News Briefs: March 18, 2019

Fil-Am in child porno arrested in Pampanga

A 56-year-old Filipino-American wanted in the United States for child pornography was arrested in Pampanga province last Saturday.

The Manila Police District identified the suspect as Joel Aquino Pasay.

He is wanted for digital distribution of child pornography materials.

“[Pasay] poses risk to public safety and security being a fugitive from justice,” said Bureau of Immigration spokesperson Dana Sandoval.

He was nabbed about 1:30 p.m. at his home in Deca Homes Clark in Angeles.

His arrest stemmed from a warrant issued by the US District Court of Nevada. Pasay is also a subject of a warrant of deportation. —Aie Balagtas See

Locsin goes to China for four-day visit

Foreign Secretary Teddy Locsin Jr. will visit China starting on Monday to strengthen “friendly relations” and discuss regional “peace and prosperity” with his Beijing counterpart.

Locsin’s March 18 to 21 official visit is his first to China since he assumed his post as the country’s top diplomat last October.

He will “discuss the strengthening of friendly relations in the spirit of mutual respect and through enhanced functional cooperation” during his bilateral meeting with his counterpart, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

“Both ministers will also discuss ways to advance the larger goal of bringing about peace and prosperity to the region,” the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said about the visit.

This will be their second bilateral meeting. Locsin hosted Wang in Davao City last October, his second official visit to the Philippines.

Wang’s first visit was in July 2017.

The DFA had said Wang’s visit was meant to continue discussions on a framework agreement for joint oil and natural gas explorations in the West Philippine Sea. —Dona Z. Pazzibugan

DILG holds two-day confab on federalism

The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) is set to convene in a two-day conference some 200 representatives from different government agencies to secure their commitment in the campaign for a federal form of government.

According to DILG Secretary Eduardo Año, the activity, to be held at the Heritage Hotel in Pasay City on Monday and Tuesday, is intended to “harmonize, consolidate, and strengthen the advocacy campaign for federalism with the active support and involvement of the concerned agencies of the government.”

Año explained that the two-day conference was in compliance with President Duterte’s directive to the DILG as lead in the interagency task force on federalism.

“The conference will be an avenue to discuss among the government agencies the fundamental principles of federalism, the need to shift from a unitary to a federal form of government, and their significant role in the advocacy campaign for federalism as one of the President’s primary agenda,” Año said. —Jeannette I. Andrade