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DOLE warns Congress on legislated wage hike

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has completed infrastructure projects in Luzon and the Visayas worth P314.68 million.

The DPWH said among these projects is the improvement of the pavement of a 3.06-kilometer portion of the Manila-Batangas Road worth P94 million.

A P78.95-million undertaking enhancing the access road bet ween Sikatuna and Balilihan in Bohol was also finished.

A 3.5-kilometer stretch of the road was concreted, with a box culvert constructed to se rve as drainage during rainy days. Street lights were installed for the safety of motorists.

The DPWH said it is wrapping up civil works for the upgrade of the Concepcion-La Paz Road in Tar lac, which involves the reconstruction of a 608-meter section of the road. The project is worth P48.46-million.

Flood control projects worth P94 million and P48.2 million were constructed in Sablayan, Occidental Mindoro and Bambang, Nueva Vizcaya, respectively.    

MANILA, Philippines — The camp of fugitive Kingdom of Jesus Christ founder Apollo Quiboloy has surrendered five of the 19 firearms registered under his name.

Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos said Quiboloy’s representatives turned over four handguns and a long firearm.

“Iba-ibang kalibre ito… Sana itong gesture na ito na pakikiisa sa batas ay tuloy-tuloy na,” Abalos said in an interview at Camp Crame.

Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Rommel Francisco Marbil said the firearms were turned over to the Civil Security Group’s field office in Davao City yesterday morning.

Marbil said Quiboloy’s representatives promised to surrender the preacher’s remaining firearms.

Last month, the PNP Firearms and Explosives Office (FEO) recommended the revocation of Quiboloy’s licenses to own and carry firearms.

The FEO gave Quiboloy six months to turn over his guns after it revoked his firearms licenses following a review by the police legal service.

The agency cited a provision under Republic Act 10591 or the  Comprehensive Law on Firearms and Ammunition, which states that a person can lose his gun license and registration fo r facing charges punishable with imprisonment of more than two years.

Quiboloy and five of his followers are facing charges of qualified human trafficking, which carries a penalty of life imprisonment, aside from child sex abuse cases.

Marbil said Quiboloy, who has arrest warrants from courts in Davao and Pasig, should surrender and face the charges filed against him.

Sen. Risa Hontiveros welcomed the surrender of five of Quiboloy’s guns, but questioned the ”double standard” of the FEO for the six-month deadline it gave the pastor  to turn over his firearms.

”Unregistered firearms sho uld be immediately surrendered, (and the owners) not given half a year to comply,” Hontiveros said.

Quiboloy’s legal counsel Israelito Torreon said the 14 other guns under the preacher’s name were ”validly disposed of or duly transferred in other people’s names.”

Torreon said documents related to the transfer of ownership of the guns have been submitted to the FEO. –  Marc Jayson Cayabyab

MANILA, Philippines —  Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro Jr. called on the Department of Foreign Affairs yesterday to investigate how unnamed people in the Chinese embassy in Manila allegedly recorded a supposed phone conversation between a Chinese diplomat and a top Armed Forces official discussing a so-called new model agreement on rotation and resupply missions to Ayungin Shoal in the West Philippine Sea last January.

He said if proven true, those involved should be expelled from the Philippines for admittedly violating the Anti-Wiretapping Law as well as rules on international relations.

Teodoro said he doubts the authenticity of the recording “given the propensity of the Chinese government to engage in malign information activities.”

“This is what we have to focus on, if this statement is truly from the Chinese embassy and they recorded anyone from the Philippines, then they admit that they violated the Anti-Wiretapping Law of the Republic of the Philippines,” he stressed.

Teodoro said the Department of National Defense now leaves it up to the DFA to look into the truth of what really happened and if it really happened and if it did, sanctions must be imposed.

“We have to find out who is responsible and expel them from the Philippines,” he noted.

On the part of the DND and the military, Teodoro said operational security measures will be strengthened, given the fact that there really is “disinformation, malign influence and undesirable actions of agents of foreign governments.”

He announced that necessary steps will be taken to protect the DND, AFP and the Filipino people as he reiterated the statement of the DFA that only the President may enter into any agreement on the West Philippine Sea or any other international matter through the DFA.

Reports said the allegedly recorded two-minute phone conversation was between an unnamed Chinese diplomat and AFP Western Command (WESCOM) Commander Vice Admiral Alberto Carlos.

