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Comelec yet to award online voting contract

MANILA, Philippines — The Bureau of Immigration (BI) supports the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA)’s plan to implement stricter rules for the issuance of tourist visas to Chinese nationals.

The DFA cited cas es of fraudulently acquired visas and crimes related to Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGO).

“This is a welcome developm ent for the BI,” Immigration Commissioner Norman Tansingco said yesterday.

“We project that there will be fewer exclusions, given that arriving tourists have been better filtered during their visa applications at the Philippine posts abroad,” he added.

The DFA’s move would provide another strong laye r of protection against foreigners who might have intentions inimical to state security, he noted.

Based on BI data in 2023, 3,359 foreigners were denied entry. A majority had questionable purposes for travel and were tagg ed as likely to become a public charge.

Of the number, 885 were citizens of China.

Based on previous news reports, there have been instances wherein POGOs were linked to crimes such as human trafficking, forcible abduction, homicide, illegal detention, kidnap-for-ransom, theft, robbery-extortion, serious physical injuries, swindling and grave coercion.

Tansingco believes that stricter visa issuance would have little impact on the country’s tourism.

“The move is really just filtering out those undesirables that are trying to enter the country. Regular tourists need not be worried,” he added.

In 2023, the BI said Chinese nationals were the fifth largest group of foreign tourists in 2023 with 246,179 tourist arrivals.

Ahead in the list were South Koreans with 1,467,051 arrivals, followed by Americans, Japanese and Australians.

Amid the reported influx of Chinese students in the country, the BI requested the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) to call for a high-level me eting of agency members to clarify the role of each agency in permitting foreigners to study in the country.

The Inter-Agency Committee on Foreign Students (IACFS) is scheduled to meet today to discuss the matter.

“We have requested the high-level meeting to reiterate our previous requests for immediate joint inspections and for it to become a regular conduct by the IACFS given new developments in national security concerns,” Tansingco said.

The IACFS is chaired by CHED and member-agencies include the BI, National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA), the DFA and Department of Education.

“We will (be) supporting (the) security assessments of NBI and NICA by providing (them with) the initial data that can be used for investigations,” Tansingco noted.

The BI made the request after Congress called for a probe on the number of Chinese students in Tuguegarao, Cagayan.

After reviewing its records, the BI found that 1,516 Chinese were allegedly granted student visas in Cagayan and all were endorsed by an undisclosed university.

As of April, the BI noted that only 485 are currently enrolled, with only 96 onsite with student visas.

In 2023, the BI issued 24,189 student visas to various nationalities, with 16,190 issued to Chinese nationals nationwide. A majority of them are in the National Capital Region.

Cagayan de Oro City 2nd District Rep. Rufus Rodriguez yesterday urged the DFA to impose stricter visa controls on Chinese nationals, whether they are students or POGO workers.

“I am urging the DFA and our diplomatic posts in China to apply these stricter rules on all China’s nationals applying for whatever type of visa, whether they are businessmen, tourists, workers, or students,” he said.

The country must “be on the lookout for Trojan horses among them,” said Rodriguez, a former immigration commissioner during former president Joseph Estrada’s time.

POGOs and Chinese students enrolled in Cagayan schools have been suspected of spying for the Chinese military, Rodriguez noted.

He also urged the DFA, BI and CHED to conduct an inventory of Chinese students in Cagayan, Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya, the Cordillera Administrative Region and other parts of the country amid conflicting reports on their number.

CHED should probe if there is a pattern of Chinese students migrating to areas near Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement sites, he said.

Meanwhile, Cagayan 3rd District Rep. Joseph Lara said the influx of Chinese students began after the government identified a naval base in Sta. Ana town in Cagayan as an additional site for EDCA activities, according to Rodriguez.

Another EDCA site in the region is a military camp in Gamu, Isabela, Rodriguez noted. — Delon Porcalla

MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Ronald dela Rosa is set to grill this week former Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) agent Jonathan Morales, who President Marcos described as a “professional liar” and likened to a “jukebox.”

“Let’s ask him (Morales) that… Let’s ask if someone paid him,” said Dela Rosa, who chairs the Senate committee on public order and dangerous drugs.

Marcos compared Morales – who linked the President to illegal drugs – to a jukebox that plays whatever song desired in exchange for money.

Some congressmen criticized Dela Rosa for his committee’s continued hearing on “PDEA Leaks,” set to continue today, even though no solid evidence was presented and some personalities who appeared were questionable.

“There is no problem with the criticisms. That’s why we hold a hearing to listen to all the sides that are relevant to this issue. Let’s listen to all the sides and just because we listen does not mean that we also believe in what he says,” Dela Rosa added.

Some senators also expressed concern that Dela Rosa’s committee could be losing focus, as it was originally meant to look into document leaks, with the names of the President and a veteran actress implicated in the controversy. Morales maintained he was telling the truth.

In investigating the alleged document leaks, Dela Rosa said Filipinos need to know what really transpired and the true story behind the alleged PDEA leaked information.

