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FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2016 mst.daydesk@gmail.com
Two cops hurt as suspect resists TWO officers of the Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigative and Detection Unit were injured over the weekend in Quezon City after attempting to serve a warrant of arrest to a man charged with violating provisions of Republic Act 9262 or the Violence Against Women and Children Act. The officers, SPO1 Luisito Ubias and PO2 Mario Morales, were attacked by Rovic Canono after the former introduced themselves as law enforcers, informed Canono of the warrant issued for his arrest, and had advised him of his right to contact legal counsel. According to an affidavit issued by Ubias and Morales, members of the PNP-CIDU showed their identification cards and requested Canono to surrender peacefully and to contact his lawyer. Instead of doing so, Canono attacked the police serving the warrant, leaving the arresting officers with bruises and wounds. Canono had previously made a motion for the court to stop his arraignment and set aside the charges against him, but the court rejected his motion for lack of merit and ordered his arrest. Canono has been charged by his estranged wife for violating Sections 5(h) and 5(i) of the VAWC law. Section 5(h) includes, but is not limited to, the following acts: stalking or following the woman or her child in public or private places; peering in the window or lingering outside the residence of the woman or her child; entering or remaining in the dwelling or on the property of the woman or her child against her will; and engaging in any form of harassment or violence. Section 5(i) of the VAWC law, on the other hand, makes it a crime to cause mental or emotional anguish to a woman or child, including but not limited to repeated verbal and emotional abuse and denial of financial support or custody of minor children of access to the woman’s children. If found guilty, Canono could face between six to 12 years in prison. Aside from the charges filed by his wife, Canono now faces additional charges for resisting arrest, as the officers he attacked have filed a complaint accusing Canono of direct assault and resistance, and disobedience to persons in authority.
Otarra...
From A1 “We feel his honesty and humility, and we are happy that he stays as postmaster general,” said senior letter carrier Roberto Brondo of the Manila Central Post Office. Duterte has also appointed Avelino Andal, a former director of the Quezon Metro Water District, as the new administrator of the Philippine Coconut Authority. Andal replaces officer in charge Glenn B. Santos. The Philippine Coconut Authority is under the supervision of Cabinet Secretary Leoncio Evasco. It is the lead agency mandated to promulgate a Supreme Court ruling saying the P72-billion coconut levy fund held in trust was a public fund that ought to be used for the benefit of coconut farmers and the coconut industry. Otarra appealed to PHLPost employees and management to work closely with him to make PHLPost reliable, trustworthy and an efficient service-oriented corporation. Presently, PHLPost is strengthening its partnership with government and private institutions to deliver first-rate mail service, parcels and various goods around the country and abroad. Vito Barcelo and John Paolo Bencito
UN... From A1
responded to an invitation from the Philippine government, and that an inter-agency group is set to study her conditions. In her letter, Callamard set at least nine conditions before her team would fly to the Philippines and start the investigation, Jose said. Most of the conditions were related to free movement, security and non-reprisal, Jose added.
News
Child abuse cases on the rise D AVAO CITY―President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday vowed to look into the increasing cases of child abuse in the country following the death of a two-yearold child here.
Duterte showed clippings of International Airport before articles discussing issues related leaving for Peru. mostly to illegal drugs during But he said there was an increashis statement at the Davao City ing number of cases of sexual abuse
and battery involving children. He said he will ask the Department of Social Welfare and Development to look into those cases. “I think we really have to talk to DSWD,” Duterte said. “There were minors killed, and one case here is that of a mother working in the Middle East. Her child was left with her cousins, and the two-year-old
kid was battered. “This is really very disturbing for a human being who cannot defend himself to die in a brutal matter through negligence.” Duterte was referring to the child who allegedly died after his guardians mauled him after he peed on his pants. The mother’s child is working in Bahrain. Duterte said the economic op-
portunities in the country must increase so Filipinos need no longer work abroad. “We have to improve our country to accommodate those people. We want them to come home,” he said. In August, a four-year-old child also died after his stepfather hung him from a sack that allegedly fell on the ground several times. F. Pearl A. Gajunera
Economy...
