… Bei einem Hotel-Projekt in Filinvest haben sie die ganze Nacht betoniert, da stand ein Betonmischer-Truck am andern, und morgens dann ein komplettes Parkdeck.
Ich hoffe ja, dass niemand glaubt, dass Hochhäuser OHNE schweres Gerät errichtet werden ... und Manila hat ja einige von der Kategorie ... 
LG Alf
Wird das auch so umgesetzt ?
LG Alf
Justice Secretary Boying Remulla said the Department of Justice has a “listing” of people who he claimed were ordered killed by Negros Oriental 3rd district Rep. Arnolfo Teves Jr.
This was in response to a statement made by Pamplona Mayor Janice Degamo, widow of governor Roel Degamo, who said almost 30 people were killed by Teves.
“The initial that we got was 17 people but there are more names coming up,” Remulla told reporters in an interview on Friday.
“We have to get the data, we have to investigate them systematically to get the necessary data and to have a case folder for each so we know who are the witnesses and what statements will be made to support the allegations, the death certificates, autopsy results,” he explained.
Teves was tagged as the mastermind behind the killing of the Negros Oriental governor.
As to the filing of complaints, Remulla said this would happen “hopefully by March 30 or 31.”
If Teves is among the respondents, Remulla said the DOJ would look into the extent of his involvement.
“Because if the case will be filed, it will still undergo preliminary investigation except for those who voluntarily gave statements which we can already submit to the court for further action,” he said.
Remulla said seven to ten people may be involved in the killings and that it's possible that the same people were involved in the Degamo assassination.
“They may intersect at some points or they may have a lot in common in the Degamo murders,” he said.
CNN Philippines has contacted Teves’ legal team for its response.
CNN Philippines senior correspondent Anjo Alimario contributed to this report.
A Cebu Pacific Air A320 Airbus had to make an emergency landing at Kota Kinabalu International Airport (KKIA) in the eastern Malaysian state of Sabah after a suspected problem with the aircraft’s engine late on Wednesday.
It is believed that the plane, which took off from Cebu in the Philippines at 7:55 pm with 92 crew members and passengers, and was scheduled to land in Singapore that night, encountered problems with its left engine during the flight.
The pilot then proceeded to make an emergency landing in Kota Kinabalu at about 10:20 pm. The plane was in the air for just under two hours, around half the usual flight time from Cebu to Singapore, according to data from flight trackers.
A Singaporean passenger on the flight told Lianhe Zaobao that the 30 minutes it took for the plane to make the forced landing was the most frightening period in his life. The civil servant said the left engine appeared to be emitting sparks, and the aircraft seemed to be operating with just one functioning engine.
Sabah Fire and Rescue Department deputy director Farhan Sufyan Borhan said that the department was informed of the incident by the airport’s fire department at about 9:50 pm.
The department sent a team to the airport to assist the ground team.
All passengers and crew were safe after the plane landed at KKIA, and the Philippine airline arranged accommodation for the passengers in the city.
The budget carrier assured that the aircraft “safely landed” at the Kota Kinabalu International Airport.
“Our immediate priority was to ensure the safety of our passengers and personnel,” the Gokongwei-led airline said.
The onboarded passengers were “accommodated at a hotel to rest.”
“We apologize to our customers for the inconvenience. Cebu Pacific is currently working on bringing the passengers to their intended destination,” it added
Read more: https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/…alu-airport#ixzz7wkoREQag
The Philippines has hired an international lawyer to help the country in its appeal to the International Criminal Court (ICC) to reverse its decision to resume the probe into the Duterte administration’s war on illegal drugs.
“We engaged Ms. Sarah Bafadhel, she is a British barrister but she has her chambers in London, but she is practicing at the ICC at The Hague, the Netherlands,” Solicitor General Menardo Guevarra told CNN Philippines’ The Source on Wednesday.
Guevarra said Bafadhel, whose expertise is in the field of international criminal law, was chosen by the government from a list provided by the Philippine Embassy at The Hague.
The foreign counsel’s training and experience made her qualified to assist Manila when it comes to procedural issues, he added.
According to Chambers and Partners, which ranks the most outstanding law firms and lawyers in over 180 jurisdictions, Bafadhel was first in the field of international criminal law for eight consecutive years.
One of her notable cases was representing Assad Hassan Sabra, who was acquitted from all charges filed against him regarding the explosion in Beirut, Lebanon that killed former Prime Minister Rafic Hariri, and 21 others.
