News Roundup 26 October 2023
Oct 26, 2023 • 5 min Read
Philippine Fleet tests missile, drones in West PH Sea | INQUIRER.NET – MANILA, Philippines — In a bid to bolster its deterrence capability against external attacks, the nation’s fleet tested its drone and missile systems in the West Philippine Sea.
Lieutenant Giovanni Badidles of the Fleet Public Affairs Office said the sea phase of the Philippine Fleet’s 2023 Exercise Pagbubuklod was conducted off the waters of Capones Island in Zambales, which is only a few hundred kilometers away from Scarborough Shoal.
Despite being inside the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone, the sandbank was seized by China after a standoff with Manila in 2012. However, a ruling from an international tribunal in 2016 stated that the area was a traditional fishing site for several countries, including the Philippines.
“The Philippine fleet will continue to improve in terms of training and ensure the reliability of our newly-acquired equipment and their effectiveness,” he said in a phone interview with INQUIRER.net.
In another statement, Badidles said the drills will enable the fleet to address “traditional and non-traditional challenges.”
Full Story at: Philippine Fleet tests missile, drones in West PH Sea | Global News (inquirer.net)
Garin, 4 others charged with graft over P3.5-B Dengvaxia purchase | INQUIRER.NET – MANILA, Philippines — The Office of the Ombudsman has indicted former Health Secretary and now Iloilo Rep. Janette Garin and four other former health officials for graft and technical malversation in connection with the allegedly anomalous purchase of P3.5 billion worth of Dengvaxia vaccines in 2015.
Ombudsman Samuel Martires on Wednesday confirmed to the Inquirer that his investigators had filed charges against Garin and four other officials on Tuesday at the Sandiganbayan.
In the three-page charge sheet by the Ombudsman dated Aug. 23, named as Garin’s coaccused in the graft case are former Health Undersecretary Gerardo Bayugo, former Department of Health (DOH) officer in charge Director Maria Joyce Ducusin, former Health Undersecretary Kenneth Hartigan-Go and former Philippine Children’s Medical Center executive director Julius Lecciones.
Except for Bayugo, they were also charged with violation of Article 220 of the Revised Penal Code, or the illegal use of public funds or property, based on the separate three-page charge sheet on the technical malversation case.
The charges were in connection with the procurement of vaccines for the dengue immunization program under then President Benigno Aquino III. It came under scrutiny especially during the succeeding administration, under Rodrigo Duterte, following the death of several children who were inoculated with Dengvaxia.
Garin and Aquino had maintained that the deaths were not caused by the vaccines, contrary to the position of the Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) under Persida Acosta who cited the findings of her forensics team.
‘Clear conscience’
In a statement on Wednesday, Garin said “We see this case as an opportunity to finally put an end to the longstanding issue that apparently continue to haunt us.”
“As we maintain our clear conscience and readiness to face the issues that confront us, we are confident that our sound exercise of discretion, which is backed by hard science, will disprove the allegations in the complaint filed by lawyer Glenn Chiong,” said the lawmaker, currently the House deputy majority leader.
Full Story at: Garin, 4 others charged with graft over P3.5-B Dengvaxia purchase | Inquirer News
ICC jurisdiction on drug war needs review – Remulla | PHILSTAR.COM – MANILA, Philippines — Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla yesterday said the government needs to review the jurisprudence on the issues of jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court before it can take action on the latest call for the government to cooperate in the ICC’s investigation into the drug war killings under the Duterte administration.
His remarks were in response to the resolution filed by Makabayan bloc lawmakers urging the Marcos administration to support the ICC’s probe, especially after former president Rodrigo Duterte publicly admitted to bankrolling the killing sprees in Davao City when he was still mayor with confidential and intelligence funds.
Remulla said the government will also need to examine and study the records of Congress on the basis of the resolution.
While the DOJ remains firm in its stance that the Philippines will not cooperate with the ICC probe on the grounds that the country has a working justice system, Remulla said the government must study the matter thoroughly.
Asked what will happen if ICC prosecutors enter the country to pursue their investigation, Remulla said there is no clear mechanism to deal with the issue, considering that the Philippines is no longer a member of the Rome Statute.
“We will reason that we have a working justice system and we’re no longer members so why would they need to come in? So that’s why this issue has to be clear to all,” he said.
Full Story at: ICC jurisdiction on drug war needs review – Remulla | Philstar.com
Rule of law in Philippines remains one of weakest in the region | PHILSTAR.COM – MANILA, Philippines — Rule of law in the Philippines remained one of the weakest in East Asia and the Pacific, as the country fell one spot in the latest index of the World Justice Project.
With a score of 0.46, the Philippines ranked 100th out of 142 countries in the WJP Rule of Law Index 2023.
In the East Asia and Pacific region, Manila ranked 13th out of 15. Other nations with low scores in the region were Myanmar and Cambodia.
Countries get a score of zero to one, with one indicating strongest adherence to rule of law.
The Philippines scored 0.47 in constraints on government powers, 0.43 in absence of corruption, 0.47 in open government, 0.40 in fundamental rights, 0.67 in order and security, 0.47 in regulatory enforcement, 0.45 in civil justice, and 0.31 in criminal justice.
Full Story at: Rule of law in Philippines remains one of weakest in the region | Philstar.com
