MANILA, Philippines – The New Biliibid Prison (NBP) has been shaken recently by multiple issues hitting it at once. But there is a common denominator: drugs.

It started around April when Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II first started announcing to media that there may be a resurgence of drug trade inside the national penitentiary. In June, Aguirre said drug syndicates inside the jail "are very active again." By July 4, he had ordered the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to look into it.

Then things happened very fast after that.

Six days after the order to NBI, or on July 10, a stabbing incident occurred inside the maximum security compound where inmate Efren Ventura died.

Again, Aguirre asked the NBI to conduct a parallel probe into the incident, even as he issued the same order to the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor), which directly supervises Bilibid. NBI and BuCor are agencies attached to the Department of Justice (DOJ) under Aguirre.

Three days after the incident, on July 13, Benjamin de los Santos resigned as chief of the BuCor. His statement to the media was vague: "Issue about resurgence of drug trade has made me irrelevant. I will refrain from further comments and take the vow of silence."

De los Santos still refuses to elaborate what he meant by the statement.

Inmate transfer

Another unit caught in the middle of all this is the Philippine National Police Special Action Force (PNP-SAF), which was tasked to guard the maximum security compound and Building 14 and make sure drugs do not proliferate there. Building 14 is a separate building in the maximum compound specially designated to high-profile convicts.

Aguirre had been giving pronouncements that he wants to take out SAF from Bilibid and replace them with soldiers because of the resurgence.

PNP Chief Director General Ronald "Bato" Dela Rosa defended SAF and said his men do not have "total control" of the jails, especially that some of the high-profile drug convicts are in the medium security compound.

“How I wish ibalik na ang mga drug lords sa building 14 at SAF ang mag-guwardiya (How I wish they would return the drug lords to Building 14 and allow SAF to guard them),” Dela Rosa said in July.

Some of the drug personalities moved to the medium security compound were the witnesses against detained Senator Leila de Lima. Three of them – Vicente Sy, Jojo Baligad and Peter Co – were moved to the medium security compound in October 2016 after they were hurt inside a riot in Building 14.

All these have led to Department Order 496 issued by Aguirre on July 24 directing the return of inmates to their original detention facility.

'Recanting

On July 26, lawyer Francis Acejas held a press conference appealing to Aguirre not to transfer the inmates back to the maximum security compound. He is referring to inmates under the Witness Protection Program (WPP), including Sy, Baligad, Co, and two others: Froilan Trestiza and Hanz Anton Tan.

Acejas represents the group Kabalikat which claims that "there is reasonable ground to believe that certain shadowy or unknown personalities whom the WPP witnesses accused of illegal drug activities will have the motive to disrupt and discredit their participation as such witnesses."

"Effectively, their disqualification from the program will weaken, if not fail, the prosecution of the drug cases against persons involved," Kabalikat's statement added.

Acejas was then quoted in the press conference as saying that there is a possibility these witnesses might recant their testimonies against De Lima. But he retracted that statement shortly after.

The confusion that arose from that conference has led to several theories since. (READ: The high life: Illegal drugs and the New Bilibid Prison)

For one, lawyer Ferdinand Topacio, who's representing other witnesses against De Lima, said he has never heard of Acejas. Topacio's clients are Noel Martinez, Herbert Colanggo, Engelbert Durano, German Agojo and Rodolfo Magleo.

"I talked to them, none of them are recanting. I talked through an intermediary to Peter Co and Vicente Sy, they are not recanting," Topacio told Rappler in a phone interview on Friday.

But one thing about what Acejas said is true, at least according to Topacio: the inmates-witnesses do not want to be transferred back to the maximum security compound due to fear for their safety.

"Sy and Co are appealing not to be transferred to the maximum camp. They are asking me to convey to Aguirre that people are feeding wrong information to him to sow dissension among them," Topacio said, speculating that De Lima might have something to do with it.

Topacio said he will seek a meeting with Aguirre to discuss the request by Sy and Co.

Aguirre described the recantation statement as an attempt at disinformation. 

But he still proceeded with the transfer.

In the morning of Friday, July 28, the NBP moved 9 inmates back to Building 14. They are:

1. Rico Caja (Cell 23)
2. Joel Capones (Cell 23)
3. Jojo Baligad (Cell 23)
4. Benjamin Marcelo (Cell 24)
5. Sam Lee Chua (Cell 24)
6. Hanz Anton Tan (Cell 25)
7. Che Kit Chua (Cell 25)
8. Peter Co (Cell 26)
9. Vicente Sy (Cell 26)

"All these cells are located in Block Charlie while Jaybee Sebastian is in Block Alpha far from the cells of the 9," DOJ Undersecretary Erickson Balmes said.

Acejas has not responded to Rappler's request for comment on the statements of Topacio and Aguirre.

De Lima's response

In her latest dispatch from her jail cell in Camp Crame, De Lima said that these calls to Aguirre by inmates not to be transferred back to the maximum security compound are proof of the "transactional nature of the whole case" against her. De Lima was charged of 3 counts of drug trade now pending before the Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court (RTC).

DOJ dropped the complaints against Sy, Co, Baligad, Colanggo and Durano to be able to use them as government witnesses against De Lima.

"This is the value of the testimonies of the convicted criminals, as a bargaining chip for prison privileges, including the use of cellphones, wifi, TVs, airconditioners, etc., some gadgets of which are used in the continued operation of the Bilibid drug trade," De Lima said.

De Lima reminded Aguirre of the criminal complaint she has filed against him before the Office of the Ombudsman, one of the grounds being the use of false testimonies in charging her of drug trade.

"Ginoong Aguirre, mahiya ka naman sa sarili mo, kung may natitira ka pang hiya para sa sarili at pamilya mo. Pinakulong mo ang isang inosente, gamit ang mga pekeng ebidensiya at testimonya... Alam mo namang kagagawan mo lahat 'yang paggawa-gawa ng ebidensiya laban sa akin, alinsunod sa utos ng iyong Hari, si Duterte," De Lima said.

(Mr Aguirre, be ashamed of yourself, if you still have shame left for yourself or your family. You jailed an innocent person using fake evidence and testimonies. You know that you faked all the evidence to follow the orders of your boss Duterte.)

In the meantime, Aguirre has taken over the supervision and management of BuCor while President Rodrigo Duterte chooses the replacement for De Los Santos.

Aguirre has also conducted Galugad operations, or the raid into jail cells inside Bilibid to seize contrabands. Dela Rosa and SAF Chief Director Benjamin Lusad were with him during the operations. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – The Bureau of Customs (BOC) has started hiring 150 new personnel as the agency restructures itself. 

The BOC is undertaking massive recruitment, having announced in February that the bureau will prioritize filling up more than 3,000 vacancies – more than half its workforce.

