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NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL • FEBRUARY 2-8, 2018
DATELINE PHILIPPINES
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PNP chief: Bloodless drug war ‘impossible’ by DANA
SIOSON AJPress
AS the Philippine National Police (PNP) resumed its controversial “Oplan Tokhang” on Monday, January 29, the country’s top cop admitted that it is “impossible” to conduct a completely bloodless anti-illegal drugs campaign. But while saying that he cannot guarantee zero casualties, PNP Chief Director Gen. Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa vowed that the police will do everything to make the drug war “less bloody.” “We are just giving you the assurance that what we’re going to make the anti-drug campaign less bloody because we are not dealing a person in his right mind,” Dela Rosa said in Filipino during a press briefing at Camp Crame in Quezon City. The PNP chief even remarked that he’s willing to give up his post to anyone who can handle drug war operations without anyone getting killed. Dela Rosa challenged, “Give me someone who can do it, a commander who can do it, and
I’m willing to give up my post if you can tell me that there’s a person who can be successful in conducting anti-drug operations without casualties.” “That’s impossible,” he stressed. This week, the PNP resumed its controversial Oplan Tokhang under new rules and guidelines that require stricter observation of human rights. On the first day of the re-implementation, the PNP said it has conducted 36 separate anti-drug operations across the country and was able to arrest 52 alleged drug offenders with no casualties. More than 563 drug personalities also surrendered. Oplan Tokhang, which means “knock and plead,” is an anti-illegal drugs initiative in the country wherein authorities knock on the doors of suspected drug users or pushers and ask them to surrender. Under the new supplemental operational guidelines, Tokhang operations must be led by a police commissioned officer and be conducted from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday to Friday. Implementers
are also required to be in proper PNP uniform. The use of body cameras and other similar gadgets during operations, however, was only encouraged and not required. “I express optimism that this time, police interdiction operations against illegal drugs will be carried out with greater efficiency, and with less violent confrontations between law enforcers and offenders through better equipment to ensure the personal safety of our personnel, such as body armor, body camera, communications and fire suppression, complemented by skills training and enhanced capacity,” Dela Rosa said. But despite the new supplemental operational guidelines for Oplan Tokhang, the PNP chief noted that the flow of antidrug operations still depends on the reactions of drug personalities. He went on to say, “It would be better if we can only take over the minds of the drug personalities and tell them not to be violent, not to fight back, so PAGE A7
PUSH FOR BBL CONTINUES. Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri, chair of the Senate Subcommittee on the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL), exchanges ideas with Commissioner Firdausi Ismail Abbas of the Bangsamoro Transition Commission before the start of the latest Senate hearing on the measure on Tuesday, January 30. The proposed BBL, which would establish the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region to replace the existing Autonomous Region for Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), is currently pending in both houses of Congress. Senate photo by Cesar Tomambo
Malacañang wishes Rappler ‘good luck’ CBCP questions Cha-cha, federalism by DANA
SIOSON AJPress
“GOOD luck to them.” This was Malacañang’s short message to online news site Rappler on its efforts to invalidate the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)’s revocation of its license. Rappler on Monday, January 29, filed a petition before the Court of Appeals (CA) seeking to reverse an earlier SEC ruling that voided the news organization’s incorporation papers for allegedly violating the Constitutional restrictions on foreign ownership. The SEC en banc on January 11 ruled that Rappler Inc. and Rappler Holdings Corp. (RHC) made violations when it allowed Omidyar Network, one of the Philippine Depositary Receipts (PDR) holders of Rappler, to exercise control over the news outfit. “Good luck to them. After all, the noise that they’ve created, they are certainly hoping that they could influence the Court of
Palace Communications officials Martin Andanar (upper left) and Lorraine Badoy (lower left) and Rappler Chief Maria Ressa (right) appear before the Senate Committee on Public Information and Mass Media on Tuesday, January 30. Ressa claimed the State had enabled an ‘information ecosystem’ spreading ‘fake news.’ ManilaTimes.net photos by Bob dunno
Appeals,” Palace Spokesperson Harry Roque said in a statement. In its petition, Rappler claimed that the SEC erred in its interpretation of the Omidyar PDR. “The clause does not give Omidyar the power to decide when and how the articles of incorporation or by-laws of Rap-
pler, or any other corporate matter, are to be made. Therefore, Omidyar has no control over the actions of RHC, and also Rappler,” it said. Rappler also pointed out that the SEC has no findings that Omidyar actually exercised control over the company, making
the ruling baseless. “Thus, Rappler and RHC cannot be punished, in any way for a violation that never occured,” it stressed. Rappler further argued that it cannot be held liable for violating the law banning foreign ownerships on mass media because it “is not engaged in the business of mass media.” The news outfit noted that the Article XVI, Section 11 (1) of the 1987 Constitution only refers “mass media” to print and broadcast media, while Rappler is fully internet-based. “The activities of Rappler are more akin to the way Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and blogs operate,” Rappler said, adding that it is the country’s first “all-digital news organization.” In its petition, Rappler also claimed that SEC did not follow due process when it issued the revocation in the absence of a formal charge, depriving the news organization of opportunities to defend itself. PAGE A7
THE Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) on Monday questioned moves to overhaul the 1987 Constitution to shift to a federal system of government, saying such efforts should be participative and not captured by narrow political interests. The prelates released “pastoral guidelines” on Charter change as they gathered for their bi-annual plenary assembly in Cebu, questioning lawmakers’ plan to amend the Constitution themselves through a Constituent Assembly. “Participation is at the heart of democracy. Clearly, a move for Charter change that involves transforming the Congress into a Constituent Assembly is bound to be deficient of widespread peoples’ participation, discussion, and consultation. It would be totally rash for members of Congress to presume the reasoned approval of their constituents on
so grave an issue as the move to overhaul the nation’s Charter,” the CBCP said. Full implementation The bishops said full implementation of the Charter was needed, instead of a revision. “As servant leaders, we have listened to many others who believe that the solution to these problems is not a revision of the Constitution, but a full implementation of the 1987 Constitution (e.g., on political dynasties & on freedom of information), and a revision of the Local Government Code, originally designed to devolve power from central authority, following the moral principle of subsidiarity,” the CBCP said. “We have also heard the views of those who believe that the solution we seek is ultimately the transformation of our political culture, the eradication of a political mindset of personalities, payoffs, and patronage – a culture PAGE A7