He was accused of conspiracy aimed at committing a terrorist act, and being an accomplice to the felony of intentional homicide with premeditation by using explosive materials, among others.
Guevarra clarified that the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) did not tap Bafadhel to defend the previous administration, or former President Rodrigo Duterte.
“The OSG is not defending any specific person," Guevarra emphasized. "The OSG is representing the Republic of the Philippines, we are representing the state.”
He noted that what the government is defending in this case is the country’s legal and judicial system “because it has the primary responsibility to deal with crimes that were committed in our own territory.”
The assistance of foreign experts is needed since the venue is the ICC and not a local court, Guevarra added.
“Since it’s the state, which is the client or the principal of the OSG, then necessarily, the state will also have to share in the cost of the legal service being extended to us,” Guevarra explained.
The Philippines filed its appeal to the ICC Appeals Chamber last week.
Guevarra has proposed forming an independent body that will look into the killings linked to the drug war.
He said he believes this will expedite the process since this will complement the existing probe being conducted by local authorities.
Almost one in five employees in Southeast Asia clicks on suspicious emails designed to trick users into giving out sensitive and personal information, according to Kaspersky, noting these workers usually overlook the signs of a phishing scam.
The cybersecurity firm, in a recent statement, said that about 16 percent to 18 percent of the employees in the region “tend not to notice pitfalls hidden in emails devoted to corporate issues and online delivery problem notifications.”
These emails are usually about reservation confirmations from a booking service, notification about an order placement and even those coming from a supposed IKEA announcement.
“It’s interesting to see companies being targeted by financial phishing but we have to remember here that businesses, at their core, are still made up of humans,” Kaspersky general manager for Southeast Asia Yeo Siang Tiong said.
“Phishing is a type of social engineering attack. Social engineering attack is dubbed as hacking of the human mind,” he added.
Last year, the cybersecurity company blocked more than 820,000 financial phishing attacks that targeted enterprises — ranging from small and medium businesses to big companies — in the region.
Nearly 53,000 of the digital attacks were detected in the Philippines. Most of the cyber threats were blocked in Indonesia with more than 208,000, followed by Vietnam with about 172,000.
Kaspersky explained that financial phishing does not only target bank accounts but also payment systems and online shops.
Hackers launch fake websites impersonating well-known brands, including PayPal, MasterCard, Visa, American Express, Amazon, the Apple Store, Steam and eBay.
Read more: https://business.inquirer.net/?p=392346#ixzz7wf94YkUW
A committee at the House of Representatives unanimously approved on Tuesday a bill seeking to reinstitute absolute divorce for married couples who are in a dysfunctional or abusive relationship.
Albay Representative Edcel Lagman said the House Committee on Population and Family Relations passed the substitute bill, which he explained offers an “expeditious, reasonable, and inexpensive” alternative for legally ending a marriage.
“The approval of the substitute bill on absolute divorce for eventual plenary debates assures that the country is now at the threshold of joining the universality of absolute divorce in the community of nations,” he wrote in a statement.
The lawmaker said the template of the measure is his House Bill No. 78, which is “almost a replica” of the one that hurdled the lower chamber during the 17th Congress, or the first three years of the Duterte administration.
He said the COVID-19 pandemic stalled the same bill during the 18th Congress.
According to Lagman, 70 lawmakers have signed as co-authors, and “there are many more members of the House who favor the bill.”
He also stressed that the proposed legislation is only for exceptional circumstances where a couple or a spouse suffers “the torment of irreversibly dead marriages.”
“Divorce is not the worst thing that can happen to a family,” he said. “Enduring years of physical violence, suffering emotional abuse, tolerating infidelity, allowing children to live in a hostile home and witness daily discord and constant conflict – these are far worse than divorce.”
In applying for the legal remedy, the bill provides that proof of the cause for divorce must be established, and that the marriage has completely collapsed without any possibility of reconciliation.
“Quickie,” notarial, email, and other speedy drive-thru divorces are prohibited, Lagman said.
After the filing of the divorce petition, there is a cooling-off period of 60 days wherein the judge shall exert efforts to reconcile the parties. If the couple agrees to reconcile any time during the proceedings, the petition would be dismissed, the lawmaker explained.
“Even after the issuance of an absolute divorce decree, when the parties decide to reconcile, the divorce degree shall be nullified,” the congressman added.
The measure also provides for penalties for those who collude to secure a divorce or coerce the other to end their marriage.
According to Lagman, absolute divorce is constitutional and does not go against the Catholic faith.