The initial 150 positions will be for the reinforcement of customs laws, rules, and regulations.

"We need to take advantage of the more than 50% unfilled vacancies. We will beef up our team with 3,000 more employees this year and an additional 4,000 once the proposed executive order for restructuring is signed," Customs Commissioner Nicanor Faeldon said. (READ: Faeldon’s chief of staff grilled for calling Alvarez an ‘imbecile’)

Successful applicants will undergo a 6-month paid training with the Philippine Customs Training Center (PCTC).

"Those who finished the training shall be guaranteed of plantilla positions, and are expected to develop a deeper sense of patriotism, excellence, non-violence, safety, integrity, and leadership," Faeldon said. 

Promotions are also up for grabs for current BOC employees who are next in rank. 

"The BOC adheres to a more stringent process of hiring and promotion. We are looking for personnel who are skilled, educated and with integrity," Faeldon said. (READ: Alvarez getting back at customs official for not promoting unqualified employee?)

Here are the requirements.

For next-in-rank BOC employees

• Updated and duly accomplished Personnel Data Sheet (PDS/CS Form 212 Revised 2017) with attached Work Experience Sheet
• Individual Commitment Review Form (IPCR) for the period July-December 2016 and January-June 2017

For BOC employees who are not next-in-rank 

• Letter of Intent (Form A)
• Updated and duly accomplished Personnel Data Sheet (PDS/CS Form 212 Revised 2017) with attached Work Experience Sheet
• Individual Commitment Review Form (IPCR) for the periods July-December 2016 and January-June 2017

For non-BOC employees:

• Letter of Intent (Form A -1)
• Updated and duly accomplished Personnel Data Sheet (PDS/CS Form 212 Revised 2017) with attached Work Experience Sheet
• Authenticated copy of Eligibility or License issued by the Civil Service Commission and Professional Regulation Commission, or Certificate of Admission to the Philippine Bar from the Supreme Court
• Certified True Copy of Transcript of Records and Diploma
• Copy of Training/Seminar Certificates
• Certificate of Employment or Service Record (if government employee)
• Copy of Performance Appraisal Report for the last two rating periods (for government employees only)

The BOC said applicants can only apply for one position, and that applicants in 2016 must re-submit documents. Faeldon said applicants are not required to enclose in their documents "external recommendations." – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol this week directed one of his high-ranking officials to start working with the Department of Education (DepEd) on including agriculture subjects in basic education.

During a press briefing on Tuesday, July 25, Piñol was asked about the department's plan to encourage young people to go into agriculture. (READ: PH agriculture: Why is it important?)

"When I was in Ormoc City with the President, before he arrived, I was seated next to Secretary Leonor Briones of DepEd. And this was exactly what I was discussing with her," he said in a mix of English and Filipino.

He added: "We have been proposing for DepEd to include agriculture subjects, simple agriculture, in the curriculum of public schools from elementary to high school."

Piñol said he was able to discuss the matter with Briones, whose department is currently reviewing the curriculum in public schools.

He then emphasized the need to develop Filipino children's interest in agriculture.

"So I am now directing [Undersecretary] Fred Serrano to work on this, because this is under policy and planning. You have to reach out to your counterpart in the DepEd and start working on the proposal to include agriculture subjects in the elementary and high school levels of the Philippine education system," he said in a mix of English and Filipino.

As far as the K to 12 curriculum is concerned, at least senior high school's technical-vocational-livelihood track already has specializations on agri-fishery. 

On Tuesday, Piñol also called on fisheries and agriculture graduates all over the country to be agriculture entrepreneurs. He said these graduates could become very successful agri-entrepeneurs given the knowledge they gained from their courses.

"We can help them, we can actually provide them financing if they want to go into onion farming, garlic farming, and other agricultural activities," he said in a mix of English and Filipino.

He added: "Be agri-entrepreneurs. We will support you financially. You come to us, you organize yourselves, we will help you financially, and we will assist you in the marketing of your products." – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – In April, Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade announced that he would move the headquarters of his department to Clark Freeport in Pampanga by July, "finished or unfinished."

With just a few days to spare before the end of his self-imposed deadline, Tugade led the first flag-raising ceremony of the Department of Transportation (DOTr) in its new home, attended by the department's first batch of transferees.

Around 100 kilometers from their original tower office in Mandaluyong, the new base is a complex of buildings with a modern look. It used to house Cyber City Teleservices.

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While the structure of the main building has been completed, a lot of organization and finishing touches are needed to make it fully operational, and employees, productive.

There's a general feeling that the move was rushed, based on photos Rappler obtained from DOTr employees who took pictures on their first day in the new base.

A long-time DOTr employee told Rappler that only the main building was shown in the launch and that the equipment inside the offices were not yet fully organized when the employees arrived.

The employee said their work areas only had chairs and tables when they got there, and that office equipment still remained in boxes. Phone lines and internet access were not yet installed.

“Wala kaming ginawa kahapon kasi 'di pa nga siya tapos. 'Yung room namin, first day kahapon, wala kaming ginawa. walang internet, phone. Temporarily nilagyan nila ng chairs and tables...So baldado kami,” another employee told Rappler.

(We did nothing [on July 28] because our rooms were not yet finished. There was no internet or phone line. Temporary chairs and tables were placed. So we were incapacitated.)

Inspecting further, they saw that the the common toilet was not yet divided into cubicles, forcing the employees to use it one at a time.

The surrounding areas of the buildings have yet to be paved and landscaped. (READ: DOTr employees accuse bosses of rushing Clark transfer)

Other buildings of the new headquarters, set to be occupied later in the year, were still being finished.

The employees complained about the noise from the ongoing construction activities.

Like other DOTr employees, the workers interviewed by Rappler said they were not against the transfer – they only want their new office to be move-in ready before they were transferred there.

"Maganda siya, maaliwalas – kung tapos na siya. Maganda siya, sa totoo lang. Kaya lang madalian kasi eh. Talagang pinilit na palipatin kami (The new office is beautiful and airy – once completed. It's really beautiful, in all honesty. The only problem is our transfer was rushed. We were really forced to move)," one of them said.

First day blues

When asked to comment on the photos, Transportation Assistant Secretary Leah Quiambao said it was only their first day at the new headquarters, and that more work would be done. She likened it to moving to a new home.

“It was our first day. There was a lot of cleaning, setting up, and organizing going around. Ganoon naman ang bagong lipat [hindi] ba (This is what it's like when you just moved in, right)?” Quiambao told Rappler.

She also said some of the photos might have been taken at the work areas of employees who would be moved to Clark later on, or earlier in the day when the offices were not yet set up. 

“I don’t know what time those photos were taken. Basta, [our division] unpacked and organized everything yesterday,” she said.

