NEW DELHI, India – India's tallest rubbish mountain in New Delhi is on course to rise higher than the Taj Mahal in the next year, becoming a fetid symbol for what the UN considers the world's most polluted capital.

Hawks and other birds of prey hover around the towering Ghazipur landfill on the eastern fringe of New Delhi, stray cows, dogs and rats wander at will over the huge expanse of smoking filth.

Taking up the area of more than 40 football pitches, Ghazipur rises by nearly 10 meters a year with no end in sight to its foul-smelling growth.

According to East Delhi's superintendent engineer Arun Kumar, it is already more than 65 meters (213 feet) high. 

At its current rate of growth, it will be taller than the iconic Taj in Agra, some 73 meters high, in 2020.

India's Supreme Court warned last year that red warning lights will soon have to be put on the dump to alert passing jets.

It was not meant to be that way.

Ghazipur was opened in 1984 and reached its capacity in 2002 when it should have been closed. But the city's detritus has kept on arriving each day in hundreds of trucks.

"About 2,000 tons of garbage is dumped at Ghazipur each day," a Delhi municipal official said on condition of anonymity.

In 2018, a section of the hill collapsed in heavy rains killing two people. Dumping was banned after the deaths, but the measure lasted only a few days because authorities could not find an alternative.

Garbage champions

Fires, sparked by methane gas coming from the dump, regularly break out and take days to extinguish.

Shambhavi Shukla, senior researcher at the Center for Science and Environment in New Delhi, said methane belching from the garbage can become even more deadly when mixed with atmosphere.

Leachate, a black toxic liquid, oozes from the dump into a local canal.

"It all needs to be stopped as the continuous dumping has severely polluted the air and ground water," said Chitra Mukherjee, head of Chintan, an environment advocacy group.

Residents say the dump often makes breathing virtually impossible.

"The poisonous smell has made our lives hell. People fall sick all the time," said 45-year-old local resident Puneet Sharma.

Protests do not work and now many people are leaving the district.

They say a plant that recycles waste into energy next to the dump increases their misery because the smoke it releases by burning trash is also poisonous.

Local doctor Kumud Gupta said she sees about 70 people, including babies, each day mostly suffering from respiratory and stomach ailments caused by polluted air.

A recent study said the dump was a health risk for people living within 5 kilometers (3 miles), including for cancer.

Traffic clogged streets, heavy industry and annual burning of fields in regions around Delhi have already made the Indian capital notorious for its pollution.

A government survey conducted between 2013 and 2017 reported that Delhi saw 981 deaths from acute respiratory infection while more than 1.7 million residents suffered from infections.

And India's garbage mountains will only get bigger in coming years. 

Indian cities are among the world's largest garbage producers, generating 62 million tonnes of waste annually. By 2030, that could rise to 165 million tonnes, according to government figures.

Chitra, of the Chintan group, said waste has become a huge challenge as India's growing wealth drives consumerism and the production of extra garbage that the country cannot dispose of properly.

When he took power in 2014, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched Operation Clean India under which tens of thousands of public toilets have been built and new waste management rules were introduced in 2016.

But watchdogs, including the Supreme Court, have repeatedly accused Delhi's warring authorities -- the region is controlled by one party while Modi's right wing party runs the city authorities -- of not taking the waste crisis seriously. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines –  The Department of Justice (DOJ) has decided to submit for resolution the estafa case against Peter Joemel Advincula alias Bikoy without a single pleading from the latter, after he failed to appear in the preliminary investigation into the case.

“The case has been submitted for resolution in lieu of the absence of Peter Advincula,”  the complainant’s lawyer, resigned Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) Benjamin delos Santos, said on Tuesday, June 4.

Delos Santos added that Advincula’s lawyer also did not appear in the last two hearings.

“Since Day 1 (they didn’t show), but I understand he’s under protective custody now,” Delos Santos said, adding that Advincula did not submit any counter affidavit.

Advincula is facing a P304,422-estafa complaint for allegedly duping partners, sponsors, and participants in an August 2018 pageant in Albay. The partners and staff were not paid salaries, and the winners not given their prizes.

Advincula first surfaced on May 6, and identified himself as Bikoy, the hooded man behind the viral Ang Totoong Narcolist  videos who accused frmer presidential aide now senator-elect Bong Go, presidential son Paolo Duterte, presidential son-in-law Manases Carpio, and presidential partner Honeylet Avanceña of receiving millions from a Bicol-based drug syndicate.  (READ: Alias 'Bikoy': From seminarian to ex-con to whistle-blower)

He went into hiding days later, and resurfaced on May 23, to surrender to the Philippine National Police (PNP). He sought the PNP's protective custody and claimed an entirely different story, that Senator Antonio Trillanes IV had manipulated his “script” against the Duterte family to boost the senatorial chances of Otso Diretso, allegations that Trillanes and the opposition had categorically denied. (TIMELINE: The Bikoy controversy)

When Bikoy first surfaced, the PNP dismissed him as nothing but an information peddler, but when he resurfaced with a different story, the PNP started its investigation into Advincula’s claims against Trillanes and the Liberal Party. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – Senator Aquilino Pimentel III on Tuesday, June 4, told Senator Cynthia Villar to mind her own party after she scolded PDP-Laban senators over the Senate leadership issue.

“Friendly conversation lang yun. Ganyan lang si Senator Villar pagka agitated siya. So ang masasabi ko na lang (That's just how Senator Villar is when she's agitated. All I can say is that) she's also the leader of her own party so mind your own party, fix your own party,” Pimentel told reporters, referring to Villar's Nacionalista Party.

“Alam ko naman 'yun (I know that) we have to fix our own party, nobody has to tell us….Mind your own party. Kung may problema ka sa party mo, do not assume na may problem kami sa party namin (If you have problems with your party, do not assume that we also have a problem in our party),” he added.

On Monday, Villar confronted Pimentel and Manny Pacquiao, as the latter was routing the draft resolution expressing support for the continued leadership of Senate President Vicente Sotto III in the 18th Congress.

Pimentel is the party president, while Pacquiao served as the campaign manager of the slate in the 2019 polls.

Villar, who is reportedly replacing Sotto in the next Congress, refused to sign the resolution and told Pacquiao to fix the issue with some of their partymates, who supposedly have qualms about the brewing setup and committee chairmanships.

Villar also scolded Pacquiao for presenting some PDP-Laban senators as Sotto supporters.

"Kasi ikaw dinala mo kay Sotto 'yung kapartido mo, sabi n'yo maggoo-good time lang kayo. Eh biglang sinabi n'yo na supportive sila kay Sotto," she said. (Because you brought your partymates to Sotto. You said you will just have a good time. But all of a sudden you said they are supportive of Sotto.)

In a separate interview, Villar said: "I told them na 'Ikaw, Manny, ikaw ang nagpapa-sign, ayusin mo muna ang partido mo bago ka pumirma diyan. Baka pirma ka nang pirma diyan, iyong mga kapartido mo may complaint. (You, Manny, you are the one asking people to sign it, but you should fix your party first. You're signing that resolution while your partymates have complaints).' In my behalf naman, I cannot sign because we have two newcomers from NP. I want to talk to them about the issues bago ako pumirma (before I sign).”

Aside from Pimentel and Pacquiao, other PDP-Laban members in the next Congress are senators-elect Bong Go, Francis Tolentino, and Ronald dela Rosa.

Go is so far set to head the Senate health committee while Dela Rosa, the committee on public order.

Pimentel wants to retain his chairmanship of the Senate trade panel.

Tolentino is reportedly eyeing 3 committees: blue ribbon, justice, and public services committees. However, these panels are chaired by incumbent senators Richard Gordon and Grace Poe. Gordon and Poe are not keen on giving them up.

It was Senator Panfilo Lacson who drafted the resolution backing Sotto, amid rumors of an ouster plot in the 18th Congress. Tolentino and Marcos made the insinuations in media interviews.

Marcos earlier said there were moves to install Villar as the new Senate leader. Villar earlier denied it.

A simple majority of 13 votes is enough to overhaul the Senate leadership. At least 14 senators have signed the draft resolution. However 3 of them are graduating senators and could no longer participate in the 18th Congress. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – The 54 lawmakers in the party-list coalition will vote for whoever President Rodrigo Duterte endorses for speaker of the House of Representatives. 

