PANMUNJEOM, South Korea – South Korean soldiers held their normal stern and unmoving positions Wednesday, May 1, outside the blue huts of Panmunjeom village, the only place along the border where troops from the two Koreas stand nearly face-to-face, but with one notable omission: their weapons.

Sporting their signature aviator sunglasses, the guards in the truce village in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) that divides the peninsula – standing only meters away from North Korean soldiers – were visibly no longer armed.

Public tours to the southern side of the inter-Korean border village resumed on Wednesday morning with firearms and guardposts now removed from the designated Joint Security Area (JSA), after having been stopped in October to facilitate joint efforts by Seoul and Pyongyang to demilitarize the border.

But with Pyongyang still in deadlock with the US over its nuclear weapons and economic sanctions – and fresh tension between North and South Korea – the tours began again with little fanfare.

The truce village is a frequent destination for tourists on both sides of the border, and for US presidents seeking to symbolically demonstrate Washington's commitment to defend Seoul from the nuclear-armed North.

The resumption of the tours is timed to mark the first anniversary of the Panmunjeom summit, the first inter-Korean talks between the South's Moon Jae-in and his North Korean counterpart Kim Jong-un, held at the truce village last year.

That summit fuelled a whirlwind of diplomacy which has died down amid deadlock over Pyongyang's denuclearization.

Seoul and Pyongyang had initially agreed to resume the full tour program and allow visitors to explore both the South and North sides of the village.

But the plan did not materialize as the US-led United Nations Command, which has overseen affairs in the DMZ since the end of 1950-53 Korean War, has yet to agree on the idea.

Seoul eventually decided to resume public tours to the south side of the area only.

While exchanges between Seoul and Pyongyang have significantly cooled after the collapse of Kim Jong-un's second summit with Trump in Hanoi, the UNC insisted tension has been significantly reduced in the JSA.

"What once was a vibe of tension is now a vibe of peace," said Sean Morrow, commander of the UNC Security Battalion-JSA.

"We've ensured that this side has been de-mined. We've taken the weapons out of the towers. Our guards no longer carry weapons... And our counterparts in the North side did the same," he said.

But since Hanoi, the North has not attended any of the weekly meetings of the heads of their joint liaison office in Kaesong, and has not taken part in other joint projects.

Kim slammed the South in a speech to his country's rubber-stamp legislature last month, saying it should not "pose as a meddlesome 'mediator'" between the US and Pyongyang.

Last week, on the anniversary of the Panmunjeom summit, Pyongyang's state media KCNA said Washington and Seoul "keep pushing the situation of the Korean peninsula and the region to an undesirable phase," criticizing their joint military exercises.

But Morrow said he now gets "acknowledgement" from his North Korean counterparts in the JSA, due to the easing of tensions in the truce village.

"I would get a smile, a head nod," he said.

Around 80 South Korean students and tourists visited the village as tours resumed on Wednesday.

"Before coming here I was quite nervous, but being here I realize it's actually more peaceful here," said Jung Eun-hee, a 46-year-old tourist who made her first visit to the village Wednesday.

"I can resonate with the word peace here." – Rappler.com

CARACAS, Venezuela – May Day clashes between opposition supporters and Venezuela's armed forces in Caracas left a woman dead and 46 people injured on Wednesday, May 1, with opposition leader Juan Guaido attempting to rally demonstrators against President Nicolas Maduro.

Jurubith Rausseo, 27, died at a clinic after being hit by a "bullet in the head during (a) demonstration," the non-governmental Venezuelan Observatory of Social Conflict said on Twitter, condemning her "murder."

Human rights organizations and health services reported 46 people injured in Wednesday's clashes, including one person with a gunshot wound.

Tensions in Venezuela have soared since Guaido, who heads the National Assembly legislature, invoked the constitution to declare himself acting president on January 23, claiming Maduro's re-election last year was illegitimate.

National Guard troops fired tear gas at stone-throwing protesters attempting to block a highway close to the air base in eastern Caracas where Guaido had tried on Tuesday to spark a military uprising. 

A second day of confrontations between opposition supporters and Maduro's security services came as the United States said it was prepared to take military action, if necessary, to stem the crisis in the South American nation.

At least one journalist was injured when National Guard soldiers fired rubber bullets at a group of reporters covering the clashes.

Miguel Ramirez, 17, told AFP at one medical center that he had been shot in the foot while protesting on the highway near the La Carlota air base. 

"I didn't manage to run and hide," he said.

Guaido rallied his supporters in Caracas in the Labor Day demonstrations, urging them to stay in the streets.

His appeal came despite the apparent failure the day before of a revolt by some soldiers and members of the Bolivarian National Guard who joined his side.  

In Tuesday's clashes, one person was killed and dozens injured, according to human rights monitors. More than 150 people were arrested, the government and human rights organizations said.

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres warned Venezuela's authorities not to use deadly force against demonstrators, while the US and Russia accused each other of making the crisis worse, evoking Cold War confrontations of the past.

In a phone call with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo accused Moscow of "destabilizing" Venezuela. 

'Nothing to celebrate'

Lavrov, in turn, charged that US interference was "destructive" and "in flagrant violation of international law."

"There is nothing for workers to celebrate," Guaido told supporters in the oil-rich country suffering from hyperinflation and food and medicine shortages that have driven millions to flee.

"We're going to remain in the streets until we achieve freedom for the Venezuelan people.

"The regime will try to increase the repression. It will try to persecute me, to stage a coup d'etat," said Guaido, recognized by more than 50 countries as the country's interim president.

He said staggered industrial action would begin on Thursday, leading to a general strike.

Before thousands of his own supporters in front of Miraflores palace on May Day, Maduro declared he will have "no hesitation" to lock up those responsible for this "criminal coup d'etat," threats recalling those he made the previous day.

