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(Eagle News)–Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. on Sunday, Jan. 13, said he would name present and past Department of Foreign Affairs officials behind the passport data mess at the agency. Locsin said, however, that he was not keen on summoning them. “Let the Senate investigate and the DOJ (Department of Justice) prosecute if ever,” he said. Locsin also confirmed it was the contract with French firm Francois-Charles Oberthur Fiduciare for the production of e-passports that […]
(Eagle News)–A measure requiring Social Security System coverage for Overseas Filipino Workers has been transmitted to Malacañang for President Rodrigo Duterte’s approval. Sen. Richard Gordon, chair of the Senate Committee on Government Corporations and Public Enterprises and author and sponsor of Senate Bill 1753, said once signed into law, both land-based and sea-based OFWs would also be covered by SSS, “provided that they are not over 60 years of age.” The measure, if approved, will […]
(Eagle News)–Senator Sherwin Gatchalian has renewed his call for the passage of a law that would require prospective vehicle owners to show proof they own a parking space for the new vehicle. In pushing for the passage of Senate Bill No. 201, also known as the Proof-of-Parking Space Act, Gatchalian noted that based on figures from the Land Transportation Office, the number of registered motor vehicles from the year 2015 until 2017 reached 10,410,814, with an estimated […]
(Eagle News)—Former Foreign Affairs Secretary Perfecto Yasay on Sunday, Jan. 13, revealed a private company has been printing e-passports illegally at the Department of Foreign Affairs. According to Yasay, the DFA on Oct. 5, 2015 awarded the contract for the e-printing services to APO Production Unit Inc., a government printing facility, without bidding despite the contract for the procurement and production of machine-readable electronic passports being awarded beforehand to François-Charles Oberthur Fiduciare of France through its Philippine […]
(Eagle News)–Senator Risa Hontiveros on Saturday, Jan. 12, said the Department of Foreign Affairs owes the country an explanation for the loss of passport data by its former passport maker. “The recent admission that a privately contracted firm took the entire physical database of all of the country’s passport holders indicates a serious national security risk, and is evidence of the Duterte government’s gross incompetence in protecting the people’s private data,” Hontiveros said in a […]
(Eagle News)–Senator Sherwin Gatchalian on Saturday, Jan. 12, urged the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority to implement stricter guidelines for billboards and outdoor advertising signs along major metropolitan roads. Gatchalian made the statement after the Automobile Association Philippines aired its concern about the presence of giant LED projector billboards along EDSA. The AAP said these may distract drivers and cause road accidents. “Mukhang nagiging overcrowded na naman kasi ang mga daan natin with giant billboards,” Gatchalian said. […]
(Eagle News)—The National Privacy Commission will look into the loss of data of passport applicants at the Department of Foreign Affairs. In a statement, Commissioner Raymund Liboro said he would summon the alleged contractor that made off with the data, the DFA, and other pertinent agencies. “Any form of non-availability of personal data, infringement of the rights of data subjects, and harms from processing that include inconveniencing the public, must be adequately explained to the satisfaction of […]
(Eagle News)–Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. has said the Department of Foreign Affairs’ former passport maker has run off with all passport applicants’ data. Locsin made the revelation as he urged those renewing their passports to bring their birth certficates with them as a result. DFA Assistant Secretary Elmer Cato said the birth certificates should be brought by applicants renewing brown or green passports or maroon machine-readable ones because “we need to capture and […]
(Eagle News)–Senator Nancy Binay has filed a Senate bill seeking to institute a national health program for lupus. In filing Senate Bill No. 2070 or the “Comprehensive Lupus Prevention Act of 2018,” Binay said medical changes and interventions can help control lupus even if there is so far no cure for the same. Lupus is a chronic auto-immune disease that sees the immune system attacking the body’s cells and tissue, resulting in inflammation and tissue damage […]
(Eagle News)—Fifty percent of Filipino families consider themselves as poor, a recent Social Weather Stations survey found. The Fourth Quarter 2018 Social Weather Survey, done from December 16-19, 2018, found that the 50% translates to 11.6 million families. SWS said this is 2 points below the 52%, or the estimated 12.2 million families in September 2018. The results come after a 10-point increase in self-rated poverty over two consecutive quarters. In March, the proportion of […]
(Eagle News)—President Rodrigo Duterte can now “directly investigate” and assume jurisdiction of administrative cases filed against presidential appointees. This was after Duterte signed Executive Order No. 73 on December 28. A copy of the EO was released to the media only on Friday, Jan. 11. “Nothing shall prevent the President, in the interest of the service, from directly investigating and/or hearing an administrative case against any presidential appointee or authorizing other offices under the Office of […]
(Eagle News)—–The high trust and approval ratings of President Rodrigo Duterte based on a recent Pulse Asia survey is “another repudiation” of his critics and detractors “who don’t see or refuse to see the good in whatever the Chief Executive does and says,” Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said. According to Panelo, the survey was done when Congress approved the third extension of martial law in Mindanao and the President approved the government’s economic managers recommendation to […]
