News Briefs

Tawi-Tawi solon seeks court nod to join peace talks in Rome

Tawi-Tawi Rep. Ruby Sahali Tan has asked the Sandiganbayan Sixth Division to allow her to travel to Rome to join the third round of peace talks with the National Democratic Front of the Philippines.

Tan, who faces charges for violating asset disclosure rules, sought permission to leave the country from Jan. 17 to 27 “solely for the purpose of attending the said peace negotiations.”

Tan,  chair of the House Committee on Peace, Rehabilitation and Unity, said she and other panel members were formally invited by the chief peace negotiator Silvestre Bello III to join the talks to be held on Jan.  18-25. —Vince Nonato

PH sets up helplines for OFWs in Australia

The Philippine Embassy in Canberra has set up helplines for Filipinos who may be getting a raw deal from their employers in Australia.

The embassy tied up with the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (Polo) in Canberra to produce pocket brochures containing useful tips and contact information for overseas Filipino workers.

The wallet-size brochures, “OFW Helplines in Australia,” were distributed to OFWs in Canberra at the start of the year.

According to the embassy, its initiative is to ensure Filipinos in Australia have the necessary information in case of emergency or work-related problems.

The brochure  contains all helplines for workplace problems anywhere in Australia, health and safety violations, emergency numbers and other embassy services.—Jeannette I. Andrade

SC gives De Lima 10 days to respond to disbarment suit

The Supreme Court has given  Sen. Leila de Lima 10 days to reply to a disbarment complaint arising from her alleged adulterous relationship with her former driver and bodyguard.

In an banc session on Tuesday, the high court said De Lima should reply to the case filed by lawyer Fernando P. Perito who used De Lima’s own admission on a television news program as proof of her illicit relationship with Ronnie Dayan.

Although De Lima’s marriage has been annulled, Dayan, who was her employee from 2007 to 2014, was still married while they carried out their affair.  Perito had accused De Lima of gross immorality and violation of the lawyer’s oath. —Gil C. Cabacungan

QC court ruling puts SMC stake in Manila port on spotlight

A Quezon City Regional Trial Court ruling barring 1-Pacman party-list Rep. Michael “Mikee” Romero from claiming ownership of the family-owned Harbour Centre Port Terminal Inc. (HCPTI) has exposed some possible challenges to the ownership of Manila North Harbor Port Inc. (MNHPI).

According to San Miguel Corp. (SMC) president and chief operating officer Ramon Ang,  the SMC group now controls a 78.33-percent interest in the contested port terminal firm.

Prior to the deal, MNHPI was 65-percent owned by HCPTI and 35 percent by SMC-owned Petron Corp. SMC eventually acquired an additional 43.44-percent stake in the firm, which has been the subject of a tug-of-war between Mikee and his father Reghis Romero II who sued his estranged son for allegedly falsifying ownership of the port facility.

Last Jan. 5, Quezon City Branch 222 RTC  Judge Edgar Santos ordered Mikee and his affiliates to stop acting as stockholder and  board of member of HCPTI.

The court said  R-II Builders  and R-II Holdings Inc. should be deemed majority holders of HCPTI.

Lawmakers cited for protecting lowly tobacco farmers

Archbishop Sergio L. Utleg of the Archdiocese of Tuguegarao has commended lawmakers for passing a measure that considers the plight of lowly tobacco farmers.

The prelate was referring to House Bill No. 4144 which seeks to amend the current unitary excise tax system into a two-tier excise system.

“Many of our followers are lowly tobacco farmers whose only source of livelihood is dependent on the crop,” Utleg said.

He added that the propoor measure would give  these farmers time to transition into other sources of livelihood, especially once their dependents grow up and start to carve out their own careers.