“There was unanimity in the Constitutional Commission of 1987 where the Commissioners, led by Fr. Joaquin Bernas, said that the Congress has the power to enact a divorce law,” he said.
“Even the Bible cites instances when Jesus Christ allowed divorces," he added. "All Catholic countries, except the Philippines, have legalized divorce which the Papacy has not condemned. Even the Catholic hierarchy has its own matrimonial tribunal which dissolves marriages similar to a divorce."
The Bureau of Customs (BOC) on Tuesday said its operatives discovered P400 million worth of suspected crystal meth or “shabu” from Guinea, West Africa.
BOC said the contraband was brought to Pair Cargo Warehouse in Pasay City on Sunday and was initially declared to contain spare parts.
But the operatives of the bureau in the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) inspected the shipment on Monday, after finding it suspicious.
“The shipment from Guinea, Africa was declared to contain spare parts, [but] upon seeing [a] suspicious image, Naia Customs x-ray operatives conducted a physical examination and found illegal drugs,” the BOC said in a statement.
According to BOC, the shipment was found to contain 58.93 kilograms of shabu with a total estimated street value of P400,724,000 as per Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA).
BOC also said the PDEA is currently conducting an investigation on the yet-unidentified consignee who is set to undergo inquest proceedings for violation of Republic Act (RA) 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 and RA10863 also known as the Customs Modernization Act.
Read more: https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/…ican-nation#ixzz7wZ6rXwFa
A House panel has given Negros Oriental Rep. Arnolfo Teves Jr. an ultimatum to return and show up at work within 24 hours before it tackles possible sanctions against the lawmaker.
COOP NATCCO Rep. Felimon Espares, chairperson of the ethics committee, said he and his colleagues decided against Teves virtually attending hearings.
“We’ll give another chance of 24 hours for him to really personally appear in our committee. Otherwise, the action of the committee will be based on his non-appearance,” Espares told reporters in an interview after the panel’s closed-door meeting on Monday.
“We need his physical appearance, meaning for him to really report here in the House of Representatives,” he added. “Kung di siya makapag-appear (if he can’t appear) personally, the committee would really have its decision, the appropriate sanctions.”
The lawmaker — who has been tagged in killings in his province — went abroad late last month for medical treatment.
He has yet to return after his travel authority expired on March 9.
Last week, Teves also requested for a two-month leave from the House, citing a "very grave security threat" to his life and family. This was rejected by House Speaker Martin Romualdez.
Meanwhile, Teves’ lawyer said it’s up to the House to decide on possible disciplinary actions against the lawmaker.
The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) on Monday said it has successfully printed over 60 million physical and virtual national identification cards (IDs) under the implementation of the Philippine Identification System (PhilSys).
In a statement, PSA said that a total of 60,326,990 IDs have been printed — 33,550,575 of which are PhilIDs dispatched for delivery to registered persons, while 26,776,415 are ePhilIDs printed at registration centers.
“Reaching 60 million national IDs printed brings us closer to fully realizing the envisioned benefits of PhilSys of making more services accessible,” said PSA Undersecretary Dennis Mapa.
“That’s why our coordination with government agencies such as the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) centers on using PhilSys to support the implementation of social protection programs. Gusto namin na ngayon pa lang, maunawaan na ng ating mga beneficiaries ang kahalagahan ng PhilSys sa pagiging mas accessible ng iba’t-ibang serbisyo ng ating pamahalaan,” he added.
The PSA then said that it continues to push the Philippine Post Office to speed up the delivery of IDs, even implementing the downloading of password-protected ePhilIDs via mobile devices — which registered persons may access once they receive an SMS notification from PSA.
Both the PhilID and ePhilID bear a QR code that can be used for easier identity verification and authentication, as opposed to more traditional methods involving handwritten signatures which can be easily forged.
Read more: https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/?p=1745639#ixzz7wWCh4EWv
The food environment in the country, which affects people’s food choices and eating habits was “failing” children and driving a high prevalence of overweight and obesity, a recent study by the United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef) showed.
In a report that focused on the “lived experiences” of children from Catbalogan, Gandara, Godod, Mondragon, Valenzuela, and Zamboanga, Unicef found that Filipino children were eating fewer fruits and vegetables, and more sugar, salty and fatty products.
The study areas were selected because they were already Unicef-assisted areas with high levels of malnutrition (undernutrition and/or overweight) based on 2019 survey findings,” it said.
