MANILA, Philippines – The Philippine National Police (PNP) was extra careful in arresting Senator Antonio Trillanes IV.

Just minutes after the arrest warrant was released by the Makati Regional Trial Court Branch 150, the PNP chief Director General Oscar Albayalde ordered the arresting team to first pay a courtesy call to Senate President Vicente "Tito" Sotto III.

This call is more of already asking permission from the Senate President that one of his colleagues would be arrested.

The last time cops arrested a senator, they had to wait for Senator Leila de Lima  to step out of the Senate building.

But to the surprise of arresting officers, led by Makati police chief Senior Superintendent Rogelio Simon and supervised by Metro Manila top cop Guilermo Eleazar, Trillanes surrendered right inside the Senate building, right at the office of Sotto.

The arrest was witnessed by Sotto, and PNP-chief-turned-senator Panfilo Lacson. It was over in 20 seconds.

Here's the video of the arrest, obtained by Rappler:

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Trillanes has since then posted bail and availed of temporary liberty for the rebellion charge revived after President Rodrigo Duterte attempted to void Trillanes' amnesty through a proclamation released on September 4. – Rappler.com

ILOCOS SUR, Philippines – How does Filipinos' health compare with that of citizens in other ASEAN countries?

The Department of Health (DOH) said on Tuesday, September 25, that Filipinos’ health is below average when it comes to key indicators, such as:

• Average life expectancy
• Maternal mortality ratio
• Mortality rate for children under 5 years old
• Tuberculosis 

DOH Undersecretary Mario Villaverde, speaking at a conference of health journalists in Vigan City, said that among member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, the Philippines ranked 7th in average life expectancy, besting only Cambodia, Myanmar, and Laos.

Villaverde said this means that, on average, citizens of other ASEAN countries lived longer than most Filipinos. 

When it comes to maternal mortality ratio, or how often mothers die during childbirth, the Philippines ranked 6th. According to Villaverde, high infant-child-maternity mortality was also more pronounced among the poor.

Meanwhile, the country ranked 7th in the number of children 5 years and younger that died due to health reasons.

Villavarde said 1 out of 3 children was also stunted while only 60% of children received basic immunization – the lowest coverage in 25 years, based on the 2013 National Health Survey.

The country also had the most number of tuberculosis cases in the region, coming in 10th among all ASEAN countries.

According to Villaverde, one factor that may have contributed to the increased number of tuberculosis cases in the Philippines was the adoption of a new technique to detect the illness called “Gene Xpert” yet to be used in other ASEAN countries.

“We are one of the few countries that were early adopters of the new technique to detect tuberculosis. Because there is now a very much improved tool or system…we have detected cases of tuberculosis compared to the previous method of detection,” he said in the DOH forum,

Tuberculosis is an illness that is spread through the air and often affects the lungs. When people with the illness cough, sneeze or spit, germs are spread and may affect others. According to the World Health Organization, one “need inhale only a few of these germs to become infected.”

Doubled health expenditure

The health ranking of the Philippines alongside ASEAN countries comes despite an increase in budget and spending for health care in the last few years.

Data showed health expenditure almost doubled from P381 billion in 2010 to P655 billion in 2016. 

Villaverde also said this was brought about by the lack of access to adequate health care and poor connectedness among health service providers, such as barangay health stations, hospitals, and specialty centers.

Part of the challenge, he said, was also addressing unequal health care and services among regions and provinces. 

He added, "We hope in the next 5 years our health outcomes will also adjust with the investment." – Rappler.com

NEW YORK, U.S.A. – Heads of state will gather at the United Nations General Assembly here on Wednesday, September 26, for a first ever high-level meeting to end tuberculosis, expecting to fast-track action to combat the world's biggest infectious killer. 

The UN High-Level Meeting (HLM) on TB is only the 5th time that the UN has called for a high-level meeting devoted to a health issue, gathering governments, partners, and stakeholders to make it a political priority to end TB and provide treatment and care to those affected. 

In the Philippines, particularly, there is a target to reduce by half the number of TB cases by 2022.

The Philippines is among 8 countries where two-thirds of 2017 TB cases were found, data showed. 

Current actions fall short

Tuberculosis is the world’s biggest infectious killer. An estimated 4,500 people die from TB every day. In 2017, TB caused an estimated 1.3 million deaths among HIV-negative people and an additional 300,000 deaths among HIV+ people. 

Global estimates show that 10 million people developed TB  in 2017 and over 4 million people miss out on TB care and treatment. Additionally, the cases of drug-resistant TB remain a public health crisis. In 2017, there were 558,000 people who developed resistance to rifampicin, the most effective first-line drug against TB. 

Country commitments to end TB are found in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs), the World Health Organization's End TB Strategy, and the Global Plan to End TB 2016-2020.

However, current actions fall short of what is needed to meet the goal of ending TB. Investments in TB research and development are underfunded. An estimated US$1.3 billion annually is needed to accelerate development of new tools, like vaccines and improved diagnostics.

What to expect at the UN meeting

A high-level meeting is convened by the UN General Assembly, the main decision-making body of the UN representing all 193 member states. The decision to hold a dedicated HLM on a specialized topic like TB is taken in exceptional circumstances, with the purpose of reaching agreements on cooperation and solutions on important global issues among heads of state and governments.

The UN HLM on TB will only be the 5th time that UN has called for a HLM on a health issue. Other HLM devoted to health issues included: Special Session on HIV/AIDS (2001), UN HLM on Non-Communicable Diseases, Ebola, and Antimicrobial Resistance.

The UN HLM is expected to result in commitments from heads of state and governments outlined in a political declaration that will form the basis for the future TB response.

Key priorities in the TB response include: 

• A coordinated global response to end TB
• Substantially increase financial resources for TB research and development
• Measurable targets and commitments from governments and key stakeholders for 2020 and 2025
• An accountability system with regular monitoring and evaluation 

Role of stakeholders, advocates, and communities

The UN HLM on TB Coordinating Group, convened by the Stop TB Partnership and partners, has developed 5 Key Asks which will be the basis for advocacy on commitments in the Political Declaration on TB. 

Key Asks are priority actions that must be taken by governments and heads of state to achieve an agreed goal outlined and detailed in a declaration. 

The 5 Key Asks from TB stakeholders and communities are as follows: 

1. Reach all people by closing the gaps in TB diagnosis, treatment, and prevention
2. Transform the TB response to be equitable, rights-based, and people-centered
3. Accelerate development of essential new tools to end TB
4. Invest the funds necessary to end TB
5. Commit to decisive and accountable global leadership, including regular UN reporting and review 

Why the HLM on TB is important for the Philippines

The Philippines is in the list of 8 countries where two-thirds of 2017 TB cases were found: 

• India - 27 %
• China - 9%
• Indonesia - 8%
• Philippines - 6%
• Pakistan - 5%
• Nigeria - 4%
• Bangladesh - 4%
• South Africa - 3%

According to data from the Philippine Department of Health's National TB Program, the burden of TB in the Philippines remains high.

