Pangulong Duterte, mariing pinabulaanan na siya ang nasa likod ng DDS

Mariing pinabulaanan ni Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte ang akusasyong siya ang nasa likod ng Davao Death Squad (DDS) noong alkalde pa siya ng Davao City.

Sa kanyang talumpati sa Cebu, sinabi ni Duterte na hindi siya nag-utos na pumatay ng partikular na tao taliwas sa inihayag ni retired SPO3 Arthuro Lascañas at ng self-confessed hitman na si Edgar Matobato.

Ayon kay Duterte, ang iniutos lamang niya ay patayin ang mga kriminal kung manlalaban ang mga ito na ikapapahamak ng  mga awtoridad.

Una na ring inamin ng pangulo na may mga naganap na pagpatay sa Davao noong termino niya bilang alkalde pero ang mga ito ay resulta aniya ng mga lehitimong police operations.

Regions with biggest mining activities among the poorest–IBON

Contrary to claims that closing down mining operations will worsen poverty, research group IBON said that large-scale mining activities impact heavily on marginalized sectors and intensify poverty. The group also said that the mining sector’s export-oriented character further deprives communities by taking away potential resources for local development.

The Employers’ Confederation of the Philippines (ECOP) said that the crackdown on mining would lead to ‘expansive poverty’ and hurt economic growth. This was in response to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) head Regina Lopez’s recent orders to close and suspend some mining operations and cancel 75 mining contracts.

According to a study by IBON, however, mineral extraction and production often incur significant social and environmental costs which in fact fall disproportionately on the poor. In 2009, mining had the highest poverty incidence among industry groups at 48.71%. This was the highest poverty incidence since 1988, even surpassing the agriculture sector, which has historically topped poverty incidence across industries.

Among the biggest mining operations in the country are the Taganito Mining Corp in Surigao; Nickel Asia in Eastern Samar; Sagittarius Mines Incorporated in South Cotabato, Filminera Resources Corp. in Masbate and TVI Pacific Inc in Zamboanga del Sur. Yet, IBON noted that official 2015 poverty statistics show that regions hosting these mining activities are the poorest, next only to the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM). Poverty incidence among individuals in Caraga (Region XIII) is the second highest in the country at 39.1 percent. The Eastern Visayas (Region VIII) posted the third highest poverty incidence at 38.7% followed by Soccsksargen (Region XII) at 37.3%, Bicol (Region V) at 36.0% and Zamboanga Peninsula (Region IX) at 33.9 percent.

Mining industry statistics also indicate that most of Philippine mineral production goes to exports, IBON observed. Total production value in mining in 2015, for instance, was at Php179.7 billion. Meanwhile, the amount of total exports of minerals and mineral products was at Php131 billion in the same year, or 73% of total production value. The exodus of minerals from the country leaves very little or nothing for local industry to benefit from. This means a lack of raw materials for potential industries such as steel, cement, rubber, paper, chemical and pharmaceutical.

IBON said that for allowing the extraction and export of most of the country’s mineral wealth while poverty remains stark in regions with mining activities, the Philippine Mining Act of 1995 should be repealed. The group said that government should not heed the mounting pro-big-business mining hype and instead focus on saving and utilizing what is left of the country’s resources to genuinely benefit the nation, especially the poorest regions.

P200 milyong halaga ng mga pekeng damit, nasamsam ng BOC sa Pasay

Sinalakay ng mga tauhan ng Bureau of Customs (BOC) ang ilang gusali sa Taft corner Cuneta Avenue sa Pasay City.

Ito ay matapos mapag-alaman na ginagawang imbakan ng mga pekeng produkto mula China ang dalawang warehouse sa lugar.

Sa isinagawang raid, nakumpiska ng mga Custom intelligence ang iba’t ibang uri ng mga pekeng damit na karamihan ay mga damit-pambata.

Tinatayang aabot sa dalawandaang milyong piso ang halaga ng mga nakumpiskang pekeng produkto

Peter Laviña resigns as NIA chief post amid corruption allegations.