In his Wednesday address, Maduro alleged that the "so-called coup d'etat" had been organized "from the White House" by US National Security Advisor John Bolton.

'Serious crimes' 

Hours after the revolt by military members appeared to have fizzled out, Pompeo told CNN he believed Maduro was ready to flee to ally Cuba before he was dissuaded by Russia – a claim Maduro later refuted as "a joke."

A senior Brazilian official said at least 25 Venezuelan troops had sought asylum at its Caracas embassy.

Venezuela's security forces number around 365,000 including military and police, as well as 1.6 million civilian reservists.

Pompeo said on Wednesday that Washington wants a peaceful transfer of power but warned that US President Donald Trump is prepared to take military action if necessary.

"The president has been crystal clear and incredibly consistent. Military action is possible. If that's what's required, that's what the United States will do," Pompeo told Fox Business Network. 

'Living through hell'

Venezuela has suffered five years of recession marked by shortages of basic necessities as well as failing public services, including water, electricity and transport.

"We're living through hell," a resident of western Caracas, Evelinda Villalobos, 58, told AFP.

"I believe the people in the streets will be the straw that breaks the camel's back." 

Another demonstrator, Patricia Requena, 40, said that "yesterday we saw soldiers recognizing our interim president. We have to stay in the streets." 

She vowed: "I'll keep demonstrating as long as God allows me to."

Michael Shifter, an analyst with the Inter-American Dialogue, told AFP the US approach to Venezuela was "unhelpful and often counterproductive." 

"The US is right to back Guaido in his battle against Maduro," said Shifter.

"But beyond being on the right side, the administration is making it harder, not easier, to achieve a democratic transition in Venezuela." – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo admitted that his copy of the "ouster matrix" came from an unknown mobile number and that he made this "matrix" public without first verifying its source.

Panelo clarified that he received a copy of the alleged matrix through a message sent to his phone after President Rodrigo Duterte called him up to ask him to "touch on" a matrix during his next press briefing.

But that message came from a number not recorded on his phone.

"Hindi ko alam kasi walang number siya eh. Kasi noong makita ko 'yung Manila Times, mukhang pareho eh ito na 'yun, wala nang iba," said Panelo on Thursday, May 2, during a Palace news briefing.

(I don't know because there was no number. But when I saw what the Manila Times published, it looked the same so there must be no other matrix.)

Asked to clarify if the message came from an unknown source, Panelo said, "Basta hindi siya naka-record sa ano (phone) ko eh (It's not recorded in my phone)."

Despite this, Panelo did not think it necessary to verify if the matrix was indeed the same matrix Duterte spoke of. Anyway, he said, Duterte has not yet corrected him.

Panelo merely compared the matrix he received to the diagram published by the Manila Times and he "reasonably assumed" that, because they were the same, the matrix he received must be the one the President meant he should discuss to media. (READ: FALSE: 'Ouster plot' against President Duterte 'bared')

'Blurry names'

But that the two matrices are exactly the same is also questionable since Panelo also admitted that he could not clearly read the names in the matrix he received. Therefore, how could he know it was exactly the same matrix published by the Manila Times?

The spokesman even said he had to ask his staff to take a screenshot of Manila Times' matrix so he could understand the matrix he received. This means he already assumed the two were one and the same.

"Actually, hindi ko nga alam 'yung mga pangalan kasi 'yung pinadala sa akin eh ang labo that's why I asked the staff, kumuha nga kayo doon sa Manila Times, medyo maliwanag para makita sino 'yung mga pangalan," said Panelo.

(Actually, I don't even know the names because what was sent to me was blurry so I asked the staff, get the one from Manila Times, it's clearer, so we can see the names.)

Panelo quoted Duterte as describing the matrix this way during their Holy Week phone conversation: "He said, 'Apparently there is an ouster plot against me and there is a matrix.'"

In previous press conferences, Panelo said the matrix came "straight from the Office of the President." (READ: 'Totally unnecessary' for Duterte to prove 'ouster matrix' – Malacañang)

Whether or not the matrix from the unknown number and the matrix being referred to by the President are the same, the sequence of events described by Panelo illustrates the process by which Malacañang publicized a "diagram" making serious allegations about individuals.

The groups and journalists included in the so-called matrix have denied involvement in the supposed ouster plot and have also condemned the spread of disinformation. (READ: [EDITORIAL] Ang pantasya ng 'matrix' ni Duterte)

The release of an unverified matrix of unknown origin by the Palace is in sharp contrast to Duterte's own demands to media entities to "prove" their supposedly baseless claims about his hidden wealth, corruption of his aides, and his campaign against illegal drugs. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Health (DOH) launched on Thursday, May 2, a national crisis hotline to assist people with mental health concerns ranging from counseling to psychiatric emergencies and suicide prevention.

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said the crisis hotline is operated by the National Center for Mental Health (NCMH), which has trained respondents to properly deal with those in need 24/7.

The hotline can be reached through the following numbers:

0917-899-USAP (8727)
0917-989-8727

"The hotline aims to send a message to those with mental health issues that they are not alone. It's okay to not be okay.... There is hope. Recovery is possible and there should be no shame in getting help," Duque said in a press conference on Thursday.

According to NCMH officer-in-charge (OIC) Allan Baquir, the hotline offers assistance for callers experiencing depression, suicidal thoughts, substance abuse and addiction, and other mental health concerns.

Aside from these, the hotline is also for individuals needing mental health assistance related to issues such as gender identity and sexual orientation, school and career, domestic abuse, sexual abuse, and violence against women and children, among others.