Based on the 2016 National TB Prevalence Survey, there are about 1 million Filipinos with TB. Most of the TB cases are found among males and highest in the 45 -54 age group.

In 2017, there were an estimated 26,000 TB deaths. 

According to Dr Celina Garfin, the DOH National TB Program director, the top 3 most vulnerable groups of TB are males and smokers, elderly, and those that were previously treated.

“These groups are at risk because of lower immunity and are thus prone to infection and disease,” said Garfin. 

The 2017-2022 Philippine strategic TB elimination Plan (PhiLSTEP) serves as the country’s roadmap on TB elimination. 

Key impact targets for 2022 include: 

1. Reduce number of TB deaths by 50% from 14,000 to 7,000 deaths
2. Reduce TB incidence rate
3. Reduce to 0 the number of TB affected households that experience catastrophic costs due to TB

This will be done by finding TB cases more aggressively across the country, make TB treatment easier and more accessible and provide financial protection for TB patients. – Rappler.com 

Ana P. Santos is covering the UN High Level Meeting on Tuberculosis in New York with support from the Stop TB Partnership.

TALLINN, Estonia – Pope Francis on Tuesday, September 25, admitted the clerical sex abuse scandals have put off some young people who believe the Catholic Church has not expressed enough condemnation.

"We know – and you have told us – that many young people do not turn to us for anything because they don't feel we have anything meaningful to say to them," the pontiff said during a visit to Estonia. 

"They are outraged by sexual and economic scandals that are not met with clear condemnation," he added on his last day of a tour of the three Baltic countries. 

Speaking to young Estonian Christians at a Lutheran church in Tallinn, the pope said many youths find the Church's presence "bothersome or even irritating."

"We ourselves need to be converted. We have to realize that in order to stand by your side we need to change many situations that, in the end, put you off," he added. 

The Catholic Church has been rocked by a fresh wave of devastating claims of sexual abuse committed by clergy across the globe. (READ: Pope Francis 'begs for God's forgiveness' for sexual abuse scandal)

Scandals in Australia, Europe, and North and South America have involved widespread claims of abuse – and cover-ups – by clergymen and lay members with one Vatican archbishop describing it as the church's "own 9/11."

Germany's Catholic Church on Tuesday released a damning report showing that in Germany alone, almost 3,700 minors were assaulted between 1946 and 2014.

'Love is not dead'

The pope himself has yet to respond to cover-up allegations levelled against him. 

Italian Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano has claimed the pontiff ignored abuse allegations against prominent US cardinal Theodore McCarrick for five years.

The now 88-year-old cardinal was accused of sexually abusing a 16-year-old boy half a century ago, a charge he denies.

But in an unprecedented move, Francis accepted his resignation as a cardinal in July.

In an interview broadcast Tuesday, Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite came to the defence of the pope, whom she welcomed to her majority-Catholic Baltic country over the weekend.

Without naming sexual abuse scandals, Grybauskaite told public radio LRT that the pontiff carries a "huge cross for all those who made mistakes that need to be corrected".

"This pope is not afraid to do that. He is not afraid to talk about that but he sees a huge resistance inside and outside the church. It is not easy for him."

Ahead of his Baltic tour, the pope accepted the resignations of two more bishops from Chile, which is investigating more than 100 cases of sexual abuse by the clergy. 

On Tuesday, the pontiff tried to reassure Estonia's young Christians. 

"Love is not dead," he said, rebutting the lyrics of a popular local song. 

Resistant to religion

The pope was notably responding to the story of Lisbel, an 18-year-old Lutheran who spoke of finding comfort in religion after growing up with an unloving alcoholic father.

Many young people "see that their parents no longer love one another, that the love of newlyweds soon fades," he said. 

"They see a lack of love in the fact that nobody cares that they have to migrate to look for work."

Adeele, an 18-year-old Lutheran, said she was "grateful" to the pope for the visit, adding that "he creates an atmosphere of understanding and respect".

Like the country as a whole, many of the young people in attendance said they are not religious. 

Thirteen-year-old Linda Pajula for example told AFP that she came to the meeting because "it seemed like a fun experience".

She said the pope's speech "might have been difficult for me, but I did understand most things."

An EU and NATO member, Estonia is a small Baltic country where a quarter of the population is ethnic Russian. 

Sixteen percent of the population is Orthodox, 10% is Lutheran and only 6,000 residents are Catholics. 

The majority of Estonians say they are resistant to religion.  – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – Former president Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III is considering taking legal action against the people who have filed cases against him. 

Aquino hinted about his plans in his speech during the Liberal Party’s (LP) National Executive Council (NECO) meeting on Tuesday, September 25, when his party named its first 3 senatorial bets for 2019. 

A reporter later asked the LP chairman emeritus after the event, “You mentioned filing a case against somebody, sir?” 

“Yes, yes. Can we wait until we file para specific [na ‘yong information?] Kasi dina-draft ng mga abogado eh… At ‘yong mga nagsampa sa akin, eh ‘di sila ang suspect,” said Aquino.

(Yes, yes. Can we wait until we file it so the information will be specific? Because my lawyers are still drafting it… Those who filed cases against me will be the suspects.)

The former president is now facing a number of cases since his term ended in 2010. These include cases covering the now-partly unconstitutional Disbursement Acceleration Program, the controversial Dengvaxia vaccination program, and his appointment of ousted Supreme Court (SC) chief justice Maria Lourdes Sereno.

In the same speech during the NECO meeting, he mentioned that the SC had recently sent him a one-page letter ordering him to comment on the graft complaint filed against him, Sereno, and the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) by suspended lawyer Eligio Mallari. 

Mallari is accusing the officials of violating the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act when they allowed Sereno's application and appointment even though the she did not submit all her Statements of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth.

Aquino said the Ombudsman forwarded the complaint to the SC now that Sereno’s appointment has been nullified when the justices voted in favor of the quo warranto petitioned filed against her. 

“Bottomline, ’yon ang nakalagay sa sulat eh ‘no (this is what was written in the letter): we’ve received the complaint, we require you to answer, I believe, in 10 days, which is sometime in October. So I’m meeting my lawyer tomorrow precisely to discuss that,” said Aquino. 

Defending the Sereno appointment 

The former president still stands by the legality of his appointment of Sereno. 

“I wouldn’t have appointed her if I didn’t [believe she is qualified]. And don’t forget, the JBC did not exclude her from the list of nominees from which I should choose,” said Aquino. 

He added that he only followed the 1987 Constitution's provisions on nominating SC justices and judges of lower courts. 

Section 9, Article VIII states that the President shall appoint members of the SC justices as well as judges of lower courts from a list of at least 3 nominees prepared by the JBC for every vacancy.  (READ: EXPLAINER: How the Judicial and Bar Council works)

Aquino said the JBC is expected to have properly assessed the applicants before the list is sent to the President.

“Hindi nila na sasabihin sa’yo bakit ito desisyon namin. Ang presumption of regularity sa listahan (They won’t tell you anymore why their decision is like this. The presumption of regularity in the list is that) these are the people who have applied, they have gotten X number of votes. In effect, we are recommending all of that,” said Aquino.