Citing the World Health Organization’s 2015 school-based student health survey in the Philippines, the report noted that 74 percent of children aged 13 to 15 years old consume less than three portions of vegetables daily, while 28 percent drink at least one soft drink a day.“Poor diets are contributing to a triple burden of malnutrition with undernutrition, in the form of poor growth and micronutrient deficiencies, co-existing with increasing rates of overweight,” the Unicef said.
“This triple burden of malnutrition is being driven by systems that are failing to provide children with adequate diets, space to play and exercise, access to safe water and hygienic environments and financial security,” it added.
In the 2021 Expanded National Nutrition Survey of the Department of Science and Technology’s Food Nutrition Research Institute, one in every five, or 19.7 percent of school-age children were found to be stunted.
Stunting, which happens when a child has impaired growth and development due to poor nutrition, was significantly higher in rural areas and in the households of poor (23.2 percent) to poorest (32.7 percent).
Malnutrition, according to Unicef Philippines representative Oyunsaikhan Dendevnorov, was a “serious violation” of a child’s right and could likewise result in long-term consequences for a kid’s health, development, and well-being.
“Children need a varied and nutritious diet for their growth and development and caregivers need support to provide their children with a healthy diet,” she said.
The report created four child profiles based on the data gathered from the communities and represented the collective experience of many kids from the same location and age.
Bea, one of the children in the storybook-like report, was a 9-month-old girl from Gandara where nearly half of the population lived below the poverty line. Her mother, who uses a mixed feeding method (breast, bottle, family food, and commercial complementary food), changed her milk brand saying the previous one was more expensive and did not provide the nutrients that Bea needed.
“While she has plenty of knowledge, it is easy to get swayed by labels saying that breast milk substitutes will help Bea to grow stronger … And just like Bea’s mom, poor families pay extra for milk formula, commercial baby foods, and bottled water because they believe that this is better for their babies’ health and will help them to grow,” the report said.
Read more: https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/?p=1745188#ixzz7wTITfx8v
The oil spill from the tanker MT Princess Empress that sank in Naujan, Oriental Mindoro on Feb. 28 has reached Batangas City, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) Batangas station confirmed Monday.
PCG Batangas station commander Capt. Victorino Acosta said the oil slick was sighted in Verde Island Monday morning.
A team from the PCG has already proceeded to the area, he added.
Verde Island is one of the country’s marine reserves and has been described as being at the heart of the global center of marine biodiversity. It is located in the Verde Island Passage, which provides food and livelihood, among others to over two million locals, according to the Conservation International Philippines.
“The strait is the backbone of the local economy, thriving upon coastal tourism, fisheries, and as a shipping route to the international ports of Batangas, Manila and Subic Bay,” it noted in its website.
Marine experts are urging authorities to address the incident before the amihan season ends as the northeast monsoon helped control the oil spill.
Latest government data showed that over 32,000 families, or more than 149,000 individuals have been affected by the oil slick. Meanwhile, 189 residents got sick due to the spill.
Nein leider nicht. Weil es „im besten Deutschland aller Zeiten“ immer noch Arbeitgeber gibt, die nur den gesetzlichen Mindesturlaub geben und der liegt bei 4 Wochen im Jahr…
Als ich vor 40 Jahren in Deiner Situation war, auch mit wenig Urlaub, habe ich mir 3 Wochen für die Weihnachtszeit aufgespart, und zusätzlich Urlaub vom kommenden Jahr drauf gepackt. Nur so ein Tip.
Natürlich muss der Arbeitgeber sein Ok geben.
LG Alf
MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine government is set to ask the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) to issue a Blue Notice against the suspects in the killing of Negros Oriental Gov. Roel Degamo.
In a statement released by the Office of the President, Department of Justice (DOJ) spokesperson Mico Clavano said that the government has already taken “concrete steps” for the issuance of an international lookout bulletin.
“So all those that are in relation to the Degamo slay, we have taken concrete steps na maglabas po ng international lookout bulletin, pinagpag-usapan po natin ang paglagay ng mga tao sa blue list, sa Interpol ‘no – Blue Notice (we have discussed putting people on the blue list, Interpol – Blue Notice),” Clavano said.
Color-coded notices are international requests for cooperation or alerts allowing police in member countries to share critical crime-related information issued by the General Secretariat at the request of a member country.
This notice, said Clavano, would allow the county to monitor the movements of the suspects
“We hope to do that maybe next week just so that we are aware ‘no doon sa movements ng ating mga respondents who may very well be involved in the Degamo slay and who may be vital doon sa ating investigation,” Clavano added.