The NCMH said responders who would be taking calls will assess and classify the risk of callers. They may fall under:

• mild
• moderate
• severe or with threat to life

If necessary, responders will refer callers with severe risk to experts or hospitals with mental health services. (READ: A cry for help: Mental illness, suicide cases rising among youth)

According to the World Health Organization, over 800,000 people die by suicide each year, a number that translates to one death every 40 seconds. In the Philippines, the NCMH cites the suicide rate as 3.2 for every 100,000 people. (WATCH: What can you do to prevent suicide?)

Accessible right away? While the hotline can be accessed 24/7, Duque said it is currently being manned by only two respondents at the moment, as the DOH and the NCMH are still completing preparations needed for a national trunkline to be launched later in May.

Prior to the NCMH crisis hotline, the DOH's suicide hotline named Hopeline drew flak for supposedly being inaccessible. Despite an announcement that Hopeline would be available 24/7, callers reported being told over the phone that the line stops taking calls after "business hours."

Responding to this, Beverly Azucena, also an OIC of the NCMH, gave assurances that the planned trunkline, which has already been set up with the National Telecommunications Commission, will be able to accommodate about 8 to 10 callers at a time. It will also be available 24/7.

The NCMH crisis hotline also seeks to increase mental health literacy among the public, provide access to mental health services, and improve the Philippines' standing in happiness indices. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – Police have confirmed that the supposed stray bullet that killed 6-year-old Gian Habal in Caloocan City came from the cop who was conducting an "illegal operation in the child's area.

In a phone interview with Rappler, Metro Manila police chief Major General Guillermo Eleazar said the bullet recovered from the child matched the gun of Corporal Rocky delos Reyes. The two spent bullet cases found in the crime scene also only matched the cop's pistol, Eleazar said.

"Base ito sa advance information from our laboratory (This is based on the advance information from our laboratory), the official report is to follow... Sinabihan ko na rin si Chief PNP (I also relayed this to the PNP chief)," Eleazar said.

Eleazar said the pieces of evidence recovered and testimonies from witnesses in the crime scene point to Delos Reyes lying about the shooting from happening in the first place.

He also assured the public that Delos Reyes would be kicked out of the police service, since it had been established that he performed acts outside his duties as a member of the city police's administration unit. 

"Sure na ito. Ang daming iregular sa kanyang operation (This is sure. There are so many irregularities in the operation," Eleazar said. 

Delos Reyes initially told his colleagues at the Caloocan City Police Station that he was conducting a patrol when he supposedly saw a suspect and chased after his. He ended up in front of the house of the child in Barangay 178, Caloocan City, where he engaged in a shootout with the suspect.

Following the encounter, Gian Habal was hit by a bullet in the head. Delos Reyes shot the foot of Habal's grandmother, 65-year-old Elsa Montañez, when she tried to keep him from fleeing the scene.

Delos Reyes had surrendered to Caloocan cops, and faced murder and attempted murder charges. – Rappler.com

BHUBANESWAR, India – Nearly 800,000 people in India's eastern coastal districts have been evacuated ahead of the expected arrival of a major cyclone packing winds of up to 200 kilometers (125 miles) per hour, officials said Thursday, May 2.

The Indian weather service said Extremely Severe Cyclonic Storm Fani is expected to make landfall on Friday afternoon near the Hindu holy town of Puri.

A state relief department official told AFP that 780,000 people were moved to safer places overnight from at least 13 districts of Odisha state that will bear the brunt of the powerful cyclone.

"More people are being moved to safer places," an official from the department told AFP.    

Some 1,000 shelters in schools and government buildings have been set up to accommodate more than a million people. 

On Thursday the storm, which reports said was the biggest to hit eastern India in nearly two decades, was brewing in the Bay of Bengal some 450 kilometres offshore and moving westwards.

The cyclone was expected to pack sustained wind speeds of 180-190 kmh, bringing gusts of up to 200 kmh, and is equivalent in strength to a Category 3 to 4 hurricane. 

It will be the fourth such storm to hit the country's east coast in three decades. 

India's weather office has warned that the high speed winds can uproot trees, flatten crops, damage homes, power and communication infrastructure along with flooding in low lying areas. 

The neighbouring coastal states of Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu have also been put on high alert. 

Storms regularly hit eastern and southeastern India between April and December. In 2017, Cyclone Ockhi left nearly 250 people dead and more than 600 missing in Tamil Nadu and Kerala states. 

Odisha had to evacuate some 300,000 people last October when its coastal districts were battered by cyclone Titli, with winds up to 150 kmh (95 miles) per hour and heavy rains.  – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – Besieged by criticisms and questions about the veracity of President Rodrigo Duterte's "ouster plot matrix," Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo sought to assure the public that the Chief Executive would never make any baseless claims.

On Thursday, May 2, he said Filipinos have no reason to doubt the diagram because it comes from a President who "never lies."

"I don't have to verify what the President told me because he is the President. The President does not lie about those things.... The President does not lie on anything, on serious matters. He’s a very honest man," said Panelo.

"The President has many sources and the President, knowing him as a man of intellect, a probing mind, a thinking President, he will not release any information that he has not validated," added the spokesman, himself a lawyer like Duterte.

Yet the President himself has not been accurate or even honest about some of his claims in the past. (READ: [EDITORIAL] #AnimatED: The lies Tatay Digong told me)

Here's a list of just a few of the false and baseless claims, and even an outright lie that came from Duterte: 

1. 'Invented' bank account number

He has admitted "inventing" a Singaporean bank account number which he had previously claimed belonged to opposition Senator Antonio Trillanes IV, his fierce critic who had been accusing him of hidden wealth.

Prior to his admission, the President presented in a public address the alleged undeclared bank account numbers of Trillanes in Singapore. After the senator went to Singapore himself and personsally disproved the allegation, Duterte countered, "'Yung imbento ko na numero, putang ina, akin 'yan, galing sa utak ko 'yan (That number I invented, son of a bitch, that's mine, I made it up)."

