News Briefs: April 30, 2019
Robredo entitled to her opinion on plot vs Duterte – Palace
MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Leni Robredo is free to express her own opinion on President Duterte’s admission that another country informed him about the plot to oust him from office, Malacañang said on Monday.
Presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo also dismissed the claim of the political opposition that the President committed treason when he allowed another country to spy on Filipinos.
“The Vice President is entitled to her own opinion. This is a democratic country. She is free to express her opinion and ideas,” Panelo said at a press briefing.
Robredo on Sunday said she found it “frightening” that the President allowed the “unlawful” spying on Filipinos by a foreign government.
She was referring to the supposed ouster plot by media organizations and lawyers against the President.
In a previous speech, the President said he got the information from a “friendly” government, adding that the media were “being listened on.” —Julie M. Aurelio
Guanzon calls out police general for ‘inspecting’ VCMs
MANILA, Philippines — The director of the Cordillera police has denied engaging in an unauthorized inspection of vote-counting machines (VCM) after a Commission on Elections (Comelec) official criticized his visit to the poll body’s warehouse in Baguio City on the weekend.
In posts on her Twitter account, Commissioner Rowena Guanzon reacted to a news photo of Police Brig. Gen. Israel Dickson that showed him inspecting VCMs and other election paraphernalia at the Comelec warehouse.
“Why? Did the election officer request [the] PNP (Philippine National Police)?” Guanzon said.
“No one is allowed to inspect our warehouses without permission, even if they are directors of the PNP. Hey, get out of there,” she added.
But Dickson clarified in a statement on Monday that he “did not intend to inspect the hub per se, but the deployed personnel who were securing” the warehouse.
“It was just a coincidence that during the supervision, the VCMs were being unloaded and no warehouse supervisor from the Comelec was in sight for a coordination to be made,” Dickson said. —Jaymee T. Gamil
De Lima: Be wary of candidates who support death penalty
MANILA, Philippines — Detained opposition Sen. Leila de Lima on Monday reminded voters to “be wary” of candidates who support the return of capital punishment and said that judicial reforms and strict enforcement of the law were still the best antidote to the rising tide of criminality in the country.
“Politicians will try to pander with tough talk and promises of harsh punishment against criminals. However, they are all cheap and meaningless if they do not translate to actual arrests, prosecutions and convictions,” De Lima said in a handwritten dispatch from her detention cell at Camp Crame.
She also urged the electorate to shun the senatorial candidates endorsed by President Rodrigo Duterte as she warned that a heavy defeat for the opposition candidates would only make the Senate a “rubber stamp with little value to our country.” —Marlon Ramos
2 Chinese wanted in Beijing for cybercrime to be deported
MANILA, Philippines — The Bureau of Immigration will deport two Chinese wanted in Beijing for cybercrime.
Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente said the fugitives—Hong Webin, 34, and Li Cheng, 36 — were arrested on Thursday at their apartment in Mandaluyong City by agents of the bureau’s Fugitive Search Unit (FSU).
The two are now detained at the immigration detention cell at Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig City pending the issuance of their summary deportation order by the bureau’s board of commissioners.
“Their continued presence here poses a threat to public safety and security,” Morente said.
FSU chief Bobby Raquepo said that Hong and Li, whose passports had been canceled by the Chinese government, distributed obscene materials on the internet and engaged in illegal propaganda. —Tina G. Santos
Oil companies raise prices of diesel, gasoline
MANILA, Philippines — Pump prices of diesel went up by 80 centavos per liter and gasoline by 75 centavos per liter as the price of Dubai crude last week reached its peak this year.
Shell, Seaoil, Phoenix and Total have announced price changes, with other companies expected to follow suit.
Shell and Seaoil also raised prices of kerosene by 90 centavos per liter.
On April 22, the benchmark Dubai crude oil traded at $71.20 per barrel, the highest this year after the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and other oil producers agreed to limit output following last year’s price crash. —Ronnel W. Domingo
