‘Azurin not yet off the hook on P6.7 billion shabu’
‘Azurin not yet off the hook on P6.7 billion shabu’MANILA, Philippines - Former Philippine National Police chief Rodolfo Azurin is not yet off the hook on possible liability in the lapses involving 990 kilos of shabu valued at P6.7 billion that were seized from a lending office of a PNP officer in Manila last October, Sen. Ronald dela Rosa said yesterday. “(Azurin) is not yet off the hook,” Dela Rosa told Senate reporters, noting that at least three low-ranking police officers indicated their intention to tell the truth and what they know about almost a ton of shabu seized from M/Sgt. Dela Rosa is chairman of the Senate committee on public order. Unless, at the next hearing, (BGen Narciso) Domingo says that General Azurin really had an instruction or clearance to hide Mayo, or not to charge him,” Dela Rosa said in Filipino. I think it is better if somebody will move to cite him in contempt,” Dela Rosa said.
Source:Philippine Star
May 25, 2023 09:19 UTC
XPeng slides 5pc in pre-market trading
Staff reporterXPeng (9868) dropped more than 5 percent in the US pre-market trading after the Chinese electric vehicle maker said its first-quarter net loss widened by 37 percent to 2.34 billion yuan (HK$2.6 billion) from a year ago. The adjusted net loss, which excludes share-based compensation expenses, was 2.21 billion yuan in the first three months, compared with 1.53 billion yuan from the previous year. Total revenue during the period slumped 45.9 percent to 4.03 billion yuan from a year earlier. Looking ahead, Xpeng expects revenue to be between 4.5 billion yuan and 4.7 billion yuan in the second quarter, a year-on-year decline of 36.8 percent to 39.5 percent. It also forecast deliveries to be between 21,000 and 22,000 for the same period, representing a year-over-year decrease of 36.1 percent to 39 percent.
Source:The Standard
May 25, 2023 04:58 UTC
Police force needs to be the gatekeeper in vetting rally requests, says police chief
It is necessary for the police force to act as the gatekeeper in vetting rally requests in the territory, preventing the rallies from being “hijacked” by malicious people, said Hong Kong’s police chief. Commissioner of Police Siu Chak-yee told a newspaper interview published Thursday that the police force will continue to gather intel and crack down on illegal acts, as they fulfill their duty as gatekeepersCommenting on whether the police force would continue to impose a cap on the number of participants or other restrictions in future rallies, Siu said each request is vetted by the force on a case-by-case basis, without any one-size-fits-all measures. He also noted that apart from the police force, organizers of the event are responsible for ensuring peaceful and orderly processions.
Source:The Standard
May 25, 2023 04:23 UTC
Dealing with problematic personal pronoun usage – 2
Again, our authority in this matter is "The American Heritage Book of English Usage," which has taken special note of the contentious aspects of those pronoun choices. In sentences where a personal pronoun follows the conjunction "than," it is incorrect to say, "Alberto may be stockier, but Eduardo is taller than him." Take note, though, that the personal pronoun should be in the objective case in sentences where the pronoun following "than" is the object of an understood verb, as in this sentence: "The board's decision shocked Helen more than me." We should now be in a good position to deal with all of these problematic aspects of personal pronoun usage in English. Read this column and listen to its voice recording in The Manila Times: "Dealing with problematic pronoun usage – 2"Next, May 25, 2023: The grammar of the indefinite pronounsVisit Jose Carillo's English Forum, http://josecarilloforum.com.
Source:Manila Times
May 25, 2023 04:02 UTC
Bus conductor nabbed for girl’s rape
Bus conductor nabbed for girl’s rapeMANILA, Philippines - A bus conductor accused of raping a 13-year-old girl on multiple occasions was arrested in Quezon City yesterday. Manly Absalon, 40, was collared by operatives of the Quezon City Police District (QCPD) in a hotel in Barangay Tatalon at around 5:30 a.m., probers said. An investigation showed Guevarra and the girl had been talking for several months on a social media platform where they first met. According to the girl, Guevarra sexually molested her despite her protests. Absalon is being held on charges of statutory rape and violating Republic Act 7610 or the anti-child abuse law.
