Bullet scam victims cleared

No intention to violate law, Abaya tells Senate

by Mario Casayuran, Manila Bulletin
November 13, 2015

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Transportation and Communications Secretary Joseph A. Abaya yesterday conceded that persons, mostly overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), arrested for alleged possession of bullets in what is now dubbed the “tanim-bala” (bullet-planting) scam at the airports “are not guilty and had no intent to violate the law.”

In an effort to address the tanim-bala incidents, Abaya called on the senators to carve out from the proposed 2016 Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) outlay a budget for the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) for the purchase of security equipment, particularly closed-circuit TV (CCTV).

image: http://www.mb.com.ph/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Ricochet1.jpg

It was bared that airport personnel had demanded that White should fork out over P30,000 to settle his case, but he declined.

White’s family were on their way to Coron, Palawan, for their missionary work when he was allegedly victimized by airport screeners.

Another victim, Gloria Ortinez, 56, of Paoay, Ilocos Norte, had to spend two nights in a detention cell before she was released by the Pasay City Prosecutors Office after Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) chief Persida V. Rued-Acosta cited a Supreme Court decision that the charges must be dropped because there is no intent to possess and that the bullets are not intended to be used.

Four others accused of the same tanim-bala raps were released, she added.

Acosta stressed that the tanim-bala operation must be stopped but “the devil’s advocates” are there at the airport.

LACK OF COMPASSION

Sen. Grace Poe said what the national government lacks is compassion and common sense and that coordination and leadership must be shown by MIAA general manager Jose Angel Honrado, who was given a 70 percent passing grade by Abaya.

Poe also questioned why the National Civil Aviation Security Council, the single authority for transportation system in the country, has not yet been convened by Abaya despite the bullet scam.

Abaya vowed to convene the council to address the tanim-bala.

The passing grade drew an angry reaction from Sen. Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos Jr. and Senate Majority Leader Alan Peter S. Cayetano.

Honrado claimed during the hearing that he has no control over aviation personnel who man the x-ray machines at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).

Susan “Toots” Ople, OFW advocate, bewailed the failure or neglect of airport officials to tap the services of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) and the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) to help the tanim-bala victims as these agencies have desks at the airport.

Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph G. Recto said these alleged extortion activities damage NAIA’s reputation, giving an impression that the facility is gradually becoming a major extortion hub of the country.

“Extortion schemes and other forms of misconduct undermine the efforts made by the Philippine government in curbing corruption and in maximizing the Philippines’ potential for business and tourism.

ORTINEZ FLYING TO HK

As this developed, Ortinez will fly to Hong Kong tomorrow in attempts to regain her employment as a household service worker (HSW) following the dismissal of  her illegal possession of ammunition case over the “tannin-bala.

Ople said she will be accompanying Ortinez to convince her employer to rehire the 56-year-old OFW.

“We are headed to HK this Saturday so that she (Ortinez) can personally talk to her employer,” Ople said.

Ortinez will also be accompanied by Labor Undersecretary Ciriaco Lagunzad III to help with her cause.

“The POLO (Philippine Overseas Labor Office) already sent a letter to Gloria’s employer, but this Saturday Usec Lagunzad will be accompanying Glo to HK to directly talk to her employer,” OWWA Administrator Rebecca Calzado said.

Abaya assured Ortinez that he would write a letter or call her Hongkong employer to take her back after the charges lodged against her had been dismissed.

“I will craft a letter. I will call her employer …whatever Nanay Gloria asks me to do. No reservation,” Abaya told senators during the hearing.

Ortinez was detained by authorities at the NAIA last month after a bullet was allegedly found in her luggage.

She, however, denied the ammo belonged to her, claiming she was a victim of the tanim-bala scam.

The ordeal prevented her from immediately returning to her employer making her worry she might be replaced.

MEDIA BAN HIT

With the public outcry over the tanim-bala issue, airport authorities ban mediamen fromm certain areas.

The move prompted Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero to assail airport authorities.

Escudero said NAIA officials should give members of duly registered media entities access to areas where they can exercise their duties without intervening in security personnel’s work.

The senator made the call following reports that journalists covering Manila’s international airports are now prohibited from going to certain areas of NAIA Terminal 3.

NAIA reporters complained that the restriction on their access came only in the wake of reports on the alleged extortion scheme that has victimized overseas Filipino workers, tourists and travellers on business.

“At a time like this when we are all trying to find the truth behind this deplorable ‘tanim-bala’ modus operandi, we need the media to be free to do its work of gathering information, examining our systems, and uncovering the wrongs that may be hidden from sight,” Escudero said.