2. Wrong claim: No projects for Davao City

In January, the President falsely claimed Davao City got no projects under his watch but government data showed that his hometown has P52 billion worth of infrastructure projects.

3. Wrong claim about timing of Hague ruling

There was also a time when he falsely claimed the Hague ruling was issued during the presidency of Benigno Aquino III when, in fact, it was issued during his presidency.

4. Errors in early drug matrix

And how about past matrices? In 2016, Duterte had to apologize to some local government officials for errors in a drug matrix he released to the public. The President admitted his government was "negligent in counterchecking" the document.

5. Wrong, baseless claims: ICC judges are 'white,' mostly pedophiles

In November 2018, he wrongly claimed all International Criminal Court (ICC) judges are caucasian and baselessly suspected most of them of being pedophiles. 

– Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) formally launched the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of the Expanded Maternity Leave Act, which grants mothers over 3 months of paid leave.

Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III signed the IRR on Wednesday, May 1, on the sidelines of a groundbreaking ceremony for the overseas Filipino workers hospital in San Fernando City, Pampanga.

The signing of the IRR came more than two months after President Rodrigo Duterte signed Republic Act No. 11210 or the Expanded Maternity Leave Act last February 22.

What to expect: Under the law, both government and private offices are required to give mothers 105 days or over 3 months of paid maternity leave. It applies to every instance of pregnancy and employers are required to grant it regardless of the mode of delivery, civil status, legitimacy of the child, and employment status.

The IRR provides for the law to also cover female workers in the informal economy sector, national athletes, and those who are voluntary contributors to the Social Security System.

Maternity leaves can also be extended by 30 days without pay.

As for fathers, a total of 7 out of the 105 days of leave may be transferred to them. This would expand fathers' paid paternity leave to 14 days.

Solo working mothers would also get an additional 15 days, for a total of 120 days of paid maternity leave.

Meanwhile, the IRR also provides that in cases of miscarriage or emergency termination of pregnancy, 60 days of maternity leave with full pay shall be granted to female workers.

Prior to the enactment of the Expanded Maternity Leave Act, mothers were granted 60 days of paid leave for normal delivery and 78 days for cesarean delivery. There was also a 4-pregnancy cap. (READ: TUCP warns employers vs hiring less women over maternity leave law)

Senator Risa Hontiveros, chairperson of the Senate committee on women, hailed the signing of the IRR.

"This law is not only confined to the offices and factories, but also covers the many homes where women do reproductive labor. By including them, the law clearly recognizes the productive and reproductive work of women," Hontiveros said in a statement.

According to Hontiveros, working mothers who gave birth on March 11 or after are entitled to the full benefits of the Expanded Maternity Leave Act. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – A set of new pictures of Princess Charlotte went online earlier Thursday, May 2, to celebrate her upcoming fourth birthday.

Princess Charlotte is the second child and only daughter of the Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge.

The photographs were taken in April by Duchess Catherine at Kensington Palace and at their home in Norfolk. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – Rappler CEO and executive editor Maria Ressa was arraigned on Thursday, May 2, over one count of violating the Ant-Dummy Law.

Ressa pleaded not guilty before Pasig Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 265 Judge Acerey Pacheco. 

Rappler managing editor Glenda M. Gloria, and 4 other members of Rappler's 2016 board, namely Manuel Ayala, Nico Jose Nolledo, James Velasquez, and Felicia Atienza were previously arraigned on April 10, where they also pleaded pleaded not guilty..

James Bitanga remains to be arraigned, but Judge Pacheco terminated the pre-trial on Thursday pending the final pre-trial order. A warrant of arrest has been issued against Bitanga; all the others have posted bail.

Trial will begin on August 27, according to Rappler's lawyers.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) will present two witnesses from the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), two from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), and one still unidentified, the same lawyers said. 

After the hearing, Ressa told reporters to focus attention on what she said are continuing attacks against the press.

"But I want to call attention to the ongoing and continuing attacks against independent media, it is sinister, it is insiduous and extremely dangerous. This is weaponization of the law against us," Ressa said.

Ressa mentioned the cyber attacks against websites of alternative media such as Altermidya, Bulatlat and Kodao; the red-tagging of the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP); and the matrix that linked media groups like Vera Files, the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ), and Rappler to an alleged ouster plot.

The anti-dummy charge is the 8th active court case against Ressa and the 11th overall against Rappler and its reporters and personnel. Ressa was arrested over the anti-dummy charge on March 29 upon arriving from a trip abroad.

It became the 8th because a separate charge for violating the the Securities Regulation Code was split from the anti-dummy and raffled to another court upon the orders of Judge Pacheco who said it should be a commercial court that should handle it.

The charge for violating the Securities Regulation Code is being handled by Pasig City Regional Trial Court Branch 158 Judge Rowena Modesto San Pedro, who issued an arrest warrant on April 1, over which Ressa and the board members paid bail as well.

The charges stem from the SEC’s findings that the Philippine Depositary Receipts issued by Rappler to Omidyar Network violated the constitutional ban against foreign ownership in media companies.

Rappler has maintained that PDRs are legal financial instruments that have been resorted to by other media and do not constitute foreign ownership. 

Rappler questioned the SEC's order before the Court of Appeals (CA), which has ruled twice that the commission should reevaluate its order given Omidyar's donation of its shares to Rappler's managers. (READ: Omidyar donates PDRs to Filipino managers) – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – Vice President Leni Robredo said the government should be “firm” against the entry of all illegal foreign workers to the Philippines, not just the influx of Chinese laborers.  

On Thursday, May 2, reporters at Donsol, Sorsogon sought the Vice President for comment after illegal Chinese workers were spotted in a construction site in Manila. 