An employee who provided the photos to Rappler said the images were taken in the offices occupied by the first batch of workers. The government worker said the boxes arrived Friday afternoon, but were not brought out, so the employees could not do any work.

Quiambao said all of the equipment were already in the new base. “They just need to be unpacked," she said.

Echoing her boss, she said the DOTr decided to begin transferring employees to the new office despite the ongoing construction activities as there is “no time to waste.”

“Hindi naman kasi puwedeng walang schedule o plano. But just the same, naging maayos naman ang transfer (We can't do it wihtout a schedule or plan. But just the same, the transfer was smooth)…It was just a matter of organizing our things, which is expected kasi nga first day sa office (because it's the first day of office),” Quiambao said.

The second batch of employees are set to transfer by August, and the rest, by December.

When he announced the DOTr move to Clark in April, Tugade said he wanted other government offices to follow suit and move their headquarters out of the metro which, he hoped, would help decongest the traffic problem in Metro Manila.

Metro Manila-based DOTr employees have opposed the transfer, citing the consequences of working so far away from home on their family relations, as well as on the expenses of the department.  – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno is facing threats of an impeachment case due to an alleged P5-million car purchase at the Supreme Court (SC), and supposed undeclared millions worth of earnings when she was still a private lawyer.

Lawyer Larry Gadon told Rappler on Saturday, July 29, that he is leading the case buildup against Sereno, which he hopes to file before the House of Representatives next week.

An impeachment complaint is considered officially filed at the House if it has the endorsement of a congressman.

"I am already talking to some congressmen who have committed to endorsing it. I cannot disclose their names at this time," Gadon said.

Grounds

An impeachment complaint can be filed based on the grounds of culpable violation of the constitution, treason, bribery, graft and corruption, other high crimes and betrayal of public trust.

Gadon said the vehicle purchase by Sereno can be considered betrayal of public trust.

Gadon showed Rappler two documents pertaining to the vehicle purchase. One is an endorsement letter dated December 2, 2016, where Supreme Court (SC) Procurement Committee Assistant Chief Carina Cunanan referred the purchase proposal to SC Bids and Awards Committee Chair Thelma Bahia.

The vehicle is a Toyota Land Cruiser "for the official use of Honorable Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno."

The letter also mentions an estimate of P5.2 million not yet inclusive of the "bullet proofing." (READ: Scrutinizing Sereno, one year after)

The 2nd document dated January 3 this year is a bid abstract for Toyota Makati for the amount of P5,110,500.

"Heto munang nilabas ko 'yung sa car, kasi malaki ang public interest dito kasi si President Duterte nga hindi nga bumili ng bagong sasakyan," Gadon said. (I'm only releasing the car documents for now because there is high public interest here, because even President Duterte did not buy a new car.)

After winning the elections in June 2016, Duterte said he will not use the presidential vehicles and will instead stick to his trusty Isuzu pickup.

Gadon added that his cursory search revealed that the Toyota Land Cruiser Model (200 4.5 L V8 A/T Premium) is only listed at P4.5 million on the Toyota Philippines website.

Undeclared earnings?

The second ground used by Gadon is the long-reported supposed earnings of Sereno back when she was a private lawyer and represented the government in an arbitration case. (READ: Sereno faces uphill battle in High Court)

Sereno, retired SC Justice Florentino Feliciano and foreign lawyers represented the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) when Philippine International Air Terminals Co. Inc. (Piatco) sued them for damages before the International Court of Arbitration of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) in Singapore.

The SC nullified Piatco's contract to build a NAIA terminal in 2003 because of irregularities so Piatco elevated the case before the ICC in Singapore. The government, through the help of lawyers such as Sereno, won that case.

Gadon said Sereno's earnings from that case are not reflected in the Chief Justice's Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN).

"According to my latest inquiries she earned more than 30 million," Gadon said.

Gadon added: "Undeclared assets in SALN was the ground used against Corona so why shouldn't it be used against Sereno?"

The late former chief justice Renato Corona was impeached at the Senate in 2012 by a vote of 20-3. Corona was found guilty of failing to disclose and accurately declare his bank deposits and properties in his SALN, which constituted betrayal of public trust and culpable violation of the Constitution.

Sereno's 2016 SALN released recently shows her net worth is at Php 24.2 million, more than Php 2.76 million compared to her net worth in 2015, according to a report by the Philippine News Agency (PNA). 

The impeachment threat against Sereno comes after Associate Justice Teresita Leonardo de Castro questioned some of her actions in a memorandum sent to SC justices, including travel allowances for the Chief Justice's staff and the appointment of the head of the Philippine Mediation Center (PMC). – Rappler.com

TEHRAN, Iran – A defiant Iran vowed on Saturday, July 29, to press ahead with its missile program and condemned new US sanctions, as tensions rise after the West hardened its tone against the Islamic republic.

In the latest incident on the ground, Iran's Revolutionary Guards said the US Navy had approached their patrol vessels in the Gulf and fired flares.

"At 4 pm (1130 GMT) on Friday, the supercarrier USS Nimitz and its accompanying warship, while being monitored by the Guards' frigates, flew a helicopter near the Resalat oil and gas platform and approached the force's ships," the paramilitary force said.

"The Americans in a provocative and unprofessional move, sent a warning message to the frigates and fired flares," it said. The Guards "ignored the unconventional move by the US ships and continued their mission."

Three days earlier, a US Navy patrol ship fired warning shots at a Guards boat in the Gulf as it closed in on the American vessel, according to US officials.

The Guards denied approaching the US ship in Tuesday's incident and said it was the American vessel that had been at fault.

There have been a string of close encounters between US ships and Iranian vessels in the Gulf in recent months.

On the political battlefield, Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Bahram Ghasemi told state broadcaster IRIB that Tehran condemned new US sanctions against its missile programme, which President Donald Trump is set to sign into law, and vowed to press on.

"We will continue with full power our missile programme," he said. "We consider the action by the US as hostile, reprehensible and unacceptable, and it's ultimately an effort to weaken the nuclear deal."

Ghasemi was referring to a 2015 agreement between Iran and US-led world powers that lifted some sanctions on Tehran in return for curbs on the country's nuclear programme.

"The military and missile fields... are our domestic policies and others have no right to intervene or comment on them," the spokesman said.

The sanctions bill, which also targets Russia and North Korea, was passed by the US Senate on Thursday, two days after being approved by the House of Representatives.

Separately on Friday, Washington imposed new sanctions targeting Iran's missile programme, one day after Tehran tested a satellite-launch rocket.

Iranian state television broadcast footage of the takeoff from the Imam Khomeini space centre in Semnan province in the east of the country.

The launch vehicle was capable of propelling a satellite weighing 550 pounds (250 kilogrammes) into orbit at an altitude of 300 miles (500 kilometers), it said.

