KARACHI, Pakistan – At least 90 people, including 65 children, are believed to have been infected with the HIV virus in Pakistan by a doctor using a contaminated syringe, officials said on Friday, May 3.

"We have arrested a doctor after receiving complaints from the health authorities," said Kamran Nawaz, the local police chief heading the case in the southern city of Larkana.

"We are told that the doctor also has HIV," he said.

Authorities were first alerted last week after 18 children from a town on the outskirts of the city tested positive for the virus, which causes AIDS, prompting health officials to carry out wider screenings.  

Dozens more infections were found.

"More than 90 people have tested HIV positive and the number of children is around 65," Dr Abdul Rehaman, a district health official in Larkana, told AFP.

A second official confirmed the outbreak, although gave slightly different figures.

Authorities said they traced the outbreak to a single doctor, who appears to have been using a contaminated syringe on patients.

Azra Pechuho, Sindh province's health minister, confirmed his arrest.

"The blood of the parents of the infected children was also tested, but their results were negative," Pechuho added.

Officials have since launched an even larger testing and education drive.

Pakistan is considered a low prevalence country for HIV, but the disease is expanding -- mostly among intravenous drug users, sex workers and migrant labourers returning from the Gulf. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – Malacañang advised passers of the 2018 Bar examinations to cultivate the virtue of integrity as it congratulated the country's incoming batch of lawyers.

"As they prepare to take their oaths and sign in the roll of attorneys, we urge them to inculcate in their minds that integrity is the highest in the hierarchy of virtues in the legal profession," said Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo on Friday, May 3, a few hours after the Supreme Court announced the names of the successful Bar exam takers.

He urged them to join government, saying their youth and idealism are "welcome" in the Duterte administration.

"We hope that many of our country’s new lawyers consider pursuing a career in the government and help build a progressive and peaceful nation that will provide a comfortable life for all," said Panelo, himself a lawyer.

Panelo emphasized the importance of non-partisanship and fairness in a lawyer.

"Learning the law is a never-ending process. Its practice is faced with endless challenges and a constant wrestling with conscience as we ought to remove our partisanship, personal feelings, and biases as well as prejudices when a question of law or a case subject of litigation is thrown to our lap for the application of the letter and spirit of the law," he said.

Panelo gave the advice to the newest members of his profession as the Duterte administration continued to be accused of twisting the law to attack its critics and other dissenting voices as amplified by groups on Friday, World Press Freedom Day.

Journalism watchdogs and media groups, for instance, have slammed the government for bending the law in order to give attacks against Rappler and its CEO Maria Ressa a veneer of legality. 

Lawyers have accused Duterte of "reinventing the law"  when he attempted to nullify Senator Antonio Trillanes IV's amnesty.

On Wednesday, May 2, Panelo had to fend off questions about the appropriateness of releasing an "ouster plot matrix"  before ascertaining its source and veracity. Legal questions also hound the arrest of a man accused of sharing "Bikoy" videos which allege Duterte and those close to him of links to the illegal drug trade.

Panelo had also insisted the President, a lawyer, is a man of integrity who "does not lie" and release unvalidated information despite incidents proving otherwise. – Rappler.com

MOSCOW, Russia – A blogger behind massively popular social media accounts that skewer the Kremlin and life in modern Russia has revealed his identity.

Known for his caustic observations and dry wit, StalinGulag has won nearly 1.5 million followers on Twitter and Telegram.

Speculation has circulated for years about his identity, until this week he revealed himself as Alexander Gorbunov, born in 1992 in the North Caucasus city of Makhachkala.

"I am StalinGulag and I am no longer anonymous," Gorbunov posted on Twitter on Thursday, linking to an interview he gave to the BBC Russian service. 

The interview showed Gorbunov in a wheelchair and he said that he had used it for most of his life after being diagnosed with spinal muscular atrophy.

Gorbunov said his work had evolved from a need to point out the absurdities of life in his country.

"The blog wasn't some thought-out project. It all happened purely by accident," he said.

"There are situations when it is simply impossible to stay silent, when it is impossible not to say that crazy things are happening."

In one recent Twitter post he pointed to the fact that Russian television channels were giving blanket coverage to a presidential election debate in neighbouring Ukraine.

"This is how much our political system has degraded -- it is more interesting to watch elections in a foreign country than to even hope that someday we will have something similar."

Gorbunov, who said he lived in Moscow with his wife and was a successful financial trader, said he had decided to come forward after police in Makhachkala raided his parents' home.

In recent years Russian authorities have tried to block online sites where critical content has been posted, including Telegram, an encrypted messenger app.  – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – Over 100 cases of attacks against journalists have been recorded since President Rodrigo Duterte assumed office, a network of journalist organizations announced on World Press Freedom Day, May 3.

In a presentation during a press freedom forum by the Freedom for Media, Freedom for All Network, former dean of the University of the Philippines College of Mass Communication Luis Teodoro said that from June 30, 2016 up to April 30, 2019, they have monitored at least 128 threats and attacks against members of the press.

The Freedom for Media, Freedom for All Network is composed of the Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility (CMFR), the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines, the Philippine Press Institute, MindaNews, and the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism. (READ: Foreign-funded? Journalists hit back, say gov't gets funds from China)

The rate of harassment and assaults has so far been unprecedented, according to Teodoro. He noted that during President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo's 9-year term as president, 32 journalists were killed in the Maguindanao massacre. During the administration of President Benigno Aquino III, meanwhile, 31 journalists were killed.

"As far as instance of occurrences, however our concern, the present administration beats them all," said Teodoro, who is a member of the CMFR's Board of Trustees. 

These 128 threats and attacks are broken down as follows:

• 12 killings
• 18 online harassment incidents
• 12 threats through SMS
• 12 libel cases
• 10 website attacks
• 8 coverage ban incidents
• 8 slay attempts
• 5 verbal threats and assault
• 5 physical assault
• 5 arrests
• 5 cyber libel cases
• 3 physical harassment cases
• 3 corporate-related attacks
• 2 bomb threats
• 2 strafing and shooting incidents
• 2 article takedowns

Incidents rose, Teodoro said, because there are new ways to intimidate journalists, especially through cyberspace. (READ: Philippines down 1 spot in 2019 World Press Freedom Index)

"Website attacks were very, very rare. Trolling, of course, [has been] exceptionally prevalent during the present regime," Teodoro said.