“We do not owe to the Filipino people a hearing that sidelines as a circus or as a variety show, we owe them instead a process marked by integrity, respect for due process, and a commitment to justice,” Dela Rosa said. “Let us proceed with a shared sense of urgency understanding that the conduct of these investigations as well as the outcome will impact our institutions’ credibility and our citizens’ safety for generations to come.”

While some quarters questioned Morales’ credibility, Dela Rosa said he could not just ignore the allegations of the former PDEA agent.

The senator is eyeing heavier penalties for individuals who will leak government classified documents, either by crafting a new law or amending existing laws.

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) yesterday reported a drop in the maximum temperatures in the country amid the thunderstorms experienced in many areas.

In a radio interview, PAGASA weather specialist Daniel James Villamil said that rains are expected in certain parts of Visayas brought by the easterlies or wind from the Pacific Ocean.

“If we compare the maximum temperature today and the past week, we can see that there was a drop (in the temperature) brought by the rains in the afternoon or the thunderstorm activities,” Villamil said.

He added that the maximum actual temperature in Metro Manila could reach 33 degrees Celsius.

“We can still expect a high heat index in Metro Manila between 42 and 43 degrees Celsius. We should still expect humid weather except for sudden downpours of rains brought by localized thunderstorms. Danger level heat index will still be experienced in certain areas,” Villamil pointed out.

PAGASA, he said, expects one or two typhoons to enter the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR) this month.

“Historically, there is a chance of one to two typhoons. But in the next three to five days, there is still less chance for typhoons as we have yet to monitor weather systems outside PAR,” Villamil said.

Once a typhoon enters PAR, it will be named Aghon.

Based on the PAGASA forecast, Laoag City in Ilocos Norte could experience a heat index of at least 46 degrees Celsius today. At the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), the heat index could reach 43 degrees.

Last Saturday, the highest heat index was recorded in Aparri, Cagayan at 46 degrees Celsius. The heat index at NAIA in Pasay City was at 42 degrees.

Ana Liza Solis, PAGASA climate monitoring and prediction section chief, has said the worst is over in terms of the record-high temperatures and searing heat, with many areas in the country possibly experiencing thunderstorms in the second half of May.

Solis said the hottest temperature for this year has been recorded after an actual temperature of 40.3 degrees Celsius was observed in Tarlac on April 27.

Agriculture Assistant Secretary U-Nichols Manalo said that the Department of Agriculture is preparing for a “more destructive” La Niña, even as El Niño continues to affect the agriculture sector. Manalo added that the DA has started its La Niña preparations by looking into areas severely affected by La Niña in the past.

MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) is still doing post-qualification evaluation and has yet to award a contract for the online voting and counting system (OVCS) for overseas voting in the May 2025 midterm elections.

“The two joint venture companies that pre-qualified are still undergoing post-qualification (evaluation) by the technical working group,” Comelec Chairman George Garcia said yesterday.

Garcia issued the statement in reaction to criticisms over the public bidding of the P465-million OVCS project of the commission.

One of the bidders, which was previously declared “ineligible” by the Comelec, questioned what it considered the “low bid” of another bidder.

The joint venture of AMA Group Holdings Corp., Dasan Network Solutions Inc. and Kevoting Inc. twice sought a reconsideration of its bid that was declared “ineligible” first on April 4 before the special bid and awards committee – automated election system (SBAC-AES) and second, on April 12 before the Comelec en banc.

According to the joint venture, they were flatly rejected twice without opening the bid.

“The Comelec en banc did not reconsider the second motion because the joint refused to pay the P2.3 million non-refundable protest fee, which was 5 percent of the project cost,” it said in a statement.

Garcia said the protest fee is a mandatory requirement of the procurement law.

In its motions for reconsideration, the AMA-Dasan-Kevoting joint venture argued the SBAC has refused to look into the low bid of P112 million by the SMSGT Technologies and Sequent Technologies Joint Venture.

“Its bid represented only 25 percent of the estimated project cost, raising questions on its capacity to handle the 2025 overseas voting system,” AMA-Dasan-Kevoting claimed.

The AMA-Dasan-Kevoting said there were deficiencies like failure of the SMSGT-Sequent joint venture to submit 14001 ISO Certification (Environmental Management System) or its equivalent. It also does not have sufficient credentials to prove their internet voting system was successfully used in an electoral exercise.

In its second motion for reconsideration, AMA-Dasan-Kevoting joint venture raised the question if SMSGT-Sequent has submitted any written certification from an election authority that it was indeed successful in the previous electoral exercise it handled.

It mentioned that one of its executives admitted in its post-bid evaluation that the only electoral exercise it did was the referendum in Madrid that involved 1.2 million voters.

It said: “SMSGT-Sequent should not be allowed to participate in the first place for failure to prove that ultimately their a.) internet/online voting system has a proven track record of being successfully implemented in at least one election year here or abroad; and the proposed internet voting system has been successfully used in a prior electoral exercise.”

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