“Iyong sa akin hindi lang iyong construction workers pero iyong pagpasok ng iligal, iyong illegal iyong stay… So iyong ninanais natin, sana iyong gobyerno mas firm – mas firm sa pag-treat ng, hindi lang ng mga Chinese, pero mga illegal migrants in general. Kasi iyong proteksyon din at saka welfare ng bawat Pilipino, iyon dapat iyong sinasaisip,” said Robredo.

(I’m not only talking about construction workers, but also illegal entry… What we hope is for the government to more firm in treating not just the Chinese, but all illegal migrants in general. Because the protection and welfare of every Filipino should be prioritized.)

Industry insiders estimate around 100,000 to 250,000 Chinese workers are in the Philippines, with most of them hired through the Philippine Online Gambling Operations.  (READ: How China’s online gambling addiction is reshaping Manila) 

The Bureau of Immigration said it issued 185,000 special work permits (SWPs) from January to November 2018. Of the total 72,010 current valid SWPs, 64,087 have been given to Chinese nationals. 

Several government officials and various groups already expressed concern over the influx of Chinese workers, especially those who enter the Philippines without legal working permits.  (READ: No to Chinese workers replacing Filipinos – Mar Roxas)

But President Rodrigo Duterte said in February he does not favor deporting illegal Chinese workers from the Philippines, adding that their number here "equals" the number of undocumented Filipino workers in China. 

Filipino first

Robredo, however, said the presence of these illegal workers would mean less jobs for Filipinos, the people whom the Duterte government should be prioritizing in the first place.  

“Iyong sa akin lang, kung ang sadya dito sa atin, trabaho, eh 'di kumuha ng maayos na visa para nare-regulate ng pamahalaan. Pero para iyong pamahalaan mismo iyong mag-tolerate, tingin ko mali iyon. Kasi halimbawa, pagbigay, pagbibigay ng working visa, kailangan titingnan niyan. Wala bang Pilipinong mawawalan ng pagkakataon na magtrabaho dahil sa kanila?” asked Robredo.

(For me, if they want to work in our country, then they should get the proopoer visa so the government could regulate them. But for the government itself to tolerate this, I think that’s wrong. For example, in granting working visas, it has to be checked. Are there Filipinos who would be losing their chance to work because of them?) 

The Vice President is also concerned that most of the Chinese workers working legally in the Philippines are in online gambling, an industry banned in China. 

“Eh iyong sugal, kaya sila pumapasok sa Pilipinas kasi bawal nga ito sa China. So iyong bawal ba sa China dito sa atin gagawin? So na-e-endanger iyong morals, na-e-endanger iyong kabuhayan ng bawat Pilipino,” said Robredo. 

(The reason why they’re entering the Philippines is because gambling is illegal in China. So what’s illegal in China, they will do here? So the morals, livelihood of every Filipinos are being endangered here.) – Rappler.com

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka – The death toll from the Easter suicide bomb attacks in Sri Lanka has risen to 257, authorities said Thursday.

They warned that the final number of dead from the April 21 attacks on 3 churches and 3 Colombo hotels would rise further.

"The death toll stands at 257 as of now," Anil Jasinghe, government director general of health services, told AFP.

"The death toll slowly increased because there were some in-hospital deaths. There are some body parts as well so it is actually 257-plus."

At least 40 of the dead are foreigners, with some missing tourists still to be accounted for.

According to the latest count, 496 injured were admitted to hospitals, with 47 still being treated and 12 of those in intensive care.

The government had given a toll of more than 350 but brought this down last week, blaming double counting of bodies that were badly mutilated in the six blasts. – Rappler.com

BANGKOK, Thailand – Thailand's King Maha Vajiralongkorn will be crowned this weekend in a pageantry-laden ceremony flecked by Hindu and Buddhist ritual, as Rama X furthers his primacy over one of the world's richest monarchies and a kingdom beset by ulcerous political divides. 

The May 4-6 coronation comes more than two years after Vajiralongkorn ascended the throne at the death of his father Bhumibol Adulyadej.

Bhumibol reigned over 7 tumultuous decades and was revered by Thais as a symbol of unity in a politically chaotic country.

His fiercely private 66-year-old son – Rama X of the Chakri dynasty – is less well-known by his subjects, and makes frequent trips overseas.

On Saturday at the auspicious hour of 10:09 am the public will be given a rare window into the heart of Thai power as blanket television coverage of the three-day coronation begins.

It will start with King Vajiralongkorn's "purification" by water drawn from ponds and rivers followed by a presentation of holy water by the top Buddhist patriarch and Chief Brahmin.

Then, as he sits underneath an ornate 9-tiered umbrella inside the Grand Palace, will be handed the diamond-encrusted Great Crown of Victory and issue his first royal command.

The rituals "are a symbolic system to upgrade the king from human to god", according to Tongthong Chandransu, a researcher of royal ceremonies. 

The following day Thais, who have not witnessed a coronation since Bhumibol's in 1950, will see the newly-crowned monarch as he is carried on a palanquin for 7 kilometers through Bangkok's historic heart. 

"I'm excited, it's a rare event... everyone respects the monarchy, it is the spiritual anchor for Thais," Surasak Nantaket, a 20-year-old student, told AFP. 

The government has set aside 1 billion baht ($31 million) for the ceremony, according to the deputy prime minister.

Queen Suthida

Inscrutable and powerful, Vajiralongkorn rarely addresses the Thai public, leaving his views broadly unknown and much of his private life a mystery and subject to gossip and conjecture.

In an unexpected twist late Wednesday, the palace named his consort– and deputy head of his security – Suthida Vajiralongkorn na Ayudhya as his fourth wife, making her Queen Suthida.

