Sustain fight vs human trafficking - ex-DoJ official

said.

Guadiz said the deadline extension was made not to appease the strikers. "To be honest, we are not pressured by the threat of a strike because more than 90 percent of transport groups have signified their support to the program of the LTFRB," he said.

Valbuena said the LTFRB's move to extend the consolidation deadline will not alter the fact that operators and drivers of traditional jeepneys will eventually lose their livelihood.

"They are only trying to calm us down. But in the end, we will still lose our livelihood because after the extension we still need to replace our units," he said.

Valbuena slammed local government units for allegedly offering financial assistance to operators and drivers of traditional jeepneys to change their mind.

"So there should always be a transport strike so that there will be aid?" he said.

Guadiz said that following the extension of the deadline, the LTFRB will draft new guidelines on the matter, including the possibility of allowing jeepney operators to maintain their franchises even without joining a cooperative.

The jeepney modernization program seeks to phase out old and dilapidated jeepneys and replace them with high-capacity and environment-friendly vehicles.

Under the program, operators must surrender their individual franchises and consolidate with a fleet management system wherein each cooperative is required to purchase 15 imported minibuses per route. n

6 frat men yield; hazing case still...

hazing death of Ronnel Baguio, 20, a second year marine engineering student of UC.

Cebu police chief Col. Ireneo Dalogdog said they got wind of Baguio’s death after the student was brought to the Cebu City Medical Center (CCMC) for treatment of difficulty in breathing and bruises all over his body on Dec. 18. He was pronounced dead at 5 p.m., two and a half hours after he was brought in.

An autopsy revealed that he died of “severe acute respiratory distress secondary to indirect lung injury,” Dalogdog said. His body was immediately flown to his home province of Bataan and investigators were unable to conduct a proper investigation, Dalogdog said.

“Updates of this case moved so slow because there is no complainant,” he said, but added that at least one suspect had been identified.

He did not give the suspect’s name or identify the fraternity pending further investigation.

Dalogdog said Baguio’s mother had not returned to Cebu to help probers.

In a statement, UC condemned the death of Baguio and stressed that fraternities and hazing had no place in the university.

It said its Maritime Education and Training Center was not aware of the incident and that it did not recognize any fraternity or sorority.

Manuel Sarausad, the university’s legal counsel, said the school learned about Baguio’s death due to hazing injuries the day after.

Recently, UC received a request from the Public Attorney’s Office for a formal investigation of the death of Baguio, the lawyer said.

“The university reiterates its commitment to cooperate and assist the police and the Baguio family as they seek justice for Ronnel,” he said. (Inquirer.net)

FORMER justice undersecretary Jose Vicente Salazar on Tuesday, February 28 urged the government to keep the fight against human trafficking "at all costs" as he welcomed the Senate investigation on the reported human trafficking at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).

He was referring to the Senate blue ribbon committee (BRC) probe on the alleged "new highend" human trafficking scheme at the country's premier gateway. Salazar was once at the forefront of the country's fight against human smuggling as head of the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking.

The Senate probe was an offshoot of Sen. Mary Grace Poe's expose on what she said could be another grand design of a "human trafficking" scheme at NAIA involving a private aircraft and foreign nationals.

The senator said that "the Manila International Airport Authority, Bureau of Immigration, the Philippine National Police (PNP) Aviation Group and the Globan Aviation will have a lot of explaining to do."

In a speech last February 15, Poe claimed that police and airport authorities failed to stop the departure of a Dubai-bound flight that carried 10 foreigners, but only seven were declared before immigration officials.

"I believe there is more to this kind of a high-end modus that concerned government officials must look into the soonest possible time," said Salazar. "The Senate's move is a step in the right direction to unearth the identities of perpetrators at the soonest possible time."

The "modus operandi" was exposed when the PNP Aviation Security Group received an "anonymous tip" about a human trafficking activity involving an aircraft that is set to depart for Dubai at about 10 p.m. on the same day at the NAIA.

It said that only six passengers were declared but 14 passengers will board the aircraft.

"We say that there could be more to this that might have been perfected a long time ago and every time with cargoes as well in such instances. If human trafficking can take place, how much more with illegal drugs," Salazar, who also served as undersecretary of the Department of Information and Communications Technology,

"This is a very serious matter because if human trafficking can take place using private planes, how much more with illegal drugs that might only be considered as mere cargoes," he added.

"As I said, the recent accidental discovery of the latest illegal activity could only be the tip of the iceberg. Thus, a Senate inquiry into this is a very welcome step," he said.

Sen. Christopher "Bong" Go has expressed apprehension over the reported human trafficking scheme at the NAIA since it might involve national security.

"This is very disturbing and we condemn this new case of human trafficking using private jets," Go said in Filipino and English during a chance interview in Quezon City on February 17.

"It appeared on the report that there are foreign passengers on board," he said. Go voiced concern that some groups "use our airports as transit or exit point for smuggled people." "This should be stopped. This should be looked into thoroughly because there could be 'national security dimension' in this case," he said. (ManilaTimes.net)

Dementia care programs help,if caregivers...

health care services.

Several challenges await, even if Medicare experiments with ways to support comprehensive dementia care. There aren’t enough health care professionals trained in dementia care, especially in rural areas and lowincome urban areas. Moving programs into clinical settings, including primary care practices and medical clinics, may be challenging given the extent of dementia patients’ needs. And training needs for program staff members are significant.

Even if families receive some assistance, they may not be able to afford necessary help in the home or other services such as adult day care. And many families coping with dementia may remain at a loss to find help.

To address that, the Benjamin Rose Institute on Aging later this year plans to publish an online consumer directory of evidencebased programs for dementia caregivers. For the first time, people will be able to search, by ZIP code, for assistance available near them. “We want to get the word out to caregivers that help is available,” said David Bass, a senior vice president at the Benjamin Rose Institute who’s leading that effort.

Generally, programs for dementia caregivers are financed by grants or government funding and free to families. Often, they’re available through Area Agencies on Aging — organizations that families should consult if they’re looking for help. Some examples:

Savvy Caregiver, delivered over six weeks to small groups in person or over Zoom. Each week, a group leader (often a social worker) gives a mini-lecture, discusses useful strategies, and guides group members through exercises designed to help them manage issues associated with dementia. Now offered in 20 states, Savvy Caregiver recently introduced an online, seven-session version of the program that caregivers can follow on their schedule.

REACH Community, a streamlined version of a program recommended in the 2021 National Academy of Sciences report. In four hour-long sessions in person or over the phone, a coach teaches caregivers about dementia, problem-solving strategies, and managing symptoms, moods, stress, and safety. A similar program, REACH VA, is available across the country through the Department of Veterans Affairs. In up to eight in-home sessions over four months, an occupational therapist assesses the interests, functional abilities, and home environment of a person living with dementia. Activities that can keep the individual meaningfully engaged are suggested, along with advice on how to carry them out and tips for simplifying the activities as dementia progresses. The program is being rolled out across health care settings in Australia and is being reviewed as a possible component of geriatric home-based care by the VA, Gitlin said.

KHN (Kaiser Health News) is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues. Together with Policy Analysis and Polling, KHN is one of the three major operating programs at KFF (Kaiser Family Foundation). KFF is an endowed nonprofit organization providing information on health issues to the nation.