The attacks included the President's coverage ban which started in February 2018. (READ: TV, newspaper journalists join Rappler petition vs Duterte coverage ban)

Some 50 of these attacks and threats happened to online reporters, while the rest happened to radio reporters (36 cases), print reporters (25 cases), television reporters (13 cases), multimedia reporters (3), and a photographer (1). Victims of the attacks and threats included 66 men and 33 women from 29 news organizations.

Most or 63 of the reported incidents occurred in Metro Manila, followed by Central Luzon (8 cases) and Caraga (7 cases).

Teodoro said that monitoring attacks against the press matters now more than ever, because journalists are needed to watch over officials who can abuse their powers.

"Its task as the fourth estate in monitoring government is crucial in public understanding of whether key officials are focused on addressing the country's many problems or are merely enriching themselves – but as an institution that can flourish and achieve that task only at the conditions of freedom not only for itself, but for all," Teodoro said. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – High-school graduate web administrator Rodel Jayme is willing to drop names, and has so far mentioned opposition groups Liberal Party and Magdalo, as he is poised to become a state witness for the government manhunt into the man behind videos damaging to President Rodrigo Duterte and the first family.

“That’s very possible (for Jayme to become sate witness), that’s why if you look at the strategy of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), we have to file a case against him, because later on if we intend to consider him a state witness, he should be charged first,” NBI spokesperson Deputy Director Ferdinand Lavin in a press conference on Friday, May 3.

“Handa po akong maging state witness kasi sabi ko nga po, wala po akong direktang alam, kaya ko pong ituro sino po ang nagpagawa,” the 27-year-old Jayme said. 

(I am ready to become state witness because as I said, I have no direct knowledge, [but] I can point to the people who made me do the website.)

The NBI filed before the Department of Justice (DOJ) on Thursday, May 2, a complaint for inciting to sedition against Jayme. Lavin said the cyber libel complaint will follow. 

Jayme said on Friday that on the request of a client – a person named "Maru Nguyen" – he created the website Metrobalita.net.

The NBI said the website spread Bikoy videos online, a series that links Duterte’s family and people close to them to the illegal drug trade. 

Jayme said there is a group of people behind the "operation" with Nguyen. “Hindi ko po alam kung malaking tao po sila pero sa akin pong kaalaman, kapwa ko po sila supporter noon, noong panahon ng presidential elections, ng partido po, partido Liberal po,” Jayme said.

(I don't know if they're big people but as far as I know, they are my fellow supporters during the time of the presidential elections, supporters of a party, the Liberal Party.)

Magdalo

Jayme said his only involvement was in creating the website. He said he did not have a hand in its  content.

“Kaya ko nasabi na parang nilaglag aka dahil kung tutuusin magkaibigan kami (ni Nguyen), magkakilala kami ng personal, bilang kaibigan, ginawa  ko ‘yun dahil sa pakiusap, kung tutuusin matagal na po Kong dumistansya sa usaping pulitika,” Jayme said, who admits to supporting the LP before and whose photo with Vice President Leni Robredo is being spread online by opposition critics.

(I said I felt betrayed because Nguyen and I are friends, we know each other personally, as a friend I did what she asked me to do, I have long distanced myself from politics.) 

Jayme said Nguyen offered the help of a “group” to finance him for a while so he can hide. “Hanggang matapos daw ang eleksyon. Ang sabi ng grupo delikado nga daw po, at wala akong kinalaman at nadawit daw ako (Until after the elections are over. The group said I'm at risk because I have no direct involvement but I'm the one being cornered),” Jayme said.

In the NBI complaint, Magdalo – the group of staunch administration critics Senator Antonio Trillanes IV and opposition senatorial bet Gary Alejano – was mentioned as having appeared in one of the chats between Jayme and Nguyen. (READ: Trillanes and the Magdalo: All grown up 15 years after Oakwood)

“Baka kausapin ka ng Magdalo (Magdalo might talk to you),” Nguyen supposedly said in the chat.

Lavin said that an investigation to identify members of Magdalo who could be involved is a track they would take.

“Soon as we are able to find out and validate the information contained in the conversations. If you noticed there were deleted messages, we hope we are able to retrieve this in secondary investigation, baka meron dung detalye,” said Lavin.

Jayme said he himself does not know any member from Magdalo. (READ: Legal questions on the arrest of ‘Bikoy’ video sharer)

Inciting to sedition

Lavin said there are chats between Jayme and Nguyen which can justify the filing of an inciting to sedition complaint. Among the definitions of inciting to sedition is to "incite people against the lawful authorities or to disturb the peace of the community, the safety and order of the government."

"Not only because the first family is involved but because the context is to sow hatred towards the duly instituted authorities," Lavin said.

Jayme was arrested on April 30 – a warrantless arrest “incidental to a search,” said Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra.

Jayme remains in the custody of the NBI pending the resolution of the DOJ inquest prosecutor. (READ: Other 'Bikoy' video sharers can be investigated too – DOJ)

Jayme said he cannot afford his own lawyer. He hasn’t been able to see a lawyer since his arrest except for when he underwent an inquest where a public lawyer assisted him.

“May kaba po ako, pero sa ngayon na nandito ako sa NBI, alam kong safe po ako sa pangunguna ng mga kasama ko ngayon sa NBI,” Jayme said.

(I am nervous but because I am here at the NBI, I know I am safe with these people here with me now.) – Rappler.com

CEBU CITY, Philippines – Four students from the University of San Carlos in Cebu made it to the Top 10 of the 2018 Bar examinations, and 3 of them wasted no time paying tribute to their teachers and promising to uphold the highest standards of the legal profession in a press conference on Friday, May 5. 

In an afternoon press conference arranged by the university, hours after the Bar results were released, the passers said their preparations for this licensure exam started when they first entered the classroom in freshman year in law school.

The 9th placer, Jebb Lynus Cane, was unable to join the press conference. 

“My preparation really started during the first year, first day of law school.” said 3rd placer Mark Badayos. 

Marcley Natu-el, who placed second, said that from Day 1 too he had been praying to God about topping the bar exam.

But his desire to become a lawyer became stronger when her realized there was a need for more ethical lawyers.

Badayos agreed: “I want to become a lawyer because we are at a time where it’s really very trying, we have more reason to uphold the rule of law.”

The country is in need of young lawyers "whose heart is really for fighting for the rule of law," he addded.

Alen Pita, the 10th placer, said he accepts that the profession of a lawyer "is a privilege, at the same time obligation."

