RODY, LENI RATINGS UP âPULSE ASIA By Vito Barcelo
VOL. XXXIII ⢠NO. 311 ⢠4 SECTIONS 16 PAGES ⢠P18 ⢠SUNDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2019 ⢠www.manilastandard.net ⢠mst.daydesk@gmail.com
PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterteâs approval rating jumped by nine percentage points to 87 percent, from 78 percent last September, while disapproval rating declined by three percentage points from eight percent to five percent. Meanwhile, Vice President Leni Robredoâs approval and trust ratings likewise improved, according to results of a nationwide survey conducted by Pulse Asia earlier this month. Duterteâs approval and trust ratings went up to 87 percent and 83 percent, respectively, which are both 9 percent higher than his ratings in September. Robredo, got an approval rating of 58 percent, an 8 percent increase from September. Her trust rating also went up by 7 percent to 53 percent from Septemberâs 46 percent. Turn to A2
PH NATIVITY SCENE WORLD RECORD CITY OF San Jose del Monte, BulacanâA new Guinness world record was established in this city on Friday for having the most number of living figures joining a Nativity scene. It was the second Guinness world record for the City of San Jose del Monte, the first being the largest lantern parade on Sept. 19, 2017, with 14,173 lantern-bearing participants. A total 2,101 took part in the Nativity scene at the Altraza Spine Road in Barangay Tungkong Mangga in the city at 6 p.m. This bested the 1,254 record set by the Calne Town Council and Bible Society in Calne, Wiltshire, United Kingdom on Dec. 3, 2016. Swapnil Dangarikar, the official adjudicator of the Guinness Book of World Records, made the official announcement after the staging of the birth of Jesus Christ scene.
ONE FOR THE BOOKS. Yet another world record has been established by the City of San Jose del Monte, Bulacan in the northern skirts of Manila: the most number of living figures (inset right)â2,101 which beat the 1,254 record set by Calne Town Council and Bible Society in Calne, Wiltshire, Britain on Dec 3, 2016âjoining a Nativity scene on Friday at the Altaraza Spine Road in the cityâs Barangay Tungkong Mangga. On Sept. 19, 2017, the city notched its first Guinness world record with 14,173 lantern-bearing participants.
'FLAWS' EXPOSED IN JUSTICE SYSTEM
By Vito Barcelo
M
ALACAĂANG on Saturday admitted âserious flawsâ existed in the Philippine justice system that needed to be rectified, following the promulgation earlier this week by a court on the case of Maguindanao massacre. The Palace issued the statement after the celebrated Maguindanao massacre case found eight members of the Ampatuan clan guilty and sentenced to a maximum of 40 years in prison for the murder of 57 people in Maguindanao, which took 10 years to end. Among those convicted were Datu Andal âUnsayâ Ampatuan, Jr., Zaldy Ampatuan, and Datu Anwar, Sr.âsons of the late former Maguindanao governor Andal Ampatuan, Sr. who prosecution witnesses said masterminded the crime. Another son of Andal Sr., Datu Sajid Islam Ampatuan, was acquitted, with three other relatives. Quezon City Regional Trial Court Judge Jocelyn Solis-Reyes announced the verdict on Thursday, more than 10 years after the mass
killing. The dispositive portion of Judge Solis-Reyesâ761-page decision, which was read in court, said the prosecution was able to âestablish the guilt beyond reasonable doubtâ of 28 accused âwho are found to have acted as principal.â However, four AmpatuansâAkmad alias âTato,â Sajid Islam, Jonathan, Jimmyâalong with dozens of other individuals were acquitted on the ground of reasonable doubt; three were acquitted for the prosecutionâs âabsoluteâ failure to prove their guilt. They were ordered released from jail unless they were being detained for other lawful causes. The court acquitted all the accused over the death of photojournalist Reynaldo âBebotâ Momay, the
