Uphold justice over procedural technicality—SC

By Rey E. Requejo

THE Supreme Court (SC) has ruled that courts should not sacrifice the dispensation of justice in favor of procedural rules, particularly when the life and liberty of a person are at stake.

“The Court can overlook the short delay in the filing of pleading if strict compliance with the Rules would mean sacrificing justice to technicality,” the SC’s Third Division said, in resolution dated January 30, 2023.

With the ruling, the high court ordered the Court of Appeals to review “with reasonable dispatch” the appeal of two Panabo City residents who were convicted by a trial court in 2018 of il- legal sale, trade, and delivery of dangerous drugs.

Court records showed that on July 10, 2015, Jaime S. Edlay Sr. and Kenneth Paul G. Edlay were arrested in a buybust operation. They were charged for the delivery of six packs of marijuana weighing 1,330 grams to policemen posing as buyers.

ANTI-CHINA PROTEST.

Members of the militant group Socialista Pilipinas stage a protest action at the Chinese Embassy in Makati City to condemn China’s bullying tactics against Philippine troops and fishermen at the disputed West Philippine Sea.

Teddy Brul

PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has tapped the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) under Secretary Jose Rizalino Acuzar as lead agency in a massive clean-up and rehabilitation of the historic Pasig River in Metro Manila.

The President issued Executive Order 35 naming the DHSUD as head of the Inter-Agency Council for the Pasig River Urban Development program.

Acuzar, along with key housing officials, has started inspecting key areas along the Pasig River and laid out plans on how to implement the President’s order.

He checked on the portions of the historical river in Manila, particularly at the back of the Central Post Office, which is being eyed as pilot area for mixed-use development and tourism spot, and Parola Compound for the affected informal settler families.

“We already have plans, and we will soon present it to the Office of the President and before the council for approval,” he said. Rio N. Araja

PCA eyes propagation of 100m coconut trees

THE Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) eyes the propagation of 100 million coconut trees in a bid to reassert the country’s dominance in coconut production.

According to PCA deputy administrator Roel Rosales, while the Philippines remained the top coconut exporter, Indonesia and India were ahead in terms of production volume.

“We used to be the dominant coconut producer, but no more. That threatens our position in the international market,” Rosales said.

The coconut planting directive came from President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who also heads the Agriculture department, Rosales said. Rosales said the program would be implemented in Mindanao and some areas in Northern Luzon.

Belmonte wants QC to be innovation hub

QUEZON City Mayor Joy Belmonte wants the city to be an innovation hub, saying a local government unit must create an inclusive environment that promotes growth and progress for all types of businesses.

Belmonte presided yesterday at the awarding of P5 million worth of financial grant to StartUp QC finalists under the first cohort of StartUp QC.

“The program was launched in October 2022. It is a government-led initiative to support existing early-stage startups through various training and mentoring sessions, industry exposure and networking events,” she said.

The awardees were Bamboo Impact Lab, a company that produces high-quality bamboo-derived products; EdukSine Production Corp., an online platform that provides socially relevant, Filipino independent films; ITOOH Homestyle, the first tech-enabled marketplace for quality-vetted home and office furniture largely crafted by local craftsmen. Rio N. Araja