Besides, NAIA personnel and officials of the MIAA should not feel threatened by the presence of prying eyes if they have nothing to hide, the senator stressed.

“Lagi naman nating sinasabi na ang walang tinatago, hindi natatakot masilip, (We’ve always believed that those who got nothing to hide are not afraid to be scrutinized),”  Escudero said.

“We enjoy a democracy that upholds and protects the people’s right to know. Curtailing the media’s freedom to do the important work of exposing the truth cannot be justified, especially in this particular case,” Escudero said.

CHARGES MULLED

Meanwhile, DUMPER Partylist, formerly known as the DUMPER Philippine Taxi Driver Association, is planning to sue tanim-bala accuser Julius Niel Habana for wrongfully incriminating taxi driver Ricky Milagrosa.

Milagrosa was driving Vigil taxi with license plate UVK 190 on the eve of October 29, 2015, when he was accused by Habana of planting a bullet in his friend’s luggage.

Habana posted about the incident on his Facebook page, saying, “Muntik ng madali ang kasamahan kung seaman papuntang NAIA, buti napansin niya (na may) nilagay ang driver sa bag (niya) nag (text) sakin kung anong gawin niya,nag advise ako na wag ng tumuloy sa airport dumaan nalng sa boardng house ko. (My friend and fellow seaman almost got into trouble on the way to NAIA. Good thing he noticed that the driver placed something on his bag, he texted me asking for help, and I advised him not to go to the airport and instead come to my boarding house).”

However, when the Land Transportation and Franchising Regulatory Board (LTFRB) conducted a hearing regarding this matter, only Milagrosa and his operator attended to state their case. Habana, on the other hand, refused to answer any of the board’s attempts to contact him. (With reports from Hannah L. Torregoza, Czarina Nicole O. Ong, and Samuel P. Medenilla)

Cayetano to Authorities: Quell the people's fear and keep airports safe!

Senate Majority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano on Friday called on the government to get its act together and ensure the general safety of the people amid the growing public fear due to incidents of the “Tanim-Bala” modus at the country’s airports.

“People are afraid. Everyone who goes to our airports is bulletproofing their bags. They feel that if they are victimized, a case will be filed against them before someone listens to them. Takot na takot ang mamamayan dahil ang gobyerno ay hindi maramdaman,” Cayetano said.

                             

During yesterday’s Senate inquiry regarding the bullet-planting scandal, the senator questioned Department of Transportation and Communication (DOTC) Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya’s earlier statement that they have already started their investigation on the matter, after “Tanim-Bala” victims invited at the hearing confirmed that none of the concerned agencies, DOTC included, made an effort to get their side of the story.

“An investigation means that you are looking at who is right or wrong, that you are listening to both sides. Pero ang kanang kamay ninyo, nag-file na ng kaso, sinasabing guilty sila. Ang kaliwa ninyong kamay, hindi naman sila tinatanong kung anong nangyari,” Cayetano told Abaya.

He also expressed his disbelief on how bullets allegedly carried by passengers can be intercepted by airport personnel, while kilos of drugs are smuggled unnoticed.

“What kind of x-ray machines do our airports have that are so picky that it can detect a bullet allegedly carried by OFW Gloria Ortinez but fail to detect 2.5 kilos of cocaine?” Cayetano asked.

Single department to protect OFWs from abuse

The senator said that the government should have a swift and effective response to the scam in order to quell the public’s fear and secure the country’s airports.

Meanwhile, in Cayetano’s Senate Resolution No. 1662 filed on Wednesday, he expressed the need for the government to establish a single department that will manage, harmonize, and strengthen existing policies and programs that will protect the rights of Filipino migrant workers.

He also called on the Office for Transport Security to conduct an immediate investigation and file a report within 15 days, with the end view of rendering justice to the victims and punishing all those responsible of the scam.

“What we need are simple, swift and effective measures to address this issue. Hindi pupwede ang pateka-teka. ‘Pag mabilis ang aksyon ng gobyerno, mawawala ang takot ng tao,” Cayetano concluded.#

What an airport mess

INTROSPECTIVE By Tony Katigbak (The Philippine Star) 

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We truly must be a laughing stock all over the world right now. Last week I wrote about the laglag bala scam in my column and the plot continues to thicken with at least one person being caught with a bullet in the bag every day since then. How ridiculous does it look that everyone in our international airport is walking around toting bags and suitcases wrapped in plastic and tape just to prevent potential bullets from being planted. Looking at videos and photos of the airport these days is just laughable. We’re the subjects of memes the world over and at the end of the day the joke is really on us.