“So pagdating sa akin, wala na halos detalye. Parang ang sinabi, lahat ito pumasa na sa qualifications,” he added. 

(So when it reaches me, it does not have much detail anymore. They’re already saying these are all the people who passed the qualifications.)

According to Aquino, the Constitution further bars the President from returning or seeking to amend the list of nominees.  

“The Constitution does not allow me [to do that]. And GMA (Gloria Macapagal Arroyo) tried it before. She got the list, she sent it back, and the JBC said no, you cannot tell us to change the list,” said Aquino. 

In 2009, then president and now Speaker Arroyo returned the short list to the JBC and requested for more nominees for the two SC positions left vacant by the retirement of then associate justices Dante Tiñga and Alicia Austria-Martinez.

The JBC, led by then chief justice Reynato Puno, did not accommodate her request and sent back the exact same list. Malacañang had no choice but to select from the existing list. 

Aquino himself was dissatisfied with the short list given to him by the JBC for the position of chief justice in 2012. But he did not return the list, eventually choosing Sereno. – Rappler.com

UNITED NATIONS – President Donald Trump on Tuesday, September 25, urged heavy pressure both on Iran and Washington's trading partners as he offered a robust defense of the US right to go it alone.

Addressing world leaders at the start of the annual United Nations General Assembly, Trump lashed out at the OPEC oil cartel, China's trade policies and the International Criminal Court which he vowed the United States would never accept.

Hours before Iranian President Hassan Rouhani takes the same rostrum, Trump denounced the clerical regime as sowing "chaos, death and destruction" and doubled down on the US withdrawal of an international agreement on curbing Tehran's nuclear program.

But the real estate mogul turned populist leader was comparatively subdued a year after he stunned the global body with his bellicose language on North Korea, including a threat to "totally destroy" Kim Jong Un's state.

This time around, Trump heralded his own diplomacy on North Korea including a historic summit in June with Kim, saying he has worked to "replace the specter of conflict with a bold and new push for peace."

With midterm elections in the United States little more than a month away, Trump's address at times took on the feel of a campaign address as he heralded low unemployment.

Boasting that his team "has achieved more than any administration in the history of our country," Trump was met with laughter, highly unusual in the solemn General Assembly.

"I didn't expect that reaction, but that's okay," Trump responded.

Isolating Iran

Iran is a major focus of the annual week of UN diplomacy, months after Trump irritated US allies in Europe by withdrawing from a 2015 agreement under which Tehran has sharply curtailed its nuclear program in return for sanctions relief.

A day after the European Union announced a new legal framework in hopes that companies can keep doing business with Iran and evade incoming US sanctions, Trump demanded that all countries take aim at Tehran – and noted that his decision has been popular among the Shiite-majority nation's Sunni Arab rivals.

"We cannot allow the world's leading sponsor of terrorism to possess the planet's most dangerous weapons," Trump said, in an allusion to Tehran's support for Islamic militant movements such as Hamas and Hezbollah.

"We cannot allow a regime that chants 'Death to America' and that threatens Israel with annihilation, to possess the means to deliver a nuclear warhead to any city on Earth," he said.

"We ask all nations to isolate Iran's regime as long as its aggression continues."

'America will never apologize'

Trump robustly attacked the "globalist" view of the world – shared by many at the United Nations and on the political left in the United States – and vowed: "America will never apologize for protecting its citizens."

He said that the UN-backed International Criminal Court has "no jurisdiction, no legitimacy and no authority."

His national security adviser John Bolton earlier went so far as to threaten to prosecute judges from the court in The Hague if they take up accusations against US forces in Afghanistan.

"We will never surrender America's sovereignty to an unelected, unaccountable global bureaucracy. America is governed by Americans," Trump said.

Amid a growing trade war with China, Trump said that the commercial imbalance with the Asian power "cannot be tolerated" and reserved harsh words for OPEC, the global oil cartel that includes both US allies and foes.

"OPEC and OPEC nations are, as usual, ripping off the rest of the world, and I don't like it. Nobody should like it." – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) has arrested 5 Hong Kong nationals who allegedly operated a kitchen-type shabu laboratory inside a condominium unit in Pasay City.

Authorities arrested the suspects in separate buy-bust operations in Parañaque and Manila on Tuesday, September 25, and raided the shabu lab found with around 80 kilos of shabu – 10 kilos in liquid form placed in plastic containers – with an estimated street value of P544 million.

PDEA chief Aquino said the suspects are members of the 14K international drug syndicate that operates in China and Hong Kong.

Two of the suspects are chemists in charge of preparing the illegal drugs.

"This has been a very long operation being conducted by PDEA. It took us 4 months to conduct these operations and of course with the partnership and good collaboration between China, Hong Kong, and PDEA," PDEA chief Aaron Aquino said.

Aquino said  the manufactured high-grade shabu were intended for local use. PDEA agents also found a suitcase filled with shabu, apparently ready for delivery. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – There’s no going home yet for opposition Senator Antonio Trillanes IV after 3 weeks of being holed up in his Senate office.

Trillanes said he would continue staying in his Senate office even after posting bail at the Makati City Regional Trial Court Branch 150, where his rebellion charges in connection with the 2007 Manila Peninsula siege is pending. 

“I was advised not to go home yet,” Trillanes told Rappler in a message.

Asked for the reason, the senator said: “To wait for the ruling of Branch 148.”

Trillanes, with the approval of the Senate leadership, has been holed up in his Senate office since September 4, following the publication of President Rodrigo Duterte’s Proclamation 572 ordering the revocation of the senator’s amnesty and ordering a warrantless arrest.

On Tuesday, September 25, Makati RTC Branch 150 Judge Elmo Alameda issued an arrest warrant against the senator for failing to present a copy of his amnesty application. While the senator was able to post bail in a matter of hours, he cannot do the same with Branch 148, where he is facing coup d'etat charges, a non-bailable offense.

The rebellion and coup d'etat charges against Trillanes were revived after Duterte's proclamation. (READ: INSIDE STORY: How Duterte handled Trillanes fiasco from Israel, Jordan) 

The arrest warrant was issued a day after Trillanes submitted on Monday sworn affidavits of the chairman and the head of the secretariat of the Department of National Defense ad hoc panel that received his amnesty. The documents state that the senator applied for amnesty in 2011, pursuant to Proclamation 75 of then-president Benigno Aquino III. (READ: EXPLAINER: Why Judge Alameda disregarded affidavits in Trillanes case)

Trillanes posted a P200,000 bail and was accompanied by fellow opposition senators Francis Pangilinan, Paolo Benigno Aquino IV, and Risa Hontiveros, as well as his Magdalo party mates. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – Court Administrator Midas Marquez will be back to face the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) panel on Wednesday, September 26, when it interviews nominees for a spot in the Supreme Court.

Marquez is one of the 8 nominees who will be interviewed by the JBC starting 9 am on Wednesday. The other 5 nominees of the total 13 will no longer be interviewed because their past interviews are still valid.

This is for the vacancy created by former justice Samuel Martires, who has been appointed Ombudsman.

