OTS: No banned items at airports

By Joel E. Zurbano

AUTHORITIES on Thursday reminded air travelers not to bring guns, bullets, and other banned items to airports for faster processing and prevent long lines at the screening checkpoints.

The Office for Transportation Security made the reminder to ensure passengers’ safety and convenience in time for the observance of Lent.

OTS administrator Usec. Ma. O Aplasca urged passengers to personally pack their bags and ensure that it does not contain any prohibited items to avoid unnecessary delays at the screening checkpoint.

Basilan...

From A1 and fishermen, saved 195 passengers and 35 crew as the blaze ripped through the ferry off Baluk-Baluk Island in Basilan.

Basilan Governor Jim Salliman said 31 bodies had been retrieved, including 18 found inside an air-conditioned cabin.

Photos released by the coast guard showed one of its vessels sprayingwater on the burning ferry as personnel in smaller boats plucked people from the dark water.

Firefighter Jayson Ahijon, who was among the passengers, said peoplepanicked as fire and thick smoke overwhelmed the vessel.

Some jumped overboard before putting on life jackets.

"It's beyond my imagination, the fire was spreading so fast," Ahijon, 36, said.

Ahijon said he and several coast guard officers helped other passengers to safety, including a baby they put in a bucket and lowered over the side of the boat.

The captain ran the vessel aground

9 out...

From A1

In the latest episode of "The Mangahas Interviews," Fajardo said the PNP was just waiting for the filing of the appropriate cases against the masterminds behind the attack on the local chief executive.

“In the interest of the people of the 3rd District of Negros Oriental, the undersigned shall act as the Legislative Caretaker of the 3rd District of Negros Oriental for the period 23 March 2023 to 22 May 2023. This order takes effect immediately,” Romualdez said in a memorandum order he issued.

The leader of the House of Representatives traditionally namescaretakers for districts not represented in the chamber due to various reasons, including the appointment to a Cabinet position, suspension, or expul-

PH,...

From A1

The PCG said that it issued multiple radio challenges to the vessels but got no response.

On March 21, China Coast Guard vessel 5201 shadowed BRP Malapascua as it was patrolling Ayungin Shoal.

The incident has been reported to the National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea (NTF-WPS), the PCG said.

Manalo said the exploratory talks would begin on a technical level in about six weeks.

He said it was Beijing that proposed the talks on oil and gas,focusing on the terms of reference.

Manalo said the Philippine government's position would be guided by the Constitution, which will serve as the guiding principle in the negotiations.

“In any negotiations we undertake on oil and gas, the Philippineposition has always been that we will be guided by the constitutionalrequirements and that’s how we will proceed in the next round,” Manalo said.

In November 2018, the Philippines and China signed a memorandum ofunderstanding (MOU) with both sides agreeing to establish an intergovernmental

PBBM...

From A1 his latest pronouncement that the Philippines is “disengaging” from any contact and communication with the International Criminal Court (ICC) after it rejected the country’s request to suspend its ongoing investigation into former President Rodrigo Duterte's drug war.

Also on Thursday, Senator Ronald dela Rosa—who led Duterte’s bloodywar on drugs as chief of the Philippine National Police—said candidate Marcos had promised him that the ICC would not touch a single strand of his hair—even though he was bald.

The senator said he took this not only as a personal promise but a commitment to the country that he will defend the Philippine sovereignty.

Senators associated with Duterte accused the ICC of bullying the Philippines.

Senator Robin Padilla on Thursday said he would join former President Duterte and

“Once again, we would like to remind passengers to personally pack their bags, and be smart travelers by checking on the OTS prohibited items list before your scheduled flight. It’s posted on our website and our social media platforms so that these items will not be confiscated anymore. Our tip is that, if you don’t need it, then just leave it at home,” as the fire spread "so many morecould survive since it would be easier to swim to shore," Commodore Rejard Marfe from the Philippine Coast Guard told AFP.

Salliman said at least three children, including a six-month-old baby, were among the dead. Authorities also said 14 people were injured.

It is not clear how many people are still missing. Salliman said the number of passengers on the vessel exceeded the 205 listed in the ship's manifest, but a PCG official said the vessel only had 205 reported travelers and 35 crew members.

In a report, Coast Guard District South-Western Mindanao commander Commodore Marco Antonio Gines said the fire allegedly broke out at the accommodation area on the second deck of the vessel, stressing they had not conducted a full investigation into the fire nor could they confirm what caused it.

Gines also clarified the vessel was not overloaded with passengers.

Marfe said four members of the coast guard and an unknown number of army sion of a member.

Teves was slapped a 60-day suspension for defying a House order or him to return to the Philippines and face murder charges filed against him.

