News Briefs: June 13, 2019
National ID system ‘protects rights of every Filipino’
MANILA, Philippines — Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon and Sen. Panfilo Lacson on Wednesday said the law establishing the national ID system put in place “enough safeguards” to protect the privacy and rights of every Filipino.
Drilon and Lacson, the main authors of the law, said Republic Act No. 11055, or the Philippine Identification System Act, was intended to improve the delivery of basic services to the people and make transactions in state agencies easier.
“As the author and principal sponsor of the measure in the Senate, I can say with certainty that the national ID system is more incentive-based rather than punitive in its intent and purpose,” Lacson said in a statement.
Drilon said the the law “protects against unlawful disclosure of information and punishes those who will subvert the system” for unlawful ends.
“The type of information collected and the purpose for which they may be used is limited,” he said. —Marlon Ramos
Ex-NPDC exec fined after pleading guilty to lesser crime
MANILA, Philippines — Instead of having to face graft charges, a former executive director of the National Parks Development Committee (NPDC) has been slapped with a P30,000 fine after the Sandiganbayan approved a plea bargaining deal over his involvement in an allegedly anomalous P49-million security contract.
The antigraft court’s Seventh Division found Carlito San Antonio Fajardo guilty on six counts of the lesser offense of “prohibited transactions” as defined under Section 7(a) of the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials. Fajardo was fined P5,000 for each count.
Had he been found guilty of graft, he could have faced a prison sentence of 10 years and three months to 20 years, as well as perpetual disqualification from public office and fines.
“The prosecution manifested to the court that they are not opposing the accused’s change of plea,” the Sandiganbayan said.
The allegedly anomalous contract that Fajardo signed with Variance Protective and Security Agency lasted from 2014 to 2010. —Patricia Denise M. Chiu
German-made Sidewinder missiles coming for Air Force
MANILA, Philippines — The Department of National Defense (DND) expects the delivery of an initial batch of AIM-9L/I-1 Sidewinder infrared-guided air-to-air missiles this year for the Philippine Air Force’s FA-50PH light interim fighter jets.
According to Arsenio Andolong, spokesperson for the DND, the German-made missiles would add to the capability of the FA-50, which is currently armed with Maverick air-to-ground missiles and a 20-millimeter automatic cannon.
The Air Force has squadron of 12 of the jets acquired for P18-billion from South Korea under the Armed Forces of the Philippines modernization program.
Andolong was mum on the number of missiles to be delivered, citing security reasons, but said these are “sufficient for all of the country’s FA-50s.”
Diehl Raytheon won the P1.016 billion supply contract for the new model of the Sidewinders, which has a top speed of Mach 3 or three times the speed of sound. —JEANNETTE I. ANDRADE
DND OKs P32-M contract for antidrone equipment
MANILA, Philippines — The Department of National Defense (DND) has awarded a P32.4-million contract for the supply of antidrone equipment to a joint venture between Philippine and Singaporean companies.
The DND issued last month a notice of award to Southcoast Marketing Inc. and Singaporean company TRD Consultancy Pte. Ltd. for the supply and delivery of nine sets of shoulder-fired directional jammers.
The antidrone equipment is used against unmanned aerial vehicles or drones by disrupting radio control frequencies.
The equipment will be used by the Presidential Security Group.
TRD produces the rifle-type Orion 7 “drone slayer” MP (manpack) which can disable or bring down a drone.
Before the contract was awarded it underwent three failed biddings due mostly to the absence of qualified bidders.
TRD passed post-qualification inspection. —Jeannette I. Andrade