Marquez has been bypassed thrice since 2017, making this round his 4th application for a Supreme Court vacancy since that time. 

He faced the panel in June 2017, and the JBC considered that interview valid for his 2nd and 3rd applications.

Marquez was endorsed by former chief justice Reynato Puno to President Rodrigo Duterte himself for the last vacancy. Instead, Duterte appointed Jose Reyes Jr, formerly of the Court of Appeals (CA).

For the Martires vacancy, Marquez is one of the 6 nominees whom the en banc voted Tuesday, September 25, as the Court’s collective recommendations to the JBC.

Marquez has been hounded by issues that sprang from the impeachment bid against former chief justice Maria Lourdes Sereno. (READ: Sereno impeachment: RCAO, JDO, and Midas Marquez)

For one, Sereno accused Marquez of orchestrating the rallies of judiciary employees against her. Marquez has also faced a graft complaint since, and an opposition to a justiceship, citing as basis the misuse of World Bank funds in 2012.

The recommended nominees of the en banc are:

1. CA Justice Manuel Barrios
2. CA Justice Apolinario Bruselas Jr
3. CA Justice Rosmari Carandang
4. CA Justice Japar Dimaampao
5. CA Justice Ramon Garcia
6. Court Administrator Midas Marquez

The JBC is not compelled to follow the en banc’s recommendation. However, by tradition, the chief justice, the ex-officio chairman of the JBC, votes for whomever the en banc has recommended.

When the Martires spot is filled up, two more vacancies will still be up for grabs this year.

The first is the still open spot left by Teresita Leonardo de Castro when she took the Chief Justice post, and the second is the vacancy that De Castro will again create when she retires on October 8. (READ: By 2022, Supreme Court filled with Duterte appointees)

Here's the complete list of nominees for the Martires vacancy, almost all of whom, like Marquez, had also applied before.

For interview on Wednesday:

1. Court Administrator Midas Marquez
2. CA Justice Apolinario Bruselas
3. CA Justice Rosmari Carandang
4. CA Justice Stephen Cruz 
5. CA Justice Edgardo Delos Santos
6. CA Justice Japar Dimaampao
7. CA Justice Ramon Paul Hernando
8. CA Justice Mario Lopez

Past interviews still valid:

1. CA Justice Oscar Badelles
2. CA Justice Manuel Barrios
3. CA Justice Ramon Garcia
4. CA Justice Amy Lazaro-Javier
5. Tagum City, Davao Judge Virginia Tejano-Ang

– Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines (4th UPDATE) – Seven Metro Rail Transit Line 3 personnel were hurt after two MRT3 maintenance trains collided between Buendia and Guadalupe Stations a couple of hours before the start of operations Wednesday morning, September 26.

The MRT3 personnel, involved in maintenance and security operations, sustained varying degrees of injury and were brought to the Victor R Potenciano Medical Center in Mandaluyong City for treatment, MRT3 management said.

The MRT3 management said it would shoulder all medical expenses of the injured personnel. It earlier said 6 personnel were hurt in the accident, but later updated the number to 7.

The two maintenance trains collided around 3 am, and  were removed from the rail tracks around 4:20 am. This delayed the placement of trains in preparation for the start of operations by an hour or  at 5:30 am, instead of the usual 4:30 am.

Operations started at around 6 am with 8 trains. By 6:40 am, 14 trains were running. The Department of Transportation deployed buses to help augment passenger volume at the stations.

On Monday, September 24, operations were also delayed due to “additional pre-insertion checks” conducted. 

Japan's Sumitomo-Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI) has yet to take over as the new maintenance provider. Sumitomo-MHI built and designed the MRT3 railway system from 1998 to 2000, and maintained it until 2012.

Since the year started, the MRT3 has broken down 65 times and experienced a record low of 6 running trains back in February. (READ: MRT3 suffers almost daily breakdowns since start of 2018)

An average of 14 to 15 trains operate daily, with some 340,000 people served. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – The Supreme Court, as the Presidential Electoral Tribunal (PET), recently ruled to do away with the contentious shading thresholds as basis for segregating ballots in the protest filed by former senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr against Vice President Leni Robredo. 

In a step that could fast-track the recount, justices of the tribunal unanimously agreed to refer to election returns (ERs) – the document reflecting totals from polling precincts – in determining how the votes would be credited to either candidates. 

"The Head Revisors are hereby directed to refer to the election returns to verity the total number of votes as read and counted by the Vote Counting Machines,” the 21-page resolution, promulgated on Tuesday, September 18, read. 

The resolution amends Rule 62 (Votes of the Parties) of the PET Revisor’s Guide, “effective immediately.” Its amended part now reads: “The segregation and classification of ballots shall be done by referring to the Election Return (ER) generated by the machine used in the elections.”  

Debate ends on 25% and 50% ballot shading thresholds: Marcos, who lost to Robredo by a narrow 263,473 votes in the 2016 vice presidential election, has identified 3 pilot provinces in his protest: Camarines Sur, Iloilo, and Negros Oriental – the first one being Robredo’s home province, where she won overwhelmingly.

Should significant discrepancies be discovered between the previously credited number of votes and the recounted votes in these 3 areas, the ballots from 24 other provinces and cities that Marcos questions would be recounted. 

However, the recount that started last March has been delayed by motions from both camps. Robredo, for one, asked the PET to set aside its rule that only an oval that is shaded by at least half would be counted as a vote for the candidate whose name corresponds to the oval. 

The Vice President wanted the tribunal to credit to candidates even the ovals that were shaded by at least 25%, citing the shading threshold that the Commission on Elections (Comelec) itself adopted in the 2016 polls. A higher threshold would’ve caused both candidates to lose votes. 

The PET however had not been convinced, saying that the Comelec adopted a shading threshold of 25% only for the random manual audit and not for the actual counting of votes by the machines. The RMA report therefore didn’t provide a sufficient basis to revise the PET rules, which had used the 50% shading threshold in past elections, the tribunal said. 

With the September 18 resolution, the PET “resolves to partially grant” Robredo’s motion to set aside the use of the 50% shading threshold in the revision proceedings. 

Decrypted ballot images ‘tedious’ to check: The PET said it also considered checking whether a certain extent of shading was credited to a candidate by comparing the actual ballots (stored in the ballot boxes) with the ballots' images that are decrypted and printed out of the vote counting machines (VCMs). 

The tribunal said, it “finds it to be a promising solution to this threshold predicament," but it would be an “extremely tedious process” that could only result in “needless delay” if done on every single ballot.

With that, the resolution also denied Marcos’ motion registering “strong opposition” to the use of encrypted ballots in reviewing and recounting of ballots. 

How the ERs will help in segregating votes: Copies of an election return are printed from the vote-counting machine when the polling precinct closes and all ballots are already fed and encrypted into the VCM. The ER reflects the total votes that each candidate got in that precinct. 

The 27 areas whose results are being contested by Marcos cover 39,221 clustered precincts (132,446 established precincts). 

What the PET revisors will do is to segregate the ballots for Robredo and Marcos according to the black ink in the ovals beside their names – regardless of whether the shaded part is at least 25% or 50% of the ovals. 

