PNP: Missing activists not with us

By Vince Lopez

THE Philippine National Police on Sunday denied the claims that two Cordillera activists who have been reported missing are in the custody of the police.

The PNP issued the statement after the Court of Appeals 13th Division ordered the military and the police to present the two missing activists, Dexter Capuyan and Gene Roz Jamil de Jesus.

"The PNP strongly and categorically denies the allegation that the subjects of the writs, Capuyan and De Jesus, were arrested by the PNP," the PNP said.

The PNP said when the two were first reported missing, police were dispatched

Maynilad...

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The dam's normal high water level or spilling level is 210 meters.

In a July 16 advisory, west zone concessionaire Maynilad announced that the scheduled daily water interruptions in portions of the cities of Caloocan, Malabon, Manila, Navotas, Quezon City, and Valenzuela will be suspended indefinitely.

“The rains brought by tropical depression ‘Dodong’ over the watershedsincreased the water level in Ipo Dam, enabling us to get our required 2,400 million liters per day from the portal despite lower releases from Angat Dam,” it said.

Angat Dam provides 97 percent of Metro Manila’s potable water.

The level of water in La Mesa Dam, Binga Dam, San Roque Dam, Pantabangan Dam, and Magat Dam increased, too, PAGASA said.

Meanwhile, Maynilad said it is tapping into 60 idle deep wells acrossits service area and constructing new ones to generate an additional 32 million liters per day (MLD) water supply in time for the El Niño dry spell.

“The number of deep wells we can

SolGen:...

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Thus far, there have been 31 cases before the ICC, and ICC judges have issued 40 arrest warrants, including one against Russian President Vladimir Putin in March for his part in the war in Ukraine.

With the cooperation of memberstates, 21 people have been detained in the ICC detention center while 16 remained at large. Charges have been dropped against five people due to their deaths, the ICC said.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. earlier maintained that the government will not cooperate with the international body’s investigation.

Zubiri,...

From A1 international waters, hampering freedom of navigation,” he said.

Earlier, Hontiveros filed Senate Resolution 659, calling on the government, through the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), to sponsor before the UNGA a resolution that calls on China to stop its harassment of Filipino vessels in the WPS.

"As far back as 2016, through the landmark arbitral ruling, it hasbeen established that there was no legal basis for China to claim historic rights over Filipino resources. It has also been proven that China breached its obligations under international law when it violated our sovereign rights over our continental shelf and exclusive economic zone. This is a clear and unequivocal decision," Hontiveros said.

She added that the Hague ruling will never be diminished by China's antagonistic and perpetual non-compliance.

Also, she said that although a UN General Assembly Resolution is not legally binding, it carries significant political weight and serves as an expression of the will and consensus of the international community, with the potential to shape in-

DOH:...

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Aside from Herbosa, the post also named the UP-Philippine General Hospital as the site where to buy the "fabricated" diabetic cure.

“The DOH clarifies that no such scenario or statement has been made by the department officials," the department added.

The department reminded the public to be vigilant of misinformation online.

A study by the World Health Organization earlier showed incorrectinterpretations of health information, which increase during outbreaks and disasters, often negatively impact people’s mental health and increase vaccine hesitancy, in a bid to locate the activists.

Human rights groups said Capuyan and De Jesus were nabbed at the Golden City Subdivision in Taytay, Rizal on April 28 by men who introduced themselves as agents of the PNP-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG).

"Records would also show that there were certifications issued by various units of the PNP stating that Capuyan and De Jesus are not within their cus- reactivate in the West Zone islimited because our proximity to Manila Bay makes groundwater reserves salty and unusable in some areas. However, we have found some viable deep wells and their yield will add to our water supply should El Niño further affect the availability of water from traditional sources,” said Maynilad President and CEO Ramoncito S. Fernandez.

The west zone concessionaire is spending P1 billion to reactivate deepwells in Caloocan, Quezon City, Las Piñas, Muntinlupa, Parañaque, Bacoor, Cavite City, Kawit, and Imus. The expected 32-MLD additionalsupply from this project is enough to supply the water requirements of some 175,000 customers.

To date, Maynilad has rehabilitated eight deep wells. By the end ofJuly, the water utility is expecting the total yield from deep wells in 19 locations to increase to 12.38 MLD.

It is closely coordinating with the relevant government units andseveral homeowners’ associations so the firm can reopen more deep wells in the succeeding months.

While groundwater is not a sustainable source of water supply, the reactivation of deep wells is allowed during times of con-

"We cannot cooperate with the ICC considering the very seriousquestions about their jurisdiction and about what we consider to be interference and practically attacks on the sovereignty of the republic," Mr. Marcos said in March.