Source:Philippine Star
May 25, 2023 01:09 UTC
US hits China restriction on Micron chips
The US reacted to a decision of China on Monday telling operators of ‘critical information infrastructure’ to stop buying Micron products. AFP PHOTOWASHINGTON, D.C.: The United States on Monday criticized China for restricting sales of chips from American giant Micron, the latest move in a feud between the two powers on semiconductors. "We have very serious concerns with the reports that the PRC (People's Republic of China) has restricted the sale of Micron chips to certain domestic industries," State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said. Micron's products "have relatively serious potential network security issues, which pose a major security risk to China's critical information infrastructure supply chain and affect China's national security," the cybersecurity administration said in a statement. The United States last year imposed sweeping restrictions on China's access to high-end chips, citing national security concerns.
Source:Manila Times
May 24, 2023 04:25 UTC
Three more Degamo slay suspects retract testimonies — lawyer
Three more Degamo slay suspects retract testimonies — lawyerAn armed member of the police Special Action Force (SAF) stands guard in front of the municipal hall in Pamplona town in Negros Oriental on March 5, 2023, a day after provincial governor Roel Degamo and eight others were killed in a mass shooting. MANILA, Philippines (Updated 4L31 p.m.) — Three more suspects in the brazen assassination of Negros Oriental Gov. Roel Degamo have recanted previous testimonies on their involvement in the case, their lawyer said Tuesday. Rivero also claimed he was tortured and was threatened to point to suspended Rep. Arnolfo Teves Jr. (Negros Oriental) as the mastermind in the killing. He added that Antipolo had only signed affidavits that his client surmised “comes from the police officers of Negros Oriental” out of fear of torture and for his family's safety.
Source:Philippine Star
May 24, 2023 02:00 UTC
Poon company in hot water again over alleged cartel
Otto Poon’s ATAL Building Services Engineering is facing a second antitrust suit. SING TAOEunice LamThe Competition Commission has commenced another set of proceedings against a company owned by Otto Poon Lok-to, husband of former secretary for justice Teresa Cheng Yeuk-wah, for alleged price-fixing, market-sharing and bid-rigging. The second antitrust suit faced by Poon's ATAL Building Services Engineering in the Competition Tribunal is over a suspected air-conditioning work cartel between December 2015 and June 2018. Another air-conditioner work provider, Johnson Controls Hong Kong, its parent company and a former assistant service manager of Johnson Controls, Jimmy Lee Yui-ming, are also involved in this round of proceedings. It said the potential liability of ATAL Building Services under both proceedings had been dealt with and resolved under the agreement entered into with the commission in November 2022.
Source:The Standard
May 24, 2023 01:14 UTC
PH 'leveled up' in SEA Games — POC
Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) president Bambol Tolentino PHOTO BY WAYLON GALVEZLevelled up. That was how Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) president Bambol Tolentino described the Team Philippine performance in the recently-concluded 32nd Southeast Asian Games in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. "In total, it was really a strong performance for Team Philippines, especially reclaiming the gold of basketball. Other than strong, 'levelled up' is indeed one of the best adjectives to describe Team Philippines' medal haul in Phnom Penh. On top of that, Team Philippines claimed 85 silvers and 117 bronzes for a total of 260 medals and finished fifth in the Games.
Source:Manila Times
May 24, 2023 00:53 UTC
Seek support, emotionally struggling seafarers told
BEFRIENDERS Worldwide (BW), a United Kingdom-based charity organization for seafarers, encouraged seagoing workers to seek support should they experience emotional or mental challenges while onboard a ship. UK-based charity organization Befrienders Worldwide notes that the unique challenges of seafarers such as isolation, depression and desperation can sometimes lead to thoughts or acts of suicide. Its primary mission is to offer mental and emotional support to seafarers whether through phone, email or personal interactions. "You can get in touch with the support centers listed on our website at http://befrienders.org," it added. Befrienders Worldwide is there to support you in your time of need," BW said.