(We hope to do that maybe next week just so that we are aware of the movements of our respondents who may very well be involved in the Degamo slay and who may be vital to our investigation.)
Additionally, Clavano bared that cases have already been filed against the four gunmen were arrested near the scene of the crime, while the government is now currently investigating 10 more individuals.
“Mas marami pa po ‘no sa sampu iyong na involved sa investigation ho natin. Lumalabas po sa mga statements na mayroon po tayong parang layering na tinatawag ‘no – so mayroon po tayong mga gunmen, mga directly involved po doon sa assassination bilang driver, lookout iyong mga ganoon… tapos meron ho tayong handler or parang middleman ‘no na tinatawag. So ito iyong nagsisilbing parang layer of security doon sa ating mastermind,” he said.
(There are more than ten involved in our investigation. It appears from the statements that we have something like a layering – so we have gunmen, those directly involved in the assassination such as drivers, lookout people like that… then we have a handler or like a middleman. So this serves as a layer of security for our mastermind.)
Degamo, along with eight others, were killed by heavily armed men that barged into the governor’s residence in Pamplona, Negros Oriental on March 4.
The Special Investigation Task Group Degamo earlier confirmed that the recent revelation of the Department of Justice, which named Negros Oriental 3rd District Representative Arnolfo Teves Jr. as the alleged mastermind in the killing of Degamo, was part of its investigation results.
Read more: https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/…ects-sought#ixzz7wNX8VjC6
Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri on Friday warned about the possible exodus of more Filipinos to seek greener pastures abroad should Congress decide not to pass a legislated wage increase for workers in the private sector.
“We have two choices: Raise the salaries of our workers or watch them leave the country to seek better-paying jobs in other countries,” Zubiri said in a statement.
He pointed out that the minimum daily wage of workers in the National Capital Region were almost the same as the basic hourly pay of employees in the United States.
“They will really leave the country if they do not receive a living wage,” the Senate leader said.
“We cannot afford to treat our workers badly. Without them, our industries will shut down and our economy will plummet. So they really deserve to make a living wage,” he said.
Zubiri also thanked the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP), the country’s biggest alliance of labor unions, for supporting the measure he filed pushing for a P150 across-the-board increase in the daily rate of workers of private companies.
The leaders of Kapatiran ng mga Unyon at Samahang Manggagawa (Kapatiran), for their part, have urged the Metro Manila regional wage board to act on the group’s petition for a P100 increase in the minimum wage for workers in the region.
The labor group filed the petition for a wage hike in the Metro Manila Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board in December last year. The Makabayan bloc filed House Bill No. 7568 on Monday “to close the gap between the current minimum wage and the calculated family living wage across regions.”
A day later, Zubiri filed a similar measure, this time seeking an across-the-board legislated wage increase of P150 in the daily pay of workers in the private companies “to ease the effect of wage erosion brought about by inflation.”
Read more: https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/?p=1744676#ixzz7wIWcuNFd
The upcoming expiration of trade perks enjoyed by the Philippines from the European Union (EU) places both parties at their own crossroads – one that would test their own commitment to human rights and accountability.
First granted to the Philippines in 2014, the Generalized Scheme of Preferences Plus (GSP+) allows the duty-free entry of at least 6,200 Philippine products to Europe, aiding the competitiveness of the country’s exports in the European market. At the center of this scheme is the obligation to uphold human rights standards, including the implementation of at least 27 international conventions.
There is no denying anymore that the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. wants to continue enjoying trade perks granted by the EU. As early as October 2022, Marcos’ trade secretary Alfredo Pascual urged the country’s inclusion in the new scheme, citing “significant developments.” A separate Senate delegation even went to Brussels in Belgium, the seat of power of the EU, to meet with members of parliament.
But possibly crucial in the renewal process – which is expected to happen in 2024 – is Marcos deciding whether or not to go beyond rhetoric and concretely address the dire human rights situation in the country heavily damaged by his ally and father of his vice president, former president Rodrigo Duterte.
This means that it is also important for the EU to see that justice is given to victims of Duterte’s violent anti-illegal drug campaign, which tallied at least 6,252 killed in police operations alone by May 2022, according to government data. This number does not include those killed vigilante-style, which, to human rights groups, bring the estimated number of victims killed to between 27,000 and 30,000. This is more than four times official figures.
