By Celeste Tamayo

MANILA — The Philippine government will ensure that former president Rodrigo Duterte receives a fair trial as he faces charges of crimes against humanity related to the war on drugs during his administration.

This statement was made by Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Claire Castro in anticipation of Duterte’s first appearance at the International Criminal Court (ICC) later this evening.

In a press briefing at Malacañang, Castro stated that the Philippines no longer holds responsibility for Duterte, particularly now that he is in The Hague.

She also clarified that the government has no jurisdiction over the ICC’s procedures.

“Wala na pong kamay or responsibilidad ang gobyerno kay dating Pangulong Duterte,” Castro said.

“Pero base po sa RA 9851, bilang Pilipino, hindi lang dahil dating pangulo si dating Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte, kailangan po natin siguraduhin na nagkakaroon po ng fair trial, lalung-lalo na po’t Pilipino siya,” she added.

The former president’s daughter, Vice President Sara Duterte, Senator Robin Padilla, and former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque traveled to The Hague in connection with the charges against Duterte.

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MANILA – The government is set to investigate donations made by Chinese nationals recently arrested for alleged espionage, following reports that they provided cash and vehicles to the Philippine National Police (PNP) and various local government units (LGUs).

Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Undersecretary and Palace Press Officer Claire Castro assured the public on Monday that authorities will thoroughly examine the matter.

“As of now, we are studying this. If these donations were given in good faith, we need to determine that because receiving donations is not necessarily wrong,” Castro said during a Malacañang press briefing.

She noted that during the pandemic, several localities, including Davao City, received various donations from China, such as ambulances and vehicles. While accepting donations is generally acceptable, Castro emphasized the need to scrutinize whether they were made with ulterior motives.

Four of the five arrested Chinese nationals—Wang Yongyi, Wu Junren, Cai Shaohuang, and Chen Haitao—allegedly have ties to Chinese Communist Party-affiliated groups that facilitated the donations. They were apprehended in late January for reportedly gathering images and maps of Philippine naval forces near the West Philippine Sea.

Castro reiterated that President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. will not ignore the issue, stressing that it must be investigated to ensure that no public officials were unknowingly manipulated.

“The President will not let this pass. If such reports reach us, they must be investigated,” she added.

Key Points:

Authorities will probe whether donations were made in good faith or with hidden intentions.

Four arrested Chinese nationals are linked to donations to PNP and LGUs.

The President has vowed a thorough investigation to prevent potential security threats.

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By Liza Soriano

MANILA — Senator Win Gatchalian is encouraging beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino scheme (4Ps) to enroll in the government’s lifeline electricity rate program to avail themselves of savings on their electricity costs.

“This is a Christmas gift for our fellow citizens who are genuinely struggling in life. The government will extend the electricity subsidy in January 2024,” Gatchalian stated.

As the principal author of Republic Act 11552, also known as the “Act Extending and Enhancing the Implementation of the Lifeline Rate,” Gatchalian emphasized the importance of the subsidy for households facing financial challenges.

To qualify for the subsidy, Gatchalian explained that beneficiaries must not exceed 100 kilowatt-hours of electricity consumption per month. The program encompasses households unable to meet their electricity bills, including 4Ps beneficiaries and customers living below the poverty threshold defined by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).

“We advocated for this measure to ensure a broader reach of the subsidy program,” the senator affirmed.

Gatchalian also stressed the need for the government to intensify efforts in enlisting deserving households for the subsidy program. He emphasized the importance of a streamlined enrollment process that is both convenient and prompt. Additionally, he called for an enhanced information and dissemination campaign to reach as many beneficiaries as possible.

(IAmigo/MNM)

By Liza Soriano

MANILA — Senator Grace Poe urged government authorities and telecom firms to strengthen their connections to supply public schools in need with free wifi services.

According to Poe, to guarantee that pupils, even those attending the most remote schools, benefit from connectivity, the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) and the Department of Education (DepEd) had to collaborate closely with the telecom companies.

At a time when the education of our children relies on connectivity, access to the free internet is a crucial need that telcos can help provide,” Poe said.

“What to telcos could be a drop in the bucket can go a long mile for the efficient learning of our students,” the chairperson of the Senate Public Services Committee added.

On Poe’s inquiry, it was learned that only around 69 percent of the close to 45,000 public schools have wifi access and at varying degrees.