Aside from these charges, Teves has also been linked to the murder of Degamo and eight others, who were shot by assassins at the governor’s home in Pamplona town. Degamo, documents showed, had been cleared of graft charges by the Supreme Court just days before he was shot dead.

The charges were in connection with the alleged misuse of provincial calamity funds amounting to P143.2 million in 2012.

Teves, who was last reported to be in the United States for supposed medical treatment, had refused to come back home claiming there are serious threats to his life.

Romualdez has repeatedly pleaded with joint steering committee to look into possible energy cooperation.

The MOU also provides that a working group from each of the countries"will consist of representatives from enterprises authorized by the two governments."

However, in 2022, during the last months of the Duterte administration, the Philippines ordered the termination of the discussions with China, citing constitutional constraints and issues on the country’s sovereignty.

Reports showed that the West Philippine Sea, particularly near Reed Bank, is rich in natural resources such as oil and gas.

Meanwhile, Manalo said a final agreement on the Code of Conduct (COC) of the South China Sea between China, the Philippines, and other ASEAN countries was still far off.

“There are so many issues to look at here because this concerns how to manage incidents occurring at sea,” he said.

“You need all the countries to agree and that alone takes time. And then of course you have the bigger issues too, and political issues, whether the Code will be legally binding or not we’re not yet there,” Manalo said.

The COC is aimed at preventing future tensions and conflict among the claimant countries in the South China Sea.

Dela Rosa if they will be jailed by the ICC.

The former movie star was once convicted and sentenced to eight years in jail for illegal possession of firearms but was pardoned by President Fidel V. Ramos after four years. Duterte later gave Padilla a full pardon to endow him with full civil and political rights.

While the Philippines has its own justice system, Padilla said he finds it insulting that the ICC will investigate the country’s drug war, which could mean that "we are stupid."

Meanwhile, Mr. Marcos said: “We continue to improve mechanisms such as the AO35 inter-agency committee to enhance accountability. The Philippines’ commitment to fight impunity for atrocity crimes is solid and unwavering, notwithstanding the withdrawal of the country from the Rome Statute.”

“The Philippines has a national legislation punishing heinous crimes.

We have vigorously exercised our jurisdiction to investigate and prosecute

Aplasca said. OTS spokesperson Kim Marquez said sharp objects and other items such as baseball bats, baton sticks, tennis and badminton rackets, or billiard sticks are also prohibited from being carried in carry-on bags, and can only be placed in checked baggage.

Meanwhile, the Manila International Airport Authority will conduct intensive security screening and passenger assistance operations toensure secured, reliable, convenient, and uninterrupted operations at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport. Coordination has also been made with airlines regarding the efficient processing personnel were on board but not listed in the manifest.

"We're still getting the data from Coast Guard Station Zamboanga because that's where they originated in order to determine if there are still missing people," he said.

Marfe said PCG investigators were on their way to inspect the ferry and determine the cause of the fire.

Survivors were taken to Zamboanga and Basilan, where the injured were treated for burns, Salliman said.

PCG BARMM Commander Commodore Rejard Marfe told the reporters that the death toll increased by more than doubled after 18 bodies were found inside the burned ship.

“As of now, our search is continuous so we can see if there are cadavers left to discover,” said Marfe.

More than 200 passengers and crew members were on board the M/V Lady Mary Joy 3 when it caught fire late Wednesday evening while docked at the pier of Baluk-Baluk Island.

The ferry was on its way to Jolo, Sulu from Zamboanga City on March 29 when the Negros Oriental lawmaker to fly home so he could attend to his job and at the same time face the accusations against him, assuring him that he would be accorded justice and fairness.

President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. has also assured Teves of his safety.

At least 10 suspects, mostly former soldiers, have surrendered to the authorities and confessed either their direct or vital participation in the commission of the crime.

The NBI has taken custody of the suspects pending the result of the preliminary investigation on the murder charges and other criminal charges filed against them before the DOJ.

Remulla clarified that he has not spoken to the prosecutors handling the preliminary investigation of the case and it would be up to them to assess the information available to them in connection with the killings.

DOJ...

From A1 the BI, as a member of the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT), has the responsibility to administer and enforce anti-trafficking, immigration, and related laws to better protect Filipinos.

IACAT is currently processing the revision of the departure formalities to “better reflect current trends and plug the gaps that arose along the way,” the DOJ said.

It is also coordinating with the BI and other stakeholders to minimize the inconvenience caused by the departure formalities to Filipino travelers.

“We sincerely request the public’s continued patience, understanding, cooperation, and support. As we empathize with the disruptive effect these may have caused to the public, let us not overlook the fact that there is a bigger problem we need to address as a country: human trafficking,” the statement pleaded.

