News Briefs

PDEA chief warns of ‘narcopoliticians’

The head of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) appealed to voters in the midterm elections to be more circumspect, as there were 83 politicians found to be involved in drugs. In a press conference at the PDEA central office in Quezon City on Friday, PDEA Director General Aaron Aquino, however, said he was still “contemplating” the release of the “narcolist,” and “awaiting direction” from President Duterte. In the runup to the barangay elections last year, the PDEA, upon the President’s direction to supposedly inform voters, released to the media a list of 207 barangay officials it validated to be involved in the narcotics trade.  At the time, Aquino said there were also 93 local government officials with higher positions—from vice mayors to congressmen—in a separate unreleased narcolist.—JAYMEE GAMIL

New system to stretch voting to 15 minutes

Voting in some areas of the country during the midterm polls may take up to 15 minutes as the Commission on Elections (Comelec) test a system meant to stop flying voters. Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez said the start of the Voter Registration Verification System (VRVS) would stretch the voting period by five minutes. It usually takes 10 minutes for a voter to cast his ballot. Through the  VRVS, the identity of a voter can be easily verified since the handheld device has the fingerprint of a voter registered in a precinct. It sought to replace printed voters’ list in identifying qualified voters and to stop flying voters. The system would be used first in the midterm elections in May.—JOVIC YEE

SC disbars lawyer for ‘sextortion’

The Supreme Court has disbarred a lawyer who abused his authority to get sexual favors from his secretary. In a 15-page per curiam decision released on Friday, the Court en banc found Antonio de los Reyes, former vice president of the legal and administrative group of the National Home Mortgage Finance Corporation, guilty of gross immoral conduct and violating the Code of Professional Responsibility. The high tribunal also ordered De los Reyes’ name stricken from the roll of attorneys. The high court decision said Reyes was “guilty of sextortion, which is the abuse of his position or authority to obtain sexual favors from his subordinate.”—JEROME ANING

Duterte designates land for use as IT center site

President Duterte has designated a parcel of land in Bacoor City as the site of an information technology (IT)  center. Malacañang issued Proclamation No. 655 creating and designating a piece of land in Molino IV, Bacoor City, where the center, to be called the Vistahub BPO Molino, will be built. The proclamation was signed by Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea upon the authority of the President under Republic Act No. 7916 or the Special Economic Zone Act of 1995. The proposed building will have a floor area of 19,783.53 square meters and will stand on a parcel of land along Daanghari Road with an area of 2,634 sq m.—JULIE M. AURELIO

2 motorcycle thieves killed in clash

Two alleged motorcycle thieves were killed in an entrapment operation by members of the Quezon City Police District (QCPD) on Thursday evening. Chief Supt. Joselito Esquivel, QCPD director, identified the slain suspects only through their aliases Ian Diaz and Jessie. In a report sent to Esquivel, Quezon City policemen said they were in an entrapment operation around 7:30 p.m. at the suspects’ safe house in the village of Vasra. The suspects sold a stolen motorbike for P15,000 to policemen acting as buyers. Upon sensing they were dealing with policemen, the suspects allegedly drew their firearms and fired at the lawmen, starting a gunfight which led to the suspects’ killing.—JODEE A. AGONCILLO

BI nabs former Taiwan gov’t exec convicted of graft

The Bureau of Immigration (BI) arrested a former high-ranking Taiwanese government official who has gone into hiding in the Philippines for more than four years after being found guilty of fraud in Taiwan. Wu Chien Pao, former speaker of Tainan County, is currently detained at the BI detention facility in Taguig City and is awaiting deportation after he was apprehended on Wednesday in his residence at Kalayaan Homes in the free port of Subic in Zambales province. According to BI Fugitive Search Unit chief Bobby Raquepo, Wu had eluded arrest since October 2014. A Taiwanese court found the 68-year-old to be behind one of the biggest baseball game-fixing scandals to hit Taiwan.—JOVIC YEE

Duterte makes new appointments

President Duterte has appointed ex-Malabon City Vice Mayor Mark Allan Jay Yambao as undersecretary of the Department of Social Welfare and Development. Malacañang on Friday released the letter of Yambao’s appointment as social welfare undersecretary signed by the President on Jan. 15. Yambao served as vice mayor of Malabon City from 1995 to 2004.—JULIE M. AURELIO

Warehouse owner nabbed for reselling ‘ukay’

Authorities recently arrested the owner of a warehouse in Bulacan province after it was found he was reselling used clothes that were sent to him by the Bureau of Customs (BOC) for disposal. In an entrapment operation of the BOC and the National Bureau of Investigation on Thursday, EPY ECO Condemnation Facility owner Francis Lesaca was apprehended as an estimated P1 million worth of used clothing was seized in his company’s warehouse in Guiguinto town. According to Manila International Container Port district collector Erastus Sandino Austria, they received reports that the used clothing being sent to Lesaca’s facility were being resold to the public rather than being disposed of.—JOVIC YEE