News Briefs: June 18, 2019
Sandiganbayan bucks arrest of Misuari
MANILA, Philippines — The Sandiganbayan’s Third Division has denied the prosecution’s motion to have Moro National Liberation Front chair Nur Misuari arrested for his failure to comply with the conditions set by the court on his foreign travels.
The antigraft court, however, warned Misuari it would deal with noncompliance of travel rules “more severely” in future.
The Sandiganbayan allowed Misuari to travel to the United Arab Emirates and Morocco from February to March to attend sessions of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation.
The former governor of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, who is on trial for two counts each of graft and malversation, was ordered to present himself to the court five days after returning to the country. He failed to do so. —Jhesset O. Enao
Albayalde: Prove 2 slain persons were Karapatan members
MANILA, Philippines — Gen. Oscar Albayalde on Monday said it was important to ascertain whether the two persons shot dead by gunmen at Barangay Cabid-an in Sorsogon City on Saturday were members of the human rights group Karapatan.
“That way we can find out if they (Karapatan) are just riding on the incident, which they usually do,” the chief of the Philippine National Police said.
He also rejected allegations by the militant Bagong Alyansang Makabayan that the victims, Nelly Bagasala and Ryan Hubilla, were killed to silence members of progressive groups. —Jeannette I. Andrade
Stop SSS contributions of OFWs, high court urged
MANILA, Philippines — Manning agencies that deploy seafarers overseas have asked the Supreme Court to stop the implementation of a new law that requires overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) to pay mandatory contributions to the state pension fund, Social Security System (SSS).
A group of agencies led by Joint Ship Manning Group Inc. on Monday asked the tribunal to strike down a provision of the Social Security Act of 2018 that considers manning agencies for sea-based OFWs as employers. —Dona Z. Pazzibugan
