Senate to hear Lascañas' testimony againts Pres. Duterte on March 6

Senators have debated over the matter, but in the end, have decided to hear once again the "revelations" of a former police officer linked to an alleged liquidation squad.

Sen. Ping Lacson said on Tuesday that the Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs, which he chairs, would be pushing through on Monday with a probe into the "new" claims of retired SPO3 Arthur Lascañas.

Lascañas said: Matobato was telling the truth

Last week, Lascañas claimed that he was the leader of the so-called Davao Death Squad or DDS, and that then Davao City mayor Rodrigo Duterte had paid them to kill drug criminals — and later on, the mayor's enemies.

This was in stark contrast to what he told the Senate in October last year that the so-called death squad did not exist at all.

Second time around

For the hearing next week, Lacson said his committee would also invite representatives from the Philippine National Police (PNP), the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) and former police chiefs of Davao City.

The senator said he would be requiring the CHR to bring documents pertaining to their investigation on the DDS, if it existed — at least when Duterte was the city mayor.

The Senate probe was finally scheduled after some senators raised arms over having Lascañas again — this time with a recantation.

Sen. Tito Sotto noted that the Justice committee had already concluded last November that the DDS did not exist. Sen. Dick Gordon, who came out with that report, fumed that accommodating Lascañas for the second time was an insult to the Senate — since he had lied to the lawmakers the first time around.

PNP Chief Bato Dela Rosa, develops new anti-drug group

Bubuo ng bagong drug enforcement group ang Philippine National Police (PNP) oras na bumalik na ang mga ito sa kampanya kontra-droga.

Ani PNP Chief Director General Ronald Dela Rosa, bagong mga opisyal ang mangunguna sa bubuuing bagong grupo.

Hindi naman sinabi ni Dela Rosa kung kailan sila babalik sa war on drugs ng administrasyon para na rin aniya masorpresa ang kanilang mga kalaban.

Matatandaang ipinauubaya na ni Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte sa PNP ang desisyon kung kailan babalik sa kampanya kontra-droga.

Former President Aquino on plan to visit De Lima

Former President Benigno Aquino III would want to see for himself how Senator Leila De Lima is doing after she was arrested.

In an interview after the Liberal Party caucus on Monday, Aquino said he is planning to visit De Lima in the Philippine National Police custodial center.

Aquino said he has just sent a request for permission to visit the senator.

"We sent a letter this morning. We are waiting for a response for permission to visit," Aquino said.

De Lima is facing criminal charges before Muntinlupa regional trial court, and has been arrested for a drug case filed by the Department of Justice. Two more drug cases were filed against her — still awaiting action by the RTC.

DOJ accused De Lima of receiving drug money from inmates running the illegal drug trade at the National Bilibid Prisons.

Look: De Lima's arrest on drug charges

The former President said, he and De Lima have a lot to talk about.

"Syempre check on how she is. And find out 'yung, basically talk about so many things with her," said Aquino.

Aquino added, if he would be allowed to bring something for De Lima, he'd probably bring "some chocolates."

Bam to continue working on priority measures with minority

Sen. Bam Aquino’s new role as member of the Senate minority will not prevent him from pursuing passage of laws that will uplift lives of the Filipino people.

“Though we have a new role as the minority, sisiguraduhin pa rin namin na maipapasa ang mga batas na makakabuti sa ating mga kababayan,” said Sen, Bam, who was stripped of the Committee on Education’s chairmanship and replaced by Sen. Chiz Escudero last Monday.

“Hindi maliit na bagay ang pagkawala ng chairmanship sa kumite ng edukasyon. I chose the committee because there were a number of reforms we wanted to push like free tuition in SUCs and feeding program in public schools,” said Sen. Bam.

Sen. Bam also thanked Sen. Escudero for committing to continue the work that he started on several priority measures.

Before he was replaced, Sen. Bam was spearheading the interpellation on two education-related measures -- the Free Tuition Fees in SUCs Act and the Pagkaing Pinoy Para sa Batang Pinoy.

