News Roundup 10 February 2023
Feb 10, 2023 • 3 min Read
De Lima to seek bail anew as Ragos affirms recantation | PHILSTAR.COM – MANILA, Philippines (Updated 5:18 p.m.) — Former Sen. Leila de Lima’s legal team is looking to move for her provisional liberty after prosecution star witness Rafael Ragos ended Friday his testimony where he reiterated that he was coerced by to implicate her in the illegal drug trade.
De Lima’s legal counsel Boni Tacardon told reporters that they will file a supplemental motion for bail as they believe that the prosecution no longer has evidence against her following the recantation of Ragos, former Bureau of Corrections officer-in-charge.
Tacardon said that should the the Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court Branch 204 — which is handling one of the two remaining drug cases of the former senator — recognize Ragos’ reversal, they will also move for the dismissal of the case against De Lima.
“If we look at the denial of Sen. Leila de Lima’s application for bail for this case, the former judge said there is evidence against her and the evidence that was referred to was the testimony of Deputy Director Ragos,” Tacardon said in Filipino.
Full Story at: De Lima to seek bail anew as Ragos affirms recantation | Philstar.com
9.6 million Pinoys jobless in Q4 of 2022 – SWS | PHILSTAR.COM – MANILA, Philippines — An estimated 9.6 million Filipinos were jobless in the fourth quarter of 2022, according to a survey conducted by Social Weather Stations (SWS).
Results of the Dec. 10 to 14 survey released on Wednesday night found that the joblessness rate was at 21.3 percent of the adult labor force, estimated to be at 45.2 million.
The joblessness rate was up from the 18.6 percent and 20.8 percent obtained in similar surveys conducted in October and June, respectively, but lower than the 26 percent in April.
SWS said the country had an average 21.7 percent for 2021, four points below the 25.7 percent average for 2021 and over 15 points below the record-high 37.4 percent average for 2020.
Full Story at: 9.6 million Pinoys jobless in Q4 of 2022 – SWS | Philstar.com
SC coco levy ruling: a ‘personal insult’ to coconut farmers | INQUIRER.NET – A farmers’ group on Thursday criticized the Supreme Court’s decision to dismiss a graft case against former senator and now Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Juan Ponce Enrile and several others in connection with the alleged misuse of the coco levy fund, calling the ruling a “brazen” injustice.
Jansept Geronimo, spokesperson for the national farmer’s group Kilusan Para sa Tunay na Repormang Agraryo at Katarungang Panlipunan (Katarungan), said in an interview with the Inquirer that the ruling was also a “personal insult” to all coconut farmers.
He said that many of the coconut farmers, like his father, had passed away “without seeing the return of their hard-earned contributions” to the controversial multibillion-peso fund.
“It’s another injustice and a brazen one for the millions of coco levy contributors, most of whom are now sick and dying,” Geronimo said.
Full Story at: SC coco levy ruling: a ‘personal insult’ to coconut farmers | Inquirer News
Nancy Binay open to study wage hike proposal amid inflation | INQUIRER.NET – MANILA, Philippines — Senator Nancy Binay is open to discuss a possible wage increase for workers to mitigate the impact of rising costs of basic commodities.
The country’s inflation rate rose to 8.7 percent in January mainly due to faster increases in the prices of food, housing rentals, electricity and water.
When asked in an interview on Friday if there is a basis on calls to raise the salary of workers, Binay said that this has to be studied first.
“Kung yun ang talagang magiging solution e we just have to bite the bullet at talagang taasan yung sweldo,” she said.
(If that is really the solution then we just have to bite the bullet and let’s raise the salary.)
Binay said she is also “open” to a legislated wage hike when told that some groups are pushing for it.Full Story at: Nancy Binay open to study wage hike proposal amid inflation | Inquirer News