The supposed discussions involved talks on how the RORE missions to Ayungin Shoal, where the BRP Sierra Madre remains beached, can proceed without interference from the China Coast Guard (CCG) or maritime militia vessels through a compromise agreement.

Carlos is now being accused of claiming that the negotiations had the blessing of Teodoro and National Security Adviser Eduardo Año, both of whom have vehemently denied and dismissed as falsehoods that form part of China’s propaganda and effort to cause division among Filipinos.

Three days after the Chinese embassy tagged him as the one who allegedly negotiated the “new model” deal that allowed at least one RORE mission to be carried out smoothly on Feb. 2, the AFP said Carlos has gone on personal leave that the military insists has nothing to do with the allegations against him.

Carlos has been replaced temporarily by Rear Admiral Alfonso Torres, who now commands the WESCOM unit based in Puerto Princesa, Palawan and has jurisdiction over the West Philippine Sea.

The AFP is yet to issue any statement as to whether or not an investigation will be conducted against Carlos.

Meanwhile, the supposed new model deal over Ayungin Shoal is not binding because the WESCOM has no authority to finalize an agreement with other countries without the involvement of the DFA, retired Supreme Court justice Antonio Carpio said.

Carpio added that the Anti-Wiretapping Law was violated with this recording, unless the AFP official agreed to have the conversation taped.

“If the Chinese embassy official is entitled to diplomatic immunity, he cannot be prosecuted but he can be expelled as persona non grata,” he said.

The United States continues to be alarmed by China’s irresponsible behavior and incidents in the South China Sea.

“We continue to monitor what’s happening in the South China Sea, we continue to be alarmed when these incidents happen, whether it be with Philippine vessels or other vessels,” Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh said.

Sen. Risa Hontiveros slammed China’s “information warfare” in falsely claiming that the Philippines entered into a new model agreement to manage maritime tension at the West Philippine Sea.– Pia Lee-Brago, Marc Jayson Cayabyab, Cecilia Suerte Felipe, Daphne Galvez, Evelyn Macaira

MANILA, Philippines —  Granting an across-the-board legislated wage increase for workers nationwide could have an adverse impact, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) cautioned legislators anew.

A legislated wage hike could displace workers, increase prices of essential commodities and result in a decline in gross domestic product growth, Labor Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma said yesterday at the Kapihan sa Manila Bay forum.

Laguesma advised employers nationwide to be prepared to grant salary increases mandated by the different regional tripartite wages and productivity boards (RTWPB).

Only a few companies might comply with a legislated wage hike, considering that a majority of companies in the Philippines are micro, small and medium enterprises, he said.

There is a need to balance workers’ needs and employers’ capacity to grant salary increases, he stressed.

If workers need pay hikes, Laguesma said employers have the right to get reasonable returns from their investment and the opportunity to expand their business.

Various labor groups yesterday trooped to Congress to push for the passage of a “long overdue” and “much deserved” wage hike amid the soaring prices of commodities.

Wage hikes granted by RTWPBs are inadequate so Congress needs to pass pending measures granting legislated wage increases, the groups said.

Laguesma noted that RTWPBs will now undertake an annual review of existing minimum wage rates, hence employers must be ready to grant wage adjustments.

Unlike in other countries, the Philippines’ wage fixing system always has an upward trend adjustment, he noted.

The RTWPB in the National Capital Region will start the wage review by May 16, Laguesma said.

RTWPBs in 10 other regions will start the wage review between July and August, he added.

After the review, RTWPBs are expected to issue new wage orders, he noted.

Labor groups may still file a formal petition for a wage hike even if RTWPBs are set to conduct an automatic wage review, Laguesma said.

Nine of 17 RTWPBs nationwide have granted salary increases motu propio or without petition for a wage hike, he said.

Meanwhile, DOLE maintained that the country’s employment situation is improving despite the number of jobless Filipinos in March.

The number of employed Filipinos rose to 96.1 percent in March from 95.3 percent in March 2023, Laguesma said.

The employment rate went down to 96.1 percent in March from 96.5 percent in February, he admitted.

“But in terms of absolute number, the number of employed increased,” he claimed.

The high number of new entrants to the labor force led to the increase in unemployment numbers, he said.

There are 407,000 new entrants to the labor force and of that number, about 200,000 found employment and around 200,000 were unemployed, he added.

The number of underemployed went down, which means that more quality employment is being provided to Filipinos, he noted.

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