Once these are totalled, the figures will be compared with the totals reflected in the ERs. The parties will then be allowed to make claims on and objections to the vote count. 

“The objective of the revision process of mimicking or verifying/confirming how the VCMs read or counted the votes can be achieved by referring to the election returns (ERs) generated by the VCMs used in the 2016 elections,” the resolution, penned by Justice Alfredo Benjamin Caguioa, explained.  

“Thus, in the segregation of the ballots of the parties, the PET HRs (head revisers) shall be guided by the number of votes indicated in the ERs. In this way, the reading of the VCM is mimicked and verified/confirmed. Also, in using the ERs generated by the VCMs used in the 2016 elections and not merely adopting a specific threshold, the Tribunal’s revision procedure will be more flexible and adaptive to calibrations of the voting or counting machines in the future,” it added.  

The tribunal said whatever numbers are generated during this revision stage would be considered "preliminary figures” since PET may reject or admit the votes.

Final decisions on contested numbers will be made during the subsequent "appreciation stage” in the process.  

The new rule at the revision stage will be applicable only to ballots that have yet to be checked. Those that were already revised before September 18 will be verified against the ERs during the appreciation stage. 

Ten other justices, including Chief Justice Teresita Leonardo de Castro, concurred with Caguioa’s resolution. Justice Antonio Carpio was on leave, while Justice Diosdado Peralta was out on official business.

Read the Presidential Electoral Tribunal's resolution here: 

– Rappler.com 

ILOCOS SUR, Philippines – Unless steps are taken, the number of Filipinos living with Human Immunodeficiency Virus and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (HIV/AIDS) will exceed a quarter of a million by 2030. 

And based on current trends, Dr. Joselito Feliciano, director of the Philippine National AIDS Council (PNAC), said that majority of new infections were also likely to be teenagers and young adults aged 15 to 24 years old.

Feliciano said the PNAC estimates about 265,900 cases of Filipinos HIV/AIDS in the next decade if not enough is done by the government and individuals to address the growing epidemic.

He added that in 2018, as many as 32 people were diagnosed with HIV-AIDS every day. The number is a stark contrast the the 2 new cases reported daily in 2008, 13 in 2013, and 22 in 2015.

Talking during a forum of health journalists, Feliciano said majority of new infections were among those 25 to 39 years old.

The PNAC's grim scenario comes as the DOH earlier said the Philippines had one of the ‘fastest growing’ HIV epidemics in the world with 57,134 cases recorded from January 1984 to July 2018.

Feliciano also said majority of the new cases were HIV infections transmitted sexually. This topped the number of cases as compared to other means of acquiring the infection such as sharing contaminated needles or from birth should a mother be infected with HIV.

Hidden cases: Yet the number of people with HIV-AIDS may be higher, Feliciano said, as current data was only showed individuals who were tested in health centers.

“Based on estimates, marami pa yung meron,” he said. (Based on estimates, there are more [cases of infection]).

In July 2018, about 859 new cases were recorded by the PNAC. Majority of these cases were  in Metro Manila, Central Luzon, and Calbarzon.

These were also among males who had sex with males, which the DOH refers to as MSMs. (INFOGRAPHIC: How is HIV transmitted?)

Feliciano said infections do not only cover gay men, but also any male who has sex with another male for whatever reason, may be at risk.

Why the rise in cases? Feliciano said one factor for the upsurge of HIV-AIDS was the lack of knowledge and information on how the infection is transmitted and could be prevented.

Data from the 2017 National Demographic Health Survey (NDHS) showed a slight decrease in awareness from 21% in 2007 to 20% in 2017.

Moreover, access to and the use condoms were also challenges. The DOH emphasized “correct and consistent” use of condoms ensured safe sex and could prevent HIV-AIDS.

Based on the DOH’s 2015 Integrated HIV Behavioral Serologic Surveillance, Feliciano said 60% of respondents aged 15 to 17 years old said condoms were not easy to get in their communities. Such was also the case for nearly 50% of respondents aged 18 to 24 years old and about 40% of those 25 years and older.

Many also said they did not buy or receive condoms.

Apart from this, Feliciano also said stigma around the issue prevented many from buying condoms when available.

“Yung iba kahit gusto nila mag condom, kahit may pambili sila, nahihiya sila kasi yung culture ng Pinoy. Nahihiya sila bumili sa 7/11. Kaya nga ngayon siyempre controversial yung condom, hindi basta basta makapag gawa access for condoms,” he said.

(Even for those who wanted to use condoms and could buy them were ashamed because of Pinoy culture. They’re ashamed even to but in 7/11s. Condoms are controversial and its not easy to make them accessible.)

Get tested: Despite this, the health department maintained it was crucial for people to get tested for HIV-AIDS.

“People living with HIV can look healthy… HIV testing is the only way to know your status,” Feliciano said. (INFOGRAPHIC: Why you should get an HIV test)

“This (HIV-AIDS) is a practice, it’s a behavior…na hindi isang iglap mawawala. Dapat paulit ulit natin i-repeat yung tamang information para…sa mga minds ng tao na ito yung dapat gawin,” he said.

(This doesn't just vanish. We should keep repeating in giving out the correct information for people will know the right thing to do.)

Testing, he said, was also important because it would lead those with the infection to receive treatment. “The DOH provides free medicines or what we call the antiretroviral therapy and this would make them live longer, healthy, normal lives,” he said. (READ: How can we help end the negative impact of HIV?)

He added, “We should encourage [people]…. To get tested and know their status and then lead them to care.”

Feliciano also said correct information on the infection should be given to decrease stigma against HIV-AIDS. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – The Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) on Wednesday, September 26, interviews candidates vying for Supreme Court (SC) associate justice.

This is for the vacancy created by former SC justice Samuel Martires, who has been appointed Ombudsman.

Eight  nominees will be interviewed by the JBC on Wednesday:

1. Court Administrator Midas Marquez
2. CA Justice Apolinario Bruselas
3. CA Justice Rosmari Carandang
4. CA Justice Stephen Cruz
5. CA Justice Edgardo Delos Santos
6. CA Justice Japar Dimaampao
7. CA Justice Ramon Paul Hernando
8. CA Justice Mario Lopez

There are a total of 13 nominees but the following 5 nominees will no longer be interviewed because their past interviews are still valid:

1. CA Justice Oscar Badelles
2. CA Justice Manuel Barrios
3. CA Justice Ramon Garcia
4. CA Justice Amy Lazaro-Javier
5. Tagum City, Davao Judge Virginia Tejano-Ang

– Rappler.com

UNITED NATIONS – Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, a longtime hardliner on North Korea, said Tuesday, September 25, he was willing to meet Kim Jong-un after the once reclusive leader's historic summit with US President Donald Trump.

Abe, who one year ago warned at the United Nations that the window for diplomacy with North Korea was closing, took a more open but still cautious tone in his latest address to the world body.

But he said that any summit would be devoted to resolving a decades-old row over North Korea's abductions of Japanese civilians – a deeply emotive issue for much of the Japanese public on which Abe built his political career.