The 3 revealed that while waiting for the results, they were in separate churches to pray.  

Lawyer Joan Largo, dean of the USC School of Law and Governance, said a confluence of factors contributed to their success in the Bar exams: a supportive administration, dedicated faculty, and hardworking students.

“The students in one batch change year after year, and their variables, but the constant in USC is really the faculty,” said Badayos.

Natu-el said that while he was taking the exam he could hear the voices of his teachers, telling him the correct answer.

Pita revealed that he relied on most of the materials provided by the university during his review: “The training in USC since first year until 4th year, even after graduation, during the Bar review, is enough to pass, or even top the bar.”

Natu-el also said they did not need to purchase books from other schools or professors during the review. He enrolled in a review center but only attended sessions that he felt were important. He, like Pita and Badayos, self-reviewed most of the time.

In 2015, the USC produced two topnotchers; ranked 1st, 3rd, 7th, and 8th in 2016; and ranked 2nd, 4th, and 7th in 2017. 

Largo said that even if they had already been doing well for the past few years, they would continue to innovate to make sure they produce more topnotchers and enjoy a higher passing rate.

“In all honestly and modesty, we really thought of them making it to the top 10,” Largo said.

Largo also said that they are also lobbying for the regionalization of the bar examinations.

“It takes so much more, it asks so much more of us, to take the Bar in Manila. If we can just bring the Bar outside of Manila, then there’ll be more, better chances for us who are outside Metro Manila,” she said.

The three topnotchers agree with Largo, with Badayos saying it takes a toll on their emotional health being away from their families while reviewing.

Largo added that another area about the bar that they are lobbying for is the handwritten exams, “Nobody files pleadings in court, in their own handwriting, it’s always typewritten, and yet handwriting is a very crucial factor in passing and topping the bar examination.”

Natu-el said that he spent a lot of time looking for a pen that would make his handwriting look legible because he is not proud of his handwriting. – Rappler.com 

MANILA, Philippines – A man arrested 3 years ago for allegedly being a member of a group that sold illegal party drugs at the Closeup Forever Summer concert, was shot and killed motorcycle-riding gunmen in Pasig City on Thursday night, May 2. 

Pasig City police chief Colonel Rizalito Gapas, said Joshua Habalo, alias Josh, 26 years old, was killed on the spot. 

Habalo gained notoriety when he was arrested by agents of the National Bureau of Investigation back in May 2016 for involvement with a group that sold ecstasy pills and other illegal party drugs during a concert at the Mall of Asia open-air grounds. Five people died in that event due to overdosing on drugs.

A police report said that at around 9 pm Thursday, Habalo was riding a motorcycle along Octagon Street in Barangay Dela Paz, Pasig, when two gunmen, also aboard motorbikes, followed him and fired their guns at him several times. 

Investigators said the motorcycle of the suspects has no license plates.

The report added that after the shooting, the suspects fled towards Marcos Highway.

Gapas said: “Involved siya doon sa (He was involved in the) Closeup Forever Summer concert as he was allegedly peddling drugs. Kaso, hindi siya nakasuhan dahil hindi included as illegal drugs yung nakuha sa kanya,” (The case against him was dismissed because the what was seized from him during his arrest were not illegal.) 

At that time, records showed the party drugs in Habalo's possession contained only synthetic cathinone, which is not listed as an illegal substance under Republic Act No. 9165 or the Comprehensive Drug Act.

According to a Rappler report on Habalo's arrest, he claimed that he used but did not sell the tablets in his possession during the May 22, 2016 concert. 

Habalo also provided information on the groups which peddled drug in the concert. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – The Supreme Court (SC) gave back-to-back victories to human rights groups on Friday, May 3, after it issued writs of amparo and kalikasan against military harassment and environmental neglect in the West Philippine Sea.

Both petitions sued the Duterte administration.

The SC announced on Friday that after its special en banc session, the justices decided to grant the petitions of the National Union of Peoples' Lawyers (NUPL) which complained of harassment from the military and Malacañang; and the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) with senatorial bet Chel Diokno which complained of neglect in enforcing environmental laws in the West Philippine Sea.

"It also sends a strong and clear signal to the military and government officials alike, as well as their proxies or agents, that there are certain well-defined rules of evidence not incompatible with basic fairness, decency, common sense and logic that must be observed," NUPL president Edre Olalia said in a statement on Friday.

Writ of Amparo

The NUPL requested for writs of amparo and habeas data after army generals linked them to communist rebels. The lawyers filed a supplemental petition after Malacañang included them in a matrix that tagged media groups in a supposed ouster plot.

A writ of Amparo is a legal remedy seeking a protection order, while a Writ of Habeas Data asks the Court to compel the respondent to delete or destroy damaging information.

"The Supreme Court, in a special en banc session held on Friday, issued a writ of amparo and habeas data in favor of the National Union of Peoples' Lawyers (NUPL)," the Court's Public Information Office said on Friday.

A Writ of Amparo usually comes with a protection order which will restrain the respondents from going near the petitioners. That was not issued yet, as the SC referred it to the Court of Appeals (CA) for the protection order.

The SC set the CA hearing for May 14.

"The Court also ordered respondents President Rodrigo Duterte, who was impleaded in his capacity as the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, National Security Adviser (Ret.) Gen. Hermogenes C. Esperon, Jr., et al. to make a verified return of the writ of amparo and habeas data on or before May 8, 2019, and to comment on NUPL, et al.'s petition before the said date," the SC said.

For the Writ of Habeas Data, the SC compelled the military to turn over to the Court "copies of all the facts, information, statements, records, photographs, and other evidence, documentary or otherwise, pertaining to each of them in the respondents' files and records."

"While this is just a start of an intense judicial battle and tedious procedure, we are grateful that the Court heeded our supplication to be given judicial shield and a potential relief from reckless accusations, malicious labeling and vicious attacks in different forms and guises," Olalia said.

Writ of Kalikasan

In the second petition, fishermen from Palawan and Zambales were assisted by the IBP and Diokno in suing the Duterte cabinet for for their "neglect" in enforcing Philippine laws to protect the maritime environments in West Philippine Sea territories.

"The Supreme Court, in a special en banc session held on Friday, issued a writ of kalikasan to protect, preserve, rehabilitate, and to restore the marine environment in Scarborough Shoal (also known as Panatag Shoal), Ayungin Shoal, and Panganiban Reef (also known as Mischief Reef)," the SC said.

