US, Mexico seek to revamp fight against drug cartels
Mexico City, Mexico — The United States and Mexico on Friday vowed to overhaul their joint fight against drug cartels, during a visit by a high-level delegation including US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Lopez Obrador hailed a “new phase” in relations, reiterating an invitation to US President Joe Biden to visit Mexico. Washington has indicated that it is ready to revamp a 13-year-old program called the Merida Initiative that provided US military firepower, technical support, and security training. The United States has given Mexico about $3 billion since 2008 for law enforcement training and equipment such as Black Hawk helicopters. But the new strategy would put more emphasis on stopping flows of firearms and drug money from the United States to Mexico, in order to “deny revenue to these cartels,” he added.
Source:Philippine Daily Inquirer
October 08, 2021 18:00 UTC
Badly needed project
Badly needed projectA lot of articles are coming out lately from so-called transportation and mobility experts, urban planners, and heritage defenders criticizing the Pasig River Expressway project (PAREX), a priority project of the Duterte administration under the Build Build Build program to be undertaken by San Miguel Corp. at no cost to government. The Pasig River Rehabilitation Commission, an agency attached to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, has been trying to clean up Pasig River since 1999. Any mega project has its pros and cons, but I’m sure that government already considered them before it gave its go-signal for PAREX. And design concerns can be addressed at this very early stages of the project. Take, for instance, one which says that PAREX is nothing but an ill-conceived, irresponsible money-making project.
Source:Philippine Star
October 08, 2021 16:22 UTC
Rainy weekend due to tropical depression Maring
Rainy weekend due to tropical depression MaringMANILA, Philippines — Tropical depression Maring is expected to bring rains over parts of Luzon and the Visayas this weekend. The trough of the tropical depression brought light to heavy rains in Bicol, Eastern Visayas, Caraga, Cebu and Bohol yesterday. The Philippine National Police (PNP) directed its units to prepare for the possible effects of Maring in Eastern Visayas. Lannie agri damage rises to P31.7 millionMeanwhile, damage to agriculture caused by tropical depression Lannie has reached P31.7 million, data from the Department of Agriculture (DA)’s Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Operation Center showed. Based on the combined standing crops data in Mimaropa, Western Visayas, Central Visayas and Eastern Visayas, the DA said 518,481 hectares of rice fields could have been affected by the tropical depression.
Source:Philippine Star
October 08, 2021 16:09 UTC
UN Human Rights Council takes on climate crisis
UN Human Rights Council takes on climate crisisIn this file photo taken on August 18, 2020 a horse runs by a stall as flames from the Hennessey approach a property in the Spanish Flat area of Napa, California. GENEVA, Switzerland — The UN Human Rights Council plunged into the climate crisis on Friday, recognizing the right to a clean environment and creating a special rapporteur on protecting rights threatened by climate change. It also agreed to appoint an expert on the promotion and protection of human rights in the context of climate change. The expert, with a three-year mandate, will have to report annually to the Human Rights Council and to the UN General Assembly in New York. "The UN human rights system can and should be in a position to provide its contribution on such a critical topic at such a critical juncture."
Source:Philippine Star
October 08, 2021 16:07 UTC
Senate urged to act on bill granting security
The National Press Club of the Philippines (NPC) on Friday appealed to the Senate to act on the long pending proposed law granting security of tenure and other benefits due to the members of the press. The neglect by Villanueva's committee, he added, is more glaring considering that no less than Senate President Vicente Sotto 3rd authored the Senate version of the bill under Senate Bill 8120 that the latter filed on Sept. 9, 2020. "We are therefore again appealing to the sense of fairness of our senators for the expeditious deliberation and passage of the media workers welfare bill," the NPC official added. Under the proposed measure, media workers shall, at the minimum, be paid the wages, allowances and benefits provided by law to workers. Once enacted, the MWWA likewise guarantees security of tenure to media workers after the probationary work period of six months of continuous work.