“It’s unimaginable for a big population of students not to have wifi access especially now when we are saying that online education has become part of the new normal,” she said.

“Some may be able to spend a few pesos for wifi for their school works such as research, but how about the others who do not have the means?” Poe added.

Meanwhile, Poe expressed optimism the telcos will continue to be a willing partner of government in the latter’s digitalization program.

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MANILA – The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has ordered the mandatory evacuation of Filipinos in Gaza after raising the alert level to 4.

“The Department of Foreign Affairs wishes to inform the public that due to the current situation in Gaza, we have placed Gaza under Alert Level 4 (Mandatory Repatriation),” the DFA said in a statement on Sunday.

The DFA said that of the 131 Filipinos in Gaza, at least 78 are situated near the Rafah border crossing near Egypt while the rest left the northern part, which is expected to be the main site of hostilities.

“The Philippine government continues to work on the repatriation of our nationals and will provide updates on developments,” the DFA said.

In a separate Viber message, DFA Undersecretary Eduardo de Vega said that with the raising of the alert level, the government is now “calling on our nationals to leave.”

“If they stay, they do so at their own very grave risk,” de Vega said.

Israel’s army earlier ordered all Palestinians to vacate the northern part of Gaza and Gaza City within 24 hours.

Reports said Israel is preparing a ground offensive on the besieged enclave.

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AMID the unresolved hacking incident at the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth), Senator Sherwin Gatchalian has urged both government agencies and private sector entities to bolster their cybersecurity defenses.

Gatchalian emphasized the critical need for safeguarding vital information infrastructure and called for compliance with international cybersecurity standards and best practices.

To address these concerns, Gatchalian has introduced Senate Bill 2066, also known as the Critical Information Infrastructure Protection Act.

This legislation mandates all covered critical information institutions (CII) to implement robust measures safeguarding their information and communications technology (ICT) systems.

It also requires the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) to establish and update information security standards, with CII institutions obligated to adhere to these standards.

Additionally, the National Computer Emergency Response Team (NCERT) will be designated as the central authority for computer emergency response teams in the country.

The NCERT will administer a centralized information security incident reporting mechanism that spans various industries, including banking, finance, broadcast media, emergency services, energy, healthcare, telecommunications, and transportation, among others.

Experts have expressed concern about the scale of the PhilHealth data breach. Winthrop Yu, chair emeritus of the Internet Society’s Philippine Chapter, noted that cyber attackers had already released a significant amount of data, raising questions about the breach’s extent. Customized cybersecurity solutions and increased employee training in cyber hygiene are recommended, as off-the-shelf solutions may not suffice.

Lito Averia, president of the Philippine Computer Emergency Response Team, emphasized the importance of proper training and awareness among employees to recognize and thwart cyber threats. He also suggested implementing technical measures like network segmentation and regular data backups to prevent large-scale data breaches.

Gatchalian stressed the growing reliance on digital technologies in the Philippines, particularly in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Filipinos are increasingly using digital services, and the e-commerce sector is experiencing significant growth. With this increased digital activity, Gatchalian highlighted the heightened risk posed by cyber threats, ranging from casual scammers to sophisticated state-sponsored actors who target ICT systems and networks for various malicious purposes. (ai/mnm)

MANILA – The Australian government’s plan to establish investment deal teams in Southeast Asia marks a groundbreaking development.

Senior Trade and Investment Commissioner Christopher Lim, representing the Australian Embassy in Manila, highlighted that their government typically encourages foreign companies to invest in Australia.

“This is actually revolutionary for us. We’ve never done something like this before,” Lim remarked during a media reception hosted by Australian Ambassador to the Philippines Hae Kyong Yu PSM at her residence in Makati City on Friday, as reported by the Philippine News Agency (PNA).

Lim emphasized that the strategy reflects a realization that Australia has not been investing adequately in its neighboring region. He pointed out that Australia has invested more in New Zealand, which has a population of only 5 million, compared to the massive market of 680 million people within the 10-nation Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

Yu explained that the role of these deal teams would be to identify investment opportunities within the ASEAN for Australian businesses.

“Economic relations are of paramount importance, and recognizing this, the Australian government has launched the Southeast Asia Economic Strategy 2040. The Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, has announced three key measures. One of them is the establishment of Investment Deal Teams throughout Southeast Asia,” he stated. “We aim to attract more substantial investments into the Philippines.”