With the normalization of weather conditions, agriculture grew by 2.9 percent, breaking five consecutive quarters of decline. She said the sector recovered from the prolonged drought brought by the El Niño phenomenon, which already dissipated in the third quarter of 2016. Meanwhile, industry growth improved to 8.6 percent, with strong showings in manufacturing and construction. However, services growth eased to 6.9 percent from last quarter and a year ago. “Services saw slower, though still reasonable, growth. Expansion in the retail trade, repair of motor vehicles, wholesale and retail and communications subsectors grew strongly,” Edillon said. Edillon also cited a slowdown in the communications subsector as the two large telecommunications companies closed a deal to buy out San Miguel Corp. to gain control of crucial frequencies. Public administration, though expanding by 3.7 percent, slowed down compared to the previous quarters due to the waning effects of election spending. “All things considered, our economy’s strong growth in the third quarter is a very good sign of things to come. Together with a low inflation environment, a sustained strong growth bodes well for continued poverty reduction this year,” Edillon said.
“We see this momentum to continue in the fourth quarter of the year,” she added. The Palace said the GDP growth was proof that the administration was more than its war on illegal drugs. “This underscores that… we have a sound economic vision and agenda that will spur growth to benefit the lives of our countrymen, especially the poor and the marginalized,” said Communications Secretary Martin Andanar. Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez attributed the growth to President Rodrigo Duterte’s accelerated spending on infrastructure and assured the public there will be no letup in the administration’s commitment to spend big on this growth driver as well as on human capital and social protection to guarantee high and inclusive growth. The National Economic and Development Authority said that the strong growth “bodes well for continued poverty reduction this year.” With the projected population reaching 103.5 million in the third quarter of 2016, per capita GDP grew by 5.3 percent and per capita gross national income by 4.6 percent. “These are both higher than the respective growth of 4.4 percent and 4.5 percent in 2015,” the PSA said. News of the GDP growth surprised experts after Duterte sparked concerns among foreign investors
over his controversial war on drug crime and a decision to pick fights with the United States and the United Nations on the issue. “It was a surprise for the financial markets,” First Grade Holdings securities analyst Astro del Castillo told AFP, referring to the growth figure. “It affirms our view that fundamentals remain intact despite the political noise.” The country’s stock market, which is at a seven-month low, rose one percent Thursday but the peso remains stuck near eight-year lows, with analysts blaming political developments as well as expectations the United States will raise interest rates. The greenback was up 0.2 percent at 49.40 pesos in late morning trade, with analysts warning it could surge to P50 by the end of the year. In concerns echoed by other foreign business groups, international credit rating agency Standard & Poor’s warned in September that Duterte’s crime war threatened the Philippine economy and endangered its democratic institutions. He won elections in a landslide in May after vowing an unprecedented crackdown on illegal drugs in which 100,000 people would die. More than 4,000 people have been killed since he took office on June 30. About 1,800 were shot dead by police and about 2,600 others were murdered by unidentified attackers, according to official statistics. With John Paolo Bencito, AFP
Solons...
Rodel Batocabe, president of the Party List Coalition, urged the Office of the Ombudsman to coordinate with concerned authorities in getting vital information that would help the investigation against public officials allegedly protecting the illegal drug trade. “It would be better if the Ombudsman should get leads from our law enforcement agencies rather than conducting separate probes to save on time, expense and efforts,” Batocabe said. “But let our enforcement agencies investigate and file appropriate cases before Ombudsman,” Batocabe added. Also on Thursday, the city government of Makati on Thursday brushed aside allegations of a group accusing Mayor Abigail Binay of doing nothing against the proliferation of online gambling in the city. The group Anti-Trapo Movement asked the Office of the Ombudsman to file charges against Binay for allegedly failing to curb online gambling in her city. But Binay’s spokesman and City Legal Officer Michael Arthur Camina said the corruption watchdog was “sadly misinformed.” “We have not seen or received a copy of the supposed complaint filed by this new group. This group is sadly misinformed. Makati has a strict policy against illegal gambling,” he said. Camina also said only gaming establishments with licenses from appropriate government agencies are allowed to operate
within the city. “If they are referring to establishments issued permits and operating within economic zones, we would like to stress that these establishments applied for and were given business permits as support services to offshore gaming companies. They are licensed by Peza. They should not be operating as gaming facilities,” he said. “In fact, in the last four months, the city government has closed down or given show cause orders to over 90 business establishments, including online gaming firms, operating either without a valid license or violating the restrictions of the business permits,” Camina added. In its complaint, ATM accused Binay and other city government officials of violating the “AntiGraft and Corrupt Practices Act and Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees” for their alleged failure to exercise due diligence in processing the applications of illegal gambling outfits. The group’s chairman Leon Peralta claimed some online gambling establishments were able to secure permits after supposedly presenting illegal licenses. Peralta added that Makati has become a “haven” for gambling, which he claimed, also encourages the proliferation of illicit drugs and the entry of illegal immigrants. The anti-graft court, meanwhile, acquitted former mayor
