MANILA: After complying with the order to pay PHP5.96 million in restitution to the government, the Sandiganbayan slapped a fine of PHP16,000 on former Iloilo (2nd District) representative Judy Syjuco as part of a plea bargain agreement. The deal reduced the 78-year-old Syjuco’s case to the lesser charges of fraud and failure of an accountable officer to render accounts from the original graft and malversation. The Sandiganbayan ruling published online Tuesday imposed the fine after Syjuco asked to be allowed to plead guilty in October to the lesser charges which stemmed from the procurement of 1,582 units of
MANILA : The Sandiganbayan has acquitted former postmaster general Hector Villanueva and his chief executive staff, Juliana Dimalanta, of graft arising from the appointment of a management consultant that ran in conflict with the constitutional prohibition against double compensation. Villanueva and Dimalanta were charged in 2016 for the appointment of lawyer Antonio Corrado as legal and management consultant from 2007 to 2010 while he was the Assistant Executive Secretary under the Office of the President. Corrado died while the case was ongoing. The charges claimed that VIllanueva and Dimalanta allowed Corrado to receive from the Philippine Postal
MANILA: President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. is set to sign an executive order (EO) seeking the creation of “green lane” for strategic investments, Malacañang announced Tuesday. This, developed after Marcos convened a meeting with Trade Secretary Alfredo Pascual and other officials of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) at the State Dining Room of Malacañan Palace in Manila. “President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. will be signing an Executive Order to promote ease of doing business in the Philippines and make it competitive with other Southeast Asian nations in terms of attracting Foreign Direct Investments (FDIs),” Undersecretary Cheloy
WASHINGTON: Mauna Loa, the world’s largest active volcano, began to erupt overnight, prompting authorities to open shelters “as a precaution” on Monday. The volcano, located on Hawaii’s Big Island, has not erupted since 1984 when it emitted lava for over three weeks. Hawaii’s Emergency Management Agency said it received reports of lava beginning to overflow along the southwestern part of the volcano’s caldera, or the large hollow bowl at the top of the volcano. Still, the agency said there are not any current indications that lava is threatening populated areas, and noted that no evacuation orders have
MANILA: The German government, through its Embassy in Manila, is partnering with the Philippine government in addressing the climate crisis. “We consider the climate crisis the greatest security challenge of our time. The world cannot afford to wait longer. We need to end the fossil age and rapidly reduce emissions,” German Ambassador to the Philippines Anke Reiffenstuel said in a news release on Monday. “This is why Germany has massively upped the pace on the shift to green energy with the aim of being climate neutral by 2045. Globally, Germany is a reliable partner of countries that are
MANILA : Speaker Martin G. Romualdez said Tuesday the House of Representatives is pushing for the retention of funds allocated for fuel subsidy and the Libreng Sakay program of the Department of Transportation (DOTr). The House has decided to earmark PHP25 billion for the Pantawid Pasada Fuel Program, PHP2 billion for Libreng Sakay, and PHP1 billion as part of the PHP77 billion institutional amendments for pro-people programs in the national budget. “This is one of the pro-people provisions of the proposed national budget. Kailangan ito ng mga mamamayan (These are needed by the Filipinos),” Romualdez said. He
