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Fair trade. Traders and senators exchange views on measures against smuggling and on ways to protect local food trade during a hearing conducted by the Senate committee on agriculture and food chaired by Cynthia Aguilar Villar who is joined by Senator JV Ejercito, Federation of Philippine Industries chairman Jesus Arranza, Philippine Confederation of Grains Associations representative Herculano Co Jr. and Alyansa Agrikultura chairman Ernesto Ordoñez. Ey AcAsio
Witness who recanted liable for perjury, says Mangudadatu By Rey e. Requejo MAGUINDANAO Gov. Esmael “Toto” Mangudadatu has asked the Department of Justice to prosecute the witness who recanted the bribery charge against the Ampatuans and several Justice officials and prosecutors. In a 14-page complaint, the governor sought the indictment for perjury and libel of Jerramy Joson, who retracted her testimony that Justice Undersecretary Francisco Baraan and several prosecutors received millions from the camp of the principal accused in the Maguindanao massacre case. The governor accused Joson of lying under oath and maligning his reputation in executing her affidavit last April 10 before State Prosecutor Ma. Cristina Rilloraza. “These malicious imputations of respondent have caused me so much physical suffering, mental anguish, fright, serious anxiety, besmirched reputation, wounded feelings, moral shock and social humiliation after so much publicity of the accusations and malicious imputations of the respondent,” Mangudadatu said, in his complaint. According to him, Joson should also be held liable for perjury because the witness made the false statements “willfully and deliberately” in her affidavit. However, the governor admitted that he had given Joson some P300,000 in cash to help cover for her expenses, while she was testifying earlier in the bribery charge.
Labor: 40-year-old code needs updating By Vito Barcelo The Department of Labor employment on Tuesday said it will push for the amendment of the 40year old Labor Code of the Philippines to update and meet the current labor situation which have been seen as inadequate and ineffective to protect the workers in the country. Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz said that for over forty years since it was approved by executive fiat, the Labor Code of the Philippines has not been subjected to revision, except for piecemeal amendments. “There were attempts to introduce omnibus amendments, but the process was long and difficult, hence impractical,” Baldoz said. The Labor chief had created a Tripartite Labor Code Reform Committee in 2011 through A.O. 375, which set out to review documents from earlier initiatives, along with development plans, including the Philippine Labor and Employment Plan, 2011-2016. “Our approach to modernize the Labor Code is to advocate for priority legislation. I think
this is feasible. I think it is working,” she said. The proposed the new measures include as follows: (1) On Apprenticeship (HB No. 1594, HB No. 2227 and SB No. 136, entitled An Act Reforming the National Apprenticeship Program and Providing Regulatory Standards for Training and Employment of Apprentices). (2) On Public Employment Service (HB No. 47, HB No. 827 and SB No. 1386, or An Act Amending the Public Employment Service Office Act of 1999). (3) On Labor Market Test (HB No. 5470 and SB No. 2760, or An Act Amending Articles 40 and 41, Title II of the Labor Code of the Philippines, As Amended). (4) On Program for Employ-
ment of Student (HB No. 5469, or SB No. 2759 or An Act Amending Certain Provisions of Republic Act No. 9547). (5) On JobStart. (HB No. 5468, An Act Institutionalizing the Nationwide Implementation of Jobstart Philippines Program and Providing Funds Therefor seeks to institutionalize the JobStart Philippines program). (6) On Magna Carta of Seafarers (HB Nos.122, 3754, and 3895 and SB Nos. 21, 673 and 350, An Act Instituting the Magna Carta of Filipino Seafarers). (7) On Strengthening Compliance with OSH Standards (HB No. 2226, or An Act Criminalizing Non-Compliance with Occupational Safety and Health Standards). There has been also filed SB No. 1368, or An Act to Govern Occupational Safety and Health in the Construction Industry, which establishes OSH standards in the construction industry, and HB No. 2471, or An Act to Provide for Uniform Warnings on Personal Protective Equipment for Occupational Use. (8) On Labor Law Compliance System (HB No. 4659, or An Act Fostering a Culture of Voluntary Compliance with Labor Laws
through a Labor Laws Compliance System, Amending for the Purpose Articles 128 and 129 of Presidential Decree No. 442, as amended, Otherwise known as the “Labor Code of the Philippines”). (9) On Productivity Incentives (HB No. 561, or HB No. 2193, An Act Strengthening the Productivity Incentives Act of 1990). (10) On Union Registration (SB No. 23 and HB No. 2540, or An Act Further Strengthening Workers’ Right to Self-Organization, Amending for this Purpose Articles 234, 235, 236, and 237 of Presidential Decree No. 442, otherwise known as the “Labor Code of the Philippines”, as Amended). (11) On Assumption of Jurisdiction (HB No. 5471, or An Act Rationalizing Government Interventions in Labor Disputes by Adopting the Essential Services Criteria in the Exercise of the Assumption or Certification Power of the Secretary of Labor and Employment, and Decriminalizing Violations thereof, Amending for this purpose Articles 263, 264 and 272 of Presidential Decree No. 442, otherwise known as the Labor Code of the Philippines, as amended).
Ex-lawmaker got P48m in ‘pork’ By Rio N. Araja FORMER party-list representative Edgar Valdez channelled his Priority Development Assistance Funds to fake non-government organizations engineered by Janet Lim Napoles and received his commissions directly from Napoles, according to a whistleblower who testified Tuesday on the P10-billion pork basrrel fund scam. Marina Sula took the witness stand before the Sandiganbayan’s Fifth Division and maintained that Valdez got his kickbacks from Napoles. She told the anti-graft court that she personally saw Valdez come to Napoles’ office at the Discovery Suites in Pasig City. “I saw Valdez at the JLN Corp. office,” she maintained. The Fifth Division is hearing Valdez’s bail plea for his plunder suit. Sula said Valdez would always come to Napoles’ office whenever he would bring
with him the documents needed by Napoles, and when he would collect “rebates.” Valdez would turn over endorsement letters to Napoles for various foundations to be funded by his PDAF, she added. She said she was tasked to xerox Valdez’s endorsements as part of her job at JLN Corp. and president of the Masaganang Ani Para sa Magsasaka Foundation Inc. “There were times that Madam Napoles would tell me that she was already able to get funds from Valdez’s PDAF,” she noted. “I overheard Madam telling Benhur Luy to prepare for the money since Valdez was here.” She, however, said she never personally handed over th ecommissions of Valdez, who would leave Napoles’ office carrying a paper bag. Valdez, for his part, said he knew Napoles, but had not come to her office or had attended any parties or celebrations organized by Napoles.
Fun in the sand. Children enjoy the white sands of Boracay Island while in a nearby hotel senior officials and trade ministers of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation hold a series of meetings on Monday. AVito c. DAlAN