'Destabilizing' action  

Western governments suspect Iran of trying to develop the technology for longer-range missiles with conventional or nuclear payloads, a charge denied by Tehran, which insists its space programme has purely peaceful aims.

In a joint statement, Britain, France, Germany and the US condemned Tehran's "provocative" and "destabilizing" action, saying the test was in violation of UN Security Council Resolution 2231 that endorsed the nuclear deal.

"We call on Iran not to conduct any further ballistic missile launches and related activities," they said.

Resolution 2231 called on Iran not to test ballistic missiles capable of carrying a nuclear warhead and an arms embargo has remained in place.

The United States has had no diplomatic ties with the Iran since 1980, and Trump has halted the direct contacts initiated by his predecessor Barack Obama.

Tensions have mounted between Washington and Tehran since Trump took office six months ago vowing to be the best friend of Israel.

At UN headquarters in New York on Friday, US envoy Nikki Haley expressed mistrust of Iran.

"Iran's widespread support for terrorists tells us we can't trust them. Iran's breaking its obligation on missile testing tells us we can't trust them. Yesterday's launch proves that yet again," she said.

Despite his electoral promise to tear apart what he once called "the worst deal ever", Trump has so far respected the nuclear agreement.

The joint US-European statement said that Iran's latest test features technology related to "ballistic missiles designed to be capable of delivering nuclear weapons".

Iran insists it has "proven its compliance with the nuclear deal" as repeatedly confirmed by the International Atomic Energy Agency.

"Iran does not recognize any limits to its scientific and technological progress and will not wait for the approval or permission of any country regarding the activities of its scientists and experts," the foreign ministry spokesman said. – Rappler.com

HANOI, Vietnam – Six Vietnamese workers were killed when a gas cylinder exploded at the construction site of a hydropower plant in central Laos, Vietnam's state media reported on Saturday, July 29.

The blast, which also injured two Vietnamese workers, occurred Friday night at the Nam Ngiep plant in Laos' central Bolikhamxay province, according to state-controlled VnExpress news site.

The precise cause of the incident is still under investigation.

But construction worker Truong Van Long told VnExpress a gas cylinder suddenly erupted at the site where the 8 were working.

"We are verifying the final number of casualties of the incident," a border official in Vietnam's Ha Tinh province told Agence France-Presse (AFP), speaking on condition of anonymity. 

Construction on the 290-megawatt hydropower plant, which will consist of two dams and two power stations, began in 2014, forcing the resettlement of at least 4,000 villagers, mostly ethnic Hmong.

It is one of nearly a dozen dam projects planned or under construction in Laos, a opaque and poor communist country that exports most of its hydropower energy to neighboring countries like Thailand.

Environmental groups strongly oppose the stoppages, which they say wreak havoc on local ecosystems and communities. 

Vietnamese state media reported that the bodies of the dead workers would be brought back to Vietnam for burial, while two injured workers are currently hospitalized in Laos.

The group worked for a Vietnamese firm contracted to carry out construction on the hydropower project, which is funded jointly by Japanese, Thai and Laos partners.

The Vietnamese construction company, Song Da 5, declined to comment on the incident when contacted by AFP. – Rappler.com

BRUSSELS, Belgium – The European Union said on Saturday, July 29, it has launched legal action against Poland's right-wing government over a new law it fears will undermine the independence of the country's common courts.

The action taken by the European Commission, the EU executive, could lead to Poland being hauled before the 28-nation bloc's highest court, the European Court of Justice, and eventually given a fine.

The commission is now coming down hard on Warsaw to prevent what it says is not just an increasing threat to Poland's democratic standards but those across the 28-nation bloc.

"The European Commission launched an infringement procedure against Poland by sending a letter of formal notice, following the publication in the Polish Official Journal of the Law on the Ordinary Courts Organisation on Friday 28 July," the European Commission said in a statement.

It said Poland's governing Law and Justice Party (PiS) had one month to respond to Commission concerns, including that "the independence of Polish courts will be undermined" by increased powers for the justice minister.

Other concerns, it said, include "discrimination on the basis of gender due to the introduction of a different retirement age" for female and male judges.

The legal action had been expected after Polish President Andrzej Duda signed into law a measure earlier in the week that allows the justice minister to unilaterally replace the chief justices of the common courts.

However, Duda surprised many in the government when he vetoed a bill that would have reinforced political control over the Supreme Court and another allowing parliament to choose members of a body designed to protect the independence of the courts.

The ruling Law and Justice party nonetheless vowed to push ahead with all the reforms despite the vetoes.

European Commission First Vice President Frans Timmermans on Wednesday warned of even more severe action if Supreme Court justices are sacked.

"If such a measure is taken the commission is ready to immediately trigger the Article 7 procedure," Timmermans said Wednesday.

Article 7 is a never-before-used EU process designed to uphold the rule of law, a so-called "nuclear option" that can freeze a country's right to vote in meetings of EU ministers.

The legal reforms have triggered mass street protests in Poland and raised fears for the rule of law in one of the EU's leading eastern former communist states.

Brussels and Warsaw have been at loggerheads over the legal changes ever since the right-wing PiS took power in 2015 and announced reforms to Poland's constitutional court. – Rappler.com

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka – Sri Lanka on Saturday, July 29, sealed a billion-dollar deal to let a Chinese state firm take over a loss-making port in a move that worries many, including its giant neighbor India.

The long-delayed $1.1 billion sale of a 70 percent stake in Hambantota port, which straddles the world's busiest east-west shipping route, was confirmed by Sri Lanka's Ports Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe.

The government used tough laws against industrial action to stop workers going on strike this week to oppose the sale to China Merchants Port Holdings. 

India is nervous about China's infrastructure moves into its traditional sphere of influence.

"We have addressed geo-political concerns," the minister said at a signing ceremony in Colombo. "China has accepted that everything in this agreement will operate under Sri Lankan law."

Negotiations over the deal were held up for months amid opposition from trade unions and political parties. 

The minister said this week that several countries had raised fears about the sale. India and the United States are known to be concerned that China getting a foothold at the deep-sea port could give it a military naval advantage in the Indian Ocean.

Samarasinghe said that Hambantota, 240 kilometers (150 miles) south of Colombo, will not be a military base for any country.

China Merchants built and operates Sri Lanka's only major deep-sea terminal in Colombo, which can accommodate the world's largest container carriers.

Strategic partner 

Executive vice president Hu Jianhua said the company wanted to make Hambantota the gateway to expanding economies in South Asia and Africa where it has similar port operations.

"(The) business of Hambantota port will be cross border, across the Indian ocean, stretching to the Far East, to Europe and to the globe," Hu said.

"Sri Lanka will be well positioned to play a strategic role in the one-belt-one-road initiative of the government of the People’s Republic of China," Hu said.