According to 1-Pacman Representative Mikee Romero, who will be president of the Party-list Coalition Foundation Inc (PCFI) in the 18th Congress, all 54 legislators will be voting as a bloc.

“The reality is, this is the House of Representatives. And of course, 'pagka ang Presidente may pinili, napakahirap naman to go against it, 'di ba? 'Yan ang reality ngayon. This is a numbers game,” said Romero in a press conference on Tuesday, June 4.

(The reality is, this is the House of Representatives. And, of course, when the President chooses someone, it would be hard to go against it, right? That's the reality we have now. This is a numbers game.) 

Traditionally, the Speaker of the House is an ally of the President to ensure the latter’s pet bills are passed into law. 

Duterte, however, previously said he is not going to dabble in the speakership race in the 18th Congress. A number of his allies have expressed their intention to become Speaker. 

So what happens if President Duterte sticks to his word of not endorsing anybody? Then the party-list bloc will turn to feisty presidential daughter and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte Carpio to make the choice. 

“Again, if the principal, who is our President, will not give a decision, then probably the closest to the principal might. So we need to consult with her,” said Romero. 

Deputy Speaker and AAMBIS-OWA Representative Sharon Garin said Sara Duterte will be “vital” in their bloc’s final choice for Speaker. 

“Mayor Sara Duterte? She's vital in the equation,” said Garin. 

Sara Duterte had played an instrumental role in the House coup in 2018 that unseated Davao del Norte 1st District Representative Pantaleon Alvarez as Speaker and replaced him with former president and now Pampanga 2nd District Representative Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.

Months later, Sara Duterte said she would not be interfering in the speakership battle in the 18th Congress, though she said she has a personal choice. 

With 54 members, PCFI will be the second biggest bloc in the House in the 18th Congress. Duterte's Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan will continue to dominate the House with more than 80 members.

‘20% or nothing’ 

Two weeks ago, the party-list bloc met with 3 of the top candidates for Speaker: returning Marinduque Representative Lord Allan Velasco, incoming Leyte 1st District Representative Martin Romualdez, and incoming Taguig City-Pateros Representative Alan Peter Cayetano.

The party-list lawmakers said they would back the aspirant who will grant them a 20% allocation out of the total committee chairmanships in the 18th Congress.

“We are looking for what is just proportional to our membership. If the party list, by law, is 20% of the composition of the House, we are looking at 20% of the chairmanships as well. What is properly due to  the coalition, that is what we are asking for – equal treatment among all parties, including the party-list coalition,” said Garin. 

She explained the leadership positions they currently have in the 17th Congress are not equal to 20% of the total composition of the House. These posts include Garin’s deputy speakership, two seats in the Commission on Appointments, two seats in the House of Representatives Electoral Tribunal, and 11 committee chairmanships.  

"The stand of the party-list coalition is if they don't give the 20% minimum, then you are not advocating the 30 million constituencies of all the party-lists. Most probably…we will not be an advocate for whoever that Speaker is. It's 20% or nothing,” said Romero.

On Tuesday afternoon, the party-list lawmakers were set to meet with another speakership candidate, Pampanga 3rd District Representative Aurelio Gonzales Jr. 

The bloc was also supposed to meet with Alvarez, who wants another shot at the post he lost. But the party-list lawmakers said Alvarez had not yet returned from the province as of Tuesday afternoon.

So far, all leading contenders in the speakership battle have agreed to the 20% chairmanships request of the party-list bloc. – Rappler.com 

SUBIC BAY FREEPORT—A shipment containing meat products from China, whose hog livestock is being devastated by African swine fever (ASF), was intercepted here recently, the head of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) said Tuesday, May 4.

Pork and processed pork products from China and other countries which recorded incidences of ASF are banned from entering the country.

In a statement, SBMA Chairman and Administrator Wilma Eisma said port officials seized shipment that was valued at P600,000 and was declared as 2,385 packages of “food items.”

“It was immediately flagged by the quarantine officer from the Department of Agriculture, and then the Bureau of Customs confiscated the shipment,” Eisma said.

Jerome Martinez, manager of the SBMA Seaport Department, said the meat products were shipped from Guangzhou, China and was loaded into a refrigerated van aboard MV Hansa Altenburg, which docked here on May 27.

Eisma said the confiscated meat would be destroyed as directed by the Bureau of Quarantine Services, with the Bureau of Animal Industry disposing of it at the expense of the consignee.

SBMA officials did not identify the consignee and only described it as a trading company located in Makati City.

Eisma said the Port of Subic has been closely monitoring pork products coming from overseas after to prevent the entry into the country of pork products contaminated with ASF.

Martinez said the confiscated meat will be injected with chemicals and then buried underground.

According to the World Organization for Animal health, ASF is a highly-contagious hemorrhagic viral disease affecting domestic and wild pigs.

Experts said that while ASF and classical swine fever (CSF) may have similar signs, the ASF virus is unrelated to the CSF virus.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) last week ordered the recall and seizure of imported pork meat products from countries suspected to be affected by the ASF virus.

These are China, Hungary, Latvia, Poland, Romania, Russia, Ukraine, Vietnam, Zambia, South Africa, Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Mongolia, Moldova, and Belgium.

HANOI, Vietnam – Millions of pigs have been culled as African Swine Fever cuts through China and beyond, devastating global food chains, with pork prices expected to soar from the food markets of Hong Kong to American dinner tables.

Outbreaks have been reported in Vietnam, Mongolia, Cambodia, Hong Kong and China – the world's biggest pork producer and consumer.

Experts warn it could take years to contain the hog-killing virus given the differing biosecurity standards on commercial pig farms and backyard smallholdings across Asia.

Checkpoints, sniffer dogs and strict import bans have been deployed in a desperate bid to control its spread. 

But the disease has already hit most provinces in China, reducing pork production by 30% according to some estimates.

Beijing's official statistics say around one million pigs have been killed since the first outbreak in August last year -- but that is widely considered to be an underestimate.

Live pig prices are up by around 40 percent year-on-year in China, and pork imports from Europe, Canada and Brazil into the country are climbing.  

Beef and poultry exports are also on the rise as suppliers scramble to fill the deficit in a region where pork is the staple protein -- fried, grilled, boiled and eaten by tens of millions each day in noodle bowls and rice dishes.

Some Asian consumers have already started paying more for pork.

And America is also soon expected to feel the pinch – likely around Christmas when people buy holiday hams.

"The price impact will be sizeable," said Christine McCracken, senior animal protein analyst at Rabobank, speaking from the US. 

She estimates that 200 million pigs could be culled in China – more than half the swine population in the country, which supplies around 50 percent of the world's pork.

Losing that many pigs could cause global pork supplies to dip by eight percent, McCracken said. 

 Scratching an income

Nguyen Van Duoc poured his life savings into raising pigs, one of hundreds of thousands of Vietnamese smallholder farmers bearing the brunt of the virus, which is not infectious in humans but has no cure or vaccine.

His herd of 36 was culled after swine fever was detected at his backyard farm on the outskirts of Hanoi. 

"Our family is devastated," said Duoc, who borrowed thousands of dollars to get started.

"We relied on income from the pigs for my kids' schooling," the 50-year-old told AFP after his animals were killed and dumped into a burial pit.

Along with China, Vietnam has been the worst hit by swine fever, but the country exports very little of its pork.

Since its first case in February, Vietnam has culled an estimated two million pigs – over 6% of the total population – and has set up screening stations along some borders.

South Korea, Japan and Taiwan have also all stepped up airport screening after ASF was brought in by travellers carrying contaminated sausages, although no pigs have been infected so far.

All 3 countries have bumped up fines for smuggling in pork products – up to $8,400 in South Korea – and Japan has deployed sniffer dogs and quarantine stations at major airports. 

"We're trying to crack down on all possible routes," said an animal hygiene official at Japan's agriculture ministry, declining to be named. 

North Korea, Cambodia, Hong Kong and Mongolia have all reported cases this year, along with Romania, Ukraine, Moldova and Russia. 

The outbreak has sparked calls to boost biosecurity in Asia, where most pigs are raised in backyard farms and fed food scraps -- ideal virus vectors.

"It's spreading like wildfire in Asia because... the pig is the garbage truck of Asia," said Simon Quilty, an independent meat and livestock analyst based in Australia.

