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BUMPER HARVEST. It is proving to be a good year for tobacco farmers of Sudipen town in La Union with bumper harvest and high buying rate for their crop. Revoli Cortez
ADMIN TO BUILD MORE REG’L SPECIALTY HOSPITALS NEWS | A3
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DEEP, MAN-MADE DEPRESSIONS IN ESCODA SHOAL – SCIENTISTS
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IN MET R MANILAO
VOL. XXXVIII • NO. 108 • 2 SECTIONS 12 PAGES JUNE 9, 2024
By Charles Dantes
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PORAC POGO HUB LIKELY INVOLVED IN LOVE SCAMS PNP TRACES TIES TO BAMBAN POGO OPERATION
By Charles Dantes
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HE POGO hub in Porac, Pampanga is believed to be involved in “love scams” and may have links to another POGO hub in Bamban, Tarlac, authorities said over the weekend. The Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) said its agents seized hundreds of cellphones, computers, SIM cards, and pocket Wi-Fi devices inside the raided Lucky South 99 Compound.
“These operations often involve ‘love scams’ where victims are led to believe they are communicating with a beautiful woman. She then introduces them to cryptocurrencies, and once they invest, the per-
son disappears the next day,” PAOCC Undersecretary Gilbert Cruz said. The Philippine National Police said the raided compound might likewise be linked to a POGO hub in Bamban. Police said documents confiscated in Tarlac included Lucky South 99 Compound as one of many companies linked to the illegal operations of Zun Yuan Technology Inc. Last March 13, authorities raided a 10-hectare area operated by Zun Yuan Technology Inc. and found several devices linked to POGO operations. Over 600 Filipinos and foreigners were rescued during the raid.
Suspended Bamban Mayor Alice Guo was found to be the incorporator of Baofu Land Development Inc. that owns the land where the POGO complex is located. Additionally, PAOCC agents recovered alleged torture devices, such as metal sticks and baseball bats, which may have been used on a torture victim rescued, from the Porac last Tuesday. On Friday, authorities rescued a foreigner with bruises on his body from one of the padlocked rooms within the POGO hub. According to the victim, they tortured him with a baseball bat because he wanted to resign.
MARCOS HALTS, ORDERS REVIEW OF PERFORMANCE BONUS SYSTEMS By Charles Dantes PRESIDENT Marcos suspended the Results-Based Performance Management System (RBPMS) and Performance-Based Incentive (PBI) System in government and ordered a review of the two to harmonize and streamline the cash bonus systems. Executive Order No. 61 suspended Administrative Order No. 25 that established a unified RBPMS and EO No. 80 which in-
troduced the PBI System, including the Productivity Enhancement Incentive (PEI) and the Performance-Based Bonus (PBB). “The implementation of AO No. 25 (s. 2011) and EO No. 80 (s. 2012), and all other relevant issuances related thereto, is hereby suspended immediately pending review of the RBPMS and PBI System,” the EO read. The President, in the order, noted these systems have become redundant and burden-
some due to overlapping regulations and a lack of a review mechanism. “It makes compliance burdensome, bureaucratic, laborious, and time-consuming for government agencies,” the Presidential Communications Office said. “It is imperative to streamline, align and harmonize the RBPMS and PBI System with ease of doing business initiatives, and reform the government performance evaluation process
and incentives system towards a more responsive, efficient, agile and competent bureaucracy,” the President said in EO No. 61. A Technical Working Group (TWG) will be formed and chaired by the budget secretary and co-chaired by the executive secretary, with members including the finance and National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) secretaries and the Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA) director general.
PH BANS IMPORTED DOMESTIC, WILD BIRDS FROM AUSTRALIA DUE TO AVIAN FLU By Othel V. Campos
COLLECTOR’S ITEMS. The masterpieces of the first Filipino National Artist, portraitist and painter Fernando Amorsolo are recreated by PinoyLUG (Lego User Group) and put on display at the Gateway Mall Activity Center in Cubao, Quezon City on Saturday, June 8, 2024. Joan Bondoc
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THE Department of Agriculture (DA) temporarily banned the importation of domestic and wild birds from Australia following outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) strains H7N3 and H7N9 in Victoria. The outbreaks were reported to the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH) on May 23, 2024, in Meredith and on May 25 in Terang—both in the state of Victoria in Australia. The Australian Center for Disease Preparedness confirmed the outbreak. According to DA Memorandum Order No. 21, the ban applies to all live birds, poultry meat, day-old chicks, eggs, and semen. The Bureau of Animal Industry
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(BAI) will also suspend issuing sanitary and phytosanitary import clearances (SPSIC) for these products from Australia. Shipments already in transit, loaded, or accepted at port before the official communication to Australia are exempt, provided those products were slaughtered or produced on or before May 9, 2024. Australia is a significant source of poultry for the Philippines, ranking fourth for chicken meat with aggregated imports of 5,365 metric tons (MT) and third for mechanically deboned meat (MDM) at 4,162 MT as of April 2024. The Philippines previously imported 46,987 day-old chicks and 30,780 hatching eggs from Australia.
MARINE scientists found depressions or sunken areas that appear to be man-made on the ocean floor of Escoda Shoal, also called Sabina Shoal, that led to a “local extinction” of corals in the area in the West Philippine Sea. Jonathan Anticamara of the University of the Philippines Institute of Biology said the depressions were “a little bit deeper” and appeared to have been formed through “not a natural process.” and someone might have excavated the ocean floor for sampling purposes, usually of corals. “That’s not a natural process. That kind of excavation was a little bit deeper – they took corals from the ocean floor. So, I think that’s really man-made,” he said during a news forum in Quezon City on Saturday. “[It’s] a little bit worrying because of the extensive damage of corals under water,” Anticamara said. He said some Chinese divers were spotted earlier by the Philippine Coast Guard in the area. “So, what happened to Sabina Shoal is kind of disastrous because many of the foundation species, we call them corals or habitat-forming species, are completely dead in the shallow waters,” he said. “This is really like local extinction. This is what we’re talking about now – which is the biggest problem humanity is facing – biodiversity loss,” he added. Anticamara’s evaluation followed a two-day scientific mission carried out with the PCG on Tuesday and Wednesday to assess the condition of the corals in the region. However, Anticamara stopped short at confirming there was reclamation activity in Escoda Shoal. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin earlier denied the reclamation activity, calling it a “sheer rumor.” Dr. Fernando Siringan, a professor at the UP Marine Science Institute, said the dead corals could be used to build islands. The Philippines is currently preparing an environmental case against China over the maritime destruction in the West Philippine Sea.
DELIBERATE DESTRUCTION?
A marine scientist points to a photo of mass coral bleaching at Escoda Shoal in the West Philippine Sea that appears to be man-made.
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