Source:Manila Times
October 08, 2021 16:07 UTC
Retail dollar bonds listed at PDEx
Retail dollar bonds listed at PDExMANILA, Philippines — The government listed yesterday its first onshore retail dollar bonds (RDBs) at the Philippine Dealing and Exchange Corp. (PDEx), activating another source of financing for pandemic response. According to the Treasury, a total of 520 RDB transactions worth $810,000 have been processed through web and mobile-based channels. Further, the five-year RDBs quoted a coupon of 1.375 percent, while the 10-year RDBs obtained a coupon of 2.25 percent. The RDBs, for one, attracted investments from OFWs in at least 30 countries, including Cayman Islands, Cyprus and Papua New Guinea. The government plans to borrow P3.07 trillion this year mainly from domestic sources to fund the country’s rising budget deficit.
Source:Philippine Star
October 08, 2021 16:07 UTC
AFP retains 5 of 20 bank accounts flagged by CoA
Public Affairs Office Chief Lt. Col. Ramon Zagala. THE Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Friday said that it closed 15 of the 20 bank accounts flagged as unauthorized by the Commission on Audit (CoA). AFP's Public Affairs Office Chief Lt. Col. Ramon Zagala in a statement said at least five accounts were retained:"– Account number: 00-140-102888-6 of United Coconut Planters Bank. "We are studying how these accounts can be merged to reduce the accounts further to two or three accounts," said AFP public information chief Ramon Zagala. The five remaining accounts are all accounted for and a monthly report is duly submitted to the CoA," he echoed.
Source:Manila Times
October 08, 2021 16:07 UTC
US, Pakistan in strained talks on Afghanistan
ISLAMABAD: United States and Pakistani officials are meeting on Friday amid a worsening relationship between the two countries as each nation searches for a way forward in Afghanistan under Taliban rule. Pakistan has been pressing for greater engagement with the all-male, all-Taliban Cabinet in Kabul even as it shies away from any unilateral formal recognition. The United States is quietly talking to some Taliban to evacuate Americans and others. That raised hackles among Pakistani rulers, who have slammed Washington for seeking and getting Islamabad's help to talk peace with the Taliban — even as the United States blames Pakistan for its loss in Afghanistan. Pakistan walks a fine line as it seeks to establish a relationship with the United States in a changing region, where both Russia and China have increasing influence and the Taliban now rule in Afghanistan.
Source:Manila Times
October 08, 2021 16:07 UTC
UK to remove Philippines from travel red list
UK to remove Philippines from travel red listMANILA, Philippines — The United Kingdom will remove 47 countries including the Philippines from its travel red list due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Starting Oct. 11, travelers from the Philippines – including non-British nationals and those who do not have residency permits – will be allowed entry to the UK subject to some guidelines. In addition, the UK also approved the proof of vaccination from travelers from 37 countries and territories, including the Philippines. These are limited to COVID-19 vaccines developed by Oxford-AstraZeneca, Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna and Janssen. Those who received other vaccines must follow the protocols for non-fully vaccinated travelers.
Source:Philippine Star
October 08, 2021 15:56 UTC
Localized lockdown, faster vaccine rollout to sustain credit growth – BSP
Localized lockdown, faster vaccine rollout to sustain credit growth – BSPMANILA, Philippines — The gradual easing of lockdown measures and the accelerated COVID-19 vaccine rollout will help sustain credit growth in the coming months, according to Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Governor Benjamin Diokno. Preliminary data from the BSP showed bank lending went up by 1.4 percent to P10.9 trillion in August, ending eight straight months of contraction. “As economic conditions improve, the BSP regulatory flexibilities will allow banks to lend more to productive enterprises and priority projects,” Diokno said. The BSP chief said banks could apply the separate SBL for project finance exposures, including those to water concessionaires, subject to compliance with certain conditions. To be eligible for the separate SBL for project finance, bank exposures must meet the following conditions under Section 362 of the Manual of Regulations for Banks.
