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A8 METRO John Henry Dodson, Editor Saturday, 13 July 2019 Daily Tribune Punish the bad, reward the good By Alvin Murcia The National Capital Region Police (NCRPO) has dismissed 711 police personnel for various offenses in the past three years by the end of June 2019, Maj. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar has told Daily Tribune in an exclusive interview. As Metro Manila police director, Eleazar said he himself has been signing orders sanctioning policemen in an almost daily basis as part of the internal cleansing program of Philippine National Police (PNP) chief General Oscar Albayalde. P/Cpl. Fornis is first Pulis Magiting awardee. In a roundtable discussion with editors and writers, Eleazar said that he, in fact, does not have second thoughts sacking policemen who taint the organization with their misdeeds or criminal acts. “Most of them were AWOL (absent without official leave), followed by (those involved in) extortion. Others were into illegal drugs,” Eleazar said in Filipino. As in any organization, Eleazar said the PNP follows due process in dealing with policemen against whom charges had been filed. The 711 were dismissed because of administrative cases, while 190 were demoted and 1,278 were suspended in the first three years of the Duterte administration, he said. “Every day, I sign orders handing out sanctions and we are not stopping (weeding out bad eggs) because there are so many who want to be policemen. We are processing 300 applications for NCRPO right now with over 4,000 applicants,” Eleazar said. Eleazar credited President Duterte for the big surge in the number of young men and women who want to become policemen, especially the Chief Executive increasing the base pay of policemen to about 100 percent. “Many also want to become policemen now because they see the improvement in our organization – the newfound trust and the Turn to page A7 Exemplary service Metro Manila police chief Maj. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar and Ayala Foundation president Ruel Maranan hand P/Cpl. Claro Fornis the Pulis Magiting award, the first recipient of the accolade. NCRPO Photo PITX: 7M served and counting By Miguel Paolo Togonon About seven million passengers had been served already by the Parañaque Integrated Terminal Exchange (PITX) from its opening in November 2018 to the end of June this year. Eight months since the first “land port” in the country started operating, service at the air-conditioned PITX had vastly improved, according to transport officials. Trips to Baguio start Monday; Vis-Min routes planned. Mark de Leon, Undersecretary for Road Transport and Infrastructure of the Department of Transportation (DoTr), said yesterday that PITX has come a long way in so short a time. While the opening of the terminal encountered some bumps on the road, De Leon said the DoTr never wavered in trying to change the culture and attitude of passengers, as well as drivers and operators of public utility vehicles. Members of media were given a tour of the terminal on Friday by De Leon, Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board chair Martin Delgra, Megawide head of corporate affairs Jason Torres and PITX general manager Mariano Arroyo Jr. The PITX serves as end-and-start of terminals serving provincial buses from the province of Cavite. It hosts city buses, traditional and modern jeepneys and Asian utility vehicles for rides into various Metro Manila destinations. On Monday, PITX will post a milestone when it rolls out a point-to-point route to and from Baguio. In the second half of this year, long-haul routes to Visayas and Mindanao will be unveiled. BoC purge seen coming Media tour The Parañaque Integrated Terminal Exchange will soon host trips to and from the Visayas and Mindanao. YUMMIE DINGDING Honest labor, it’s not Robbers divest job applicant of his allimportant laptop G i a n t tilapia A Pasig River Rehabilitation Commission volunteer displays a giant tilapia which serves as a testament to their efforts to rehabilitate the river system. PRRC Photo Maronilla said rampant corruption touched off sacking at Customs By Elmer N. Manuel A Bureau of Customs (BoC) official on Friday said President Rodrigo Duterte’s announcement that he will fire 64 Customs officials and employees due to corruption did not come as a surprise. In a radio interview, Customs Assistant Secretary Jet Maronilla said Customs officials and employees had been sufficiently warned about the government’s intensified drive to stop corruption in the bureau. “The President’s statement came as no surprise because we have intelligence reports that there are still anomalies in the bureau despite the efforts of Commissioner Rey Guerrero,” Maronilla said. Maronilla said aside from the complaints received by the bureau, President Duterte also has his own intelligence information regarding corruption in the BoC. Duterte, during the signing ceremony for the Malolos-Clark railway project in Malacañang on Thursday, said he is planning to dismiss 64 BoC employees for corruption. Duterte later told reporters that he is relieving them of their duties “to prevent further damage to government interest.” The said BoC employees had been summoned by the President to the palace. They will be asked to resign or face charges. He said, however, that he leaves it up to the Office of the Ombudsman to file charges against supposedly corrupt Customs employees. The President said he could cut corruption in the government by a third once he weeds out crooked officials and employees at the BoC, which he has repeatedly criticized. In 2018, Duterte said he wanted the Armed Forces of the Philippines to take over the agency after billions of pesos worth of illegal drugs slipped past its watch. By Neil Alcober A man intending to earn an honest living and two dregs of society awaiting jail time or, worse, a date with the grim reaper, have crossed paths. The 22-year-old man, Jeson Diaz, a visual display assistant, was on his way to a job interview Thursday when two men aboard a motorcycle robbed him at gunpoint in San Juan City. Diaz told the police that he was walking at Lake Street in Barangay Salapan when the two men stopped by his side and asked for directions going to Divisoria. Then, to Diaz’s shock and apprehension, one of the men drew a gun, pointed it at him and brusquely asked that he hand over his bag. Taken from the victim was his black laptop bag, two bank debit cards, two wallets, a backpack containing clothes, P560 in cash and a mobile phone. The laptop was especially important for Diaz in his line of work creating graphic contents. Police investigators have scoured the area and sought closed circuit television footage with the hope of identifying the suspects or at least their getway vehicle. According to the victim, the suspects were both wearing helmets, black jackets and black shorts.
