News Briefs: Aug. 19, 2019

DOJ chief supports Lorenzana’s wiretapping proposal

MANILA, Philippines — Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said he would defer to Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, who proposed to extend the allowed time to wiretap perceived security threats from 30 to 90 days, with a one-time 30-day extension.

Malacañang supports Lorenzana’s call to amend the Human Security Act of 2007 (Republic Act No. 9372) in order to expand official wiretapping acts against suspected terrorists.

“Terrorism is a serious threat to national security and public safety, so if our security experts recommend that a longer period for permissible wiretapping is necessary, I will support it,” Guevarra said on Sunday.

He, however, disagreed with Interior Secretary Eduardo Año’s suggestion to create a special court to try suspected terrorists.

“I believe that our regular trial courts, some of which have been designated to especially handle heinous crimes, are capable of trying terrorism cases wherever they may be filed,” Guevarra said.

Año, a former military chief, also supported Lorenzana’s proposal to extend the allowable period for wiretapping, saying that going after terrorist suspects takes a long time. —Dona Z. Pazzibugan

Navy’s most modern ship arriving on Tuesday

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Navy’s newest and most powerful sea asset, the Pohang-class corvette BRP Conrado Yap, is scheduled to arrive on Tuesday in Manila.

Acting Navy spokesperson Lt. Cmdr. Maria Christina Roxas said the BRP Conrado Yap was sailing to the country escorted by BRP Davao del Sur.

Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana will lead the welcome honors for the two ships upon their arrival at the Manila South Harbor. BRP Conrado Yap, formerly the Pohang-class corvette Chungju, will be the most powerful ship in the Philippine Navy’s fleet.

BRP Davao del Sur, which participated in the Russian Navy anniversary in Vladivostok, Russia, fetched the ship from the Jinhae naval base in Changwon City, South Korea.

Roxas said that both ships left for Manila on Aug. 12. BRP Conrado Yap has been placed under the command of Capt. Marco Buena and is manned by over 100 crewmen who underwent 13 weeks of operational training in South Korea.

The ship, which was donated by the South Korean government to the Philippine Navy, was named after Army Capt. Conrado Yap, the most decorated Filipino serviceman of the Korean War.

BRP Conrado Yap is armed with two Oto Melara 76mm main guns, 30mm automatic cannons and antisubmarine torpedoes, and is equipped with sonars and radars. —Jeannette I. Andrade

Higher taxes on e-cigarettes, heated tobacco opposed

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine E-Cigarette Industry Association (Pecia) and Vapers PH slammed a hastily passed House bill significantly raising taxes on e-vapor products and making them virtually the same as regular cigarettes.

“Smokers will simply continue to use cigarettes. There is no incentive for them from government to switch to a better alternative,” they said.

The House approved on second reading on Aug. 14 a substituted version of House Bill No. 1026, which was originally an alcohol tax measure but suddenly included a tax on e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products.

Pecia and Vapers PH said no public hearing was conducted.

“While an increasing number of countries are adopting harm reduction in their national tobacco control policy, our Congress wants to increase taxes on reduced-risk products that can help prevent smoking-related sickness and deaths in the country,” Pecia president Joey Dulay said.

“Heavy taxes on reduced-risk products will only result to smokers sticking it out with conventional cigarettes instead of switching to less harmful nicotine products,” said Mark Czerwin Erana, president of Vapers PH.

This defeats the government’s goal to reduce the number of smokers, Erana added.

Proposed department for OFWs backed

MANILA, Philippines — A group of manning agencies has thrown its support behind a proposed measure seeking to establish the Department of Overseas Filipino Workers to safeguard the rights of some 2 million Filipinos working abroad.

The Alliance of Bonafide Recruiters for OFW Advancement (Abroad), which represents more than 500 placement companies, said debates on the creation of the new agency for OFWs would give recruitment centers, migrant groups and other concerned groups an opportunity to “sit down and find ways to better protect the interest of OFWs.”

“Recruitment agencies have assumed the role as shock troops or the first line of defense in protecting OFW rights and welfare,” Abroad coconvener Mary Cecile Francisco said in a statement.

“We welcome all efforts of the government to improve and streamline the services and processes involved in the deployment of OFWs,” she added.

The department’s creation was proposed following complaints from individuals who had fallen prey to illegal recruiters. —Marlon Ramos