It has added to the mounting intrigue around the royal ceremony.

"Public curiosity, excitement and anticipation is naturally palpable and pervasive," said political analyst Thitinan Pongsudhirak.

The coronation "underscores the paramount role of the monarchy in Thai society".

Thailand's monarchy is protected by one of the world's harshest royal defamation laws, making criticism or full analysis inside the kingdom all but impossible.

The Thai constitutional monarchy was established in 1932.

But recent actions – notably to extinguish a bid by his elder sister to run for premier – have shown an increasingly assertive crown.

The kingdom has been cut by political divisions for more than 13 years, with coups and violence toppling short-lived civilian governments.

Full results from a contentious March 24 general election, the first since generals again seized power in 2014, are due to be announced on May 9.

Historically the monarchy and army have survived in partnership.

The ruling junta, led by former army chief Prayut Chan-O-Cha, wants to return as a civilian government and claims legitimacy from winning the popular vote.

But deadlock looms with an anti-junta bloc claiming most parliamentary seats and the right to form a government.

"The role of the crown will be key in restoring and ushering in some kind of a new normal, a new kind of political stability," said Thitinan.  

Volunteer spirit
Since ascending the throne, Vajiralongkorn has repeatedly left his mark on the Thai bureaucracy. 

Parliament has been shuttered since the palace reclaimed the land it stands on; police have been ordered to wear a short crew-cut, while the king's pointmen now sit on the influential privy council and manage his beefed-up security.

Significantly, the king transferred direct control of the Crown Property Bureau to himself, breaking the tradition of civilian stewardship of the hugely wealthy body.

In the absence of public debate on those moves, a wave of royal volunteerism has surged across the country ahead of the coronation. 

Millions have signed up to clean streets, plant mangroves and repaint roads across the kingdom, while vast portraits of the king now stud virtually every street.

But not everyone is captivated by the ceremony.

"I'm not really interested," said one office worker, requesting anonymity, expressing concern at "changes under the new reign." – Rappler.com

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka – Sri Lanka's Catholic Church has canceled plans to resume Sunday services following a "specific threat" of fresh bomb attacks against at least two places of worship, a spokesman said.

The archbishop of Colombo, Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith, had wanted to resume regular mass from May 5, but the new information made them put it off indefinitely, his spokesman told AFP on Thursday, May 2.

"On the advice of the security forces, we have decided not to have Sunday masses in any of the churches," the spokesman said. "There is a specific threat against two locations."

The Church had planned to resume Sunday public services for the first time since the Easter Sunday attacks that killed 257 people.

Last Sunday the cardinal conducted a private memorial mass that was broadcast live on television after canceling all public services.

On Tuesday, he said he was closely monitoring investigations into the April 21 suicide attacks against three churches and three luxury hotels and wanted to be sure of the security situation before returning to regular services.

The services were canceled a day after all political parties scrapped May Day rallies amid fears of bomb blasts.

The cardinal had hoped to start regular services at a few churches from Sunday and then expand depending on the situation.

Armed guards

Armed guards have been stationed outside churches across the country since the Easter attacks.

The cardinal has also been given several bodyguards and a large security contingent.

However, he returned a bullet-proof limousine that was given by the government and instead travelled in an ordinary car.

"I am not afraid. I don't need bullet-proof vehicles to go about. The Lord is my protector," he said. "But I want security for my people, and for the country."

Ranjith said he had concerns about the progress of security operations against jihadists behind the worst single-day attack against civilians in the country's history.

The Church is also calling for tougher laws to deal with the perpetrators.

Police say they have arrested more than 150 suspects since the attacks and have accounted for all six jihadi suspects who were declared as most-wanted.

Two suspects have been killed while the other 4 were in custody, police said.

President Maithripala Sirisena announced on Friday that the authorities believed there were 140 Islamic State-inspired jihadists in Sri Lanka and he had ordered security forces to track them down. (READ: Sri Lanka names Easter suicide bombers)

The Easter attacks were blamed on the local National Thowheeth Jama'ath (NTJ) whose leader was among the suicide bombers. The group had pledged an oath of allegiance to the Islamic State (ISIS).

The death toll from the attacks has climbed to 257, authorities said earlier Thursday, warning that the final number would rise further.

At least 40 of the dead are foreigners, with some missing tourists still to be accounted for.

According to the latest count, 496 injured were admitted to hospitals, with 47 still being treated and 12 of those in intensive care.

The government had given a toll of more than 350 but brought this down last week, blaming double counting of bodies that were badly mutilated in the six blasts. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – Rodel Jayme, touted earlier as the uploader of the controversial “Bikoy” videos which alleged that President Rodrigo Duterte and his family were involved in the illegal drug trade, did not upload the videos. He only shared them.

Department of Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra disclosed this information in a press briefing at the DOJ on Thursday, May 2.

The Justice Secretary narrated how they completed the arrest. First, he ordered the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to probe the videos on April 17. Then the NBI found a website which constantly shared the "Bikoy" videos.

“Further investigation disclosed that a certain website with a domain name metrobalita.com was constantly posting links of aforesaid Ang Totoong Narcolist videos, which allows the public easier access thereto,” Guevarra said.

“Using an open-source tool it was found out that the subject website was registered by a certain Rodel Jayme,” he added.

On April 29, the NBI Cybercrime Division secured a search warrant for Jayme’s residence, signed by Makati Regional Trial Court Branch 148 Judge Andres Soriano. On April 30, they searched Jayme’s home and arrested him.

Was he arrested for sharing only? So far, yes.

“Rodel Jayme published the link of the Ang Totoong Narcolist in the said website which facilitated the circulation of the subject videos,” Guevarra said.