"This affirms, at this juncture, the Philippine position made before the international arbitral body that the disputed islands fall within the Exclusive Economic Zone of the Philippines, and must therefore be protected by Philippine authorities as required by the Constitution and domestic environmental laws. Also that the Philippines, at least thru the judiciary, is not waiving its rights over them by acquiescing to the unilateral actions of another State," IBP outgoing president Abdiel Dan Fajardo said.

The petition asked the SC to "direct respondents to permanently cease and desist from neglecting the performance of their duties in violation of environmental laws resulting in environmental destruction or damage."

The respondents were Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu, Agriculture Secretary Manny Piñol, Fisheries Director Eduardo Gongona, Navy Flag Officer Vice Admiral Robert Empedrad, Coast Guard Admiral Elson Hermogino, Police General Oscar Albayalde, Police Maritime Group Director Chief Superintendent Rodelio Jocson, and Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra.

The above mentioned secretaries head agencies which are specifically tasked by the fisheries code to protect maritime environment. 

A separate communication has been lodged against Chinese President Xi Jinping before the International Criminal Court on this same issue, filed by former foreign secretary Albert del Rosario and former ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales.– Rappler.com

LONDON, United Kingdom – Britain's two main parties suffered a drubbing Friday, May 3, in English local elections as voters vented their frustration with the prolonged Brexit deadlock.

Prime Minister Theresa May's governing Conservatives lost control of several local authorities and hundreds of seats but the main opposition Labour party failed to capitalize and also lost ground, with voters turning to smaller parties instead.

The results do not bode well for the two main parties ahead of the European Parliament elections, set to take place in Britain on May 23.

After voting in June 2016 to leave the European Union, Britain was meant to depart on March 29 this year – meaning it would not have contested the European polls.

However, its exit date has been postponed until October 31 because the country's bitterly divided MPs have been unable to agree on a divorce deal struck with the EU.

The Conservatives and Labour are in talks to try to find a solution that can command cross-party support, although it is highly unlikely an outcome will be found in time to prevent the European elections having to take place in Britain.

With more than 40% of councils having declared results, the centrist Liberal Democrats and left-wing Greens – both anti-Brexit – made gains, along with independent candidates.

Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said the results seemed like "a slap in the face for both the main parties."

'Plague on both houses'

Voters went to the polls Thursday, May 2, in mainly rural and suburban areas of England, with more than 8,000 seats up for grabs.

All 11 local authorities in Northern Ireland were also contested among the province's own parties.

"The key message from the voters to the Conservatives and Labour is: 'a plague on both of your houses'," polling expert John Curtice told the BBC.

The main parties "have been losing votes most heavily in those wards where they were strongest," he said, with the Conservatives shedding seats in southern England and Labour in the north.

The Conservatives are traditionally strong in the areas that were contested on Thursday and were defending a high water mark, while voters typically give the sitting government a kicking at this midterm point in the electoral cycle.

But even though the left-wing Labour was fighting from a low base, it too lost ground – a party aiming for government would expect big gains.

'No confidence'

Liberal Democrat leader Vince Cable said voters "no longer have confidence in the Conservatives, but they are also refusing to reward Labour while the party prevaricates on the big issue of the day: Brexit."

Labour's Brexit position, described by some commentators as constructive ambiguity, is designed to avoid losing either its Remain or Leave-backing supporters.

Labour MP Owen Smith, who tried to oust leader Jeremy Corbyn in 2016, said the party's "Brexit fudge" was "melting under the public's gaze."

"Voters don't reward equivocation."

The problems for the two main parties could worsen at the European elections when they will also face two very newly-formed forces: the Brexit Party – which leads in the opinion polls – and pro-European centrists Change UK.

Neither contested the local elections, the polls coming too soon to find the thousands of candidates.

The local election results could sharpen minds on resolving the Brexit impasse.

Conservative MP Bernard Jenkin told BBC radio: "If the Conservative Party doesn't mend its ways pretty quickly, the Conservative Party is going to be toast." – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – Prominent law schools in the Philippines each have something to celebrate with the release of the 2018 Bar Examinations despite a record low 22.07% passing rate.

The 9-year-old De La Salle University (DLSU) College of Law pulled off a first by producing its very first topnotcher since the school opened in 2010. Kathrine Ting is top 8 in the 2018 Bar Examinations.

DLSU Law's founding dean and opposition senatorial bet Chel Diokno was criticized by President Rodrigo Duterte during administration slate sorties for his failure to send a student to the top 10.

"But Duterte was proven wrong as Ting ranked 8 out of 8,155 examinees in the 2018 Bar Exams with a passing rate of 84.857%. Ting is the first graduate of the DLSU College of Law to place in the top 10, which opened only in 2010," a statement from the Diokno campaign said.

Diokno himself said: "Talagang sobrang tuwa ko nang malaman ko na nakapag-top ten na ang De La Salle.... Fight ng fight. Darating rin ang araw na lahat ay makakapasa."

(I was so happy to find out that La Salle landed in the top 10. We should fight and fight. The day will come when all of our students will pass.)

University of San Carlos (USC), Cebu's prime law school, continues its feat in the 2018 Bar Examinations, with 4 graduates making it to the top 10: Marcley Augustus Natu-el in top 2, Mark Lawrence Badayos in top 3, Jebb Lynus Cane in top 9, and Alan Joel Pita in top 10.

In 2016, the top 1 came from USC, while 3 other USC graduates also made it to the top 10. In 2017, there were 3 USC graduates in the top 20. 

USC's 2018 topnotchers said the Philippines needs lawyers who are "really fighting for the rule of law."

Ateneo, UP return to top

The Ateneo de Manila University (AdMU) School of Law returned to the top this year with class valedictorian Sean James Borja scoring the top passing grade of 89.306%. Borja said he will be a "voice for people who need a voice."

The last time that AdMU produced the top 1 was in 2012, when Mickey Ingles bested 949 passers or a record low 17.76% passing rate.

The highest percentage of exam passers ever recorded was in 1954 with 75.17%, while the lowest was in 1999 with 16.59%.

University of the Philippines (UP) College of Law returns to the top 10 after two years. UP failed to get to the top 10 in the 2016 and 2017 Bar Examinations.

In the 2015 Bar Examinations, UP Law graduate Rachel Angeli Miranda topped the Bar with a grade of 87.4%. 

The passing rate of the University of Santo Tomas (UST) Law fell in the 2018 Bar Examinations, with only 71.5% of its graduates passing. 