National Irrigation Administration (NIA) Chief Peter Tiu Laviña has resigned from his post amid corruption allegations.

Laviña on his Facebook page on Tuesday said he wanted to quietly leave his post but he had to address the intrigues.

"Recently, there had been efforts to discredit me again. There are rumors circulating that I have asked money from NIA contractors. These are not true!" he said in a separate post.

Laviña said he decided to resign to spare President Rodrigo Duterte's administration from unnecessary intrigues.

"I have neither personal vested interest in it nor ill intent towards NIA and the whole government, which we are trying to reform," he said.

“He will continue to serve the Filipinos even if he is no longer working for the government”, Laviña said.

"This is your H2O boy, signing off!" he said, bidding his post good bye.

Former President Benigno Aquino III attends a closed-door meeting of LP members on Tuesday.

LP Senate President Kiko Pangilinan was not surprise about the down full of the 4 LP senators in the major commitee and replace with other senators in the Pres. Duterte side. We all know that the LP senator is a member of the majority coalition or hindrance of President Rodrigo Duterte's plan for his Administration.

But the fate of the coaliton is now in limbo after a shakeup in the Senate on Monday March 6, 2017.

Three LP senators and an ally lost their key Senate positions.

Ralph Recto replaces Frankin Drilon as Senate president pro tempore – the second highest in the chamber. Cynthia Villar takes over the agriculture committee from Pangilinan, Chiz Escudero now leads the education committee from Bam Aquino, while JV Ejercito gets the health committee from Sen Risa Hontiveros.

Pangilinan said the LP will decide on the matter after the vote on the re-imposition of death penalty in the Lower House on Wednesday.

LP Senator’s postponed the decision on the matter of whether or not the contingent of Liberal Party in the House will leave the majority until after these death penalty debates have been completed.

Some LP members want to see if House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez will follow through on his threat to strip congressmen off their committee chairmanships if they vote against the bill.

If this happens, it could trigger the LP's split from the coalition.

But the LP has still decided to formally disagree on the possible return of the Death Penalty.

X.Pres. Benigno Aquino III and V.P. Leni Robredo were also present at the meeting but did not allow someone to know the content of thier meeting and what they shared with their party mates. But according to some LP members, Aquino urged party members to speak out more.

Trillanes, hindi natatakot sa bantang pagsasampa ng kaso laban sa kanya ni SolGen Calida

Hindi nagpatinag si Senador Antonio Trillanes IV sa banta ni Solicitor General Jose Calida na sampahan siya ng kaso.

Sa isang statement, sinabi ni Trillanes na kahit pa bantaan siya ay gagampanan pa rin niya ang mandato na ibunyag si Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte.

Maninindigan din umano siya sa pag-abuso sa kapangyarihan ng administrasyon.

Kaya hamon ni Trillanes, tumahimik na lang si Calida at gawin na lang ang banta nitong pagsasampa ng kaso.

Si Trillanes ay binantaang kakasuhan dahil sa umano’y pagkakanlong kina Edgar Matobato at Arthur Lascañas na kapwa umaming miyembro ng Davao Death Squad (DDS).

Suspek sa road rage incident sa QC, pinayuhang sumuko na lang

Pinaghahanap pa rin ng Quezon City Police District (QCPD) ang tukoy nang suspek sa pamamaril sa isang motorcycle rider noong weekend.

Kinilala ng QCPD ang suspek na si Fredison “Sonson” Atienza.

Ani QCPD Director Guillermo Eleazar, base sa firearms license record ni Atienza ay residente ito ng Karuhatan, Valenzuela City.

Positibo namang kinilala si Atienza ng kapatid ng biktimang si Anthony Mendoza sa pamamagitan ng larawang iprinisinta ng QCPD.

Naniniwala si Eleazar na nasa Pilipinas pa si Atienza na umano’y high roller poker player.

Pinayuhan ni Eleazar si Atienza na sumuko na lamang sa pulisya.