But the DOJ Secretary said there might be “possible offenses” he might have committed once the NBI has examined his seized gadgets.

The NBI recovered his computer, phone, and “other paraphernalia”, according to Guevarra.

“We could only confirm that he was the one who created the metrobalita.net,” Guevarra said.

Jayme is currently detained at the NBI office in Padre Faura, Manila, until he undergoes inquest.– Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines (UPDATED) – The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) on Thursday, May 2, filed an inciting to sedition complaint against a man who had allegedly spread the so-called "Bikoy" videos online.

The NBI filed the complaint against Rodel Jayme before the Department of Justice following his arrest.

The NBI complaint accused Jayme of committing "Article 142 Inciting to Sedition under the Revised Penal Code in relation to Section 6 of Republic Act 10175, otherwise known as the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012." 

"The law did not require a person to be involved in seditious acts. As long as the elements are met, one can be charged to be in violaton of Article 142," said the NBI. 

The NBI also said Jayme "did not just share" the videos, but participated "in a concerted effort (not merely a statement of opinion) directed to a more complicated result."

Inciting to sedition is defined under Article 142 of the Revised Penal Code as:

"...any person who, without taking any direct part in the crime of sedition, should incite others to the accomplishment of any of the acts which constitute sedition, by means of speeches, proclamations, writings, emblems, cartoons, banners, or other representations tending to the same end, or upon any person or persons who shall utter seditious words or speeches, write, publish, or circulate scurrilous libels against the Republic of the Philippines or any of the duly constituted authorities thereof, or which tend to disturb or obstruct any lawful officer in executing the functions of his office, or which tend to instigate others to cabal and meet together for unlawful purposes, or which suggest or incite people against the lawful authorities or to disturb the peace of the community, the safety and order of the Government, or who shall knowingly conceal such evil practices."

Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said earlier on Thursday that aside from an inciting to sedition complaint, Jayme may also face a child abuse complaint "for involving a minor," referring to President Rodrigo Duterte's 15-year-old daughter Kitty, who was mentioned in the videos.

NBI operatives implemented a search warrant on Jayme on Tuesday, April 30, to seize computers and other data related to their investigation into "Bikoy," a man who appeared in a series of online videos that linked Duterte's family and those close to him to the illegal drug trade.

Guevarra clarified that they had not established if Jayme was the original uploader of the video, but that he owned the domain metrobalita.net which was found to have significantly spread the "Bikoy" videos online.

Guevarra said Jayme voluntarily went with the NBI to their headquarters after the Tuesday search, after which operatives arrested him. It was an arrest incidental to a search, said Guevarra, when asked for the basis of the warrantless arrest.

Jayme will be brought for inquest before Thursday ends, Guevarra said. The inquest prosecutor will rule whether the arrest was valid, and if Jayme could be released. The Revised Penal Code provides the following prescribed periods of time to bring to inquest a person arrested without warrant:

• 12 hours for crimes or offenses punishable by light penalties, or their equivalent
• 18 hours for crimes or offenses punishable by correctional penalties, or their equivalent
• 36 hours for crimes or offenses punishable by afflictive or capital penalties, or their equivalent

"From our point of view, he must have known that those videos were produced and they were just a tool in propagating those videos," said Vic Lorenzo, the NBI's Cybercrime Division chief.

Sharing the video

The Supreme Court struck down as unconstitutional the part of the Cybercrime Prevention Act that punishes "aiding and abetting" in a case of cyber libel, which in this context can be taken to mean as a person who shares supposedly libelous content.

"We have already elevated this matter to our legal division for their evaluation," Lorenzo said.

Will other people who share the "Bikoy" videos be subject to the same charges?

Guevarra said: "For now we're focusing on his guy. We're not done with this guy yet, and it may turn out after further investigation that some other people, some special people who propagated the video in a very vigorous manner, may have to be investigated for it likewise."

The Malacañang-backed "matrix" on a supposed ouster plot links the "Bikoy" videos to media groups like Rappler, Vera Files, the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism, and human rights group National Union of Peoples' Lawyers. The implicated groups have dismissed the so-called matrix as false and rubbish.

Asked if Jayme's arrest was connected to the "matrix," Guevarra said: "I cannot answer that question, at this time. It may or it may not have something to do with that alleged ouster plot. But I am not confirming that."

"As the NBI said, it's still for further investigation, so this is just the first of our press conferences on the matter. If we have something, a lot more significant than what has been done will arise, then we will call for another press conference," the justice secretary added.

On Twitter, a user named Rodel Jayme identifies himself as a "Blogger, Gamer, License Amateur Radio Operator." His Twitter page links to a blog, where the first visible post is an entry supportive of former president Benigno Aquino III.

Asked for a profile on Jayme, including political affiliations, Guevarra said reporters could do the research themselves. NBI officials who were with Guevarra in the press conference said political affiliations were not covered by their investigation.

Guevarra also said "Malacañang has nothing to do" with the arrest of Jayme, or the "Bikoy" investigation. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – The De La Salle University (DLSU) joined the University of the Philippines (UP) as one of the top universities in Asia in 2019, results from the Times Higher Education (THE) Asia University Rankings showed.

The latest rankings released Thursday, May 2, showed that UP also climbed higher in the rankings, as it is now ranked 95th in the region. The university was previously ranked 156th in 2018.

DLSU, meanwhile, made it to the list for the first time, joining the 251-300 bracket.

UP and DLSU were also the only Philippine universities that appeared on the THE World University Rankings in 2018. Both universities also later appeared on the THE's recent Asia Pacific university rankings released last February 2019.

The THE Asia University Rankings based its scores on the same indicators used in its world rankings. These include 13 performance indicators that cover teaching at 25%, research at 30%, citations at 30%, international outlook at 7.5%, and "knowledge transfer" or industry income at 7.5%. Universities are scored on a scale of 100 according to these parameters.