"In order to resolve the abduction issue, I am also ready to break the shell of mutual distrust with North Korea, get off to a new start and meet face to face with Chairman Kim Jong-un," Abe said in his UN address, while stressing that nothing was yet in the works.

"But if we are to have one, then I am determined that it must contribute to the resolution of the abduction issue," he said.

North Korea kidnapped scores of Japanese citizens in the 1970s and 1980s to train the regime's spies in Japanese language and culture.

Former Japanese prime minister Junichiro Koizumi traveled twice to Pyongyang to seek a new relationship with the current leader's father Kim Jong Il and was told by North Korea that remaining abduction victims were dead – a stance adamantly rejected by Japanese family members and campaigners.

Speculation has been rising that Abe could meet with Kim, who reportedly told Trump during their summit in June in Singapore that he was willing to talk to arch-enemy Japan.

With South Korea's dovish President Moon Jae-in also courting Kim, fears have risen in Japan that it could be shut out of any ultimate resolution on North Korea if it refuses dialogue.

Trump in his own UN address earlier Tuesday pointed to his "bold and new push for peace" and saluted Kim's courage.

It was a far cry from a year ago, when Trump stunned assembled leaders by threatening to "totally destroy" North Korea and belittling "rocket man" Kim.

Despite Trump's optimism, many analysts are skeptical on how much North Korea has changed, saying the regime has already conducted the tests it needed to build its nuclear and missile programs.– Rappler.com

UNITED NATIONS – French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday, September 25, urged world leaders to reject "the law of the most powerful," offering a rebuke to Donald Trump's go-it-alone approach to global challenges.

Macron did not refer to the US president by name but his address to the UN General Assembly outlined positions that were polar opposites to Trump's world view.

"Some have chosen the law of the most powerful, but it cannot protect any people," said Macron, who reaffirmed his strong backing for multilateralism embodied by the United Nations and its global peace efforts.

Earlier at the UN podium, Trump vowed to "never surrender America's sovereignty to an unelected, unaccountable global bureaucracy" and to reject "the ideology of globalism."

Since Trump took office in 2017, the United States has ditched the Iran nuclear deal  and the Paris climate deal– two international accords that France has championed.

The US administration has cut funding to the United Nations, aid agencies and to UN peacekeeping whose missions in Mali and the Central African Republic are working with French troops to bolster stability.

Macron pointed to growing economic inequality as one of the drivers of the crisis in the world order, with some 783 million people living under the threshold of poverty and 250 million children out of school.

Touching on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the French president said there was no credible alternative to the two-state solution that Trump has imperiled with his recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital.

Macron also touched on climate change and migration as global issues that "no one can tackle" on their own.

There was even a warning that trade agreements could be contingent on membership in the Paris climate pact, in a clear bid to pressure the United States to rethink its intention to quit the accord.

Addressing Iran

Defending the Iran nuclear deal, Macron urged dialogue with Tehran, again clashing with the US president who a few hours earlier called on world governments to isolate Iran.

"What will bring a real solution to the situation in Iran and what has already stabilized it? The law of the strongest? Pressure from only one side? No!" Macron said in his address.

"We know that Iran was on a nuclear military path but what stopped it? The 2015 Vienna accord."

Trump in May withdrew from the 7-nation agreement negotiated under his predecessor Barack Obama, calling it a "disaster" and instead ramping up pressure on Iran including through renewed sanctions.

Supported by Israel and Saudi Arabia, Trump has sought to roll back Iranian influence around the Middle East, including in war-ravaged Syria.

"We should not aggravate regional tensions but rather through dialogue and multilateralism pursue a broader agenda that allows us to address all the concerns caused by Iranian policies – nuclear, ballistic, regional," said Macron.

Speaking at a press conference, Macron said Iran should be able to sell oil to bring down prices, challenging Trump's plan to tighten an economic vise around Iran.

"It would be good for the price of oil for Iran to be able to sell it. It's good for peace and it's good for the shape of the international price of oil," said Macron.

France and other European powers are setting up a way to allow businesses to keep doing business in Iran in hopes of avoiding sanctions by the United States.

The French president was due to hold talks later in the day with his Iranian counterpart Hassan Rouhani, who has refused to meet Trump.

Despite their vastly differing world views, Macron and Trump – both political outsiders who defied the odds in winning power – have forged an unlikely relationship.

After meeting with Macron on Monday, September 24, Trump said the two men have had "some very good experiences" but acknowledged, "on occasion not so good, but 99% very good."

And after Trump's latest espousal of his "America First" foreign policy, Macron again painted himself as an upholder of a more internationalist approach to diplomacy.

"Do not accept the erosion of multilateralism," Macron told the gathering on Tuesday. "Don't accept our history unraveling. I'm not getting used to it and I'm not turning my head," he said. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – No other than the presidential daughter, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte Carpio, is opposing the Supreme Court application for associate justice of Court Administrator Midas Marquez.

This was revealed on Wednesday, September 26, during Marquez’s interview with the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) which is screening 13 applicants to replace former justice now Ombudsman Samuel Martires.

Earlier, the Davao Mayor released a statement calling on the Office of the President to be wary of a Supreme Court applicant who was supposedly trying to curry her favor to be appointed to the Supreme Court.

She  slammed the unnamed candidate for trying to get a favorable ruling in her disbarment case involving Davao City Sheriff Abe Andres. Duterte punched Andres during a demolition operation in Agdao district on July 1, 2011.

Duterte said in her statement, "This person has been trying to spin my case to get a favorable ruling – hoping that I may take notice of him. This individual should take note that I do not have a hand in Supreme Court appointments. That is beyond my authority as mayor of Davao City." She also warned the Office of the President to “think twice in appointing this individual to be a justice – more so a chief justice.”

The incident involves a woman named Gemma Sotto, who is supposedly a friend of Marquez.

JBC member Milagros Fernan-Cayosa asked Marquez: “The issue is with respect to the allegations of Mayor Duterte that, well, I guess, the bottomline is did you know that Ms Sotto was going to go to Davao purportedly for your benefit in order to approach the mayor?” 

Marquez replied, “There are a lot of well-meaning friends and acquaintances who are offering their help, I would just say thank you without me knowing what they are going to do and without knowing the extent that they will be doing whatever."

This is the 4th time since 2017 that Marquez has applied for a vacancy on the High Court. (READ: Who's who: Candidates vying to replace former SC justice Martires)

Opposition

Marquez initially told Cayosa he had replied to Sara Duterte's opposition sent to the JBC on Tuesday, adding, "I think I've said more than enough."

After Cayosa's persistent questioning about his association with Sotto, whose family comes from Davao, Marquez said he hired her son as contractual legal clerk at the Office of the Court Administrator.

Marquez said to an extent he was aware that Sotto was going to help someway, but that he had no other recourse but to just say thank you.

“I am so rest assured with my qualifications, my credentials, my track record that for me, these qualifications will stand on their own merit. But I cannot tell all these well-meaning friends that no, I do not need your help,” Marquez said.

