is currently being drafted.
Castro said taxpayer money was wasted on the rice and that the House must investigate.
Full Story at: Solon calls for probe into ‘inedible rice’ distributed to teachers by gov’t | Inquirer News
Pampanga RTC finds cop, NBI errand boy guilty of Jee Ick-Joo murder | INQUIRER.NET – MANILA, Philippines — A regional trial court in Pampanga on Tuesday found guilty a policeman and an errand boy at the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) for the death of South Korean businessman Jee Ick-Joo.
However, the Angeles City Regional Trial Court acquitted the alleged mastermind, Superintendent Rafael Dumlao, due to the prosecution’s failure to prove his guilt beyond reasonable doubt.
Dumlao was granted temporary liberty in 2019.
Meanwhile, meted with imprisonment of up to 40 years by the Angeles City Regional Trial Court are Police Chief Master Sergeant (previously SPO3) Ricky Sta. Isabel and NBI errand boy Jerry Omlang.
The two were also convicted for the abduction of Marissa Marquicho, Jee’s helper, and carjacking Jee’s vehicle. They will both be getting another 22 to 25 years imprisonment.
Another accused in the case–SP04 Roy Villegas–became a state witness in the case.
Full Story at: Pampanga RTC finds cop, NBI errand boy guilty of Jee Ick-Joo murder | Inquirer News