Elenita Binay of graft over the alleged anomalous purchase of office fixtures and furniture for city hall for P13.25 million. In its decision released Thursday, the Sandiganbayan said the prosecution “failed to establish the elements” to pin Binay down. Similarly, Binay’s co-accused in the case, former councilor and general services chief Ernesto Aspillaga and Vivian Edna Edurise, were also acquitted of the same graft charge. The graft case filed against Binay before the anti-graft court’s Fourth Division stemmed from the Makati City government’s acquisition of office fixtures and furniture for the new city hall from private contractor Office Gallery International sometime in December 1999 and February 2000. The P13.25 million worth of purchase was overpriced by P3.6 million, said a report submitted by a team of government auditors. Binay, along with her husband, former Vice President Jejomar Binay, were facing another graft case before the Fifth Division over the alleged anomalous purchase of office furniture and fixtures costing P72.06 million in 1999. Mrs. Binay is also facing graft and malversation cases before the Third Division for the alleged questionable purchase of beds and sterilizers worth P45 million for the Ospital ng Makati in 2000 and 2001. With Joel E. Zurbano
Du30... From A1
Philippines by providing the necessary technical knowledge in addressing the issue,” Party-list Rep. Harry Roque of Kabayan said in a speech before the 15th Session of the Assembly of the States Parties of the ICC Wednesday in The Hague. Duterte criticized the ICC for allegedly failing to prosecute the war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by nations. “The people are killing but they do nothing. It’s by the thousands
bombing children, women, for five years now. Aleppo, Mosul,” Duterte said. Russia said Wednesday it was formally withdrawing its signature from the founding statute of the International Criminal Court. It said the tribunal had failed to live up to the hopes of the international community when it ruled that Moscow’s annexation of Crimea was “onesided.” Two African nations, Gambia and South Africa, earlier accused The Hague-based tribunal of the “persecution and humiliation of people of color, especially Africans.”
Last October, the ICC said that it was “closely following” the war on drugs in the Philippines allegedly being attributed to President Rodrigo Duterte to see if the spate of deaths in the past three months may be considered “extrajudicial killings” that could warrant prosecution. Fatou Bensouda, prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, said extrajudicial killings could fall under the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court if they were committed as part of a widespread or systematic attack against a civilian population pursuant to a State
policy to commit such an attack. Unlike Russia, however, the Philippines has been an ICC member state since November 2011 and has ratified the Rome Statute, the treaty that established the ICC, in 2011. The permanent international court can prosecute individuals for genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and crimes of aggression. The United Nations, the European Union, the United States and international human rights groups have all raised concern over extrajudicial killings. Duterte said he would have no
second thoughts about joining a new order organized by China and Russia as he threatened to leave the United Nations. Since July, Duterte has overseen a brutal crackdown on illegal drugs that has left more than 3,300 people dead, both at the hands of police as well as in unexplained circumstances, according to official data. In his speeches, Duterte has said he sees nothing wrong about killing drug lords and drug pushers because the gravity of the country’s drug problem calls for it. John Paolo Bencito and Maricel V. Cruz
Callamard had also requested that the Philippines extend an invitation as well to the UN special rapporteur on health. She also asked for facilitation of transport, particularly in restricted areas, and access to all prisons, detention centers and places of interrogation. Callamard also wanted an assurance by the government that persons, whether officials or private individuals who have been in contact with her will not, as a result, suffer
threats or punishment or be subjected to judicial proceedings. Lastly, she asked for appropriate security arrangements without restricting the freedom of movement or inquiry. The UN rapporteur did not mention Duterte’s specific condition of a public debate between the two of them. In a previous press conference, Jose said that the UN rapporteurs would have to secure approval from the Philippine government before beginning their investigation here.
“The government also needs to approve those victims or the victims’ family of extrajudicial killing before they can interview them. They need to ask permission from the government first,” he said. Jose said there would be no visit from the rapporteurs until both sides have agreed on terms of reference, including the dates of the visit, the places to be visited, and the people whom the investigators will interview. “No visit will take place until the
TOR has been agreed upin by both sides,” he said. The interagency body, he said, was set up by the Presidential Human Rights Committee-Secretariat, which is headed by Malacañang’s executive secretary Salvador Medialdea. In August, Callamard and the UN rapporteur on the right on health Dainius Pūras urged Duterte to put an end to the current wave of extrajudicial executions and killings of the alleged drug users and pushers.