“Sen. Escudero agreed to let me work on my priority education bills until they become laws,” Sen. Bam said.

The senator also thanked Sen. Grace Poe for acknowledging the committee’s work during his stint as chairman. Poe is a staunch advocate of the Pagkaing Pinoy Para sa Batang Pinoy Act.

While some senators have stated that the Liberal Party has hampered work on the Senate's legislative agenda, LP President Sen. Kiko Pangilinan asserted that 20 out of 29 bills close to being passed are defended by LP lawmakers.

In the past 6 months, Sen. Bam has filed 118 bills and 26 resolutions, has sponsored 4 committee reports, and conducted committee hearings for 5 resolutions and 15 bills.

BUTIG, LANAO SUR FARMERS START RICE FARMING STUDY

Ten rice farmers and agriculture technicians from the conflict-wracked town of Butig, Lanao del Sur yesterday started a 4-day training program in modern rice farming in the PhilRice Center in Muñoz, Nueva Ecija.

Flying from Cagayan de Oro City, which is about four hours by land trip from Butig, the Muslim farmers and technicians some of whom are travelling outside of their town for the first time, the group will undergo a rice farming technology short course under PhilRice Executive Director Sailila Abdulla, who is also a Muslim.

Their training is part of the interventions I committed during the visit of the Biyaheng Bukid team to Butig on Feb. 9 to address the chronic poverty in Lanao del Sur Province which has the highest poverty incidence in the country at 74.3%.

Butig is now being claimed by ISIS-inspired Philippine Extremist Groups like the Abu Sayyaf and the Maute Group as the de facto capital of the Islamic Caliphate in the country.

Fighting between the Extremist Groups believed to be now under a foreign terrorist named Isnilon Hapilon of the Abu Sayyaf virtually destroyed the town.

During my official visit to the town on Feb. 9 accompanied five officials of the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (DAF), including Undersecretary Eduardo Gongona, and two security officers, I inspected the agricultural area of the town.

I was impressed by the potentials of the town for food production are it has about 3,000 hectares of rice lands of which only about 1,000 is irrigated, and almost 2,000 hectares of corn fields.

During the forum with local officials led by Mayor Dimantang Pansar, I committed the support of the DAF Central Office to the agricultural rehabilitation of the town.

Among the commitments I made were:

1. The training of farm technicians and farmer leaders in modern rice farming in the PhilRice Center in Muñoz, Nueva Ecija;
2. The delivery of 3,000 bags of hybrid rice seeds and 1,750 bags of white OPV corn seeds;
3. Two 100-HP farm tractors for the corn farmers, four units of 45HP tractors for the rice fields, five rice power tillers, two units of rice harvesters, two units of corn harvesters and a rice processing facility complete with packaging equipment;
4. Marketing assistance for their products.

The whole project, however, was almost jeopardized when after the trip, the female engineer who was in the team with me complained that she was improperly touched in the behind by two members of the municipal council of Butig while she was taking pictures during the visit.

The incident angered me and I publicly demanded an apology from the two councilors involved.

The two councilors issued a lame excuse that the "touching" was not intentional and offered a public apology.

While my female staff was not happy with the lame excuse, I asked her to let the incident pass and take into consideration the greater mission that the DAF is involved with which is to lift the people of Butig and Lanao del Sur out of poverty.

When the training of the farmers is completed, the DAF will start of the rehabilitation of the irrigation system in Butig and the delivery of the corn seeds and farm tractors.

After the harvest of the rice crops of the farmers now which are still in the vegetative stage, the DAF will start delivering the farm equipment and the rice seeds.

I have also directed Undersecretary Gongona, who heads the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) to start seeding the lakes of Butig and the huge Lake Lanao with Tilapia and Bangus fingerlings to make food available to the residents as part of our anti-poverty effots.

Fiberglass fishing boats will also be given out to fishermen in the lakes.

