Supreme Court goes on recess to pen decisions

By Rey E. Requejo

THE Supreme Court goes on a five-week recess starting tomorrow, May 2, to allow its magistrates to concentrate on decision writing on pending cases.

While on recess until June 9, the 15-member bench will not conduct sessions in its divisions and in the full court unless a very urgent case that needs swift action is filed within the period.

If an urgent case is filed, Chief Justice Alexander G. Gesmundo will call the holding of a special session either in the division or full court.

It can be recalled that upon assumption into office in April 2021, Gesmundo assured the expeditious resolution of cases pending with the SC.

Since then, the SC has been coming out with decisions on cases which had stayed unresolved for the past six or eight years. The SC had just concluded its summer sessions that started last April 11 in Baguio City.

One of the petitions tackled during the summer sessions was the challenge on the alleged unconstitutionality of the SIM (subscriber identity module) registration under Republic Act No. 11934. It did not issue a temporary restraining order (TRO) on the petition. (See full story online at manilastandard.net)

Salceda pushes ‘flow back’ tack for agri tariffs

ALBAY Rep. Joey Sarte Salceda is calling for the passage of a universal flow back mechanism for tariff revenues from agricultural imports to be channeled toward programs for their counterpart domestic agricultural sector.

He said developing the domestic sector "is always better than simply protecting them without support.”

Salceda issued the statement before the General Membership Meeting of the United Broiler Raisers Association (UBRA), one of the largest poultrysector organizations in the country, in a meeting on April 26.

“The tariffs from imports of agricultural products should go towards developing their domestic counterparts. So, revenues from imported pork should go to the domestic swine industry. Revenues from imported dressed chicken should go towards the broiler sector. That way, we can keep consumer prices low without throwing farmers under the bus,” he said.

Salceda cited the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund, saying it has helped farmers achieve record high yields while keeping rice prices under control “in an otherwise high food inflation situation.” Rio N. Araja (See full story online at manilastandard.net)

El NIño...

From A1 rainwater reduction in Mindanao is much bigger,” Solis said.

“Mindanao is much affected since this is the so-called evenly distributed rainfall throughout the year. Considering there could be short dry season, usually (Mindanao) is the (region) badly affected when there is El Niño," she added.

Cebu and Bohol provinces in the Visayas are usually the hardest hit by the dry spell and drought during the El Niño phenomenon, she said.

Chances of the weather phenomenon developing in the country is still high at "more than 70 percent," and that it could happen in two months, the Pagasa official said.

On the other hand, Marcelino Villafuerte, Impact Assessment head under the Climatology and Agrometeorology Division, earlier said PAGASA may issue an El Niño alert by next month.

El Niño will begin by the third quarter of 2023 or between July and September, and will last until next year, the weather bureau said.

Meanwhile, yesterday’s heat index at 2 p.m. in Metro Manila was 43 degrees Celsius.

The weather bureau also warned of possible flash floods and landslides in parts of the Philippines due to scattered thunderstorms.

In its 24-hour weather forecast, PAGASA said an Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) is currently affecting Mindanao and Palawan.

The ITCZ is expected to bring cloudy skies with scattered rainshowers and thunderstorms in Eastern Visayas, Mindanao and Palawan.

Metro Manila and the rest of the country, on the other hand, may also experience partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rainshowers or thunderstorms caused by easterlies.