News Briefs: Sept. 5, 2019

Administrative case vs Duterte kin dismissed

MANILA, Philippines — The Sandiganbayan has dismissed an administrative case against Mayor Ramonito Duterte Durano III of Danao City, Cebu, after granting the prosecution’s motion to withdraw the case against him.

The case stemmed from Durano’s alleged failure to implement two Civil Service Commission (CSC) directives in 2014 reinstating seven local government employees.

Durano admitted that he exhausted all legal remedies against the order before eventually implementing the CSC decision and paying the employees’ back wages and other benefits. —Patricia Denise M. Chiu

Bishop supports campaign vs food waste

MANILA, Philippines — Caloocan Bishop Pablo “Ambo” David has added his voice to the campaign against food waste.

“It’s absurd to even think about the amount of food that goes to waste in a country where so many people go hungry,” David said in an article on CBCPNews.

On his Facebook account, David shared a news story about an Italian law mandating supermarkets to give excess food to charity.

Bagong Henerasyon Rep. Bernadette Herrera-Dy has filed a bill to promote food security and prevent food wastage in the country. —Tina G. Santos

Mother of Perpetual Help image taken down today

MANILA, Philippines — Catholic Filipinos now have a rare chance to venerate up-close the image of Our Mother of Perpetual Help at the Baclaran Church in Parañaque City as this will be taken down on Thursday to make way for a renovation of the altar. The National Shrine of Our Mother of Perpetual Help, also known as Baclaran Church, has been a center of Marian devotion with thousands of miracles attributed to Our Mother of Perpetual Help. —Tina G. Santos

Network for resource sharing among schools formed

MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Higher Education (CHEd) has formed a network of local universities to bridge the gap in resources and practices among private and public higher learning institutions (HEIs).

The Antena network seeks to foster resource-sharing among “very good HEIs and those at the challenged areas,” the CHEd said.

“We have to make sure that when [Filipino students] graduate, they possess qualifications and competencies to make them competitive in the region,” said Lily Freida Milla, director of the CHEd International Affairs Staff. —Mariejo S. Ramos