It’s bad enough that we have already dropped in rank when it comes to places tourists want to visit for business or pleasure in Southeast Asia, we are also making ourselves look like fools. Sure we have addressed other issues surrounding the potential reasons for all these airport bullet findings, but the fact remains, we have yet to actually do something about it. Which is honestly a pity because not only are tourists not opting to come to the Philippines, but our very own balikbayans are afraid to do so well and end up passing on chances to be with their families and loved ones this holiday season.

Some people have said that some Filipino passengers bring a bullet with them as anting-anting or a way to ward off misfortune. While that may have been true before, I honestly believe there has been sufficient information spread all over the world (this bullet story has landed us on several major international news portals and channels) to prevent this from happening anymore. People know they can’t bring a bullet with them to the airport, so why are so many bullets still being found on a daily basis? I’ve heard that sometimes catching two or three passengers a day is normal. That should not be the case.

Personally I feel frustrated, , as many do, that it has taken this long and has required this much attention to take care of something that should not be happening in the first place. Yes, we are reading about government officials condemning the situation, but what are they doing about it? According to the news, DOTC Secretary Joseph Abaya has said that they do not have sufficient evidence that a syndicate is behind the scam. On the other hand though, according to the National Bureau of Investigation their probe leads them to strongly believe a syndicate is present.

Reports claim several airport screeners and security personnel are being suspended or restricted from work until a further investigation, and while it’s a step, I can’t help but feel that it should not be this hard to put an end to this craziness. Perhaps it’s necessary to remove everyone connected and start from scratch? I truly feel bad for those who are honestly just trying to do their jobs and are not involved in this ridiculous scam, but we cannot let this go on any longer. It’s affecting the Philippines on a global level and if it does not stop it’s only to get worse and worse.

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I watched with interest as Chinese President Xi Jinping and Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou met and shook hands last Saturday in Singapore, bridging a gap that has been between them for over 60 years in the wake of China’s civil war. While the historical meeting (which was closed to the public for over an hour) is a good first step there is obviously still a lot of work to be done. There is just so much bad blood between the two countries that no one can expect that to change overnight or after just one handshake.

However, I am optimistic. I know that we, as an ASEAN nation, could do better if we truly learned to work together instead of against one another. I know the Philippines has its own problems with China, but as I mentioned in previous columns, I truly believe this can be worked out diplomatically and peacefully if we all do our part. There is just so much to be gained from smooth inter-country relations.

In a previous column I also mentioned that one of the benefits of working together will be the Beijing led Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB). This welcome institution is set to be operational by year’s end, though it’s looking more like that will happen next year. I believe that this facility will truly help Asian nations be less dependent on the World Bank and on the European Union. At the very least, it will make interest rates far more competitive and fair for everyone. Currently supported by 57 countries, with more to come onboard, AIIB will no doubt help improve the international banking and loaning community.

- See more at: http://www.philstar.com/opinion/2015/11/11/1520640/what-airport-mess#sthash.j6AR0nJ8.dpuf

Duterte: I might just run for president

By Edith Regalado (The Philippine Star)

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Video grab from ABS-CBNnews.com shows Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte speaking on his local TV show yesterday.

DAVAO CITY, Philippines – For the sake of the oppressed, he might just run for president.

Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte said yesterday he could still join the 2016 presidential race.

“I do not like the way oppressed Filipinos are being treated now. They are oppressed and have no one to turn to,” Duterte said in his “Gikan sa Masa, para sa Masa” TV show. “If they keep letting Filipinos suffer, I might just decide to run as president.”

It would be a turnaround from his previous stand that he could not be “the savior” of the country.

Earlier, the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) chose the mayor as substitute for its presidential candidate Martin Diño who withdrew his bid in the 2016 polls.

The party announced that Duterte was its “concededly strongest presidential hopeful” and passed a resolution on Oct. 27 to show its support for the mayor.

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Duterte said he was getting tired of responding to speculations that he would eventually join the presidential race by beating the Dec. 10 deadline to replace Diño.

“I really do not know. I really do not know how to solve the problem of the Philippines. I cannot be the savior of this republic,” he said.

However, even as he shuns running for the country’s top post, he has been commenting on what can be done to solve some of the country’s problems should he become president.