In the 2017 Bar Examinations, UST not only scored a record high 89.90% passing rate, it also had the most graduates in the top 20 alongside San Beda College Manila, which also had 5 topnotchers.

UST Law Dean Nilo Divina said their passing rate "is still something to be thankful for."

"While we may not have landed in the top 10, I commend our Thomasian barristers for their valiant efforts and notable accomplishment. We reach out to those who did not make it. Nothing to be ashamed of. You did your best," Divina said.– Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – A 33-year-old mother was arrested on Thursday, May 2, by the Philippine National Police (PNP) with the International Justice Mission (IJM) after allegedly offering children, including her own 5-year-old son, for online sexual exploitation.

The PNP's Women and Children Protection Center – Mindanao Field Unit (WCPC-MFU) arrested the woman in her home and rescued her son, two girls aged 1 and 3, and another boy aged 11. The other children are believed to be of her friends.

“Online sexual exploitation has become a convenient means of exploitation...that even the parents of these girls are willing to use their innocent children, just to earn money. Online sexual exploitation is a vicious game that must stop,” said Captain Rassel Tuliao, Officer-in-Charge of the police WCPC MFU.

The woman is set to face a case for violating the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act or Republic Act No. 9208.

According to the IJM the children were placed under the care of the Iligan City Social Welfare and Development Office and were set for interventions to stop trauma. (READ: Philippines top global source of child pornography – Unicef)

The arrest comes after a former British Army officer pleaded guilty to sexual abuse for paying Filipino “sexual abuse facilitators” to watch the abuse of children online. In one instance, he paid £31.41 (P2,111) to watch a 9-year-old girl abused.

The woman was tracked down while cops were conducting an investigative workshop sponsored by the US Department of State, Australian Federal Police, National Police of the Netherlands, UK National Crime Agency, US Federal Bureau of Investigation, INTERPOL, Queensland Police Service, and the Australian Center to Counter Child Exploitation. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Education (DepEd) should review the workload of teachers as a move towards improving the quality of teaching in public schools, state think tank Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) said.

A recent PIDS study titled "Pressures on Public School Teachers and Implications on Quality,” warned that actual teaching hours have been “increasingly sidelined” by the heavy workload teachers had to deal with.

“The workload of public school teachers is not only limited to teaching but also to other nonteaching tasks. Given this workload, actual teaching is increasingly being sidelined by the multitude of other responsibilities and roles that teachers play,” the study’s authors Clarissa David, Jose Ramon Albert, and Jana Flor Vizmanos said.

The Magna Carta for Public School Teachers requires teachers to devote 6 hours to actual teaching per day. On top of this, though, teachers are often tasked with administrative work, which include paperwork, training and seminars, and tasks related to budget, disaster response, and health among others.

Aside from these, the study said teachers were likewise expected to participate in various government programs, such as mass immunization activities, conditional cash transfers, feeding programs, population census-taking, anti-illegal drug efforts, and elections, to name a few.

The situation faced by public school teachers comes in stark contrast to that of teachers in private schools, which often had administrative staff to carry out activities like enrollment, registration, records, daily operations, and janitorial services. (READ: You want good quality teachers? Pay them right – World Bank expert)

Public school teachers have repeatedly called out the “excessive” paperwork and systems they needed to accomplish. Teachers themselves have said the amount of additional tasks took time away from caring for their families, themselves, and from teaching itself. (WATCH: Why do teachers teach?)

However, DepEd maintained all its requirements were legal and necessary for the improvement of basic education.

What can be done? The study’s authors suggested DepEd look into its shortage of employees and seek support from the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) to hire additional administrative staff.

“The main and urgent recommendation to address OOSC [out-of-school children] and the poor quality of education children receive in many public schools is to address the human resources allocations of DepEd,” they said.

"These posts will fill in for administrative tasks, such as registration and records keeping, secretarial work for the principal’s office, financial reporting, guidance counseling, and other additional assignments normally distributed among regular teaching faculty," they added.

DepEd earlier said it was eyeing the creation of non-teaching posts to lessen the workload on teachers. DepEd also announced it was set to hire some 80,000 teachers needed for the coming school year.

While filling the vacant positions may take time, the study suggested public schools accept undergraduate students pursing education and have them assist in administrative tasks. This, they said, can be part of students' on-the-job training.

But for this to happen, the authors said there must be "clear signaling” from the DepEd Central Office that it would be accepted. It should also be coordinated with the Commission on Higher Education.

Aside from this, DepEd can also hire more guidance counselors. (Student's wish: More guidance counselors in schools)

DepEd earlier said it was looking to fill positions for 3,500 guidance counselors. Of this target, 1,300 have been filled as of July 2018.

According to the DepEd, low salaries have discouraged applicants as the starting salary for guidance counselors in public schools is about P12,000.– Rappler.com

KABUL, Afghanistan – A historic "loya jirga" peace summit in Kabul ended Friday, May 3, with delegates from across Afghanistan demanding an immediate and permanent ceasefire – and President Ashraf Ghani saying he was conditionally prepared to implement one.

This week's loya jirga, or grand assembly, saw about 3,200 religious and tribal leaders, politicians and representatives try to find a breakthrough in Afghanistan's gruelling conflict, which is now in its 18th year.

"The government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and the Taliban movement should declare and implement an immediate and permanent ceasefire," delegates said in a declaration at the end of the jirga.

They said the ceasefire should start at the beginning of the holy month of Ramadan, which gets underway in the coming days.

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani said he was "prepared to implement the fair and legitimate demand" for a ceasefire but stressed it "cannot be one-sided."

"If the Taliban are fully ready for a ceasefire, then we can talk about the technical details," Ghani said in a speech.

The president also promised to release 175 Taliban prisoners as a gesture of "goodwill."

The Taliban are currently negotiating in separate talks with a US peace envoy in Qatar.

They have so far refused to even speak with Ghani, who they view as an American stooge.

Last year, however, the Taliban announced a three-day ceasefire at the end of Ramadan after Ghani declared a unilateral truce for 8 days earlier in the month.

It was first formal nationwide ceasefire since the US-led invasion of 2001 and saw unprecedented scenes of reconciliation and jubilation across the country.

This week's rare summit, the first of its kind since 2013, saw emotions riding high as attendees shared tears, recriminations and at least one fist fight as they revisited the horrors of Afghanistan's recent past, and contemplated peace with their longtime foe.

