IN BRIEF

NBI nabs 3 for forged commercial documents

THE National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has announced the arrest of three persons in Quezon City for alleged falsification of commercial documents

The suspects, identified as Gabrielle Samantha Marie Chua, John Lim Chua, and Jose Aoaquin Limjap, will be charged for violation of Article 172 in relation to Article 171 of the Revised Penal Code.

An intelligence information was received by the by the NBI-National Capital Region indicated that shell companies were created primarily for the purpose of issuing official receipts and sales invoices without active business operation, physical office or tangible assets.

It was also alleged that these receipts and invoices were being issued in exchange for 7 percent of the amount collected to evade payment of correct taxes to the government.

Acting on the information, the NBINCR conducted the raid on the company identified as “Smart Ideas Marketing,” resulting in the arrest of its owner. Willie Casas

Expert lauds President’s imprimatur on CDC bil

AN infectious diseases expert cites President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s move to certify as urgent a bill that would establish a center for disease control and prevention in the country.

Dr. Edsel Salvana, in an ANC interview, said it is important for both houses of Congress to act on this bill right away.

“And I think now, as we start to get out of the pandemic, it’s important to institutionalize the lessons that we learned about the pandemic so when the next pandemic—it’s not an if--when the next pandemic arrives, then we already have the lessons that we learned

Charity Sweepstakes Office and the Professional Regulation Commission, could have been used for students’ financial assistance, Daza said. He noted that the dropout rate among college students was between 25 percent and 30 percent.

“The law said free tuition and dapat may living allowance para nga makagraduate lahat. Delayed pa ang mga releases,” Daza said. “We need to really shake up CHED,” the lawmaker stressed.

Citing available records, Daza said about P2 billion in HEDF was used in 2016 for students’ financial assistance.

But when De Vera came in, only about P200 million was spent, Daza asserted.

“They’re using funds for all sorts of different programs,” Daza noted.

“It’s a combination of all. Underspending, misspending and a lot of issues raised by COA,” he added.

Daza said De Vera has to appear at the next hearing of the House Committee on Higher and Technical Education.

Daza hinted that De Vera has a lot of explaining to do, including the Commission on Audit report, the under-utilization of the funds, need to reduce dropout rates, and subsidy for poor students.

“If he can’t answer those questions well, I will be the first member to consider asking the President to maybe revamp the Commission on Higher Education,” Daza said,. De Vera maintained, however, that the HEDF was meant to strengthen higher education, not as a scholarship fund.

“I don’t know where the idea came from that there’s a P10 billion scholarship fund,” he said in a statement.

“Based on these two laws, the CHED law and the Tourism Act of 2009, the CHED has been using the HEDF to provide grants to higher education institutions,” De Vera explained.

De Vera asserted that the HEDF is meant to strengthen higher education and it is not a scholarship fund.

Meanwhile, the Senate on approved on third and final reading Sen. Francis Es- cudero’s twin education measures meant to benefit hundreds of Filipino students, especially those who are facing financial challenges.

The senators unanimously voted on Senate Bill Nos. 1359 also known as the “No Permit, No Exam’ Prohibition Act,” and SB No. 1864 or the “Student Loan Payment Moratorium During Disasters and Emergencies Act.”

Escudero, chairman of the Committee on Higher, Technical and Vocational Education, thanked his colleagues for approving his two bills.

“With the approval, the bills are now a step closer to their enactment into laws for the President’s signature,” he added as the proposed legislation are now headed to the Bicameral Conference Committee.