Meeting with sheriffs 

In follow-up questions by retired judge Toribio Ilao also about Duterte's opposition, Marquez said he was not aware of what information had reached the Davao mayor.

Marquez denied that he spoke to the sheriffs involved and convinced them to withdraw the disbarment case they filed against Duterte in 2011. The SC candidate said he was merely told by the sheriffs that in a general assembly in Tagaytay last April of the Sheriffs Confederation of the Philippines, the proposal to withdraw the disbarment case won by one vote.

"They went to the aggrieved sheriff and asked it it was okay," Marquez told Ilao. In a meeting of sheriffs on May 4, 2018, the sheriff involved in the punching incident said it was about time there was closure to the issue.

Continuing his narration as relayed to him, Marquez said the sheriffs tried to get an audience with the mayor but this did not materialize.

Marquez confirmed that he met with the sheriffs earlier in September, where he was asked  if they are allowed to drop the complaint.

Marquez said he just told them, “it’s up to you” and that "withdrawal of the case is not controlling on the court."

"The allegation that I talked to complainants, the witnesses, that I maneuvered or manipulated, with all due respect, is not accurate," Marquez said.

World Bank Funds

Marquez also addressed an earlier opposition, as well as a graft complaint, implicating him in the misuse of World Bank Funds in 2012.

The World Bank asked for an P8.6-million refund for being improperly used, with its report mentioning the Office of the Court Administrator (OCA), headed then and now by Marquez.

“All these funds did not pass the Office of the Court Administrator, even the project itself was managed by the Program Management Office of the Supreme Court,” said Marquez.

Chief Justice Teresita Leonardo de Castro, who is JBC’s ex-officio chairman, jumped in to vouch for Marquez.

“I'd like to confirm based on my personal knowledge that the Court Administrator doesn’t have anything to do with the World Bank funds,” De Castro said.

“The accusation sounds ridiculous. It is accusing me of malversing $20 million, if I did that then I would have been long gone from the Court. I wasn't even asked to comment,” said Marquez. – Rappler.com

FULDA, Germany – Germany's Catholic Church  on Tuesday, September 25, apologized to thousands of victims of sexual assault by clergy, with the institution's top cardinal saying perpetrators must be brought to justice.

Cardinal Reinhard Marx said he was ashamed over the decades of abuse that have shattered trust, as well as how so many looked away for so long.

The dismay expressed by the head of the German Bishops' Conference came as the institution published a damning report showing that in Germany, almost 3,700 minors – mainly boys – were assaulted between 1946 and 2014.

The report's authors said the figure was "the tip of the iceberg".

"Sexual abuse is a persistent problem and not a historical problem" in the Catholic Church, said Harald Dressing, a professor at the Mannheim Institute of Psychology, who coordinated the research commissioned by the Bishops' Conference.

Pope Francis, on his way back from a visit to the Baltic states, said Tuesday "if just one priest abuses a child, it's monstrous."

But the way the Church views sex abuse has evolved, as it has in general society, the pontiff added.

"In past times, things were hidden. They were also hidden at home, when uncles raped a niece, when the father raped his children. These things were hidden, because it was a great shame," he said on board the papal plane.

"That was the way of thinking in past centuries, or in the last century," the pope said, adding that the past should not be judged with today's eyes.

"I have to say very clearly that sexual abuse is a crime," said Cardinal Marx. "Those who are guilty must be punished."

"For all the failures and for all the pain, as chairman of Germany's Bishops Conference, I apologise. I also apologise personally.

"We are not done with confronting the incidents and consequences, it begins now," he stressed at a press conference.

'Abuse, transfers, cover-ups'

Victims have criticised the report for falling short of what is needed to flush out perpetrators.

They urged the Church to bring in independent experts for a thorough audit, and called for victim compensation.

"The system of abuse, transfers (of offending priests) and cover-ups cannot be mapped out" by a study that had access only to available personnel documents, said victims' association Eckiger Tisch.

"There are no names given of the responsible bishops who have perfected the system of covering up sexual attacks over decades."

Justice Minister Katarina Barley also urged the Church to work with state prosecutors to bring every known case to justice.

Cardinal Marx acknowledged that a thorough reckoning of the problem was "absolutely necessary" but underlined that the process was colossal and would require time.

"We can't just publish names. A complete rehabilitation also includes dialogue. Maybe a truth commission," he said, promising action.

Predator priests

According to the study, 1,670 clergymen in Germany committed some form of sexual attack against 3,677 minors, mostly boys, between 1946 and 2014, intimidating their victims into keeping quiet.

More than half of the victims were 13 years old or younger, the study concluded, after examining 38,000 documents from the 27 German dioceses.

The survey's researchers warned that the true scale of the abuse was far greater, as many documents had been "destroyed or manipulated".

Predator priests were often transferred to another parish, which was not warned about their criminal history.

Only about one in 3 were subject to disciplinary hearings by the Church, and most got away with minimal punishment. Only 38% were prosecuted by civil courts.

Systemic abuse

The research is the latest in a series of reports on sexual crimes and cover-ups spanning decades that has shaken the Catholic Church.

Pope Francis has himself been accused of ignoring abuse allegations against prominent US cardinal Theodore McCarrick for 5 years. The pontiff has so far refused to respond to the claims.

The pope also declined to answer a question about the latest report in Germany.

He has previously announced a Vatican meeting of national Church leaders on the protection of minors, for February 2019.

Joerg Schuh of the Berlin-based Tauwetter center for victims of sexual abuse told Agence France-Presse TV that "the Catholic Church has a global problem" and called on the pope to make it "his number one topic".

Major abuse cases in Germany have included a Berlin elite Jesuit school and the world-famous Catholic choir school the Regensburger Domspatzen where more than 500 boys suffered sexual or physical abuse. – Rappler.com

HANOI, Vietnam – Hundreds of black-clad mourners, weeping or lighting incense and laying wreaths, gathered early Wednesday, September 26, for a somber final tribute at a state funeral for Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang who died last week after a prolonged illness.

Long lines of officials, family, police and monks in golden robes streamed through the National Funeral House in downtown Hanoi where Quang's flag-draped coffin lay beneath a large portrait of the leader who passed away at age 61 on Friday, September 21.

His family sat vigil next to the coffin, dressed in black and wearing white headbands, and were greeted by stone-faced mourners, many who wept as they passed his body.

The country's top party cadres led tributes with large red, yellow and white floral wreaths, including Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and Communist Party chief Nguyen Phu Trong, who lit incense and bowed their heads before the coffin.

A two-day national mourning period opened Wednesday.

Vietnam's communist leaders praised Quang's long devotion to the party, which he joined in 1980, and his more than 4 decades of service in the country's powerful security apparatus.

"He devoted his entire life and made numerous contributions to national revolutionary causes... his passing is a huge loss to our party, state and people," Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh said at the prayer ceremony.

Quang courted a reputation as a hardline leader who was tough on dissent and drew criticism for overseeing a crackdown on activists and bloggers since he became president in 2016.

He also backed a sweeping anti-corruption campaign that has seen dozens of former and current officials and executives jailed in the past two years.