Source:Manila Times
May 23, 2023 16:23 UTC
Woman arrested for splashing hot drink at another woman over love dispute
Police arrested a woman on Monday, a week after a love dispute led her to splash a hot drink at another woman in a Mong Kok convenience store. The police combed through security footage and arrested a 37-year-old woman Cheung yesterday on suspicion of "wounding". The female victim told the media earlier that no officers were dispatched to the scene despite her making multiple calls to the force. The spokesperson said it wasn't until 5 pm that day the female victim filed a report with the police again after she felt unwell. It is understood that the arrestee and the victim knew each other and were caught in a love dispute.
Source:The Standard
May 23, 2023 16:04 UTC
Seeking answers may help save lives
Yesterday, the government made public a set of figures about organ donations, with a table showing two opposite sets of numbers. On the one hand, about 5,800 applications were received from December to April to withdraw from the Centralized Organ Donation Register. Since the register was created in 2009, the number of donors on the register has steadily grown to more than 357,000. It is clear in the steady growth of the register that the public is generally supportive of organ donation. With complete transparency and public understanding, the government needs not worry about the influence of "a small number of people."
Source:The Standard
May 23, 2023 15:11 UTC
Panganiban says Marcos pushed for sugar importation through selected traders
Panganiban says Marcos pushed for sugar importation through selected tradersMANILA, Philippines — Agriculture Senior Undersecretary Domingo Panganiban said Tuesday before the Senate Blue Ribbon panel that President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. directed the importation of sugar through selected traders. Pressed by Sen. Francis Tolentino to clarify what Marcos told him after a Cabinet meeting, Panganiban said the president directed him to “import through selected importers of sugar.”Panganiban relayed to the committee that Marcos told him in that call that sugar inflation is high which prompted the president to recommend the immediate importation of the sweetener to arrest its price in the market. “Let’s do it ourselves first,” Panganiban said partly in Filipino. I was the one who said, ‘Let’s do it ourselves.’ What the president said was, ‘Let’s import,’” Panganiban said. Panganiban was unable to answer how the sugar traders were selected as he deferred to the Sugar Regulatory Administration.
Source:Philippine Star
May 23, 2023 15:08 UTC
Mawar may develop into supertyphoon – Pagasa
MANILA, Philippines — The tropical cyclone spotted outside the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR) has further strengthened and is likely to turn into a supertyphoon, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said on Monday. The weather disturbance, with the international name Mawar, was observed 2,275 kilometers east of Mindanao on Monday afternoon within the intertropical convergence zone, said Pagasa weather specialist Ana Clauren-Jorda. ADVERTISEMENTClauren-Jorda said that Mawar has maximum sustained winds of 130 kilometers per hour and gustiness of up to 185 km. Mawar will be given the local name “Betty,” when it enters the PAR by Friday or Saturday. It has a chance of intensifying to at least 185 km, added Clauren-Jorda.
Source:Philippine Daily Inquirer
May 23, 2023 12:04 UTC
Koepka takes PGA for fifth major title
ROCHESTER: Brooks Koepka outdueled Viktor Hovland and Scottie Scheffler in a back-nine battle Sunday (Monday in Manila) to win the PGA Championship for his fifth major title, giving Saudi-backed LIV Golf a milestone major triumph. "This is probably the sweetest one of them all because all the hard work that went into it," Koepka said. Norway's 11th-ranked Hovland, chasing his first major title, and American Scheffler, last year's Masters winner and the new world number one, shared second on 273. Koepka was among the stars who jumped from the PGA Tour to breakaway LIV Golf, which offered record $25 million purses for 54-hole events, despite concern over Saudi Arabia's human rights record. The PGA banned LIV talent from its events, with a legal fight between them due in court next May.
Source:Manila Times
May 23, 2023 05:05 UTC