Doha talks

The talks between the Taliban and US peace envoy Zalmay Khalilzad focus on a potential deal that would see the withdrawal of foreign forces from Afghanistan in return for the Taliban guaranteeing terrorist groups could no longer operate in the country.

Huge swathes of Afghan society worry that if the US does make a deal with the Taliban, the militant Islamists would try to seize power and undo advances in women's rights, media freedoms, and legal protections.

Such concerns were prominent at the jirga, where hundreds of women were in attendance outlining their "red lines" for any negotiations with the Taliban. The declaration at the end of the event said the rights of all Afghans should be preserved.

"We don't want such a peace that women's rights are not respected, freedom of expression are not ensured, elections are not held," committee member Faizullah Jalal told the summit.

Khalilzad said on Twitter that he had told the Taliban "that the Afghan people, who are their brothers & sisters, want this war to end. It is time to put down arms, stop the violence, & embrace peace."

The Taliban responded on Twitter by saying Khalilzad "should forget about the idea of us putting down our arms."

"Instead of such fantasies, he should drive the idea home (to the US) about ending the use of force & incurring further human & financial losses for the decaying Kabul administration," Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid tweeted.

This year's jirga proved controversial, with opposition figures slamming it as an election campaign event for Ghani.

Among those boycotting were Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah and Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, a notorious former warlord. Both men are running for president in elections slated for September.

Meanwhile, Afghanistan's war rages on, with thousands of civilians and fighters being killed each year.

US forces continue to train Afghan partners on the ground and strike the Taliban from the air, in a bid to push the war to a political settlement. – Rappler.com

MAPUTO, Mozambique – Fourteen cholera cases have been confirmed in northern Mozambique following floods caused by a powerful cyclone that battered the country last week, provincial authorities said Friday, May 3.

The city of Pemba registered 11 cases of the disease while the neighboring district of Mecufi had 3.

"We were already prepared for that – the health care sector has been on the alert since Cyclone Kenneth started," the provincial health director, Anastacia Lidimo, told reporters.

Cyclone Kenneth made landfall in northern Cabo Delgado province on April 25, packing winds up to 220 kilometers (137 miles) per hour – hitting a region that has not experienced a tropical cyclone in the modern era.

It killed at least 41 people, with some 226,000 affected, destroyed thousands of homes and wrecked water supply systems.

It was the second massive storm to hit Mozambique in 6 weeks after Cyclone Idai devastated the port city of Beira 1,000 kilometers (600 miles) to the south, causing huge floods and more than 600 deaths.

Cholera is transmitted through contaminated drinking water or food and causes acute diarrhea.

According to the UN humanitarian agency OCHA, Pemba, a city of 200,000 people and the capital of Cabo Delgado province, is in one of the most cholera-endemic regions in Mozambique.

In Beira, the impoverished and aid-dependent country administered nearly 900,000 doses of oral cholera vaccines after Cyclone Idai to avert an epidemic.

At least 4 deaths from cholera were recorded in Beira and surrounding districts out of 4,979 cases. – Rappler.com

PARIS, France – French citizens will be consulted on how Notre-Dame should be rebuilt after the iconic cathedral was ravaged by a fire on April 15, Culture Minister Franck Riester said Friday, May 3.

"The French will be able to express themselves, and then we'll see which decision (will be taken) and how Notre-Dame will be restored," Riester told LCI television.

He promised a "debate and a large consultation," though the government will have the final say on the Paris landmark, which President Emmanuel Macron has vowed to restore within 5 years.

The church's roof and spire were destroyed in the blaze, with the cause still under investigation.

France has launched an international architectural competition for the reconstruction, raising the prospect of modern touches to a structure dating from the 13th century.

But experts note that it has been modified periodically since then, not least with the addition of the spire by Viollet-le-Duc in the 19th century, which collapsed into the nave during the inferno.

A YouGov poll released this week found that 54% of respondents wanted the cathedral rebuilt exactly as it was, including the spire and the intricate "forest" of huge oak beams supporting the lead roof.

Only a quarter supported the idea that the rebuilding should include a modern "architectural gesture," while a further 21% had no opinion.

"In general, when cathedrals are restored, new elements are added. So why not have an architectural gesture allowing us to say there was a before and after, and we don't pretend as if nothing happened?" Riester asked.

"But everything will be done in concertation, with consultations, and nothing will be done behind people's backs," he said. – Rappler.com

BEIJING, China – The wife of jailed Chinese rights lawyer Wang Quanzhang Friday, May 3, pleaded to be allowed to see him just once nearly 4 years after he disappeared during a crackdown on lawyers and activists.

Wang, 42, was sentenced to four-and-a-half years in prison in January following a December trial that took place behind closed doors.

A prominent lawyer who defended political activists and victims of land seizures, Wang disappeared in a sweep aimed at courtroom critics of Communist authorities known as the "709" clampdown because the arrests started on July 9, 2015.

Charged in January 2016 with "subversion of state power," Wang was the last of more than 200 lawyers and activists arrested in the crackdown to be tried or released.

"My concern is that from the time he was arrested, no one has seen Wang Quanzhang, not even the lawyers that we hired," his wife Li Wenzu told Agence France-Presse.

"All I want is to see him one time to know that he is still alive," she said.

Wang was transferred on Monday, April 29, from detention in the northern city of Tianjin to Linyi jail in the eastern province of Shandong, according to a letter from prison authorities handed to his sister, Li said.

The notice was accompanied by a memo which said prison facilities were being upgraded so no visits were allowed, Li said.

Li, who has actively protested against her husband's detention, has repeatedly demanded proof of life from the authorities.

She was placed under de facto house arrest the day before Wang's December 26 trial to prevent her from attending.

Earlier that month, before Wang's court date was announced, Li and 3 supporters shaved their heads and tried to submit a petition to a Beijing court protesting against his detention.

Beijing has stepped up its crackdown on civil society since President Xi Jinping took power in 2012, tightening restrictions on freedom of speech and detaining hundreds of activists and lawyers. – Rappler.com

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka – Sri Lanka bolstered security Friday, May 3, with fears of attacks against bridges in the capital as the prime minister vowed to hunt down any remaining Islamic State (IS, formerly known as ISIS or the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq) extremists behind the deadly Easter bombings.

Sri Lanka's minority Muslims, meanwhile, held Friday prayers under tight security, condemning the jihadist attacks that killed 257 people on April 21.