He has lamented the ordeal suffered by ordinary Filipinos, mostly overseas workers, who become victims of the “laglag bala” or bullet planting scam at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.

Vice presidential bet Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano has been trying to persuade Duterte to run for president.

The mayor said if he does run for president, he would have former Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) chairman Francis Tolentino in his senatorial slate.

Duterte said he supports Tolentino’s aim of forming a National Disaster Recovery Agency and push for laws that will promote disaster preparedness and environmental sustainability.

“The Commission on Elections earlier said it would not work on the substitution of Duterte as presidential candidate of the PDP-Laban until the mayor accepts the party’s decision.

The poll body has not received a letter from Duterte indicating his willingness to stand as Diño’s substitute for the presidential race.

The PDP-Laban has also yet to file a new certificate of nomination and acceptance for Duterte. The substitution will not be valid without Duterte’s consent, the Comelec said.

Duterte said he has yet to receive a communication from PDP officially compelling him to run for president in place of Diño.

The mayor had repeatedly said he has no interest and ambition in seeking the highest office of the land.

“I do not have the stomach to become the president of this country,” Duterte said many times.

But the mayor said government has not done enough to address the problems besetting the country these days.

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Border Talks with Indonesia after Sinking of 4 Philippine Vessels

By Carmencita A. Carillo, Correspondent

DAVAO CITY -- The Philippines’ Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) met with the Indonesian delegation at the 34th Philippines-Indonesia Border Committee Chairmen’s Conference (BCCC) to discuss border issues, following last month’s arrest and sinking of four Philippine fishing vessels by the Indonesian Navy.

“There is a need to clarify this from a technical viewpoint because as far as we are concerned, the fishing vessels were still within the Philippine EEZ [Exclusive Economic Zone], while Indonesia thinks otherwise,” BFAR National Director Asis G. Perez said in an interview on Wednesday on the sidelines of the annual conference held in Davao City which began on Wednesday and ended yesterday.

The EEZ is prescribed by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), the international agreement which covers maritime borders and resources.

“While this is being discussed diplomatically, there is a need to resolve this at the technical level since there is already an agreement between the Philippines and Indonesia when it comes to these boundaries,” Mr. Perez said.

The Philippines and Indonesia, both state parties to the UNCLOS, signed a bilateral agreement on May 23, 2014, which delimits the overlapping EEZs in the Mindanao Sea and Celebes Sea in the southern Philippines and the Philippine Sea on the southern section of the Pacific Ocean.

The agreement was hailed as a landmark accomplishment amid rising tensions in the West Philippine Sea where there are long-standing overlapping claims involving the Philippines, China and other states.

Mr. Perez said his agency raised to the Indonesian delegation its concern that, “despite our communication efforts to conduct an investigation on the matter,” Indonesia reportedly went ahead with the sinking of the vessels.

Reports said the Philippine vessels were stopped by the Indonesian Navy, presumably on Indonesian waters, and their crew arrested as they didn’t have the permits to fish in the area.

The Philippine government has no information yet on the Filipino fishermen who are reportedly facing trial in Indonesia. Mr. Perez said the fishermen are believed to be held in the Indonesian island and city of Tarakan, off North Borneo.

The Indonesian Navy reportedly sunk 12 foreign vessels last month, including the four owned by Philippine companies.

Mr. Perez said this was not the first time Philippine flag vessels were apprehended by the Indonesian Navy.

The Philippine government has not previously raised this matter because the vessels in question were believed to have been operating in Indonesian waters. “We respected their authority,” Mr. Perez said.

Indonesia, which has launched a vigorous campaign against illegal fishing, sank 34 boats from foreign countries, including the four Philippine vessels last August as part of its 70th Independence Day commemoration.

Indonesia’s “sink the vessel” policy is based on Article 69, Paragraph 4 of Law No. 45/2009 on Fisheries, which allows Indonesian authorities “to burn or sink foreign fishing vessels conducting illegal fishing within the Indonesian fishing management area subject to the sufficient preliminary evidence.”

But in the case of the four Philippine vessels, Mr. Perez said an investigation showed they were still within the country’s EEZ. “While I do not expect the problem to be resolved now, we can at least discuss the border issue at the technical level,” he said.

Benjamin F.S. Tabios, Jr., BFAR assistant director for administrative services, informed the Indonesian delegation about the Philippines’ own stand against illegal fishing as affirmed by the passage this year of the Amended Fisheries Code, adding that the government is undertaking an information campaign among fisherfolk about going beyond Philippine waters.