There have been no significant developments in relation to justice and accountability. Only a small number of convictions has been handed out, including the policemen involved in the killing of 17-year-old Kian delos Santos in 2017, and the deaths of Carl Angelo Arnaiz and Reynaldo “Kulot” de Guzman in 2023.
For Hannah Neumann, member of the EU Parliament and vice chair of its subcommittee on human rights, the current context in accountability efforts “doesn’t match at all.”
“The war on drugs and the huge amount of killings, we’re talking of at least 6,000, really tarnished the reputation of the Philippines,” she said in a Rappler Talk interview on February 24.
“To restart the positive international reputation of [the country], this has to be dealt with in a credible way,” Neumann added.
Neumann led the delegation of EU lawmakers who were in the Philippines from February 22 to 24 and met with several government officials, including their counterparts in Congress and justice officials. In a press release published after their visit, the lawmakers said that they stressed to the Philippine government that rejoining the International Criminal Court (ICC), which EU member-states are part of, “would reinforce the government’s stated commitment to fighting impunity.”
The ICC pre-trial chamber recently authorized the resumption of an investigation into drug war killings since it was not convinced that the Philippines was undertaking significant probes. The Marcos administration rejected this move, falsely pointing out issues of jurisdiction. Duterte’s allies also filed resolutions urging their colleagues to declare “unequivocal defense” of the former president.
“I would encourage everyone, if you want to increase credibility of accountability and if you just want to support the Philippine justice system, just receive ICC with open arms as a helping hand,” Neumann said.
Negros Oriental Rep. Arnolfo Teves Jr. has asked for a two-month leave from the House of Representatives, citing a "very grave security threat" to his life and family.
Teves made the appeal in a letter sent to House Speaker Martin Romualdez, documents released Wednesday showed.
"Rest assured that he will come back as soon as the threat will be dealt with accordingly under our laws, and with the aid of the government," wrote Teves, who has yet to return from his United States trip.
The congressman - who has been tagged in cases of killings in his province - flew to the US late last month for medical treatment. The travel authority issued to him by the House, however, expired on March 9.
Teves' camp earlier maintained that the lawmaker was not in hiding, and said he will return to the Philippines once concerns about his safety are addressed.
Romualdez had also urged his colleague to come home and clear his name amid allegations linking him to the assassination of Gov. Roel Degamo.
Earlier in the day, the House's ethics committee said it will set a five-day deadline for Teves to explain his failure to return to the country despite the expiration of his travel authority.
"Susulat muna kami sa aming colleague na mag-explain bakit hindi niya magawa-gawa i-process yung kanyang expired travel authority. Might be on the next move, we will be hearing his side also," said COOP NATCCO Party-list Rep. Felimon Espares, who chairs the panel.
"I think five days is enough for him to reply or might be baka umuwi siya rito," he added.
[Translation: We'll first write to our colleague to explain why he can't process his expired travel authority. Might be on the next move, we will be hearing his side also. I think five days is enough for him to reply or maybe he'll come home.]
Espares also said due process will be observed.
5 days OFF ... 
... have nice trips
Oil tanker MT Princess Empress, which sank off the coast of Oriental Mindoro with 800,000 liters of industrial fuel oil on February 28, had no updated permit to operate, a Senate inquiry into the disaster unearthed on Tuesday, March 14.
“The ship has no authority to operate in the form of an amendment to its Certificate of Public Convenience (CPC) issued to RDC Reield Marine Services (RDC),” said senators Cynthia Villar and Risa Hontiveros, reading a Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) report submitted to the Senate committee on environment, natural resources, and climate change.
RDC is the owner of MT Princess Empress. A CPC is a license issued by MARINA to domestic ship operators to engage in domestic shipping activities. When a company has a new ship, it needs to file an amendment to its CPC. MARINA regulates the Philippines’ maritime industry. Its mandate is to “lead a progressive maritime administration for safer people, safer ships, and cleaner environment.”
During the hearing, RDC vice president Fritzie Tee said the RDC complied with requirements to amend its CPC as early as November 2022, but MARINA Administrator Hernani Fabia said the application is still pending. He said RDC has yet to submit additional documents it had asked from the shipowner.
Oil slicks from the recent oil spill in Oriental Mindoro have already reached a number of areas in Palawan, prompting barangays to take part in preventing further damages.
In a “Laging Handa” briefing on Monday, March 13, Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) Head Jerry Alili shared that a number of barangays in Taytay, Palawan were already affected by the oil spill, particularly the coatal barangays of Casian, Calawag, and Biton.
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