News Roundup 17 March 2024
Mar 17, 2024 • 4 min Read
Solon on VP Sara: ‘She’s coddling Quiboloy who’s an accused child rapist’ | INQUIRER.NET – MANILA, Philippines — A lawmaker on Sunday condemned Vice President (VP) Sara Duterte for allegedly defending Pastor Apollo Quiboloy who has been wanted domestically and internationally for a slew of offenses.
ACT Teachers party-list Representative France Castro accused VP Duterte of being a “coddler” of an alleged “child rapist” and “human trafficker.”
“Doesn’t Vice President Duterte know about the numerous cases against Quiboloy here and in other countries?” Castro asked in a statement.
“Even in other countries, there are cases of women and child abuse, and even involvement in exporting firearms, etcetera,” she said in Filipino.
“So it seems that Vice President Duterte is setting a very bad example because we believe she’s coddling Quiboloy, who is an accused child rapist,” she added.
According to the US Federal Bureau of Investigation’s website, the leader of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KJC) had been indicted by a federal grand jury in a court in California for “conspiracy to engage in sex trafficking by force, fraud and coercion and sex trafficking of children; sex trafficking by force, fraud and coercion; conspiracy; and bulk cash smuggling.”
Full Story at: Lawmaker on VP Sara: ‘She’s coddling Quiboloy’ (inquirer.net)
4 Army troopers killed in Maguindanao del Sur ambush | INQUIRER.NET – MANILA, Philippines — Four soldiers were killed in an ambush staged by suspected members of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters in Datu Hoffer Ampatuan, Maguindanao del Sur, on Sunday, according to the Philippine Army.
Army Commanding General Lt. Gen. Roy Galido did not provide further details on the soldiers’ deaths but revealed that they troops were ambushed near a residential area in Barangay Tuayan Mother.
“The soldiers were heading back to their patrol base after buying supplies when the perpetrators ambushed them near a residential area in Barangay Tuayan Mother,” Galido said in a statement.
“We are working closely with local authorities and community leaders to ensure that security measures in the area are sustained. This incident only strengthens our resolve to eradicate this terrorist group from our land once and for all,” he added.
Galido also offered their condolences to the bereaved families and assured them of due enefits and assistance.
Full Story at: 4 Army troopers killed in Maguindanao del Sur ambush (inquirer.net)
2 suspects in murder of Misamis Occidental broadcaster arrested | PHILSTAR.COM – COTABATO CITY, Philippines — Policemen nabbed on Friday two of the three suspects in the murder last year of a broadcaster inside a radio station in Calamba town in Misamis Occidental.
Boboy Sagaral Bongcawel and his relative, Reynante Saja Bongcawel, yielded peacefully to the police team that found them in Sapang Dalaga, Misamis Occidental and showed them warrants for their arrest for the murder on Nov. 5, 2023 of Juan Tumpag Jumalon, the owner of 94.7 FM Gold Station in nearby Calamba town.
In separate statements released on Sunday, the Sapang Dalaga Municipal Police Station and the Misamis Occidental Provincial Police Office confirmed the arrest of the two, now clamped down in a detention facility.
Local officials reportedly led to their location in a secluded area in Barangay Poblacion in Sapang Bato the policemen who served them warrants for their arrest from the Regional Trial Court Branch 36 in Calamba, signed by Judge Michael Lotao Ajoc, without recommended bail.
A third suspect, Julito Mangumpit, the triggerman whose image was recorded by security cameras when he killed Jumalon with a pistol while hosting a morning public affairs program right inside his radio station in Barangay Don Bernardo A. Neri in Calamba, remained at large.
Full Story at: 2 suspects in murder of Misamis Occidental broadcaster arrested | Philstar.com
FDA, BIR collaborate to cut medicine prices for senior citizens | PHILSTAR.COM – MANILA, Philippines — The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is partnering with the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) to reduce the prices of essential medicines for senior citizens by exempting them from Value Added Tax (VAT).
FDA Director General Samuel Zacate announced this collaboration during a news forum in Quezon City on Saturday, with the aim of making essential medicines more affordable for seniors.
Zacate explained that certain essential medicines will be exempt from VAT under the Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises (CREATE) Law, also known as Republic Act (RA) No. 11534.
“Basically, the exemption for VAT is through a law – iyong CREATE Law. So, those medicines have been declared by the FDA, endorsed to the BIR para matanggal or mawala iyong kanilang VAT,” Zacata said on Saturday.
(Basically, the exemption for VAT is through a law – the CREATE Law. So, those medicines have been declared by the FDA, endorsed to the BIR so the VAT will be removed.)
The medicines include those used for conditions like hypertension, cancer, mental illnesses, tuberculosis, kidney diseases, diabetes, high cholesterol and even COVID-19 treatments.
According to Zacate, the FDA will identify the medicines eligible for VAT exemption and send the list to the BIR for implementation.
Full Story at: FDA, BIR collaborate to cut medicine prices for senior citizens | Philstar.com