98-METER PASSENGER FERRY ARRIVING OCT. 1.3B ‘MULTIDIMENSIONALLY POOR’ — UN B10 B10 ‘5% CME SHOULD NOT BE EXPENSIVE’ B14 SHOPEE PHL EYES 5-FOLD ORDER VALUE GROWTH B11 Jun Vallecera, Editor Saturday, 13 July 2019 Daily Tribune BUSINESS B9 Toyota recalls 12,000 units over airbag error INAPPROPRIATE computer programming of airbags installed on Toyota Rush units has forced a recall on 12,124 of the vehicles. It was found that a rear wheel impact could cause the airbags to deploy. Willful leadership transforms Manila THE Z PERSPECTIVE Joe Zaldarriaga COMMENTARY “The eloquent mayor turned those offers down, and moved on to pursue his mission to remove the dirty image that his city has grown through the years. It is one thing to lead by words, and another to lead by action. That exemplifies the ‘new kid on the block’, the Tondo boy who worked as garbage collector in his younger days to meet both ends meet, became a TV celebrity for his boyish look, and now leading to transform the once dingy, dangerous and ‘abandoned’ Manila, into a tourist destination. While Manila is the most popular city in the Philippines, famous worldwide, and while it remains the nexus of our entire country, it was simply allowed to rot by previous mayors during the 30 post-EDSA years. Manilenos cheered when Manila Mayor Isko Moreno hit the ground running in the City of Manila, clearing the clogged roads of illegal vendors and setting a clear policy agenda to reverse that city’s slow death. Moreno is the product of the public’s expectation for willful leadership and effective governance. People expect their mayors and governors to be both compassionate and decisive. Because we have a willful President today that leads an effective governance, it trickles down to the local executive level. When Moreno reported for work on his first day at office, he readily rolled his sleeves to clear the busy streets of Divisoria, Blumentritt, and even beyond that, cleaning up Carriedo, Plaza Miranda and its underpass. That’s when I realized that Manila is fortunate to have a man of action in charge — who clearly knows and envisions what he wants and how to do it. A small, seemingly minor community program like a clearing operation may not be sexy, but the important steps toward greatness rarely are. So, it is a wonder when the government’s resources are actually put into good use, as they are being used right now, such as firetrucks being utilized to clear out the grimy streets of Manila. But it is with these small baby steps that we see a man striving to give his city a new life, refreshed in its own way, but with a better outlook on life. Mayor Isko revealed that he got an offer of P5 million a day to close his eyes on the anomalous situation. The eloquent mayor turned those offers down, and moved on to pursue his mission to remove the dirty image that his city has grown through the years. The initial results of his campaign during his first week in office did not go unnoticed. The press reported and posted photos of places like Divisoria, looking almost unrecognizable without the messy crowd of people trampling around the place. There is order, there is peace, and it is a beauty to watch. Moreno’s willful leadership is also getting good raves from government officials with Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana looking to personally congratulate him for the reforms that he is putting in place. Turn to page B10 Special service campaigns are issued to inform customers on technical issues in specific products which may be inspected, repaired or replaced with no expiration date By AJ Bajo It should be fairly easy for the Philippine Gaming and Amusement Corp. (PAGCOR) to generate P8 billion from so-called Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO). This was learned from Pagcor Chairman and CEO Andrea Domingo who expressed the optimism despite the exit of three gaming operators who were apprehensive of the impact on changes in the tax system. “We will make it. We’re going to collect another P8 billion,” Domingo told reporters at the sidelines of the Phil-Asian Gaming Expo on Friday. The PAGCOR chief said the tax authorities are all “very intelligent and mature people” who will tax POGO correctly and that these companies “could still make a profit enough for them to stay here” as competition from other countries is tight. She said the Philippines has more lenient rules and cheaper operational costs. “There’s a lot of competition from other countries like in Cambodia. You only have to pay $1,000 and you can put up an operation. I think Laos is even thinking of opening up and I don’t know if Japan will open up to offshore gaming, but they’ve already (issued) three licenses,” she added. The establishment of POGO hubs is also another issue that PAGCOR is looking into. “I think it’s good. First, it legitimizes the presence of offshore gaming in the Philippines. It assures transparency in all transactions. It assures players that they’re no longer going to fear for their bets because we are here to assure that there’s fair play,” Domingo said. Industry leader Toyota Motor Philippines Corp. (TMP) is issuing a special service campaign for the curtain shield airbag computer of 12,124 Toyota Rush units. In an advisory to the Department of Trade and Industry signed by TMP first vice president Rommel Gutierrez, TMP said the recall covers units sold in the Philippine