The DOJ admitted that it has become hard now to determine regular passengers from potential human trafficking victims, citing a recent recruitment scheme involving educated, well-traveled, and professional Filipinos to work in regional call centers linked to online scamming and crimes, including those allegedly committed in the context of the anti-illegal drugs campaign,” he added.

In the Philippines’ fight against illegal drugs, he noted that the government continues focusing on strengthening state programs on rehabilitation, prevention, education, and assistance to drug victims and their families as well as ensuring transparency and accountability in law enforcement operations.

He said the government is also investing more to enhance the administration of justice "through the various institutions and mechanisms already in place to protect the right to life, liberty and security of the Filipino people" to achieve its objectives for people-centered growth and prosperity.

Mr. Marcos cited as an example the establishment of the Department ofMigrant Workers to protect and promote the rights of more than 10 million Filipino migrants.

He also said the nation’s justice reform agenda acknowledges that realjustice means the humane treatment of persons deprived of liberty and efficient prosecution of their passengers, especially at the checkin counters.

Additional airline personnel will be deployed as needed to accommodate the increase in travelers.

Local airlines advised passengers to leave home early to allot more time for travel to the airport during the peak period.

“Passengers must be at the NAIA Terminal 3 and 4 at least three hours before departure for domestic flights, and four hours for international flights. Passengers traveling to Dubai are allowed to check in as early as seven hours before departure,” the Cebu Pacific Air management stated. (See full story online at manilastandard.net) the fire hit the vessel minutes before 11 p.m. The flames were extinguished at 7:30 a.m. on Thursday.

Coast Guard Station Basilan formed a joint Search and Rescue team with the local government units in the area and conducted the search and rescue operation in the vicinity waters off Baluk-Baluk Island in Hadji Muhtamad, Basilan.

"Upon receipt of information regarding the said fire incident, a Search and Rescue (SAR) Team from Coast Guard SubStation Maluso immediately proceeded in the area of the incident and was able to retrieve one female cadaver," said the Coast Guard in a Facebook post.

In an interview with Dobol B TV, Basilan Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office Chief Nixon Alonzo said that the information on the fatalities they received from the Hadji Muhtamad Municipal DRRMO is still subject to validation.

According to Alonzo, some of the bodies they fished out of the water were drowned victims while others had burn marks on their bodies. With AFP other fraudulent activities.

Remulla said the government through the NBI will be asking Interpol to issue a blue notice against Teves following his failure to return to the country amid allegations of his involvement in the Degamo killing.

A blue notice will alert membercountries that Teves is under investigation for alleged commission of a crime.

The DOJ chief also lauded the decision of former Negros Orientalgovernor Pryde Henry Teves, the lawmaker’s brother, to sign a waiver allowing the Justice Department to look into his bank accounts, phone records, and emails in a bid to clear his name of any involvement in the Degamo killing.

Rep. Teves left the country last February 28 to undergo stem cell treatment in the United States and was supposed to return on March 9 based on the travel authority issued by the House of Representatives.

“The profile of these victims poses a challenge to our implementation of the Departure Formalities, as many of them do not share the vulnerabilities of traditional victims of labor trafficking, such as those Filipinos exploited as domestic workers in the Middle East or fishers in the Asia-Pacific region,” the department stressed.

“The underlying problem here lies in the fact that for these new schemes, it is extremely difficult to distinguish regular passengers from potential victims of human trafficking,” it said.

From January to February 2023 alone, the DOJ said the Immigration bureau deferred the departure of 6,788 out of 1,056,247 Filipinos who exited the international airports. Of this number, 57 were referred to IACAT as likely victims of human trafficking. The rest were deferred for other reasons such as incomplete, improper, or misrepresented documents. Many of them would have also been vulnerable to human trafficking had they been allowed to depart, according to the agency.

A freelance writer earlier went viral on social media after revealingthat she failed to catch her flight to Israel in December 2022 due to a lengthy interview at the immigration counter. Rey E. Requejo of criminal cases.

President Marcos said the administration is pouring resources and energy into improving the processes in the investigation of cases and the witness protection program.

He also said the Philippines will continue being an active player bothbilaterally and globally in dialogues tackling various issues concerning democracy, human rights, and good governance, “as long as these engagements are constructive, based on facts, and respectful of Philippine sovereignty,” Mr. Marcos said.

He thanked US President Joe Biden and the US government for conveningthe Second Summit for Democracy, along with co-host countries Costa Rica, South Korea, The Netherlands, and Zambia.

The Filipino leader said the summit “affirms the solidarity of nations bound by values of democracy and sends a powerful message of our collective will to bring about the best of peoples and societies empowered by freedom.”