“We call on the Philippine authorities to adopt with immediate effect the necessary measures to protect all persons from targeted killings and extrajudicial executions,” Callamard said. But Duterte slammed the call of the two rapporteurs and threatened that the Philippines will pull out from the UN, but later he said it was only a joke. The death toll in the government’s war on illegal drugs has risen since June to more than 4,000.
From A1 To reach the high-end target of 7.0 percent, the economy needs to grow by 6.9 percent in the fourth quarter. Edillon said investments continue to drive economic growth, indicating its sustainability. The growth in investments in durable equipment remained strong, she added. Private sector investments in construction grew significantly by 16.2 percent this quarter from last year’s 4.0 percent. Public investment in infrastructure remained strong, with public construction expanding by over 20 percent for the third quarter. “Household consumption also remains a pillar of strength for the domestic economy, Edillon said. Private consumption grew by 7.3 percent, higher than last year’s 6.1 percent, supported by low inflation, low interest rates, better labor market conditions and the steady, though slower growth in overseas Filipinos’ personal remittances. The government dole program, the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program or 4Ps, also provided additional boost to consumer demand. External demand also improved, with growth in exports of goods steadily rising to 7.8 percent. “From the supply or production side, we are happy to note the recovery signs of agriculture, which is one of the major development priorities of this administration,” Edillon said.
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The lawmakers made the remarks amid criticism of Deputy Ombudsman for the Visayas Paul Elmer Clemente for failing to act on allegations that relief assistance for “Yolanda” victims were being stockpiled by local officials and not being distributed to victims. Clemente also failed to look into some local politicians who were even mentioned by name by President Rodrigo Duterte as being narco-politicians, they said. Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers, meanwhile, questioned the Ombudsman’s “deafening silence” on public officials involved in the illegal drug trade. Barbers echoed the view of Minority Leader and Buhay party-list Rep. Lito Atienza that the Ombudsman was not taking any action on the matter. Antipolo City Rep. Romeo Acop, chairman of the House committee on public order and safety, added that the Ombudsman should, on its own initiative, investigate the government officials and politicians that Duterte had tagged in his anti-drug campaign. “The Office of the Ombudsman has that power under the law creating it. It can even act on anonymous complaints against public officials. There is a process that it observes,” said Acop, a lawyer and ex-police general. Ako Bicol party-list Rep.
Duterte's...
From A1 overseas Filipino workers (+62), fighting crime (+58), eradicating graft and corruption (+57), fighting terrorism (+55), defending the country’s territorial rights (+53), and distributing lands to deserving tillers (+53). He also received good marks on developing science and technology (+49), providing jobs (+46), foreign relations (+39), ensuring an efficient transportation system (+39), ensuring that no family will ever be hungry (+37), and fighting inflation (+33). The administration’s efforts to reconcile with Moro rebels and communist rebels also received “good” satisfaction ratings with +42 and +39, respectively. Malacañang welcomed results of the SWS survey, the highest initial net satisfaction rating obtained by any administration. “We thank the Filipino people for giving the highest initial net satisfaction rating obtained by an administration to the Duterte Administration,” Communications Secretary Martin Andanar said. “The ‘very good’ +66 net satisfaction rating of the Duterte Administration is a source of inspiration and strength to the President and his entire team to double their time and energy to rid society of drugs, criminality and corruption while bringing the fruits of sustainable inclusive development down to our grassroots.” “Let these survey results not lull us to complacency. The President, as we all know, has been elevating the consciousness of our people from the gravity of the drug problem and the threat of terrorism and lawlessness. This means much work has to be done and we all need to roll up our sleeves and buckle down to work and get things done.” The survey, which interviewed 1,200 respondents nationwide, has a sampling error margin of ±3 points for national percentages and ±6 points each for Metro Manila, “Balance Luzon,” the Visayas and Mindanao. John Paolo Bencito
PH...
From A1 He is said to be carrying a fake passport. Carlos said the members of Espinosa’s immediate family, relatives and lawyers will have access to him. From the Airport, Espinosa will be brought to Camp Crame and then presented to reporters. He will then be brought to the office of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group for booking and then escorted to the PNP Custodial Center, where he will be temporarily detained. It was still unclear whether Espinosa will be allowed to visit the wake of his father Rolando in Albuera town in Leyte. His father was killed in an alleged shootout with lawmen trying to serve a search warrant on him at his cell at the Baybay Subprovincial Jail on November 3. Francisco Tuyay and Florante S. Solmerin