Islamist extremists were believed to be planning further attacks, authorities said, this time against several bridges and flyovers in the city as well as police stations.

The warnings came as Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said some of the conspirators in the April 21 bombings of 3 hotels and 3 luxury hotels may still be at large.

"Most of those responsible for the Easter attacks have been arrested. Some have been killed," Wickremesinghe said Friday during a tour of island's east, where a Christian church was hit.

"We are trying to see if there are any more secret IS cells in the country," he said. "We will ensure that IS terrorism will be eradicated from our land."

He hoped normality would return by Monday, May 6, when public schools reopen after an extended Easter vacation. About 50 children were among those killed.

Prayers under security

As Muslims held prayers, mosque leaders said donations they received will be diverted to help rebuild the 3 churches.

At Colombo's Dewatagaha Jumma mosque, hundreds of Muslims prayed after being frisked by police for explosives. Vehicles were not allowed to be parked near the Sufi mosque.

Banners in front of the mosque condemned the atrocities and expressed solidarity with Christians. One of the banners offered the mosque for Christians to conduct their services.

"The situation has come to normal but not completely," chairman of the mosque, Reyyaz M. Salley, told Agence France-Presse (AFP). "People are still scared. Non-Muslims and Muslims are in a very tense situation."

Police confirmed they had instructed stations around Colombo to deploy additional officers and asked the navy to deploy more vessels on rivers following the leak of police intelligence warning bridges were at risk of attack.

Sri Lanka's military has also set up a special command center to co-ordinate anti-jihadist operations, while the army said more troops have been deployed for search operations.

Additional troops conducted searches overnight and seized explosives and weapons from several locations, although these were from criminal groups and not jihadists, official sources said.

Authorities had information about a small group of radicals who may be trying to stage more strikes, said health minister and government spokesman Rajitha Senaratne.

He said the crackdown on extremists after the Easter bombings had been largely successful.

"You can't say the threat is over, but the situation is well under control...better than what we expected."

But the government was also still on the hunt for "4 terrorists" involved in the Easter attacks who were still at large, Senaratne told AFP in an interview on Thursday evening May 2.

The Catholic Church announced Thursday that they had called off the resumption of Sunday services following information of a "specific threat" against two of their locations just outside the capital.

Catholic schools will not follow public schools in reopening on Monday, the Church said on Thursday.

Sri Lankan authorities have admitted that there was a failure to act on advance intelligence warnings of the deadly Easter Sunday attacks against churches and luxury hotels.

Muslims co-operate

Senaratne said the country's minority Muslim community had helped authorities root out extremists in the weeks since Easter.

"Everyone is giving information. They come forward to give a lot of information," he said.

Sri Lanka was also receiving international help, with foreign intelligence services working alongside their local counterparts, Senaratne added.

"We have already received foreign assistance from the US, UK and from India. There are other countries also which have offered intelligence services," he said.

Soon after the attacks, President Maithripala Sirisena said he believed there were 140 Islamic State-inspired jihadists in Sri Lanka and he had ordered security forces to track them down.

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 group. – Rappler.com

GENEVA, Switzerland – The current Ebola epidemic in the Democratic Republic of Congo has killed nearly 1,000 people, the UN said Friday, May 3, warning the "intense" spread of the virus was set to persist.

The World Health Organization had initially voiced hope it would be able to contain the outbreak declared in August in eastern DRC, thanks in part to a new vaccine.

But in recent weeks senior WHO officials have conceded that insecurity in the restive region, scarce financial resources and manipulation of the Ebola issue by local politicians to turn people against health workers has seriously undermined the containment effort.

"We are dealing with a difficult and volatile situation," Michael Ryan, the executive director of WHO's Health Emergencies Programme, told reporters in Geneva.

"We are anticipating a scenario of continued, intense transmission," he added.

As of May 1, there have been 1,510 Ebola cases in North Kivu and Ituri provinces, with 994 deaths.

The death toll will "likely" pass 1,000 when WHO receives an update later Friday, Ryan said.

The long-standing presence of various rebel groups in Ituri and North Kivu has made it difficult for health workers to access those who might have come into contact with Ebola, a figure that currently stands at 12,000 people.

But beyond the militias, communities in the aftermath of DRC's December elections "are being manipulated" against cooperating with Ebola responders, Ryan said.

"Communities...need to be assured that all parties are supporting the public health response and that Ebola should not become further politicized in the process," he added.

Ryan said the UN health agency currently has enough vaccine stocks to meet its needs but doses may run short.

"We don't necessarily know which way this outbreak is going," he said.

The current Ebola outbreak is the tenth in DRC in 40 years.

It is already the second deadliest on record globally, after the epidemic that struck West Africa in 2014-2016 and killed more than 11,300 people. – Rappler.com

Water is essential for life on Earth and is one of our most precious natural resources. But considering how our planet formed, it is quite surprising how much water we still have. The Earth aggregated from a cloud of gas and dust – a protoplanetary disk– and was incandescently hot for the first few million years. Its surface was kept molten by impacts from comets and asteroids. Earth’s interior was also (and still is) kept liquid by a combination of gravitational heating and the decay of radioactive isotopes.

That means that if there were any initial water (and organic compounds) on the Earth, it should have boiled off quickly. So how come there’s plenty of water on our planet today – where did it actually come from? A surprising new study, published in Science Advances, suggests that a type of asteroid we didn’t think contained very much water could be responsible – simultaneously demonstrating that the solar system is probably a lot wetter than had previously been thought.

Scientists have long debated exactly where the Earth’s water comes from. One theory suggests that it might have been captured from the asteroids and comets that collided with it. Another argues that water was always present in the rocks of the Earth’s mantle and was gradually released to the surface through volcanoes.

Thanks to the Japanese Hayabusa mission we now have fresh evidence. The spacecraft brought back a precious cargo of grains retrieved from the surface of asteroid 25143 Itokawa in 2010. The researchers behind the new study were able to analyse the water content of two grains. They used a sophisticated piece of kit called an ion microprobe, which bombards a sample with a beam of ions (charged atoms) in order to probe the composition of its surface.

The experiment was not easy – the grains are tiny, less than 40 microns (one millionth of a metre) across, and each grain was made up of several different minerals. The ion microprobe had to be focused on one specific mineral within each grain so that the authors could gather the required data. The species of mineral that they analysed was an iron and magnesium-bearing silicate known as a pyroxene, which is almost entirely free of calcium.

