News Roundup 25 July 2024
Jul 25, 2024 • 5 min Read
OVP confirms VP Sara on ‘personal’ trip abroad amid ‘Carina’ onslaught | PHILSTAR.COM – MANILA, Philippines — After heavy rains from Typhoon Carina pummeled Luzon and forced thousands to evacuate, the Office of the Vice President confirmed that Vice President Sara Duterte is on a “personal trip” abroad with her family.
The OVP said in a statement on Thursday that the timing of Duterte’s pre-approved travel amid the onslaught of Typhoon Carina (international name: Gaemi) and the southwest monsoon in Luzon was “unfortunate.”
Duterte’s departure, “received the necessary approvals” as the Office of the President issued a travel authority for the vice president on July 9, according to the statement.
“The timing of the trip coinciding with Typhoon Carina is unfortunate. Nonetheless, the Disaster Operations Center of the OVP, institutionalized by the Vice President, is always ready to assist families affected by calamities,” the OVP said.
This comes a day after a Manila Bulletin report said Duterte and her family allegedly departed for Germany early Wednesday. The vice president was allegedly seen leaving with her children and her mother, Elizabeth Zimmerman.
The OVP statement did not state when Duterte left the Philippines.
Traveling during state of emergency
Rep. Edcel Lagman (Albay, 1st District) criticized the vice president for proceeding with the trip and said Duterte showed “lack of empathy and concern” as parts of the country were placed in a state of emergency.
“It is not an excuse that the trip has long been planned and she has a travel authority. It does not justify her leaving the country at a time of crisis,” Lagman said.
Full Story at: OVP confirms VP Sara on ‘personal’ trip abroad amid ‘Carina’ onslaught | Philstar.com
Ex-PNP execs ‘new suspects’ in ICC probe | PHILSTAR.COM – MANILA, Philippines (Updated 7:27 p.m.) — Former officials of the Philippine National Police (PNP) have been tagged as the “new suspects” by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for the alleged crimes committed during the Duterte administration’s anti-narcotics campaign.
In a four-page document posted by former Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV on X (formerly Twitter) on Thursday, the ICC said that five former PNP officials were suspected to be responsible for the ordering of the killings of drug suspects and users from 2011 to 2019.
“…The Office of the Prosecutor (OTP) has reasonable grounds to believe that the following retired and serving members of the Philippine National Police, have committed crimes within the jurisdiction of the OTP,” the document read.
Four of the five are the following officials:
- Former PNP Chief Oscar Albayalde
- Former PNP-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group Chief Romero Caramat Jr.
- Former Commissioner of the National Police Commission, Edilberto Leonardo
- Former PNP Chief Intelligence Officer Eleazar Mata
Among the five is also former PNP chief and now Sen. Ronald Dela Rosa, who previously said he was unbothered by the ICC’s decision to continue its investigation into the drug war in the Philippines. He, however, admitted was scared of being imprisoned.
Dela Rosa was appointed as the first PNP chief by former President Rodrigo Duterte following his presidential victory in 2016.
Full Story at: Ex-PNP execs ‘new suspects’ in ICC probe | Philstar.com
Lawmaker calls for probe into P244-B flood control projects after Carina | INQUIRER.NET – MANILA, Philippines — Gabriela party-list Rep. Arlene Brosas has called for a probe into the P244.57-billion flood control projects after many parts of the country were flooded due to the heavy rains brought by Typhoon Carina and the southwest monsoon.
“The disconnect between the administration’s claims and the reality on the ground is alarming,” her statement on Thursday read.
“It is said that billions of funds are being invested in flood control projects, but the people suffer from constant floods every rainy season. The people need to know where this fund is going,” it added in Filipino.
During his third State of the Nation Address (Sona) last July 22, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. claimed to have completed over 5,500 flood control initiatives.
In his report to the people on July 23, Marcos also proposed the implementation of 10 flood control projects from 2024 to 2037, which would cost over P500 billion.
“For years, we’ve seen corruption-tainted and ineffective flood control projects. We need to put an end to this cycle that only serves to line the pockets of corrupt officials while leaving our people vulnerable to disasters,” Brosas pointed out.
Full Story at: Lawmaker calls for probe into P244-B flood control projects (inquirer.net)
Pasig bridge hit by barges closed for damage check, repair | INQUIRER.NET – MANILA, Philippines – The F. Manalo Bridge in Pasig City was temporarily closed after it was hit by barges swept by the strong current of the Marikina River on Wednesday at the height of bad weather caused by Typhoon Carina and the enhanced southwest monsoon.
“This bridge is scheduled to be rehabilitated or reconstructed because masyadong mababa ‘yung freeboard niya (the freeboard is too low). It’s not really designed for the barges to pass through,” Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Manuel Bonoan told President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. in a situation briefing on the effects of the inclement weather, at the Presidential Security Command in Manila on Thursday.
Bonoan said the DPWH has enough funds to reconstruct the bridge.
“It’s just the matter of going through the design,” he said.
In the same briefing, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) acting chair Romando Artes reported that 13 barges and tugboats were swept by the strong currents on Wednesday.
They are owned by a construction company contracted for a Japan International Cooperation Agency-funded project at the Marikina River.
Full Story at: Pasig bridge hit by barges closed for damage check, repair (inquirer.net)