Trotting into trouble 

Experts predict it could take anywhere from two to 10 years for the virus to be fully contained in Asia, while fears are mounting of a global scourge embedding in farms with poor biosecurity standards and wild boar populations.

"When a virus becomes endemic like that, we're going to be living with this forever," Matthew Stone, deputy director-general at the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) told AFP in Paris.

That will hammer the pork industry and spin-off sectors such as the soybean business used for animal feed, Stone said, warning of "significant uncertainty" in global markets for years to come.

As the virus cuts through Asia, pork imports into China have soared – shipments from the EU alone are up 20 to 30 percent, according to McCracken.

But global supplies are not enough to plug the huge gap.

That has opened an unexpected opportunities elsewhere. 

Global poultry production is expected to rise 3% this year, according to the US Department of Agriculture. 

Australia's cattle farmers are also eyeing the Chinese market.  

But even those chicken and beef stopgaps might not be enough to feed China's pork-hungry population. 

"There isn't enough global pork available to China directly, nor is there enough other protein," McCracken told AFP.

That will deepen the misery for Chinese diners already feeling a price squeeze -- as well as customers in its main exports markets like Hong Kong where the cost of imported pork has more than doubled.

At a busy Hong Kong market, butcher Woo said customers can no longer afford to buy as much pork.

"I've reduced supplies from two to one pig a day now," he said.  – Rappler.com

TRIPOLI, Lebanon – A lone gunman killed 4 members of the security forces in Lebanon's northern city of Tripoli overnight before blowing himself up, officials said Tuesday, June 4.

"The shooting spree resulted in the deaths of two members of the Lebanese army and two members of the internal security forces," a security official told AFP.

The army confirmed it had lost two of its men and the national news agency confirmed the overall toll of four.

There was no immediate claim for the shooting and the gunman's motives were unclear but two security officials at one of the scenes of the attack told AFP that he was a militant recently released from prison.

The gunman sowed panic in the streets late Monday, as Lebanon's second city prepared for the first day of Eid al-Fitr, the feast marking the end of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan.

He first opened fire on a branch of the central bank, a security official said. 

A large number of security force personnel were deployed and the gunman also opened fire on a police station and on a military vehicle in the ensuing manhunt.

The attacker was eventually cornered in a residential building and killed himself by detonating an explosives vest he was wearing.

Lebanon, including Tripoli and areas around it, was affected by a spillover of violence from the conflict in neighbouring Syria but the security situation has been quiet in recent years. – Rapler.com

BEIJING, China – China marked 30 years since the deadly Tiananmen crackdown on Tuesday, June 4,  with a wall of silence and extra security, as it traded barbs with the United States over its human rights record.

Police checked the identification cards of every tourist and commuter leaving the subway near Tiananmen Square, the site of the pro-democracy protests that were brutally extinguished by tanks and soldiers on June 4, 1989.

Foreign journalists were not allowed onto the square at all or warned by police not to take pictures. Officials also told one reporter that "illegal media behavior" could impact visa renewals.

The United States marked the occasion by hailing the "heroic" movement of 1989.

But in China the Communist Party made sure the anniversary remained in the distant past, detaining several activists in the run-up to June 4 while popular livestreaming sites conspicuously shut down for "technical" maintenance.

Searches by AFP for the term "Tiananmen" on the Twitter-like Weibo platform on Tuesday displayed the official logo of the 70th anniversary of the founding of Communist China.

Over the years, the party has censored any discussion of the protests and crackdown, which left hundreds, possibly more than 1,000 people, dead – ensuring that people either never learn about what happened or fear detention if they dare discuss it openly.

The party and its high-tech police apparatus have tightened control over civil society since President Xi Jinping took office in 2012, rounding up activists, rights lawyers and even Marxist students who sympathized with labour movements.

Countless surveillance cameras are perched on lampposts in and around Tiananmen Square.

"It's not that we don't care. We know what happened," said a driver for the DiDi ride-hailing service who was born in 1989.

"But how can I tell you, the DiDi app is recording our conversation in the car," he said. "But today's China has changed. If you have money you have everything. Without money you dare not open your mouth."

It was largely business as usual at Tiananmen on Tuesday: Hundreds of people, including children waving small Chinese flags while sitting on their parents' shoulders, lined up before dawn to watch the daily flag-raising at the square.

But the line moved slowly due to extra security – with IDs matched on facial recognition screens – and dozens were unable to watch the event.

When asked whether it crossed her mind that she was visiting the square on the 30th anniversary, a nursing school graduate in her 20s from eastern Shandong province said, "What do you mean? No, it didn't cross my mind."

Her mother chimed in: "We don't think of that past."

'Heroic protest'

But there were rare public acknowledgements of June 4 this year.

China's defense minister, General Wei Fenghe, on Sunday, June 2, defended the crackdown as the "correct" policy to end "political turbulence" at the time.

The nationalistic state-run tabloid Global Times hailed the government's handling of Tiananmen as a "vaccination" for Chinese society "against any major political turmoil in the future".

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo sharply disagreed on how China has evolved as he hailed the "heroic protest movement" in a statement for the anniversary.

"Over the decades that followed, the United States hoped that China's integration into the international system would lead to a more open, tolerant society. Those hopes have been dashed," Pompeo said amid a tense US-China showdown on trade.

He also denounced the "new wave of abuses" by China, including the mass incarceration of Uighur Muslims in northwest Xinjiang region.

China called the US statement an "affront to the Chinese people" issued "out of prejudice and arrogance".

"Under the pretext of human rights, the statement grossly intervenes in China's internal affairs, attacks its system, and smears its domestic and foreign policies," the Chinese embassy in Washington said in a statement.

The European Union added its voice to criticism of the official amnesia over the bloody crackdown.

"Acknowledgement of these events, and of those killed, detained or missing in connection with the Tiananmen Square protests, is important for future generations and for the collective memory," said a statement from Vice-President Federica Mogherini.

"Today, we continue to observe a crackdown on freedom of expression and assembly, and freedom of the press in China.

"Human rights are universal, indivisible and interdependent."

'Never expected that'

In spring 1989, students and workers gathered at the symbolic heart of Chinese power to demand democratic change and an end to corruption, inspiring protests across the country.

After 7 weeks of demonstrations, the government deployed tanks and soldiers who chased and killed demonstrators and onlookers in the streets leading to Tiananmen Square on June 4.

"To open fire on people, that was beyond our expectations," Wang Dan, who was a 20-year-old protest leader in 1989, told AFP in a recent interview.

Wang ended up on the government's most wanted list and was imprisoned before going into exile.

And the quieting of dissident voices continues: Among the string of activists recently detained or "disappeared" are 6 artists who had put up an exhibition titled "A Conscience Movement" in the eastern city of Nanjing.

Separately, folk singer Li Zhi, who had performed songs about the Tiananmen crackdown, was reportedly missing, with his music and accounts on Chinese social media no longer available.

"There is no reason to be optimistic for China now if you look at what's happening," another Tiananmen protest leader, Zhou Fengsuo, told AFP in New York.

"Even '1984', the novel, couldn't go that far." – Rappler.com

LONDON, United Kingdom – US President Donald Trump turns from pomp and ceremony to politics and business on Tuesday, June 4, as he meets Prime Minister Theresa May on the second day of a state visit expected to be accompanied by mass protests.

An orange blimp of a baby Trump dressed in a diaper is set to fly over central London as the US leader sits down for breakfast with UK business executives before heading into negotiations with May's team.

Trump's 3-day visit is technically centered around Wednesday's D-Day 75th-anniversary commemorations on the south shore of England.

But it comes at an especially chaotic time for the UK.

May will resign as Conservative Party leader on Friday over her inability to deliver Brexit despite focusing on little else in the 3 years on the job.

She will stay on as prime minister until her successor is found among 13 contenders who must make some difficult choices before the twice-delayed deadline on October 31.

Trump has already weighed in by urging Britain to walk away from the EU without an agreement – and suggested that Brexit-backing former foreign minister Boris Johnson would be an "excellent" choice to head the government and get it done.

He tweeted on Monday, June 3, that the US could offer Britain a "big Trade Deal" once it drops the "shackles" of the European trade bloc of which it has been a member for 46 years.

But the two-sides' special relationship will also be tested by Britain's possible use of Chinese firm Huawei's technology in 5G networks, and different approaches to Iran.

A senior UK government official told The Times newspaper that May would make "no apologies" over her reported decision to let Huawei build some non-essential parts of the next-generation mobile service.