Though he was a member of the powerful politburo and was the country's head of the Ministry of Public Security for 5 years before he became president, his role as the official head-of-state was largely ceremonial.

Analysts have said his passing is not likely to shake up politics in the one-party state where the communist party maintains a tight grip on power.

Quang had sought medical treatment in Japan for more than a year before his death from a "rare virus", according to officials, who did not provide further details.

He had appeared thin and wan in recent weeks, though he continued to work right to the end of his life, appearing in public two days before his death.

"I don't understand why he had been working until almost the very last day... If he was an ordinary person, he would have a chance to rest and enjoy his last minutes," a local resident, who gave the name Nga, told Agence France-Presse outside the funeral house.

Quang will be buried in his hometown in Ninh Binh province on Thursday, September 27, closing two days of national mourning during which entertainment venues will be shut. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – Vice President Leni Robredo believes the latest ruling of the Supreme Court (SC), as Presidential Electoral Tribunal (PET), on the ballot shading threshold issue has addressed other contentions of  former senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr in his electoral protest against her.

“Kung titingnan natin ‘yong resolution mismo, parang the last nail in the coffin has been put in place (If you look at the resolution itself, it’s like the last nail in the coffin has been put in place),” Robredo said on Wednesday, September 26. (READ: TIMELINE: Marcos-Robredo election case)

“‘Yong ruling nga is so much more than what we were expecting…. Pero parang pinagdesisyunan na niya ‘yong lahat ng contentions na ni-raise at maaari pang i-raise (The ruling is so much more than what we were expecting…. But it seems it also decided on all other contentions that were raised and may possibly be raised)," she added. 

The SC, acting as the PET, has decided to do away with the contentious shading thresholds as basis for segregating ballots in the election case.  

The PET instead said election returns (ER) will be used to “verify the total number of votes as read and counted by the vote counting machines.”

An ER is a document in electronic and printed form directly produced by the VCM showing the date of the election, the province, municipality, and the precinct where the election was held, and the total number of votes the candidates garnered there.

The PET promulgated the decision on September 18, but the ruling was publicized more than a week later, on Wednesday.

What did the PET say on the ballot shading threshold issue? The ballot shading threshold is the minimum amount of shade a voter must make on the ballot oval for it to be considered as a valid vote. 

Marcos is backing the PET’s initial decision to set the threshold for the recount at 50%. Robredo wants the threshold at 25%, arguing this was the one set by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) in the 2016 elections. The poll body made the same argument in its own comment submitted to the tribunal.

In the September 18 decision, the PET settled the debate once and for all by “setting aside the use of the 50% threshold in the revision proceedings.”

“From the foregoing, for purposes of the 2016 elections, the 50% shading threshold was no longer applied. It is likewise clear, however, that a new threshold had been applied,” said the PET.

The tribunal further said that submissions from Robredo and the Comelec showed that during the 2016 elections, “what was applied was a threshold that ranged from 20% to 25% of the oval spaces in the ballots.”

Still, the PET had a lengthy explanation on why it had initially imposed a 50% shading threshold in the ballot recount process. 

The justices argued that it was only when the Robredo camp filed its appeal on the shading threshold on April 18 did the PET finally obtain a copy of Comelec Resolution No. 16-0600, which set the ballot shading threshold at 25% in 2016. 

How did the Robredo and Marcos interpret this? Both the Robredo and Marcos camps believe the PET had sustained their respective stands on the ballot shading threshold.  

Robredo’s lead lawyer Romulo Macalintal said the PET “sustained our position that the 25% threshold on the shading of the ballot should be maintained.” 

“And we are very, very happy also because not only 25% was considered by the Supreme Court but as long as 20% threshold is now considered as a valid vote insofar as the revision of ballots is concerned,” he said.

Marcos’ lawyer and spokesperson Vic Rodriguez rebuked this, and maintained the PET still upheld the 50% shading threshold.

He said that the PET was never informed of any official Comelec resolution setting the 25% threshold prior the April 18 appeal of the Robredo camp.

“Thus, it (PET) had no sufficient basis to amend its rules…. From the foregoing and as clear as daylight, the tribunal upheld the position of Senator Marcos that the correct threshold is 50%. Robredo is caught lying yet again,” said Rodriguez.

What other issue did the PET ruling cover? The PET also denied Marcos’ motion to stop using decrypted ballot images in the recount, claiming they are compromised.

A ballot image is the captured image of a ballot once it is fed to the VCM. Ballot images are stored and secured into digital cards.

Marcos claimed the square marks on shaded ovals found in the ballot images indicate electoral fraud. (READ: Robredo appeals PET to use ballot images in initial recount) 

But the PET ruled that the Comelec has given sufficient proof showing that the said square marks are “intended merely to facilitate in the determination by the VCM of ballot shading, i.e., whether the shade has met the proper threshold.” 

The PET said it also found the decrypted ballot images “tedious” to check for the revision process.

The tribunal said it also considered checking whether a certain extent of shading was credited to a candidate by comparing the actual ballots (stored in the ballot boxes) with the ballot images. 

The PET said it “finds it to be a promising solution to this threshold predicament," but it would be an “extremely tedious process” that could only result in “needless delay” if done on every single ballot. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – Senator Richard Gordon, the chairman of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee, believes that the 4 giant magnetic lifters found in General Mariano Alvarez in Cavite contained shabu (methamphetamine).

"Samakatwid, may laman (There was something inside)!" Gordon said during his panel's probe on Wednesday, September 26, into the missing P6.8-billion shabu allegedly packed inside the lifters.

He dropped the statement as he was interpellating Eric Rodelas, the maintenance man of the warehouse where the lifters were found. Rodelas claimed that he was able to meet and assist the Chinese-looking persons who brought the lifters to their warehouse. (TIMELINE: The search for P6.8-B shabu 'smuggled' into PH)

While assisting the guests—whom he believed were their clients—to close the door of the warehouse, he said he saw one of them pull out a "grinder."

"Nakita ko po nilabas sa bag (I saw it being brought out a bag)," said Rodelas. He added that he wanted to see what they were doing inside, but 2 of them "prevented" him from going near.

For Gordon, it's already a red flag that they were operating illegally.

"Ang akin doon, 'yung gina-grind, 'yung droga. Anong purpose ng grinder? (For me, what's being grinded out are the drugs. What else is the purpose of the grinder?)" said Gordon.

This means that, so far, Gordon is backing the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA)'s claim that the lifters were packed with shabu, contrary to the belief of the Bureau of Customs (BOC).

Gordon reminded Rodelas, and the owner of the warehouse who was present also in the hearing, Vicenta Cantemprate that they had the authority to check what their clients were doing inside their warehouses. Their lease contract, Gordon said, prohibits contraband from being stored. – Rappler.com 

Read more from Rappler's coverage in the search for the missing P6.8-billion shabu:

• Patterns emerge in 2017, 2018 shabu probes
• Empty or shabu-packed? X-ray scans of magnetic lifters revealed
• Magnetic lifters found in Cavite test negative for shabu
• Customs X-ray machines can't track shabu wrapped in lead, foil, plastic