The Bureau of Immigration (BI) on Monday said all the international airports in the country are expected to register 12,000 arrivals this summer season. Commissioner Jaime Morente said two weeks following the approval of the national government to allow the entry of fully vaccinated foreign nationals from visa-free countries, the number of arrivals reached over 9,000 per day. “Now after a month, we’re seeing more than 10,000 arrivals per day,” he said in a statement. “This figure could reach 12,000 or more during the summer season when many foreign nationals flock our tourist destinations to enjoy the tropical weather.” He
The Commission on Elections (Comelec) is set to discuss this week other possible sanctions to national candidates who will skip the succeeding episodes of “PiliPinas Debates 2022”. “We will address this particular problem in the en banc session this Wednesday,” Comelec chairman Saidamen Pangarungan said in an interview on Sunday night. Asked if the poll body can impose heavier penalties, Pangarungan said there is no law that mandates aspirants to attend such an event. “This debate is purely voluntary. We cannot force candidates, who will refuse to participate,” he said. Meanwhile, Commissioner George Garcia said the possible additional sanction will
The Sandiganbayan has convicted a lawyer of the Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) for receiving double compensation 19 years ago in violation of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act. The anti-graft court sentenced Virgilio Ocaya to up to eight years imprisonment and directed him to return to the PCGG PHP129,600, which he received as double compensation from January to June 2003. Ocaya worked for the PCGG while concurrently serving as Deputy Administrator for Administration and Legal Affairs of the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System Regulatory Office (MWSS-RO) from September 2002 to June 30, 2003. Ocaya received PHP278,388 per annum
Filipinos working in Morocco can now access government assistance much easier with the establishment of the country’s overseas labor office here. The Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) in Morocco started its operations in March 2021. For years, Filipino workers in the North African state had been under the jurisdiction of the Philippine Embassy in Madrid and later on the Philippine Embassy in Tripoli. “Before, there was no labor section here in Morocco. This country used to be under (the Philippine Embassy in) Libya so the labor attaché would come here maybe twice or thrice in a year so he was
Vice presidential aspirant Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III on Sunday said a vice president can help run the country even without holding any Cabinet post. At the Commission on Elections-organized debates at the Sofitel Plaza, Sotto said the second-highest seat is not a “spare tire”, or elected to just assume the presidency in case of the death, disability or resignation of the incumbent president. “Una sa lahat, hindi naman talaga spare tire talaga ang pangalawang pangulo kung alam mo ang gagawin. Kahit hindi ka bigyan ng posisyon. With the clout of the Office of the Vice President, marami ka
A petitioner in one of the disqualification cases filed against presidential aspirant Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on Monday urged the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to immediately decide on its pending motion for reconsideration (MR). In a letter submitted to the Comelec, the Akbayan party-list said it is only proper for the poll body to issue its ruling since “this decision is not just about one candidate.” “It lies at the heart of what it means to have an election, and thus determine the future of our nation,” read the letter signed by Akbayan Party-list nominees Percival Cendaña and Raymond John