The US administration has strongly hinted that this may limit its ability to share intelligence with Britain.

Churchill War Rooms

May is expected to tell the business breakfast that Britain will strive to strike a US "bilateral free trade agreement, with broader economic co-operation".

"Through dialogue like this we can ensure that our economic partnership not only endures but continues to grow stronger for many years to come," May said in comments released by her office.

The morning talks will also be attended by UK finance minister Philip Hammond and international trade minister Liam Fox. The US delegation includes Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin.

"We will want to see better access to services in the US and we will have to offer something in return," Fox told BBC radio on Tuesday.

May will give Trump a copy of one of the most significant documents in the transatlantic "special relationship" -- a framed copy of Winston Churchill's personal draft of the 1941 Atlantic Charter that which defined the Allied goals post-World War II.

Trump and May will also go on a private tour of the Churchill War Rooms from which Britain's wartime prime minister ran his operations.

 'Noise protests'

Their talks are set to be accompanied by the sounds of a "noise protests" of thousands of anti-Trump activities.

The demonstration will rally round a giant inflatable balloon mocking Trump by depicting him as an orange baby.

Opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn promised to speak at the rally after skipping a Monday evening banquet hosted by Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace in protest at Trump's policies.

He said on Monday the protest was "an opportunity to stand in solidarity with those he's attacked in America, around the world and in our own country".

Trump's day will be rounded off with a dinner at the US ambassador's Winfield House residence.

The heir to the throne Prince Charles and his wife Camilla will attend on behalf of the queen.

"The Queen and the entire Royal family have been fantastic," Trump tweeted on Monday.

"The relationship with the United Kingdom is very strong."

May and Trump will conclude the trip by joining other world leaders on Wednesday in the English port of Portsmouth to commemorate 75 years since the D-Day landings changed the course of World War II.

"We owe an immeasurable debt to the British, American and Allied soldiers who began the liberation of Europe on 6th June 1944," the queen told Monday's banquet. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – The Court of Appeals (CA) has affirmed the decision of the Office of the Ombudsman to perpetually bar former Makati mayor Jejomar Erwin "Junjun" Binay Jr from holding office over irregularities in the P1.3-billion Makati Science High School (MSHS) building project.

“In OMB-C-A-15-0177 covering Phase VI of the MSHS Building, petitioner Jejomar Erwin Binay Jr is found guilty of serious dishonesty, grave misconduct, and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service and is hereby meted the penalty of dismissal from service which shall carry with it all its accessory penalties,” the CA 8th Division said in a decision promulgated on May 28, a copy of which was released to media on Tuesday, June 4.

Associate Justice Ronaldo Roberto Martin penned the decision, with concurrences from Associate Justices Ramon Bato Jr and Ramon Cruz.

Binay earlier scored victories at the CA, where his dismissal and disqualification over the Makati City Hall Parking Building were reversed due to the condonation doctrine.

Under the condonation doctrine, a reelected official should no longer be made accountable for an administrative offense committed during his previous term.

Binay ran as Makati mayor in the 2019 elections but lost to his sister Abby.

Condonation doctrine

Binay and his father, former vice president Jejomar Binay, faced trial before  the anti-graft court Sandiganbayan for the criminal aspect of the MSHS case.

They face graft and falsification of public documents charges over the alleged anomalous contracts of the  MHSH pending before the Sandiganbayan 5th Division.

In 2017, the Office of the Ombudsman issued 4 dismissal orders against Binay – one for each aspect of the project, namely the architecture contract, and the contracts for Phases 4, 5, and 6 of the construction.

The CA reversed Binay’s dismissal in the 3 of the cases due to the condonation doctrine.

For the first 3 contracts, the irregularities were found within Binay’s term from 2010 to 2013, when the condonation doctrine was still legal.  In 2013, Binay was reelected and considered forgiven under the doctrine.

On November 10, 2015, the Supreme Court (SC) struck down the condonation doctrine, following a petition that also stemmed from Binay’s dismissal.

The CA noted that the contract for Phase 6 of the construction “was entered into and implemented during Binay’s second term from 2013 to 2016.”

“Although it was previously held by the Supreme Court that as long as the contract was entered into during a prior term, acts which were done to implement the same, even if done during a succeeding term, do not negate the application of the condonation doctrine in favor of the elective official, the same does not apply here as the contract for Phas 6 was entered into with Hilmarc when Binay was already serving his second term as Mayor in Makati City and not during his previous term,” the CA said.

In the criminal aspect of the case, the Ombudsman charged Binay and his father for allegedly rigging the procurement process for the construction, which was divided into 6 phases, from 2008 to 2013, with a total cost of P1.33 billion.

The firm that won the project was Hilmarc's Construction.

According to the Ombudsman investigators, construction firms that were made to appear to have joined the bidding testified that they, in fact, did not. The investigators said bid documents turned out to be fake.

In the administrative aspect of the case, the CA found that the Binays “resort to alternative mode of procurement with respect to the architectural design and engineering serices for the MSHS building was not justified.”

Overpriced?

Not only were the bidding and procurement questioned, in a Senate inquiry in 2014, Binay's ally-turned-rival Renato Bondal said the building was also overpriced by around P862 million.

Bondal filed a plunder complaint before the Ombudsman that same year in connection with the alleged overpricing, accusing the Binays and other officials of pocketing the difference.

However, the Omhudsman ordered only graft charges against the Binays in August 2017 because the offenses found were irregularities in the processes and not conspiracy to amass ill-gotten wealth.

A high-ranking official in the Office of the Ombudsman said at the time that the overpricing issue was still being investigated. – Rappler.com

CEBU CITY, Philippines – Get caught up in investment scams and you may be fired.

This was the warning Brigadier General Debold Sinas, regional director of the Central Visayas police, gave police officers.

The police have been monitoring the Cebu operations of Kapa-Community Ministry International, an alleged investment scam.

Sinas said in a press conference on Monday, June 3, he received word that personnel from the Bureau of Jail Management and the Bureau of Fire Protection in the region were one of the first to join the investment scheme.

“I’m having police monitored too. If we catch anyone investing [in Kapa], they will be relieved and we will confiscate their service firearm,” Sinas said in Cebuano.

He said the number of people who invested in Kapa have reached 10,000 people 3 weeks after it was reported that they were operating in Cebu.

The  Securities and Exchange Commission issued a cease and desist order against Kapa earlier this year. A General Santos court denied the group's motion to lift the order in March. 

The group alleged modus is to ask for a “donation” under the guise of religious purposes, while promising a return on their donation with interest.

According to Sinas, Kapa opened an office in Compostela town, but was shut down for operating without permits. – Ryan Macasero/Rappler.com 

MANILA, Philippines – The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has flagged 5 vinegar brands that should not be sold to the public as these were found to contain synthetic acetic acid. 

In an advisory released on Tuesday, June 4, the FDA said this was the result of tests it conducted on "39 samples of vinegar collected from various sources" to address public concern over the presence of synthetic acetic acid in certain vinegar brands in the market.

The vinegar brands are:

• Surebuy Cane Vinegar 
• Tentay Pinoy Style Vinegar 
• Tentay Premium Vinegar (Batch/ Lot No. TV SEP0718AC)
• Tentay Vinegar 'Sukang Tunay Asim' 
• Chef's Flavor Vinegar  (Batch/Lot no. 8870401)

“Following the current administrative order prescribing the standard of identity and quality of vinegar, any artificial matter such as synthetic acid or any cloudifying agent deems the vinegar adulterated hence, it must not be sold to the public,” the advisory read.

The FDA clarified that the presence of synthetic acetic acid in the vinegars "is not a safety issue and does not pose any health risk to consumers."

“This only means that the vinegar is of substandard quality. The presence of synthetic acetic acid merely represents that the vinegar did not undergo fermentation, either through a slow process, quick process, or submerged culture process which is used for commercial vinegar production,” FDA said.

The FDA said the manufacturing facilities of the identified vinegar brands would be inspected "to further verify whether the producers of the above products use synthetic acetic acid."

"Appropriate regulatory action shall be imposed on those non-compliant establishments found violating current standards, rules and regulations of the FDA," it added.