The ICC Appeals Chamber is expected to make its decision on July 18 on the government’s plea against the resumption of the probe on the killings linked to the drug war.

The Solicitor General said persons "who may be indicted will have to engage their own defense counsel."

He said the Office of the Solicitor General “only represents the state.”

Nonetheless, the chief state lawyer assured the public and the international community that the Philippine government will continue its own investigation ternational norms, influence national policies, and provide guidance for the work of other UN organs, specialized agencies, and regional organizations.

Gabriela Women's party-list Rep. Arlene Brosas on Sunday joined Zubiri’s call for the Philippines to present China's repeated violations of the 2016 Permanent Court of Arbitration ruling on the West Philippine Sea to the United Nations.

She said President Marcos Jr. should openly condemn China's military aggression and the United States' intervention which has put the Philippines in the middle of Washington and Beijing's increased jostling for global superiority.

“We fully support the call to bring the issue to the UN and provideevidence of China's incursions and violations of the Hague Arbitral ruling,” she said.

“It is crucial that the international community is made aware ofChina's continuous reclamation of territory within our exclusive economic zone and its impact on the freedom of navigation in the region," she added.

The ruling in 2016 affirmed the Philippines' sovereign rights over its exclusive economic zone and invalidated China's claims over almost the entire South China Sea. (See full story online at manilastandard.net) and can delay the provision of health care.

“Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram are critical in disseminating the rapid and far-reaching spread of information,” the WHO systematic review explained.

The repercussions of misinformation on social media include suchnegative effects as “an increase in erroneous interpretation of scientific knowledge, opinion polarization, escalating fear, and panic or decreased access to health care."

The authors concluded that the effects of infodemics and health misinformation online can be countered by “developing legal policies, creating and promoting awareness campaigns, improving health-related content in mass media and increasing people’s digital and health literacy.” tody. They are neither among the list of Persons Under Police Custody nor can they be found within any PNP facilities" the PNP said.

Capuyan is a member of the BontocIbaloi-Kankanaey indigenous group while De Jesus is the information and networking officer of the Philippine Task Force on Indigenous Peoples Rights.

Meanwhile, Eastern Visayas police chief Brig. Gen. Vincent Calanoga said the PNP "will not tolerate any form of misconduct" within its ranks as he assured a fair investigation into an incident in Pastrana on Friday involving two cops and three local journalists.

Leyte Police Provincial Office officerin-charge Lt. Col. Ricky Reli on Saturday announced the relief from their posts tingency, such as during expected supply shortages due to El Niño.

Harvesting water from deep wells is one of Maynilad's mitigatingmeasures for a possible supply crunch due to El Niño. Its other supply augmentation measures include the commissioning of modular treatment plants that will draw supply from rivers, the sustained production of potable reused water, and the recovery of water from repairing pipe leaks and replacing old pipelines.

Maynilad is the largest private water concessionaire in the Philippines in terms of customer base in the West Zone of the Greater Manila Area, composed of certain portions of Manila and Quezon City, west of South Super Highway in Makati City, Caloocan, Pasay, Parañaque, Las Piñas, Muntinlupa, Valenzuela, Navotas and Malabon all in Metro Manila; the cities of Cavite, Bacoor and Imus, and the towns of Kawit, Noveleta and Rosario, all in Cavite Province.

In other developments:

• Senator Loren Legarda called on local government units to seriously consider ways to conserve the water supply. "We cannot expose ourselves to the risk of seeing it dry up completely — it will becatastrophic," warned Legarda, who also welcomed the administration's move and prosecution of individuals involved in so-called extra-judicial killings during the campaign against illegal drugs by the previous administration.

“Regardless of the outcome of our appeal, the Philippine government will continue to focus on its own investigation and prosecution of alleged abuses in connection with the war on drugs,” Guevarra said.

Earlier, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla downplayed the impact of the ICC upcoming decision.

“Well, they can decide in the Hague where the ICC is. But that does not affect us here. They cannot enforce anything that they want in our country because we are not members of the ICC,” Remulla said on Friday.

“We’re just trying to work with them

Senate...

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“It remains unwavering in its commitment to increase the wages for all daily wage workers nationwide through a legislated wage hike,” the Senate leader said.

Zubiri also acknowledged that he said he was amenable to a P100 wage hike for workers in the National Capital Region -- which got a P40 daily increase starting Sunday -- in response to a query from a television presenter last week.

But he stressed that his original stance was a uniform P150 salary increase for laborers throughout the country.

