PBBM creates new task force for disasters

By Vince Lopez

PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has issued an executive order constituting the disaster response and crisis management task force to ensure clear command unity in government efforts to deal with natural disasters through an evidence- and science-based approach to crisis management.

The Disaster Response and Crisis Management Task Force is composed of the Office of the Executive Secretary, Department of National Defense (DND), Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), Department of Social Welfare and Develop-

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From A1 by the DILG, PNP spokesperson Col. Jean Fajardo added during a public briefing at Camp Crame in Quezon City.

Abalos also noted that President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. already declared that he is accepting the courtesy resignation of two generals. The Interior Secretary said the National Police Commission (Napolcom) also issued a resolution to proceed with the pre-charge investigation against two colonels suspected of being so-called “ninja cops.”

“The Napolcom will recommend to the President that he should accept these colonels’ courtesy resignations as well, without prejudice to their administrative liability,” he added.

These measures, Abalos said, were based on the recommendations of the advisory body that looked into the involvement of PNP third-level officers -- from colonels to generals -- in the illegal drug trade.

Meanwhile, PNP Chief Gen. Benjamin Acorda Jr. ordered another revamp of senior police officials, two weeks since he was appointed as the country’s top cop.

SWS...

From A1 labor market conditions have been improving, as shown by recent months of PSA surveys. That is why we have been working hard to address the issues contributing to the price elevation in recent months,” NEDA said in a statement.

“The administration has succeeded in reducing overall inflation in the past three months, as shown also by PSA survey data. We have, however, much more work

Unemployment...

From A1

Rate (LFPR) was registered at 66 percent in March 2023, which was higher than the 65.4 percent LFPR in March last year but lower than the 66.6 percent

Obiena...

From A1

Obiena cleared the bar right at his first attempt at 5.20, but the strong wind caused the bar to fall. This forced the official to rule it as a failed attempt, with Obiena protesting he did not touch it.

But it didn’t matter as the 27-year-old Obiena nonchalantly cleared it on his second attempt, and then another one at 5.20, before the strong rains forced organizers to halt the competition. When it resumed after an hour, Obi- ment (DSWD), Department of Health (DOH), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Department of Science and Technology (DOST), Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), Department of Transportation (DOTr) and Office of Civil Defense (OCD).

The EO does not explain how the new task force differs from the National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (NDRRMC), which has many of the same member agencies.

Under the EO, which takes effect immediately, the President will designate the task force’s chairperson and vice chairperson from among its members, with the member agencies also desig- to do as the government targets inflation to return to low levels of 2 to 4 percent by the end of the year,” it added.

Lt. Gen. Michael John Dubria, chief of the PNP directorial staff, replaced Maj. Gen. Jonnel Estomo as the new deputy chief for operations, the third highest post in the force. Estomo was reassigned to lead the PNP Directorate for Plans, replacing Maj. Gen. Bernard Banac, who will be headed to the Directorate for Information and Communications Technology Management.

Estomo replaces Maj. Gen. Valenciana de Leon, who retired last May 7.

Acorda also named Maj. Gen. Emmanuel Peralta to replace Dubria as the new chief of the directorial staff, the fourth highest position in PNP.

Brid. Gen. Leo Francisco, regional director of the Police Region Office in Western Visayas, took Peralta’s place as the new head of the Directorate of Operations, with the reshuffle taking effect on Monday. Abalos said the administrative cases against these officials, particularly over grave misconduct and grave neglect of duty, will be handled by the Napolcom, since the PNP is directly under its supervision and control.

Napolcom Memorandum Circular 2016-002 provides that it shall have primary jurisdiction over grave administrative cases.

The steady percentage in the “self-rated poor” figure nationwide is the result of increases in the National Capital Region and the Visayas, a decline in Balance Luzon (Luzon outside of Metro Manila), and steady numbers in Mindanao, SWS said.

In Metro Manila, families who rated themselves as poor rose from 32% in December to 40%; in the Visayas, the percentage rose from 58% to 65%. It attributed the “steady” nationwide self-

LFPR reported in February 2023. Underemployment rate in March went down to 11.2 percent from 15.8 percent in the same month last year and 12.9 percent in February 2023. This was the lowest unemployment rate reported since April 2005. The reported underemployment rate was equivalent to 5.44 million persons ena cleared four more heights at 5.4, 5.55, 5.60 and then at 5.65 meters to the wild celebration of a couple of national team members and coaches, and some Filipino supporters at the grandstand.

The no. 3-ranked pole vaulter in the world, with a career best 5.94, said he could have aimed for a higher mark, but was already exhausted from the long wait and the slippery ground and pole. “Man, I’m tired,” said Obiena, who added he is auctioning the shoes he wore in the games, to raise funds for a young Tuguegarao, pole vaulter he saw on social media, teasing his help by

LUZON’S power supply situation could stay critical today (Tuesday) and the risk of possible rotating brownouts remain unless power plants that went on unplanned outage go back online and demand is tempered by lower temperatures, the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines said Monday.

“If power plants on unplanned shutdown on Monday go back online then we won’t need to issue any further grid alerts. Of course, this assumes that no other power plants go on unplanned shutdown,” NGCP spokesman Cynthia Perez-Alabanza said.