It reminded all concerned business establishments "to follow and strictly comply with quality standards in the production of vinegar." – Rappler.com

KHARTOUM, Sudan – Sudan's military on Tuesday, June 4, cancelled a power-transfer agreement with protesters and called for elections within 9 months, a day after more than 35 demonstrators were killed in what they called a "bloody massacre."

Protest leaders called on their supporters to take part in "total civil disobedience" to topple the ruling military council following the deadly dispersal of the weeks-long sit-in outside army headquarters in Khartoum.

The Transitional Military Council ousted president Omar al-Bashir in April after months of protests against his authoritarian rule and had agreed a three-year transition period to a civilian administration.

But army chief General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan announced in a televised statement the plan had been ditched and an election would take place under "regional and international supervision."

"The military council decides on the following: cancelling what was agreed on and stopping negotiating with the Alliance for Freedom and Change, and to call for general elections within a period not exceeding 9 months," Burhan said.

Dozens of demonstrators were killed and hundreds more wounded in the crackdown on Monday, June 3, which was met with sharp international condemnation.

Eid prayers for 'martyrs'

The Sudanese Professionals Association, which spearheaded nationwide protests that started in December, said Monday's action against the sit-in amounted to a "bloody massacre."

It urged people to go out on Tuesday to hold Eid prayers to mark the end of Ramadan, "pray for the martyrs" and then "demonstrate peacefully."

The official date for the start of of Eid al-Fitr in Sudan has been fixed for Wednesday, June 5, the state SUNA news agency said.

Tensions remained high across Khartoum, with heavily armed members of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, thought to have been largely behind Monday’s crackdown, deployed in large numbers.

The paramilitaries, in their trademark pickups mounted with heavy machine guns, guarded entrances to the bridges that cross the Nile, and moved in convoys around the city.

Streets around the city center were almost deserted Tuesday, with many markets and shops closed and almost no cars on the roads on an overcast morning.

Many residents of the capital complained that they were still unable to connect to the internet, after problems with the network started the previous day.

Flights into Khartoum were disrupted as airlines monitored developments on the ground.

"Our flights to Khartoum still cancelled as Khartoum airport is shut because of political instability and security concerns," said a spokesman for Bahrain flag carrier Gulf Air.

Egyptair cancelled flights to Khartoum on Monday night and Tuesday morning.

'Brutal' crackdown

The United States called it a "brutal" crackdown on protesters, who want the generals behind the overthrow of veteran president Omar al-Bashir to hand over to civilian rule.

UN chief Antonio Guterres condemned the excessive use of force and called for an independent investigation.

The UN Security Council will meet behind closed doors on Tuesday to discuss Sudan, after Britain and Germany requested the talks, diplomats said.

The Central Committee of Sudanese Doctors, which is close to the protesters, said the death toll had risen to more than 35, with "hundreds" wounded."

An eight-year-old child was among those killed, it said, and called for "urgent support" from humanitarian organizations to help the wounded.

Footage from the Royal Care hospital near the site of the sit-in showed people on the floors of the wards receiving treatment as men in uniforms sat in pickup trucks outside.

Protest leaders said the large square outside army HQ where protesters had camped out day and night since April 6 had been cleared.

"The Rapid Support Forces and the army and police and militia battalions dispersed the peaceful sit-in," said the Alliance for Freedom and Change.

Outside the army headquarters "there is no one, but the pure bodies of our martyrs that it has not been possible to evacuate from the site."

The doctors' committee said forces had opened fire inside the city's East Nile Hospital and had chased "peaceful protesters."

Rallies against Bashir's authoritarian, three-decade rule led to his ouster in April, but protesters had remained outside the army headquarters calling on the generals to cede power to a transitional authority.

Arab support for army

African and Western governments have been strongly supportive of the protesters but Arab governments, led by Saudi Arabia have backed military council General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan.

The US embassy in Khartoum said "security forces' attacks against protesters and other civilians is wrong and must stop."

"Responsibility falls on the TMC. The TMC cannot responsibly lead the people of Sudan," it added, referring to the transitional military council.

Tibor Nagy, the assistant secretary of state for Africa, tweeted that it was a "brutal and coordinated attack, led by the Rapid Support Forces militia, that mirrors some of the worst offenses of the Bashir regime."

Moussa Faki, the head of the African Union Commission, urged "an immediate and transparent investigation in order to hold all those responsible accountable."

But Arab governments called for renewed talk between protesters and the military.Ahead of the crackdown as talks faltered, Burhan had visited Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia.

The UAE and Saudi Arabia are crucial donors to Sudan, depositing an initial $500 million at the central bank since Bashir's fall as part of a planned $3 billion overall package to maintain their influence in the country. – Rappler.com

LANAO DEL SUR, Philippines – Cagayan de Oro City Police Office (COCPO) chief Colonel Nelson Aganon, who figured in a training accident in May, died Tuesday, June 4, at around 3:30 pm. He was 46 years old.

Acting COCPO spokesperson Police Lieutenant Colonel Ryan Mark Secuya confirmed the death of Aganon, who encountered an accident during a mandatory motorcycle riding course on May 23.

Aganon was attempting a 4-foot gap jump when the accident happened at Camp Edilberto Evangelista, headquarters of the 4th Infantry Division of the Philippine Army. The police officer suffered a head injury and had to undergo an emergency surgery hours after the accident. 

Aganon served as the city police director of Cagayan de Oro for nearly two years. His remains will be brought home to Nueva Ecija in two days. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – Duterte Youth Chairman Ronald Cardema will keep his seat as member of the Philippine Military Academy's (PMA) Board of Advisers (BOA) even if he no longer serves as chair of the National Youth Commission (NYC), PMA Spokesman Major Rey Afan said.

"Mr Cardema shall stay as a BOA member per BOA protocol...the set of rules governing the BOA," Afan told Rappler in a text message Tuesday, June 4. Cardema was earlier selected due to his position as then-NYC chairperson. (READ: Dismissed as PMA cadet, Duterte Youth's Cardema now school's adviser)

Cardema keeps his advisory position at PMA even if he is no longer the youth commission's chair. Malacañang said Cardema had effectively "abandoned" his NYC post when he sought to become Duterte Youth's nominee in the 2019 party-list election.

Afan said, however, that the NYC chairmanship only served as "recognition" he could represent the youth sector.

"Thus even if he vacates his post in the NYC, the theory is he may still represent the sector in his own capacity. The same applies to other members of the BOA who in good faith accepted our invitation," Afan said.

The PMA BOA was activated in April 2019. Members serve a term of two years. 

Cardema was invited to become a member of the PMA's board of advisers more than a decade after he was dismissed from its ranks after officials supposedly accused him of communicating with communist leader Joma Sison.

The Commission on Elections on Tuesday also granted due course to Cardema's last minute petition for substitution as the Duterte Youth party's nominee. (READ: [ANALYSIS] The dangerous Cardema precedent) – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – Outgoing senators – those whose two 6-year terms are over and those who lost their reelection bids – were supposed to deliver their “graduation” speeches on Tuesday, June 4, the last session day of the 17th Congress. 

However, a reelected colleague, Senator Grace Poe, also took the floor to pay them a tribute, putting in focus their independence and the laws that they pushed for, whose long-term “impact...will be constantly felt by the people.”

Maintaining the Senate's independence has been Poe's battlecry since the campaign, when it became clear that allies of President Rodrigo Duterte were set to clinch seats, threatening the chances of reelectionists. Poe also initiated a few campaign sorties with fellow reelectionists. 

There have been talks of neophytes – Duterte's allies – breaking tradition and demanding committee chairmanships and threatening to vote out Senate President Vicente Sotto III. This prompted 14 senators to sign a resolution expressing their confidence in Sotto's leadership. 

Below is the full text of Poe's speech. 

***

Mr. President, when the roll of the 17th Congress will be called for the last time, the names of 6 of our friends and colleagues will be mentioned with distinction. They are Aquino, Ejercito, Trillanes, Legarda, Escudero, and Honasan. They will be graduating with honors.

They may not be physically here in the next Congress, but each of them will leave behind a body of work so expansive in scope, so enriching in purpose, and so progressive in nature that their presence will be felt until the time that they will reclaim their place again in this chamber.

For theirs, I believe, is a short sabbatical from this institution, but not from serving the people.

Senator Loren is leaving the Better House for the Bigger House. Senator Chiz will have his hands full balancing the competing demands of being a part-time governor and a full-time husband. Senator Greg will be joining the Cabinet, and he jokingly says that he is not the first soldier who will rush toward danger.

