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18,000 absentee voters register ahead of 2016 polls–DFA

News

Jun 132014

18,000 absentee voters register ahead of 2016 polls–DFA

By Matikas SantosINQUIRER.net 7:14 pm | Friday, June 13th, 2014 Department of Foreign Affairs building INQUIRER FILE PHOTO MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) processed a record number of absentee voters in the first month of the overseas voting registration (OVR) for the 2016 presidential elections. “Philippine Embassies and consulates processed a total of 18,631 new overseas registered voters,” DFA spokesman Charles Jose said in a press conference Friday. “The figure is 111 percent higher than the OVR for the 2013 senatorial elections and 64 percent higher than the 2010 presidential elections,” he said. The registration for overseas voting is being done by all 84 foreign service posts of the DFA all over the world. Registration will last until Oct. 31, 2015. The Overseas Absentee Voting Act was passed in 2013 and was first implemented during the 2007 senatorial elections. RELATED STORIES 2016 national elections: Overseas absentee voter registration begins Consulate sends out notice for registration of overseas absentee voters All about overseas absentee voting Follow Us Other Stories: PH files new protest vs China’s reclamation project in McKennan reef Parangal to showcase Ta’u Sug artistry in San Francisco ethnic dance fest San Francisco mayor hoists PH flag at City Hall to mark Independence Day Sea rise will bring floods to parts of Silicon Valley Recent Stories: Complete stories on our Digital Edition newsstand for tablets, netbooks and mobile phones; 14-issue free trial. About to step out? Get breaking alerts on your mobile.phone. Text ON INQ BREAKING to 4467, for Read More …

Remittances, IP addresses led to arrest of 58 ‘sextortionists’ in PH

News

May 022014

Remittances, IP addresses led to arrest of 58 ‘sextortionists’ in PH

MANILA, Philippines – Transactions via local remittance centers and Internet Protocol (IP) addresses furnished by the Interpol to the Philippine National Police (PNP) led to the arrest of 58 people allegedly involved in online sex and extortion in the Philippines, officials said. A recent multi-agency crackdown, led mainly by the Interpol and PNP Anti-Cybercrime Group under Operation “Strikeback”, made the arrests in raids in Taguig City and the provinces of Laguna, Bulacan and Bicol. Senior Superintendent Gilbert Sosa, PNP Anti-Cybercrime Group (ACG), said in a Friday press briefing at the PNP headquarters in Camp Crame that the police were able to trace the transactions of the suspects with their victims through remittance centers. The suspects have come to be called “sextortionists”, a combination of sex and extortion where the suspects blackmailed their victims who were recorded performing sexual acts online, which include posing nude in front of a webcam.The blackmailers then used the video or image to extort more sexual favors or money from their victims in exchange for keeping the recording in their possession and not spreading it online. In Bicol, the “sextortion” dens were disguised as call centers. “Operating in this kind of online scheme or “sex extortion” by agents as they call it themselves, is making money ranging from P22,000 to P90,000 per successful client,” Sosa said in a separate statement. The sextortion agents, according to Sosa, also get bonus incentives during holiday, cash, or mobile phones to reach their “financial targets.” These dens were registered under the company names Read More …

PH eyes military bases for US troops

News

May 022014

By Frances MangosingINQURER.net 3:29 pm | Friday, May 2nd, 2014 AP PHOTO MANILA, Philippines–The Philippine government is eyeing three to five military bases to serve as facilities to be used by American troops under the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA). “It will not be the whole universe of the [Armed Forces of the Philippines] bases, right now the discussions would be ranging from three to five AFP bases, that’s not the final but that is the starting discussion point,” said Defense Undersecretary Pio Lorenzo Batino, Chairman of the Philippine Negotiating Panel on Friday. Fort Magsaysay in Nueva Ecija was identified as one of the camps considered by both panels. The camp is the largest in the Philippines, and it houses the Army’s 7th Infantry Division and the Special Operations Command. Both countries usually hold joint drills here, including the Balikatan exercises. Batino described it as “an ideal location,” but said it is still for recommendation and subject to approval. He declined to identify the rest of the camps under consideration as the discussions are still ongoing. RELATED STORIES Not quite a base, but US has full access to AFP camps ‘EDCA will make make PH the biggest US military base in the world’ Follow Us Other Stories: Expanded US access to Subic ‘base’ eyed More US troops arrive for military exercise ‘EDCA will make make PH the biggest US military base in the world’ US troops now enjoy access to PH bases Recent Stories: Complete stories on our Digital Edition newsstand Read More …