Customers of Manila Electric Co. suffered two-hour rotating brownouts on Monday after five power plants went offline and a 230 kilovolt transmission line tripped. Meralco declined to give a supply situation forecast for Tuesday. Alena Mae S. Flores nating senior officials to act as their representatives to the task force. rated poor figure between December 2022 and March 2023 to the “increases in Metro Manila and the Visayas, combined with a decline in Balance Luzon, or Luzon outside Metro Manila) and a steady score in Mindanao.” who expressed the desire to have additional hours of work in their present job or to have additional job, or to have a new job with long hours of work.

The task force’s functions include overseeing and coordinating preparation, monitoring and evaluation of disaster risk management (DRRM) plans and programs on disaster preparedness and response, as well as providing leadership in developing approaches to disaster prevention, mitigation and response.

It is also tasked to collaborate with relevant government agencies and local governments, ensure an integrated approach in disaster preparedness and response, and deliver accessible assistance programs to affected communities.

“For clarity, acceptance of resignation is without prejudice to any administrative cases against these officers, and will not release them from any liability,” Abalos said.

The members of the advisory body are retired police general and Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong, Office of the Presidential Adviser on Military Affairs Undersecretary Isagani Nerez, former Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro, retired Court of Appeals Justice Melchor Sadang, and retired PNP chief Rodolfo Azurin Jr.

Abalos said that on April 24, Azurin filed a complaint affidavit with Napolcom against two generals, for grave misconduct and grave neglect of duty, among others.

The penalty for these offenses is dismissal, forfeiture of benefits, and perpetual disqualification from any public office.

Abalos said they will name the implicated officials after two to three weeks after the conduct of the pre-charge investigation and once administrative charges are filed against them.

On their possible criminal liability, the Interior Secretary said it will be handled by the Deputy Ombudsman for Military and Other Law Enforcement Offices (MOLEO).

“Compared to December 2022, selfrated poor rose in Metro Manila from 32 percent to 40 percent and in the Visayas from 58 percent to 65 percent. However, it fell in Balance Luzon from 49 percent to 43 percent, while it was statistically steady in Mindanao, moving from 59 percent to 62 percent,” SWS said.

The average weekly hours worked by an employed person in March 2023 was estimated at 40 hours per week. This was slightly lower than the average claiming “idol, baka naman.”

Thailand’s Kasinpob Chomchanad and Patsapong Amsamarng ended up with the silver and bronze after the two leaped to identical 5.20 meters, with the former doing it in lesser tries.

Meanwhile, Kristina Knott failed to regain her 200-meter crown she won during the 2019 edition of the games when she placed fourth in the finals, clocking in at 23.79 seconds.

Singapore’s Veronica Pereira retained her crown as she timed 22.69 seconds, followed by Vietnam’s Thi Nhi Yen Tran (23.54 seconds) and

Hotels still support continued mask use HOTEL operators and retailers on Monday said they support the continued use of face masks, especially indoors as a way to deflect the rising cases of COVID-19 infections and to keep the public safe.

In a briefing for the upcoming Philippines Furniture Furnishings Market (PFFM) trade fair in July, members of the The Hotel and Restaurant Association of the Philippines (HRAP), the Philippine Hotel Owners Association (PHOA), and the Philippine Retailers Association (PRA) agreed that people should continue to wear masks even though the World Health Organization has declared the end of the global health emergency over COVID-19.

“The mask is a very important part of our future. [The] Japan[ese] continue to wear face masks as a sign of courtesy, and it also helps to keep COVID in check,” said HRAP president Eugene Yap. Othel V. Campos

Remulla:...

From A1 suspects and more than 20 victims,” Remulla explained. weekly hours worked in March 2022 at 40.6 hours but higher than the estimate in February 2023 of 39.5 hours.

The Justice Secretary expressed hope that the criminal complaints against Teves will be filed within this week before the Department of Justice, in connection with the killings in Pamplona town in Negros Oriental.

“We’re looking at this week to finish it,” Remulla said, as he admitted that he met on Monday afternoon with one of the prosecutors involved in the investigation of the murder cases.

“They just want to firm up everything before they file the cases against Cong. Teves,” he said.

The DOJ has already filed charges against six arrested suspects for nine counts of murder as well as multiple counts of frustrated murder and serious physical injuries.

It was reported that one of those who were shot and hurt during the incident, Fredilino Cafe Jr., recently passed away, raising the total number of fatalities to 10. With this development, Remulla said prosecutors will seek before the court the amendment of the charges already filed.

“They will just file a manifestation, the prosecutors, that one of the victims who was a complainant for frustrated murder had passed away, converting this case to a murder case,” he stressed.

Economic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan said the government is addressing persistent issues and constraints to improving labor productivity and high-quality job generation.

Malaysia’s Zaidatul Husniah Zulkifli (23.60 seconds).

Knott emerged the darling of athletics during the 2019 games when she helped the 4x100 mixed relay team to the gold and won the 200-meters with a new record, but missed the Vietnam meet last year due to plantar fasciitis in her left foot.

“I just ran healthy and I still have two more runs to go,” the Tokyo Olympian told reporters. “At least I have a day and a half to recover because the [women’s] 4x100 relay is still on Wednesday so I’ll be ready by that time.”