Source:Philippine Star
October 08, 2021 15:56 UTC
Thoughts to guide us by Corruption cripples
Thoughts to guide us by Corruption cripplesCorruption destroys the moral fabric not just of a person, but of the whole nation. If allowed to run scot-free, it is a bad influence on the citizenry, particularly the youth. Corruption unjustly exacts a heavy toll on present and future generations in the form of higher taxes for crimes committed by others. It causes grave damage to the whole populace, as itincreases in magnitude when done over and over again. They are completely entangled in the endless web of lies they resort to.
Source:Philippine Star
October 08, 2021 15:56 UTC
Duterte joins PDP-Laban bets on last day of filing
Duterte joins PDP-Laban bets on last day of filingIn a show of confidence, President Rodrigo Duterte raised the hands of Information and Communications Secretary Gregorio Honasan III, Agrarian Reform Secretary John Castriciones, Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo, Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission Commissioner Greco Belgica and former public works secretary Mark Villar. MANILA, Philippines — President Duterte yesterday appeared at the Commission on Elections (Comelec) filing venue at the Sofitel Harbor Garden Tent in Pasay City to support eight PDP-Laban senatorial aspirants, mostly his Cabinet secretaries, who filed their certificate of candidacy (COC) on the last day of filing. Former senator Antonio Trillanes IV is also seeking a Senate comeback, filing his COC under the Magdalo party. From Oct. 1 to 8, the Comelec received a total of 97 COCs for president, 29 for vice president, 176 for senator and 270 for various partylist groups. Local racesAt the local level, more congressmen sought reelection, filing their COC on the last day.
Source:Philippine Star
October 08, 2021 15:56 UTC
Saso 4 down at joint third
Saso 4 down at joint thirdMANILA, Philippines — Yuka Saso fired a bogey-free four-under-par 67 to share third spot at the start of the $3-million Cognizant Founders Cup Thursday in West Caldwell, New Jersey. Saso gunned down four birdies in a solid opening at the Mountain Ridge Country Club that put her four behind 2019 champion Jin Young Ko of Korea. Dottie Ardina shot an early eagle but faltered in the windup and finished with an even-par 71 to run joint 56th. Reigning US Women’s Open titlist Saso was bunched in a six-player pack at third behind Ko (63) and second-running Sandra Gal of Germany (66). 1 Nelly Korda of the US, Brooke Henderson of Canada, Perine Delacour of France and Amy Yang along with So Yeon Ryu of Korea joined Saso in this group.
Source:Philippine Star
October 08, 2021 15:56 UTC
‘Don’t inject politics into vaccination’
‘Don’t inject politics into vaccination’“Now, we are encouraging all the LGUs to capacitate their municipalities and cities; I enjoin all the governors and the mayors to unite together. He said the Nikkei recovery index does not reflect the outcome of pandemic recovery efforts, as countries have unique pandemic experience. This is why many of our implementing units could only operate a limited number of vaccination centers,” Galvez said. The Philippine government was able to administer 11.89 million doses last September, while fully vaccinated population stands at less than 25 percent. The Philippines received yesterday over 2.1 million doses of Moderna COVID-19 vaccine and more than 660,000 doses of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine.
Source:Philippine Star
October 08, 2021 15:56 UTC
EDITORIAL - Laggard in recovery
EDITORIAL - Laggard in recoveryIn the latest gauge of the quality of the pandemic response, the Philippines sank to the bottom among 121 countries in the COVID-19 Recovery Index, drawn up every month by Nikkei Asia. Indonesia, which also grappled with a Delta-driven COVID surge beginning in June that infected over 350 fully vaccinated doctors, claiming the lives of dozens, now ranks the highest within ASEAN in the recovery index at 54th place. Rankings in the recovery index, as Indonesia has shown, can improve significantly. The inadequacies in the Philippines’ pandemic response, from testing to contact tracing, border controls and the vaccination program, have been pointed out by various sectors including healthcare workers. The Philippines needs greater effort to avoid being the laggard in COVID recovery.
Source:Philippine Star
October 08, 2021 15:56 UTC