And, of course, senators Sonny, Bam, and JV will continue with their advocacies. Because holding a public office has never been a prerequisite in pursuing a calling. And when they do, as citizens, then they will be holding an office higher than the Office of the President, and that is the office of a patriot.

But as they take their leave, let it be said that the good of the laws they have written; the enlightenment their pronouncements have caused; and the light their investigations shone on the dark moments of our history will stand both the test of time and the judgment of history for the courage and the competence that they pursued.

And when future Filipinos look back at their time in the Senate, they need not plumb the musty records of our archives because the impact of the laws they have written will be constantly felt by the people long after our time in this world has passed. 

Presidents will come and go and political winds will change, but Senator Bam’s Free College Act will continue to realize the dreams of Filipinos to be taught of skills that will empower them to win the future. I, for one, will forever be grateful for the privilege of being able to still serve in the Senate, because without your vote, without you crossing party lines for your principles, I would have not been a senator anymore. Thank you, I know you suffered greatly for it, for being ostracized by some members of your party, but I salute you, Senator Bam. Thank you for saving the countless foundlings in this country. You will be back, we will be praying for you.

And when you get sick, you will be thankful for the comprehensive reseta Senator JV has written for their fast and free treatment, the Universal Health Care Law. Clearly, the good one is behind great laws. I’ve never seen somebody as hardworking also, and who is always present, who is willing to take on being with you in a committee hearing for the quorum. Countless public services hearings for the transportation sector. A truly knowledgeable colleague who knows the  airport, the trains, and all the different mass transportation in this country. I thank you for being a competent and very dedicated vice chair of the public services committee in spite of your other responsibilities, thank you. And you’re very lucky to have also a mother so dignified, so beautiful, and so supportive, to be here with us. Mayor Guia, idol kayo ng maraming mga kababaihan. Majority leader, yes, like my mother, definitely.

Senator Loren’s prodigious output is as textured as the native clothes she elegantly wears and carries. Her beauty will not be surpassed. She has woven a large tapestry of laws as diverse as battling climate change to balancing the budget. And for many of us, I think, she will always be remembered as a very capable and compassionate finance chairman. Because of her, the many social protection initiatives of this administration was funded. The increase in pay of soldiers and government employees; in my case, the funding of the free lunch program in public elementary schools; and, of course, the numerous health initiatives for the universal healthcare. Without Senator Loren’s mind also, and her intelligence, competence, and dedication, we wouldn’t have been able to pass this budget and fund those laws that we passed.

Senator Greg’s working style violates every rule in a politician’s playbook. As a quiet politician, he is a walking contradiction. He is the last politico to shun social media. He proudly wields an analog phone yet he is indeed, as someone has pointed out, the silent workhorse in a stable of prancing show horses. His first-rate mind is imprinted in the laws that he wrote and also sponsored.

Which makes me go to the next. Some may not agree with his approach, but Senator Trillanes, for me, is courageous. He does not mind the perks of being a senator. He’s unafraid to speak out even if it is an unpopular issue. And we need dissenting minds. We may not always agree with those who object, but without them, we will not be challenged to think beyond our comfort zone and realize what really is essential. And so I thank him, for being the voice of sometimes many of us, who only squeak.

But it’s not just about investigating for Senator Sonny Trillanes, he also passed landmark resolutions and bills, together with Senator Greg, who was the sponsor of the Joint Resolution No. 1, for military and uniformed personnel increase in pay. Ang mga sundalo natin tumaas ang suweldo dahil kay Senator Trillanes at kay Senator Honasan. May utang na loob sila sa kanilang pinanggalingan at hindi nila kinalimutan ang kanilang mga kapatid. Kaya ang sabi ng aking seatmate, maraming nare-recruit si Senator Sonny Trillanes. Hindi ko alam kung ano’ng pakahulugan no’n, pero walang masama doon, tumutulong lang siya. At ang isa pa, napataas din niya ang suweldo ng mga government employees kaya hindi lang po puro pakikibaka o pakikipaglaban; hindi lang nako-cover ng media lahat ng mga ibang trabaho na ginagawa niya na tahimik lamang.

When I was newbie candidate and senator, Senator Chiz showed me the ropes in campaign policy work and, today, [he] remains a call-a-friend kind of a consultant. I have learned many things from him, mostly good, but some I’d rather not say. He sponsors laws in assembly-like fashion, but not for once did he sacrifice scrutiny for speed. Senator Chiz can find the most obscure things in the law, even the nuances. He has a brilliant mind, but I will always remember him as the spokesperson of my father, who stayed with us during the dark times and never left. The statutes of our Republic are full of Escudero laws and amendments. As he likes to say, “Dapat lahat, may Heart.”

Pero siguro sa lahat ng nabanggit ko, lahat halos ay mayroong relasyon sa akin pagdating sa aking ama. Si Vice President na kandidato ng aking ama ay si Senator Loren. Ang mahal na inaanak ng aking nanay, si Senator JV, talagang tumulong sa kampanya ng aking tatay. Si Senator Greg, isa pong kasama noon ni FPJ, ewan ko kung gusto mo pang maalala ’yon, pero ’yan ay totoo, tumulong rin. At siyempre, si Senator Chiz, kaya pagpunta ko po sa Senado, lalung-lalo na, nandiyan si Senator Sotto, na naging campaign manager ng aking ama. Si Senator Nancy, kahit nag-iba kami ng landas, ang kanyang ama ay nakasama rin ng aking tatay. At ’yung tatay niya, naging adviser rin ng tatay ko. Hindi na po iba ang mga naging kasamahan ko dito kaya medyo naibsan ang aking kaba.

For all of them, what is more admirable than their industry is the independence they have shown in performing their duties.

Yes, they may have been affiliated with a party or allied with a president, past or present, but every time they showed up for work here they did not deposit their principles at the door. By and large, they have let the interest of their constituents and the spirit of the Constitution – and nothing or nobody else – guide their decisions.

Every vote they have taken was in obedience to what their conscience tells them and not to the command of someone else. By doing so, they have lived up to and sustained the Senate’s cherished role as a bulwark of independence, where every proposal that comes before it is freely, and, if need be, fiercely debated.

Maraming salamat po, mga kasama, sa inyong pagmamahal dito sa Senado. – Rappler.com 

MANILA, Philippines – Outgoing Speaker Gloria Macapagal Arroyo gave her final marching orders to legislators: those who will continue serving in the next 18th Congress should build on the seeds they planted in the current 17th Congress.

Arroyo, who is on her 3rd and final term as Pampanga 2nd District congresswoman, delivered her farewell speech at the House of Representatives on Tuesday, June 4, the same day the plenary session was conducted for the last time under the 17th Congress.

“In the first 3 years of President [Rodrigo] Duterte’s administration, many good seeds were planted by way of executive decisions, the legislative agenda, strategic foreign engagements, and bold reforms. In the remaining years of his term, we just all need to help in the implementation to harvest the fruits of those seeds within President Duterte’s term,” said Arroyo. 

The former president of 9 years turned 3-term congresswoman has repeatedly said that as Speaker, she was not really concerned about the legacy she would leave behind. Rather, her focus was on ensuring Duterte’s pet bills would be passed under her term. 

Arroyo then praised the House for helping her to do just that, saying a total of 250 local and national bills from the lower chamber were passed into law.

She described the Bangsamoro Organic Law – which established the more independent and powerful Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao – to be “at the forefront of the game-changing legislation that we have helped enact.”

Arroyo also said it was under her leadership that the House passed a “more fiscally acceptable version” of the draft constitution seeking to shift the Philippines to federalism, though this did not fly at the Senate.

Arroyo also cited as achievements of the House the bills on the following:

• Security of tenure
• Coconut farmers’ trust fund
• Rice tariffication
• Tax Reform for Attracting Better and High-Quality Opportunities 
• Increases on the taxes imposed on mining, alcohol, tobacco
• Reform in property valuation, capitol income and financial taxes, and tax amnesty
• Universal health care
• National ID system
• Personal Property Security Act
• Secondary School Career Guidance Counselling Act
• First Time Jobseekers Act
• Department of Human Settlements and Urban DEvelopments
• Law on work-from-home arrangements
• National cancer control program
• Strengthening HIV-AIDS policy
• Providing for the special protection of children in situations of armed conflict
• Amending Central Bank Act
• Institutionalizing energy efficiency and conservation

“We passed many other priority bills of the President, including those not mentioned in his 2018 SONA…. A truly working House were we. Even the recent midterm elections did not distract us from what needed to be done,” said Arroyo.