58th massacre victim whose body was never found, due to reasonable doubt and dismissed his familyâs claim for damages. In a statement, Palace spokesperson Salvador Panelo said that âwhile the rule of law has prevailed following Thursdayâs promulgation by the trial court on the case of the Maguindanao massacre, the Palace notes that there are serious flaws in our justice system long existing and must be rectified, if we are to be fealty to the rule of law and due process as enshrined in our Constitution.â He lamented that it took 10 years for the case to wrap up and for the trial to end. âAn analysis of the courtâs judgment shows that 10 years of what could have been productive lives of 56 acquitted accused have been wasted in incarceration, and necessarily their families have since become dysfunctional, with their wives and their children bearing the brunt of the stigma and the humiliation that come with
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it, scarring them for the rest of their lives,â he said. The Palace vowed to do something about the justice system to ensure such injustice to acquitted would not happen again. âThis is an injustice that cannot be countenanced nor continue. It must not find print ever again in the pages of our history as a nation,â Panelo said. The Palace official said the major cause of the aberration was âthe filing of charges before the court against any accused even if the evidence presented before the investigating public prosecutor cannot sustain a conviction of an accused of a crime to be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.â âThe hasty and heedless filing of an information is due either to the faulty appreciation of evidence byâor the fear ofâthe investigating prosecutor to be subjected to an administrative sanction or get a Turn to A2
17,000 RIDERS FACE JOB LOSS; ANGKAS FUMES THE motorcycle-hailing app Angkas has appealed to the public to help âsaveâ some 17,000 drivers who may lose their jobs after the government slashed more than half of the motorcycle taxi companyâs workforce. The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) has denied Angkasâ petition to have more drivers, and instead limited the motorcycle-hailing appâs drivers to 10,000 from 27,000. âThatâs a compromise to the quality of service you can expect, and a direct blow to 17,000 Filipino families,â Angkas said in a statement Saturday. It added: âWhy limit and take away the jobs of our bikers? Why punish bikers who went through training and have proven their skills Turn to A2 on the road?
RATIFIED BUDGET UP TO DUTERTE; SOME ITEMS 'QUESTIONABLE' AGAINST issues of âporkâ allegedly included in the proposed 2020 P4.1 trillion national budget, Senate President Vicente Sotto III said Saturday said he had signed the ratified General Appropriations Bill the night before. In a text message to reporters, Sotto said: âYes I did (sign) last night. The President, Sec. Avisado, Sen (Panfilo) Lacson, and I already understand each othersâ concern.â He was referring to Wendel Eliot Avisado, the incumbent Secretary of Budget and Management appointed by President Rodrigo Duterte on August 5
to replace Janet Abuel Lacson himself confirmed this, saying he also passed the âlist of questionable budget itemsâ to Sotto, Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea, and Avisado. âI already submitted [...] the list of questionable budget items. Having said that, I leave the fate of the national budget to their appreciation as it is purely presidential prerogative,â he told reporters in a message. Earlier, the chairman of the House Appropriations Committee said the version of the P4.1 trillion budget approved by
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TOP MINERAL EXPORTER. Platinum Group Metals Corporation, the Surigao del Norte-based operating arm
of listed Global Ferronickel Holdings, Inc. has been conferred Top Exporter for the Minerals Sector by the Export Development Council, and the Philippine Exporters Confederation, Inc. during the recent National Export Congress. The citation was based on the value of the Companyâs export transactions provided by the Philippine Statistics Authority for 2018. PGMC is engaged in the exploration, extraction and marketing of nickel ore for the international market and holds the distinction of being the largest single lateritic mine exporter in the world. At the awarding ceremonies are (from left) DTI-EMB Director Senen M. Perlada; DTI-Trade Promotions Group Undersecretary Abdulgani M. Macatoman; DTI Secretary Ramon M. Lopez; PGMC Chairman Joseph C. Sy; PHILEXPORT Trustee and FNI Independent Director Roberto C. Amores; PGMC President Dante R. Bravo; PHILEXPORT President Sergio R. Ortiz-Luis Jr.; and PCCI Chairman George T. Barcelon.
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