News Roundup 20 August 2023
Aug 20, 2023 • 4 min Read
PNP again says there are not enough body cameras | PHILSTAR.COM – MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine National Police only has 2,700 body-worn cameras for its entire police force nearly six years since it first received funding to purchase the devices to capture footage from police operations.
This means the agency only added around 100 to the 2,600 cameras that the PNP counted in its inventory when it first procured the equipment in 2021, data showed.
PNP’s public information office chief, Police Brigadier General Red Maranan, told Super Radyo dzBB on Sunday that the PNP is still short of body cameras, resulting in a “very limited” number of cops with devices that can capture police operations.
Calls to outfit the police force with mandatory body cameras were revived last week after Navotas cops killed 17-year-old Jemboy Baltazar while pursuing a murder suspect. They had mistaken the teen as their target and fired at him, resulting in what the PNP now describes as a “case of mistaken identity.”
“We lack body cameras. Our requirement for that is something around 45,000. However, we only have 2,700 at the moment,” Maranan said in Filipino.
Maranan added the PNP has already “programmed the procurement” for the devices and has sent DBM a budget request.
Full Story at: PNP again says there are not enough body cameras | Philstar.com
DepEd should clarify classroom decoration policy — teachers’ group | PHILSTAR.COM – MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Education should clarify its order to remove “unnecessary” classroom decorations to ensure that teachers don’t end up discarding legitimate teaching aids they’ve prepared ahead of the school year, a teacher’s group said Saturday.
Vice President and DepEd Secretary Sara Duterte should define what decorations DepEd deems as “unnecessary” to prevent teachers from taking the order “literally,” said a representative of the Teachers Dignity Coalition (TDC), a national organization of public school teachers.
“There’s no specific directive yet. We need to reach that level of specificity in the order. We can’t just say ‘unnecessary’ and expect each one to have their own justifications, because what’s necessary for one person may not be necessary for another,” TDC Chairperson Benjo Basas said in Filipino in an interview with Radyo 630.
There are studies that show children learn better through visually stimulating learning materials like posters and charts, Basas said, which should supposedly be enough basis for schools heads and teachers to not “take (the order) too literally.”
“What our secretary is saying pertains to unnecessary items. So when they say unnecessary, we really don’t need them. But can’t you defend – if you’re a teacher – that you’re displaying the chemical table of elements? That means we won’t remove all of it,” Basas said in Filipino.
Full Story at: DepEd should clarify classroom decoration policy — teachers’ group | Philstar.com
Farmers’ group calls for abolition of NFA for always relying on rice imports | INQUIRER.NET – MANILA, Philippines — A large coalition of farm groups, Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura (SINAG), has called for the abolition of the National Food Authority (NFA) for its reliance on rice imports over buying produce from local farmers.
Head of SINAG Rosendo So issued the statement on Sunday after reports of NFA’s preference for imported rice from India and Vietnam.
“They’re not buying from our farmers anymore. They’re buying from Vietnam, India. They’re negotiating on rice. What’s this?” So lamented as he worried that funds for procurement of local produce might be transferred to buying imported rice from India.
“They might use the money allocated to buy domestically produced palay to acquire imported rice again,” he added, referring to the agency’s P8.5 billion available funds for procuring rice.
So explained that NFA’s move contrasts with the current administration’s goal to boost the crop sector’s rice production.
“If the NFA will not help the country’s grain and farming industry by buying domestically produced rice, then the agency should be abolished,” So said.
Full Story at: Farmers’ group calls for abolition of NFA for always relying on rice imports | Inquirer News
2 alleged NPA members, 12 militiamen return to fold of law in Samar | INQUIRER.NET – TACLOBAN CITY — At least two members of the New People’s Army (NPA) and 12 militia members based in Eastern Samar returned to the fold of the law, considered by military officials as a sign of the weakening of the communist armed group in the province.
The rebels and the militia members also turned over several firearms consisting of two M-16 rifles, one Cal.30 Ml carbine, two Cal.45 pistols, one Ca.38 revolver, and two anti-personnel mines to the 78th Infantry Battalion based in Borongan City on Friday (August 19).
Joining them in their decision to return to the folds of the law were 61 of their civilian sympathizers, all from Barangay San Andres, Borongan City.
As a sign of their decision to leave the communist armed group, they took an oath of allegiance to the government in the presence of top Army officials led by Brigadier General Noel Vestuir, the commanding officer of the 802nd Infantry Brigade (IB) and Col. Allan Tria, the commanding officer of the 78th IB.
Borongan City Mayor Jose Dayan Ivan Agda was also present during the event.
Full Story at: 2 alleged NPA members, 12 militiamen return to fold of law in Samar | Inquirer News