Sri Lanka has signed up to President Xi Jinping's signature foreign policy initiative, which aims to strengthen China's land and sea trade routes.

India has snubbed Xi's plan and skipped a May summit in Beijing that was attended by world leaders.

Samarasinghe said Hambantota will be purely a commercial port, but any routine port calls by foreign navies will be regulated by Sri Lanka as in the case with the Colombo port.

Two Chinese submarines called at Colombo in 2014 during the final year of former president Mahinda Rajapakse's tenure, angering New Delhi.

The new government of President Maithripala Sirisena turned down a Chinese request in May for another submarine call at Colombo shortly after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the island.

Sirisena came to power in January 2015 promising to loosen ties with China after a decade of hefty funding by Beijing under his predecessor. 

He suspended all big ticket Chinese funded projects amid allegations of corruption. These have resumed after modifications to the contracts with the previous government.

Apart from the $1.12 billion sale price, the Chinese firm will invest another $600 million to develop Hambantota, Samarasinghe said.

The port has racked up losses of $300 million in the last 6 years, according to official figures. In addition, the government pays more than $60 million annually to service the port's debt. – Rappler.com

NAIROBI, Kenya – Unknown gunmen attacked the home of Kenya's Deputy President William Ruto on Saturday, July 29, seriously injuring a policeman, less than two weeks before the country votes in high-stakes polls, two security sources told Agence France-Presse.

Ruto was not home during the attack. An officer from the elite police General Service Unit (GSU) seriously injured, a security official who was not authorized to speak to the press said.

"There are armed people who staged the attack and have shot the GSU officer and stolen his gun," the official said.

Security forces are trying to establish if there are still attackers in the deputy president's "expansive" home near the town of Eldoret, some 312 kilometers (194 miles) northwest of the capital Nairobi, a senior police officer said.

"More security personnel have been deployed and a security operation is ongoing," the officer said.

The attack occurred despite the round-the-clock presence of guards from the GSU's top-notch reconnaissance unit.

A spokesman for Ruto declined to comment but the security official said the deputy president had left the house shortly before the attack to attend a rally alongside President Uhuru Kenyatta, his running mate who faces a tight reelection contest on August 8 against longtime opposition leader Raila Odinga.

Ruto's home sits in Kenya's western Rift Valley area, the flashpoint for an outbreak of election violence after the disputed 2007 polls that killed 1,100 people and tarnished Kenya's image as a regional beacon of safety and stability.

According to opinion polls, this year's election will be close and tensions have been rising.

Odinga has repeatedly claimed the government is scheming to steal the election, while Kenyatta has accused Odinga of trying to delay the polls.

Earlier this month, Human Rights Watch said it had received reports of threats and voter intimidation in Naivasha, a flashpoint town in 2007 and one of the potential hotspots in this year's election.

In the Rift Valley, hate speech flyers have been circulating and some local residents have already left their homes.

The 2007 bloodshed haunted both Ruto and Kenyatta long after it ended, when the International Criminal Court put both on trial for orchestrating the violence.

Those charges were later dropped, with ICC chief prosecutor Fatou Bensouda blaming a relentless campaign of victim intimidation for making a trial impossible. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon said on Saturday, July 29, that the Duterte administration's proposal to rightsize the government is a "retrenchment" measure.

In an interview, Drilon claimed that the government called it rightsizing "para magandang pakinggan, pero sa totoo lang ito ay retrenchment (so it would sound good, but in reality, it's retrenchment of government employees)."

"Talaga bang sobra ang tao sa gobyerno at kailangan bawasan ang kawani sa pamahalaan (Are there really too many people in government, that there is a need to reduce the number of employees)?" Drilon then asked. 

He maintained only Congress can reorganize the government, including merging or abolishing agencies and offices. 

Congress can delegate it to the executive branch through reorganization acts. But Drilon asked what standards would the executive branch follow "before they exercise the right to dismiss people or abolish or merge" government offices.

Drilon added that the removal of government employees should not be arbitrary. "Kailangan reasonable ang pag-reorganize, at iyan po ang ating titingnan (The reorganization should be reasonable, and that's what we'll look into)," he continued. 

On Wednesday, July 26, the House of Representatives approved House Bill Number 5707 or the Rightsizing the National Government bill. It is among the priority measures that President Duterte mentioned in his second State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Monday, July 24.

Drilon said Senator Loren Legarda sponsored the Senate version of the bill. It will soon be up for interpellation.

DBM: Not outright downsizing

The government's budget department denied Drilon's claim and clarified its intentions in pushing for it.

The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) addressed concerns raised by two House lawmakers on the version approved in the House.

In a statement on Saturday, the DBM said the proposed rightsizing program "is not about outright downsizing" and would only cover the executive branch.

"Rather, it is designed to arrive at the appropriate structure and size of government agencies that will be responsive in the delivery of public goods and services in an effective and efficient manner, at the right time, and at the right cost," the DBM explained.

There would be around 1.25 million personnel exempted from the program– including teachers and soldiers – while 90,840 positions under the Constitutional Fiscal Autonomy Group are optionally covered. "As a result, only 255,295 positions may be the subject of the Rightsizing Program," said the DBM.

The DBM also clarified there "shall be no forced retirement or separation of affected employees." Those affected may avail of retirement benefits and separation incentives, or be placed in a manpower pool administered by the Civil Service Commission (CSC) for deployment to frontline and priority agencies needing additional personnel.

The DBM also said it is not the program's objectives to abolish regular positions and replace affected personnel with contract of service or job order personnel. It explained that a joint circular by DBM, CSC, and the Commission on Audit provides guidelines on the government's hiring of contractual workers. 

The DBM also said that upon approval of an agency's rightsized organizational structure and staffing pattern, contractual personnel "could be absorbed/regularized, if they will meet the qualification requirements of the vacant/newly created items in an agency."

The DBM added the program "will cut across various sectors or between/among agencies, as necessary," unlike the Rationalization Program under Executive Order Number 366 from 2004 to 2013.

Also, the authority given to the President and the existence of the Committee on Rightsizing the Executive Branch "will end 3 years after the effectivity of the Rightsizing Law," the DBM continued.

Questions on House Bill 5707 were raised by Representatives Antonio Tinio and France Castro of ACT Teachers party list. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – A 55-year-old priest from a parish in Taytay, Rizal, was arrested for allegedly "booking" a 13-year-old girl with the help of a 16-year-old pimp, the Marikina police said.

Monsignor Arnel Lagarejos was detained immediately after his arrest in Santo Niño, Marikina City, on Friday evening, July 28. 

Because of this, Antipolo Bishop Francisco de Leon said in a message on Saturday evening, July 29, that Lagarejos has been relieved of all his designations in his diocese.

Lagarejos was president of Cainta Catholic College (CCC). He was also parish priest of Saint John the Baptist Parish in Poblacion, Taytay, Rizal.