With her stint in Congress ending, Arroyo is set to become a consultant for the provincial government in Pampanga, where her close friend and political ally, outgoing Governor Lilia Pineda, has been elected vice governor. Arroyo's son Mikey is set to replace her as Pampanga 2nd District representative in the 18th Congress.

Arroyo previously said she wants to write her memoirs after her term as congresswoman ends. But rumors persist that she is being eyed for a Cabinet post.

Controversial leadership

Like her 9-year presidency, Arroyo’s speakership was not without controversy. 

She stole the spotlight from her ally Duterte on July 23, 2018 when her allies ousted Davao del Norte 1st District Representative Pantaleon Alvarez as Speaker and made her the new leader of the House. (READ: The women behind the fall of Alvarez) 

The political forces of two other powerful women helped bring Arroyo to the speakership: presidential daughter and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte, and Ilocos Norte Governor turned senator-elect Imee Marcos. 

Arroyo also had to grapple with the months-long deadlock between the House and the Senate over the passage of the P3.757-trillion budget for 2019.  

Lawmakers were accused of inserting P95 billion of allegedly anomalous appropriations in the public works budget, which Duterte later vetoed when he finally signed the national budget into law on April 15. (READ: Winners and losers under Duterte's 2019 budget)

“Despite great difficulties, Congress came up with an enacted budget, avoiding the large problems that a reenactment of the last budget would have created. I congratulate those who worked tirelessly to bring the 2019 budget to fruition. I thank the President for respecting the mandate of both the House and the Senate to participate fully in the process,” said Arroyo.

The Speaker said she has submitted to the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) a list of projects that the legislators want to be implemented within 2019. 

“Our understanding is that the DPWH will check the projects that can be accommodated within its continuing appropriations or savings, subject to the department’s evaluation if they are implementation-ready,” said Arroyo.

Legacy? Fiscal stability

At the end of her speech, Arroyo said the legacy she will be leaving behind as a public servant is that of restoring the country's fiscal stability during her 9-year presidency.

“I think my legacy will center around restoring our country’s fiscal stability after a storm of financial crisis here and abroad. Our fiscal reforms expanded resources for infrastructure and development, after which, as I said earlier, our poverty level went down from 39% to 26%,” said Arroyo.

It was a similar speech she delivered during her 72nd birthday in April, when she talked about her legacy in a public speech for the first time. 

Arroyo ended her speech by saying how she grateful she was that she became Philippine president and Speaker of the House.

“I thank God for giving me the rare privilege to serve as president, which is the highest nationally-elected position in the land, and then now as speaker of the House, which is the highest ranking locally-elected official of the Philippines. I thank God but I also thank you because you elected me as speaker,” said Arroyo. 

“We are all on a journey together. As our nation moves forward, let us all join hands in unity and walk confidently towards a better tomorrow. From the bottom of my heart, I thank you for giving me the honor and privilege of serving you,” added Arroyo as she ended her speech.– Rappler.com

MADRID, Spain – Spain's Supreme Court on Tuesday, June 4, suspended the exhumation of the remains of dictator Francisco Franco while it considers an appeal from his family against the move, which divides opinion in a country still conflicted about the nationalist regime.

Spain's Socialist government had planned to move the remains on Monday, June 3, from the opulent mausoleum near Madrid to a more discreet state-run pantheon but the plans have been fiercely resisted for nearly a year by Franco's heirs.

The court said in a statement it had decided unanimously to suspend the exhumation to avoid "harm" that could be caused if it was ultimately found that his remains should not have been moved.

Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez's government has made transferring Franco's remains a priority since he took office in June 2018, arguing the country could not "continue to glorify" the dictator.

The government said in a statement it was "convinced" that the court will ultimately reject the family's appeal when it gives a final verdict "in the coming months."

Divided opinion

Franco, who ruled with an iron fist from the end of the 1936-39 civil war until his death in 1975, is buried in an imposing basilica carved into a mountain at the Valley of the Fallen, 50 kilometers (30 miles) outside Madrid. A 150-meter (500-feet) cross towers over the site.

Built by Franco's regime between 1940 and 1959 – in part by the forced labor of some 20,000 political prisoners – the monument holds the remains of 37,000 dead from both sides of the war, which was triggered by Franco's rebellion against an elected Republican government.

It was long used for tributes to the dictator on the anniversary of his death, but that was stopped by a 2007 law.

Franco, whose Nationalist forces defeated the Republicans, dedicated the site to "all the fallen" of the conflict in an attempt at reconciliation but critics say it is unacceptable to give such ostentatious recognition to a brutal leader.

Critics compare the situation with neighboring Portugal, where late dictator Antonio de Oliveira Salazar is buried in a municipal cemetery, or Italy, where former fascist leader Benito Mussolini lies in a family crypt.

Many on the left are repulsed by the existence of the Valley of the Fallen, comparing it to a monument glorifying Hitler. Others, often on the right, insist it is just a piece of history that has had its meaning twisted by critics.

Long battle

The government planned to move Franco's remains from the Valley of the Fallen to be reburied next to his wife in the family tomb at Mingorrubio El Pardo, a state cemetery where various political figures are buried. The ceremony was to take place without media coverage.

But Franco's closest living relatives, his grandchildren, had asked that the Supreme Court suspend the exhumation until it reaches a final ruling on the case, arguing it should not take place until all of the legal channels have been explored.

Luis Felipe Utrera-Molina, a lawyer for the family and the son of a minister in the dictator's government, welcomed the court ruling, telling Spanish public television that it showed that his client's arguments were "worthy of consideration."

If the exhumation could not be stopped, Franco's heirs had wanted his remains to be moved to the Almudena Cathedral in Madrid where his daughter is buried.

But the government feared the central location could become a pilgrimage site for Franco supporters and successfully lobbied the Vatican to reject this option.

Less than half of all Spaniards, 48.9%, supported the government’s plan to exhume Franco's remains, in a poll published in January by online newspaper El Espanol.

About a third, 30.6%, opposed it. – Rappler.com

ANGELES, Philippines – A regional trial court here has imposed a 32-year imprisonment on a couple from the island province of Bohol for the online sexual abuse of their 3-year-old daughter and a 9-year-old girl who had been under their custody for several years.

The International Justice Mission, a global anti-slavery organization, sent Rappler a copy of the court's May 23 decision that found 31-year-old Herlen Torrefiel and 29-year-old Janno Cabido guilty in two cases of violating Republic Act No. 9775 or the Anti-Child Pornography Act of 2009.

In a separate order on May 30, Judge Angelica Paras Quiambao of the Angeles City Regional Trial Court Branch 59 also ordered the immediate transfer of Torrefiel and Cabido to the Correctional Institute for Women in Mandaluyong City and the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa City, respectively.

For coercing a child to perform pornographic act in violation of section 4, paragraph (a) of the law, the court ordered each of the convicted persons to serve 20 years imprisonment and pay P2 million.

The court also imposed a sentence of 12 years imprisonment and a fine of P500,000 to each of the accused for violating section 4, paragraph (h) which prohibits "a parent, legal guardian, or person having custody or control of a child to knowingly permit the child to engage, participate, or assist in any form of child pornography."

Aside from the fines, the two were ordered to jointly pay P150,000 in moral and exemplary damages to the minor girl who had been under their custody since she was 2 years old.

The girl, a Grade 4 student, had been living with her supposed guardians in an apartment in nearby Mabalacat City while her parents and sibling were in Bohol.

Operatives of the Philippine National Police's Women and Children Protection Center (WCPC) and Anti-Cybercrime Group (ACG) led the entrapment operation against the couple on November 16, 2017, after receiving information and referral from the Swedish police through the Bangkok-based Nordic Police and Customs Cooperation Liaison Office, a cooperation office of the 5 Nordic countries of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden.

A WCPC information technologist posed as a customer and in several instances was able to chat online with the accused, including one time when the two young girls were presented to him via Skype video chat. He was promised a "surprise" performance from the girls.

The undercover police officer, who pretended to be an American, was also able to ascertain the identities and residence of the couple by sending money as gifts through money transfer services and a package to the apartment.