He said he is confident that with the release of the most recent Pulse Asia nationwide survey a few days ago where there is an overwhelming clamor for wage increases, the Senate will listen to the Filipino people and fulfill its mandate of advancing their welfare.

The latest Pulse Asia survey conducted from June 19 to 23 shows that the most urgent national concern overall, increasing the pay of workers, ranked second among the top issues at 44 percent after controlling inflation, which stood at 63 percent.

Pulse Asia also surveyed Filipinos on how much they spend on regular monthly household expenses such as housing, food, electricity, water, communications, transportation, and the like. Some 38 percent of the respondents answered P15,001 or more, while 17 percent answered P14,001 to P15,000 and only 13 percent said they spent lower than P8,000.

Also in the same survey, respondents were asked whether or not theyare in favor of the proposal to increase by P150 the daily minimum wage of workers in the private sector.

A whopping 97 percent said they agree with the proposal.

This question, Zubiri said, was actually a “rider” that his office pushed for inclusion in the Pulse of the two cops—Rhea May Baleos and her husband, Ver Baleos who is assigned in Pastrana. to release an El Niño mitigation plan to help the country brace for its adverse effects. in the spirit of comity. But if things happen as they do—if they will be adverse against us, so be it. But we are not members of the ICC,” the Justice Secretary said.

The National Union of Journalists said three reporters from San Juanico TV — Lito Bagunas, Noel Sianosa, and Ted Tomas — were interviewing farmerbeneficiaries of a land reform program in Pastrana when Baleos, in plainclothes, told them to leave the area.

"Baleos reportedly grabbed Sianosa's cellphone while the latter was taking videos, and pushed him away. A few minutes later, the three journalists heard gunshots," the NUJP said.

Calanoga urged witnesses to come forward and shed light on the incident for a swift and fair result of the investigation.

• The state weather bureau said the southwest monsoon continues toaffect the country even as Tropical Storm Dodong has exited the Philippine areas of responsibility. Zambales, Bataan, Occidental Mindoro, and the northern portion of Palawan will experience widespread rains, while Metro Manila, Western Visayas, La Union, Pangasinan, Benguet, Tarlac, Pampanga, Bulacan, Cavite, Batangas, and the rest of Mimaropa will have occasional rains, the 4 a.m. bulletin of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration said.

• Some 1,419 individuals or 400 families were evacuated due to the combined effects of the southwest monsoon which was enhanced byTropical Storm Dodong, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said Sunday. The agency said36 evacuation centers in the Ilocos Region, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, and Western Visayas were opened to temporarily house the evacuees. Eighty-nine people or 54 families, meanwhile, were staying outside of evacuation centers.

Former President Rodrigo Duterte pulled the Philippines out of theHaguebased tribunal in 2019 after it began a preliminary probe into his drug war, followed by the launch of a formal inquiry later that year.

Duterte has since continuously dismissed the ICC investigation.

Under the Duterte administration's controversial drug war, at least6,200 suspects were killed in police operations based on government records.

But human rights groups claimed the actual death toll could be anywhere from 12,000 to 30,000.

Asia survey questions. He said the results were “astounding,” as almost 100 percent agreed with the proposal.

According to Zubiri, he will use the recent Pulse Asia survey as an “Exhibit A” to convince his colleagues to support the measure when the Senate resumes deliberation on the legislated wage hike.

The idea, he said, is to have a uniform P150 minimum wage increase nationwide, and they are eyeing several proposals on how to accomplish this.

“We can make it graduated. For example, in the NCR, we will add P100.

In Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao, let's make them P150 so it will be equal for everybody. Or let's make it P110 in Metro Manila and P150 for all,” Zubiri said.

The regional wage board approved last June a P40 increase in theminimum daily wage for private sector workers in Metro Manila. The order takes effect today, July 15. The wage order is expected to directly benefit 1.1 million minimum wage earners in NCR but is widely seen as being inadequate.

Meanwhile, the chairman of the House Committee on Labor and Employment, Rizal Rep. Fidel Nograles, said the government should aggressively move to bring down the cost of basic goods as a complement to a wage hike.

"Our efforts to improve workers' quality of life should not stop with a wage hike. We also need to aggressively move to lessen the cost of commodities to increase workers' purchasing power," Nograles said.

With the latest wage adjustment, the daily minimum wage rate in Metro Manila would be raised to P610 from P570. There are also 10 other wage hike petitions that are pending with various wage boards, the Department of Labor and Employment announced in May.

Nograles hailed the wage increase, though he admitted that workers might consider it a pittance considering the soaring prices of goods.