Lagarejos holds a doctorate in theology from the Gregorian University in Rome and a licentiate in theology from the Loyola School of Theology in Quezon City, according to his profile on the CCC website. 

The priest, however, initially identified himself to the police as "self employed," Police Senior Inspector Jacqueline Ta-a told Rappler. 

Police said Lagarejos was caught in an entrapment operation by the Marikina City Police Women and Children's Protection Desk and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

Facebook messages

Ta-a said it was the DSWD that first found out that the victim, an out-of-school youth from Marikina City, was being pimped. 

This was after the victim opened up to the DSWD. At that time, the victim had been taken in DSWD custody for breaking the city curfew. 

"Nagkuwento 'yung bata sa DSWD na parang involved siya together with her friends doon sa parang ibinu-booking sila ng kaibigan nilang bakla (The child told the DSWD that she is involved, together with her friends, in being "booked" by their gay friend)," Ta-a said in a phone interview Saturday evening. 

When the DSWD learned about this, the social workers met with the victim's parents. At that time, Ta-a said, the girl's Facebook (FB) messenger account was also opened.

"Tamang tama, noong nabuksan ang FB, meron na namang nagpapa-booking (Coincidentally, when her FB account was opened, someone was having her booked again)," Ta-a said. 

This was when they tried to trap the 16-year-old pimp.

'Transactions' in priest's iPhone

The entrapment happened when the pimp escorted the victim to Lagarejos' vehicle.

At first, the pimp and the victim boarded Lagarejos' vehicle together. The priest supposedly handed P500 to the pimp, after which the pimp got off.

The victim was left with Lagarejos inside the vehicle.

Shortly after, policemen approached the pimp and arrested him. 

Lagarejos' vehicle sped off "on the way to an unknown motel," police said, then was blocked by the police. 

Police said it recovered the following as evidence:

• Lagarejos' iPhone 5s containing text messages of "transactions" between him, the victim, and the pimp
• Lagarejos' gray Ford Explorer with plate number TGO 350

Ta-a said Lagarejos underwent inquest on Saturday for allegedly violating the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2003.

In a statement, the Diocese of Antipolo said it is looking into the arrest of Lagarejos "as allegedly identified as a suspect in an entrapment operation in Marikina City."

"Thus, we assure the public that we respect the necessary procedures as provided by law in order to further investigate the matter," the Diocese of Antipolo said.

The diocese also urged the public to "refrain from issuing unnecessary comments that might worsen the situation."

"Instead, we appeal for all the faithful to pray that the truth may come out," the Diocese of Antipolo said. – Rappler.com

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan – Pakistan's ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif named his brother Shahbaz, the chief minister of Punjab province, as his successor and nominated ex-oil minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi as an interim premier in a defiant speech on Saturday, July 29.

The announcement charts a way forward for Pakistan after the Supreme Court ousted Sharif Friday following an investigation into corruption allegations against him and his family, bringing to an unceremonious end his historic third term in power and briefly plunging the country into political uncertainty.

"I support Shahbaz Sharif after me but he will take time to contest elections so for the time being I nominate Shahid Khaqan Abbasi," Sharif said in a televised speech to his party. 

The younger Sharif holds only a provincial seat, so must be elected to the national assembly before becoming the new prime minister.

Earlier Saturday, the Election Commission of Pakistan confirmed fresh elections would be held in Nawaz Sharif's former constituency. 

Abbasi is set to be rubber-stamped as placeholder in a parliamentary vote, with Sharif's ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz commanding a majority in the 342-seat house.

The opposition could also field a candidate for the premiership, though the nominee has little chance of getting sufficient votes.

Nawaz Sharif became the 15th prime minister in Pakistan's 70-year history – roughly half of which was under military rule – to be ousted before completing a full term. 

The decision sent his political opposition into the streets handing out sweets and beating drums in celebration.

But Pakistanis were divided on whether it set the country's democratic progress back, with supporters, commentators and some corners of the country's press slamming the ruling as a "judicial coup".

'Honest'

The court said in its judgement that it was disqualifying Sharif for failing to disclose his monthly salary of 10,000 dirhams ($2,700) from a company owned by his son in the United Arab Emirates.

Sharif did not withdraw the salary, court documents show, but the 5-member bench ruled his failure to disclose its existence meant he was not "honest" – a requirement for Pakistani politicians under the country's Constitution. 

Opposition leader Imran Khan, who has spearheadead the push against Sharif, hailed the verdict as ushering in a new dawn for Pakistan.

But some observers slammed it as "political" and a "technicality", with rights campaigner and lawyer Asma Jahangir telling private Geo television late Friday that the powerful military was using the courts to destabilize democracy. 

The military had an antagonistic relationship with Sharif, who had made several overtures to improve relations with nuclear arch-rival India. 

Sharif's link to the UAE company was exposed as part of an investigation into corruption allegations against his family that erupted as a result of the Panama Papers leak last year. 

The publication of 11.5 million secret documents from Panamanian law firm Mossack Fonseca documenting the offshore dealings of many of the world's rich and powerful implicated 3 of Sharif's 4 children – daughter Maryam and sons Hasan and Hussein. 

Claims about the lavish lifestyles and luxury London property portfolio of the Sharif dynasty played out for months in endless loops in the country's raucous news media.

Bribery and other forms of graft are endemic in Pakistan. The PML-N has consistently and noisily denied the accusations, insisting that the dynasty's wealth was acquired legally through Sharif family businesses in Pakistan and the Gulf. – Rappler.com

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa – Two people were killed in a crush during a football match on Saturday, July 29, at the South African stadium that hosted the 2010 World Cup final, local media and an official said.

The incident occurred at a pre-season derby between Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates, the country's most popular teams, both from Soweto.

Public and private broadcasters cited officials saying the crush took place outside a gate at the FNB stadium which hosted the final of the football extravaganza 7 years ago.

Emergency services were not immediately reachable for comment, but Michael Sun, a Johannesburg municipal councillor responsible for public safety, confirmed the deaths in a tweet.

"Situation report from FNB Soweto Derby：Stampede reported with multiple injuries, 2 confirmed fatal," wrote Sun on Twitter.

The match carried on despite the tragedy at the stadium which has an official capacity of 94,000 and was won 1-0 by Chiefs.

The two worst football tragedies in South Africa involved matches between the same clubs – in 2001 when 43 people were killed, and in 1991, when the death toll was 42. – Rappler.com

PUERTO PRINCESA, Philippines – A new eco-tourism attraction is on the rise in this city, where one can experience cherry blossoms that resemble Japan’s famous Sakura parks.

Over a thousand residents participated in the Balayong Tree-Planting Festival on Saturday, July 29. Balayong is the local name of the endemic Palawan cherry (Cassia nodosa).