On the day of the sting operation, policemen carrying a search warrant issued by the RTC Branch 60 here proceeded to the target apartment in Barangay Dau, Mabalacat City, while the undercover police officer was chatting with the accused who were asking P5,000 for each online sexual show.

The couple were arrested and brought to the WCPC office in Camp Crame while the girls were turned over to the Department of Social Welfare and Development.

In a sworn affidavit, the 9-year-old victim said her guardians made her undress in front of the computer and show her genitals to foreigners on the screen who were also naked and playing with their sex organs.

"Wala po akong magawa. Sumusunod na lang po ako sa utos nila. 'Yung mga kapitbahay namin doon sa bandang dulo ang bahay may apat na bata na ganoon din ang ipinapagawa,” she said, adding that she needed to comply with her guardians' wishes so they would have money to buy milk, and because they were the ones sending her to school.

(I couldn't do anything. I was just following their orders. Our neighbors in another house also made 4 children do the same thing.)

When she testified in a hearing, the victim also disclosed that the couple scolded or spanked her whenever she refused to do what she was asked to perform.

"Child pornography is a detestable act that every society must seek to eliminate. The offenses involve sexual gratification at the expense of children, the supposed future shapers of our country. These offenses become worse when committed by parents, guardians, and custodians of the victims, who are annihilating their very own blood. The court cannot be swayed by emotions as the rule of law must always be upheld. Indeed, facts decide cases," the court said in a 60-page decision.

“As the accused are the parents of victim BBB, and the uncle and aunt of victim AAA, pursuant to Section 16 of RA No. 9775, the penalties to be imposed shall be in their maximum duration," Quiambao added. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – A stark contrast from their usual Senate plenary sessions, the final session of the 17th Congress was filled with laughter and jokes, as 6 outgoing senators bade farewell. (READ: The class of 2019: Where are graduating senators going?)

The Senate on Tuesday, June 4, also honored 6 outgoing senators for their contributions to the chamber, through individual resolutions.

These senators included the 4 graduating lawmakers: Loren Legarda, Francis Escudero, Gregorio Honasan II, and Antonio Trillanes IV.

Also included were senators Paolo Benigno Aquino IV and Joseph Victor Ejercito, who failed in their reelection bids.

Five of the 6 senators delivered a valedictory speech. Only Trillanes did not do so, as he was not present.

Gringo Honasan

Honasan, the usually silent 4-term senator, gave a heartfelt speech, thanking his colleagues and Senate staff for the "camaraderie, understanding, patience, and tolerance."

"Words are not enough to describe how I feel now because it has been a long journey. I've been a soldier for 17 years, went out of the system for 7 years. I have been in this chamber for 21 years," Honasan said.

The senator, a man of few words, delivered funny lines that made his colleagues laugh.

"I know you will miss me because of my deafening silence," he quipped.

In the first part of his speech, Honasan mentioned the prominent senators he worked with, including the late senators Miriam Santiago and Juan Flavier, and incumbent Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon.

He then stopped after realizing that two of them already passed away.

"Puro the late (They're all late senators).... I hope this does not give us an indication of what is to come," Honasan said, prompting laughter in the gallery.

But turning serious, Honasan offered a prayer for his colleagues and asked the chamber to "continue to keep faith and stay the course and be the last bastion of our pluralistic democracy."

Honasan is reportedly being eyed to be the next secretary of the Department of Information and Communications Technology.

Honasan was chairman of the Senate committee on national defense and security and committee on peace, unification, and reconciliation.

JV Ejercito

Ejercito delivered a lengthy speech, with some light and funny anecdotes. He also thanked each of his colleagues.

Turning to Senator Grace Poe, who supported him in 2019, he said: "Thank you very much for that. Alam ko na alam mo na ako talaga ang (I know that you really know that I am the) 'good one.'"

His use of his campaign line made his colleagues laugh. It was also a swipe at his half-brother, former senator Jinggoy Estrada, as Ejercito has repeatedly emphasized that he is the "good one" and he has never tarnished their family's name. Estrada also lost his 2019 senatorial bid.

Ejercito also teased Senator Cynthia Villar, who they call "Mama Bear."

"Salamat sa iyong pag-aalaga, my Mama Bear, during the campaign dahil ako po'y medyo hirap sa pondo. Buti na lang ay nandiyan ka at ako'y nakakasabay sa Air Villar," he said, referring to Villar's private aircraft.

(Thank you for taking care of me, my Mama Bear, during the campaign because I had low funds. Good thing you were there and I was able to ride Air Villar.)

Ejercito also surprised his colleagues when he ended his speech by playing his campaign jingle. Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri, imitating his young son, said he saw his child sing and dance to Ejercito's tune.

To his allies in the so-called seatmates bloc, the outgoing senator said, "Please keep that seat warm for me, guys, and I hope to be back soon."

"The good one is signing off. Not for long."

Ejercito chaired the Senate committee on health. He pushed for the passage of the Universal Health Care Act, which he used in his 2019 campaign. He, however, ranked 13th in the senatorial race, just outside the Magic 12.

Chiz Escudero

Escudero, incoming governor of Sorsogon province, delivered a humorous speech, as he bade his colleagues and the Senate goodbye.

He joked to Ejercito that the staff he saw crying over his loss just lost her wallet.

He also teased that he stopped Senator Richard Gordon from interpellating Ejercito, when the latter talked about Gordon's lengthy speeches in Senate hearings.

But turning serious, Escudero said he is both sad and happy that he is leaving the chamber.

He said he is sad that he will be leaving Congress, his home for 21 years. But he said he is happy to be finally going home to Sorsogon after a decade.

"I shall return. Magbabalik ako.... 'Di ko alam ano ang aking kapalaran kung kaya 'di ko masabi nang katiyakan.... Hanggang sa muli nating pagkikita, sa 'di malayong hinaharap (I will be back. Although I don't know my exact fate that's why I cannot say for sure. Until the next time we see each other again, in the near future)," Escudero said.

Escudero served as chairman of the Senate committees on banks and education.

Loren Legarda

Legarda, who is moving to the House as Antique representative, also delivered a long speech, enumerating some of her legislative measures and advocacies.

At some point, she stopped speaking because her colleagues were trying to make her laugh.

Legarda thanked each of her colleagues, with matching photos of her with each senator flashing on the screen.

She also showed photos of her in her early days as a senator, with some colleagues teasing her.

She thanked her staff for their loyalty, admitting that she was a difficult boss.

"I'm not an easy boss. Thank you for the loyalty. I'm a tough boss, I must admit. Parang nagpunta sila sa TESDA, SUC, nagpunta pa sa Harvard 'pag nanggaling sa akin. Maniningil na ako ng tuition (It's as if they studied at TESDA, in an SUC, and even at Harvard, after working for me. I should charge tuition)," Legarda said.

Legarda was the chairperson of the Senate committees on finance and foreign relations. She said her most challenging job was to steer the finance panel in the 17th Congress. (READ: Dominguez endorses Legarda as next House appropriations committee chair)

Bam Aquino

In his speech, the opposition senator thanked his colleagues and supporters not only during the campaign but also during his 6-year stint. (READ: 14 million votes for an Aquino in time of Duterte still a feat, says Bam)

"Among my colleagues, I've found mentors and friends that have come through for me even in the most challenging and intimidating times. Thank you," Aquino said.

He described his experience at the Senate as one where he charted his own path.

"I always say it's like those books I read, you choose your own adventure.... Here in the Senate, you get to choose how many sessions you attend, how many reforms you push, you get to choose if you want to be a legislator or more of a fiscalizer," he said.

Aquino then called on his colleagues to continue "choosing" what would be beneficial for the people.

"I hope with all my heart as I move on to my next adventure that our beloved Senate, our last bastion of democracy, will always, always make the collective choice for the benefit of our people – the last, the least, and the lost," he said.

"I hope that every individual who is given the opportunity to join the ranks of the Senate has this in their hearts: that they have been entrusted with the hopes, dreams, and aspirations of our people."

Aquino, a Liberal Party member, is part of the minority bloc in the Senate, serving as deputy minority leader.

He pushed for the passage of the law on free tuition in state colleges and universities, as well as the law providing free Wi-Fi in public places.

Aquino first won in 2013, but failed to secure another term in 2019. He ranked 14th in the midterm elections. – Rappler.com