PRES. DUTERTE ORDERS ARREST, DEPORTATION OF MONEY LENDERS

President Rody Duterte last night moved to save the struggling poor Filipino vendors by ordering the arrest and deportation of foreigners involved in the usurious "5-6" money lending scheme.

At the same time, he announced the allocation of an initial P1-B for a micro-lending program to provide loans for small business capitals to be handled by the Dept. of Trade and Industry.

"Sobra na yan. Pautangin ng 5-6 (interest rate) tapos bentahan pa ng mahal na mga appliance. Patay talaga ang pobre dyan," he commented after the issue of the usurious money lending scheme of foreigners, especially Punjabis from India, was discussed towards the end of the Cabinet meeting last night.

There are about 50,000 motorcycle-riding Punjabis involved in a money-lending scheme where borrowers pay back a P5,000 peso loan with a P1,000 interest in one month collected on a daily basis.

The very high interest rates, however, have resulted in hardships for the borrowers who could hardly pay up the loans.

DTI Sec. Ramon Lopez said the proliferation of the "5-6" lending is mainly due to the inability of government lending institutions to provide an easy access facility for small businessmen.

Sec. Lopez said DTI has already designed a scheme on how to extend soft loans to small businessmen with an interest of 20% every year, payable in one year.

During the Cabinet meeting last night, President Duterte asked Foreign Affairs Secretary Perfecto Yasay, Jr. to inform the Indian Ambassador of his decision to stop the usurious lending scheme in the Philippines.

"They are violating Philippine laws by indulging in a money-making business without the necessary permits," President Duterte said.

During the campaign, then Presidential candidate Duterte vowed to relieve the small Filipino businessmen from their sufferings by providing a P1-B easy access credit per region.

Last night, after I discussed the poverty in the countryside and the desperate moves of small businessmen to borrow money from "5-6" lenders just to survive, President Duterte announced an initial release of P1-B for a micro-lending program.

He said that as soon as the country's gaming bodies, the PCSO and PAGCOR, turn over to his Office funds collected from their operations, he would provide additional money for micro lending program in all regions.

By Manny Piñol

PHILIPPINES OFFERS TO EXPORT EGGS, DUCKS TO SOUTH KOREA

As South Korea reels from the devastating effect of a new Bird Flu outbreak, the Philippine Dept. of Agriculture has taken steps to support our Asian neighbour and ally by offering to supply its eggs, ducks and poultry requirements.

On Jan. 16, a team from the Bureau of Animal Industry led by Asst. Secretary Enrico Garzon will leave for South Korea to formally ask the South Korean government to give the Philippines market access for hatching and table eggs for both chicken and ducks.

It was the DA's agriculture analyst Maria Alilia Maghirang assigned in South Korea who sent me a memorandum earlier last week informing me of the immediate requirements for chicken and duck eggs in that country.

She said that one of the DA's contacts in South Korea alone needs 1.5-million eggs daily for industrial use and 300,000 chicken hatching eggs and 500,000 duck eggs every week.

"The South Korean government recently announced the lifting of tariffs on eggs and egg products temporarily starting 3 January 2017 due to the supply shortage of eggs and skyrocketing prices of eggs brought about by the mass culling of about 30 million chicken due to the spread of the H5N6 and H5N8 strains of the avian influenza virus in the country," Maghirang said in her report to the DA Secretary.

Quoting the Korea Times newspaper, Maghirang reported that the South Korean government has decided to facilitate the import process for eggs and egg products and subsidise the freight cost for these products from overseas.

The demand for eggs, dressed chicken and ducks is expected to increase further as the Chinese Lunar New Year celebration nears.

Aside from our genuine concern to help a long-time ally in this time of crisis, I am also looking at this development as a rare opportunity for the country to start exporting not only eggs but also dressed chicken and ducks to South Korea.

I intend to conduct further negotiations with the Ministry of Agriculture of South Korea and convince its officials to look at the Philippines as a steady and reliable partner which could supply their country with eggs, chicken and ducks in view of the recurrent outbreak of Bird Flu.

This could be the break that our poultry and duck farmers have been waiting for.