News Roundup 14 December 2023
Dec 14, 2023 • 4 min Read
UN experts call for urgent creation of nat’l body vs torture | PHILSTAR.COM – MANILA, Philippines — Experts from the United Nations stressed Thursday the need to establish a national body dedicated to preventing torture as they wrapped up their visit to the Philippines.
Victor Zaharia, who heads the UN Subcommittee on the Prevention of Torture (SPT), said the Philippines should fast-track the adoption of bills that will create a national monitoring body called National Preventive Mechanism.
“The magnitude of issues observed by the delegation reaffirms the urgency of establishing an independent torture prevention mechanism with unrestricted access to all places of deprivation of liberty,” Zaharia said.
“This national mechanism, with adequate resources, will be a key partner in preventing torture and ill-treatment in the Philippines,” he added.
During its mission to the Philippines from December 3 to 14, the SPT delegation visited over 40 places of deprivation of liberty, including police stations, jails, prisons, drug rehabilitation centers, reformation and education facilities for minors, immigration detention centers, and military and drug enforcement agency facilities.
It conducted interviews with staff members and people held in those institutions and examined the treatment of individuals in different stages of the criminal or rehabilitation system.
Full Story at: UN experts call for urgent creation of nat’l body vs torture | Philstar.com
US, PH, Japan security chiefs urge China to stop provocation | PHILSTAR.COM – MANILA, Philippines — The national security advisers of the Philippines, the United States and Japan called on China to “desist from further provocative behavior” in the West Philippine Sea, the White House said Thursday.
According to a White House readout, US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, Philippines’ National Security Advisor Eduardo Año and Japan’s National Security Advisor Akiba Takeo expressed concerns about China’s “recent dangerous and unlawful” conduct near Ayungin Shoal and Bajo de Masinloc over the weekend.
“[They] called on the People’s Republic of China to abide by the legally binding July 2016 Arbitral Tribunal ruling and desist from further provocative behavior,” the White House said.
Sullivan, Año and Akiba held a trilateral phone call Wednesday to reaffirm their commitment to freedom of navigation and international law in the South China Sea and East China Sea. They discussed the importance of maintaining peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific.
The three national security advisers also underscored the significance of enhancing trilateral cooperation and committed to continue implementing the initiatives to enhance defense and security capabilities, particularly on cyber security.
Full Story at: US, PH, Japan security chiefs urge China to stop provocation | Philstar.com
Unremitted DepEd funds flagged as SC studies pleas vs VP Duterte’s expenses | INQUIRER.NET – MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Audit (COA) has flagged the Department of Education (DepEd) for failing to remit billions of pesos in employee deductions as the Supreme Court sifted through issues raised in three petitions against the secret funds of Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte.
According to its 2022 audit report, the unremitted funds consisted of P4.47 billion in premium contributions and loan amortizations that had already been deducted from the salaries of DepEd employees.
For the same year, the COA also flagged the Office of the Vice President for reporting that Duterte was disbursed at least P125 million over 11 days as part of “confidential and intelligence funds.”
At least three separate petitions for certiorari and mandamus were lodged before the Supreme Court questioning the disbursement of the P125 million.
On Wednesday, Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo said an associate justice was tasked to study the issues raised in the three petitions and the high court was awaiting the government’s reply to the three lawsuits.
Full Story at: Unremitted DepEd funds flagged as SC studies pleas vs VP Duterte’s expenses | Inquirer News
Supreme Court to revisit case of doctor who died in jail – Gesmundo | INQUIRER.NET – MANILA, Philippines — The Supreme Court will review the case of Dr. Benigno “Iggy” Agbayani Jr., a highly regarded orthopedic surgeon whose death at the Manila City Jail in October while serving a sentence for patient “negligence” sparked an uproar in the medical community.
At a press briefing on Wednesday, Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo said the high court would “check what really happened” in the case of Agbayani, 58, who died of a heart attack on Oct. 5, months after he went to jail as his 2013 conviction became final.
Agbayani, a former chair of the orthopedics department at Manila Doctors Hospital, was earlier found guilty of reckless imprudence resulting in serious physical injuries.
Convicted by a Manila court, he lost the appeals he filed at the Court of Appeals (CA) and the Supreme Court.
“We will check what really happened … we will review it and based on the results, we may establish new instructions or new rules so that we can avoid a repeat of the same situation,” Gesmundo said.
Full Story at: Supreme Court to revisit case of doctor who died in jail – Gesmundo | Inquirer News