This type of substance is not usually associated with water – indeed, it is regarded as a Nominally Anhydrous Mineral (NAM). The lattice of a pyroxene crystal does not contain vacant sites for water molecules in the same way that, for example, a clay mineral does – so its structure is not necessarily conducive to taking up water. However, the sensitivity of the technique that the authors used was such that they could detect and measure tiny quantities of water.

The results were surprising: the grains contained up to 1,000 parts per million of water. Knowing the composition of Itokawa, the researchers could then estimate the water content of the entire asteroid, which translated to between 160 and 510 parts per million of water. This is more than had been anticipated – remote measurements of two similar bodies (also S-type asteroids) found that one contained 30 and the other 300 parts per million water.

Unlikely source

Water is made from hydrogen and oxygen. But those elements occur as different isotopes – meaning they can have a different number of neutrons in their atomic nucleus (neutrons are particles that make up the nucleus together with protons). The researchers looked at the hydrogen isotopic composition of the water and discovered it was very close to that of Earth, suggesting the water on Earth has the same source as that of the Hayabusa grains.

The results raise several interesting questions, the first of which is how so much water came to be in nominally anhydrous minerals? The authors suggest that, during their formation, the grains absorbed hydrogen from the protoplanetary disk, which, at the high temperatures and pressures of the solar nebula, combined with oxygen in the minerals to produce water.

So far, so reasonable. But how is it possible that the water has remained in the minerals? They after all came from an S-type asteroid – one that forms in the inner and hotter part of the solar system. Itokawa has had a complex history of thermal metamorphism and collision, reaching temperatures at least as high as 900°C. But the researchers used computer models to predict how much water would be lost in these processes – and it turned out to be less than 10% of the total.

Earth’s water

But how does all this relate to Earth’s water? The researchers speculate that following the grains’ uptake of water from the protoplanetary disk, the minerals aggregated and stuck together to form pebbles and eventually larger bodies such as asteroids.

If this mechanism worked for asteroids, it could also hold true for the Earth – maybe its original water came from these minerals coming together to help form the Earth. While water was then lost during the Earth’s early history, it was added again during collisions by the numerous S-type asteroids – as implied by the similarity in hydrogen isotopic composition between Earth and Itokawa.

This fresh look at an old problem – the origin of Earth’s water – has produced a surprising conclusion, one that suggests a large population of inner solar system asteroids might contain a lot more water than had been realized.

So while there is water everywhere in the solar system, the fact that it is hidden away inside minerals means that there is not always a drop to drink. – The Conversation | Rappler.com

Monica Grady is a Professor of Planetary and Space Sciences at The Open University.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

TAKARDI, Ghana – Rumbling along the rutted roads of Ghana at the wheel of her giant truck, Abigail Asumadu-Amoah turns heads but keeps her focus.

She is one of 21 drivers working for Ladybird Logistics, a company that claims to be "the first company globally to employ only female drivers."

In a tough industry dominated by men, the women are changing attitudes.

"What men can do, women can also do," said Asumadu-Amoah, who hopes other women will be inspired by their achievement. "It's (a question of) determination."

Ladybird's all-women team drive 47,000-liter trucks, delivering fuel to Ghana's gold mines.

But for Asumadu-Amoah, 44, the biggest challenges she faces are the state of the pot-holed roads in the West African country.

"Drive defensively and carefully," Asumadu-Amoah said, of her approach to her work, as she waited for her tanker to fill with fuel from a depot in the coastal port of Takoradi, some 225 kilometers (140 miles) west of Ghana's capital, Accra.

The transport sector is a big employer in Ghana but is dominated by men.

Fuel thieves

Nearly 8% of men in Ghana work in the transport and storage sector, according to government figures, compared to only 0.3% of women.

But there was a problem, said William Tewiah, managing director of Ghana's Zen Petroleum, a major fuel transport company delivering supplies to industry across the region.

Drivers would fill up their tankers with fuel in Takoradi before driving to mining sites across Ghana.

On the way however, they would syphon off supplies for themselves on a grand scale.

Some months, the company could lose as much as $50,000 dollars (44,000 euros) in stolen fuel, Tewiah said.

Looking for a solution, he said he realised that something new was needed and that hiring women could be the answer.

Since women would be coming in fresh to the industry, they would have a "completely different mind-set", he added.

Extra training

In late 2017, Tewiah approached independent management consultant Payin Marfo to turn his dream of having an all-female truck driving company into a reality, making her Ladybird's managing director.

In October the following year, Ladybird began delivering fuel on behalf of Zen Petroleum to supply one of the gold mines.

Based in Takoradi, Ladybird, which is owned by a group of shareholders, covers 3 routes currently, the longest of which takes about 7 hours.

"I sleep a lot better at night not having nightmares about fuel disappearing," Tewiah said.

The drivers, aged between 28 and 45, were all experienced and licensed to drive heavy goods vehicles, many as bus drivers.

Ladybird gave them extra training, including with support from the Swedish truck manufacturers Scania, and Ghana's army transport corps.

The military trucker training included physical drills with the army instructors, defensive driving lessons, as well as tips on handling the fuel trucks.

Inspiration

So far, Ladybird Logistics' only customer is Zen but in time it hopes to expand.

Marfo said that the company planned to more than double the number of drivers by hiring 24 more and increase the size of the fleet.

"A lot more ladies are showing interest," she said, adding that every week a woman contacted her asking for a job.

"For me, that is the first goal already achieved," she added.

"Globally, women consider trucking as a profession, but in Ghana, we didn't. Now I can see females are considering trucking as a profession."

The company also has a female mechanic on hand, 28-year-old Beatrice Frimpong.

As well as providing her with a job, Frimpong hopes it can encourage other women.

"It will empower someone to do something extraordinary," Frimpong said.

Men have sometimes told her that she was too small or weak for the work and that she should stick to smaller vehicles, she said.

So moving to repair lorries – like the tanker trucks she works with today – was an act of defiance.

"I wanted to prove to them I can do it," Frimpong said. "It doesn't matter whether I am big or small, I can do it."

The team has won supporters among male colleagues.

Justice Zoiku, a truck driver filling his tanker in the same fuel depot, said that he was always happy to see the Ladybird drivers on the roads.

"They have patience and take their time to do everything," Zoiku said. "They are doing well."

Zoiku, a proud father, also said that he would be happy if his daughter decided to follow in his footsteps and drive a tanker.

"If she wants to drive I will support her," Zoiku said. "What men can do, women can do it better." – Rappler.com