W E D N E S D AY : J U LY 1 3 , 2 0 1 6
A6
NEWS
editorial@thestandard.com.ph
20 cops test positive for shabu By Francisco Tuyay
LABORATORY results confirmed the presence of illegal substances in the bodies of 20 policemen who took the random drug tests last week under the Philippine National Police’s six-month internal cleansing process. Of the 20 policemen, nine came from Mindanao, the region with the highest number tested confirmed for illegal drugs, followed by Visayas with six, and
five others assigned in different posts in Luzon. Chief Supt. Emmanuel Aranas, chief of the PNP Crime Laboratory, said the policemen tested
positive for shabu. Aranas said 16 other policemen are undergoing confirmatory tests and added that the probability of clearing them was nil, since the 20 policemen who tested positive already failed the initial test of urine samples. He, however, did not discount the possibility that some maintenance medicines may have shown up in the confirmatory test. The confirmatory test for the 20 cops were conducted after 22,770 PNP personnel were subjected to
random and surprise drug tests across the country to weed out scalawags in the organization. Chief PNP Ronald dela Rosa voluntarily submitted to a drug test shortly after the second command conference in Camp Crame barely two days upon his assumption to office. President Rodrigo Duterte has linked three active police generals and two former police officials to the drug trade but the accused vehemently denied the allegations.
Last week, at least 100 policemen assigned in Bulacan and Pampanga were implicated in illegal drug operations in the region and a profiling has been carried out preparatory to the filling of charges against them. The PNP has withheld the identities of the 100 rogue cops, considered the largest number of policemen involved in illegal activities. The PNP continues to test its 160,000 uniformed police force and civilian personnel for drugs.
Customs resets focus on easing transactions THE Bureau of Customs will give top priority to trade facilitation rather than revenue collections, which has not been reaching its targets for the past years. Customs Commissioner Nicanor Faeldon said that he would focus on simplifying and harmonizing trade procedures including import and export procedures to get rid of corruption that beset the agency. Faeldon is also proposing to cut the period of processing claims for shipments from five hours to five days by eliminating the duplication of permits as a requirement, and lessen the number of signatories on documents. He said he wants records of the bureau to be made transparent to the public and the media. Revenue collections for May 2016 fell short anew, amounting to only P22 billion, or short by almost P8 billion from its assigned collection goal of P30 billion. However, the new customs chief said that instead of setting collection targets based on the percentage of the gross domestic product, there will be performance indicators that “should contain grading on ease of doing business and facility of trade.”
Easing traffic.
Transportation officials and bus operators discuss ways to decongest traffic in Metro Manila. From left (top panel): Undersecretary Anneli R. Lontoc, LTFRB Chairman Martin Delgra III and LTO Chief Edgardo B. Galvante. MANNY PALMERO
Honorees at UP Beta Sigma 70th anniversary
Makati awards 26th centenarian-resident By Joel E. Zurbano THE city government of Makati on Monday awarded P100,000 cash gift and a plaque of recognition to the city’s 26th centenarian resident in a simple ceremony held at city hall. Mayor Abby Binay said Maria Silva Carpio, 100 years old from Barangay Bangkal, was found to be qualified for the award through the joint efforts of the Makati Social Welfare Department and
Normally, the inter-agency policy-making body Development Budget Coordination Committee assigns monthly and annual revenue collection targets for BoC. The customs agency, however, has not been reaching its targets for the past years. Meanwhile, duties and tax information can now be easily access by its customers through the use of mobile application to assist balikbayan, overseas Filipino workers and the public, the customs said. “The user-friendly application is designed to estimate the amount of customs duties and taxes of commonly sent items based on the declared value provided by the application user. It also answers the public’s frequently asked questions on balikbayan box, parcels and other related matters,” the BoC said. Customs encourages the public, not just balikbayan and OFWs, to download and try this mobile application so they would know the basics in importation and payment of duties and taxes. The Balikbayan Tax Calculator provides the app user a readily available means to get the estimate customs tax and duties of the articles or items they wish to bring in or send to the Philippines. Vito Barcelo
Office of Senior Citizens Affairs. Her son Gonzalo Carpio received the award on her behalf. “It is such an honor to give due respect and recognition to the people who have stood as pillars of society,” Binay said. Carpio was born in Tanauan, Batangas on Oct. 22, 1915 and was married to the late Silvestre Carpio. The couple was blessed with four children who are now professionals. She helped her husband
put up and manage their textile business during her younger years. It has become a family business now being managed by her children. She has been bedridden for some time now. Makati is the first local government to extend cash gifts to centenarians. The first batch of centenarians awarded in January 2013, during the administration of Binay’s brother former mayor Jejomar Erwin Binay, consisted of nine with only one
male among them. Four were honored posthumously. In 2014, there were also nine recipients of the award. During the same year, the awarding has been done quarterly upon the recommendation of MSWD to increase the chances of recipients being able to attend the ceremony themselves. Last year, there were four recipients of the award, all female. For the first quarter of 2016, three lady centenarians received the cash gift.
NATIONAL Scientist Dr. Teodulo Topacio Jr. and former University of the Philippines president Jose Abueva will lead outstanding alumni who will be honored as the UP Beta Sigma Fraternity celebrates its 70th founding anniversary with a Grand Fraternity Ball on Saturday, July 16, 6 p.m. at the Crowne Plaza Hotel at the Ortigas Center, Quezon City. Dr. Topacio will be given the “Order of the Supreme Grand Princep” Award while Abueva will receive the “Distinguished Service” awards, along with former UnionBank president Vic Valdepeñas, performing artist Wilfredo “Willie” Nepomuceno and agriculturists Onofre “Grine” Grino and Jose Cruz. To be given posthumous awards are the late Agrarian Reform secretary Horacio “Boy” Morales and Air Force Col. Antonio Bautista, the legendary squadron leader who was killed while providing support to beleaguered troops in Parang, Jolo in 1974. Martial artists Jose “Jopet” Laraya and Noli Nolasco will receive the Johnny Chiuten Memorial Award. Former Environment and Natural Resources secretary Victor O. Ramos will be the keynote speaker during the event. The UP Beta Sigma Fraternity is considered as the first post-war university fraternity in the Philippines and one of the largest fraternities in the country in terms of the number of established university based and alumni chapters. Its name represents their core ideals of scholastic excellence, taken from the Greek letters Beta and Sigma, which stands for “Brotherhood of Scholars.”