The  P250-million Balayong Park is one of the city government's priority projects to further boost tourism in this city, known around the world for its underground river.

Balayong Park, which covers an area of 73,461 square meters, has been planted with 1,200 balayong seedlings which are expected to be fully grown in 5 years. The balayong bears light pink and white flowers and are in full bloom from February up to the summer.

Once completely built, Balayong Park will also feature a restaurant with view deck, food complex, fitness and recreational park, children’s park, museum and library, artists’ pavilion for art exhibit, among other public facilities.

The three-year project is in line with the City’s Comprehensive Land Use Plan, which recognizes the vital role of parks and open spaces in making Puerto Princesa more sustainable and attractive.

“The Balayong Park Project is man-made tourist destination within a tropical design envisioned to demonstrate the City’s strong commitment to creating green and organic architecture providing significant environmental, social and economic benefits to the local communities and all stakeholders,” the city government said.

Puerto Princesa Mayor Lucilo Bayron said that the balayong would “greatly help in absorbing air pollutants and excess rainwater.”

Bayron added: “Instead of planting exotic tree species, why not plant native species like Balayong that we can call our own?

“The next generation of Puerto Princesans will someday look back and celebrate this historical day when the people of Puerto Princesa united to establish this park,” Bayron said. – Rappler.com

WASHINGTON DC, USA – President Donald Trump lashed out at fellow Republicans in Congress on Saturday, July 29, after suffering a major setback when the Senate failed to repeal and replace Obamacare.

Two Republican women – Senators Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski – along with John McCain joined Democrats in a dramatic thumbs-down vote that triggered the stunning collapse of Trump's health reforms.

But the president demanded that lawmakers revisit the hot-button issue, taunting them by saying that otherwise they are no more than "total quitters."

"Unless the Republican Senators are total quitters, Repeal & Replace is not dead! Demand another vote before voting on any other bill!" he wrote in a series of angry tweets over the space of several hours.

However, some lawmakers are also seeking a new path on health reform.

Republican Senators Lindsey Graham, Bill Cassidy and Dean Heller met with Trump on Friday on a plan that would task states -- rather than the federal government -- with crafting health care plans.

In an ominous warning, Trump appeared to threaten lawmakers that he would cut their health care benefits if they don't "quickly" approve a new bill.

"If a new HealthCare Bill is not approved quickly, BAILOUTS for Insurance Companies and BAILOUTS for Members of Congress will end very soon!" he wrote.

In an early morning tweet, he urged senators to end the legislative filibuster. Senate rules set a 60-vote minimum threshold to pass most legislation.

Yet the Republicans' Obamacare repeal measures only required a 51-vote majority in the Senate due to the process the chamber's leaders chose to push it through.

Republicans currently have 52 seats and Vice President Mike Pence casts a vote when there is a tie.

But the 60-vote requirement makes senators "look like fools," Trump said, adding that "8 Dems totally control the U.S. Senate."

"Republicans in the Senate will NEVER win if they don't go to a 51 vote majority NOW. They look like fools and are just wasting time," he wrote.

There are growing signs, however, that Trump's threats against skeptical Republicans are losing potency.

Republicans not only killed efforts to dismantle Obamacare, but also joined Democrats in supporting a new sanctions regime against Russia.

The party rebellion is a deeply ominous sign for Trump, whose political brand is defined by his dealmaking acumen and a take-no-prisoners approach to politics. – Rappler.com

CARACAS, Venezuela – Officials in Venezuela said virtually all was ready for a vote Sunday, July 30, that has been the trigger for deadly opposition protests, amid international fears that the crisis in the South American country had reached a tipping point.

Several foreign airlines have suspended flights to the country, and families of US diplomats there have been ordered to leave.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has cracked down on street protests against his rule that have left 113 people dead in the past four months by decreeing a ban on anti-government demonstrations into next week.

But the opposition has defiantly called for an intensification of the protests, branding the unpopular Maduro a "dictator" in the making, desperate to cling to power.

Sunday's election of a 545-seat citizens' body, called a Constituent Assembly, was a "fraud" designed to get around the opposition-controlled legislature, it contended.

It has called a boycott of the election, which surveys suggested was rejected by more than 70% of Venezuela's 30 million people.

US sanctions

The US, the EU and Latin American powers – including Argentina, Brazil, Colombia and Mexico – have come out against the vote, saying it would destroy Venezuelan democracy.

The United States has already leveled sanctions at 13 current and former Venezuelan officials, and said further action could be "on the table."

But Maduro has fended off the domestic and foreign objections to his plan, saying the "card that will win this game" is the election of the new assembly.

Electoral officials, backed by the loyal military, have set up 99 percent of the polling stations, said Hector Rodriguez, a pro-Maduro campaigner for the vote and one of the candidates.

Sunday "there will be a loud message that our people want democracy, peace and dialogue," he told a news conference.

With the opposition staying away, and state employees pressured to vote or lose their jobs, it looked likely that the assembly would be easily constituted.

Maduro has said it will start work from May 1 on rewriting the constitution drafted under his late predecessor Hugo Chavez. The body will also have the power to dissolve the National Assembly and change laws.

Smaller protests

On Saturday, opposition protests were far smaller than in previous days, before Maduro's ban.

Parts of Caracas were blocked by trash barricades across roads, though much of the capital was operating unhindered.

But Freddy Guevara, an opposition lawmaker, vowed that "there will not be calm as long as the people don't have peace."

He said demonstrations would start before dawn in the center of the country on Sunday, before spreading to the capital.

One protester in the upmarket district of Chacao, who gave his name only as Endderson, told AFP: "I slept here and will stay here all day. I'm here because my mother died of cancer, unable to get medicine, and I was in the street."

The election, and opposition rejection of it, has heightened the sense of alarm among Venezuela's citizens, who are finding it increasingly difficult to survive among food shortages and runaway inflation.

Long lines have formed in front of supermarkets in the capital and the neighboring state of Vargas.

"I bought food to get through the next few days. The US has pulled out its people, my boss has disappeared and we don't know when he'll be back. Best to be prepared," said one 34-year-old Caracas resident who gave his name as Maximiliano.

'Grave crisis'

Neighboring Colombia – a refuge for tens of thousands of Venezuelans fleeing the chaos at home – has said it would not recognize the results of Sunday's election in Venezuela.

Panama followed suit, while also backing US sanctions against Venezuelan officials.

Iberia became the latest airline to announce it was temporarily suspending flights to Venezuela because of the deteriorating security situation, and the dire economic conditions.

Air France, US carrier Delta and Colombia's Avianca have also done so.

Spain's former prime minister Jose Rodriguez Zapatero said that dialogue in Venezuela "could bring an end to the grave crisis."