Meanwhile the top 10 universities in Asia according to the Times Higher Education are the following:

1. Tsinghua University (China)
2. National University of Singapore (Singapore)
3. Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (Hong Kong)
4. University of Hong Kong (Hong Kong)
5. Peking University (China)
6. Nanyang Technological University (Singapore)
7. Chinese University of Hong Kong (Hong Kong)
8. The University of Tokyo (Japan)
9. Seoul National University (Korea)
10. Sungkyunkwan University (Korea)

This year's results also saw China's Tsinghua University overtaking the National University of Singapore to become the best university in Asia for the first time, according to the group. 

Meanwhile, Japan remained the most-represented nation in the list with 103 universities, up from 89 last year.

Over 400 universities were included in the list, up from over some 350 last year. The group reviewed universities from 27 countries. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – People who shared the controversial "Bikoy" videos which accused the Duterte family of being involved in illegal drugs may be investigated by the government, the Department of Justice (DOJ) said on Thursday, May 2.

"For now, we're focusing on this guy (Rodel Jayme). We're not done with this guy yet, okay. And it may turn out that some other special people who propagated the video, or shared the video in a very vigorous manner, may have to be investigated further likewise," Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said in a press briefing.

Jayme, who was identified to be managing a website called metrobalita.net, was arrested on Tuesday, April 30, for sharing the videos. Authorities have not presented evidence that he was involved in producing the videos.

The DOJ acknowledged that the Supreme Court struck down as unconstitutional the part of the Cybercrime Prevention Act that punishes sharers of content that could be libelous. But DOJ Office of Cybercrime Officer-in-Charge Che Zamora argued that those who share libelous content cannot be cleared of wrongdoing.

"We don't want to say in a straight manner that they don't have any liability, since it is still following investigation. Who knows, who might have shared the videos would also have some sort of liability?" Zamora said.

What can the government do vs sharers?

Guevarra and Zamora did not expound on possible complaints, but Jayme faces a complaint for inciting to sedition.

Inciting to sedition is defined under Article 142 of the Revised Penal Code as:

"...any person who, without taking any direct part in the crime of sedition, should incite others to the accomplishment of any of the acts which constitute sedition, by means of speeches, proclamations, writings, emblems, cartoons, banners, or other representations tending to the same end, or upon any person or persons who shall utter seditious words or speeches, write, publish, or circulate scurrilous libels against the Republic of the Philippines or any of the duly constituted authorities thereof, or which tend to disturb or obstruct any lawful officer in executing the functions of his office, or which tend to instigate others to cabal and meet together for unlawful purposes, or which suggest or incite people against the lawful authorities or to disturb the peace of the community, the safety and order of the Government, or who shall knowingly conceal such evil practices."

Jayme also faces the possibility of being charged with child abuse, for "involving a minor." The DOJ was referring to President Rodrigo Duterte's 15-year-old daughter Kitty who was mentioned in the videos.

National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) operatives implemented a search warrant against Jayme on Tuesday, leading to his arrest and the confiscation of his computers and other tech paraphernalia. As of posting time, he was detained at the NBI as he waited for his inquest. – Rappler.com

ISTANBUL, Turkey – Istanbul police have opened 32 investigations following allegations of voting "irregularities" made by the ruling party of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan after its shock loss in local elections, Turkish media reported Thursday, May 2.

More than 100 election officials have been summoned as part of the inquiries across 3 districts in Turkey's biggest city, according to state news agency Anadolu.

Erdogan's Justice and Development Party (AKP) saw losses in Ankara and Istanbul – which the party or its predecessors had held since 1994 – in the elections of March 31, despite remaining the most popular party nationwide.

It has accused election officials of suppressing votes for their candidates and discounting valid ballots.

The AKP has made an "extraordinary appeal" for a rerun of the election in Istanbul, which was won by a coalition of opposition parties headed by Ekrem Imamoglu. He has accused Erdogan's party of being "bad losers."

The country's electoral council is due to convene on Monday, May 6, to discuss the appeal.

Several partial recounts in Ankara and Istanbul have so far supported the initial results, which saw Imamoglu win the Istanbul mayorship by less than 15,000 in a city of more than 15 million. – Rappler.com

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia – Diamond jewelry worth $1.7 million, allegedly bought by a Malaysian financier for his mother with money stolen from scandal-hit fund 1MDB, will be handed over to the US government, a report said Thursday, May 2.

Billions of dollars were allegedly pilfered from the Malaysian sovereign wealth fund by toppled leader Najib Razak and his cronies, who spent it on everything from high-end real estate to artworks.

Financier Jho Low allegedly played a central role in the fraud and has been charged in Malaysia and the United States, which is seeking to recover assets purportedly bought with looted funds via civil lawsuits.

Among these assets were a pair of diamond earrings and a diamond ring which Low allegedly bought for his mother, Goh Gaik Ewe, using some $1.7 million taken from 1MDB. Low commissioned a top American jeweler to make the pieces.

US prosecutors said in a court filing this week that the set's custodian had reached an agreement to hand over the jewelry, Bloomberg News reported, citing documents filed in a California court.

The transfer should not be construed as an admission of wrongdoing or liability, it said. The filing did not say who the custodian was. Low's mother is reported to be living in Thailand.

A spokesman for Low said he was "pleased to learn that the United States Department of Justice and all the relevant parties are working to amicably resolve these matters."

The current whereabouts of Low, who gained a reputation as a jet-setting playboy, are unknown.

The 1MDB scandal played a huge part in the election loss last year of Najib's coalition, which had governed Malaysia since independence from Britain in 1957.

Najib has since been arrested over the fraud and went on trial last month. – Rappler.com