The BCCC is chaired by Lt. Gen. Aurelio B. Baladad of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and Rear Admiral Laksda Tni Darwanto, S.H., M.A.P. of the Indonesian Navy.

In a joint statement at the end of the conference, the two officials said “the discussions of the committee aim to enhance cooperation addressing border and maritime concerns of the two biggest archipelagic states of the world.”

Among the issues taken up at the different sub-committee levels were the inclusion of civilian maritime law enforcement agencies in conducting coordinated patrols, and of other transnational and organized crimes (such as drug trafficking and migrant smuggling) in the list of border offenses, along with intelligence and information sharing procedures in the Border Crossing Stations.

The 35th BCCC will be held in Manado, Indonesia next year.

Philippine Income Tax Cuts

Malacañang still cool on 

income tax cuts

By Prinz P. Magtulis (The Philippine Star)

President Aquino’s allies in Congress have been pushing for the reduction of income taxes that go as high as 32 percent, one of the highest in Southeast Asia.

MANILA, Philippines - Barely a week after Congress resumed session, the Aquino administration has renewed its opposition to lower income taxes, suggesting Malacañang’s persistent cool reception to the measure.

“The Department of Finance is, and always has been, in favor of reforming the tax system,” Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima said in a statement Friday.

“The question is whether we should go for real, comprehensive tax reform, or address the issue in a piecemeal and politically-charged manner that can only stunt the momentum of development,” he added.

President Aquino’s allies in Congress have been pushing for the reduction of income taxes that go as high as 32 percent, one of the highest in Southeast Asia.

At the forefront are Liberal Party stalwarts Marikina Rep. Miro Quimbo and Sen. Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara who filed House Bill 4029 and Senate Bill 2149, respectively, both pending at the committee level.

Leaders from the House of Representatives and the Senate could not be immediately reached for comment.

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Saying legislators have been painting an “incomplete picture” of the country’s tax system, Purisima said structural problems that hinder tax administration – and not policies themselves-- have in fact hindered the government from collecting revenues.

“Reforming the country’s outdated tax laws would give the Philippines a competitive edge in the Asian Century,” the finance chief said.

“Simplistic solutions that do not address the complex structural issues that underpin our tax system run contrary to this vision,” he pointed out.

Citing data from the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), Purisima said lowering income taxes could narrow the state’s tax base more, noting that a large pie of BIR collections-- around 64 percent-- are being sourced from only 2,128 companies.

On top of that, the bureau has estimated that at least P200 billion in revenues are being lost annually from non-paying self-employed individuals and professionals such as doctors, lawyers and businessmen.

If tax evasion cases being filed every two weeks are of any indication as well, the BIR has also already lost roughly P73 billion to more than 400 cases filed under its Run After Tax Evaders program since July 2010.

“We cannot take a reductionist or simplistic approach to tax reform. It is easy, and I must say, very popular during election season, to cut taxes, and if we only look at this as a simple yes or no question, who wouldn’t want to?” BIR Commissioner Kim Jacinto-Henares said in the same statement.

“But we must be more fiscally responsible and ask the right, even if they are tough, questions in making our effort at tax reform a balanced one, for the sake of those whom we pass this country on to,” she explained.

To start with, Purisima said legislators could push for the revisions of the country’s bank secrecy law that stops the BIR from examining bank accounts for tax purposes, meaning to match tax payments with an individual’s income.

“A hurried tax reform plan, absent the necessary transformation of our restrictive bank secrecy laws, and done with undue haste during the frenzy of elections, would be a grave disservice to our people,” the finance czar said.

“We call on them and the Filipino public to support bank secrecy reform as a prerequisite and pillar of any proposed tax reform plan,” he added.

A Night Before Christmas

Mother Teresa once said, "It is Christmas every time you let God love others through you".

That is why in November, Christmas will be celebrated early in Davao City. Seda Abreeza Hotel and Lighthouse Homeschooling Network (LHN) jointly pesent "A NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS- A Special Dinner-Concert for the benefit of 'special' (differently-abled) youth trainees at SHINE Life Skills Center.

The fund-raising event will feature Davao City's very own AVI (Agdao Violin Institute) String Quartet. Their live, soothing music will play, while guests dine buffet-style at the T'nalak Hall, Seda Abreeza Hotel on November 14, 2015 from 6 to 8 pm.

This is a rare event where people reach out to 'special' individuals. It is an opportunity to "let God love others through you" and actually find joy in doing it.

Be a part of this worthwhile evening of dining, music and dancing. Let it be Christmas in November.