News Roundup 23 January 2023
Jan 23, 2023 • 4 min Read
PNP to do review of top cops who won’t submit courtesy resignation | INQUIRER.NET – MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine National Police (PNP) will take the reins in evaluating senior police officials who will not tender their courtesy resignations in support of the government’s bid to weed out officers with links to the illicit drug trade.
PNP chief Gen. Rodolfo Azurin Jr. said this on Monday, pointing out that as of Jan. 20, 11 of the 953 top police officials, specifically eight colonels and three generals, have yet to lock in their courtesy resignations and subject themselves to an evaluation by a five-member committee and the National Police Commission (Napolcom).
Azurin said that they are continuously reaching out to the said officers, noting that seven of them are slated to retire within the first quarter of the year.
“Siguro, they are still trying to discern na ‘mag-submit pa ba ako, eh aabutan naman ako ng retirement?’ But to us, we also still encourage na mag-submit lang kayo para at least, kahit papaano, totally ma-clear kayo kung ano man iyong kahihinatnan nitong evaluation and review ng individual na involvement ng lahat sa illegal drugs,” he said in a news briefing.
(Maybe they are still trying to discern if they’ll still submit if their retirement is already nearing. But to us, we also still encourage them to submit so, at least, in some way, they can be totally cleared from whatever the outcome of the evaluation and review of individuals’ involvement in illegal drugs.)
Full Story at: PNP to do review of top cops who won’t submit courtesy resignation | Inquirer News
Stabbing in QC school shines light on urgency of addressing campus violence in PH | INQUIRER.NET – MANILA, Philippines—Violence in school “can be devastating for the victims,” the United Nations (UN) said, stressing that it has an “adverse impact on academic achievement and subsequent education and employment prospects.”
Indeed, most of the consequences of school violence are irreversible, especially when a victim’s life is ended by a classmate, a teacher, or even a school official in just a blink of an eye.
This was what happened to a 13-year-old male student who was stabbed and killed by his 15-year-old classmate inside the Culiat High School in Quezon City on Friday (Jan. 20), 5:45 a.m.
Full Story at: Stabbing in QC school shines light on urgency of addressing campus violence in PH | Inquirer News
Lagman flags ‘reengineered’ Maharlika bill over problems with fund sources | PHILSTAR.COM – MANILA, Philippines — A lawmaker flagged the revised version of the Maharlika Investment Fund bill on Monday, saying that proposals to use dividends from government-owned and -controlled corporations for the wealth fund would strip the national treasury of an important fund source.
Independent minority solon Rep. Edcel Lagman (Albay 1st district) said in an interview on ANC’s Headstart that the reengineered version of the MIF bill would go against a 1993 law requiring GOCCs to turn over half of its earnings to the national government.
“Under the law, 50% of the income of GOCCs should be remitted to the national treasury. The other 50% should be turned back to the corporation for their operational expenses,” Lagman said. “Otherwise, there is no surplus.”
Arguing that the revised MIF would impact the availability of social services, Lagman pointed out: “We should recall the approval of the bill so that the House of Representatives can deliberate on this reengineered version. It was not discussed or deliberated in the House.”
This comes after Rep. Joey Salceda (Albay 2nd district) bared last week that he and three lawmakers revised the bill in December and wrote off the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas and the Development Bank of the Philippines as fund sources.
The revised bill essentially trimmed the MIF’s fund sources down to just the securitization of around P44.33 billion in annual dividends from GOCCs, according to an interview with Salceda.
Full Story at: Lagman flags ‘reengineered’ Maharlika bill over problems with fund sources | Philstar.com
DILG probes alleged harassment of onion farmer in Pangasinan | PHILSTAR.COM – MANILA, Philippines — The Department of the Interior and Local Government said it is investigating the alleged harassment of an onion farmer in Pangasinan who testified in a Senate hearing last week.
DILG Secretary Benhur Abalos ordered the agency’s regional and provincial offices to look into reports that officers from the Bayambang Municipal Police Station harassed a widow of an onion farmer.
Abalos reminded authorities to observe the rule of law and established protocols to avoid causing fear.
In a Senate committee inquiry into the high onion prices last week, Merlita Gallardo shared the difficulties faced by local onion farmers. She said her husband committed suicide in 2021 after failing to settle debts and incurring huge losses.Full Story at: DILG probes alleged harassment of onion farmer in Pangasinan | Philstar.com