market from 2 April 2018 to 7 February this year. “Due to inappropriate airbag computer programming of the involved units, the Curtain Shield Airbags may deploy upon impact on the rear wheel,” TMP’s advisory read. The campaign is in line with the automaker’s “corporate commitment to product safety and quality,” it said. TMP said it will notify concerned customers through official notification letters. The ADJUSTMENTS in the country’s tax regime has allegedly forced three offshore gaming operators to leave. Still, the head of the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. is certain the agency’s P8-billion collection target is within reach this year. PAGCOR says P8B income from POGO possible She noted the country is no longer the illegal gambling capital of the world and that “everybody is looking at the Philippines as somebody who has actually done a very good intervention in the offshore gaming sector industry” “(Also,) it assures the government that we are collecting the gaming revenues through our audit service provider...so that every single centavo that goes to the government legally, will go to the government legally,” she added. According to her, the POGO hub, being a new revenue source for the PAGCOR, is still being studied noting on the agency’s focus on how to establish it, attract operators and how to regulate the gaming portion of it. Further, the PAGCOR boss said they will provide licenses with a longer effectivity period for those operators who choose to set their operations within the hubs while those that will operate outside the hubs will also be licensed, but with a much shorter effectivity period. “Since it’s easier for us to regulate when they are in hubs, then there are some special privileges there like five-year licenses for those inside the hub but for those outside, three years, which is better because before, it was only effective for a year,” Domingo explained. On the exit of three gaming operators the PAGCOR chief attributed to their fear of upcoming tax rules and regulations, Domingo said the Philippines succeeded in creating a good regulatory regime for such operators. “We were able to successfully convince about 59 operators to get to the Philippines. We have a very good model now. We do not segregate the operators from the service provider to circumvent revenue collection,” Domingo said. She noted the country is no longer the illegal gambling capital of the world and that “everybody is looking at the Philippines as somebody who has actually done a very good intervention in the offshore gaming sector industry.” She said operations against illegal POGO have already began with some 170 operators closed by operations from the National Bureau of Investigation and the Philippine National Police. Joshua Lao owners of the affected units may bring it to any authorized Toyota dealer for a free replacement of the airbag computer assembly. Special service campaigns are issued to inform customers on technical issues in specific products which may be inspected, repaired or replaced with no expiration date. In April last year, TMP also recalled more than 10,000 units of its models Alphard, Corolla, Vios and Yaris produced from January 2013 to December 2014 over a defect in the units’ airbag inflator. This was followed with a September recall of 15,000 Toyota Wigo models manufactured in 2017 due to a faulty wire. BoC halfway past P10-B tariff collection target The Bureau of Customs (BoC) has already collected P5.889 billion from rice imports under the new rice tariff law, officials said on Friday. The amount translates to over 50 percent of its total target collection. According to Customs Commissioner Rey Leonardo Guerrero, the BoC is on track to meet the P10 billion target rice tariff collection set under Republic Act 11203 also known as the Rice Import Tariffication Law. The law, which took effect on 5 March this year, was created to address the rice shortage in 2018. Tariffication replaced the former quota system on rice imports that make it easier for importers and traders to import rice to meet local demand, ease consumer prices and by extension the country’s inflation rate. Food accounts for the bulk of the consumer price index and rice is a key component. According to the BoC, the Bureau reported an increase in privately imported rice under RA 11203 with a volume of 966,690 metric tons in March to June period as compared to only 185,100 metric tons for the same period in 2018. Likewise, an increase of 422.25 percent in volume was also observed and attributable to RA 11203. An average of 256,445 metric tons per month of rice imports after the implementation of RA 11203 was noted compared to only 46,275 metric tons per month in the same period last year. In a statement. the BoC said the volume of rice importation is a strong indication that the BoC will meet the target of P10 billion pesos in tariff collection this year earmarked for remittance to the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund. CUSTOMS officials reported having already collected this early half, or P5.89 billion, of its full year goal in rice tariff revenue this year, raising hopes the target should be met.
Page 1 and 2: GODDESSES OF THE EARTH TOYOTA RECAL
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Page 17 and 18: RETURN TO CORREGIDOR C18 EUGENE DOM
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