Newsbriefs

Nachura retires on Monday

Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonio Eduardo Nachura was feted yesterday a testimonial by his fellow justices for his retirement on June 13. Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona, former presidents Fidel Ramos and Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, Commission on Elections Chair Sixto Brillantes Jr. were among the guests at the retirement ceremony. Nachura earlier told reporters that he wanted to take a long vacation and that he was not yet thinking getting another job in the government. “I am not thinking about it (entering government service again) right now. I just want to take a rest right now after long years of government service,” he said.  Jerome Aning

Take a leave, LLDA chief told

A militant fisherfolk group urged Laguna Lake Development Authority chief Rodrigo Cabrera to take a leave or resign from his post while an investigation into the extortion case as alleged by a Chinese fishpen operator in Laguna Lake, is ongoing.“In the name of public interest, we strongly advise the LLDA chief to take a leave of absence or quit post to allow an honest-to-goodness and objective investigation into the accusations hurled against him,” Fernando Hicap, national chair of Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya) said in a statement. The group also urged the government to conduct an independent probe and not an investigation team formed by Cabrera himself and other LLDA officials. Nina Calleja

80 recruiters owe Owwa P143M

Eighty international and local recruitment agencies faces sanctions for failure to pay back the government the expenses of the repatriated overseas Filipino Workers from Libya early this year, a labor official said. Overseas Workers Welfare Administrator head Carmelita Dimzon said P143 million is yet to be collected from these agencies, which until now had not reimbursed the agency of the repatriation expenses. “We are giving them two months to reconcile their figures and pay the agency, otherwise we recommend suspension. “Dimzon told reporters in Doha, Qatar. Dimzon further said that  a task force had been created  headed by lawyer Lllewelyn Perez to facilitate the immediate collection of the repatriation expenses incurred by the agencies. Nancy Carvajal

Shell cargo held in Zamboanga port

Operatives of the Philipine Coast Guard temporarily confiscated 88 sacks of assorted marine species on a cargo vessel en route to Zamboanga City on Wednesday night. In a report, the PCG headquarters in Manila said the illegal cargo were found on board the Sea Dayang II, a wooden-hulled cargo vessel owned and operated by one Maing Jimbdi. The vessel was en route to a private wharf in Zamboanga from Bonggao, Tawi-tawi when it was boarded at around 8:45 p.m. by elements of the PCG Zamboanga Station and PCG Field Stations-Southwestern Mindanao. Lt. Cmdr. Algier Ricafrente  said the inspection team found 85 sacks containing of Tiger Cowrie Shells, three sacks of Abalon Shells and two cartons of assorted unidentified species of shells with an estimated market value of  P495,000 as indicated by  a receipt issued by the Office of the Municipal Fishery of Bongao, Tawi-Tawi. A representative from the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources later declared that the marine shells did not not belong to the list of prohibited or banned items. Jerome Aning

PH lifts deployment ban to Bahrain

The government has officially lifted the deployment ban to Bahrain after political tensions in the Persian Gulf country subsided, a ranking labor official said. Carlos Cao Jr., Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) chief, said Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz signed the order lifting the deployment ban on Tuesday afternoon. “We have again started processing and deploying both newly-hired and returning workers to Bahrain,” Cao said in an interview. He said Baldoz lifted the ban after the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) downgraded the Security Alert Level for Bahrain from Alert level 2 to Alert Level 1. “Alert Level 1 means there is no more danger. Both newly-hired and returning workers can be deployed,” Cao said. Philip C. Tubeza

Tips on how to immigrate to Canada

Skilled Filipino workers wishing to immigrate to Canada can learn how to go about the process themselves. A leading immigration consultant – Vivre  Canada Immigration (https://www.vivreocanada.com)– has offered to assist Filipinos or teach them how to prepare their own immigration files at a Skilled Worker Program on Saturday at Bayview Hotel, Roxas Boulevard, Manila, 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m.  The session will be conducted by, among others, lawyer Stéphane J. Hébert, former member of the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, and Nora Bouhali, Canadian immigration consultant. Registrants may call M. Aldorando Corneli, 0922-5106919, or e-mail Bouhali at [email protected].