But an earlier effort he headed ended in failure, and the opposition has made suspension of the Constituent Assembly a condition for it to join talks.

Some in Maduro's administration have broken ranks, most prominently his attorney general. Two diplomats resigned this week in dissent: one at the United Nations and another at the embassy in Panama. – Rappler.com

SYDNEY, Australia – Australia has foiled an Islamist-inspired "terrorist plot" to bring down an airplane with an improvised explosive, authorities said Sunday, July 30, after four people were arrested in raids across Sydney.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said the plot appeared to be "elaborate" rather than planned by a lone wolf, as security was beefed up at major domestic and international airports across the nation.

"I can report last night that there has been a major joint counter-terrorism operation to disrupt a terrorist plot to bring down an airplane," Turnbull told reporters.

"The threat of terrorism is very real. The disruption operation, the efforts overnight have been very effective but there's more work to do."

Officials did not specify if the alleged plot involved a domestic or international flight, but Sydney's Daily Telegraph reported that a local route had been the objective.

Australian Federal Police Commissioner Andrew Colvin described the plot as "Islamic-inspired", saying four men had been arrested in a series of raids across Sydney on Saturday.

"We do believe it is Islamic-inspired terrorism. Exactly what is behind this is something we need to investigate fully," he said.

Colvin added that local authorities had received "credible information from partner agencies" about the claims but would not elaborate further or state if the men were on any watch list.

"In recent days, law enforcement has become aware of information that suggested some people in Sydney were planning to commit a terrorist attack using an IED (improvised explosive device)," he told reporters.

He added that several items "of great interest to police" had been seized in the raids but police did not yet have a great deal of information on the specific attack, the location, date or time. He said the investigation was expected to be "very long and protracted".

"However, we're investigating information indicating the aviation industry was potentially a target of that attack."

Police storm Sydney homes

The men, whose ages have not been released and have not yet been charged by police, were arrested Saturday when armed police stormed homes in at least four neighborhoods, including in the inner city.

The Seven Network reported 40 riot squad officers moved on one inner city home before an explosives team found a suspicious device, although police would not confirm this.

TV footage showed a man with a bandage on his head and draped in a blanket being led away by authorities.

National broadcaster ABC quoted a woman as saying her son and husband were arrested in the raids, but denied they had links to terrorism.

Turnbull said the national terror alert level, which was raised on September 2014 amid rising concerns over attacks by individuals inspired by organisations such as Islamic State, would remain at probable.

Canberra has introduced new national security laws since then, while counter-terrorism police have also made a string of arrests.

A total of 12 attacks, before the latest announcement, have been prevented in the past few years, while 70 people have been charged, Justice Minister Michael Keenan said.

"The primary threat to Australia still remains lone actors, but there's still the ability for people to have sophisticated plots and sophisticated attacks still remain a real threat," he told reporters Sunday.

The prime minister added that the alleged plan appeared to be "more in that category of an elaborate plot".

Several terror attacks have taken place in Australia in recent years, including a Sydney cafe siege in 2014 where two hostages were killed and the murder of a Sydney police employee in 2015 by a 15-year-old boy. – Rappler.com

CARACAS, Venezuela – Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro's determination to hold a vote Sunday, July 30, to elect a new body – a "Constituent Assembly" tasked with reforming the constitution – has triggered deadly protests and international criticism.

What is the new body? Why does Maduro want it? And why is the opposition so angry?

What is it?

The Constituent Assembly will comprise 545 elected representatives, 364 of whom will come from municipal circumscriptions (one from each, except state capitals which will get two, and Caracas, which will get seven).

That could favor rural areas, where Maduro has greater support.

The other 181 members will be drawn from unions – another source of Maduro support – civil and social groups, business groups, and indigenous communities.

The assembly is to be tasked with amending the constitution passed under Maduro's late predecessor and mentor, Hugo Chavez.

But it will also have the power to change laws and dissolve the legislature, the National Assembly, which is controlled by the opposition.

Maduro has promised the new constitution would be put to Venezuelans for their approval in a referendum.

Why does Maduro want it?

Maduro says the assembly will give power to the people to help Venezuela survive what he says is a US-backed right-wing "coup" plot to topple his socialist government.

"We need a power that is above the other powers that are sabotaging the country's development," Maduro said.

But he has not explained what should be changed from the current constitution, nor what specific reforms would put an end to Venezuela's political and economic crisis.

His opponents suspect the move is aimed at strengthening his hold on power by filling the assembly with his supporters.

Among the candidates wanting to sit on the new assembly is Maduro's wife, Cilia Flores.

Why is there opposition?

Most Venezuelans don't want a Constituent Assembly. According to Datanalisis, a polling firm, 70% are against the idea.

On July 16, a third of the 20-million-strong electorate came out in an opposition-held unofficial referendum to vote against Sunday's election of the body.

The opposition coalition, the Democratic Unity Roundtable, has called a boycott of the ballot. But that means Maduro's supporters will be the only ones voting – and possibly more than once, according to an analysis by an expert, Eugenio Martinez.

Critics say the process around the assembly and a new constitution would delay overdue regional and local polls, and perhaps even the presidential election set for late 2018 – which the widely unpopular Maduro would be sure to lose.

The United States and other international powers have urged Maduro to drop his plan and respect the electoral calendar. – Rappler.com

This is a developing story. Please refresh this page for updates.

MANILA, Philippines – Ozamiz City Mayor Reynaldo Parojinog and 6 others were killed in a police raid early Sunday, July 30.

Members of the Regional Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) , together with the Misamis Occidental Police Provincial Office and the Ozamiz City Police Station raided the Parojinog residence at around 2:30 am.

The authorities had a search warrant for the mayor, Vice Mayor Nova Parojinog, and several other family members.

According to a police report, the serving personnel were met with a volley of fire from the Parojinogs' security, prompting police to retaliate.

At least 7 were killed in the incident, including the mayor. Confiscated in the mayor's house were M79 rifles, bundled cash and shabu. 

The vice mayor was arrested and brought to the provincial office. The raid resulted in the confiscation of firearms and shabu, and the death of 4 members of civilian volunteer organizations, identified as Miguel del Victoria, Nestor Cabalan, Daniel D. Vasquez, and one other unidentified person. 

The raid in former board member and current city councilor Ardot Parojinog's house in Bagakay resulted in the confiscation of 1 shotgun, 3 rocket propelled grenade launchers, 2 hand grenades, 8 M79 bullets and an M79 riffe, shabu paraphernalia aluminum foils, sealers, lighter, and metamphetamine crystals.

The board member is currently away from his house. Five men were arrested.

The Parojinogs are among those named by President Rodrigo Duterte in his list of local government offiicals allegedly involved in the drug trade. The Parojinogs deny the accusation. – with reports from Bobby Lagsa/Rappler.com