Web of ‘sextortion’ spreads to PH

News

May 022014

By Julliane Love de JesusINQUIRER.net 2:27 pm | Friday, May 2nd, 2014 FILE PHOTO MANILA, Philippines – “Sextortion” activities worldwide, including in the Philippines, have become widespread that local and international police are moving to curb if not eliminate them. “(There is) a growing number of sextortion victims in Hong Kong, Indonesia, Singapore, Philippines, United Kingdom and the United States with potential victims in Australia, Korea and Malaysia,” Director General Alan Purisima, Philippine National Police chief, said in a statement Friday. Sanjay Virmani, Interpol Director Crime Centre Director, told INQUIRER.net at the PNP headquarters in Camp Crame that it appeared that “separate groups were working because obviously, it takes low investment to do this”. United Kingdom Ambassador ‎Asif Ahmad said in a press briefing that “sextortion does not respect any nationality… this is a serious and growing problem.” Local and international police officials got together Friday on the invitation of the PNP, which started a crackdown on “sextortion” activities in the country under Operation “Strikeback” on November 2013. The operation has since netted 58 suspects from Taguig City and the provinces of Laguna, Bulacan and Bicol. “Sextortion” is a combination of sex and extortion where a suspect blackmails a victim who has been recorded performing sexual acts online, which include posing nude in front of a webcam. The blackmailer then uses the video or image to extort more sexual favors or money from the victim in exchange for keeping the recording in his possession and not spreading it online. Other countries Read More …

3 Filipinos feared to have MERS

News

Apr 292014

FILE PHOTO MANILA, Philippines—Local authorities are still validating reports three more overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in the Middle East had contracted the dreaded Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV). “Our officials are constantly coordinating with health authorities there to determine and monitor the condition of our OFWs,” said administrator Carmelita Dimzon of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (Owwa) in a media forum on Tuesday. A report over the weekend said at least three more Filipino nurses in Saudi Arabia had contracted MERS-CoV. One of them is reportedly in the intensive care unit of a hospital in Riyadh. The three are supposedly among the 14 new MERS-CoV cases in Saudi Arabia, which include seven in Jeddah, four in Riyadh and three in Mecca. Dimzon said the Owwa had intensified its information and health education drives in the Middle East to explain MERS-CoV to OFWs. “For those preparing to leave the Philippines, we have included MERS-CoV health education in our predeparture orientation seminars,” she said. The Department of Health and Philippine Health Insurance Corp., meanwhile, are finalizing a benefit package for PhilHealth members who may be infected with MERS-CoV. Dr. Lyndon Lee Suy, emerging infectious diseases program manager, said PhilHealth, the government’s social health insurance plan, would shoulder the cost of laboratory tests for patients. The laboratory test to determine if a person is infected with MERS-CoV costs P5,000. The patient may also need to be confined in a health facility while awaiting the results. The government has so far spent over Read More …

Filipino security guard shoots British boss in Cebu

News

Apr 222014

Filipino security guard shoots British boss in Cebu

INQUIRER.net 9:25 pm | Tuesday, April 22nd, 2014 MANILA, Philippines – A British owner of a scuba diving shop in Cebu was shot dead on Black Saturday allegedly by his Filipino security guard who he had dismissed for being late to work, BBC News reported. Tony Gilchrist was shot six times in his shop in the Malapascua island on Saturday, the report said. The report said Gilchrist’s security guard Melchor Alciso Jr. shot his boss after having a heated argument with his British boss when he went to work from a drinking spree. The report said Gilchrist had sacked the security guard for turning up late to work. But a Cebu Daily News report said the guard was sacked even before the incident happened and was in fact rehired. Gilchrist’s brother Stephen was quoted in a “The Guardian” report as saying the victim managed to raise about £10,000 (over P740,000) in funds for the victims of Super Typhoon “Yolanda.” The suspect was taken into police custody. Police is looking at a possible grudge as the motive. RELATED STORY Security guard kills British dive shop operator during Black Saturday confrontation Follow Us Other Stories: Relief worker draws inspiration from helping Yolanda victims Charity football for ‘Yolanda’ victims raises $190,000 Final week for US tax-deductible donations to ‘Yolanda’ relief UNHCR launches registration program for Yolanda survivors to avail aid Recent Stories: Complete stories on our Digital Edition newsstand for tablets, netbooks and mobile phones; 14-issue free trial. About to step out? Get Read More …

DFA grants visa-free privilege to 7 countries

News

Apr 152014

DFA grants visa-free privilege to 7 countries

By Matikas SantosINQURER.net 6:32 pm | Tuesday, April 15th, 2014 Department of Foreign Affairs building INQUIRER FILE PHOTO MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) announced Tuesday that it has granted visa-free privileges to seven countries allowing their nationals to enter Philippines for 30 days. “Effective today, April 15, nationals of seven (7) additional countries will now enjoy visa-free privilege to enter the Philippines for a period of stay of 30 days,” DFA said in a statement. “These countries are Belize, Croatia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan,” it said. The granting of visa-free privilege is seen to promote tourism and investments from the countries. “The [countries] have been emerging as key players in the international economic community and which have growing bilateral ties with the Philippines,” DFA said. “The DFA fully supports national efforts to attract more tourists and potential investors to the Philippines. In particular, the DFA, through its various embassies and consulates abroad, has been playing an active role in helping the Department of Tourism reach its target of 10 million foreign tourist arrivals by 2015,” DFA Undersecretary Rafael Seguis, said in the statement. The DFA also announced that it has removed the visa-free privilege of Somalia putting back the need for Somalis to apply for a visa at Philippine Embassies or consulates. A list of all countries with visa-free privilege, now numbering 157, is available at the DFA website at https://www.dfa.gov.ph/index.php/site-administrator/visa-information. RELATED STORY Visa-free entry for Indian nationals Follow Us Other Stories: Japan mulls no Read More …