Lim further mentioned that even though the Philippines will not host a deal team, the Australian Trade and Investment Commission (AusTrade) will closely collaborate with the teams to encourage Australian firms to invest in the Philippines.

“The Philippines possesses significant advantages, primarily its youthful, tech-savvy, English-speaking population, which is rapidly expanding. This demographic dividend enables various opportunities, whether in technology, creative industries, or education,” Lim added.

In addition to the investment deal teams, the immediate actions of the Australian government under its “Invested: Australia’s Southeast Asia Economic Strategy to 2040” include the Southeast Asia Business Exchange, aimed at enhancing trade between ASEAN and Australia, and the Placements and Internships Pilot Program for Young Professionals.

Over the course of four years, the Australian government will allocate 70.2 million Australian dollars for the investment deal teams, 19.2 million Australian dollars for the Southeast Asia Business Exchange, and 6 million Australian dollars for the internship program.

In a recent press conference, Moya Collet, Deputy Head of Mission at the embassy, revealed that ASEAN countries receive only 3.4 percent of Australia’s total overseas investments.

On September 21, AusTrade announced in a press release that the investment deal teams in Southeast Asia would be responsible for identifying opportunities in priority sectors, providing market intelligence to investors, and offering guidance on risk management and regulatory processes.

LINGAYEN, Pangasinan — Commencing in the academic year 2023-2024, the provincial government will proudly inaugurate its own tertiary educational institution.

Through a unanimous ordinance passed by the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (provincial board) on Monday, June 26, the establishment of Pangasinan Polytechnic College (PPC) will provide a dedicated campus at the Narciso Ramos Sports and Civic Center in Lingayen.

Vice Gov. Mark Ronald Lambino explained, “There are existing buildings and rooms that can be repurposed and transformed into classrooms. However, our governor envisions having two or three campuses—one in Lingayen, another in central Pangasinan, possibly in San Carlos City, and another in the eastern part of the province.”

PPC stands as the first college within the Ilocos Region to be owned and managed by a provincial government. The University of Eastern Pangasinan in Binalonan town, Urdaneta City University in Urdaneta City, Binalatongan College in San Carlos City, and Bayambang Polytechnic College in Bayambang town are governed by their respective local government units.

“After 10 months of consulting with experts from various public and private universities, the Commission on Higher Education (CHEd), and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), we are pleased to announce the establishment of Pangasinan Polytechnic College,” expressed Lambino.

He emphasized that the creation of PPC aligns with Gov. Ramon Guico 3rd’s commitment to providing accessible education for Pangasinan residents.

“Our aim is to ensure that this college is accessible to all Pangasinenses in need of tertiary education. Unlike traditional colleges and universities, we will implement a ladderized system that offers certificate and diploma courses, as well as vocational programs,” Lambino stated.

To accomplish this, PPC will integrate TESDA programs into its curriculum, enabling students to seek employment and contribute to their families welfare after one or two years of study.

“It’s a Polytechnic College with a strong emphasis on skills development. Our goal is for students to be ready for the workforce after completing one or two years of education. Simultaneously, it will provide an opportunity for those interested in pursuing a bachelor’s degree,” Lambino explained.

“In our ladderized system, credits will be granted based on the completed coursework each year. This will benefit individuals with limited time or resources to attend school due to their work commitments but have the desire to return to education.”

Lambino further announced that PPC students will be granted full scholarships, covering tuition and miscellaneous fees, “as long as they fulfill their academic and behavioral obligations as stated in their contracts.”

The provincial government will allocate the necessary funds to support the college’s operation.

Lambino clarified that the establishment of PPC is not intended to compete with Pangasinan State University, a state-run institution, or private universities within the province.

“Our purpose is to bridge the educational gap in the province. We are not here to be competitors. Each institution has its own programs, platforms, visions, and missions. PPC will carve its own path,” emphasized Lambino.

According to the ordinance, PPC will be overseen by a governing board chaired by the governor, with the college president serving as vice chair. Other board members include the presidents of the faculty association, supreme student council, and alumni association, the chair of the SP education committee, as well as representatives from the Department of Science and Technology, Department of Agriculture, business and industry sector, professional sector, CHEd, National Economic Development Authority, TESDA, and Department of Education.

(ai/mtvn)