Remains of Filipino seaman killed over iPad to arrive home on Black Saturday

News

Apr 152014

Remains of Filipino seaman killed over iPad to arrive home on Black Saturday

By Matikas SantosINQURER.net 4:22 pm | Tuesday, April 15th, 2014 FILE PHOTO MANILA, Philippines – The remains of a Filipino seaman who was killed by a robber in Honduras after he refused to give his iPad is set to be flown back home on April 19, Black Saturday, the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) said Tuesday. The Filipino was identified as Jaycob Escobedo Gaban, an assistant cook on board the ship Norwegian Pearl since October 2013. “He was shot and killed by a robber during a port call on the island of Roatan last April 7, 2014,” OWWA said in a statement. “Gaban was reportedly in a restaurant holding his iPad when a man tried to snatch it from him. He was shot when he resisted to give his gadget. The perpetrator was already arrested and is now in custody of the national police and special forces in Honduras,” it said. Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Secretary Rosalinda Dimapilis-Baldoz has instructed OWWA to extend full assistance to the wife and daughter of the deceased seaman who are residing in Sorsogon, Bicol. “OWWA is ready to release the death and burial benefits due the family of Gaban, plus scholarship and livelihood grant to the children and the spouse,” OWWA said. According to records of the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA), there are 366,865 sea-based workers as of 2012. Follow Us Other Stories: Filipino in UAE dies from MERS Leland Yee smuggling case spurs review of exportation procedures Charity football for Read More …

Ship expulsion ‘clear threat to PH rights’—DFA

News

Mar 112014

Ship expulsion ‘clear threat to PH rights’—DFA

Philippine Foreign Affairs Department spokesman Raul Hernandez AP FILE PHOTO MANILA, Philippines — For the second time in 2014, Chinese Coast Guard (CCG) vessels drove away Filipinos from maritime features in the West Philippine Sea and subsequently rejected the protest filed by the Philippine government. On March 9, two civilian vessels contracted by the Philippine Navy to resupply and bring fresh troops onto the grounded ship BRP Sierra Madre on Ayungin shoal, also known as Second Thomas Shoal, were blocked and then told to leave the vicinity of the shoal because it was Chinese territory. This was the first time in 15 years that China has interfered with the Navy’s resupply and troop rotation operations on the BRP Sierra Madre, which was run aground in 1999 to mark the Philippine’s claims, DFA spokesman Raul Hernandez told reporters in a press conference Tuesday. “China’s actions constitute a clear and urgent threat to the rights and interests of the Philippines under the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS),” Hernandez said. “Ayungin Shoal is part of the continental shelf of the Philippines and is therefore entitled to exercise sovereignty rights and jurisdiction in the area without the permission of other States,” he said. The BRP Sierra Madre serves as an outpost to a small marine detachment stationed there to defend the shoal. The DFA has submitted a protest to the Charge d’Affaires of the Chinese Embassy Tuesday but the protest was immediately rejected, Hernandez said. “[China gave] the Read More …

Share prices close higher

General

Feb 272014

Philippine Daily Inquirer 12:22 am | Friday, February 28th, 2014 Philippine stocks on Thursday set a new record for the year as sentiments stayed positive. The benchmark Philippine Stock Exchange Index rose 0.51 percent, or 32.19 points, to 6,354.79. Also, the broader all-shares index was up by 0.37 percent, or 14.14 points, to 3,332.40. Subindices ended mixed, with financial, services as well as mining and oil, closing in the red. The industrial, holding firms, and property subcounters ended positive. “With only a day left in February trade, the market is still obviously in the hands of the bulls,” Accord Capital Equities Corp. said in a report Thursday. Data from the PSE showed that a total of 3.42 billion shares, valued at P7.76 billion, changed hands. There were 90 advancers against 68 decliners, while 44 stocks were unchanged. Universal Robina Corp. led the list of most actively traded stocks as it gained 2.19 percent to P140 a share. It was followed by Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (-0.52 percent to P2,684), Megaworld Corp. (+1.22 percent to P4.15), Ayala Land Inc. (+4.29 percent to P29.20), and International Container Terminal ( -1.98 percent to P99 per share). Miguel R. Camus Follow Us Recent Stories: Complete stories on our Digital Edition newsstand for tablets, netbooks and mobile phones; 14-issue free trial. About to step out? Get breaking alerts on your mobile.phone. Text ON INQ BREAKING to 4467, for Globe, Smart and Sun subscribers in the Philippines. Short URL: http://business.inquirer.net/?p=165000 Tags: Business , stocks Factual Read More …

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